ARCHBISHOP TROLLE. 143 



eclipsed by Trolle, who held a court exceeding in splendour 

 those of his contemporaries, or even of the Regent himself. 



This prelate, who was of a haughty, ambitious and im- 

 placable temper, was elected to his See by the Chapter of 

 Upsala, at the time Sten Sture the younger ruled in Sweden. 

 And when the Pope confirmed his appointment, he sent him 

 a missive exempting him from appearing before any Court 

 other than that of Rome, for any crimes, political or other- 

 wise, that he had already committed, or might be guilty of 

 hereafter. 



From the very first, Trolle was in league with Christian, 

 and a bitter enemy to the Regent a fact of which he made 

 no great secret whom it was the primary object of his life 

 to drive from the high office that he held. The riches and 

 influence of Trolle were boundless, and he was constantly 

 employing both in exciting the people to rise in favour of the 

 Tyrant. Sture, nevertheless, treated him with great kind- 

 ness and consideration, and used all the means in his power 

 to induce him to amend his conduct. In a letter to the 

 Archbishop, he " prayed and conjured him to have mercy on 

 their unhappy Father-land, and no longer to befriend its 

 enemies." But nothing could mollify the flinty-hearted man, 

 or bend him from his purpose. 



Independently of Trolle's very numerous retainers, he had 

 collected about him all the disaffected in the kingdom ; and 

 puffed up with pride, confident in his own resources, and 

 calculating on assistance from Denmark, the insolence of the 

 haughty priest rose at length to such a height, that he treated 

 the Regent with all but contumely, and set him so at defiance, 

 that in self-defence Sture was at length obliged to lay regular 

 siege to the prelate's castle of Stake, situated on an island in 



