MATUSZEWICZ, Marcin—The Memoirs of Marcin Matuszewicz, Castellan of Brest-Lithuanian, 1714–1765. Edited by Adolf Pawiński. Volumes I–II [1876]

Warsaw, 1876. Main edition published by Gebethner & Wolff. 14.5 x 22.5 cm, pp. (4), XL, 267, (4), 317 [2 volumes in 1 book], period half-leather bookbinder’s binding. Good condition (rust-colored stains on the pages, scuffing on the binding, a small watermark on the lower part of the opening pages).

The first edition of Marcin Matuszewicz’s memoirs, prepared for print by Adolf Pawiński. Volumes I–II cover the years 1714–1757 and provide an extensive account of the author’s life against the backdrop of the political events of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the Saxon era. Matuszewicz describes the noble milieu, his activities in the regional assemblies and public life, political conflicts, and the numerous figures with whom he came into personal contact. The memoirs are a valuable source for understanding the political and social life of the 18th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Marcin Antoni Matuszewicz (1714–1774) —a nobleman, politician, and diarist—was primarily associated with public life in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He held numerous offices, rising in 1768 to the rank of Castellan of Brest in Lithuania. He was also a delegate to the Sejm and a multiple-term deputy to the Lithuanian Tribunal. In his political career, he was successively associated with the Sapieha, Czartoryski, and Radziwiłł families.