- Project Runeberg -  The Scots in Sweden. Being a contribution towards the history of the Scot abroad /
48

(1907) [MARC] Author: Thomas Alfred Fischer
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early levies, but also to let them have a glimpse of the
life of the common Scottish soldier in the service of an alien
power, a life upon which at that time no political
enthu-siam, no religious sympathy could shed a friendly light.
It was a life that shocks us in its sad and repulsive reality.

The foreign legionaries were to be employed in what is
called the Northern Seven Year’s War (1563-70).
Denmark had concluded an alliance with Poland and
Liibeck, so that Sweden was on all sides, by land and on
the sea, surrounded by enemies. The war did not end
very gloriously for the latter country. In the peace of
Stettin (1570) Sweden had to renounce all claim upon
Danish or Norwegian provinces, or upon the island of
Gotland, pay a fine of 150,000 Thaler, and retire utterly
exhausted and crippled in its resources. We lay stress
upon this, because it explains the difficulty the country had
in paying the foreign troops.

As officers of this first levy of Scottish legionaries
are mentioned: William Kahun, Jacob Henderson,

William Ruthven (Redwin), Thomas Buchan, and Robert
Crichton. Of these Kahun was made a prisoner by the
Danes in 1568. Colonel William Ruthven is the same that
was sent into Abo Castle in 1563 to treat about its
surrender, and was brother to that Alexander Ruthven of
whom we have to speak further on.1

Both Kahun and Buchan address a German petition to
the king in 1567,2 explaining how they had become
security for a Scotsman who had promised to raise and
bring over into this kingdom a number of his countrymen,
but had failed to do so. The king had advanced him
1200 Thaler for this purpose, and had now ordered this
sum to be deducted from their pay as captains of horse.
But the money, they continue, has been stopped at

1 Both are sons of Patrick Ruthven. 2 Riks. A.

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