HIS CONTEMPT FOR LAW. 139 



truth, that this could never be the case, as Isabella, and not 

 Dyvika, was his lawful wife; and that there was, besides, 

 no evidence to doom him to punishment. The King 

 was furious at this decision. " If I myself had had so 

 many friends in the Council as Torbern had relatives," 

 he said, " the case would have been different ;" and added 

 with an oath, <c if Torbern had a neck as thick as that of an 

 ox, he should nevertheless lose his head." 



The Tyrant now ordered twelve peasants from the country 

 into Copenhagen, where they were surrounded by a strong 

 guard ; and Torbern was again put upon his trial. Though 

 this second jury, like the first, saw nothing in the evidence 

 to bring the charge home to the prisoner, they greatly feared 

 the King's wrath, and in their terror brought in the following 

 verdict : " That not they themselves, but Torbern's deeds 

 condemned him." This decision, extraordinary as it was, 

 sufficed for Christian. And although all the relatives of 

 the doomed man prayed for his pardon; though all the 

 nobility in a body petitioned to the same effect ; though the 

 Pope's Legate and the whole of the Council made interest 

 for him ; and finally, though all the most distinguished 

 women in Copenhagen, with Queen Isabella at their head, 

 went up in solemn procession, and, throwing themselves at 

 his feet, sued for forgiveness nothing could turn the bloody- 

 minded man from his wicked purpose; and before the 

 evening of the following day the head of the unhappy 

 Torbern rolled in the dust ! 



From that time forward, Christian gave himself up more 

 than ever to his savage propensities. His principal adviser 

 was Sigbrit, the mother of his lost Dyvika, a woman of 



