Background
He was born of noble parentage on the patrimonial estate of Biała, Pajęczno County (whence the family name), in the Polish province of Sieradz.
He was born of noble parentage on the patrimonial estate of Biała, Pajęczno County (whence the family name), in the Polish province of Sieradz.
Bielski was educated at the University of Krakow, founded by Casimir the Great in 1364, and spent some time with the military governor of that city.
The name Wolski is derived from his estate at Wola. One of two Polish writers of the same name, he was the first to use the Polish language, hence his designation as the father of Polish prose. He served in the army in the wars against the Wallachians and Tatars, and participated in the Battle of Obertyn (Galicia) in 1531.
He was the author of several works, including:
Zywoty Filosofow (Lives of the Philosophers, 1535)
Kronika Swiata (Universal Chronicle, 1550-1564), from the earliest time down to his day, divided into six periods.
This was the first important universal history published in the national idiom, and the first attempt at a comprehensive history of Poland, from 550 to 1580. In the second edition (1554) there is a reference to America.
Sprawa Rycerskiego, a treatise on military art (1569), according to the Greek science of warfare, in eight parts. lieutenant contains valuable data about the Polish army and kindred subjects.
After Bielski"s death, several satirical poems by him were published:
Seym Majowy (The May Diet, 1590), descriptive of the degradation of Hungary, and an appeal to his countrymen to emulate a higher standard of life
Seym Niewiesci, (Woman"s Council, 1586-1595), analytical of the then existing political conditions in Poland
Senator Maiowy (Dream of a Hermit, 1586)
Komedia Justina y Konstanciey (Comedy of Justinian and Constantia, 1557).