cure us up in the Dales a hundred woodcutters, letting them come immediately to our estate at Räffness, and that thou give each in hand a mark örtiger. We have so arranged that when they come to Räffness they shall cut down and clear away certain woodlands, and afterwards scrub up the roots. Whatever more they may demand (or deserve) shall be given them: this thou mayst hold out to them. It is also our wish that thou let us know how it fares with the works at the Coppermine, &c. R. R., 1549, fol. 77; 740. No. 16. Gustavus to Anders Ersson. Kungsör, April 11th, 1549. As we understand, Anders, that meal is selling at a good price at the mine, viz. a span of corn 7 öré, a span of rye 9 öré, a span of ryemeal 10 öré, and a span of barleymeal for a mark, it is our wish and command that thou sell the miners our meal at the highest current price. R. R., 1549, fol. 97; 745. Ir being our intention to set up a little breedingfarm at the Coppermine, &c., it is our wish and request that thou make over to us thy estate at Holm, and we will give thee instead as good an estate, paying the same rent and in equally good condition; and, if any of thy coheirs have now a share and interest therein, that thou wilt negotiate with them so that we may have the whole of the said estate at once. Thou wilt give us thy answer and determination upon this matter as soon as possible. CHAPTER XIV. Assumption by Christian of the arms of Sweden Gustavus Remonstrance of War with Russia, and treaty of peace Death of Gustavus marries Catherine Stenbock - His will Discontent of Eric His proceedings at Calmar-Seeks the hand of the Princess Elizabeth of England - Prince John's unsuccessful mission Marriage of the Imprudent conduct of the Princess Cecilia Princess Catherine- THE assumption on the part of Denmark of the three crowns, which were the arms of Sweden before the Union, threatened to interrupt in 1548 the tranquillity which followed the Dacké war. By the counsel of his Chancellor Fris, Christian assumed the device; and his daughter Anna, who married the Saxon Duke Augustus in that year, paraded it on her carriages, and on an escutcheon, which hung out before the inns where she stopped on her way to Saxony. To the remonstrances of Gustavus Christian replied with good humour, that the Princess had no doubt been too much occupied with her nuptials to observe how her arms were emblazoned, and that it was by mere accident that the painter had placed the three crowns in such a position as to resemble the arms of Sweden. It was not a matter to resent. CHAP. XIV. REMONSTRANCE WITH DENMARK. 269 Gustavus suffered himself to be contented for a while with this excuse; but when, some years after, the state seal of Denmark appeared with the arms of Sweden under those of Norway and Denmark, and letters, sealed with that seal, were sent to himself, he no longer concealed his displeasure. "I am vastly astonished" (he wrote to Christian in 1557) "that so enlightened a King should in his old age have discovered a petulance, from which in his younger years he was free. You have taken a step, upon which neither Frederic nor any of his predecessors ever ventured. It is not the way to preserve peace and friendship. It is not what I have deserved at your hand. Neither the three lions" (Denmark's arms) "nor the axe of St. Olof" (Norway's) "would have secured the throne of Denmark, if the three crowns, you of which I am the rightful bearer, had refused their aid. We have hitherto lived in unity; why should we in our latter days provoke one another? All the world are talking of the design of Denmark to subjugate Sweden. You will not acknowledge such design in words; but your deeds bespeak its existence. One more hasty than myself would have tried, ere now, sword in hand, to erase the three crowns from the Danish escutcheon.' But I will still be patient, to prove how anxious I am for peace." Christian replied shortly, that there was no sinister intention or insult meant by what had been done; but rather a 1 "The Danes said it would take sharp teeth and claws to do so."Geijer. wish to preserve a memorial of the union which had so long existed between the three kingdoms.' This excuse was not well calculated to allay suspicions, and the war with Denmark, thus twice provoked, was only postponed to break out with fury after the death of Gustavus. In 1554 Russia declared war against Sweden, on the ground that Gustavus's lieutenants had levied taxes upon twenty parishes within the Russian territory. The boundaries of the two kingdoms were in fact a matter of dispute. The Russian relied upon the definition put forth in certain letters of former Kings of Sweden, of which no record remained in the Swedish chancery: Gustavus upon the boundaries which had been recognised during the memory of the oldest of those living on the frontier. In November a force of 8000 Russians crossed into Finland, and took away all the corn which had been recently gathered. Another division, which marched early in the next year to Vibourg, dealing fire and slaughter wherever it went, was drowned at Räfvelunda, where the ice gave way under them. But an army of 30,000 was soon again upon the Swedish frontier; and so imminent was the danger, that Gustavus thought it necessary to be himself at the side of the generals, whom he appointed to repel the invader. During his absence he committed the government to his son Eric. His second son, John, accompanied him on the expedition. 2 1 Scond. Illust., tom. v. p. 102; Celsius, vol. ii. p. 327. |