Swanmer. dam. Ewallow. of Good Hope on the one fide, and from Kamtfchatka to ledge it to be rather a curious than an important inquiry; Swallow, India and Japan on the other. It It is also found in all parts yet it is one which must be highly gratifying to every of North America, and in several of the West Indian Islands. mind that can admire the wifdom of the Great Architect In Europe it difappears during the winter months. It ap of nature. It ap of nature. The inftinct of the fwallow is indeed wonderpears generally a little after the vernal equinox; but rather ful: it appears among us juft at the time when infects beearlier in the fouthern, and later in the northern latitudes. come numerous; and it continues with us during the hot It adheres to the ufual feasons with much regularity; for weather, in order to prevent them from multiplying too though the months of February and March should be un- much. It disappears when thefe infects are no longer commonly mild, and April and May remarkably cold, it troublesome. It is never found in folitude; it is the friend never deviates from its ordinary time. In the cold fpring of man, and always takes up its refidence with us, that of-1740 fome appeared in France before the infects on it may protect our houses and our streets from being annoywhich they feed had become numerous enough to fupport ed with fwarms of flies. them, and great nu:nbers died t. In the mild and even warm fpring of 1774 they appeared no earlier than ufual. They remain in fome warm countries the whole year. Kolben affures us that this is the cafe at the Cape of Good Hope; but (he fays) they are more numerous in winter. Some birds of this fpecies live, during winter, even in Eu rope; for example, on the coast of Genoa, where they spend the night in the open country on the orange shrubs. † Buffon's Natural Hiftory of 2. The martins are alfo widely diffused through the old continent; but the countries where they refide or vifit have not been marked by naturalifts with much attention. 3. The fand martins are found in every part of Europe, and Ibid. 527. frequently fpend the winter-in Malta . Two birds of this ‡. Two birds of this fpecies were feen in Perigord in France, on the 27th December 1775, when there was a foutherly wind, attended with Ibid. 484.a little rain . 4. The swift visits the whole continent of Europe; has also been obferved at the Cape of Good Hope, and in Carolina in North America. 5. The goat-fuckers are not very common birds, yet are widely fcattered They are found in every country between Sweden and Africa: they are found also in India. In April the fouth-west wind brings them to Malta, and in autumn they repass in great Were tables of the fame kind made in every different country, particularly within the torrid zone, it would be eafy to determine the question which we have been confidering. To many, perhaps, it may not appear a matter of fuch importance as to be worth the labour. We acknow SWALLOW-Wort, in botany. See ASCLEPIAS. SWAMMERDAM (John), a celebrated and learned natural philofopher, was the fon of John James Swammerdam, an apothecary and famous naturalift of Amfterdam, and was born in 1637. His father intended him for the church, and with this view had him inftructed in Latin and Greek; but he, thinking himself unequal to so important a tafk, prevailed with his father to confent to his applying himfelf to phyfic. As he was kept at home till he should be properly qualified to engage in that ftudy, he was frequently employed in cleaning his father's curiofities, and putting every thing in its proper place. This infpired our author with an early tafte for natural history; so that, not content with the furvey of the curiofities his father had purchafed, he foon began to make a collection of his own, which he compared with the accounts given of them by the beft writers. When grown up, he seriously attended to his anatomical and medical ftudies; yet fpent part of the day and the night, in discovering, catching, and examining the flying infects proper to thofe times, not only in the province of Holland, but in thofe of Guelderland and Utrecht.Thus initiated in natural hiftory, he went to the univerfity of Leyden in 1651; and in 1663 was admitted a candidate of phyfic in that univerfity. His attention being now engaged by anatomy, he began to confider how the parts of the body, prepared by diffection, could be preferved, and kept in conftant order for anatomical demonftration; and herein he fucceeded, as he had done before in his nice contrivances for diffecting and managing the minutest insects. Our author afterwards made