Brühl

Brühl, HEINRICH, COUNT VON, prime-minister of Augustus III., king of Poland and Elector of Saxony, memorable among unworthy ministers and venal statesmen. He was born in 1700 at Weissenfels, and in early life entered, as a page, into the service of the Duchess of Saxe-Weissenfels. His winning address and tact gained for him rapid promotion through several offices of state, until, in 1746, he became prime-minister to that idle and unpatriotic ruler, Augustus III. With the basest and most slavish sycophancy, he humoured the whims of his unworthy master, draining the coffers of the state, and burdening the country with debt, to supply him with money to squander on his follies. Yet he contrived to enrich himself, and to accumulate honours and titles. He kept a horde of servants, and maintained the most splendid establishment in the kingdom. The effect of his reckless robbery of the national finances made itself felt at the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, when the country could furnish only 17,000 men to oppose Frederick of Prussia, who surprised and captured the whole Saxon army in its camp at Pirna. Augustus and Brühl fled to Warsaw. When peace was concluded, they returned to Dresden, where Augustus died on the 5th October 1763. His worthless parasite had the grace to follow him three weeks later (28th October).