CHARLES. 



161 



Russians, and Prussians immediately invested Stral- 

 suiid. Charles performed, during the defence, mira- 

 cles of bravery. But, being obliged to surrender the 

 fortress, on Dec. 15, 1715, he proceeded to Lund, in 

 Schonen, and took measures to secure the coast. He 

 then attacked Norway. The baron of Gortz, whose 

 bold but intelligent plans were adapted to the situa- 

 tion of the Swedish monarchy, was, at that time, his 

 confidential friend. His advice was, that Charles 

 should gain Peter the Great to the interest of Sweden 

 by important concessions, make himself master of 

 Norway, and from thence land in Scotland, in order 

 to detlirone George I., who had declared himself 

 jigainst Charles. Gortz discovered resources for pro- 

 secuting the war, and entered into negotiations, at 

 Aaland, with the plenipotentiaries of the czar. Peter 

 was already gained, and a part of Norway conquer- 

 ed ; the fortunes of Sweden seemed to assume a fa- 

 vourable aspect ; Charles was besieging Frederics- 

 hall, when, on Nov. 30, 1718, as he was in the 

 trenches, leaning against the parapet, and, examin- 

 ing the workmen, he was struck on the head by a 

 cannon ball. He was found dead in the same posi- 

 tion, his hand on his sword, in his pocket the por- 

 trait of Gustavus Adolphus and a prayer book. It 

 is more than probable, that the ball which killed him 

 was fired, not from the fortress, but from the Swedish 

 side. His adjutant, Siguier, has been accused as an 

 accomplice in his murder. A century afterwards, 

 Nov. 30, 1818, Charles XIV. caused a monument to 

 be erected on the spot where he fell. 



At Charles's death, Sweden sunk from the rank of 

 a leading power. In his last years, he had formed 

 great plans for the improvement of its navy, trade, 

 and commerce. At Lund, he often conversed with 

 the professors of the university, and attended public 

 disputations on geometry, mechanics, and history. In 

 Bender, the reading of useful books was one of his 

 principal employments : he sent for Swedish scholars, 

 and caused them to travel through Greece and Asia. 

 Accounts of some of these travels have been printed ; 

 there are others in manuscript at Upsal. Firmness, 

 valour, and love of justice were the grand features of 

 Charles's character, but were disfigured by an ob- 

 stinate rashness. After his return, he showed him- 

 self more peaceable, gentle, moderate, and disposed 

 to politic measures. Posterity, considering him in 

 relation to his times, will say that he had great vir- 

 tues and great faults ; that he was seduced by pros- 

 perity, but not overcome by adversity. His liistory 

 has been written by his chaplain, Norberg. Alder- 

 feld has published his military memoirs. Voltaire's 

 Hittoire de Charles XII. , though not complete, nor 

 free from errors in dates, names, and geographical 

 facts, is written with much clearness and elegance. 



CHARLES XIII.; king of Sweden; born Oct. 

 1, 1748 ; second son of king Adolphus Frederic and 

 Louisa Ulrica, sister of Frederic the Great of Prussia. 

