786 S W E 
friends, intimating his return to Sweden, and beseeching 
them to assemble all their forces, in order to break through the 
enemy’s army into Stockholm, at that time besieged; but they 
refused to embark in so hazardous and desperate an attempt. 
Gustavus next applied himself to the peasants; but they 
answered, that they enjoyed salt and herrings under the go¬ 
vernment of the king of Denmark; and that any attempts 
to bring about a revolution, would be attended with certain 
ruin, without the prospect of bettering their condition; for 
peasants they were, and peasants they should remain, who¬ 
ever was king. At length, he formed the resolution of try¬ 
ing the courage and affection of the Dalecarlians. Attended, 
therefore, by a peasant, to whom he was known, he travelled 
in disguise through Sudermania, Nericia, and Westermania, 
and, after a laborious and painful journey, arrived in the 
mountains of Dalecarlia. Scarcely had he finished his jour¬ 
ney, when he found himself deserted by his companion and 
guide, who carried off with him all the money which he 
had provided for his subsistence. Thus forlorn and desti¬ 
tute, he entered among the miners, without relinquishing 
his hopes of one day ascending the .throne of Sweden. His 
whole object for the present was to live concealed, and gain 
a maintenance, till fortune should effect something in his 
favour: nor was it long before this happened. A woman 
in the mines perceived, under the habit of a peasant, that 
the collar of his shirt was embroidered. This circumstance 
excited curiosity; and the graces of his person and conver¬ 
sation, which had something in them to attract the notice 
of the meanest of the vulgar, afforded room for suspicion. 
Some gentlemen relieved his necessities; but when he 
made known his projects, he was near being betrayed 
into the hands of the Danes. At length a priest advised 
him to apply directly to the peasants themselves; told him 
that it would be proper to spread a report, that the Danes 
were to enter Dalecarlia in order to establish new taxes 
by force of arms; and as the annual feast of all the neigh¬ 
bouring villages was to be held in a few days, he could not 
have a more favourable opportunity: he also promised to 
engage the principal persons of the diocese in his interest. 
In compliance with this advice, Gustavus set out for Mora, 
where the feast was to be held. He found the peasants al¬ 
ready informed of his designs, and impatient to see him. He 
instantly led them against the governor’s castle, which he took 
by assault, and put the garrison to the sword. This incon¬ 
siderable enterprise was attended with the most happy con¬ 
sequences. Great numbers of the peasants flocked to his stand¬ 
ard ; some of the gentry openly espoused his cause, and 
others supplied him with money. Gustavus advanced with 
5000 men, and defeated a body of Danes. Christiern, un¬ 
able to suppress the revolt, wreaked his vengeance on the 
mother and sisters of Gustavus, whom he put to death. His 
barbarities served only to make his enemies more resolute. 
Gustavus, after various successes, was chosen king of 
Sweden in 1523. Gustavus embraced the doctrines of the 
reformed religion, and did all in his power to establish 
the reformation in his new kingdom. His design could 
not fail to raise against him the enmity of the clergy, and 
of all the more superstitious part of his subjects. Ac¬ 
cordingly, the first years of his reign were embittered by 
internal disturbances and revolts, which were aided and fo¬ 
mented by Christiern, who was at one time very near regain¬ 
ing possession of the Swedish dominions: but in 1542, 
Gustavus, having happily extricated himself out of all his 
troubles, prevailed on the states to make the crown heredi¬ 
tary in his family; after which he applied himself to the 
encouragement of learning and commerce. A treaty was 
set on foot tor a marriage between his eldest son Eric and 
Elizabeth, queen of England; but this negociation failed of 
success. 
Gustavus Vasa died in 1560, and was succeeded by his 
son, Eric XIV. This king created the first nobility that 
were ever known in Sweden. The whole course of his 
reign was disturbed by wars with Denmark, and disputes 
with his own subjects. In the former he was unfortunate, 
DEN. 
and towards the latter he behaved with the greatest cruelty. 