a journey into France, where he spent fome time at Saumur, and where he became acquainted with several learned men. In 1667 he returned to Leyden, and took his degree of Doctor of Phyfic. The next year the grand duke of Tuscany being in Holland in order to see the curiofities of the country, came to view those of our author and his father; and on this occafion Swainmer. dam made fome anatomical diffections of infects in the prefence of that prince, who was ftruck with admiration at our author's great skill in managing them, especially at his proving that the future butterfly lay with all its parts neatly folded up in a caterpillar, by actually removing the integuments that covered the former, and extricating and exhibiting all its parts, however minute, with incredible ingenuity, by means of inftruments of inconceivable fineness. On this occafion the duke offered our author 12,000 florins for his share of the collection, on condition of his removing them himself into Tufcany, and coming to live at the court of Florence; but Swammerdam, who hated a court life, declined his highness's proposal. In 1663, he published a General Hiftory of Infects. About this time, his father began to take offence at his inconfiderately neglecting the practice of phyfic, which might have fupported him in affluence; and would neither fupply him with money nor clothes. This reduced him to fome difficulties. In 1675 he published his Hiftory of the Ephemeras; and his father dying the fame year, left him a fortune fufficient for his fup port: : SWAN, in ornithology. See ANAS. SWANPAN, or Chinefe ABACUS; an inftrument for performing arithmetical operations, defcribed by Du Halde in his Hiltory of China. was divided, until, in the year of the world 2054, accord- Sweden. ing to fome, or 1951, according to others, Eric, or, if we believe Puffendorf, Suenon was raifed to the fupreme power, with the prerogatives of all the temporary magiftrates united in his perfon for life, or until his conduct should merit depofition. It is compofed of a fmall board, croffed with 10 or 12 parallel rods or wires, each ftrung with ivory balls, which are fo divided by a partition in the middle, that two are on one fide of it, and five on the other. The two in the upper part stand each for five units, and each of the five in the lower part for one." In joining and feparating these balls, they reckon much as we do with counters; but, according Gent. Mag. to our author, more expeditiously than Europeans do even for 1748, with figures." This is hardly credible; but if all the Chinefe weights and measures be decimally divided, as by his very lame description of the Swanpan they would appear to be, it is eafy to conceive how computation may be made by this inftrument very expeditiously. The inftrument, too, may be fo contrived as to fuit any divifion of weights and measures, and in that form be ufeful to the blind; but as we have elsewhere given descriptions of fuperior instruments, for their accommodation (fee BLIND) it is needless to offer in this place any improvement of the Swanpan. SWANEMOTE, SWAINMOTE, or SWEINMOTE. SWEARING. See OATH. See SWEAT, a fenfible moisture iffuing from the pores of the skins of living animals. The excess of it dries and weakens the body, deprives the humours of their watery parts, and induces the blood to an inflammatory and atrabiliary difpofition. A fudden fuppreffion of it will equally hurt as well as a fuppreffion of perspiration. SWEATING SICKNESS, a diforder which appeared in England about the year 1481, and was by foreigners called the English fweat. It returned again in 1485; then in 1506; afterwards in 1517. It appeared again in 1528, or 1529, at which time alone it fpread itself to the Netherlands and Valangin's Germany: a circumftance which fhows the impropriety of Treatife on calling it the English sweat, in Latin fudor Anglicanus; beDiet, &c. fides, Sennertus takes notice, that it spread as far as Denmark, Norway, and France. It raged again in 1548. And the last return of it in London was in 1551, when it was fo violent as in one day to take off 120 of the inhabitants of Westminster. Some were feized abroad, and cut Some were seized abroad, and cut off in the road, others at home. Some when awake, others when faft afleep. Some died in a moment, and others in one, two, three, four, or more hours after they began to fweat. I Early hi itory uncertain. SWEDEN, one of the most northerly kingdoms of Europe, lying between Lat. 557 20. and 69. 