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340 COXE’S TRAVELS IN DENMARK,
taining, when I paffed through the town, only eight ftudents. The cathedral is a large
old brick building, which has nothing remarkable, except fome coftly monuments of a
private Danifh family. The church which formerly belonged to the convent of Recolets,
contains the fepulchres of John and Chriftian II.
Jchn afcended the throne in 1481, on the death of his father Chriftian I., and in
1497, renewing the union of Calmar, obtained the crown of Sweden, which the Swedes,
however, did not long permit him to enjoy. He died on the 12th of February, 1513,
having on his death-bed admonifhed his fon Chriftian I].; admonitions which had no
effeQ on a breaft already corrupted by power, and impatient for dominion. John would
have acted more wifely had he endeavoured to render the infant mind of his fon capa-
ble of receiving the impreffions of virtue, and had not fhamefully negle&ed his educa-
tion ; a crime highly reprehentible in a father, but unpardonable in a fovereign, who
is perhaps rearing a tyrant for his fubjects, and entailing on his country a feries of evils,
for which he is himfelf chiefly accountable. Hiftorians agree in reprefenting John as a
wife and prudent prince, inclined to peace, but enterprizing in war; and as generally
moderate and humane; admitting, however, that he perpetrated occafional acts of vio-
lence and cruelty, derived from a {pecies of melancholy madnefs, that preyed upon his
mind, and at times deprived him of his fenfes.
His fon, the cruel and unfortunate Chriftian II., is entombed near his father, under
a plain grave-ftone, fomewhat raifed, but without infcription. He was born at Nyborg,
on the 2d of July 14815 and difcovered in his youth fymptoms of a lively genius and
good underftanding, which, if properly cultivated, might have rendered him the orna-
ment, inftead of the difhonour, of his country. The young prince was entrulted to a
common burgher of Copenhagen, and afterwards removed to the houle of a f{chool-
mafter, who wasa canon of the cathedral. In this fituation his chief employment con-
fifted in regularly accompanying his mafter to church, where he diftinguifhed himfelf
beyond the other fcholars and chorifters in chaunting and finging pfalms. He was af-
terwards configned to the tuition of a German preceptor, aman of learning, but a pe-
dant ; under whom, however, he made a confiderable proficiency in the Latin tongue.
From this humble education Chriftian imbibed a tafte for bad company, and was accuf-
tomed to haunt the common taverns, to mix with the populace, to {cour the ftreets, and
to be guilty of every excefs. The King at length, informed of thofe irregularities, re-
proved him feverely; but as the Prince had already contracted habits, which were
grown too {trong to be eradicated, thefe admonitions were too late. He feigned, how-
ever, contrition for his paft behaviour, and again won the affections of bis father by his
military fucceffes in Norway, and by an unwearied application to the affairs of govern-
ment.
During the firft years of his reign, which commenced in 1513, his adminiftration
was in many refpects worthy of praife; and the excellence of many of his laws has in-
duced Holberg * to affirm, that if the character of Chriftian II. was to be determined by
his laws, and not by his aétions, he would merit the appellation of Good, rather than
of Tyrant. Happy would it have been for himfelf and his people, had he continued to
reign on the fame principles.
At firft all his enterprizes were crowned with fuccefs : he abridged the power of the
Danifh nobility, and exalted the regal prerogatives ; he obtained the crown of Sweden
by conqueft, and was even proclaimed hereditary fovereign of that kingdom. A pru-
dent and temperate ufe of thefe advantages might have enfured him a long and undif-
* Dan, Gel. vol, ii, p. 94.
‘ turbed
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