Editing Political fiction (section)

==18th-century novel==
The political [[comedy]] ''The Return of the Deputy'' (1790), by [[Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz]]—Polish poet, playwright, statesman, and comrade-in-arms of [[Tadeusz Kościuszko]]—was written in about two weeks' time while Niemcewicz was serving as a deputy to the historic [[Four-Year Sejm]] of 1788–92.  The comedy's premiere in January 1791 was an enormous success, sparking widespread debate, royal communiques, and diplomatic correspondence.  As Niemcewicz had hoped, it set the stage for passage of Poland's epochal [[Constitution of May 3, 1791|Constitution of 3 May 1791]], which is regarded as Europe's first, and the world's second, modern written national constitution, after the [[United States Constitution]] implemented in 1789.  The comedy pits proponents against opponents of political reforms:  of abolishing the destabilizing [[Royal elections in Poland|free election]] of Poland's kings; of abolishing the legislatively destructive ''[[liberum veto]]''; of granting greater rights to [[peasant]]s and townspeople; of curbing the privileges of the mostly self-interested [[szlachta|noble class]]; and of promoting a more active Polish role in international affairs, in the interest of stopping the depredations of Poland's neighbors, Russia, Prussia, and Austria (who will in 1795 complete the dismemberment of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]).  Romantic interest is provided by a rivalry between a reformer and a conservative for a young lady's hand—which is won by the proponent of reforms.<ref>[[:pl:Zdzisław Skwarczyński|Zdzisław Skwarczyński]], ''wstęp'' (introduction) to [[Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz]], ''[[:pl:Powrót posła|Powrót posła]]'' (The Return of the Deputy), Wrocław, [[Ossolineum]], 1983.</ref>