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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 409
who aceompanied the new colonifts, acquired the language of the country, converted
feveral of the natives to chriftianity, and perfuaded them to be baptized. According to
the cuftom of that barbarous zera, an order of knighthood, firft called the Knights of
Chrift, and afterwards with more propriety the Knights of the Sword, was in{tituted
for the propagation of Chriftianity by force of arms. Thofe military miffionaries, equally
fanatic and fanguinary, gradually over-ran the couitry, and reducing the ancient inha-
bitants, rendered them at the fame time Chriftians and flaves.
In 1231 thefe knights, being incorporated in the Teutonic order, ftyled themfelves
Knights and Lords of the Crofs, and purchafed Efthonia, in 1521, from the King of
Denmark. Walter Plettenburgh, chief or general, having obtained from the Grand
Matter of the Teutonic order the jurifdiction of Livonia, was confidered. as independent,
and admitted by Charles the Fifth among the Princes of the empire. The knights con-
tinued in poffeflion of Efthonia and Livonia, until the impolitic condu& of their mafters,
and civil diffenfions, incited the ambition of the neighbouring powers, and involved the
country in a feries of bloody wars.
In 1556, the Archbifhop of Riga being imprifoned by Walter Furftenburgh, general
of the order, implored the affiftance of his uncle, Sigifmond Auguftus, King of Polands.
Sigifmond immediately armed in favor of his nephew, invaded Livonia, and compelled
Walter Furftenburg to releafe the Archbifhop to liberty, and to conclude a treaty, by,
Pe he acknowledged himfelf and the province of Livonia dependent on the crown of
oland.
* But Ivan Vaffilievitch, whofe anceftors poffefled Dorpt, and other neighbouring towns
in Livonia and Efthonia, laid claim to thefe provinces, and entering Livonia with a for-
midable army, refolved to annex them to the Ruffian empire. In this imminent dan-
ger, the city of Revel, and the inhabitants of Efthonia, threw themfelves under the pro-
tection of the King of Sweden, who, in taking pofleflion of that province, claimed Li-
vonia as an annexed dependency. At the fame time the Ruffians, entering Livonia, met
with little refiftance, took Furftenberg, the Grand Mafter, prifoner, and over-ran the
country.
Gothard Ketler, who was appointed Grand Mafter in the place of Furftenberg, un-
able to refift the Ruffian arms, haftily concluded a treaty with Sigifmond Auguttus,
eeded Livonia to the crown of Poland, on condition of referving to himfelf and heirs
male the duchies of Courland and Semigallia as fiefs of Poland. At the conclufion of
this treaty, Livonia, the object of contention, thus ceded to Poland, was. partly poffefled
by the Poles, partly by the Swedes, and partly over-run by the Ruffians.
In this fituation of affairs, Ivan Vaflilievitch conferred on Magnus, Prince of Denmark,
who, in the capacity of bifhop of Pilten in Courland, had fome pretenfions to Livonia,
the nominal fovereignty of that province. Having already related * the account of that
tranfa€tion, together with the erection and extinction of the fhort-lived kingdom of Li-
vonia, I fhall only add, that Ivan Vaffilievitch, being worfted by Stephen Bathori, King
of Poland, in feveral engagements, purchafed 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 poffeflion of Efthonia; and, by the fourth article of the peace of Oliva,.
obtained poffeffion of all Livonia. Thefe important provinces, containing all the north-
ern diftri& between the Gulf of Finland, the Narova, the Peipus lake, and the Duna,.
and ftretching to the boundaries of the prefent government of Polottk, were wrefted from
® Book III, chap. vis
the
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