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sw^ers’siimu,^^^^^^^^
CHARLES AGAINST STGTSMUND.
Position of the
council. 180
majesty set out," he writes to the king,
" without
your subjects knowing by wliom and how they are
to be governed, we dread what will ensue there-
upon, and have been loth to leave this unnoted
for the warning of your majesty^." Sigisniund’s
whole nature was opposed to a mode of action so
decided. He lived in negations or in half affirma-
tions. Without power to enforce his will, no one
yielded with a worse air, whence his discussions as
well with the duke as the council bear the impress
of exceedingly peevish humour ’. The council, wa-
vering and divided within itself, as little possessed
his confidence, and religion was already a wall of
partition which Sigismund could not overlook. He
was himself hardly accessible for others than his
fellow-believers, and at court were now seen two
papal legates, since anotlier had newly arrived, to
congratulate the queen on her being delivered of a
daughter ’. The clergy of the town and court
preached and spoke against one another. The
Catholics showed publicly their contempt of the
Lutheran worship. The burgesses kept watch
when their preachers mounted the pulpit. In the
holy week the king and queen washed the feet of
twelve poor men. On Easter Sunday the minister
Eric .Schepper preached against this practice, and
forbade every man to give alms to these beggars,
who had well-nigh perished of hunger. To the
baptism of the king’s child came several Polish
nobles with an ai-med train of unruly followers.
The king himself increased his Polish Ijody-guard,
whose outrages had given much offence. When
the dissatisfaction of the council thereupon was
made known to him, he jeeringly remarked, that
with two or three hundred men no kingdoms were
taken® ;
the strangers burdened not the land ;
all
that the king had drawn from this kingdom
amounted not to one or two thousand dollars’.
The council thought fit to summon a band of Dale-
carlians to the capital, and made overtures to the
duke, especially after it became known that the
king was bringing a fleet from Dantzic, and when
it landed a force of Polish soldiers in Stockholm.
This was done manifestly from the king’s fear for
his own safety ; yet it
appeared to be first im-
perilled by this very step. The Poles were to be
kept in check neither by commands nor punish-
ments ; quarrels and bloodshed ensued. The citi-
zens kept under arras, and fetched stones out of the
streets into their houses. All lamented that the
duke was not present.
—In such a temper of men’s
minds Sigismund (July 14, 1594) embarked, to re-
turn to Poland. While he lay among the islets,
the negotiations between him and the duke were
still continued. He had at last left the latter a
warrant to conduct the government conjointly with
the whole of the council, but without fixing limits
for the powers of either. Sweden in anarchy would
be more easily curbed, his Polish councillors had
8 Answer to the king anent his departure, July 4, 1594.
Register.
7 For example, there was a question of marrying his sister,
the princess Anne, to tlie margrave John George of Branden-
burg, and the council had let fall something thereupon ; the
king writes, among other points, to the council,
"
Regarding
lady Anne’s marriage, he can answer nought else, than that
he cannot offer her for sale." Answer, Jan. 6, 1594. Reg.
8 Who died shortly after birth.
’ Answer to the council, June 6. 1594.
I
To duke Charles, March 9, 1594. Reg.
told him 2. Charles’s last answer was that he
would hear the estates upon matters of government.
Meanwhile, he assumed its conduct as administra-
tor, being acknowledged in this capacity by the
council, with whom he now struck a new compact.
He could not yet, as he himself says, set all sail, by-
reason of the waves.
The council had placed itself between two powers,
yet without being able to work otherwise than as an
ambiguous ally, now on one side, now on the other.
Thei-ein too is implied its fate—to be crushed in the
struggle. That it had some importance as a separate
power, was a constitutional figment of Eric Sparr^,
on which he would fain have founded a govern-
ment. It had in fact never possessed this impor-
tance in Sweden, whatever the Land’s Law might
say thereupon ; though its members were really of
great consequence as individuals, powerful every
man for himself, yet oftenest divided among them-
selves. So it proved on this occasion. The greater
portion of the council, with the Bielke’s and Baners
at their head, had, according to the old fashion
under the Union, become disaffected to the king
on account of the distribution of the fiefs. The
leader on the other side was Clas Fleming, hated
by the rest from the time of John, whence they
now demanded his removal. Sigismund on the
other hand had bestowed his confidence on him, be-
cause he had severed himself from the rest, and
had declared with his adherents that he would
obey only the king’s orders. Between the two
parties we find Eric Sparre with his learned am-
biguity ;
on which account he received his share in
that distribution of sovereignty which Sigismund
arranged with Fleming before his departure. An
apportioned sovereignty that may justly be called,
which was now committed to the lieutenants of the
provinces. It is surprising that the proposal seems
to have proceeded fi’om the council, but to have
been rejected by the king, in order to carry it into
effect for the sole advantage of the favoured lords ^.
Clas Fleming was confirmed in his offices as high
marshal, admiral, and supreme govei-nor of Fm-
land. Of his brothers-in-law, the Stenbocks, Eric
received West-Gothland, Arvid East-Gothland,
Charles Smaland ;
Eric Sparre obtained West-
manland and Dalecarlia, Eric Brahe, although a
papist, was appointed not only to the lieutenancy of
the castle of Stockholm, but also to be captain of
Upland and Norrland. They were made by sepa-
rate and secret wai’raiits independent of the duke
and the council. Charles styled them "
king each
in his district *," and they were near enough
being so.
"
Others, both in and out of the council," he writes
to Sigismund, "have besides ourself had warrants
directed to them, as well in Sweden as Finland,
the tenor whereof hath not been made known to us
2 Comites Poloni (admonehant),ut in Poloniam maturaref,
redituros se majoribus cumcopiis; relinqueret Suecos im-
peditos ;
sic fore opportuniorcs iiijuriis. Typotius.
3 For what is mentioned in respect to the lieutenants in
the provinces, the king finds it less necessary, if the lords in
the government do their duty, especially as the fortresses are
in good hands, and there are besides justiciaries. To the
council, June C, 1594.
< Authentic Relation and History (Samfiirdig Historia ocli
Beriittelse, for hvad orsaker, &c.) for what causes the
estates of Sweden renounced king Sigismund, Stockholm,
1GS9.
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