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kiNQSTON ONTARIO CANADA
A N
A C C O UNT
OF
SUEDE N\-
Together with an
EXTRACT
0 F T H E
Hiftory of that Kingdom.
By a Perfon of N o t e, who rejided many Tears there.
Cfte €&tr& C&tttou.
LONDON:
Printed forTiM. Goodwin, at the Oiteens-Head againft St. Dwiftan*s Church mFleetflreet. MDCCXVII.
«t <» # & <a &&*&&&&«&& *j*i.M *> » •„ i» * e
THE
PUBLISHER
T O T H E
READER.
TH E kind Reception which the Publick has given to a late Book , calPd 3 ^// y&- ™«;/£ of Denmark 5 ( whereof Three Large Editions have come Abroad in lefs than Three Months ) encouraged me to feek after an Account oiSueden : I found all Sorts of People defirous to be informed in the State of this other Northern Crown.
After diligent Enquiry, I was at laft fo Fortunate as to light on this Account in Mawifcript , written fome
fay
The Publisher
few Years ago by a very Able and Learned Gentleman ; and hearing that feveral Copies of it were got A- broad , I confider'd it inic;ht at laft chance to come forth in Print leis Cor- rect than at prefent I undertake to give it the World, whom I pretc nd to ob- lige by a very Accurate Edition , in- fomuch that I hope the Author him- felf will not be offended at this Un- dertakings fince'tis likely 'twould have been published by others., not fo well to his Advantage.
You will find here a Relation of Matter of Fad!: only^ though I will venture to fay,, a very Exact one ; and fuch as I doubt not but will be very Entertaining to the Reader.
What Shares the Clergy , the Army, or the Court ^ had in the Management of Affairs from Time to Time in Sue- deny we have Reafon to believe are faithfully delivered here ; the Ingeni- ous Author of this Account being a Per- fon of fo known and eftabliflfd a Re- putation.
For
to the Reader.
For fo much as relates to my Pub- lishing this Book., I confefs ingenuouf- ly., 'tis as unknown to the Author, as his Perfon is to me , but his Candor, Parts., and Learning appear plainly e- nough by this Work, that he took great Care and Pains to compile it. If it prove to the Satisfaction of the Pub- lick., as I doubt not but it wilL, I fhall not lofe my Labour, nor you the Pleafurc and Benefit of it.
THE
THE
CONTENTS.
OPag. F Sueden in general, i
Chap. II. Of the Provinces and Cities o/Susden, io Chap. III. Of the Laws of Sueden, 14
Chap. IV. Of the Natural Inclinations and Diffofi- tions of the Suedes, 20
Chap. V. Of their Religion, 24
Chap. VI. Of the Vniverfities of Sueden, 28
Chap. VII. Of their Marriages and Funerals, 30 Chap. VIII. Of the Royal Family, and Court of Sueden, 32
Chap. IX. Of the Government of Sueden, 37
Chap. X- Of the Privy Council, 49
Chap. XI. Of the States of Sueden, $0
Chap. XII. Of the Revenue of the Kingdom, %Z Chap. XIII. Of the Forces of Sueden, ?4
Chap. XIV. Of the Trade of Sueden, 61
Chap. XV. Of the Suedifli Conyuefis, 6j
Chap. XVI. Of the Intereji of Sueden, 69
Chap. XVII. An Extraft of the Hifiory of Sue- den, 72
The Reader is defired to take Notice, That the Figures [1] [2] [3], &c. in the Margin, de- note the Beginning of each Page in the Edition referred to in the Letter to Sir J. B<
AN
A N
ACCOUNT
0 F
S U E D E N.
CHAP. L
Of Sucden in general.
TH E Dominions fubjeft to the Crown of Sueden have in this and the laft Age been fo enlarged, by the Acqui- fkions, or ( as fome call them ) En- croachments made upon all their Neighbours, that they do not properly fall under on i Gene- [2] ral Defcription ; the Qualities and Characters of fome of its Provinces being as different, as their Situation : So that the Short View here offer'd, will not reach the more diftant Parts, but chiefly refpe&s the Kingdom of Sueden, and Dukedom of Finland ; which have the Baltick
B Sea
2 Aii Account of Suedcn.
Sea on the South, the unpayable Mountains of Norway on the Weft, Lapland on the North, and Mufcovy on the Eaft ; being extended from j6 to 69 Degrees of Nortbew Latitude, and from 52 to 5? in Longitude ; and confequently are more than twice as big as the Kingdom of France : But the Abatements that muft be made for feveral Seas, and many great Lakes, fome whereof above 80 Engllfi Miles long, and 20 broad ; as alfo for Rocks, Woods, Heaths, and [;] Moraflfes, that cover very much of thefe Coun- tries, will reduce the Habitable Part to a very frnall Portion, comparatively to the Extent of the whole.
The Soil, in Places capable of Cultivating, is tolerably fruitful, tho' feldom above half a Foot deep ; and therefore more eafily Ploughed, as it frequently is, by one Maid and an Ox, and is genera!!)' beft where there is leaft of it ; that is, in the little Spaces between the Rocks : And frequently the Barren Land, enriched with the Alhes of Trees growing on the Places that are burnt, and the Seed raked among the Afhes, produces a plentiful Crop, without further Cul- tivation.
This Pra&ice is Co ancient, that their Writer?
derive the Name of Suedcn from a Word in their
[4] Language that expreffes it ; but the Danger of
defhoying the Woods, has of late occafion'd
Tome Laws to limit that Cuftom.
If the Inhabitants were induftricus, above what Neceffity forces them to, they might at lead have Corn fufficient of their own ; but as Things are manag'd, they have not, nor can fubfift without great Importations of all Sorts of Grain from the Countrey of Leifland, and other Parts of Germany, adjacenc to the Baltick Sea : And notwithstanding thefe Supplies, the
pooreft
An Account of Suede n.
pooreft Sort, in many Places remote from Traf- fick, are fain to grind the Bark of Birch-Trees, to mix with their Corn, and make Bread, of which they have not always Plenty.
The Cattel, as in all other Northern Countries, are generally of a very fmall Size ; neither can the Breed be better'd by bringing in larger Horn [^] abroad, which foon degenerace ,• becaufe in Summer the Grafs is much lefs nourishing thin in the Places from whence they came ; and in the Winter they are ufually half ftarved, for wantof Fodder of all kinds, which often falls fa very fhort, that they are forced to unthatch their Houfes to keep a Part of theirCattel alive. Their Sheep bear a very courfe Wool, onlv fit to make Cloathing for the Peafants. The Horfes, efpe- cially the Finnlft, tho' fmall, are hardy, vigo- rous, ftrong, fure-footed and nimble Trotters, which is of great Ufe to them, becaufe of the Length of their Winters, and their Fitnefs for Sleds, which is their only Carriage in that Sea- fon : And the Soldiers do pretend, that in War they are not only able to refill, but to break a Body of the beft German Horfe.
Of Wild Beafts ; which are very plentiful in r^i thefe Parts, Bears, Elkes, Deer, and Hares, are " hunted for their Flefh ; as alfo, together with Wolves, Foxes, Wild Cats, &c. for their Furs and Hides. They hunt with lefs Ceremony than elfewhere is ufed, taking all Advantages to fhoot their Game, at which they are generally very dextrous. Parks there are but few, and^ meanly ftock'd ; the Charge of feeding Deer all Wintef exceeding the Profit, and abating the Pleafure of them. There are no Rabbets in thefe Countries, but what are brought in for Cu- riofity, and kept Tame. In Winter Foxes and
B 2 Squir-
4 An Account of Sueden.
Squirrels fomewhat change Colour, and become grayifh , buc Hares turn white as Snow.
Fowl both VYiid and Tame are very plentiful
[7] and good in their Kind, except Sea Fowl, which feed and tafte of Fifh : The moft common are Orras and Keders, the former of the Bignefs of a Hen, the other of a Turkey ; as alfo Partridges , and a Bird fomewhat refembling them, called Ycrfcrs. There arc taken in Winter great Num- bers of fmall Birds , as Tbrujhes , Blackbirds, and Sydenfc-wans ; the laft of the Bignefs of Veldefares, but better Meat, fuppofed to come from Lapland, or yet farther North ; and have their Name from the Beautifulnefs of their Feathers, fome of which are tipt at the Point with Scarlet. Pigeons there are, thofe of the Woods very rare , becaufe of the Hawks ; and of the Houfe- Pigeons none but what are kept Tarn;, becaufe their Food is fcarce, and the Danger of the Hawks great if they go Abroad. Eagles, Hawks, and other rapacious
[3] Fowl, abound mod: in the Northern and Defart Part , whither Nature feems to call them ,- as may be gathered from a Story credibly related, of a large Hawk, (hot fome Years ago in the Northern Parts of Fmland, which had on one Leg a fmall Plate of Gold, with this Infcription, Je Suis au Roy • on the other, one of Silver, with thefe Words, Due de Cheverettfe me garde.
