CHAP. II.

CONDEMNATIONS FOR HERESY.

51

tower, chapel, and other parts of the castle. In the mean time it was referred to a tribunal consisting of the Archbishop, the Bishop of Odensee, the Bishop of Linköping, and other ecclesiastics-among whom Lars Anderson, or Laurentius Andrea, as he is often called, and Peter Gallé, will appear again in this history-to consider what was the crime involved in the things complained of, when they declared that the perpetrators "after the just law of Holy Church, the Emperor, and Sweden, were manifest heretics."

It is said that the public exccutioners conveyed to the victims their death's doom. When they asked for the last consolations of religion, the boon was denied. On the morning of the execution, the 8th of November, the inhabitants of Stockholm were forbidden on pain of death to leave their houses before a signal to be given by sound of trumpet. The cannon on the castle were loaded, and others so placed as to command the principal streets. A heavy gloom and dark foreboding oppressed the minds of all the people. When the clock struck twelve, the trumpet sounded, and they were summoned to the great square or market-place of the city. The castle gates were soon after opened, the drawbridge lowered, and the unhappy prisoners brought forth. These were Mathias Bishop of Strengness, Vincentius Bishop of Skara, twelve secular nobles, most of them members of the State Council, including Eric Abrahamson (Lejonhufvud), Eric Johanson, the father,

Hvitfeldt, 1520, where the judgment is given at length.

and Joachim Brahé, the brother-in-law of Gustavus, the burgomaster and town council of Stockholm, and many burgesses. A Danish knight, Nicholas Lycké, addressed the people, telling them not to be terrified at what they would witness, that the Archbishop had three times on bended knee besought the King that sentence of death might be executed on the culprits, and that he had at length yielded to his request; but Bishop Vincentius interrupted him, by exclaiming that not a word of truth had been uttered, that the King could do nothing without lies and deceit, and that he prayed God for vengeance on his tyranny.'

Christian, who beheld all this from a window of the old council-house, now gave a sign that the sentence should be carried into execution. Bishop Mathias was the first victim. He had taken with him to the coronation his chancellor, Olaus Petri, and Laurentius Petri his brother, who, as he stood with his hands raised up to Heaven awaiting the blow of the executioner, rushed forward to embrace him; but before they could reach the spot his head rolled upon the ground.

Horrified at the sight, they said this was inhuman work upon a noble and venerable man, when they were seized themselves, and would have been sacrificed had not a German who had studied with them at Wittemburg declared that they were not

Ziegler, vol. ii. p. 133; Olai Petri, pp. 346, 347. The Archbishop, in fact, does not appear to have been privy to the plot, and incurred the King's sharp rebuke and some personal danger for not demanding the lives of those whom he accused.-Ib.

CHAP. II.

MASSACRE OF SWEDES.

53

Swedes.' Bishop Vincentius was next bcheaded, then the lay nobles, then the burgesses. Olaus Magnus, trembling all the while for his own life, saw ninety-four persons beheaded. Others were hanged or subjected to painful and horrible deaths. According to the account of Ziegler, a contemporary historian, one Johannes Magnus was crucified, with circumstances of the most revolting cruelty; but the story is too disgusting to be related, if not too horrible to be believed.2

The slaughter continued through the second and third days, because the general proclamation of peace and security continually enticed out fresh victims. Some were put to death because they could not refrain from tears at the sight of friends and neighbours so ruthlessly destroyed.3 Some,-these chiefly the servants and retainers of the great nobles,--were dragged from their horses as they rode into the town, and hanged in such numbers that girths and stirrupleathers must supply the lack of halters. The gutters ran red with blood, and the miserable survivors stepped over them with superstitious care, lest a stain upon their dress should seem to mark them out as the next sacrifice. For three days the bodies remained upon the market-place. They were then

1 Celsius, vol. i. p. 94.

2 Vertot, however, has not scrupled to give it in his own language. He calls Ziegler oculatus testis, but this does not appear on the face of the narrative, and he cites no authority. Geijer supposes Ziegler to have taken his account from others.

3 Hvitfeldt, 1520.

carried out and burnt in the south suburb, on the site of the present church of St. Catherine. It was the proper funeral of heretics, and, that Sten Sturé might share it, his dead body and that of his infant child were torn from the grave, and cast upon the burning pile.'

While the massacre was still proceeding, Christian sent out a proclamation to the provinces, stating that, by the advice of the bishops, prelates, and other wise men, he had punished Sten Sture's chief confederates, as heretics under the ban of the Church; but that he meant thenceforward to govern the country mildly and peaceably, after the law of St. Eric. The massacre extended even to Finland, where the grey hairs, advanced years, and recent services of Hemming Gadd were all ineffectual to save him-for the King was in the high character of the avenger of religion, and must not indulge his own feelings and private preferences. Vengeance must descend with stern impartiality upon friend and foe alike!"

Among the victims were two children of the noble family of Ribbing; and the King's last exploit in Sweden, his "valete" to the people, as Laurentius Petri calls it, was the drowning of the abbot and some monks of the monastery of Nydala.3

Laurentius Petri, p. 149.

"Ut igitur religionis prætextu inauditam fucaret crudelitatem, zelum se habere pro Romanâ sede, cujus erat alioqui acerrimus hostis, impudentissime finxit."-Chron. Skibyense; Rer. Dan. Script., vol. ii. p. 569.

3 Olai Petri, p. 348; Laurentius Petri, p. 149.

CHAP. II.

COMING RETRIBUTION.

55

Thus were the oaths so often renewed, and hallowed by so many solemnities, cast to the winds and forgotten. But the vengeance of Heaven was already upon the track of the contriver and chief abettors of these wholesale murders, and the very means taken by the King to strengthen the foundations of his throne were the occasion of its overthrow.