The Adventures of Mr. Nicholas Wisdom (; 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.
Krasicki's novel is the tale of Nicholas Experience (Mikoà Âaj Doà Âwiadczyà Âski), a Polish nobleman. During sojourns in Warsaw, Paris, and the fictional island of Nipu (a utopian society), 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 PolishâÂÂLithuanian Commonwealth and of the broader European culture of the time.