AUGUSTUS III., FREDERICK, elector of _Saxony and king of Poland, the son and successor of the above, was born in Oct., 1696, and carefully educated by his mother in the Protestant faith. At the age of 15, however, he left her tutelage for a tour through Germany, France, and Italy, where he changed his religion, secretly professing Catholi eism at Bologna, in 1712, though the fact was not publicly known in Saxony till five years later. It is possible that an eye to the crown of Poland, and to an alliance with one of the Austrian princesses, may have had something to do with this step. After his father in the electorate in 1733, he was chosen king of Poland by a part of the nobility; and triumphing over the rival claims of Stanislaus Leszeyns'ki, sup ported by Louis XV., was unanimously proclaimed three years later. He inherited his father's sumptuous tastes, though not his talents; and his love of art, cultivated by his Italian tour. enriched the gallery of Dresden with noble paintings. The government of his country he made over entirely to his prime minister, count von Brtthl, whose whole political system consisted in complete dependence upon Russia. In 1742, alarmed at
the increased power Prussia had obtained by the conquest of Silesia, A. formed an alli ance with Maria Theresa; and by the secret treaty of Leipsie, contracted to supply her with 50,000 men. But their united troops were completely routed by the Prussians in 1745; and Frederick II. pushing on into Saxony, A. had to escape from his capital, saving his art-treasures, but leaving his state-papers in the hands of the conqueror. In 1746, -the peace of Dresden restored him Saxony; but the close of the year again saw hint embroiled with Prussia. Joining the camp at Pirna, he narrowly escaped being U. K. 11.-2 taken prisoner, and had to flee to Poland, where his popularity, never very great, was much diminished by his recent reverses in Saxony, added to which the empress Catha rine of Russia used every effort to dislodge him, as an ally of France. At the conclusion of the peace of Hubertsburg, A. returned to Dresden, where he died in 1763. His son, Frederick Christian, succeeded him in the electorate, and Stanislaus Ponia towski became king of Poland.