He was soon dethroned by his brothers; of whom Duke 
John succeeded him. 
This revolution took place in the year 1568, but with no 
great advantage to Sweden. Disputes about religion be¬ 
tween the king and his brothers, and wars with Russia, 
threw matters into the utmost confusion. At last Prince 
Sigismund, the king’s son, was chosen king of Poland, 
which proved the source of much trouble to the kingdom. 
In 1590, king John died; and as Sigismund was at a dis¬ 
tance, every thing fell into the utmost confusion: the trea¬ 
sury was plundered, and the royal wardrobe quite spoiled, 
before even Duke Charles could come to Stockholm to take 
on himself the administration until King Sigismund should 
return. This, however, was far from being the greatest dis¬ 
aster which befel the nation at this time. The king refused 
to confirm the Protestants in their religious privileges, and 
showed such partiality on all occasions to the Papists, that 
a party was formed against him, at the head of which was 
Duke Charles, his uncle. The latter assumed the sovereign 
power, and in 1604, Sigismund was formally deposed, and 
his uncle, Charles IX., raised to the throne. He proved a 
wise and brave prince, restoring the tranquillity of the king¬ 
dom, and carrying on a war with vigour against Poland and 
Denmark. He died in 1611, leaving the kingdom to his 
son, the celebrated Gustavus Adolphus. 
Soon after his accession, Gustavus received an embassy 
from James I. of Britain, exhorting him to make peace with 
his neighbours. This was seconded by another from Hol¬ 
land. But as the king perceived that the Danish monarch 
intended to take every opportunity of crushing him, he re¬ 
solved to act with such vigour, as might convince him that 
he was not easily to be overcome. Accordingly, he invaded 
Denmark with three different armies at once; and though 
the enemy's superiority at sea gave them great advantages* 
and the number of the king’s enemies distracted his atten¬ 
tion, he carried on the war with such spirit, that in 1613, a 
peace was concluded on good terms. This war being 
finished, the king applied himself to civil polity, and made 
some reformation in the laws of Sweden. In 1615, hostili¬ 
ties were commenced against Russia, on account of the 
refusal of that court to restore some money which had been 
formerly lent them. The king entered Ingria, took Xex- 
holm by storm, and was laying siege to Plescov, when, by 
the mediation of James I., peace was concluded, on con¬ 
dition of the Russians repaying the money, and yielding to 
Sweden some part of their territory. In this and the former 
war, notwithstanding the shortness of their duration, Gus- 
tavus learned the rudiments of the military art for which he 
soon became so famous. 
Peace was no sooner concluded with Russia, than Gusta¬ 
vus was crowned with great solemnity at Upsal. Soon 
after this he ordered his general La Gardie to acquaint the 
Polish commander Codckowitz, that as the truce between 
the two kingdoms, which had been concluded for two 
years, was now expired, he desired to be certainly informed 
whether he was to expect peace or war from his master. 
Immediately after this, Gustavus made a tour in dis¬ 
guise through Germany, and married Eleonora the daugh¬ 
ter of the elector of Brandenburg. He then set sail for Riga 
with a great fleet, which carried 20,000 men. Riga was 
besieged and taken; the poles defeated, and several pro¬ 
vinces taken; events which occupied Gustavus till the 
year 1629, when the Poles were to consent to a truce for 
six years. Gustavus kept the port and citadel of Mernel, 
the harbour of Pillau, the town of Elbing, Brunsberg, and 
all that he had conquered in Livonia. 
Gustavus having thus brought the war with Poland to an 
honourable conclusion, began to think of resenting the con¬ 
duct of the emperor in assisting his enemies and oppressing 
the Protestant states. Before embarking in such an impor¬ 
tant undertaking, it was necessary that he should consult the 
diet. In this the propriety of engaging in a war with Ger¬ 
many was warmly debated; but, after much altercation, Gus¬ 
tavus 
