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Chap. IX. SIGBRIT, MAITRESSE MËRE. 125
broke; the devil flew out of it, and a storm of thunder
burst over the whole city. Her great unpopularity was
caused by the “ rumpe ” tax, placed by her advice on the
head of every living person (a somewhat Irish
proceeding) ; added to which she cleared the town of Copenhagen
of the “ poor scholars ”—a set of mendicants who attended
the schools. They wore a coat or cloak open at one
side, and bore so bad a reputation the proverb went, “ So
many coats, so many thieves.” The King, by her advice,
issued an ordinance by which no boy was allowed to
attend the school who could not pay his own expenses,
and had all the others driven out of the town.
When in the year 1522 the Lubeckers appeared before
Copenhagen, Sigbrit, in the absence of the King, went
out with her maid to see the fleet; but when by the
water-side she met two drunken countrymen, who fell
upon her, beat her black and blue, and, reproaching
her for having misled the King, got her out to sea
and ducked her well. Luckily, the King passed by
on his return from Solberg and saved her; but on
entering the gates of the city several men of
Koes-kilde, who lay in wait, fired at her; however she escaped
without damage, and the drunken peasants were
beheaded.
When the King went to Norway* he carried off
everything, even to the copper ornaments on the spire
of the palace. Sigbrit, to avoid being tom to pieces
by the people, was conveyed on board ship in a wooden
chest. Christian appearing, out of spirits at the ugly
state of his affairs, she consoled him, saying, “ If
you can no longer be King of Denmark, I will make
* A.D. 1523.
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