BOOK
I.
lie attacked the knights o f the Teutonic order, with whom
Poland had long been in an almoft continual ftate of warfare,
and obliged them to purchafe a peace by the ceffion of Culm
and Cujavia, which they had wrefted from his father; he
then reduced Red Ruffia, and annexed the duchy o f Mafovia
to the dominions of Poland. By thefe acquilitians he not
only extended the frontiers of his empire, but rendered his
dominions lefs liable to fudden invafions. But thefe great
fuccefles were not able to excite in his bread; the fatal fpirit
o f military enterprize; he always conlidered war as a matter
o f neceffity, not of choice, and as the means of fafety
rather than of glory #.
Having fecured his frontiers, as well by his victories as
by treaties with the neighbouring powers, he turned his
whole attention to the interior adminiftration of his kingdom
; he built feveral towns, enlarged and beautified others ;
fo that Dlugoffius t, who wrote in the following century,
fays of him, “ Poland is indebted to Cafirair for the greated:
“ part of her churches, palaces, fortrefles, and towns adding
metaphorically, “ that he found Poland of wood, and
“ left her of marble.” He patronized letters, and founded
the academy of Cracow; he promoted induftry and encouraged
trade : elegant in his manners and magnificent in
his court, he was ceconomical without meannefs, and liberal
without prodigality.
* Mitis ingenio, et quietus quara armo-
rum appetentior. Florus Pol. p. 116.
+ Tantus enim illi ad magnificandum,
locupletandumque Regnum Poloniae inerat
amor, ut graviffimos & notabiles fumptus,
in erigendis ex muro ecclefiis, caftris, civi-
tatibus, Sc curiis, faciendo ad id omnem fo-
licitudinem curamqne intenderat, ut Poloniam,
quam luteam, ligneam, & fqualidam
reperierat, lateritiam, gloriofam, & incly-
tam, ficut evenit, relinquerit. Nam quic-
quid Polonia in caftris, ecclefiis, civitatibus,
curiis, & domibus muromm continet, id
pro majori parte ab ipfo Cafimiro rege, &
fuis, regiis fumptibus eft perfedtum. Lib. IX.
p, 1164.
He
He was the great legiflator of Poland : finding his country CHAP-
without any written laws, he reviewed all the ufages and * . .
cuftoms, and digefted them, with fome additions, into a regular
code, which he ordered to be publiihed. He Amplified
> and improved the courts of juftice,; he was eafy * of accefs
to the meaneft as well as the higheft of his fubjedls, and
folicitous to relieve the peafants from the oppreffions
of the nobility : fuch indeed was the tendernefs he ihowed
to that injured clafs of men, and fo many were the privileges
which he conferred upon them, that the nobles ufed to call
him out of derilion Rex Rujiicorum, the king of the peafants;
perhaps the moil noble.appellation that ever was
beftowed upon a fovereign, and far to be preferred to the
titles of magnificent and great, which have been fo often
laviihed rather upon the perfecutors than the benefactors of
mankind. Human nature is never perfedt; Cafimir was,
not without his failings : voluptuous and fenfual, hepufhed
the pleafures of the table to an excefs e f intemperance;
and his: inordinate paffion for women led him into fome
adtions, inconfiftent with the general tenor of honour and
integrity which diftinguiihes his character. But thefe de-
fedts influenced chiefly his private, and not his public deportment
; or, to ufe the expreflion of a Poliih hiftorian,
his private failings were redeemed by his public virtues t :
and it is allowed by all, that no fovereign ever more con-
fulted the happine'fs of his fubjedts, or was more beloved at
home or refpedted abroad. After a long reign of 40 years
be was thrown from his horfe as he was hunting, and died
after a ihort illnefs in the 60th year of his age, carrying
. * Adeuntibns fucilis, querimoma&.etijm eura patebat acceffus. Dlugoffius.
audivit, &c. Siirnitki. Cuili&et f Redimens vitia virtutibus, Dlugoffius.
nujtiom, geperi, atque atati facilis ad
Vol. I. X with