30. north, and between 12° and 32° caft from London. On the fouth it is bounded by the Baltic, on the north by Danish Lapland, on the east by Muscovy, and on the weft by the mountains of of Norway, being 800 miles in length and 350 in breadth. The early history of Sweden is no lefs involved in sables than that of most other nations. Some hiftorians have pretended to give regular catalogues of the princes who reigned in Sweden in very early times; but they differ fo much among themfelves, that no credit can be given to them. However, all agree that ancient Scandinavia was firft go verned by judges elected for a certain time by the voice of the people. Among thefe temporary princes the country VOL. XVIII. Part I. From this very early period till the year 1366 of the Chriftian era, the hiftories of Sweden prefent us with nothing but what is common to all nations in their early periods, viz. the endless combats and maffacres of barbarians, tending to no other purpofe than the effufion of blood. Ar the time jult mentioned, however, Albert of Mecklenburg, Albert of having concluded a peace between Sweden and Denmark, Mecklenwhich twe kingdoms had been at violent war for fome burg de clared king time before, was proclaimed king of Sweden. The peace in 1366. was of fhort duration, being broken in 1368; on which Albert entered into an offenfive and defenfive league with the earl of Holftein, the Jutland nobility, the dukes of Selfwick, Mecklenburg, and the Hanfe-towns, against the kings of Denmark and Norway. Albert proved very fuccefsful War with againft Waldemar king of Denmark at that time, driving Denmark him entirely out of his dominions; but he himself was de- and Noce feated by the king of Norway, who laid fiege to his capital. way. 3 Soon after this, a new treaty of peace was concluded, by which Albert was allowed to enjoy the crown of Sweden in peace. However, having formed a defign of rendering himself abfolute, he fell under the displeasure of his fubjects, and Margaret of Norway was proclaimèd queen of Sweden by the malecontents. A war immediately enfued, in which Albert was defeated and taken prisoner; but as [s defeated the princes of Mecklenburg, the earls of Holftein, and the and taken Hanfe towns, entered into a league in his favour, the war prifoner by was fo far from being extinguifhed by this event, that it ra- of Norway. ged with more fury than ever. Margaret S Set at liber. At length, in 1394, the contending parties came to an accommodation. Albert was fet at liberty, on condition that he should in three years furrender to Margaret all pre- ty, tenfions to the city of Stockholm; and the Hanfe-towns engaged to pay the fum of 60,000 marks of filver in cafe of Albert's breach of faith. Not long after this, Eric the fon of Albert died; and he, having no other child, did not think it worth his while to contend for the kingdom of Sweden: he therefore acquiefced in the pretenfions of Margaret, and paffed the remainder of his days at Mecklenburg. rant. 6 Margaret died in 1415, and was fucceeded by Eric of Margaret Pomerania. This prince's reign was cruel and oppreffive is fucceeded to the last degree. The people were ruined by taxes; and by Eric a cruel ty the Danes being every where preferred to the offices of power, committed the greatest cruelties. The confequence 1 of this was a revolt; and Charles Canutfon, grand mare. A general fchal of Sweden and governor of Finland, having joined the revalt takes place, and malecontents, was declared commander in chief of their ar- Eric is demy. Eric was now formally depofed, and commenced pi-pofed. rate: Canutfon was chofen regent: but beginning to oppress the people, and aspiring openly at the crown, the Swedes and Danes revolted; în confequence of which a revolution took place, and Christopher duke of Bavaria, nephew to Eric, was choten king of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, in 1442. On the acceffion of the new prince, complaints againft Canutfon were brought from all quarters; but, through the intereft of his friends, he efcaped the punithment due to him; and in 1448, Christopher having died after a tyrannical reign of fomewhat more than five years, he was raifed to the throne at which he had fo long afpired. However, the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway refufed to own allegiance to him; upon which a war immediately commenced. D d 8 proves a xyrant, and is driven Sweden. In 1454 peace was concluded, and Denmark for the prefent freed from the Swedish yoke. Neither did Canutfon The three long enjoy even the crown of Sweden itfelf. Having quar. kingdoms relled with the archbishop of Upfal, the latter formed fuch united un- a ftrong party that the king could not refift him. Chriftian