The chiefeft Lakes in Sueden are the Fetter, the V/ennrc, and Matler ; the firft in OsJrogotbia, re- markable for its foretelling of Storms, by a con- tinual thundering Noife the Day before in that Quarter whence they arife ; as alfo for the fud- den breaking of the Ice upon it, which fome- times furprizes Travellers, and in half an Hour
[9] becomes Navigable : For its great Depth , in fome Places above ;oo Fathom , tho' no Part of theBaltick £ca exceeds $0 ; it fuppliesthe River
Motdas
An Account of Sucden. *>
Motala, which runs through Norcopingh, where it has a Fall of about ;o Foot, and fome Winters is fo choak'd up with Ice, that for many Hours no Water partes. The Second is in ffefhogethia^ f\ oni which iffues the River Ehe, that, falling down a Rock near Sixty Foct, partes by Got ten burgh. The Third empties it felf zt Stockholm, fuinifhine; one Side of the Town with Frefh Water, as the Sea does the other with Salt. Thefe and Abun- dance of other Lakes, whereof many like Ponds have no Vents, and are called In-Seas, are not ill ftored with Variety of Fifh , Salmon, Pikes, Perch, Tench, Trouts, Eels, and many other Sorts unknown elfewhere, of which the moft plentiful is the Streamling, a Fifh left than a Vilcher, taken in great Quantities, and falted in Barrels, and [10] diftributed overall the Countrey. Befides, the North- Bottom or Bay that fepardfts Sueden and Fin- land, abounds with Seals, of which a confiuera- ble Quantity of Train Oil is made and expor- ted ; and in the I. akes in Finland are vaft Quan- tities of Pikes, which being taken, are faked, dry'd, and fold at very cheap Rates.
Thefe Lakes are of great Ufe for the Conveni- ence of Carriages, both in Summer by Boats, and by Sleds in Winter ; and among them, and on the Sea-Coafts,are almoft innumerable Ifl.mds of different Sizes, whereof there are in Sueden above 6000 that are inhabited, the reft are either bare Rocks, or covered with Wood : Gotland, O'mJ, and Aland, are Ifles of large Extent, one being Sixty Miles long, and the others little lefs.
Their Woods and vaft Forefts overfpread much [n] of the Countrey , and are for the moft Part of Pines, Fir, Beech, Birch, Alder, Juniper, and fome Oak ; efpecially in the Province of Bleaking, the Trees growing in moft Places fo clofe toge- ther,
6 An Account of Sueden.
ther, and lying to rot where they fall, that the Woods are fcarce palTable.
Thefe afford a plentiful and cheap Firing, and being generally very ftraic and tall, are eafily con- vertible into Timber, fit for all Ufes. In the Parts near the Mines, the Woods are much de- ft royed, but that Want is fo well fupplied from diftant Places by the Convenience of Rivers and Winter-Carriages, that they have Charcoal a- bove Six Times as cheap as it is in England, tho' indeed it is not half fo good. *
LI2J Of Mines in Suedtn, there is one of Silver, in- to which Workmen are let down in Baskets to the firft Floor, which is 109 Fathom under Ground ; the Roof there is as high as a Church, fupported by vaft Arches of Oar • thence the Defcent is by Ladders or Baskets to the lowed Mine, above Forty Fathom, where they now work. They have no Records fo ancient as the firft Difcovery either of this or the Copper Mine, which muft needs have been the Work of many Ages ; the Oar feldom yields above 4 per Cent, and requires great Pains 10 refine it ; they are alio at the Charge of a Water-Miii to drain the Mine, and have the Benefit of another that draws up the Oar. It yearly produces about Twenty thoufand Crowns of fine Silver, of which the King has the Pre-
j-j,! emption, paying one fourth lefs than the real Value. The Copper-Mine is about eightyFathom deep, of great Extent, but fubje&to damage by the falling in of the Roof ; yet that is fometimes recompenced by the Abundance of Oar that the ruined Pillars yield, though mod commonly the Lofs in that Cafe is very great -, the Occafiort of which Falls is attributed to the throwing the Earth and Stones, brought out, upon the Ground over the Mine, by which the Pillars become o- vercharged, and give way ; and the Reafon of
tins
An Account of Sueden. 7
this is faid to be, that the Profit arifing to thofe that are concerned, is fo little, that they are not able to work it off as they ought,- and unlefs the King abates a confiderable Part of the Profit ari- fing to the Crown from this Mine, 'tis believed it will in a few Years be at a ftand, efpecially if r -. the Defigns of making Copper, that are on foot "-HJ elfewhere, do take any tolerable effect. The Copper yearly made out of this Mine, amounrs to the Value of about Two hundred thoufand pounds, of which the King has a Fourth Part, not by way of Pre-emption, but in Kind ; be- fides, that upon the Remainder, he has a Cuftom of 29 per Cent, when it is exported unwrought.
Lately a Gentleman of Italy came to Swden with Propofals to make Copper a fhorter and cheaper way than has hitherto been pra&ifed, as to make that in Five Davs, which before requi- red Three Weeks, and with one fifth part of the Charcoal, and with fewer Hands. The Bargain was made, and his Reward agreed to be a Hundred thoufand Crowns; the firft Proof he made fucceeded to Admiration, but when he [ijj came to work in earneft, and had got his new- invented Ovens built to his Mind, the Miners, as he complained, pickt out the very worft Oar, and were otherwife fo envious and untra&able, that he failed of Sr.ccefs, and loft his Reward, and not without Difficulty obtained leave to buy Oar , and pra&ife his Invention at his own Charge, as he now does.
• Iron- Mines and Forges are in great Numbers, efpecially towards the Mountainous Parts, where they have the Convenience of Water-falls to turn their Mills. From thefe, belldes fupplying the Country, there is yearly exported Iron to the Value of near Three hundred thoufand Pounds. But of late Years, the Number of thefe Forges 2 has
8 An Account of Sueden.
r >.-i has been fo much increafed, that each endea-
*- -* vouring to underfell others, the Price has been much lowered : And fince the Prohibition of Foreign Manufactures (in Exchange of which, Iron was plentifully taken off) it is grown fo cheap, that it is found neceflary to leffen the Number of Forges ; neither has that Contrivance had the Effect intended ; but on the contrary, many more are like to fall of themfelves, becaufe they cannot work but to lofs ; in which Cafe many Thoufands of poor People, whofe Liveli- hoods depend upon thefe Forges and Mines, will be reduced to a Itarving Condition.
The Seafons of the Year, though regular in themfelves, do not altogether anfwer thofe of other Climates, as a French AmbafTador obferved, who in Raillery faid, There were in Sueden only
L1?] Nine Months Winter, and all the reft wzsSummer*, for as Winter commonly begins very foon, fo Summer immediately fucceeds it, and leaves little or no Space to be called Spring. The Producti- ons therefore of the Earth ought to be, as they are, more fpeedy in their Growth than in other Parts; the Reafon of which feems to be, that the Oyl and Sulphur in the Earth (as it appears by the Trees and Minerals it produces ) being bound up all the Winter, are then of a fudden actuated by the Heat of a warm Sun, which al- moft continually mines, and thereby makes a- mends for its fhort Stay, and brings to Matu- rity the Fruits proper to the Climate. Yet withal, its Heat is fo intenfe, that it often fets the Woods on fire, which fometimes fpreads it
Lr8J felf many Leagues, and fcarce can be ftopt till it come at fome Lake^ or very l^rge Plain.
In the Summer Seafon the Fields are cloathed with Variety of Flowers, and the whole Coun- try overfpread with Strawberries, Rasberries,
Cur-
An Account of Suedcn.
Currants, and the like, which grow upon every Rock. In their Gardens , Melons are brought to good Perfe&ion in dry Years ; but Apricocks, Peaches, and other Wall- Fruits, are almoft as rare as Oranges ; they have Cherries of feveral Sorts, and fome tolerably good, which cannot be faid of their Apples, Pears and Plumbs, that are neither common nor well-tafted ,- all Kinds of Roots are in plenty, and contribute much to the Nouriftiment of the poor People.
