GEORGE (the Bearded), duke of Saxony, eldest son of Albert (the Brave), the founder of the Ducal or Albertinian Saxon line, was born in 1471. Ile early distributed a strong desire for the acquisition of relitious knowledge, and in 1481 was sett to Meissen to pursue his studies, with a view to his entering the church. On the death of his father in 1500, George succeeded to the whole dukedom, consisting of the half of Thuringia and Meissen, with the exception of the lately acquired country of Friesland, which fell to his younger brother Henry, who, liowever, soon after exchanged it with George for Freiberg and Wolkenstein. Though George and William, duke. of lower Bavaria, were the two pillars of Catholicism in Germany, yet the former did not appear to be much displeased with the proceedings of Luther previous to the Leipsic controversy; on the contrary, they were at one in regard to the many abuses which had crept into tha church, but George wished to remedy them through papal edicts, or the general decisions of a general council. The ill-feeling between George and Luther commenced during
the Leipsic controversy, and arose from a misapprehension of Luther's doctrine of jus tification by faith; it necessarily increased in strength in one who was so remarkable for obstinacy, especially as it was carefully fostered by John Eck and other of Luther's enemies. Yet when the emperor seemed likely to violate his safe conduct given to Luther, George strongly protested against such a breach of good faith. The later years of his reign were embittered by a succession of domestic calamities: first his wife died, then all his children in succession, and thus his brother, Henry of Freiberg, becanie heir-apparent. Henry was a zealous Protestant, and such was George's antipathy to being succeeded by one of that religion, that he attempted to break the line of succes sion, but did not live long enough to accomplish his purpose. He died in 1530; and was succeeded by Henry.