FREDERICK AUGUSTUS I., King of Saxony, eldest son of the Elector Frederick Christian, born at Dresden on the 23rd of December 1750, succeeded his father on the 17th of December 1763, under the guardianship of his undo Prince Xavier, till he assumed the govern ment in 1765. In 1769 he married the Princess Maria Amelia of Deuxponts. He began his reign with a firm resolution, to which he remained faithful under all circumstances and at all times, to do every thing in his power to promote the happiness of his people. In the whole of his long reign there was no act of despotism, or violation of the rights of others. Averse from innovation, he undertook nothing through ostentation or mere imitation, but, new institutions arose only when lie had become convinced of their utility. lie gradually diminished the debts of the country ; and the strict integrity of his administration caused the Saxon funds, though the interest was low, to be several per cent- above par. Ha often prevented the country from contracting debts by personal sacrifices, endeavoured to decrease rather than to raise the taxes, and never suffered his interest and that of his treasury to be opposed to the interest. of his subjects. During the dreadful dearth in 1772, 1801, and 1805, and the inundations lu 1784, 1799, and 1804, the king gave particular proofs of his paternal care for his people. Agriculture, the improvement of the breed of cattle, especially of the sheep, made considerable progress, and were encouraged by premiums. The mines, the salt-works, and the forests were improved by careful superintendence and wise laws. Manufac tures were encouraged ; counnerco, which had suffered severely during the Seven Years' War and by the duties imposed during his minority upon foreign goods, became flourishing to a degree hitherto unknown. The army was placed upon a better footing, excellent institutions were established for the education of officers, and a military penal code was compiled. Extensive support was given to tho universities of Wittenberg and Leipzig, the schools of Pfortseilleiesen and Orimma were reorganised, the seminaries at Dresden and Weiesenfels, the Institutions for the sons of soldiers at Annaberg, and tho elementary mining-schools in the Erzgebirge were founded, and the mining-academy at Freiberg better organised. In his legislation Frederick's government appears in a very favourable light. Torture was abolished in 1770; the number of oaths in courts of justice was diminished; the punish ment of death restricted and maul's lass crud. Important changes were also made with respect to several public boards; salutary police laws and a general ordinance on guardianship were issued ; orphan houses, workhouses, dispensaries, lee. were founded. The spirit of integrity, order, temperance, and fidelity so generally prevailed, that Saxony was eminently distinguished for the morality of its inhabitant& Notwithstanding his love of peace, ho was more than once obliged to take part in the wars of other powers. Thus, in 1778, the claims of
his mother on the succession of her brother the Elector of Bavaria, made him join Frederick the Great against Austria. The welfare of his country and its geographical position required him to be united with Prussia, ou which account ho joined the Ptirstenbund. Similar coneidomtions induced him to refuse the crown of Poland, which the Poles offered to him and his eueoeseors in 1791. Ha took no part in the war against France further than furnishing his contingent as a prince of the empire; and in 1796 ho acceded to the armistice and treaty of Neufchatel with Franco, and stationed a cordon of troops on the line of demarcation, on his southern frontier. Ile took no part, in the new war between Austria and Franca iu 1805 ; but when the German empire was dissolved, on the 6th of August 1806, he was obliged to furnish Prussia with 22,000 men against France. After the battle of Jena, Saxony was abandoned to the French. Napoleon, besides various requisitions, levied a contribution of 25,000,000 of franca, and established a provisional administration of the sequestrated revenues, but allowed the country to remain neutral ; and its fate would doubtless have been very different hut for the respect with which the private and public virtues of the king inspired even his enemies. Frederick assisted his distressed subjects from his private property, concluded a treaty of peace with Napoleon at Bonn in December 1806, assumed the title of king, joined the Rhenish Con federation, and furnished 20,000 men as his contingent. By the treaty of Tilsit in 1807 he obtained a large portion of Prussian Poland, by the name of the grand-duchy of Warsaw. Ile was bound to take part with France in its wars, but sent no troops to Spain ; and in the war with Austria in 3809 he furnished only his contingent. In 1813 his dominions became the theatre of war. On the entrance of the allies into Saxony he retired to Plauen, thence to Ratisbon, and thence to Prague ; but the menaces of Napoleon compelled him to return to Dresden ; he afterwards followed Napoleon to Leipzig. That town being taken by the allies after the defeat of the French on the lath and 19th of October, Alexander intimated to him that he considered him as a prisoner. The act of spoliation which followed is well known. In spite of his remonstrances and representations, and of the high estimation in which his character was held, he was deprived of a large portion of his kingdom, which was given to Prussia under the title of the grand-duchy of Saxony. He returned to his capital on the 7th of June 1815, founded, in commemoration of that event, the order of Civil Merit, and devoted all his atteutiou to repair the injuries caused by the war. In September 1313 he celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his assuming the government, and iu January 1819 that of his marriage. Ho died on the 5th of May 1827, in the seventy-seventh year of his age and the sixty-fourth of his reign.