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336 COXE’S TRAVELS IN DENMARK.
7 Se
whole length, and, as we were informed, her exact fize when alive. An infcription on
the tomb, initead of enlarging in long fulfome flatteries, fuch as are ufvally paid to fove-
reigns, records the time of her death, and adds, “it was raifed at the expence of Eric of Po-
merania, in memory of a Princefs whom pofterity could never fufficiently honour as fhe
deferves.’” Lefs could not be faid of a perfonage who juftly claims our refpect and ve-
neration, and whofe glorious reign has fcarcely its parallel in the records of hiftory.
Margaret, daughter of Valdemar TL. , by Hedwige his Queen, was born in 13533 and, 4
if we may credit fome Danith hiftorians, owed her being to a circumftance as fingular
as her life was-illuftrious and eminent. Valdemar, returning from a hunting party,
chanced to repair to the caftle of Seborg, where he had confined his confort Hedwige
on account of fome ill-grounded fufpicions. _ Being pleafed with one of the Queen’s
attendants, he propofed an interview; the woman feigned compliance, but fubitituted
her miftrefs in her ftead, and Mar garet was the fruit of the meeting ; which has leda
Danifh hiftorian * to remark, i in the high {tyle of panegyric, that the ‘cood which he un-
con{cioufly performed that night in begetting Margaret, amply compenfated for all the
evil actions of his life. In the fixth year of her age fhe was betrothed to Haquin, King
of Norway, fon of Magnus, King of Sweden, which was the firft ftep to her future oreat-
nefs. ‘This marriage, after much oppofition on the part of the Swedes, was folemnized
at Copenhagen in 136 3, W hen fhe was only in the eleventh year of her age. Margaret
gave fo many proofs of her prudence and courage when Haquin loft the crown of Swee
den, asinduced Valdemar frequently to fay of her, that nature intended her for a man,
and had erred in making her a womantf.
On the demife of her father in 1375, fhe had the addrefs to obtain the election of her
fon Olotf, then only five years of age, in preference to the fon of her eldeft fifter Inge-
burga; and on the death of Haquin, fecured his fucceflion to the crown of Norway.
Being regent during Olof’s minority, her adminiftration was fo vigorous, prudent, and
popular, that, on his premature death in 1385, fhe was chofen Queen by the ftates of
Denmark ; the firft inftance, perhaps, in a government wholly elective, of a woman
exalted to the throne by the free and unanimous fuflrages of a warlike people. With
the fame addrels fhe procured the crown of Norway ; and was equally fuccefsful in gain-
ing that of Sweden. Albert was chofen King, and might have preferved his power,
had it not been his fate to contend with fuch a rival as Margaret. _In allufion to her
fex, he ftyled her, in derifion, the King in petticoats ; fhe aniwered his reproach by ac-
tions, not by words, and made him forely repent of his vaunts, when, he found himfelf
worfted in every engagement; when depofed and captive, he owed his life to the cle-
mency of the very woman whom he had wantonly infulted. By the famous union of
Calmar, in 1397, fhe united the three Northerm kingdoms, and held them undivided
during her reign, notwithf{tanding the averfion of the Swedes to the Danifh government.
But in no inftance does the vigour and policy of her conduét appear more confpicuous
than from this confideration ; ‘that the revolts and inteftine convulfions, which continu-
ally difturbed the reigns of the fovereigns who immediately preceded and followed her,
were fubdued during her whole adminiftration. ‘This internal tranquillity, more glo-
rious, though lefs {plendid, than her warlike atchievements, and which was unufual in
thofe turbulent times, could only be derived from the commanding afcendancy of her
{uperior genius. :
* ** Regina eadem fui mariti & pellex, & uxor, & concubina. Quid ad hane fcenam Herculis navitas
aut in Alemenz finu Jupiter decumbens. Sané autem plus ea nocte Valdemarus fecit. boni infcius quam per
ominem vitam {ci iens fecerat mali; qui pretiofiflimam vitam donavit orbi tot regnorum campotem futuram
Margaretam, & legem tran{ ferediendo, felicem Daniam efiecit.”’ Berengti Florus Danicus, p 506.
+ Pontani Hit, Dan. 544.
7 This
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