146 CUNNING DEVICE. 



made his appearance before the assembled States. But his 

 behaviour was in the highest degree haughty and insolent. 

 " They were not," he said, " his -legal judges. He would 

 prove his innocence before the Holy Father in Rome, who 

 had entrusted him with both the spiritual and worldly 

 sword, with which he had endeavoured to maintain the 

 allegiance they all owed to the royal house of Denmark. 

 He, who had caused them to swerve from their duty " 

 meaning Sture " was, of the two, the traitor ; and they 

 ought to perceive, that one and all were slaves to a proud 

 youth, who sacrificed them to his own ambitious views." 



The States were in the highest degree exasperated at this 

 daring and insulting speech, and drew up a document, which 

 they individually signed and sealed, to the effect : " That Trolle 

 was a traitor to his country ; that in consequence, he should 

 be deprived of his Archbishopric ; that his Borg of Stake, of 

 which he had made so bad a use, should be levelled with the 

 ground ; and that at the first summons one and all were 

 ready to peril life and fortune against the Danes." 



One of the number, however, Bishop Brask, after signing 

 the document, and whilst attaching, as was customary, his 

 enormous seal to it, had the cunning, privately, to slip a 

 piece of paper beneath the wax, on which was written : " To 

 this I am necessitated and compelled," which manoeuvre, as 

 will presently be shown, saved his life. 



The common people were so indignant at Trolle's inde- 

 cent conduct on this occasion, and uttered such strong and 

 threatening language, that not one of the prelate's friends 

 present, ventured to say a single word in his defence. 



By virtue of his letter of safe conduct, Trolle subsequently 

 returned to Stake ; but his men, fearing to irritate the people 



