B O O K
X I .
In 1758, the nobles of Courland, difgufted with their rulers,
declared the ducal throne vacant, and eledted Charles Chriilian,
third fon of Auguftus the Third. Charles received, in 1759, the
inveftiture of the two dutchies from the king of Poland, made
his entry into Mittau the fame year, and repairing to Peterf-
burgh, obtained from the emprefs Elizabeth the reftitution of
the ducal eftates and revenues which had been fequeftered by
Ruffia, and her renunciation of all right and title to thofe two
dutchies.
But the death of Elizabeth, in 1761, rendered this reftitution
ineffectual. Peter the Third recalled Biron from exile; and
Catharine the Second had fcarcely afcended the throne, by the
depofition of Peter, before Ihe reftored Biron to his former
dignity.
I ihall clofe this hafty Iketch of the fucceffion to the dutchy
of Courland with feme biographical anecdotes of that celebrated
per-fonage.
Erneft John Biron * was defeended from a family of mean extraction.
His grand-father, whofe name was Buren, or Bieren,
was head groom to James, the Third, duke of Courland, and ob-
* I-or this account o f Biron I have
eonfulted Manftein’s Memoirs, p. 42,
4 7 , 62, 190, 263,'265* 268, 280 5 L e t ters
from a Lad y in Ruflia, L e t . x x v iii,
x x i x ; Schmidt’ s Materialien fuer den
RuiT. G e ih . p. 38, 44, 28 1 , 3 2 1 ;
M o tifs de la Difgrace D ’Erneft Jean
de Biron, due de Courland, written by
2
himfelf, in Burching ’s Hift. M a g a z in ,
vo l. ix . p. 383, 3 9 8 ; A n tw o r f a u f die
Vergehende Schrift', von einem naechften
Verwandten des G ra fen von Munich,
ibid. p. 40 1 , 4 1 4 ; Government de
l ’Empire de Rüfiie, by- Marihal Munich,
pailim.
WfrnsM
tained from his mailer the prefent of a fmall eftate in land. C H A p . ^
His fen accompanied prince Alexander, youngeft fon of the duke u
of Courland, in a campaign into Hungary againft the Turks, in
quality of groom of his horfe, and with the rank of lieutenant.
Prince Alexander being killed before Buda, in 1686, Biron returned
into Courland, and was appointed mafter-huntfman to the
duke.
Erneft John, his fecond fon, was born in 1687, received the
early part of his education in Courland, and was fent to the
univerfity of Konigibergh in Pruflia, where he continued until
feme youthful imprudences compelled him to retire.
In 1714, he made his appearance at St. Peteriburgh, and fo-
licited the place of page to the princefs Charlotte, wife of the
tzarovitch Alexey; but being contemptuoufly rejedted as a peribn
of mean extradlion, retired to Mittau, and chanced to ingratiate
himfelf with Count Beftuchef, mailer of the houihold to Anne,
widow of Frederic William duke of Courland, who reftded at
Mittau. Having through his means obtained the office of gentleman
of the chamber, and being of a handfome figure and polite
addrefs, he foon gained the good-will of the dutchefs, and'
became her chief favourite. The firft ufe which he made of his
favour, was to obtain the difgrace and removal of his benefadtoft
Beftuchef. He foon gained fuch an entire afeendency over the
affedtions of his miftrefs, that his will became her’s ; and the
upftart favourite offended by his arrogance the whole body of
the nobility of Courland.
O o 2 Having