Z dziejów polsko-angielskich stosunków dyplomatycznych w I połowie XVII wieku

Abstract

A researcher undertaking the eflort to study the history of Polish-English diplomatic relations in the first half of the 17th century may use only a few doubtfully meritorious sources, that is some memoirs written by our members of parliament (e.g. by Paweł Działyński 1597, Jerzy Ossoliński 1621, Jan Zawadzki 1633) and travellers (e.g. Jakub Sobieski 1609). A careful study of those memoirs allows one to answer the fundamental question: what was the role that England played in Polish politics and what was the role of Polish Republic in English politics in the times of ‘the silver age’ (the 17th century)? What are the conclusions? The reign of James I was the best period of Polish-English relations although it was only Polish Republic that benefited from it. Charles Stuart’s succession to the throne brought about the change in the relations with Polish Republic. The scenario of Polish-English political games was hardly written into the politics; politics written with capital ‘P’ (e.g. negotations in Altmark). Poland would estimate the mutual relations taking into consideration the conflicts with neighbouring countries, Turkey and Sweden; England would consider the economy (the Eastland Company) and the matters of the Palatine of Rhine. One cannot help the impression that those mutual relations were peripheral to the grand politics and they could not turn out to be decisive or determining for any of the two countries. Such was the case with the matrimonial policy, i.e. the plan of getting Princess Elisabeth Stuart, James I’s daughter, married to Prince Wladyslaw, the son of Zygmunt III (Sigismundus). The question whether Poland and England could politically do without each other still remains a rhetorical one.