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Charles Camiteson’s
administration
CHRISTOPHER OF BAVARIA.
Oscillations of
parties.
65
sacred by the people, as that of one who had died a
martyr to the freedom of his country, and they
believed that miracles were wrought at his tomb 2.
One who now sought to curb these popular
movements had more than any other man reaped
advantage from them; this was Charles Canuteson Bolide.
In the means he employed, as we have seen, he was
far from being scrupulous, but even after the death
of Engelbert he was not undisturbed by
competitors, who leant for support 011 the aristocratic
interest, or popular favour, or upon both. Broder
Swenson, a baron and councillor of state,
discontented at being passed over in the distribution of
the fiefs, now that all the castles had fallen into the
hands of the administrator, excited an opposition to
his measures at the baronial diet of Soderkoping in
1436 ; he was arrested, and early on the following
morning his body was found, after the executioner
had dealt with him. The fierce and turbulent
Eric Pukd, who was all powerful with the peasants,
persecuted the new regent with threats, plots,
popular disturbances, and declarations of war, all
of which Charles Canuteson bore with for a long
time ; but at length, during a conference for the
settlement of their differences, held at Westeras in
1437, he treacherously seized upon his unfortunate
rival, and caused his head to be struck off. The
steward Christer Nilson, an old intriguer,
accustomed to style the guardian, whose kinsman he was,
his dear son, and to be called in return father, now
covertly incited the Dalecarlians and Vermelanders
to fresh commotions, and confederated with Nils
Stenson, brother-in-law of Charles, whom Eric had
lately nominated to the dignity of marshal, for the
recall of the king. This revolt was however
suppressed in 1433 ; in the year following, the steward,
unsuspicious of danger, was surprised at his house,
and carried to his fief, the castle of Wiborg in
Finland, while the new marshal fled with the king back
to Gottland 3, where Eric, in the society of his
concubine, and the pirates whose booty he was not
ashamed to share, consoled himself for the loss of
three kingdoms.
From 1434, the year of Engelbert’s rising, until
the close of even Eric’s nominal reign, we may
observe within five years, no fewer than ten
different associations, guarantees, covenants, and
confederacies, without reckoning those in which the
Swedish council alone was concerned, formed
sometimes under the mediation of Denmark and
Norway, sometimes under that of the Hanse towns, all
relating to the conditions on which the king’s
re-admission might be acceded to. This is a species
of diplomacy, which might not improperly be
denominated the pastime of the Union
age,—perpetual congresses, appointed, deferred, again
renewed, exhibiting at once the weakness of the
bonds by which the confederation was held together
(although it was solemnly renewed at Calmar in
1438), the interest of the magnates in maintaining
it, and the policy followed by all the Swedish party
leaders from the time of Charles Canuteson, of
labouring for their own aggrandizement to all
practicable lengths, shielding themselves in case of
necessity behind the convenient screen of the
federal royalty. For this purpose Eric served as
well as any other prince, and therefore his followers
did not desert him until lie had deserted himself.
Denmark and Sweden finally renounced fealty and
obedience to him for ever in 1439 ; the Norsemen
attempted during the same year an invasion of
Sweden in his behalf, but were repulsed, and
offered no further hindrance. Eric passed ten
years in Gottland in the shameful pursuit of piracy,
in allusion to which our annalists record a satirical
saying of his nephew and successor, " My uncle
must live." Eventually he repaired to his native
country Pomerania, and died in his seventy-fourth
year at Riigenwald, in 1459.
Christopher of Bavaria, son of John, duke of the
Upper Palatinate, by Eric’s sister Catherine, had
been called to the crown, in 1438, by the Danish
council. Eric had made vain endeavours to secure
the succession for his cousin-german Bogislaus,
duke of Pomerania, accompanied by promises of
privileges to the common people, which
occasioned a sanguinary rising against the nobility in
Zealand and Jutland, so that the Danish peasants
took up arms for this king after those of Sweden
had expelled him. Christopher, who at first
assumed only the title of guardian, immediately
opened negoc-iations with the Swedish and
Norwegian councils. In Sweden, the movements of
party fluctuated in their tendencies. At a
congress of Danish and Swedish plenipotentiaries held
in Jenkoping in the autumn of 1439, it was decided
to adhere to the Union of Calmar. Upon this
occasion the clergy, ever conspicuous for their zeal in
support of that settlement, declared their
attachment to Christopher. In a baronial diet at Arboga,
which met in the beginning of 1440, it was resolved,
that a foreigner should never again be called to
the Swedish throne ; and at the elective diet on
the 4th October, of the same year, Christopher of
Bavaria was chosen, after a private negociation
with Charles Canuteson had assured to the latter
the possession of all that lie calculated upon being
able to gain for the present. He obtained the
in-feudation of Finland ; Oeland was assigned to him
in pledge of the satisfaction of his claims, and he
was absolved from all responsibility on account of
his administration. For Charles, this was but the
postponement of the crown, not its perdition.
Meanwhile it was generally rumoured, that a nun of
great reputation for sanctity had foretold to him
that he should yet be its wearer, and in the
church of Vadstena a child had seen the diadem
glistening on his head. On the royal entry into
Stockholm, the people observed that the lofty
stature of the marshal overtopped the king, a
short, corpulent man, who walked arm in arm with
him, and the general cry was, " the marshal is
comelier, and more worthy to wear the crowns ;
woe to those who have ordered it thus 4." Norway
still hesitated. Here Eric had succeeded in
procuring the hereditary kingship ; an object which
he had vainly striven for in his other dominions.
Hence the Norsemen took up arms for a short
time on his deposition, but in 1442, Christopher also
received the homage and crown of Norway.
For his Swedish throne this king was so
essentially indebted to the bishops, that the diary of
2 I’lurimis coruscat miraculis. Diarium Vadstenense.
3 In a new descent upon Sweden from Gottland, Nils
Stenson was made prisoner, and died of the plague, which
in 1439 is said to have raged over all Sweden, "et diversa
loca Christianitatis." Diary of Vadstena.
4 The Rhyme Chronicle.
f
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