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School-days of Gustavus.
His early exploits.
in his train, and wished to carry him to Denmark.
But Steno the Eider, apprehending the king to be
more bent on procuring a hostage than a foster-son,
averted from the child the danger which afterwards
overtook the youth. Gustavus was sent to his
father, who was then lord feudatory of Aland. At
this time, say the chronicles, the children of
Sweden’s nobles were termed wolf-cubs by the
Danes.
All accounts agree that the young Gustavus was
placed in the seminary of Upsala in 1509 ; a fact
which confirms the view we have taken as to the
year usually given for his birth being erroneous,
from the improbability that this step should not
have occurred until his nineteenth year. For it
is known that he was in fact placed in the
grammar-school, and was subjected to personal chastisement
while thex*e by the Danish schoolmaster2. The
latter was informed that his young pupil had on
some occasion said, " See what I will do ; I will go
to Dalecarlia, get out the Dalesmen, and knock the
Danes on the head." Gustavus suffered his
school-flogging ; then drawing out his little sword, he
thrust it through his Curtius, and quitted the school
with a malison never to return. A hundred years
afterwards, the country people could point out the
places in the neighbourhood of Upsala he frequented
with his playmates, and tell how he had been at a
wolf-chase hunting merrily.
Old narrators are also unanimous that in 1514
(his eighteenth year, most of them say) he was
received into the household of Steno Sture’ the
younger ; with which corresponds the remark often
made by the chroniclers, that he was early taken
from his studies to military service and court life ;
" a noble youth, comely, ready-witted, and prompt
in action," say they, " whom God had stirred up for
the salvation of his native country." He first bore
arms in the feud of Steno Sture’ the younger against
the archbishop Gustavus Trolls, and is spoken of at
that time as distinguished among his comrades for
valour, persuasive eloquence, and a joyous
temperament. At Dufveness, in the summer of 1517, he
defeated the Danish force sent to the prelate’s
assistance ; and in the following year, when Christian
himself arrived with his fleet before Stockholm, he
carried the Swedish banner in the combat at
Brenn-kirk, which forced the Danes to retreat. Famine
had already wasted their camp, and became yet
more fatal in the fleet, which was detained by
contrary winds. A portion of the troops voluntarily
gave themselves up to the generosity of the enemy,
and were permitted to return home without
hindrance. The king, to gain time, opened
negocia-tions for peace. Steno Sture’ himself supplied his
fleet with provisions ; he was even with difficulty
dissuaded from going on board, and made no
scruple in sending six of his followers as hostages, when
Christian pretended a desire to pay him a visit.
Gustavus was among the number ; and with him
doctor Hemming Gadd, to whose lessons he had
A prisoner in Jutland.
Escapes to Lubeck.
listened in his youth, and Lawrence Siggeson, in
aftertime one of the props of his throne. When
the boat which carried them had reached the open
sea, its return was cut off by a Danish ship of war;
they were seized, taken on board, and the sails
having been meanwhile swelled by a favourable
wind, treacherously carried off to Denmark.
Gustavus was committed to the custody of Baron
Eric Baner, his kinsman, governor of the castle of
Kalloe, in North Jutland, where he spent upwards
of a year in a captivity that would have been
tolerable in other respects, if the fate which threatened
his native land had allowed him quiet by day or
sleep by night. For through all the country men
now spoke only of the great military preparations
against Sweden, for which new taxes were imposed,
and sums of money besides collected by loans or
plunder. Even a papal legate was robbed of the
amount he had amassed by the sale of indulgences
in Sweden 3. Copenhagen was crowded with French,
Scottish, English, and German soldiers. With the
winter of 1520 the campaign was to begin ; for the
paths across the Holwed and the Tiwed, by which
alone an army could advance to the interior of the
country, were still at that time more dangerous to
traverse in summer than in winter ; hence the
Danes considered that a war against Sweden was
best carried on in winter 4. These preparations
formed the common subjects of discourse among
those by whom Gustavus was surrounded. At the
table of his host he heard the young warriors
vaunt that they would play St. Peter’s game with
the Swedes, alluding to the papal interdict, which
served as the pretext of the war ; he heard them,
while jesting among themselves, cast lots for
Swedish lands and Swedish damsels. " By such
contumelies," it is said," was lord Gustavus Ericson
seized with anguish beyond measure, so that neither
meat nor drink might savour pleasantly to him,
even if he had been better furnished than he was5.
His sleep was neither quiet nor delectable, for he
could think of nothing else than how he might
find opportunity to extricate himself from the
unjust captivity in which he was held !"
At length, in the early morning, he effected his
escape, disguising himself, some say as an ox-herd,
others as a pilgrim, and passed on his way with
such speed that on the first day he is said to have
travelled twelve miles6, and reached Lubeck in
safety on the last day of September, 1519. Here
he stayed eight months, long enough to hear that
Steno Sture had fallen, and that Sweden was
subdued. The consequences which were to follow to
all the Swedish leaders were already predicted in
Lubeck, whence Gustavus is said to have sent
warning to his father and others of the Swedish
nobles. His former host and keeper soon repaired
thither and demanded his captive from the council
of Lubeck, being held responsible in a heavy sum
by the king for his safe custody. To the charge of
having broken his oath Gustavus made this answer :
124 8 HISTORY OF THE SWEDES.
- Master Ivar. " He was harsh to all, and gave Gustavus
a thrashing." After the elevation of his former scholar he
fled from the country, which displeased Gustavus, who said
that he had nothing to fear. Nicolaus Botliniensis, Notes.
3 This was not all in money, but consisted partly of iron,
butter, and other wares, exported on the legate’s account.
Christian confiscated the cargo in Elsinore, and caused
the agents of the legate who conveyed it to be drowned.
Hvitfeld. The winter of this year too was severe, so
that lakes, streams, and marshes were covered with strong
ice.
5 His fare, it is said, was in truth not very palatable,
consisting of salt meat, sour beer, black bread, and rancid
herring.
6 The chronicles probably reckon by the old Swedish
Forest-miles, two of which go to one of the modern scale.
Six Swedish miles on foot in one day (which may here
mean a day and a night) is in any case considerable.
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