The Poliih diet, which affembled at Grodno, denied the right
of the nobles of Courland to appoint a duke, declared that dutchy
a vacant fief belonging to the republic of Poland, annulled the
election of the Count of Saxe, and propofed, on the death of
Ferdinand, to incorporate the dutchies of Courland and Semigallia
to the crown of Poland, according to the ediCt of the Poliih
diet palled in 1589.
Catharine, who confidered Courland almoft as a province of
the Ruffian empire, and anxious to appoint a duke of her own
nomination, equally oppofed the election, of Maurice, and the incorporation
of Courland to the crown o f Poland; and prince
Mentchikof, who, on the death of Catharine, afpired to the ducal
throne, dilpatched a corps of Ruffian troops to Mittau, and
drove Maurice from Courland. The fall of Mentchikof prevented
his nomination; but the Ruffians, firft under Peter the
Second, and afterwards under Anne, maintained their troops and
influence in Courland, and promifed to fupport the ftates in
their right to eleCt a fovereign on the deceafe of Ferdinand the
reigning duke.
The death of Auguftus the Second, in 1733, annihilated
the hopes of Maurice; and, on the death of Ferdinand,
in 1737, the emprefs Anne forced the ftates of Courland
to eleCt her favourite, Erneft John Biron, and fupported his
election in oppofition to the claims and remonftrances of
Poland,
At
H I S T O R Y OF C O U R L A N D . »*«
At length, deputies from the emprefs and the new duke of C H A P .
Courland on one fide, and from the king and republic of Poland i-_ —.—..11
On the other, regulated the convention between the kingdom of
Poland and the duke of Courland. This convention, called PaBa
SubjeBionis, or Ads of Vaflalage, fettled the feodal rights of
the king and republic of Poland, regulated the conftitution
of Courland according to the former conventions or adts of
vaflalage agreed to by the preceding dukes, and eftabliihed the
fucceffion to the duchy of Courland in the male line of Erneft
John Biron.
In 1739, the chancellor of Courland did homage in the name
of the duke to Auguftus the Third, king of Poland. But, in
J740, Biron being arrefted and imprifoned by order of the
princefs Anne, regent of Ruffia, under her infant fon Ivan, the
ftates of Courland declared the ducal throne vacant, and eleCted,
at the recommendation of the regent Anne, Louis Erneft, prince
of Brunfwick, and brother of her huiband Anthony Ulric; the
fame perfon who was afterwards governor to the ftadtholder
of the United Provinces, and generaliffimo of the Dutch forces,
until he was driven from Holland by the French, or, as they
ftiled themfelves, the patriot party.
The revolution of 1741, which dethroned Ivan and placed
Elizabeth on the throne of Ruffia, prevented the ratification of
this eleftion; and from that period, till 1759, the adminiftration
was nominally veiled in the council of ftate; but the whole
power centered in the court of Ruffia.
V o l . H I O o l a