The Sun at higheft is above the Horizon of I1 9] Stockholm y Eighteen Hours and a half, and for fome Weeks makes a continual Day. In Winter, the Days are proportionably fhorter, the Sun be- ing up buc Five Hours and a half ; which defedt is fo well fupply'd as to Lights, by the Moon, and the Whitenefs of the Snow, and Clearnefs of the Sky, that Travelling by Night is as ufual as by Day ; and Journeys begun in the Evening as frequently as in the Morning. The want of the Sun's Heat is repaired by Stoves within Doors, and warm Furs Abroad ; inftead of which, the meaner Sort ufe Sheep-skins , and other the like Defence- ; and are generally better provided with Cloathing, befitting their Condition, and the Climate they live in , than the common People of any Part of Europe, tho' where any Negledt or [20] Failure happens, it ufually proves fatal, and oc- cafions the Lpfs of Nofes, or other Members, and fometimes of Life ; unlefs the ufual Remedy to expel the Froft, when it has feized any Part, be early applied, which is to remain in the Cold, and rub the Part afFefted with Snow, till the Blood return to it again.
What has been faid in relation to SueJen, is in the main applicable to Finland, except only that hitherto no Mines have been difcovered there.
C Its
i o An Account of Sucden.
Its chiefeft Commodities are Pitch and Tar, all Sorts of Wooden- Ware, dried Fifh, Cattle,Train Oyl, &c
The Remainder alfo of this Difcourfe, in what [21] relates to the Laws, Government, Cuftoms, and Natural Difpofitions of the People, equally be- longs to them, with this Difference, that the Fin- UnJers art rather more hardy and laborious,more clowniih , ignorant , and fuperftitious than the Suedes.
[*?]
M CHAP. II.
Of the Provinces and Cities of Sucden.
TH E Countrey is divided into Twenty Five Provinces, each of which is governed by an Officer, called Landfoofdingh, whofe Authori- ty comprehends that of Lord Lieutenant and Sheriff together, except where there is a Gene- ral Governor, as in Finland , and upon the Bor- ders of Denmark and Norway, to whom the Go- vernor of each Province is fubordinate, and has thereby a more reftrained Authority ; thefe Offi- cers are placed by the King, and take an Oath, to keep the Province for his Majefty, and his Heirs, to govern according to the Laws of Sue- den, and fuch Inftru&ions as they (hall receive from his Majefty, and to quit the Province when- ever he mall call them thence.
To them and their Subordinate Officers fwho are all of the King's chufing ) the Execution of judicial Sentences, the Collection of the King's
Re-
An Account of Suedcn. 1 1
Revenues, the Care of Forefts, Parks, and other Crown Lands, &c is committed.
Of Cities, thofe of Stockholm, Gottenburgb^ Cal- mary and two or three more, may deferve that Name: The other Corporations, which in all make not an Hundred, fcarce exceed fome Vil- lages in England- they are all governed by Bur- go-mafters, and Counfellors chofen by the King out of their own Body, or at leaft, fuch as are of the Quality of Burghers, no Gentleman accept- ing of thofe Employments. Their Offices and [24] Salaries are for Life, or rather during their good Behaviour. The Privileges of Cities are deri- ved from the King, and for the moft part are owing to the Wifdom of Guflavus Adolf bus, the Author of their beft and moft regular Conftitu- tions at Home, as well as of their Glory Abroad.
The City of Stockholm lies in ^9 Degrees, 20 Minutes North Latitude, and about 41 Longi- tude. About ;oo Years ago, it was only a bare Ifland with two or three Cottages for Fifliers ; but upon the Building of a Caftle there, to flop the Inroads of the Ruffians, and the Tranflation of the Court thither, it grew by degrees to fur- . pafs the other more Ancient Cities, and it is at prefent the Metropolis of this Kingdom, and fup- pofed to be as Populous as Brifiol. P _-.
The Caftle here, which is covered with Cop- L2* J per, is a Place of no Strength or Beauty, but of great Ufe, being a fpacious Building, that, be- fides entertaining the Court, furnifhes Room for moft of the great Offices, the National Court of Juftice, Colleges of War, Chancery, Treafury, Reduction, Liquidation, Commerce, Executi- on ; as alfo an Armory, Chapel, Library, Ar- chives, &c. It lodges very few of the Inferior Officers and Servants of the Court; they, toge- ther with the Foot-Guards, being quartered upon C 2 the
1 1 An Account of Sueden.
the Burghers at their Landlords Charge for Lodg- ing, Fire and Candle.
In this City there are Seven large Churches built of Brick, and covered with Copper, be- fides Two more now building, and Three or Four Wooden Chapels.
[26] The Palace of the Nobility, which is the Place of their Affembly at the Convention of Eftates, and the Depofitory of their Privileges, Titles, and fuch other Records as concern their Body, is a very ftately Pile ,• as is alfo the Bank, built at the City's Charge ; which, together with feve- ral Magnificent Houfes of the Nobility, are co- vered with Copper, and make a handfome Pro- fpecl : Moft of the Burghers Houfes are built of Brick, except in the Suburbs, where they are of Wood, and thereby expofed to the Danger of Fire ; which commonly, when it gets to a head, deftroys all before it, in the Quarter where it happens; to repair which Misfortune, they fome- times fend the Bimenfions of the Houfe they in- tend to build inco Finland, where the Walls and
[27] ieveral Separations are built of Pieces of Timber laid one upon another, and joined at the Cor- ners, and afterwards mark'd, taken down, and fent by Water to Stockholm, there to be fet up and nniih'd, and when they are kept in good Repair, will laft Thirty or Forty Years, and are warmer, cleanlier, and more healthful than thofe of ei- ther Brick or Stone. To prevent the Danger of Fire, the City is divided into Twelve Wards, and in each of thefeis a Mafter andFourAffiftants, who upon nocice of any Fire, are immediately to repair to it, as alfo all Porters and Labourers, and to range themfelves under the Mafter of their refpe&ive Wards : There is alfo a Fire- Watch by Night, who walks about only to that Purpofe; and in each Church-Steeple Watch is kept, and
a Bel!
Aii Account of Sueden. i 3
aBell tolled upon the firft Appearance of any Fire. [28}
The Government of this City is in the Hands of the Great Stadtholder, who is alfo a Privy Counfellor, he fits once a Week in the Town- Houfe, and prefides alfo in the College of Exe- cution, affifted by an under Stadtholder, and the Bailiff of the Caftle ; next to him are the Four Burghmafters, one for Juftice, another for Trade, the Third for the Policy of the City, and the Fourth, has the Infpe&ion over all Publick and Privaii. Buildings, and determines fuch Cafes as arife on that Account; with them the Counfel- lors of the City always fit and give their Votes, the Majority of which concludes : Their Num- ber is uncertain, but ufualiy about Twenty, moft Merchants and Shopkeepers, or fuch as ha* fervedthe King in feme Inferior Employments and befides their Sal?:y they have an Immunity [29] from fuch Impofitions as are laid on the Inhabi- tants, to fupport the Government of the City, which pays all its Officers and Servants, and maintains a Guard of 300 Men, and defrays the Charge of nil Publick Buildings and Repairs. To fupport this Expence, befides a Duty belong- ing to the City, upon Goods Imported and Exported, ( which is about 4 per Cent, of the Cu- floms paid the King, and amounts to about 4000 /. per Ann.) the Magiftrates impofe a Yearly Tax on the Burghers, in which they are affifted by a Common-Council of Forty Eight (which chufes its own Members, ) and meets every Spring to proportion the Payments for the enfuing Year. On the Richer Traders they ufualiy impofe 40, fo, or 60 l.fierling ; and upon others of a meaner [30] Condition, as Shoemakers, Taylors, &c. <; or 6 I. and no Houfekeeper lefs than i<; s. befides Quartering the Guards, Inferior Officers, and Servants of the Court, with other lelTer Charges ;
which
I
I
t f
VcV.V. «X.'.v,
I I C I. « **r
« t c *.
t t M f 4
,V
vfe Account ^ Sue den.
which I together,wouId be thought a great Bur- then em in Richer Countries ; neither is it otherwt efteemed by the Inhabitants of this City, iho can fcarce be kept in Heart by the Privilegs they enjoy, as well in Cuftoms, as in the Trae of the Place, which muft needs pafs througltheir Hands ; the Natives of other Parts of the vingdom, as well as Foreigners, being obliged x> deal only with the Burghers, except thofe ofhe Gentry that make Iron, who have a Privilegto fell it immediately to Strangers.
