DENMARK. 



History. Frederic into Holstein, where Uiey gained several ad- 

 * w "v~~"*' vantages. The militia of Norway also invaded Dron- 

 theim, which, by the last treaty, had been ceded to 

 Sweden ; and the people of this province still retain- 

 ing their partiality for their native sovereign, it was 

 soon reduced. However, neither the advance and suc- 

 cess of the Danish allies, nor the conquest of Dron- 

 theim, turned Charles aside from his designs against 

 Copenhagen ; and in 1 659, having concluded a peace 

 with the Czar, he determined to make a vigorous and 

 general effort to gain this city, before the frost should 

 enable the elector of Brandenberg to pass over on the 

 ice to Zealand. jOn the 10th of February, his mea- 

 sures being taken, and his preparations complete, he 

 Copenha- commanded the city to be stormed. In order to con- 

 geu storm- ceal the march of his troops on the snow, he ordered 

 ed without them to put shirts over their clothes, and they were 

 success. thus enabled to come so near the besieged, as to touch 

 them with their arms before they were perceived. 

 Three attacks were made, but they were all unsuccess- 

 ful : the first was led on by Steinboch, but his troops 

 having lost all their officers, became daunted and fled ; 

 the second attack, led on by Colonel Smidt, had nearly 

 succeeded on the side of the isle of Amak, when the 

 Colonel was slain and his troops repulsed ; Bannier, one 

 of the most celebrated of the Swedish generals, com- 

 manded the third attack, but he was taken prisoner, 

 and his division totally defeated. Charles, on this 

 failure, might perhaps have been reduced to raise the 

 siege, had not an English fleet arrived in the Sound, 

 which prevented the Dutch admiral from throwing 

 any more succours into Copenhagen ; the blockade was 

 therefore continued, and divisions of the Swedish army 

 were sent into Langland and Laaland, which they re- 

 duced. Soon afterwards France and England offered 

 their mediation for a peace ; but there was such a great 

 degree of exasperation and jealousy, and such oppo- 

 •eing views and interests, that the negociations were 

 very protracted and intricate : while they were carry- 

 ing on, a cautionary clause was agreed to by the medi- 

 ators, by virtue of which the Dutch fleet was permitted 

 to enter Copenhagen, and thus in fact the siege was 

 raised. The English mediator, perceiving that Charles 

 was little disposed for peace, took his departure ; and 

 the Dutch being now at liberty to act in favour of Den- 

 mark, the Danes made a descent on Funen, and de- 

 feated the Swedes there with great slaughter. But the 

 United States, whose interest it was not to permit either 

 of the Baltic Sovereigns greatly to preponderate over 

 the other, refused to permit their forces to enter Zea- 

 land, and assist the Danes to drive the Swedes com- 

 pletely out of it. Though hostilities had not been in- 

 terrupted, the negociations for peace were still carried 

 on ; and Charles, perceiving that his projects were 

 neither supported nor countenanced by England, while 

 Frederic had been made equally sensible of the luke- 

 warmness of the Dutch in his behalf, the two sove- 

 reigns became more sincere in their wish for peace. 

 But Charles, though willing to accede to fair and 

 honourable conditions, absolutely refused to give up 

 Drontheim, on the cession of which the Danish com- 

 missioners most pointedly and strongly insisted ; the 

 war therefore would most probably have been renew- 

 Feace re- e ^' nac ^ not ^ e king °^ Sweden died. The French and 

 stored. English ambassadors took advantage of this event to 

 bring about a peace between the two countries. By the 

 articles of this peace, the fortress of Cronenberg, all 

 the Danish islands in the Baltic, and Drontheim in 



635 



Norway, were restored to Frederic ; the isle of Rugen, History 

 the provinces of Blekingen, Halland, and Schonen, were W ~Y~~"' 

 given to Sweden. 



Within a very few months after peace was conclu- change e£- 

 ded, Frederic effected a complete change in the con- fected by 

 stitution of the government of Denmark. By his con- Frederic in 

 duct during the war, he had raised himself very much the cons ^- 

 in the opinion of all classes of his subiects, for his firm- lij J°" °, 



i i • t -i* *»!• UGH trial &.* 



ness and his attachment to the interests ot his country; 

 But he was particularly dear to the common people : he 

 had placed himself, in many instances, as a barrier be- 

 tween them and the insolent oppression of the nobles. 

 The circumstances of the times, too, had rendered the 

 nobility less formidable and powerful. Commerce had 

 begun to produce its usual effects in Denmark as welt 

 as in other countries ; it had rendered power and 

 wealth more equal, by introducing new wants and de- 

 sires among the privileged classes, and the ability tc 

 gratify them among those who hitherto had not been 

 privileged, it brought them nearer to a level. Before, 

 however, Frederic could take advantage of this state 

 of things, it was necessary to investigate the condition 

 of the kingdom ; and it> was found truly deplorable. 

 The army had not been paid for a considerable length 

 of time, consequently there was much dissatisfaction 

 among the soldiers ; scarcely any of the ships of war 

 were fit to put to sea; and the public treasure was 

 nearly exhausted by the avarice and extravagance of the 

 nobility. To consider and remedy these evils, an as- 

 sembly of the states was convoked on the Sth of Sep- 

 tember 1660. Notwithstanding the real power of the 

 nobility was much curtailed, they were disposed to be 

 as presuming and overbearing as formerly ; but the ci- 

 tizens of the great towns now began to feel their 

 weight and importance in the state, and particularly 

 those of Copenhagen, to whom, as a reward for their 

 patriotic and gallant behaviour during the siege, seve- 

 ral of the rights of nobility had been granted. 



Frederic, aware of all these circumstances, determin- 

 ed, during the sitting of this assembly, to reduce the 

 poAver of the nobles, and to extend his own power on 

 the ruin of theirs. In this plan he was most zealous- 

 ly and successfully assisted by the queen, a woman not 

 only of great fortitude, but of uncommon talents. She 

 brought over to the king's party and interest, the field- 

 marshal and some other noblemen ; but she principally 

 depended on the exertions and intrigues of the bishop 

 of Zealand, the burgomaster of Copenhagen, Gabel a 

 German, the king's private secretary, and also secreta- 

 ry to the privy council, and Lenthe, who was likewise 

 a German. The first discussion in the diet respected 

 the raising of the necessary supplies : the nobility pro- 

 posed to lay a tax upon every thing that was consumed ; 

 and as a great mark of their condescending patriotism, 

 offered to contribute equally to this tax ; but when 

 their offer was explained, it was found in fact to amount 

 to almost nothing. They consented to pay this tax 

 only when they were in town, and not at all while they 

 resided on their own estates ; nor would they subject 

 themselves to it, even with this limitation, for a longer 

 period than three years, while they insisted that the 

 farmers should pay it as a permanent tax, and to its full 

 amount. When the other orders began to remonstrate 

 against this conduct, the nobility publicly and haugh- 

 tily told them, that they ought to regard and receive it 

 as a mark of the highest condescension, that they had 

 deviated on this occasion from their established privi- 

 leges. The clergy and the representatives of the 



