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ICll.J
Diet at Stockholm.
His view of foreign affairs. CHARLES IX.
Refusal of the crown.
New council appointed.
201
culties accumulatecl around upon a land sliakenso
deeply by civil turmoils. The feud with Sigisinund
was gradually waxing more diffusive in its sphere ;
with Denmark and Russia old disputes were
awakened, which were to lead to new wars with both.
Charles encountered every danger with an activity
and courage which knew no bounds, but also with
growing irritation ;
and the stroke to which he
succumbed came at last from his own soul.
Upon his return from Livonia he convoked the
estates to Stockholm in the summer of 1602, and
laid before them for their consideration the follow-
ing view of foreign affairs.—" The Swedes," said
he,
" have three neighbours, the Dane, the Pole,
and the Russ. With the Danes they may live in
peace, if these will yield the three crowns, which
are Sweden’s rightful arms, with what of La])p-
mark Sweden anciently possessed; and thereto we
will allow them free trade with the ore-tracts of
the realm, even as the children of the land, nor
ever henceforth speak of the imright done by Den-
mark to Swe len in manifold ways since the peace of
Stettin. With the Poles they may straightway come
to peace for eight years, if these will restore Pernau
and Dorpt, and leave the main question unresolved.
It is to be considered what the crown of Sweden may
win thereby. With the Russ we may have good
friendship, if we will give him Narva and Reval, and
Wiborg besides; therewith he will keep peace so
long as he may ^." This time the duke was met
by general dissatisfaction. The notion of the use-
lessness of the Livonian war had gained prevalence
throughout the country, and was maintained by
returned soldiers and troopers. Secret emissaries
from the Swedish exiles dispersed Sigismund’s
manifestos. The extraordinary wet and cold of
the preceding summer had destroyed the harvest ;
lf>02 was also a hard year. Men died of hunger
in the streets of Stockholm during the congress of
the estates ’. The plague spread devastation in
Finland as well as Sweden. Charles sought to
relieve the distress by distributions of grain from
his own stores; but he had to demand new sacri-
fices; and to the proffer of the crown, without means
to carry on the government, he returned, therefore,
3
Opinion of Charles to the estates, how the Swedes may
obtain peace. Stockholm, June 13, 1602. To the jfrand
duke Boris Godunow, Charles writes from Abo, Dec. 17,
1601, that as the grand duke still ever speaks of the Livonian
towns, he cannot have understood Cliarles’s Latin epi^tle.
" Therefore can we infer no otherwise than that thou hast
no good interpreter, who might rightly have it explained to
thee; and therefore will we now write to thee in Swedish,
which is our mother tongue, although we know several lan-
guages. The perpetual peace is not made between Sigismund
and Feodor Ivanowitz, but between Russia and Sweden.
The towns which our brother John won in Livonia are not
taken from Ivan Wasiliewitz, who took them unjustly from
the Roman emperor; and when he speaks thereupon we will
answer as beseems. Hadst thou, instead of making peace
with Poland, attacked the Poles on the one side as we upon
the other, and as thine envoys in Stockholm have given us to
understand, then would every man have had a new jerkin,
and thou not needed to ask aught from us or any one else.
Our messengers to thee were lately kept captives, and durst
not look out of the window, much less walk on the roads." Reg.
’ " His princely grace has understood that in the hospital
of Upsala seven persons are dead of’hunger, and daily more
die, and here in the streets every day are persons who perish
with hunger. At such mournful events ought the clergy to
bestir themselves, and inquire whereto the revenues and
a scarce amicable answer, especially since ui respect
to the king’s assurance sundry doubts were raised
which showed mistrust. They ntight look after an-
other,
—he writes to the estates on the 16th June,
1602,
—who would iiile the kingdom better ;
the
king of Poland, to whom they had not yet renounced
their oatlis, and with whom a party secretly held,
or liis son, as was formerly requested, or duke
John; for himself and his descendants, by God’s
help, some counsel was left. The statute of the
diet was drawn up according to his wishes, and
new aids were granted for the continuance of the
war. On the other hand, Charles showed the
estates the complacence of selecting his council
with their approval, since the members of the old
council had now for the most part disappeared by
death. Twelve lords, of whom the five oldest filled
the highest offices of state, as steward, marshal,
admiral, chancellor, and treasurer, were called into
the new council, which henceforth remained sta-
tionary, instead of being as formerly scattered
throughout the country. Charles wished also to
call six Livonians into the Swedish council. The
proposal met with resistance, and remained unexe-
cuted 2. The new lords of the council already
swore to be true and leal to his princely grace, his
beloved consort, and their male heirs, and to
labour that all which the prince promises to sub-
jects, and subjects to the prince, should be kept
irrefragabiy on both sides. The latter clause was
taken from the old oath of council. Of what different
interpretations this was capable, in respect to the
power of the council, was further to be shown
duriiii’ this reign 3.
One of the principal causes of discontent was
Charles’ relations to the clergy, which began to be
unfriendly, and so continued during the still re-
maining portion of his reign. The perfecter of the
Reformation in Sweden was not reckoned an or-
thodox Lutheran. We have already mentioned the
susjiicions manifested against him in this respect at
the synod of Upsala. At the diet of Linkoping in
1600 a service-book proposed by him was rejected
liy the clergy *. Charles was not prevented by this
rents of the poor are applied, and set overseers to take an
account thereof." To the clergy, Stockholm, June 10, 1602.
Failure of crops and hurtful weather had prevailed for some
years in various districts. In Upland and other provinces
the corn-rent could not be collected from the poverty of the
peasants. This was increased by their inability to sow their
land, while the franklins could sow half and reap half, while
they paid nothing to the crown. Letters of Jan. 3 and Feb.
3, 1603. Reg. Letter to the Uplanders, April 1 of the same
year, touching supplies from the duke’s granaries, that they
may see the duke cares for them as well as himself, as he
has not spared his life for their weal against the foes of the
realm. Reg. The distress of both these years extended
with fearful severity to Russia. In the spring of ICOl it
rained for ten weeks incessantly, and on the 15th August
crops and fruits were killed by the frost. In two years and
four months the dead bodies registered alone and interred in
Moscow amounted to 127,000. Karamsin.
2 Because the estates tind it cause umbrage to have the
Livonians with themselves in the council, they could well
be quit of them. Danes, Russians, and Poles would willingly
receive them as soon as they should be offered. Charles to
the estates, June 13, 1602. Reg.
3 Oath of the council of state, Aug. 23, 1602. Reg.
I " We have no thought of adopting the same at any time."
Exceptions of the clergy to the Handbook, March 20, 1600.
Palms. CoUec. Acta ad Hist. Car. IX. t. ii.
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