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COXE’s TRAVELS IN DENMARK. 335
The only remains of former magnificence are the ruins of a palace, and the cathedral,
a brick building with two fpires, in which the Kings of Denmark are interred, and
which, according to an infcription in the choir, was founded* by Harald VI. who is ftyled
King of Denmark, England, and Norway. Some verfes, in barbarous Latin, obfcurely
allude to the principal incidents of his life; adding, that he built this church, and died
ing8of. Harald, furnamed Blaatand, was fon of Gormo III. called the Old, and the
firt King of Denmark who embraced the Chriftian religion. His name occurs in the
Saxon Chronicles as one of the invaders of England in the tenth century, where he
eftablifhed his authority over the kingdom of the Eaft Angles, and of Northumberland.
But his hiftory is fo mixed with fable, that glaring contradictions appear in almoft every
incident. He loft his life in confequence of an infurreétion headed by his fon Sweyn 3
but whether he was flain in battle, or by the rebel party, is not known.
Harald was father of a line of kings, who raifed the power of Denmark to the higheft
greatnefs. His fon, Sweyn [., is well known in our annals for his depredations and tri-
butary exactions; and his grandfon, Canute the Great, who united in his perfon the
crowns of England and Denmark, was the moft powerful Prince of his time. The im–
mediate defcendants of Harald Blaatand died and were buried in England; and his
male line was extinét in the perfon of Hardicanute, the laft fovereign who wore the two
crowns..
In the fame cathedral reft the remains of Sweyn II., the firft of a line of fovereigns
called the Middle Race. He was fon of UIf, governor of Denmark, who greatly fig-
nalized himfelfin war, by Eftrida, fifter of Canute the Great. Ulf being put to death
at Rofkild, by order of Canute, Sweyn fled into Sweden, and on the death of Hardica«
nute in 1042, claimed the crown of Denmark in right of his mother; for which reafon
he is generally known by the appellation of Sweyn the fon of Eftrida. The ftates, how-
ever, gave the preference to Magnus the Good, King of Norway ; but on his death in
1047, unanimoufly elected Sweyn, who, by his abilities, had deferved his elevation. In
a Latin infcription, he is called King of England, as well as of Denmark and Norway ;
although the crown of England had been reftored to the Saxon line in the perfon of
Edward the Confeffor, and was afterwards feized by William.the Conqueror. Sweyn
fent a fleet againft England to affert his right to the throne, as a lineal defcendant from
Canute the Great; but his troops were either defeated by William, or obliged to eva-
cuate the ifland through the treachery of his brother. Sweyn is defcribed by a contem-
porary hiftorian t, who perfonally knew him, as a Prince polite to foreigners, of elegant
manners, and great literary accomplifhments. He died in 1074, leaving thirteen fons
and two daughters ; five of the fons fucceilively filled the throne of Denmark ; and his
polterity, im the male line, held it in poffeffion until 1387, when Valdemar III. dying
without male iflue, the female branch fucceeded ; firftin the perfon of Oloff II., fon of
the celebrated Margaret, and on_his deceafe, in that of Margaret herfelf, whofe afhes
are aifo interred in this cathedral.
The fepulchre of this remarkable woman, ftyled the Semiramis of the North, ftands
confpicuous in the middle of the church, and is enclofed within a baluftrade. The mo–
nument is of ftone painted black, and on it lies the figure of the Queen in alabafter, a
* Tittle of the original building now remains. According to Holberg, it was con{lru@ed of wood, and!
afterwards built with ttone in the reign of Canute.
+ Funditus hafce Jovi fummo tunc condidit des,
Poft natale Dei, dum feripfimus o€tuaginta
Nongentos, meruit fcandere celfa poli.
$ See the quotation from Adams Bremen in Pontoppidan’s Mar, Dan. p. 2.
wholeé
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