| The Adventures of Mr. Nicholas Empiricus | |
| Title Orig: | Mikołaja Doświadczyńskiego przypadki |
| Author: | Ignacy Krasicki |
| Country: | Poland |
| Language: | Polish |
| Genre: | Novel |
| Release Date: | 1776 |
| Media Type: | Print (Hardback) |
The Adventures of Mr. Nicholas Wisdom (pl|Mikołaja Doświadczyńskiego przypadki; in English, more accurately, The Adventures of Nicholas Empiricus), written in Polish in 1776 by Ignacy Krasicki, is the first novel composed in the Polish language, and a milestone in Polish literature.[1]
Krasicki's novel is the tale of Nicholas Experience (Mikołaj Doświadczyński), a Polish nobleman. During sojourns in Warsaw, Paris, and the fictional island of Nipu (a utopian society[2]), the protagonist gathers numerous experiences that lead him to a rationalist outlook and teach him how to become a good man, and thus a good citizen.
This rationalist outlook, often emphasized in Krasicki's writings, constitutes an apologia for the Enlightenment and physiocratism. The Adventures of Nicholas Experience offers a portrayal both of the 18th-century Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and of the broader European culture of the time.