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84
AALBORG.
Chap. XXXV.
Order of the Garter, and a good friend to England. He
allowed our merchants an “aiderman” in each Danish
seaport town, to protect their commercial privileges.
Fifty-eight years of age was King Hans or John: he
rode one morning on horseback, strong and in health,
from Ringkjøbing, escaping from a flood at Ribe: while
passing a river he fell from his horse, broke his leg,
caught cold, and died in the very room we are now
about to visit, to admire the stone chimney-piece, sole
remnant of his time. It is supported by two Jutland
warriors—most formidable individuals they must have
been—sword in hand, somewhat like pictures of one’s
childhood’s giants, in painted helm and corslet and gilded
moustaches, quite beautiful. A pious motto is inscribed
above—“ Protectio Domini, fundamentum stabile.”
King John was not of a happy disposition; always
seeing matters in a dark point of view. The year of his
death he was sitting at a table with his friends in the
palace of Copenhagen, when the almanac for the
following year, just arrived from Germany, was brought into
his presence; in this almanac it was declared that in
“ this year would die a great potentate,” which the king
immediately settled to be himself, and told his son
and the courtiers his opinion; then, as Duke Christian
did, not contradict him, he turned wroth, and sharply
remarked, “It might just as well be you, for death
spares neither youth nor age.” The presentiment
however did not quit him; for when, after a rough
passage across the Belt from Korsør, in which his vessel
was in danger of being lost, he stood on the bridge of
Nyborg, he apostrophised the water, saying, “ Farewell
Belt! you have treated me so ill that I shall never
pass over you again.” When the flood took place at
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