D E N M A R K. 
tinned ; many had fallen by the fword in thofe'invafions; 
conquefts had been made, and emigrants had fettled on 
the acquired territories in vad numbers ; the introdudtion 
of Chiiftianity, in the tenth century, ferved likewife to 
abate their ferocity, while the increafed ftrength of the 
neighbouring dates, and the force they had acquired at 
lea, became too formidable to be contended with. Ca¬ 
nute the Great, who reigned and died in England, in 
1036, advanced the dignity of this kingdom to its high'eft 
pitch ; but the fovereigns who fucceeded him were little 
diftinguifhed, until toward the clofe of the fourteenth 
century, when Margaret obtained the regal power on the 
death of her fon Olaus III, who had united the kingdom 
of Norway to that of Denmark. In 1388, (three years 
after her acceffion,) having defeated and taken prifoner 
Albert king of Sweden, die was enabled to urge her 
pretenfions to that crown alfo ; and actually obtained pof- 
feflion by the confent of the dates, through the repre- 
fentatives of the three kingdoms aflembled at Calmar, 
in the year 1397, at which time a confederated conllitu- 
tion was formed, of the greateft confequence to the 
northern dates, and called “ the union of Calmar.” This 
wife and heroic princefs, to whom hidorians have given- 
the didinguifhing appellation of “the Semiramis of the 
north,” reigned over Denmark and Norway twenty-fix, 
and over Sweden fixteen years, dignified with the epithet 
of wearing the three northern crowns. A century afterward 
elapfed without any thing highly important occurring in 
the hidory of this country. In 15 13, Frederic, duke of 
Hoi dein, was railed to the throne by the unanimous voice 
of the people, who had depofed their king Chridian II. 
for his cruelty and tyranny, in vvhofe reign the crown of 
Sweden had been difmembered from that of Denmark, 
and placed on the patriotic brows of Gudavus Vafa. 
The event which chiefly didinguifhes the hidory of 
Denmark fince the reign of Frederic I. is the revolution 
which took place in the feventeenth century. Denmark 
was then governed by a king chofen by a delegation from 
people of all ranks, aflembled in a diet, who in their 
choice paid a due regard to the family of the preceding 
prince; and if they found one of his line properly quali¬ 
fied to difcharge "the duties of that high dation, they 
thought it jud to prefer him before any other, and the 
elded fon before a younger, if his merits warranted the 
adoption ; but if thofe of the royal family were either 
deficient in abilities, or had rendered themfelves unwor¬ 
thy by their vices, they chofe Tome other perfon, and 
fometimes raifed a private man to that high dignity. 
To the king thus elected, andafenate confiding of the prin¬ 
cipal nobility, the executive powers of government were 
entruded. One of the mod fundamental parts of the con- 
ditution was the frequent meetings of the dates, in order 
to regulate every thing relating to the government. In 
thefe meetings new laws were enabled, and all affairs re¬ 
lating to peace and war, the difpofal of great offices, and 
contracts of marriage for the royal family, were debated. 
The impofing of taxes was merely accidental, no money 
being levied on the people, except to maintain what was 
edeemed a neceffary war, with the advice and confent of 
the nation, or now and then by way of free gift, to add 
to a daughter’s portion. The king’s ordinary revenue 
confided only in the rents of lands and demefnes, in his 
herds of cattle, his foreds, fervices of tenants in culti¬ 
vating his ground, &c. for cudoms on merchandize were 
not then known in that part of the world : fo that he 
lived like a modern nobleman, upon the revenues of his 
edate. But in the year 166 o, the three dates, confiding 
of the nobility, clergy J and commonalty, being aflembled 
for the purpofe of finding means for difeharging the 
debts incurred by a'war with Charles X. king of Sweden, 
tire nobility endeavoured to lay the whole burden on the 
commons; while the latter, who had defended their 
country, and particularly their capital, with the utmod 
bravery, infided that the nobles, who enjoyed all the 
lands, ihould at lead pay their Ihare of the taxes, fince 
they had fuffered lefs in the common calamity, and done 
lefs to prevent its progrefs. At this the nobility were 
enraged, and many bitter replies paffed on both fides. 
