István Gyöngyösi

István Gyöngyösi (1620 – 1704), Hungarian poet, was born of poor but noble parents.

His abilities early attracted the notice of Count Ferenc Wesselényi, who in 1640 appointed him to a post of confidence in Fulek castle. Here he remained till 1653, when he married and became an assessor of the judicial board. In 1681 he was elected as a representative of his county at the diet held at Soprony (Oedenburg). From 1686 to 1693, and again from 1700 to his death in 1704, he was deputy lord-lieutenant of the county of Gomor.

Of his literary works the most famous is the epic poem Murányi Venus (Caschau, 1664), in honour of his benefactor's wife Mária Szécsi, the heroine of Murany. Among his later productions the best known are Rózsa-Koszorú, or Rose-Wreath (1690), Kemeny-Linos (1693), Cupido (1695), Palinodia (1695) and Chariklia (1700).

The earliest edition of his collected poetical works is by Dugonics (Pressburg and Pest, 1796); the best modern selection is that of Toldy, entitled Gyöngyösi István válogatott poétai munkái (Select poetical works of Stephen Gyongyosi, 2 vols, 1864–1865).

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.