This ,ity is in a manner the Staple of Sutden, to whicmoft of the Goods of their own Growth, viz. Irori Copper, IVtre, Pitch, Tarr, Majts, Deals, &c. aresrought to be Exported. The greateft part of le Commodities imported from Abroad come tchis Port, where there is a Haven capa- ble of reeiving iooo Sail of Ships, and has a Bridge r Key near an Englijh Mile long, to which le greateft Veffels may lie with their Broadficfc : The only Inconvenience is, That it is Ten Piles from the Sea, and the River very crookedand no Tides.
CHAP. Ill
Of the haws ofSvn
TH Laws of oi as the P
of whiclhad St? itsfelf, eafted man orGove chofen y
liftkftti
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it 1 1. • •«■*•
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^;z Account of Sueen.
Authority, efpecially while the Ki dom was E- lective, his Suffrage concluding th Province he governed. This Variety was necearily attend- ed with great Confufion ; for Rerr iy whereof, about Fourfcore Years ago, one Bdy of Laws was compiled for the Direction c the whole Kingdom ; yet this Colle&ion is ht an imper- [35] feci: Piece, and the Laws fo few, ad conceived in fuch general Terms, that in mo Cafes they need the Affiftance of the Civil La/ ; and after all, the final Determination depenc much upon the Inclinations of the Bench ; wlch in a poor Country, where Salaries are fmall, 5 often filled with fuch as are of weak Parts, ad fubjecl: to Corruption upon very fmall Temptcions. The Effects of this would be more vible, if each Superior Court did not keep a Chek upon the Lower, and the King's Court of Rvifion over- awe them all, to which all Civil Cufes import- ing the Sum of 70/. are appealab; ; and very few end before they have been broght thither. In this Supreme Court, his Majefty vry frequent- ly fits with great Patience and Appbation ; and in Seven Years time has determine more Cau- fes than the Senators did in Twent before.
His Majefty is obferved always to lake a fliort Mental Prayer at firft fitting down lere.
In this Court the Prefident of th Chancery,
an<* two or three other Privy Councilors, do al-
fo does the Chancellor of th Court (an
next in Degree to a Privy ;ounfellor )
Vefidentof the Under- Revion, where
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14 An Account of Sweden.
which all together,would be thought a great Bur- then even in Richer Countries ; neither is ic otherwife efteemed by the Inhabitants of this City, who can fcarce be kept in Heart by the Privileges they enjoy, as well in Cuftoms, as in the Trade of the Place, which muft needs pafs through their Hands ; the Natives of other Parts of the Kingdom, as well as Foreigners, being obliged to deal only with the Burghers, except thofe of the Gentry that make Iron, who have a Privilege to fell it immediately to Strangers. [31] This City is in a manner the Staple of Sueden, to which mod of the Goods of their own Growth, viz. Iron, Copper, Wire, Pitch, Tarr, Mafis, Deals, &c. are brought to be Exported. The greateft part of the Commodities imported from Abroad come to this Port, where there is a Haven capa- ble of receiving 1000 Sail of Ships, and has a Bridge or Key near an Englifi Mile long, to which the greateft Veffels may lie with their Broadfides : The only Inconvenience is, That it is Ten Miles from the Sea, and the River very crooked, and no Tides.
[»«3 CHAP. III.
Of the haws flfSueden.
TH E Laws of Sueden were anciently as vari- ous as the Provinces were numerous, each of which had Statutes and Cuftoms peculiar to its felf, ena&ed as occafion required by theLagh- man or Governor of the Province, who was chofen by the People, and inverted with great
Au-
An Account of Sueden. 1 5
Authority, efpecially while the Kingdom was E- leAive, his Suffrage concluding the Province he governed. This Variety was neceffarily attend- ed with great Confufion ; for Remedy whereof, about Fourfcore Years ago, one Body of Laws was compiled for the Direction of the whole Kingdom ; yet this Colle&ion is but an imper- [5;] fed Piece, and the Laws fo few, and conceived in fuch general Terms, that in moft Cafes they need the Afliftance of the Civil Law; and after all, the final Determination depends much upon the Inclinations of the Bench ; which in a poor Country, where Salaries are fmall, is often filled with fuch as are of weak Parts, and fubjecT: to Corruption upon very fmall Temptations. The Effects of this would be more vifible, if each Superior Court did not keep a Check upon the Lower, and the King's Court of Revifion over- awe them all, to which all Civil Caufes import- ing the Sum of 70/. are appealable ; and very few end before they have been brought thither. In this Supreme Court, his Majefty very frequent- r -, ly fits with great Patience and Application ; and L?4J in Seven Years time has determined more Cau- fes than the Senators did in Twenty before.
His Majefty is obferved always to make a fhorc Mental Prayer at firft fitting down there.
In this Court the Prefident of the Chancery, and two or three other Privy Counfellors, do al- fo fit ; fo does the Chancellor of the Court ( an Officer next in Degree to a Privy Counfellor ) who is Prefident of the Under Revifion, where he and Two Secretaries do put Bufinefs into a Method fit to be brought before the King.
The Courts of Juftice inferior to this, are of three Degrees: Of the lowed Degree or firft Inftance, there is one in each Corporation, (be- tides Stockbolmy in which (here are Three, ) as
alfo
i 6 An Account of Suedcn.
alfo in each Diftridt or Territory, whereof every L39J Province contains feveral, fome above Twenty ; in the former(Cicies) an Alderman or Counfellor prefides, and has fome of his Brethren for Af- fiftants ; in the latter, the Governor of the Ter- ritory, with a ftandingjury ; his Court is Ambu- latory, and ufually kept near or upon the place where the Fa& or Trefpafs was committed.
In thefe Courts Examinations are taken, and Matters not exceeding Forty Shillings are deter- mined, the reft tranfmitted to the next Superior Court, of which in every Corporation there is one, where the Burghmafter is Prefident, and the Aldermen Afliftants; and fo in every Pro- vince there is one or more of thefe Courts, the Prefident whereof retains the Name of Laghman, r -j without other Authority than that of a Judge; "J from thefe all Caufes of Blood muft be tranfmit- ted to the refpe&ive National Courts, where they are determined without further Appeal ; and thither alfo all Civil Actions, not exceeding 20/. maybe appealed ; of thefe National Courts there are Three, one for the Kingdom otSueden, held at Stockholm \ another for the Kingdom of Gotbia, kept at Jencovingh ; and a Third for the Dukedom of Finland, at Abo : In each of thefe a Privy Counfellor is Prefident, and above half the A.lTelTors are to be Gentlemen. All thefe Courts fit continually, or at moft have but fhort Vacations ; and not being peftered with too much Formality, give Caufes a fpeedy Difpatch, unlefs they be retarded by fome under-hand En- gagements.
Aftions relating to the Sea are triable in the
ordinary Courts, according to their Sea-Laws,
[57] founded upon thofe Ancient ones of Wnby in
Gothland, which have formerly been as famous in
the Baltick Sea, as the Laws of the Rhodes and
1 Qkron
An Account of Sueden. 1 7
Oleron in other Places. The Court of Admi- ralty has not any peculiar JurifdidHon in the Adminiftration of thefe Laws, but only in fuch Matters as directly concern the King's Fleet, and in fome Places that belong immediately to the Admiralty.
For Caufes Ecclefiaftical there is a Confiftory in each Diocefe, of which the refpective Bimop is Prefident ; where Caufes of Baftardy, Con- tracts of Marriage, and other Matters of that Nature are try'd \ and Church- Cenfures of Pe- nance, Divorce, &c. inflicted. Thefe Courts have not Power to adminifter an Oath, nor to inflict any Corporal Punifhment. From them L?8J there lies an Appeal to the refpe<£Hve National Court, and in fome Cafes to the King, as in all other Matters.
For Matters relating to the Mines, befides In- ferior Courts, and Officers fettled in the refpe- ctive Parts of the Country, a General Court, called the College of the Mines, fits at Stockholm, of which moft commonly the Prefident of the Treafury is Chief, with a Vice- Prefident, and other Afleflbrs: The Laws in this Regard are more exact and particular than in other Matters, and for the molt part Juftice very carefully ad- miniftred.
