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Chap. VIII.
ROYAL TOMBS.
117
matters right,” thereby saving a jointure to the Crown
lands of Denmark. Some years later his coffin was
opened: folks were not quite certain as to his
whereabouts or whether it really was him, when a learned
historian, who was present, exclaimed, “Are three
of the front teeth wanting ? ” On examination of
the skull such was found to be the case. “ That will
be the mark I ” exclaimed the savant; “ King Christian
the First lost three of his front teeth in the battle of
Brunkeberg.”
The splendid monumental tombs of Christian III.
and Frederic II., father of Queen Anne, wife of James
I., by Floris of Antwerp, resemble much those of
Francis I. and Louis XII. at St. Denis, but are finer
from the Soldan of Egypt, dated Babylon, offering to meet
Christopher in his large ship “ Zephyro,” “ and then marry you to my
beautiful daughter and heiress, Zerzina; wherefore we send you this
letter, with presents:” among which is enumerated, “ a golden vase,
filled with real balsam.” The balsam was gratefully accepted; but
the letter came too late, and, as the chronicler remarks, “ Babylon
would not have been a convenient dower for a Queen of Denmark.” At
the death of her first sovereign Dorothea wished to marry a young Dane,
Knud Gyllenstierne, and tried to get him elected king. The Count of
Oldenborg, however, was the successful candidate. To make matters
straight, he proposed to the dowager, who straightway dismissed poor
Knud, with apologies: but she would be a queen. There was no
great harm in her; she was very saving, and lent her money to her
husband (a “ purse without a bottom ” he was termed), not at high
usury, for that was unlawful; but she took Holstein and Slesvig in
pawn, and made a good thing of it.
Queen Dorothea visited Rome on her way to the Holy Land; but,
tired with her journey, got Pope Innocent VIII. to dispense her from
going further, provided she would give a sum of money to the hospitals.
She wished her youngest son Frederic to be reigning prince, in
preference to his brother John. Hence a Swedish chronicler declares,—
“After Christian I.’s death, did Queen Dorothea, the second Jezabel,
endeavour to take the life of her son Johannes with a roasted hen which
is poisoned.”
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