Hieronymus Jarosław Laski, Lasky, Laszki, Laszky, Laskó, Jeromos, Jerome, Hieronym, Hieronim,, was a Polishdiplomat born of an illustrious Polish family. Laski was the nephew of Archbishop John Laski and served as palatine of Inowrocław and of Sieradia, Sieradz.
Biography
Laski's first important mission was to Paris in 1524, ostensibly to contract an anti-Turkish league with the French kingFrançois I, but really to bring about a matrimonial alliance between the French king's second son Henri, afterwards Henry II, and the daughter of the King of PolandSigismund I, a project which failed through no fault of Laski's.. The collapse of the Hungarian monarchy at the Battle of Mohács first opened up a wider avenue for Laski's adventurous activity. Contrary to the wishes of his own sovereign, Sigismund I, whose pro-Austrian policy he detested, Laski entered the service of Janos Zápolya, the Magyar competitor for the Hungarian throne, thereby seriously compromising Poland both with the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and with the Pope. Zápolya despatched him on an embassy to Paris, Copenhagen and Munich for help. France granted Zápolya 20,000 in gold, five thousand of which was to be forwarded immediately, but on Laski's return, he found his patron a refugee in Transylvania, whither he had retired after his defeat by Ferdinand I in the Battle of Tarcal in 1527. In February 1528, Laski arranged for the king of Hungary, Zápolya, to become a vassal to the Ottoman Empire. Laski went still further, and without the authority for his action concluded a ten years' truce between his old masterKing Sigismund of Poland and the Porte. He then returned to Hungary at the head of 10,000 men, with whose aid he enabled Zapolya to re-establish his position and defeat Ferdinand at Saros-Patak. He was rewarded with the countship of Zips and the governor-generalship of Transylvania.
Conspiracy
In the 1530s Laski conspired with Lodovico Gritti, the son of the Doge of Venice and Suleiman against King Zápolya, the man he had helped so much. The plan called for Gritti to become the king of Hungary and Laski to be awarded Transylvania. But nothing came of this because Zápolya had discovered the plot and arrested Laski, imprisoned him in 1534. In 1535 Laski was freed with help of influential friends. On being released by the interposition of the Polish grand hetman, Jan Tarnowski, Laski became a violent opponent of Zapolya, and openly changed his allegiance, allying himself with Ferdinand I. In 1539 Ferdinand sent Lasky to Constantinople, to denounce the existence and details of the secrettreaty of Nagyvárad. Shortly after his return to Poland, Laski died suddenly at Cracow, possibly poisoned by one of his innumerable enemies.
Remembrance
He is one of the characters on the famous painting by Jan Matejko, Prussian Homage.
