HE SAILS FOR SWEDEN. 151 



mercenaries ; of his great successes ; of the loss of the battle 

 of Bogesund ; of the treachery at Tiveden ; and the death of 

 the Regent, Sten Sture the younger; and finally, of the 

 subjugation of nearly the whole of the kingdom ! The 

 feelings of Gustavus, on the receipt of this disastrous intelli- 

 gence which was rendered the more poignant, from his 

 total inability to take part in the struggle cannot be 

 described. 



Though in ignorance of the fact, Gustavus was now 

 in considerable jeopardy ; for many of the Town Council, 

 fearing Christian's increasing power, secretly deliberated 

 on the propriety of delivering him up to his persecutor. 

 From this danger he was, however, happily freed by Nils 

 Broms, the burgomaster, who pointed out to his colleagues 

 the impolicy of the proceeding. " Christian," said he, " had 

 already curtailed the commerce and power of the Hanse 

 Towns. Should he now become master of the whole of the 

 north, he would altogether crush them. That so far, there- 

 fore, from surrendering the knight, whom he looked upon 

 as a man of sufficient courage, capacity, and consideration, 

 to set bounds to the monarch's ambitious projects, they 

 ought rather to support him." This address had its due 

 effect upon the Council, who agreed not only to send 

 Gustavus at once over to Sweden, but to supply him with 

 money, and munitions of war. 



To the knight's great joy, a vessel was in consequence very 

 soon afterwards placed at his disposal (though of the pro- 

 mised soldiers and arms history says nothing), with which he 

 forthwith put to sea. 



At this period Stockholm and Calmar were the only 



