DEN M A R K. 



627 



History, elect an administrator to hold the reigns of government. 

 '""""V"""' Christian, at first, did not attempt to reduce the 

 Swedes, but contented himself with augmenting his 

 power in Denmark ; in effecting this, he was, however, 

 opposed by the clergy and nobility, whom his natural dis- 

 position led him rather to oppose and oppress, than to con- 

 ciliate; so that at the very time that he was at war with 

 the Hanseatic towns, he found the great majority of his 

 clergy and nobles at variance with him, and only wait- 

 ing for a favourable opportunity to break out into open 

 rebellion. Thus deprived, in a great measure, of the 

 good will and support of his subjects, he resolved to 

 strengthen and protect himself by other methods ; and, 

 with this intention and liope, he married the sister of 

 the Emperor Charles V. He also perceived that com- 

 merce had introduced into Denmark a new order of 

 men, whom, by encouraging their trade, and promo- 

 ting their interests, he might possibly unite to himself 

 in his opposition to the nobles and clergy ; he accord- 

 ingly gave many privileges to the merchants, and freed 

 them from many vexatious impositions. Before his 

 time, they were obliged to send all their merchandize 

 to the Hanse Towns, at a very great expense, and to 

 permit the magistrates of those towns, who were for 

 the most part merchants, and therefore interested per- 

 sons, to put a price upon their goods ; the obvious 

 and natural consequence was, that the Danish mer- 

 chants were frequently obliged to sell their goods to a 

 " great disadvantage. In order to prevent these vexa- 

 tions, Christian issued orders that all the Danish mer- 

 chants should send their goods to Copenhagen ; and as 

 they might be under apprehensions of his rapacity, he 

 placed in the hands of the magistrates a very large sum 

 of money. To induce foreign merchants to settle in 

 Copenhagen, he granted them particular protection, 

 and the most extensive privileges. While he acted with 

 this wise policy towards all engaged in trade, towards the 

 clergy, nobles, and the mass of the people, his conduct 

 was tyrannical and oppressive : the revenue which an 

 increased commerce gave him was principally expend- 

 ed in supporting a large number of regular troops; thus 

 imitating the other sovereigns of Europe, who, about 

 this time, first began to keep a standing army. With 

 the assistance of these troops, he began to exercise his 

 power with the greatest rigour, and to meditate the 

 accomplishment of essential changes in the constitution, 

 by the most violent and arbitrary means. At first the 

 clergy and nobility were silent and inactive, through 

 surprise and astonishment; and the king, thinking that 

 they were intimidated, proceeded in his plans with 

 still greater rapidity and boldness. Without the con- 

 sent of the senate, and in direct opposition to the 

 capitulations that had been signed by his predecessors 

 and himself, he laid on new and oppressive taxes ; and 

 in order to strike terror, and silence the murmurs of 

 the people, he ordered a gallows to be erected in the 

 most public place in every town. In short, every action 

 which he performed had for its object the breaking 

 down the power of the clergy and nobles, and tyranni- 

 zing over the people : he still retained his mistress, and 

 his profligate favourites, whom he consulted in all his 

 schemes, to the utter neglect of the senate. Christian had 

 been particularly blamed for his conduct to the nobi- 

 lity and clergy ; but had he been moderate and just to 

 the people at large, his conduct to these classes might 

 have been excused ; indeed it was almost called for by 

 the circumstances of the times. The greatest part of 

 the lands had fallen into the possession of the nobles, 

 who were thus enabled to oppress the common people ; 



while they had nearly in an equal degree 'touched on History, 

 the prerogatives of the crown. Christian, therefore, """"V"™"' 

 seems to have had no alternative ; he must either have 

 submitted to have been the slave of his nobles, or have 

 acted as he did, and reduced their power ; he is, how- 

 ever, blameable, in that his measures were so oppres- 

 sive and violent, and that his object was not to benefit 

 the people, but himself. 



He perhaps would have found more difficulty in curb- 

 ing the pride and reducing the power of the clergy, had 

 not the doctrines of Luther begun to extend themselves 

 about this time : of these Christian availed himself; and 

 had he managed the opportunity with less violence, and 

 with more caution and prudence, he might have com- 

 pletely annihilated the powers and privileges of the 

 clergy ; but the natural impetuosity of his disposition 

 prevailed, and he incensed without materially hum- 

 bling them. In the mean time, the affairs of Sweden 

 were in the utmost confusion ; the administrator, who 

 had been just elected, was opposed by the clergy, with 

 the archbishop of Upsal at their head, who formed a 

 party to elect Christian king of Sweden. On the re- ChrhtirfB 

 ceipt of this unexpected and welcome intelligence, the "»uhdue» 

 king marched a bod)' of troops to Schonen, under the ^pen, 

 command of Crumpen, an officer of great merit and ex- c | a j n '' c ,i 

 perience. Although it was the depth of winter, such kin?, 

 was the impatience of Christian, that he ordered Crum- A.D. 1520. 

 pen to enter West Gothland, and to endeavour to bring 

 the enemy to battle. The administrator had not been 

 idle; but having collected a numerous army, he marched 

 to meet the Danes. Three battles were fought ; the 

 first decided nothing, in the second the administrator 

 was wounded, and in the third the Swedes were com- 

 pletely defeated, the administrator dying soon after of 

 his wounds. This success enabled Crumpen to march 

 into the heart of the kingdom ; and in the beginning 

 of the following year, (1520) Christian, having arri- 

 ved in Sweden, and Stockholm being reduced, he was 

 formally proclaimed king. During his absence from 

 Denmark, the discontented there flattered themselves 

 with the hopes, that they should be able to organize 

 such a force, as would enable them successfully to op- 

 pose him ; but when he returned the conqueror of 

 Sweden, they became silent and submissive. 



Christian soon discovered to the Swedes, that he 

 meant to treat them as subjects of a conquered coun- 

 try. It had always been customary at the coronation 

 of their kings, for the new monarch to make a certain 

 number of knights ; Christian complied with this cus- 

 tom in so far as to create the usual number, but they 

 were all Danes and other foreigners; not a single Swede 

 did he advance to that honour ; and lest his motives 

 might not be misunderstood, he publicly declared, that 

 henceforward he would not shew any mark of honour 

 to a Swede, " because he owed that crown to his arms ' 

 and not to their free-will." This was only the begin- His erueTTy 

 ning of his arbitrary and tyrannical conduct to this na- l £ l j^ 

 tion. Being embarrassed in his finances, and despair- 

 ing of raising money with the consent of the senate, 

 he formed a plan to massacre all the members of it. 

 This plan is said to have been suggested to him by his 

 mistress ; it was communicated to the archbishop of 

 Upsal, and received his sanction. The senate and the 

 states of Sweden were accused of heresy, and were 

 taken into custody on this accusation ; but even the 

 forms and delay of a mock trial were too slow for Chris- 

 tian's vindictive temper. He ordered the victims to be 

 marched out in the middle of the day, surrounded by- 

 soldiers. Among the first was Eric Vasa, father of the 



Swecfts. 