der Chriking of Denmark was called to the throne of Sweden; and in ftian king of Den1459 once more united the three kingdoms. He enjoyed anark, and his dignity but a fhort time; for having begun to opprefs his fubjects in an arbitrary manner, he was obliged to retire to Denmark in 1463. Katil bishop of Lincoping, who had driven out the king, took upon himself the office of regent. Next year Chriftian returned with a powerful army; but was defeated. The people then thought proper to recal Canutfon: but he, on his firft acceffion, having offended the warlike Bishop Katil, was by him defeated, and obliged to renounce his right to the crown. After this the kingdom was rent into factions; between whom the moft cruel civil wars took place, until the year 1467, when Canut fon was again recalled, and enjoyed the kingdom, though not without difficulty and oppofition, till his death, which happened in 1470. out. Christian king of Denmark invades Sweden, The confufion in which the 'Swedish affairs had been fo long involved did not cease on the death of Canutfon. Chriftian again invaded Sweden; but was defeated by Steen Sture, nephew to the late king. After this the kingdom seems to have remained in peace till the year 1487, when the Ruffians invaded Carelia, committing everywhere the great. eft ravages. These were foon driven out: but in 1497, a rupture happening betwixt Sture and the fenate, an offer was made of the Swedish crown to John king of Denmark. This prince readily accepted the offer, and was crowned ac cordingly; but no fooner was he feated on the throne than he became odious to the Swedes, from his partiality to the Danes. In a fhort time he fet out for Denmark, leaving his queen, with a strong garrison, in the citadel of Stockholm. He was no fooner gone than the capital was invefted; and though the queen made a noble defence, she was at laft obliged to capitulate, on condition of being allowed to pass into Denmark. All the garrifon were made prifoners of war, and the queen herself was confined in a monaftery till the following year. Sweden. He treache whom Gu. 12 having drawn Sture into an ambush, the regent regent received wound of which he died fome time after. The kingdom being thus left without a head, matters foon came to the moft defperate crifis. The army difbanded itself; and the roufly carfenate, inftead of taking proper meafures to oppofe the ene-ries off fir my, spent their time in idle debates. Chriftian in the mean hostages, of time advanced into the heart of the kingdom, deftroying tavus Eric every thing with fire and fword; but on his arrival at fon is one. Stragnez, he granted a fufpenfion of arms, to give the peo ple time to deliberate on their fituation, and to reflect that they might eafily get rid of their troubles by electing him Is chofen king. This they accordingly did; and Chriftian proved king, and one of the most bloody tyrants that ever fat on the throne Proves a of any kingdom. Iminediately after his coronation, he gave bloody grand entertainments for three days; during which time he tyrant. projected the diabolical defign of extirpating at once all the Swedish nobility, and thus for ever preventing the people from revolting, by depriving them of their proper leaders. As the tyrant had figned articles, by which he promised indemnity to all who had borne arms against him, it became neceflary to invent fome cauíe of offence against those whom he intended to deftroy. To accomplish his purpose, Guftavus Trolle, formerly archbishop of Upfal, but who had been degraded from that dignity, in an oration before his majefty lamented the demolition of Stecka, his place of refidence, and the loffes fuftained by the fee of Upfal, amounting to near a million of money. He then proceeded in a bitter accufation against the widow and the fon-in-law of Sture the late regent, comprehending in the fame accufation about 15 of the principal nobility, the whole fenate, and 13 the burghers of Stockholm The confequence of this was, Massacres that above 60 of the principal nobility and people of first the n bilirank in Sweden were hanged up as traitors. Innumerable*Y, and causes gib. other cruelties were committed; part of which are owned by the Danish hiftorians, and minutely related by thofe of erected as Sweden. Sweden. At last he departed for Denmark, ordering gib-he passes bets to be erected, and caufing the peasants to be hanged on along. them for the flighteft offences, all the way as he paffed along;. and it is related of him, that at Jencoping he cauled two boys, one of seven and the other of nine years of age, to be whipped to death. The