AUGUSTUS II., FREDERICK, commonly called the Strong, elector of Saxony and king of Poland, second son of the elector, John George and of the Danish princess, Anna Sophia, was born at Dresden in 1670. His extraordinary strength was developed by a careful physical education, and his mental faculties more successfully cultivated than his morals. From 1687 to 1689 he traveled over the greatest part of Europe., but was prohibited by his father from visiting Rome. Upon his father's death (1691). he went to Vienna, and there formed an intimacy with Joseph, king of Rome, which mate rially influenced his politics. When, in 1694, he succeeded to his brother George as elector, instead of turning his arms against France, according to previous arrangement, he undertook the command of the Austro-Saxon army against the Turks in Hungary. After the battle of Olasch, in 1696, he returned to Vienna as a 'candidate for the throne of Poland, vacated by John Sobieski. Bidding higher than prince Conti for the crown (10 million Polish florins), and adopting. the Catholic faith, he was elected king by the venal nobles; and having, by his imposing force, awed the adherents of Conti, lie was crowned at Cracow, 15th Sept., 1697. On ascending the throne, he promised to regain, for his new kingdom, the provinces that had been ceded to Sweden; but his efforts to do this only led to the defeat of himself and his allies, his own deposition as king of Poland, the election of Stanislaus Leszcynski, and the ignominious peace of AltranstSdt in 1706. So complete was his humiliation, that A. was compelled to send a letter of congratulation to the new Polish king, together with all the crown-jewels and archives_ However, on receiving intelligence of the defeat of Charles XII. at Pultowa, in 1709, he declared the treaty of Altranstitdt annulled, marched with a powerful army into Poland, formed a fresh alliance with the czar, and recommenced a war with Sweden, trhich continued raging with redoubled fury, till the death of Charles XII. at Fredericks
hall, iu 1718, gave a new aspect to affairs, leading first to a truce, and eventually to a peace with Sweden. Meanwhile, a confederation, headed by a Polish nobleman, had been formed against the Saxons, and repulsed them with much success, till, in 1716, through the mediation of the czar, a compact was made between the Poles and A„ agreeably to which the Saxon troops left the kingdom. The king now found himself obliged to employ conciliation, and the splendor of his dissolute court soon won the favor of the Polish nobles, who followed his example but too closely. Saxony had bitter cause to regret the union of the crowns. Its resources were shamefully squan dered, even when want and famine were in the land, on the adornment of the capital, on the king's mistresses, his illegitimate children, and the alchemists who deluded him with hopes of the elixir of life. A supported the fine arts as ministering to luxury, but did little for the cause of science. Despotic in principle, though easy in temper; ambitious as well as luxurious; reckless alike in the pursuit of war and pleasure, death overtook him in the midst of projected festivities. On his way to the Warsaw diet, gangrene of an old wound set in, and he died in Feb., 1733, and was buried at Cracow. By his wife—a Protestant, and daughter of the margrave of Brandenburg-Kul mbach he left an only son, who succeeded to him. The most celebrated of his numerous ille gitimate offspring—amounting, it is affirmed, to somewhere about 300—was Maurice, count of Saxony.