 Having been appointed, at his birth, high admiral of 

 Sweden, his education was directed chiefly to the 

 learning of naval tactics, for which purpose he 

 accompanied several cruises in the Cattegat. In 

 1765, he became honorary president of the society 

 of sciences at Upsal. In 1770, he commenced the 

 tour of Europe. The death of Adolphus Frederic 

 recalled him to Sweden, where he took an important 

 part in the revolution of 1772. His brother Gusta- 

 vus III., appointed him governor-general of Stock- 

 holm, and duke of Sudermannland. In 1774, he 

 married Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte, princess of 

 Holstein-Gottorp. In the war with Russia, in 1788, 

 he received the command of the fleet, defeated the 

 Russians in the gulf of Finland, and, in the most 

 dangerous season of the year, brought back his fleet 

 in safety to the harbour of Carlscrona, after which 



he was appointed governor-general of Finlnnd. After 

 the murder of Gustavus III., in 1792, he was placed 

 at the head of the regency, and, happily for Sweden, 

 preserved the country at peace with all other na- 

 tions, while he united with Denmark for the protec- 

 tion of the navigation in the northern seas. He like- 

 wise founded a museum, established a military aca- 

 demy for two hundred pupils, and gained universal 

 esteem. In 1796, he resigned the government to 

 Gustavus Adolphus IV., who had become of age, 

 and retired, as a private man, to his castle of Rosers- 

 berg. He never appeared again in public life till a 

 revolution hurled Gustavus Adolphus IV., in 1809, 

 from the throne, and placed Charles at the head of 

 the state, as administrator of the realm, and, some 

 months afterwards, June 20, 1809, as king of Swe- 

 den, at a very critical period. The peace with Rus- 

 sia, at Fredericksham, Sept. 17, 1809, gave the coun- 

 try the tranquillity necessary for repairing its heavy 

 losses, and for completing the constitution. He had 

 already adopted prince Christian of Holstein-Sonder- 

 burg-Augustenburg as his successor, and, after his 

 death, marshal Bernadotte, who was elected by the 

 estates, in August, 1810, to take the place of the 

 prince. On him he bestowed his entire confidence. 

 May 27, 1811, he founded the order of Charles XIII., 

 which is conferred solely on free-masons of high de- 

 gree. June 21, 1816, he acceded to the holy alli- 

 ance. His prudent conduct in the war between 

 France and Russia, in 1812, procured Sweden an in- 

 demnification for Finland by the acquisition of Nor- 

 way, Nov. 4, 1814. Although some disappointed 

 nobles may have given utterance to murmurs against 

 his government, Charles XIII. nevertheless enjoyed 

 the love of his people till his death, Feb. 5, 1818. 



CHARLES EMANUEL I., duke of Savoy, sur- 

 named the Great; born at the castle of Rivoli, in 

 1562. He proved his courage in the battles of 

 Montbnm, Vigo, Asti, Chatillon, Ostage, at the siege 

 of Berue, ana on the walls of Suza. He formed, 

 1590, the plan of uniting Provence to his dominions. 

 Philip II. of Spain, his father-in-law, obliged the 

 parliament of Aix to acknowledge him as the pro- 

 tector of this province, in order, by this example, to 

 induce France to acknowledge the king of Spain as 

 protector of the whole realm. The duke of Savoy, 

 not less ambitious, likewise aimed at this crown; 

 and after the death of Matthias, desired also to be 

 chosen emperor of Germany. He likewise intended 

 to conquer the kingdom of Cyprus, and to take pos- 

 session of Macedonia, the inhabitants of which, op- 

 pressed by the Turks, offered him the sovereignty 

 over their country. The citizens of Geneva were 

 obliged to defend then- city, in 1602, against this 

 ambitious prince, who fell upon them by night, in 

 time of peace (See Geneva). Henry IV., who had 

 reason to complain of the duke, and whose general, 

 the duke of Lesdiguiere.had beaten Charles Lmanuel 

 several times, entered, at last, into a treaty of peace 

 with him, not disadvantageous to the duke of Savoy ; 

 but he could not remain quiet, and began again a 

 war with France, Spain, and Germany. He died of 

 chagrin, at Savillon, 1630. He is one of those princes 

 who render the surname of Great suspicious. His 

 heart was as hard as his native rocks. He built 

 palaces and churches, loved and patronized the sci- 

 ences, but thought little of making them sources of 

 happiness. 



CHARLES I., king of Spain. See Charles F. 



CHARLES IV., king of Spain, born at Naples, 

 12th Nov., 1740, came to Madrid in 1759, when his 

 father, Charles III., after the death of his brother, 

 Ferdinand VI., ascended the Spanish throne, and 

 succeeded him Dec. 13, 1788. He was married to 

 the princess of Parma, Louisa Maria. ^ Too imbecile 