The Power of Executing all Judicial Senten- ces is lodged in the Governors of the Provinces, the Stadtholders of Stockholm and other Places, and from them derived to Inferior Officers, who are accountable to the National Courts: whi- T-qI ther they mav be convened and punifiVd upon plain Proof of Default. But the Proof being difficult, and Minifters of Juftice apt to favour each other, they take grea: Liberty to delay Ex- ecution, or to arbitrate, and put their own Senfe upon Sentences ; lo that this Part of Ju-
D ftice
1 8 An Account of Suedcn.
ftice is adminiftred the worft of all others; and has an Influence not only at Home, but leffens the Credit of the SueMJh Subje&s A broad, againft whom Juftice cannot be obtained without great Difficulty.
The ordinary Charges of Law-Suits are no where more moderate than in Sue Jen; the great- eft Burthen arifing from a lateConftitution, That all Declarations, Acts, and Sentences, muft be [40] written upon Seal'd Paper of different Prizes, from Two-pence to Seven Shillings a Sheet, ac- cording to the Quality of the Caufe ; the Bene- fit of which accrues to the King, and is compu- ted to bring in about ;ooo/. a Year. Other Charges are very few ; every Man being per- mitted (in Criminal A&ions compelled) to plead his own Caufe. Accordingly the Pra&ice of the Law is below a Gentleman, and rather the Re- fuge than the Choice of meaner Perfons, who are very few in Number, and for the moil pare very poor.
The Guftom of a Jury of Twelve Men is fo ancient in SueJen, that their Writers pretend it had its Original among them, and was thence derived to other Nations ; but at prefent it is dif- ufed every where, except only in the Lower Courts in the Country ; and there the Jury-men £41] are f°r Life, and have Salaries. They have this peculiar to themfelves, That among them there muft be an Unanimous Concurrence to deter- mine a Caufe, which in other Courts is done by a Majority of Voices.
Titles to Eftates are render'd more fecure, and lefs fubjeft toContefts, by the Regifters that are kept of all Sales and Alienations, as well as of other Engagements of them ; the Purchafer running the Hazard of having an After- Bargain
take
An Account of Stieden. i£
take place of his, if he omit the Recording of his Tranfa&ion in the proper Court.
In Criminal Matters, where the Fad is not very evident, or where the Judges are very fa- vourable, the Defendant is admitted to purge himfelf by Oath ; to which is oftentimes added the Oath of Six or Twelve other Men, who are [42] all Vouchers of his Integrity.
Treafon, Murther, Double Adultery, Burn- ing of Houfes, Witchcraft, and the like heinous Crimes, are punifhed with Death ; which is ex- ecuted by Hanging of Men, and Beheading of Women : To which, burning Alive or Dead, Quartering, and Hanging in Chains , is fome- times added, according to the Nature of the Crime. Criminals of the Gentry and Nobility are ufually fhot to Death.
The Punifhment of Stealing is of late, inftead of Death, changed into a Kind of perpetual Sla- very ; the Guilty Party being condemn'd to work all his Life for the King , in making Fortificati- & ons, or other Drudgery, and always has a Col- lar of Iron about his Neck, with a Bow coming r.-i over his Head, to which is a Bell faften'd, that rings as he goes along.
Duels between Gentlemen, if the one Party be kill'd, are punifh'd with the Survivor's Death, and a Note of Infamy upon the Memory of both; if neither be kill'd, they are both condemned to a Prifon, with Bread and Water for twoYears, to which is added a Fine of 1000 Crowns, or one Year's Imprifonment and 2000 Crowns. Re- paration of Honour, in Cafe of Affront, is re- ferred to the refpe&ive National Court , where Recantation and Publick Begging of Pardon is ufually infli&ed.
D 2 Eftaees,
20 An Account of Sueden.
Eftates, as well acquired as inherited, defcend to the Children in equal Portions, of which a Son has two, and a Daughter one : Nor is it in the Power of the Parents to alter this Proportion [44] without the Intervention of a Judicial Sentence, in cafe of their Children's Difobedience ; only they may bequeath a Tenth of their Acquired Poffeflions, to fuch Child or other as they will favour. Where an Eftate defcends encumbred with Debts, the Heir ufually takes two or three Months Time, as the Law allows, to fearch into the Condition of the Deceafed's Eftate ; and then either accepts the Inheritance, or leaves it to the Law, which in that Cafe adminifters ; as lately, befides other Inftances, was pra&ifed up- on the Deceafe of the late Rix DroH Count Mag- nus De la Gardier, the King's Uncle.
CHAP. IV.
Uf] Of the Natural Inclinations and Difpofe- tions of the Suedes.
TH E Nature of the Climate, which affords a very healthful and dry, as well as fharp Air, difpofes the Natives to a vigorous Confti- tution, and that confirm'd by a hardy Education, courfe Fare, hard Lodging , &c qualifies them to endure whatever uneafy Circumftances befal them , better than thofe that are born in a more moderate Countrey, and more indulgently bred.
But
An Account of Sueden. 2 1
Eut on the other Side, it feems as if the Seve- rity of the Clime fhculd in a manner cramp the Faculries of their Bodies, and indifpofe them for [46] any great Degree of Dexterity andNimblenefs : And the fame ma> be faid in a great Meafure of their Minds too, which feldom are found en- dued with any eminent Share of Vivacity, or Pregnancy of Wit ; yet by Induftry , Experi- ence, and Travelling, not a few of them arrive at a mature and folid Judgment ; being led by their Genius to ferious Things, in which they that have Patience to go thro' with the Studies they apply themfelves to, become excellent, and merit the Title of Great and Able Men : But this feems not to be the Talent of this Nation ; they being generally more apt to fit down with fuperficial Acquifitions, than to purfue their Stu- dies to a fundamental Degree.
This Difpofition of Body and Mind qualifies [,-] them more for a Life of Labour and Fatigue, than of Art and Curiofity ; and the Effed of ic is vifible in all Orders of Men among them.
The Nobility moftly apply themfelves to a Mi- litary Life, in which they are more Famous for Courage, and enduring Hardfhips, than for Stratagems and Intrigues. They that are em- ployed in the Adminiftration of Civil Affairs, though they are indeed laborious and indefatiga- ble in their Bufinefs, yet they feldom raife their Speculations above what the Neceflity of their Employments require, their Abilities proceeding not fo much from Study, as Experience in the Tra& of Bufinefs.
In Point of Learning, they, like their Neigh- bours the Germans, are more given to tranferibe, [48 J and make Collections, than digeft their own Thoughts • and commonly proportion their Stu- dies to their Occafions.
In
22 An Account of Suedcn.
In Matters of Trade, they more eafily do the Drudgery, than dive into the Myftery, either of Commerce or Manufactures, in which they ufu- ally fet up for Matters before they be half taught ; fo that in all fuch things as require Ingenuity, Neatnefs or Dexterity, they are forc'd to be ferved by Strangers. Their common Soldiers endure Cold and Hunger, and long Marches, and hard Labour to Admiration ; but they learn their Duty very {lowly, and are ferviceable more by their Obedience to Command, and ftanding their Ground, than by any great Forwardnefs to attack their Enemy, or in Nimblenefs and Ad- L49J drefs in executing their Orders ; and fo their Peafants are tolerably Laborious when Need compels them, but have little Regard to Neat- nefs in their Work, and are hardly brought to quit their old, flow, and toilfome Methods, for fuch new Inventions as are more dextrous and eafy.
The Difpofitions more peculiar to the feveral Degrees of thefe People, are, That the Nobility and Gentry are naturally Men of Courage, and of a Warlike Temper , have a graceful Deport- ment, inclined to value themfelves at a high-rate, and make the beft Appearance they poffibly can, that they may gain the Refpecfc of others ; and are therefore more exceflive in the Number of their Attendants, Sumptuous Buildings, and rich Apparel, than in the Plentifulnefs of their Ta- [y o] bles, or other lefs obferv'd Occafions. They ne- ver defcend to any Employments in the Church, the Pra&icc of Law, or Phyfick, or the Exercife of any Trade ; and though to gain Experience in Maritime Affairs, they fubmit to the lowed Offices Abroad, yet at Home there is but one jBxample known of a Gentleman that accepted the Command of a Merchant's Ship.
