Kochowski was associated with Małopolska throughout his life. His parents were Jan, a middle rank nobleman, and Zofia, née Janowski. He studied at the Nowodworski College, in Kraków. During the next ten years, he fought as a Polish winged hussar with Cossacks, Muscovy and Swedish. In 1660 he came back to paternal Gaj, but he had to move to Goleniowy near Szczekociny in Kraków Land. His first publication was a poem entitled Kamień świadectwa wielkiego w Koronie Polskiej senatora niewinności in the defence of Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski. In 1668 he published his first volume, Różaniec Najświętszej Panny Maryi, which considers each secrets of rosary. During that time, Kochowski was involved in political life, gaining large respect among the nobility. He was even the podżupnik of huge salt mines in Wieliczka near Kraków. In 1674 he published his first masterpiece — Niepróżnujące próżnowanie. This is a collection of several hundreds verses, divided in four books of lyrics, one book of epodes and two books of epigrams. He showed the variety of topics, feelings, stylistic figures and versification forms. He expressed the care ofPolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, praised its triumphs, criticised its weaknesses, encouraged compatriots to defence it; he glorified life in the country and his paternal region, thanked God for looking for him and also joked at many ordinary situations in life. In 1681 Kochowski also wrote two religious poems: Chrystus cierpiący, which laments the Passion of Our Lord, and Ogród panieński, which explains the titles of Our Lady. During the reign of John III Sobieski he turned towards history. In 1683 he wrote Annales Poloniae ab obitu Vladislai IV, commonly called Klimaktery. This is the history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under kings John II Casimir and Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki. Kochowski had used the information from many witnesses, documents and his own experiences and he had done it so well. This book is one of the main sources for the old Polish history. In 1683 Kochowski took part in the battle of Vienna as historiographus privilegiatus ; a position granted to him by king Jan III Sobieski, an admirer of his historian skills. Next year he published the official relation from that – Commentarius belli adversus Turcas. He also tried to make the national epos, but he managed to write only one canto, edited as Dzieło Boskie albo Pieśni Wiednia wybawionego from 1695, usually called simply Psalmodia polska. It distinguishes itself, on one hand, by the Bible stylization, and on the other hand, by the change of point of view from Hebrew to Pole, from Jew to Christian, from ancient person to modern one. There are mixed 14 private and 22 public psalms. It tells about the expiation and the God's mercy, moderation of greeds and believing in the providence, special role of Poland in the world and the superiority of Polishpolitical system. Psalmodia polska is recognized as one of the main monuments of old Polish literature and the best synthesis of Sarmatism. In 1658 Kochowski married Marianna Misiowska. They had a son, Hieronim Franciszek, as late as 1674. After the death of Marianna in 1677 he married rich widow Magdalena Frezer. In 1696 she also died. He was the best friend of Jan Gawiński, who was also a good poet. His friends were also Stefan Bidziński, Hieronim Komornicki and Pakosław Lanckoroński. Kochowski was very popular in his time. He was also very popular in the last period of partitions and between the Wars. Last time he is more and more esteemed again.
Works
Wespazjan Kochowski, Utwory poetyckie. Wybór, opr. Maria Eustachiewicz, Wrocław-Warszawa-Kraków, 1991
Wespazjan Kochowski, Niepróżnujące próżnowanie ojczystym rymem na liryka i epigramata polskie rozdzielone i wydane, opr. Wacław Walecki, Warszawa, 1978
Wespazjan Kochowski, Dzieło Boskie albo Pieśni Wiednia wybawionego, opr. Marian Kaczmarek, Wrocław, 1983
