The Refo7'mation 31 



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in Sweden, and it must have struck a deadly blow at 

 that power. 



At home, in Denmark, Christian the Second was a 

 reformer. The Eeformation in Denmark began under 

 his auspices in 1520. It was carried out in a 

 tolerably high-handed manner; and with as great an 

 admixture of impure and worldly motives as were 

 displayed in the English Eeformation under Henry vill. 

 and Edward vi. There is much in the character of 

 Christian 11. which resembles that of Henry viii. Still, 

 no doubt, the mass of the people were thoroughly pre- 

 pared for the change, and gladly welcomed the Lutheran 

 preachers whom Christian brought into Denmark. In 

 Sweden the Reformation began with the rise of the 

 House of Vasa in 1523. There was an attempt made 

 to restore Catholicism by Gustavus' grandson, Sigis- 

 mund, who was King of Catholic Poland, as well as of 

 Sweden. But he and his schemes alike were defeated 

 by Sigismund's uncle Carl (Victory of Stangebro, a.d. 

 1599); and when the latter ascended the throne as 

 Charles ix., the ' Peasant's King,' as this champion of 

 the third estate w\as called, the Lutheran faith was 

 firmly established in Sweden. Norway was the least 

 ready of any of the three northern kingdoms to change 

 its creed : showing in this respect a conservatism in 

 religion which often characterises the people of a moun- 

 tainous country. 



Then arises the Thirty Years' War, and with it the 

 great Champion of Protestantism, Gustavus Adolphus 

 (1611-1632), the son of Charles ix., steps upon the 

 scene. Beside the greatness to which he and his mini- 

 sters raised their country, the rival Scandinavian State 