The
An Account of Sucden. 2 3
The Clergy are but moderately Learned, and little acquainted with the Difputes about Religi- on, as having no Adverfaries to oppofe ; they af- fecft Gravity, and long Beards; are efteemed for their Hofpitality, and have great Authority a- mong the common People. The Burghers are not very Intelligent in Trade, nor able to do their Bufinefs without Credit from Abroad ; ra- ther inclined to impofe upon thofe they can over-reach, than follow their Calling in a fair [yi] way. The Peafants, when fober, are very ob- fequious and refpe&ful, but Drink makes them mad and ungovernable ; moft of them live in a very poor Condition, and are taught by Necefli- ty to pra&ife feveral Arts in a rude manner, as the making their Shoes, Cloaths, &c. the feve- ral Inftruments of Husbandry, and other Necef- faries, that they cannot fpare Money to buy : And to keep them to this, as alfo to favour the Cities, it is not permitted to more than one Taylor, or other fuch Artifan, to dwell in the fame Parifh, though it be never fo large, as many of them are above Twenty Miles in com- pafs.
In general, it may be faid of the whole Nati- on, that they are a People very Religious in their way, and conftant Frequenters of the Church, eminently Loyal and affe&ed to Monarchy, J%2] Grave even to Formality ; Sober, more out of Necefiity, than Principles of Temperance ; apt to entertain Sufpicions, and to envy each other, as well as Strangers ; more inclined to pilfering, and fuch fecret Frauds , than to fuch open Vio- lences, as breaking of Houfes, or robbing on the High-ways : Crimes as rarely committed in this, as in any Country whatever.
% CHAP.
2 4 An Account of Sueden.
bl] CHAP. V.
Of the Religion of Sucdcn.
c
IHRISTIANITY was not received into _j Sueden, till about the Beginning of the Ninth Century ; and not into Finland, till near Three Hundred Years after ; and if not firft Preached, was at leaft firft Eftablifhed by Engtifli Divines ; of whom the chiefeft was St. Sigifrid 5 who, as their Hiftories relate, quitted the Archbifhoprick of Tork, to become the Apoftie of the Goths, as they ftile him. With him, Three of his Ne- phews that he brought thither, were martyr'd by the Heathen Goths, So alfo was St. Eskill, and other EngUJh, by the Suedes. And about the
[f4_] Year n 70, St. titnry, an Englifo Bifhop, accom- pany'd St. Erick, King of Sueden, in his Expe- dition to Finland ; which the King conquered, and the Bifhop converted into Chriflianity ■ He alfo was martyr'd by the Infidels, and lies buried; at Abo, the Metropolis of that Country.
The Reformation, as well there as in Denmark and Norway, began foon after the Neighbouring Parts of Germany had embraced Luther's Tenets, and was eftablifhed according to his Platform. The Tyranny of King Chrifiian the Second, who then wore thefe Three Northern Crowns, gave an Opportunity to Guftavus, the Founder of the prefent Royal Family, both to alter Re- ligion, and advance himfelf to the Regal Dig- nity, which till that time was Elective,' but was then made Hereditary to his Family ; in which it
[jf] has fince continued 5 as the Lutheran Religion has alfo done in the Country, never but once
difturbed
An Account of Sncden. 2 ^
difturbed from abroad, and fince that Difturbance never diftra&ed at home with Non-Conformity ; all the Orders of Men agreeing in a conftant At- tendance on Divine Service, and a Zeal for their own Way, without any nice Enquiries into dif- putable Points, either in their own Tenets, or thofe of other Churches ; whereby it becomes the Bufinefs of their Preachers, rather to perfuade the Pra&ice of Piety, than to oppofe the Do- ctrine of others, or defend their own.
The Church is governed by an Archbifiiop and Ten Bifhop>, whofe Studies are confined to their own Employments; being never called to Council, but only at the Affembly of the States, nor troubled with the Adminiftration of any \$6\ Secular Affairs. Their Reven ues are very mode- rate; the Archbifhop of Upfali not importing 400 /. a Year, and the Bifhopricks after that Pro- portion. Under them are Seven or Eight Super- intendents, who have all the Power of Bifhops, and only want the Name : And over each Ten Churches is a Provoft, or Rural Dean, with fome Authority over the Inferior Clergy ; of whom the Sum total may beft be computed by the Number of Churches, which in Sueden and Finland is fhort of Two Thoufand : To which the Addition of Chaplains and Curates will in- creafe the Body of the Clergy to near Four Thoufand Perfons. They are all the Sons of Peafants, or mean Burghers, and can therefore content themfelves with the fmall Income of their Places ; which, belides more inconliderable [f ~] Dues, arifes from Glebe-Lands, and one Third of the Tythes, of which the other Two Thirds are annexed to the Crown, to be employ'd in Pious Ufes. However, the Clergy have gene- rally wherewithal to exercife Hofpitality, and are the conftant Refuge of Poor Travellers,
E efpe-
16 An Account of Sueden.
efpecialiy Strangers, who ufe to go from Prieft to Pried, as elfewhere from Conftable to Con- ftable.
The Clergy of each Diocefe, upon the Death of their Bifhcp, propofe Three Perfons to the King ; who either chufes one of them, or fome other, to fucceed in that Ofhce ; which is alfo pra&ifed in the Choice of Superintendents. In the Choice of an Archbifliop, all the Chapters in the Kingdom vote, but the Determination is
[f 8] altogether in the King's Breaft. His Majefty hath alfo the Patronage of moil Churches, fome few only being in the Difpofal of the Nobility. Many of their Churches are adorn'd with Va- riety of Sculptures, Painting, Gilding, &c. All of them are kept neat and clean, and in good Repair, furnilh'd as well in Country as City with Rich Altar-Clothes, Copes, and other Veft- ments.
For the more regular Government of the Church, it has been found neceffary to caufe the Ancient Ecclefiaftical Laws and Canons to be revifed by a Committee chofen out of the feveral Bodies of the Eftates, who have fpent fome Years in that Matter, and at laft prefented the King with a New Syftem of Church Laws ;
[^9] wherein His Majefty, having caufed fuch Alte- rations to be made as he thought fit, has lately approved and publifh'd them.
Of thefe, fome that concern their Religion in general, fhall here be taken notice of. By thefe New Canons it is ordain'd, That
c If any SweMJh Subject change his Religion, ■ he fhall be banifh'd the Kingdom, and lofe all
* Right of Inheritance, both for himfelf and his
* Defendants.
An Account of Sueden. 27
c If any continue Excommunicated above a Year, he fhall be imprifoned a Month with Breed and Water, and then banifYd.
f If any brine; inro the Country Teachers of another Religion, he (hall be fin'd and ba- [60] nifh'd.
' Foreign Mini iters (hall enjoy the Free Exer- cife of their Religion, only for themfelves and Families.
' Strangers of a different Religion fhal! have no Publick Exercife of it ; and their Children fhall be baptized by Lutheran Minifters, and educated in that Religion; orherwife they fhall not have the Privileges of Suedijh Subjects.
Thefe Laws, as they oblige the Clergy to a more conftant Attendance on all the Parts of their Duty than has formerly been praclifed, fo thev require the Laity to frequent the Church en all Occafions: And the Civil Magiftrates, efpe- cially on Days of great solemnity, make very [61] ftricl: Search, and punifli fuch as are found ab- Cznt from Church without a juft Excufe, with Imprifonment, and other Severities. But the Clergy are not intruded with the fole Admini- ftration of thefe Laws, nor impower'd by them to tranfad Matters of any great Moment, with- out the Concurrence of the Civil Power: For befides that many Caufes, formerly Triable in Ecclefiaftical Courts, are now transferr'd to the Secular Magiftrates, the King referves to his own Cognizance feveral Cafes of that kind, efpecially the Point of Excommi which
theClergy rue not permitted to pronounce againft anyone, till the King hath been acquainted with the Cafe, and gives Leave ; which Caution is ufed becaufe of the Confluence, Which is, the Lpfs of a Subject.
E 2 CHAP.
~8 An Account of Sueden.
C H A P. VI.
\J>%] Of the cUmverfities of Sueden.
L
EARNING, whatever their Modern Writers pretend, can plead no great Anti- quity in thisCountrey • the Institution of an U- niverfity at UffaU being not above Three Hun- dred Years ago ; and few Monuments extant of a more Ancient Date, but only Funeral Infcrip- tions, rudely cut upon Rocks and unhewn Stones, which are every where found ; but as they have no Date, fo they feldom exprefs more than the Names of Perfons , of whom no other Memory remains. That which makes them moft remark-
[64] able is, That they are writ in the Ancient Go- thick Language, and the Runick Character.