Swedish affairs continued to be involved in the fame dreadful confufion as we have already related, until the year 1520, when a great revolution was effected by Guftavus Ericfon, a nobleman of the firft rank, who reftored the kingdom to its liberty, and laid the foundation of its future grandeur. The occasion of this great revolution was as follows: In 1518, Chriftian king of Denmark invaded Sweden, with a defign to fubdue the whole country; but being defeated with great lofs by young Steen Sture, the regent at that time, he fet fail for Denmark. But meeting with but is de contrary winds, he made feveral defcents on the Swedish feated and coaft, which he ravaged with all the fury of an incenfed driven out. barbarian. The inhabitants, however, bravely defended themselves, and Chriftian was reduced to the utmost diftrefs; one half of his forces having perifhed with hunger, and the other being in the molt imminent danger by the approach of a rigorous winter. He then thought of a ftratagem, which had almoft proved fatal to the regent; for having for having invited him to a conference, at which he defigned either to affaffinate or take him prisoner, Sture was about to comply, had not the fenate, who fufpected the plot, interpofed and prevented him. Chriftian then offered to go in perfon to Stockholm in order to confer with Sture, upon condition that fix hoftages fhould be fent in his room. This was accordingly done; but the wind happening then to prove favour able, he fet fail for Denmark with the hoftages, of whom Guftavus Ericfon was one. Next year he returned; and bets to be 14 Vafa or This monftrous cruelty, instead of fecuring him on the throne, exafperated the whole nation against him. It has already been mentioned, that Guftavus Ericfon, or, as he is Adventures commonly called, Gustavus Vafa, was among the number of Gutta vus of the hoftages whom Chriftian had perfidiously carried to Ericfon. Denmark in 1519. Large promifes had been made in order to reconcile him to Chriftian, and threats had been used for the fame purpose, but all in vain. Secret orders were given to strangle him in prifon; but the officer to whom the affaffination was committed remonftrated to the king about the confequences of it, and prevailed on him to change the fentence of death into close confinement in the castle of Copenhagen. Some of the hoftages perifhed in confequence of the rigorous treatment they met with; but Guftavus withstood all hardships. At laft one Banner, a Danish nobleman, prevailed on the king to put him into his hands, in order to try whether or not he could prevail upon him to. change his fentiments. The king, however, told Banner, that he must pay 6000 crowns in cafe the prifoner fhould make his efcape.. Banner generously affented; and having brought the noble prifoner to his fortrefs of Calo in Jutland, foon allowed him all the liberty he could defire, and otherwise heaped favours upon him. All this, however, could not extinguifh his remembrance of the cruelties of Chriftian, and the defire he had of being serviceable to his country. He therefore determined to make his escape; He efcapes and the liberty he enjoyed foon put him in a capacity of from Den? effecting mark. Sweden, effecting it. Having one day mounted his horfe, under pretence of hunting as ufual in the foreft, when he got at a proper distance, he changed his dress to the habit of a peafant; and quitting his horfe, he travelled for two days on foot through by-paths, and over mountains almost impaffable, arriving on the third at Flensburgh. Here no one was admitted without a passport and Gustavus dreaded presenting himself to the governor or the officer upon guard, for fear of being difcovered. Happily for him, it chanced to be on that feafon of the year when the merchants of Lower Saxony drove a confiderable trade in cattle, which they purchase in Jutland. Gustavus hired himself to one of these merchants; and under favour of his dif. Arrives at guise escaped out of the Danish territories, and arrived at 16 Lubec, 17 draw the regency Lubec over Lubec. Banner was no fooner acquainted with his escape, than he fet out after him with the utmoît diligence, found him at Lubec, and reproached him with great warmth as ungrateful and treacherous; but he was foon appeased by the arguments urged by Guftavus, and especially by the promise he made of indemnifying him in the lofs of his ranfom. Upon this Banner returned, giving out that he could not find his prifoner. Chriftian was enraged at his escape, apprehending that he might reverse all his defigns in Sweden; and gave orders to Otho his general to make the