ZAMOYSKI, JAN (1541-1605), Polish statesman, was the son of Stanislaw, Castellan of Chelm, and Anna Herburtowna, a noble Polish lady. After completing his education at Paris, Stras bourg and at Padua, where as rector of the academy he corn posed his celebrated work De senatu roman (Venice, 1563), he returned home in 1565, one of the most consummate scholars and jurists in Europe, and at once entered politics. He played a leading part, after the the death of Sigismund II., in remodelling the Polish constitution and procuring the election of Henry of Valois. After the flight of that prince Zamoyski seems to have aimed at the throne himself, but quickly changed his mind and supported Stephen Bathory, whose election he prepared and whose foremost counsellor he became. Appointed chancellor on May 1, 1576, immediately after the coronation, as wielki hetman, commander-in-chief, in 1580, Zamoyski strenuously supported Stephen during his long struggle with Ivan the Terrible. He also enabled the king in 1585 to bring the traitorous Samuel Zborowski to the scaffold. On the death of Stephen, the Zborowski recov ered their influence and did their utmost to keep Zamoyski in the background. At the election diet of July 9, 1587, however, Zamoyski triumphed over his rivals, and rejecting an offer from the Habsburgs of the title of prince, with the Golden Fleece and 20,00o ducats, procured the election of Sigismund of Sweden, son of Catherine Jagiellonica (Aug. 19). The opposite party immedi ately elected the Austrian Archduke Maximilian, but Zamoyski routed and captured the archduke at Byczyna (Jan. 24, 1588).
From the first there was a certain coldness between the new king and the chancellor, Sigismund desiring an alliance with the Habsburgs, which Zamoyski feared. Friction became acute when Sigismund appointed an opponent of Zamoyski vice-chancellor, and made other ministerial changes which limited his authority; though ultimately, with the aid of his partisans and the adoption of such desperate expedients as the summoning of a confederation to annul the royal decrees in 1592, Zamoyski recovered his full authority. In 1595 Zamoyski, in his capacity of commander-in
chief, at the head of 8,000 veterans dethroned the anti-Polish hospodar of Moldavia and installed in his stead a Catholic convert, George Mohila. On his return he successfully sustained in his camp at Cecora a siege by the Tatar khan. Five years later (Oct. 20, 160o) he won his greatest victory at Tirgoviste, over Michael the Brave, hospodar of Walachia and Moldavia. But beyond securing the Polish frontier Zamoyski would never go. He refused to wage war with Turkey even under the most favour able circumstances, nor could he be drawn into the Holy League against the Ottomans in 1600, making conditions for Poland's co operation which her allies could not possibly accept. Statesman though he was, Zamoyski cannot, with all his genius and valour, be called a true patriot. Sigismund was undoubtedly right when he attempted to reform the Polish constitution in 1605 by strength ening the royal power and deciding all measures in future by a majority of the diet. These reforms Zamoyski strenuously opposed. The last speech he delivered was in favour of the anarchic principle of free election. He died suddenly at Zamosc, June 3, 1605.
See Vincent Laureo, et ses depeches inedites (Ital.) (War saw, 1877) ; Augustin Theiner, Vetera monumenta Poloniae et Li tuaniae vol. ii. (Rome, 1862) ; Adam Tytus Dzialynski, Collectanea vitam resque gestas J. Zamoyocit illustrantia (Posen, 1881).