The charities : the companions of the Muses (Grzegorz Samborczyk, Jan Kochanowski, Szymon Szymonowic)

The main purpose of the article is to reconstruct a frequent motive in Renaissance literature, particularly in Neo-Latin one, referring to the appearance of the Graces with the Muses. The object of the analysis and interpretation is a fragment of the occasional elegy by Grzegorz of Sambor, starting a hagiographical poem on the life of Saint Stanisław Kostka, two epigrams (trifle and foricenium) by Jan Kochanowski and four songs by Szymon Szymonowic from a panegyric Flagellum Livoris. These three poets representing various genres and means of creating poesy evoke precisely the same motive, assigning it somewhat different meaning every time. The appearance of the Charites along with the Muses is for Grzegorz of Sambor an element of spring awakening of nature, which denotes the revival of poetic invention; for Kochanowski - it is a way of expressiveness of spontaneous joy that invites to create poetry; for Szymonowic - an element of mythology of Envy that emphasizes a power of lyrical songs always connected to linguistic charm.