strictest search, and leave no means untried to arrest him. Guftavus applied to the regency for a ship to convey him to Sweden, where he hoped he should be able to form a parAttempts ty against the Danes. He likewife endeavoured to draw in vain to the regency of Lubec into his measures; and reasoned with fo much zeal and ability, that Nicholas Gemins, firft conful, was entirely gained; but the regency could never be to his fide. prevailed on to declare for a party without friends, arms, money, or credit. However, before his departure, the conful gave him afsurances, that if he could raise a force fufficient to make head against the enemy in the field, he might depend on the fervices of the republic, and that the regency would immediately declare for him. Guftavus defired to be landed at Stockholm; but the captain of the fhip, either having fecret orders to the contrary, or bufinefs ellewhere, steered a different courfe, and put him on fhore near Calmar; a city hitherto garrifoned by the troops of Christina widow of the regent. In truth, the governor held this place for his own purposes, and only waited to He arrives make the best terms he could with the Danes. When Guat Calmar, ftavus arrived, he made himself known to him and the prinbut meets cipal officers of the garrifon, who were mostly Germans, with an un-and his fellow-foldiers in the late adminiftrator's army. He reception. flattered himself that his birth, his merit, and connections, would immediately procure him the command. But the mercenary band, seeing him without troops and without attendants, regarded him as a defperate perfon devoted to destruction, refused to embrace his propofals, and even threat ened to kill or betray him, if he did not inftantly quit the city. favourable Difappointed in his expectations, Guftavus departed with great expedition; and his arrival being now publicly known, he was again forced to have recourfe to his peasant's disguise to conceal him from the Danish emiffaries difperfed over the country to search for him. In a waggon loaded with hay he paffed through every quarter of the Danish army, and at laft repaired to an old family caftle in SuHis friends derinania. From hence he wrote to his-friends, notifying his return to Sweden, and befeeching them to affemble all their forces in order to break through the enemy's army into Stockholm, at that time befieged; but they, too, refused to embark in fo hazardous and defperate an at refufe to &fift him. tempt. 20 Guftavus next applied himself to the peasants: but they Sweden. anfwered, that they enjoyed falt and herrings under the government of the king of Denmark; and that any attempts Applies in to bring about a revolution would be attended with certain vain to the ruin, without the profpect of bettering their condition ;peafante. for peasants they were, and peasants they fhould remain, whoever was king. At length, after feveral vain attempts to throw himself into Stockholm, after that city was fur rendered to the king, after the horrid maffacre of the fenate, and after running a thousand dangers, and undergoing hardfhips and fatigues hardly to be fupported by human nature, he formed the refolution of trying the courage and affection of the Dalecarlians. While he was in the deepest obscurity, and plunged in almoft unfurmountable advertity, he never relinquished his defigns nor his hopes. The news of the massacre had, however, very near funk him into defpondency, as thereby he loft all his friends, relations, and con nections, and indeed almost every prospect of safety to himself or deliverance to his country. It was this that infpired the thought of going to Dalecarlia, where he might live with more fecurity in the high mountains and thick woods of that country, if he should fail in the attempt of exciting the inhabitants to revolt. is robbed 22 Attended by a peafant, to whom he was known, he arrives in travelled in difguife through Sudermania, Nericia, and Daleca fia, Weftermania, and, after a laborious and painful journey, his guide arrived in the mountains of Dalecarlia. Scarce had heby and obliged finished his journey, when he found himself deferted by to work in his companion and guide, who carried off with him all the the mines money he provided for his fubfiftence. Thus forlorn, deftitute, half starved, he entered among the miners, and wrought like a flave under ground, without relinquifhing his hopes of one day afcending the throne of Sweden. His whole prospect for the prefent was to live concealed, and gain a maintenance, until fortune fhould effect fomething in his favour: nor was it long before this happened. A