GUSTAVUS VASA. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. Comparison between Gustavus Vasa, Gustavus Adolphus, and Charles the Twelfth Sweden after the Treaty of Calmar, 1398 — Union with Norway and Denmark Eric the Seventh Death of Eric tian the First · Knutson chosen King Revolts in Dale Regency of Knutson - Defeat and abdication - Recall and death - Sten Sturé Regent Christian proclaimed King - Battle of Brunkeberg Treaty of Calmar renewed John declared King Provisions of the treaty John defeats the Regent Revolt of the nobles Sturé re-elected His death and policy Difficult position of Swedish rulers Christian the Second Mission of Gustavus Vasa. THE realm of Sweden, during the two centuries commencing about the year 1520, acquired an imperishable glory from the great princes who, at various intervals, occupied the throne. Few royal names are more illustrious, or have conferred more honour upon their country, than those of Gustavus Vasa, Gustavus Adolphus, and Charles the Twelfth. Not only were their reigns distinguished by deeds of great brilliancy and importance, but those deeds were their own, suggested or modified by themselves, achieved after the characteristic fashion of each, by political B wisdom, military genius, and daring courage. Hence, comparing them together, Charles the Twelfth was the greatest hero, and Gustavus Adolphus the greatest general; but Gustavus Vasa was the greatest king. The others were too much captivated or too busy with war and conquest, to give sufficient heed to that domestic policy which, properly conceived and administered, gives a sovereign, not the most brilliant indeed, but the best title to a nation's gratitude and admiration. Gustavus, on the contrary, without neglecting the defence of his kingdom-after he had freed it from foreign rulers-devoted himself chiefly to its internal improvement, to the reformation of its institutions, and to the development of its resources; and the intelligence he showed in choosing fit times and fit instruments for what he meant to do, his moral courage in difficult and critical junctures, and the laborious perseverance by which he finally established peace and an efficient government in the place of anarchy and misrule, justly entitle him to a high rank among the kings, not only of his own, but of all other nations. The abatements to be made from this general commendation, and the faults, which, while they lessened the usefulness of Gustavus as a monarch, tarnished also his character as a man, will appear in the following history. But in order justly to appreciate his position, and the peculiar obstacles which he had to surmount, it will be necessary to throw a glance over the annals of the kingdom, from the CHAP. I. UNION WITH NORWAY AND DENMARK. 3 union of the Crowns of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden by the Treaty of Calmar in 1398, until the time when he, who was destined to dissolve that treaty, appears upon the scene. The union, which was accomplished mainly by the prudence and management of Margaret, widow of Håkan, King of Norway, finds little favour with the Swedish historians, ancient or modern. Laurentius Petri says, that "Queen Margaret's union was profitable to the Swedes, if it was to their profit to be the Danes' bondmen." Geijer calls it "a hasty, imperfect work, concluded without the assent, or even without the knowledge, of the kingdom generally." Plausible reasons, however, were not wanting to recommend it, in the outset, to all the nations whom it joined together. It promised many of the advantages which have been actually realized by the union of England and Scotland. It promised to put an end to the feuds by which the different parts of Scandinavia had hitherto been distracted, to combine within the limits of one united kingdom territorial advantages of no ordinary kind, and to give to each member of the confederacy, while still retaining its separate customs and domestic arrangements, a strength beyond its own, to resist the encroachments or to retaliate the injuries of more powerful states. It was evident, however, that the success of the experiment would depend much upon the fidelity with Svensk. Chron, Laur. Pet. 151; Script. Rer. Suec., vol. ii. which the different stipulations of the treaty were carried out. The footing upon which the three nations were united was that of perfect equality. To depress any one member of the union therefore, to neglect its interests, to exhaust its means for objects distinct from the common good, to place studiously over its most important charges chiefs not chosen from its own citizens, was at once a breach of the spirit, and even of the letter of the treaty, and a step towards its dissolution. Margaret herself first introduced the elements of discord, during the time that she was in effect Queen, by her fond partiality for her Danish subjects, to whom she committed the chief posts and fortresses of Sweden, by the new and heavy imposts which she levied there, by her prodigality to the clergy, and her avowed policy of humbling the nobles of the land. But it was Eric the Seventh, her grandnephew, who by the Treaty of Calmar was elected to the triple crown, with a reservation of the rights and privileges of Margaret, that after her decease inflamed the discontent, until it broke out into open rebellion. Occupied wholly with his war against 'She was accordingly in very different odour with the two nations. "Hæc Regina tantæ celebritatis exstitit apud Danos ut eam æstiment sanctam, et canonizatione dignam. Apud Suecos vero putatur profundissimo digna inferno."-Erici Olai Chron., lib. 5, p. 121. Among the objectionable taxes which she renewed or originated was one which the people called Rumpo-skatt; it was virtually a poll-tax.-Olai Petri; Svensk Chron., p. 279. 2 He married in 1406 Philippa, daughter of our Henry the Fourth, CHAP. I. ENGELBRECT-REVOLTS IN DALECARLIA. 5 the Counts of Holstein, extracting from Sweden continually fresh supplies of blood and treasure, and that for a quarrel in which Sweden herself was little interested, placing over her people Danes and Germans to pillage and oppress them, and above all turning a deaf ear to their repeated complaints, a civil war was kindled, which, checked from time to time, still broke out afresh, and was to be extinguished only, after a hundred years of discord and bloodshed, by the disruption of the union itself.1 The government of Dalecarlia had been committed to a Danish nobleman named Erickson, who exercised there every species of cruelty and oppression. Men were suffocated in their homes, women with child and newly delivered harnessed to ploughs and waggons, property confiscated upon the slightest occasions and pretexts. Complaints of these severities had been forwarded to the King, but Erickson had always contrived to anticipate them by counter-accusations, or in some other way to neutralise their effect.2 At length there rose up from among the Dalesmen (Dalecarlians) themselves one who undertook their cause, and vowed to avenge them. His name was Engelbrect, a Bergsman, and of the lower a princess of great virtue, understanding, and courage. She lived unhappily with her husband, who neglected her, and is said to have caused her death by personal ill-treatment. She died in the convent of Vadstena in the year 1430.-Diarium Vadstenense, p. 149; Olai Petri, p. 283. Olai Petri, p. 282. 2 Erici Olai, p. 126; Johan. Magni Hist., lib. 22-4. |