At length a principal fenator danding up, told the pre¬ 
fident cf the city, that the commons neither underdood 
the privileges of the nobility, nor confidered that they 
themfelves were not better than (laves. The word (laves 
was followed by a loud murmur from the clergy and 
burghers; when Nanfon, the prefident of the city of 
Copenhagen, and fpeaker of the houfe of commons, ob- 
ferving the general indignation it occafioned, indantly 
arofe, and inliding that the commons were no (laves, 
walked out, and was followed by the clergy and burghers, 
who proceeding to the brewers hall, in the city, debated 
there on the mod effectual means of humbling the arro¬ 
gance of the nobility. Then it was that the firft idea of 
rendering the crown of Denmark hereditary was fuggeded 
by the bifliop of Zealand, but nothing like inveding the 
king with abfolute power was thought of, although it 
was foon after adopted. The affembly then adjourned to 
the bifhop’s palace, where the plan of an hereditary fuc- 
cefiion received the unanimous concurrence of the whole 
meeting. 
Frederic III. who at that time poffeffed the crown of 
Denmark, has been reprefented as a prince naturally lu¬ 
pine and unambitious, of engaging manners, and a bene¬ 
volent heart, yet his habits of life were as little likely to 
render him highly popular as generally odious ; but what 
the common courfe of events would not have brought 
about,’ the exigencies of the times effebted. Charles X. 
of Sweden, having broken the treaty he had entered into 
at Roflcild, in 1638, and invaded Denmark, for the avow¬ 
ed purpofe of fubduing both that kingdom and Norway, 
to annex them to the crown of Sweden, Frederic beheld 
the impending (form with the firmnefs of a king ; he re¬ 
nounced his beloved eafe, led on his troops in perfon, 
and, by his abfivity, condubt, and bravery, delivered his 
capital, repelled the invaders, and forced them difgrace- 
fully to evacuate his territories. Thefe achievements 
defervedly endeared him to the people, and before the 
fervour of their gratitude had lubfided, the diffenfions 
between the nobles and commons broke forth. Had the 
fmalled fpark of ambition exifted in the king’s bread, 
luch an event would have kindled it into a flame ; but 
this prince is reprefented, by fome hidorians who have 
related this memorable revolution, as having relapfed 
into his former habits of inactivity, and that the intrigues 
of two principal men in his court brought about an event 
which he himfelf (Viewed no folicitude to procure. 
The commons and clergy the next morning repaired in 
great order to the council-houfe, where the nobles were 
affembled ; and there the prefident, in a fliort (peech, ob- 
ferved, that they had confidered the date of the nation, and 
found that the only way to remedy the difordersof the date 
was to add to the power of the king, and render his crown 
hereditary ; in which, if the nobles thought fit to concur, 
they were ready to accompany them to his majedy, whom 
they had informed of their refolution, and who expected 
them in the hall of his palace. The nobles, filled with a 
general condernation at the fuddennefs of this propofal, 
and at the determined manner in which it was made, en¬ 
deavoured to footh the commons by fair fpeeches; and 
urged that fo important an affair fhould be managed with 
due folemnity, and regulated in fuch a manner, as not to 
have the appearance of precipitation or tumult. To this 
the prefident replied, that it was evident the nobles only 
aimed at gaining time, in order to frudrate the intention 
of the commons, who came not thither to confult, but to 
act. After farther debate, the commons growing impa¬ 
tient, the clergy with the bilhops at their head, and the 
burghers, headed by their prefident, proceeded without 
the nobles, to the palace, and were met by the prime mi- 
nider, who conducted them to the hall of audience, where 
the king came foon after. Thebifiiop of Zealand made 
a' fpeech in praife of their fovereign, and concluded 
with 