Is difcovers woman in the mines perceived, under the habit of a pea-ed and refant, that the collar of his fhirt was embroidered. This cir-lieved. cumftance excited curiofity; and the graces of his perfon and conversation, which had fomething in them to attrac the notice of the meaneft of the vulgar, afforded room for fufpicion that he was fome perfon of quality in difguife, forced by the tyranny of the government to feek shelter in thefe remote parts. The ftory came to the ears of a neighbouring gentleman, who immediately went to the mines to offer his protection to the unfortunate ftranger; and was aftonished on recognizing the features of Gustavus, whose acquaintance he had been at the university of Upfal. Touched with compaffion at the deplorable fituation of fo distinguished a nobleman, he could scarce refrain from tears; but however had prefence of mind enough not to make the difcovery. At night he fent for Guftavus, made him an offer of his house, and gave him the ftrongest affurances of his friendship and protection. He told him, he would meet with better accommodations, and as much fècurity as in the mines; and that, fhould he chance to be discovered, he would, with all his friends and vaffals, take arms in his defence. This offer was embraced by Guftavus with joy, and he remained for fome time at his friend's house; but finding it impossible to induce him to take part in his defigns, he quitted him, and filed to one Peterfon, a gentleman whom he had formerly known in the fervice. By him he was received with all the appearance of kindness; and, on the very first propofal made by Guftavus, offered to raise his vaffals. He even named the lords and peasants whom he pretended to have engaged in his fervice; but in a very few days after, he went fecretly to a Danish officer, and gave him information of what had paffed. The officer immediD d z ately 2.3 the Danes. and Baldenacker the Danish governors, fled to Denmark. Sweden WE [212] Sweden ately caufed the house to be furrounded with foldiers, in such a manner that it feemed impoffible for Guftavus to Has a very make his efcape. In the interval, however, he efcaped, narow ef- being warned by Peterfon's wife of the treachery of her cape from husband, and by her direction fled to the house of a clergyman, her friend. By hin Guftavus was received with all the respect due to his own birth and merit; and left the domeftic who conducted him fhould follow the treacherous example of his master, he removed him to the church, and conducted him to a fmall closet, of which he kept the key. Having lived for fome time in this manner, Guftavus began to confult with his friend concerning the most proper method of putting their fchemes in execution. The priest advised him to apply directly to the peasants themselves; told him that it would be proper to spread a report, that the Danes were to enter Dalecarlia in order to establish new taxes by force of arms; and as the annual feast of all the neighbouring villages was in a few days to be held, he could not have a more favourable opportunity: at the fame time he promised to engage the principal perfons of the diocefe 24 His caufe of Dalecarlia. in his interest. Agreeable to this advice Guftavus fet out for Mora, efpoufed by where the feaft was to be held. He found the peasants the peasants already informed of his defigns, and impatient to fee him. Being already prepoffeffed in his favour, they were foon excited to an enthusiasm in his cause, and instantly refolved to throw off the Danish yoke. In this defign they were more confirmed by their fuperftition; fome of their old men having obferved that the wind had blown from the north while Guftavus was speaking, which among them was reckoned an infallible omen of fuccefs. Guftavus did not give their ardour time to cool, but instantly led them against the governor's caftle; which he took by affault, and put the garrifon to the fword. This inconfiderable enterprise was attended with the moft happy confequences. Great numbers of the peasants flocked to his ftandard; fome of the gentry openly efpoufed his caufe, and others fupplied him with money. Chriftian was foon acquainted with what had paffed; but defpifing such an inconfiderable enemy, he fent only a flender detachment under the command of one Soren Norby, to affift his adherents in Dalecarlia. Guftavus advanced with 5000 men, and defeated a body of defeated. Danes commanded by one Meleen; but he was ftrenuoufly opposed by the archbishop of Upfal, who raised numerous forces for king Chriftian. The fortune of Guftavus, however, ftill prevailed, and the archbishop