The moft Curious Piece of Learning among them, is a Tranflation of the Evangelifts into the Gothick Tongue , done about Twelve or Thirteen Hundred Years ago, by Ulpbila, a Bi- fhop of the Goths in Thracia ; of which they have the fole Ancient Manufcript Copy that is known to be in the World. Since the Refor- mation, Guflavus Adolf hus was the firft great Pa- tron Learning had in this Countrey ; by whom the Univerfities , that had been much impair'd, were endow'd with tolerable Salaries for Profef- fors in moft Sciences. Thefe his Daughter, Queen Christina , fomewhat augmented ; and by the
[6j] Fame of her own Learning, and the favourable Reception me gave to Scholars, drew feveral Learned Men from Abroad, that have left good Proofs of their Abilities, and raifed an Emula- tion in the Natives j whofe beft Performance is
in
An Account of Sucdcn. 19
in the Hiftory, Antiquities , and Ancient Laws of theCountrey.
The Univerfity of Upfall confifts of a Chan- cellor, who is always a great Minifter of State ; a Vice-Chancellor, always the Archbifhop; a Re<5tor, chofen out of the ProfefTors, of whom there are about Twenty that have each i^o/. a Year Salary. The ordinary Number of Students is about Seven or Eight Hundred ; Fifty of which are maintain'd by the King,and fome few others were formerly by Perfons of Quality ; the reft, \66~] that cannot fubfift of themfelves, fpend the Va- cation in gathering the Charity of the Diocefe they belong to, which is commonly given them in Corn, Butter, dry'd Fifii or Flefh, &c. upon which' they fubfift at the Univerfity the reft of the Year. They live not CoIIegiately, but in Pri- vate Houfes ; nor wear Gowns, nor obferve other Difcipline, than what their own Neceflity or Difpofuion leads them to.
The other Univerfity of Abo, m Finland, is conftituted in the fame Manner, but lefs Nume- rous in ProfefTors and Students.
There was a Third at Lunden in Scbonen,wh{cl\ having been interrupted by the late Wars, is thought fit to be difcontinued, becaufe its Neigh- [67] bourhood to Denmark nourifh'd in the Students an Affe&ion for that Crown, to which that Pro- vince formerly appertain'd ; yet it is again re- ftor'd.
In each Diocefe there is one Free-School, where Boys are fitted for the Univerfity ; and o- ther trivial Schools, to which Children are fent to learn to Read, Write, and Sing their Prayers ; a Cuftom fo univerfal , that very few of them want this Degree of Education ; and further than that, fuch as are not defign'd for Studies, do 2 very
30 An Account ofSueden.
very feldom go, nor wafte their Time in other needlefs Improvements.
Publick Provifions for the Poor, are very few ; there's not above Five or Six Hofpitals in the [63] Kingdom, and a little Alms-houfe in each Parifh, maintain'd by the Charity of the Inhabitants ; to which for the moft Part they are very well difpofed, according to their Abilities.
[69] CHAP. VII.
Of their Marriages and Funerals,
MArriages in Sueden are totally govern 'd by the Will of the Parents, and founded fo much upon Intereft, that the Inclination of the Parties is little regarded, nor the Nation much troubled with the Extravagancies of Lovers : Stealing of Matches is fcarce heard of in an Age ; nor can the Church give Licenfe to Marry, with- out Publication of the Banns : Perfons of Quali- ty of both Sexes commonly remain unmarried till Thirty or above, becaufe their Fortunes on both Sides being in their Parents Hands while they [70] live, they are not in a Condition to maintain a Family, till the Death of Relations, or Advance- ment to Office, fiirnifh them with the Means of fubfifting. The Women , while young , have generally fair Complexions, tolerable Features, and good Shapes ; and fomeof them are account- ed more eminent for Chaftity before Marriage, than Fidelity after : They are very fruitful, and feldom fail of a numerous Iflue : They are no where made greater Drudges than here,the mean- er Sort being, befides the ordinary Offices of their Sex, put to Plow and Thrafli, to row in Boats,
and
An Account of Sueden. 3 1
and bear Burthens at the Building of Houfes, and on other Occafions.
Domeftick Quarrels rarely happen, and more fcldom become Publick ; the Husbands being as apt to keep the Authority in their cwn Hands, [7I] as the Wives by Nature, Cuftom, or Neceflity, are inclin'd to be Obedient: Divorces, and other Separations between Man and Wife, fcarce ever happen, but among the Inferior Sort, when the Innocent Party is a!!©wed to marry again : Coufin- Germans may not marry without the King's Difpenfation, which is more frequently granted than refufed.
In Wedding-Entertainments they have ever affecT:edPomp and Superfluity beyond the Propor- tion of their Abilities ; for by the Excefs of one Day, oft-times many of them involve themfelves in fuch Inconveniences as they feel many Years. The fame is obfervable in their Funeral Solem- nities, which are ufually accompanied with more Jollity and Feafting than befits the Occafion ; and to gain time to make their Preparations, r -1 they commonly tranfport their Dead to Vaults ^2-* within, or adjoining to their Churches, where they remain unburied fome Months, and fome- times feveral Years ; but of late, thefe and other unneceffary Expences begin by degrees to be laid afide, as well in Conformity to the Fruga- lity of the Court, as in Compliance with their prefent Fortunes, which are narrower now than they have formerly been.
CHAP.
32 An Account of Sueden.
CHAP. VIII.
Of the Royal Family } and Court of Sweden.
c
\HARLES XL the prefent King of S«e- den, was born November the 2fth, i6f 7. two Years after his Father, Charles Gufiave X. of the Houfe of Deux Ponts, was advanced to the Crown, upon the Abdication of Queen Chrifiina, whofe Coufin- German he was, being the Son of John Cafimir, Prince Palatine of the Rhine, and Cathe- rine of Sueden, Daughter to Charles IX, and Sifter to Guflavus Adolphus, Queen Chriflina's Father. This King's Mother, Princefs Hediivig Eleonora, « -.of the Houfe of Holjlein, and Sifter to the prefent l~4J Duke, had no other Child, and upon the Deceafe of the King her Husband, in the Year 1660, was made Regent of the Kingdom, together with the five Great Officers of the Crown, apd held that Poft till the Year 1672, when the King, her Son, was declared Major, and took the Government. His Majefty's Education in his Minority, by his own Genius, and the Indulgence of his Mo- ther, (if not by the Contrivance of the Princi- pal Minifters) was moftly in order to a Military Life ; in which Exercifes, fuch as Fencing, and Riding the Great Horfe, he took more Pleafure, and made better Proficiency, than in fuch Stu- dies as required more Intention of the Mind. Be- fides the Suedifi and High-Dutch Languages, which his Majefty learned in his Infancy, and fpeaks '[}f] both equally well, he was not perfected in any other, having only a fmattering of French, to which he hath fo great an Averfion, that he will
neither
An Account of Sueden. 33
neither own, nor be brought to fpeak fo much of it as he underftands; which Wane concurring with C if not caufing in him ) a referred Temper, and backwardnefs to Converfation with Stran- gers, makes ic more difficult for Foreign Mini- fters to entertain hi^ Majefty, and himfelf un- eafy upon their Addreflfes.
None ever better conquered this Difficulty, than Mr. War-wick, who, having learned a little High-Dutch, with which he entertain'd his Maje- fty in ordinary Difcourfe, without much Mix- ture of Bufinefs, he thereby became the Favou- rite Foreign Minifter, and had the Honour to be fingled out by his Majefty on all Occafions. [76]
In the Year 1674, his Majefty was Crowned, and prefently after engaged in a War that gain'd him an eminent Degree both of Experience and Honour, having never loft a Battel in which he was perfonally prefent.
At the Conclufion of the War, Anno 16S0, he married the Princefs Ulrica EUowrat Sifter to the King of Denmark, a Lady as Eminent for Piety, Virtue, Wifdorh, and all other Qualities truly Great and Noble, as for her Birth and Extraction. Thefe, with he* great Charity to the Poor, and Liberality to all, have gain'd her the Hearts of the whole Nation, and furmounted the A,rerfion they natun'.'v have to thofe of her Country. By her his Majefty hath already had Seven Children ; Five Princes, Four of which arc Dead ; and [77] Two Princefles, and has fair Hopes of a more numerous llTue.
