DENMARK. 



637 



History. 



Conse- 

 quences of 

 tie revolu- 

 fon in the 

 jr ivern- 



IUU.I/ 



Death of 

 Frederic. 

 A. D. 1G70. 



Christian 

 ascends the 

 throne. 



Declares 



«*ar against 

 Sweden. 



A. D. 1675. 



the absolute and monarchical authority of the king, he 

 shall be punished as having been guilty of the crime of 

 high treason. 



Many authors have contended, that, by this revolu- 

 tion, the people of Denmark lost their liberty ; but the 

 most superficial acquaintance with the history of this 

 country previous to 1660, must convince us, that this 

 opinion is entirely destitute of foundation. The people, 

 in fact, were the slaves of the nobles ; they were con- 

 stantly degraded and oppressed by a number of petty 

 tyrants. By the revolution they were freed from the 

 power of these tyrants, though they were not raised to 

 the rank and condition which they ought to hold in every 

 well-regulated state. It may be a question, whether 

 they were much benefited by the revolution, but there 

 can be no doubt that it did not deprive them of their 

 liberty. That the condition of the farmers was bene- 

 fited is certain; for no sooner was Frederic invested with 

 the supreme power, than he reduced the authority and 

 humbled the pride of the nobles, by annulling several 

 of their privileges, particularly that which gave them 

 the power of life and death over their farmers. Many 

 of the nobles resisted, and endeavoured to excite a re- 

 bellion ,• but their efforts were in vain, as the court took 

 every opportunity to reduce their numbers and autho- 

 rity. In a very few years they were no longer formi- 

 dable ; the principal places of trust and emolument 

 were kept from them. The laws protected the mass of 

 the people against their oppressions, and the king ex- 

 ercised, with respect to them, the full authority with 

 which the new constitution invested him. 



From the year 1660 till 1670, when Frederic died, he 

 was almost occupied with the internal affairs of Den- 

 mark ; he re-established the finances on an equitable 

 and productive footing ; gave encouragement to trade 

 and commerce ; and in a more especial manner pro- 

 moted agriculture. In the midst of these wise and be- 

 nevolent plans, he was carried off by a disorder, which 

 he is supposed to have contracted during the siege of 

 Copenhagen. 



The year before the death of Frederic, Christian, his 

 oldest son, had been declared his successor at a general 

 diet of the states. When he ascended the throne, Den- 

 mark, notwithstanding the plans of Frederic, was in a 

 situation by no means prosperous. Most of the specie 

 had been drawn out of the kingdom by the expences 

 of the war, and the large subsidies granted to foreign 

 powers ; and the disputes which had arisen with Swe- 

 den, Holland, and Holstein, threatened the renewal of 

 hostilities, and at any rate prevented the complete and 

 regular adoption of any system of economy and re- 

 trenchment. The first object of Christian was to ad- 

 just his differences with Holstein ; and this having been 

 effected, he declared war against Sweden. Many rea- 

 sons were given for this step. Sweden, ever since she 

 was separated from Denmark, had encroached on the 

 possessions of the latter kingdom ; but a dispute re- 

 specting the Duchy of Bremen, was more particularly 

 insisted upon by Christian, in his declaration of war. 

 His principal allies in this war, were the Elector of 

 Brandenburg, and the United States. With the for- 

 mer, the plan of the campaign of 1 6*75 was arranged ; 

 and m conformity to it, his Danish majesty attacked 

 and took the strong post of Damgarten, while his allies 

 were employed in Pomerania. The next was a conjoint 

 operation against the city of Wismar. Great and for- 

 midable obstacles here opposed themselves ; but they 

 were overcome by the perseverance and talents of Chris- 

 tian ; finding that the marshes on which the besieging 



army was encamped, were unhealthy, he ordered them History. 

 to be drained ; and when this was proved to be imprac- ^— *~v— ^ 

 ticable, he kept his camp dry by dikes and ditches form- 

 ed round it. The garrison held out with great obsti- 

 nacy, and Christian at last resolved to carry it by 

 storm ; before the troops could arrive near enough for 

 this purpose, it was necessary to ma/ch over the marshes, 

 exposed to a galling fire from the garrison. In order 

 to render the marshes passable, light wooden bridges 

 were laid over them ; and on these the troops proceeded 

 three a breast. The fire to which they were exposed, 

 at first daunted and checked them ; but animated by 

 the example of their sovereign, they proceeded, and in 

 the space of a few hours the governor capitulated. 

 After the reduction of this place, Christian meant to- 

 have invaded the isle of Itugen ; but he was drawn aside 

 from this scheme, in consequence of false information 

 that the Swedes were preparing to make a descent on 

 Zealand. In consequence of this, he returned to pro- 

 tect his capital. The next enterprise of Christian and 

 his allies, was the reduction of Stade, which city fell 

 into their possession after a long but not a very active 

 or obstinate defence. Hitherto the fleets of the hostile Naval 

 powers had not met; but in the beginning of June, battle be» 

 the Danish fleet having been reinforced by some Dutch ^ ten the 

 ships, after having conquered the isle of Wisby, fell in s ' , 

 with the Swedish fleet between the coast of Schonen 

 and the isle of Bornholm. An action commenced, 

 which continued, at intervals, for two days, but termi- 

 nated without any advantage to either party. In this- 

 engagement the Swedes possessed the superiority in 

 point of numbers ; but a few days afterwards, the Da- 

 nish admiral having been reinforced by four Danish 

 and three Dutch men of war, under the command of 

 the famous Von Tromp, again proceeded in quest of 

 the Swedes. On the 1 1th of June, the battle began ; 

 in a very short time the Swedish admiral's ship, which 

 is said to have carried 134 pieces of brass cannon, and 

 1 1 00 men, was blown up. On this the rest of the fleet 

 endeavoured to escape, but being surrounded by the 

 Danish and Dutch vessels, they gave up this idea, and 

 fought with astonishing intrepidity ; but situated as 

 they were, then intrepidity was of little avail ; ten of 

 their ships, besides some small vessels, fell into the 

 hands of their enemy. The immediate consequence of 

 this victory was, the reduction of Stade, which has been 

 already noticed; and the resolution, on the part oi 

 Christian, to invade Schonen. While the Swedes were 

 superior, or even equal to the Danes by sea, this in- 

 vasion was impracticable, but now it could be easily 

 effected, and promised to be attended with complete 

 success. As soon as Christian entered this province, 

 he ordered Von Tromp to attack the city of Ustadt, 

 which, after a short but obstinate defence, was evacua- 

 ted by the garrison. The Danes lost no time in follow- 

 ing up their success, and Christianstadt, Helsingburgh, 

 and Landscroon, were reduced. Charles the Eleventh, 

 King of Sweden, alarmed at the progress and success 

 of the Danes, collected a large army, surprized three 

 thousand men under General Duncamp, and totally 

 routed him. Cliristian, on the intelligence of this dis- 

 aster, marched himself against the Swedes, who retreat- 

 ed in a rapid manner before him, so that he could not 

 come up with them. In order to draw them on to an 

 engagement, he laid siege to Malmo. As it was of the 

 utmost consequence to relieve this place, Charles, at 

 the head of 18,000 men, encamped on the opposite side 

 of the river, which divided the two armies. He soon 

 found, however, that the direct relief cf Malmo was- 