was defeated with great lofs, Guftavus then laid fiege to Stockholm; but his force being too inconfiderable for fuch an undertaking, he was forced to abandon it with lofs. 25 The Danes 26 Horrid tian. This check did not prove in any confiderable degree detrimental to the affairs of Guftavus; the peasants from all parts of the kingdom flocked to his camp, and he was joined by a reinforcement from Lubec. Christian, unable to fup. cruelty of prefs the revolt, wreaked his vengeance on the mother and King Chri- fifters of Guftavus, whom he put to death with the moft Several other Swedish ladies he excruciating torments. caused to be thrown into the fea, after having imposed on them the inhuman task of making the facks into which they were to be inclosed. His barbarities ferved only to make his enemies more resolute. Gustavus having affembled the ftates at Wadlena, he was unanimously chosen regent, the diet taking an oath of fidelity to him, and promifing to affift him to the utmoft. Having thus obtained the fanction of legal authority, he pursued his advantages against the Danes. A body of troops appointed to throw fuccours into Stockholm were totally cut in pieces; and the regent fending fome troops into Finland, ftruck the Danes there with fuch Guftavus. terror, that the archbishop of Upfal, together with Slahog 5 27 Success of In the mean time Gustavus had laid fiege to the towns of Calmar, Abo, and Stockholm; bu Norby found means to oblige him to raise all of them with great lofs. Guftavus, in revenge, laid siege to the capital a third time, and petitioned the regency of Lubec for a fquadron of ships and This was comother fuccours for carrying on the fiege. plied with, but on very hard conditions, viz, that Gustavus fhould oblige himself, in the name of the ftates, to pay 60,000 merks of filver as the expence of the armament; that, until the kingdom should be in a condition to pay that fum, the Lubec merchants trading to Sweden fhould be exempted from all duties on imports or exports; that all other nations fhould be prohibited from trading with Sweden, and that fuch traffic fhould be deemed illicit; that Guftavus should neither conclude a peace, nor even agree to a truce, with Denmark, without the concurrence of the regency of Lubec; and that in case the republic should be attacked by Chriftian, he fhould enter Denmark at the head of 20,000 men. Upon these hard terms did Gustavus obtain affiftance from the regency of Lubec; nor did his dear-bought allies prove very faithful. They did not indeed go over to the enemy; but in a fea-fight, where the Danes were entirely in the power of their enemies, they fuffered them to efcape, when their whole force might have been entirely destroyed. This treachery had well nigh ruined the affairs of Gustavus; for Norby was now making preparations effectually to relieve Stockholm; in which he would probably have fucceeded: but at this critical period news arrived that the Danes had unanimously revolted, and driven Christian from the throne; and that the king had retired into Germany, in hopes of being restored by the arms On hearing this news, of his brother-in law the emperor. Norby retired with his whole fleet to the island of Gothland, leaving but a flender garrifon in Calmar. Guftavus did not fail to improve this opportunity to his own advantage, and quickly made himself master of Calmar. Mean time Stockholm continued clofely invefted; but Gustavus thought proper to protract the fiege until he fhould get himfelf elected king. Having for this purpofe called a general diet, the firft ftep was to fill up the vacany in the feGuftavus nate occafioned by the maffacres of Christian. had the address to get fuch nominated as were in his intereft; and of confequence the affembly was no fooner met, tereft than a speech was made, containing the higheft encomiums on Gustavus, fetting forth in the ftrongeft light the many He is choeminent services he had done for his country, and conclu-fen king of ding that the ftates would fhow themfelves equally ungrate. ful and blind to their own interest if they did not immedi ately elect him king. This propofal was acceded to by fuch tumultuous acclamations that it was impoffible to collect the votes; fo that Guftavus himself acknowledged, that their affection exceeded his merit, and was more agreeable to him than the effects of their gratitude. He was. urged to have the ceremony of his coronation immediately performed: but the king having fome defigns on the clergy, did not think proper to comply with their request, as he would have been obliged to take an oath to preferve them 25 Sweden. |