ility ▁( the ▁sz lach ta ). ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁Krak ów ▁Academy ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 5 7 9 ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁re ctor ▁of ▁the ▁Wil no ▁Academy . ▁Later , ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Jes uit ▁College ▁at ▁Krak ów . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁pro l ific ▁writer , ▁and ▁his ▁The ▁L ives ▁of ▁the ▁Sain ts ▁( Ż yw oty ▁świ ę ty ch , ▁ 1 5 7 9 ) ▁was ▁for ▁several ▁centuries ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁books ▁in ▁the ▁Polish ▁language . ▁His ▁other ▁important ▁work ▁was ▁the ▁Se jm ▁S erm ons ▁( K az ania ▁Se jm owe , ▁ 1 5 9 7 ), ▁a ▁political ▁treat ise , ▁which ▁became ▁popular ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁the ▁" pat ri otic ▁se er " ▁who ▁predicted ▁the ▁partitions ▁of ▁Poland . ▁ ▁Life ▁Sk arga ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 2 ▁February ▁ 1 5 3 6 , ▁north ▁of ▁Gr ój ec , ▁in ▁the ▁small ▁fol w ark ▁( man or ) ▁of ▁Pow ę sz czy zna ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁Sk arg ows z czy zna ▁or ▁Sk arg owo ). ▁His ▁family ▁are ▁often ▁described ▁as ▁less er ▁land less ▁sz lach ta ▁( gent ry , ▁or ▁nob ility ), ▁but ▁it ▁seems ▁likely ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁ancest ors ▁had ▁been ▁pe as ants , ▁later ▁towns