102 SWEDEN, 



with the remainder he made an attack upon Norway. In both in- 

 stances his troops fought with the greatest bravery, but were finally 

 overpowered. To the loss of Finland succeeded that of Pomerania. 

 From these provinces almost all the grain consumed in Sweden had 

 been derived, and the country was reduced to a state of starvation. 

 Added to this, a dreadful plague broke out, and carried off numbers 

 of the inhabitants. These successive misfortunes damped the cou- 

 rage of the soldiery, and raised among the peasants murmurs of dis- 

 content. Gustavus, however, persisted in prosecuting the war, evi- 

 dently against the wish of the nation. A large part of the army re- 

 fused to follow him, and raised the standard of rebellion. The king 

 was about leaving the capital to endeavour to collect troops to sup- 

 press the insurrection, but was seized and imprisoned by the nobles, 

 who placed the government in the hands of the duke of Sudermania, 

 until the diet could be assembled. The diet met, deposed Gustavus, 

 and called the duke of Sudermania to the throne. Thus the brave, 

 the unfortunate, but the rash and inconsiderate Gustavus Adolphus, 

 lost his crown by obstinately refusing to yield to imperious necessity. 



The deposition of the king was followed in 1809 by the sudden 

 death of the crown prince, the only son of Gustavus Adolphus. 

 Suspicions were strongly entertained by many as to the cause of his 

 death, which from several circumstances was thought not to have 

 been a natural one ; nor were there wanting those, who added this to 

 the list of crimes of the then emperor of France. The government, 

 however, declared that his death was natural. The king was with- 

 out issue, and it became necessary that a successor to the crown 

 should be nominated. The diet was assembled, and the French ge- 

 neral Charles Jean Bernadotte, prince of Ponte Corvo, was named to 

 them by the king as candidate, and elected with little opposition. In 

 this choice the Swedish nation was influenced by a desire to conci- 

 liate the emperor Napoleon. 



Bernadotte, from the moment of his election, seemed to forget the 

 Frenchman in the Swede ; and all his conduct evinced a wish to pro- 

 mote the interests of his adopted country. In 1812, an alliance was 

 formed with England and Russia, to oppose the ambition of Bona- 

 parte. In the spring of 1813, the Swedish troops landed in Pome- 

 rania, and bore an active part in that important campaign, which 

 broke to pieces the most powerful despotism of modern Europe. 



Charles XIII, the present king of Sweden, was born Oct. 7, 1748, 

 and was called to the throne in 1808. He is without issue. 



Charles Jean Bernadotte was born Jan. 26, 1763, and elected crown 

 prince Aug. 18th, 1809. . 



Daughter of the late king, Sophia Wilhemina, born May 21st, 

 1801. 



Queen dowager, Sophia Magdalena, daughter of Frederic V, king 

 of Denmark, born July 3d, 174-6. 



Brother of the king, Frederic Adolphus, duke of West-Gothland, 

 born July 18th, 1750. 



Sister of the king, Sophia Albertina, abbess of Quedlingburg, born 

 Oct. 8, 1753, 



