3 1 2 Norway and the Norwegians 



though the actual characters, who cross the stage of the 

 play, and the actual series of events, may have been 

 changed to suit the requirements of the playwright. 

 The story turns upon tlie existence of a descendant of 

 the Stures, who is living concealed in Norway, and 

 whom it is the intention of the disaffected party to 

 bring forward at a fitting moment as the leader of the 

 peasantry. 



For the Scandinavian nations altogether there is one 

 more great movement to be taken account of, and then 

 their history may be allowed to sink into the obscurity 

 and forgetfulness which hang over it during modern 

 times. 



This movement is the Eeformation. The condition of 

 the Catholic Church in the north corresponded generally 

 with its condition in other parts of Europe during the 

 fifteenth century. It made, in many ways, a greater 

 display of power than ever ; but it was slowly, but 

 inevitably, losing its hold upon the mass of the popula- 

 tion. Consequently in this age the first open collisions 

 occur. The first trial and execution for heresy in 

 Sweden belongs to this century. We may put it side 

 by side with the executions of the Lollards in this 

 country. Christian the Second, in his Swedish wars, 

 appeared as the friend of the Church, as the supporter 

 of the Primate, Archbishop Trolle, who had been 

 deposed by the patriot party for his traitorous corre- 

 spondence with Denmark. The trial — a mock trial — 

 which ended in the horrible ' Blood-bath of Stockholm,' 

 was conducted almost exclusively by ecclesiastics. It 

 was the last important exercise of ecclesiastical power 



