BOOK civil diffenfions, incited the ambition of the neighbouring powers,
_ _ i and involved the country in a feries of bloody wars.
In 1556, the archbiffiop of Riga being imprifoned by Walter
Furitenberg, the general of the order, implored the affiftance of
his uncle Sigifmond Auguftus king of Poland. Sigilmond immediately
armed in favour of his nephew, invaded Livonia, and
compelled Walter Furitenberg not only to reftore the archbiihop
to liberty, but to conclude a treaty, by which he acknowledged
himfelf and the province of Livonia dependent on the crown of
Poland.
But Ivan Vaffilievitch, whofe anceftors had formerly poffefled
Dorpt, and other towns in Livonia and Eithonia, laid claim
to thefe provinces, and entering Livonia with a formidable army,
refolved to annex them to the Ruffian empire.
In this imminent danger, the city of Revel, and the inhabitants
of Efthonia, threw themfelves under the protection of the king
of Sweden, who, in taking pofleffion of that province, claimed
Livonia as an annexed dependency. At the fame time the
Ruffians, entering Livonia, met with little refiftance, took Furitenberg,
the grand mailer, prifoner, and overran the greatell part
of the country, in 1559-
Gothard Ketler, who was appointed grand mailer in the place
of Furitenberg, finding it impoffible to refill the Ruffian arms,
haltily concluded a treaty with Sigifmond Auguftus, ceded Livonia
to the crown of Poland, on condition of referving to himfelf
and heirs male the duchies of Courland and Semigallia as
4 fiefs
L I V O N I A .
fiefs of Poland. At the conclufion of this treaty, Livonia, the
objeil of contention, thus ceded to Poland, was partly poffefled
by the Poles, partly by the Swedes, and partly overrun by the
Ruffian arms.
In this fituation of affairs, Ivan Vaffilievitch conferred on
Magnus prince of Denmark, who, in the capacity of bilhop of
Pilten in Courland, had fome pretenfions to Livonia, the nominal
fovereignty of that province. Having already related * the account
of that tranfaftjon, together with the ereftion and extinction
of the Ihort-lived kingdom of Livonia, I ihall only add,
that Ivan Vaffilievitch, being worfted by Stephen Bathori, king
o f Poland, in feveral engagements, was glad to purchafe a peace,
by ceding, in 1582, to the crown of Poland, all that part of
Livonia which he had occupied: but the king of Sweden
continued in pofleffion of Efthonia; and, by the fourth article
of the peace of Oliva, obtained pofleffion of all Livonia. Thefe
important provinces of Livonia and Efthonia containing all the
north diftriit between the gulf of Finland, the Narova, the
Peipus lake, and the Duna, and ftretching to the boundaries of
the prefent government of Polotlk, were wrefted from the Swedes
by Peter the Great, and confirmed to the Ruffians by the peace
of Ryftadt, in 1721.
The reformation was firft introduced into Livonia and Efthonia
in 1522, and was foon embraced by all ranks of people. The Lutheran
religion is the moll prevalent; but all other feits are tolerated.
* Book III. Ch. vi.
Narva