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1598.]
The duke renounces the
government and CHARLES AGAINST SIGISMUND. convokes the diet of
Arboga.
193 I
must not be severed from Sweden . The coimcil
evaded, negociated, dissuaded. George Posse’ re-
fused to lead the troops. The duke laid down the
government on the 2nd November, 159G, but with
the declaration, that as he had received it from the
estates, he could deposit the charge in their hands
alone ; wherefore lie convened a new diet for
February of the following year in Arboga. Mean-
while, on the 13th January, 1597, arrived Sigis-
mund’s letter to the estates of the realm, that he
had learned from his envoys on their return that
the duke would not conform to the prescribed con-
ditions of government, wherefore the king trans-
ferred its conduct to the council.
On the 25th of the same January Charles wrote
to Sigismund, that the envoys had not mentioned
before him that the king had already stripped him
of the government. They had been silent upon
many of the accusations found in the letters, which
they had disseminated through the country, whence
dissensions and revolt had been engendered. He,
the duke, had assisted the king’s parents out of their
greatest misery to the government of Sweden. Si-
gismund’s rights he had upheld, although in the
king’s absence he had demanded the power of an
administrator. It came to pass by the king’s
governors, and the powers entrusted to them, that
the hereditary settlement was brought to a imllity;
for it should be known, that some had been heard
to say, nothing would thrive rightly in Sweden so
long as king Gustavus’ brood ruled there. By
such intrigues discords had been beforetime sown
in other royal houses; it was to the greatest detri-
ment of the king, not less than of the realm, that
so many should govern, for every man took what he
listed, as if the kingdom were given for a booty.
Moreover, the people were to be feared; they would
not suffer many lords ; they clung fast to their
kingly line ;
these came to the duke with their
complaints, since he had relinquished the govern-
ment, not fewer than before ;
he was called upon,
from all quarters of the country, not to lay it down.
The sole remedy was the king’s own arrival; mean-
while he had convoked the estates to Arboga *.
Another letter of October says,
" We will not deal
underhand, but would have your majesty plainly
informed and warned, that if the government of
this realm be not otherwise disposed and arranged
we will not be subject to such a government, but use
those means and expedients which may help for the
alleviation of our own lot and that of our country "."
The council had received the duke’s renunciation
with silence. The first voice which spoke out upon
the subject was that of the University of Upsala.
To their heart’s great sorrow, wrote the professors
on the 4th December, 1590, had they heard this ;
and although his princely grace could better than
any of them weigh what consequences might ensue,
• Points required by duke Charles, if he will remain in
the government. Register.
5
Register for 1597.
5 To Sigismund, Abo, Oct. 4. Reg. for 1597.
1 The duke had deferred it to the fair-lime, when in all
cases a great crowd of people was assembled. He had for-
merly spoken with the peasants at the fairs of Enkbping and
Upsala. Tlie Dalecarlians issued their letter, and exhorted
the others to come.
8 "
They of the knights and nobles who were yesterday
gathered in the council-rnom, have let fall hard words of us,
tliat we should not have allowed peasants to judge noblemen.
they coidd yet, as born Swedish men, occupied in the
duties of education, do no otherwise than with hum-
ble and well-meant suggestion, warn both the duke
and the council of the danger of such a severance
from the general weal.
We hasten to the solution. The diet assembled
at Arboga in February, 1397, notwithstanding the
prohibition of the king and the protest of the coun-
cil ’’. A single lord of the council was present, the
unstable count Axel Oxenstierna, alternately the
enemy of Charles and Sigi.smund, who had been
gained over by the duke on this occasion with large
grants of fiefs. Almost the whole of the nobility were
absent, excepting those of the duchy. The clergy
came, but those who had formerly been most vio-
lent against Sigismund were now suspected of being
his partisans. The archbishop, Abraham Angev-
man, was publicly accused by the duke of having
attempted to spread abroad Sigistnund’s prohibition
of the statutes of Soderkoeping, which were sub-
scribed by himself. Two years afterwards he was
deposed, and died in captivity and wretchedness.
Scheff’er, who was likewise imprisoned, afterwards
recovered his freedom, and died minister of En-
koping. In the diet a violent spirit prevailed.
Charles discoursed; the peasants cried, yea, they
would defend him so long as their blood was warm,
and brandished axe and club against the lords *.
Charles caused the statute to be drawn up and
subscribed, and sent it thereafter through the
country for signature by the hundreds. The en-
actments before passed at Soderkoeping were con-
firmed. Whosoever opposed them was to be put
down by arms as a public enemy, and the duke,
who at the request of the estates again assumed
the government, proceeded to their immediate en-
forcement. Most of the councillors now quitted
the kingdom ;
Eric Sparre first of all. Charles
made himself master of Elfsborg, Stegeborg, Cal-
mar, and crossed over into Finland, where Clas
Fleming had lately died. Abo, defended by his
widow Ebba Stenbock, fell together with the fleet
into the duke’s hands. He returned with several
noblemen whom he had made prisoners, and
Samuel Lasey, an envoj’ who liad arrived from Sigis-
mund, saw in Stockholm and Upsala many who had
fought for the king’s cause pass to the scaff"old.
Thus the flames of civil war were thoroughly
kindled, and that which Sigismund had declared in
one of his many manifestoes was fulfilled ; namely,
tiiat by the fashion in which the duke filled the
king’s place, the estates would not know their own
position ere they saw themselves in arms against
their legitimate king ^.
One of the resolutions of the diet of Arboga was,
that the king should be solicited by an embassy to
come to Sweden. Need we say that none was
which is said to have been done, inasmuch as we denounced
before the commonalty those who had gone about in the
country to annul the statutes of Soderkoping, which they
themselves had subscribed. We have not procured any one
to be condemned ;
but the statutes do sufficiently judge
them, for which the estates of the realm, (riksens stiinder,)
all for one and one for all, are bound to make answer. So
therein have the peasants as much to say against the nobles,
as the nobles against flie peasants." Charles to certain of the
nobility. Arboga, March 7, 1597. Reg.
9
Werwing, i. 370. Of the prolix correspondence on both
sides we have quoted only that which was inaccessible or
unknown before.
O
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