The king is of a Middle Stature, and well- fee, his Hair brown, of a healthful and vigorous Con- ftitution, and Sanguine Complexion, never at- tacked with any violent Skknefs, but what hss been occallon'd by fbffle outward Accidents ■ of which, two elpecially have endangered his 1 ife •
F One
r„
34 An Account of Sueden.
One was in the War, when his Majefty riding on the Ice, it brake, and he fell into the Water, which brought him into a Fever, that he narrow- ly efcaped. The other happened by the Fall off his Horfe, when he broke his Leg, and was fo ill treated by his Surgeons, that befides the Dan- 78] ger of his Life then, the Effects of their Mifcar- riage are ftill feen in his Majefty's halting. There have happen'd to him two Accidents more, which have impaired his Strength, and it's fear'd may fhorten his Days. One was, That at Hunt- ing, Monfieur Wachmafitr being in danger to be kill' d by a Bear, the King was fo eager to refcue him, that he broke a Vein, and was then like to have bled to Death, and fince hath been fubject to Bleeding upon any Motion. The other was, That his Majefty hath formerly accuftomed him- felf to ride Poft fuch long Stages, and with fo great Speed, that he hath often been near fuffc- cated by the Heat, the Expence of his Spirits, and the Agitation of his Blood ; whereof the Effects are ftifl obferved, and feared by thofe about him. [-9] He pofteftes many Excellent and Princely Qua- lities; an Exemplary Piety, and Religious Difpc- fkion, that fhews its felf in all his Actions ; and invincible Courage, that has oft expofed his Per- fon to great Dangers, not only in his Wars, but in his Divertifements.
His Chaftity and Temperance are very regular at leaft ; if there be any Inftances of his failing in the latter upon any extraordinary Occafion or Entertainment, he hath never been known, or fcarce fufpe&ed to violate the former.
Frugality is practifed by his Majefty in a high Degree, and his Parfimonious Temper appears on ail Occafions ; that if his Subjects think him too pre fling for Money, they have the Satisfaction
to
An Account of Suede n . 3 5
to fee and believe that it is laid either out, or up [80] for their Good, not expended in profufe Libera- lities, Or vain Divertifements, to which his Ma- jefty is a perfed Stranger ; neither delighted with Plays, Gaming, or any other Recreations, befides Riding, Fencing and Hunting.
His peaceable Demeanor may perhaps more juftly be afcribed to the State of his Affairs, than his own Nature, which more powerfully inclines him to the Fatigue of a Camp, than rhe Eafe of a Court ; and fuits better with a Martial Famili- arity, than the Shews of Grandeur, and the So- lemnities of State. The cholerick Temper that hath been incident to all his Anceftors, hath fometimes carried him to low Expreffions of his Anger, as well towards the greater as meaner [ fort of his Subje&s; but the Fit is ufually foon over, and is recompenced by his Placability and Readinefs to forgive thofe that have offended him.
His Refpecl to his Mother feems to equal, if not exceed his Kindnefs to his Confort ; who hath the Satisfaction of his Conftancy, but little Share in his Secrets, and not very much of his Converfation, which he frequently beftows on the Queen-Mother, and ufually eats in her Apartment.
His Majefty's mod diligent Infpe&icn into all the Affairs of his Kingdom, befides that it makes all his Minifters more circumfpeel:, hath gain'd him a great ftock of Experience. The fmallelt Matters are not below his Notice, and nothing of any Moment is concluded, before he hath ] [82] been confulted. This is the Employment of all his Time ; fcarce any Hour of the Day palling, from Five in the Morning, when he conftantly rifes, in which Bulinefs of one nature or other is not before him.
F 2 The
6 An Account of Sueden.
The Frugality of his Majefty's Temper is eve- ry where vilible in his Court; in which there is little Regard had to Splendor and Magnificence, either in Furniture, Tables, or Attendants, or other Things of that Nature. The Principal Officer of the Court is the Upper Marfhal, for- merly called the Marfhal of the Kingdom ; which Office is now held by Count John Stem- beck ; next to him are the Marfhal and Intendanc of the Court, with about Eight or Ten that are ftiled Gentlemen of the Court, who wait
[8;] at the King's Table. That which makes the beft Appearance, is the Foot-Guards, which confift of 2200 Men, of which one Company is always in the Caftle, and the other in the other Parts of the City. The Colonel of the Guards is next the King's Perfon in all Publick Solemnities; and the Captain that has the Watch, lies in the Room next to his Majefty's Bed-Chamber. There is another Guard of 290 Men, of which about Ten at a Time wait on Foot with Hal be rts, and on Horfe back when the King travels in Ce- remony.
Next to the King, the Queen-Mother is rank- ed both in the AddreiTes of Foreign Minifters, and on all other Occasions.
She is a Princefs of great Virtue and Goodnefs, and would be more efteemed if fhe were not
[84] diverted from the Exercife of Liberality, by the Inclination fhe has to Building; which fhe has gratified in the Structure of a very Magnificent Houfe, about Six Miles from Stockholm. It has one Front towards a great Lake, and the other looks upon a Garden of aThoufand Yards long, adorned with very fine and choice Statues, the Spoils of Germany and Denmark, and a great Number of Cafeades, that are fuppiied with very
good
An Account of Sueden. 37
good Water from an Eminence about a Mile diftant.
Her Court and Revenue is govern'd by Count Charles Gyldenftern ; and next to him is the Mar- (hal of her Court, and other Officers ; as alfo a Governefs of the Maids of Honour, who are fix, with other Inferior Servants.
The Queen Confort, befides what has already been faid of her, is a great Lover of Reading, [87} and, together with the Northern Languages, fpeaks French perfe^ly well. She is of a melancholy Difpofirion, and lives very recired, feldom flir- ring out of her own Apartment, and that of the Prince and Princelfes.
The Elder Princefs was born in the Year 1681, and the Prince in the Year following ; both of a delicate Conftitution, of great Hopes, and educated with much Care. The Younger Prin- cefs was born Anno 1688.
CHAP. IX.
Of his Majcjifs Government. [s., ;
HI S Majefty was no fooner Crowned , but he found himfelf. engaged in the War then on foot; and elpoufed the French Intereft, in Confideration of a Subfidy of 200000 /. a Year : In which, the firft Blow was the Defeat of FeUt Marfhal IVrangd and his Army in Germany ; a Difafter fo little forefeen, or provided for, that it made a more eafy way for all the Miferies that enfued upon it, and gave the King more emi- nent Occafior.s of (hewing his Courage in De- fence of his Kingdoms and People : For as the
Succcfs
38 An Account of Sueden.
[87] Succefs of that A&ion turned the Byafs of the Danifo Councils, and prefented the favourable Opportunity they expected, to engage in the War ; which they began with the Surprizal of Bolfiein, and the Taking of Wifmar, and thence tranflated it into Schonen ; fo that when the King • was called into thofe Parts, to make Head a- gainft the Danes, he found the Effe&s of his Mi- nifters Deficiency in making due Preparations ; Four of the Six Fortified Places of that Province being already in the Enemies Hands, and the Inhabitants at liberty to exprefs their Affe&ions for Denmark.
To encounter thefe Difficulties, and a more Potent Enemy affifted by more Powerful Con- federates, the King at firft had but a Handful of Men, and empty Magazines : The Forces of [88] the Kingdom being fcatter'd into Germany and Leifland, the Borders of Norway, and the Sea- Service.; from all which Places his Majefty re- ceived nothing but Accounts of Loffes and Mif- fortunes ; fo that the Fortune of Sueden, and all its Ancient Glory, feem'd to be confined to his Majefty's Perfon and his little Army, with which in the Compafs of one Year he won Three Pitch'd Battels ; and in one of them he is faid to have Charged Thirteen times at the Head of a Brigade ; and yet, which is very remarkable, doth value himfelf for not having drawn the Blood of any one Man.
In the Courfe of this War the King gain'd a great Stock of Military Experience, without [89] anv Tinfture of thofe Vices that commonly pre- vail in a Camp ; and was fo indefatigable, and perpetually employ'd, that he fcarce had his Boots off in Three Years time. The Streighrs he was often reduc'd to, taught him many excellent Leffons, efpecially the Neceffity of putting the
King-
An Account of Sueden. 39
Kingdom into a better Pofture of Defence than he found it. Befides, his Officers, with the Chief Minifters about him , Baron John GuUen- fiiern, made it tbeir Bufinefs to poffefs his Ma- jefty with an ill Opinion of the Senate, and dif- cover'd the Malverfations that the Ruling Lords had been guilty of in his Minority : Which funk fo deep with him, that as his Difpleafure fell upon fome of thofe Lords during the War, and a Slight upon them all ; neicher communica- ting his Counfels, nor acquainting them with [90] the Succefs of his Anions, which they were left to learn from PafTengers and Matters of Ships ; fo after the Conclusion of the Peace, and his Return to Stockholm in the "Year 1680, his Ma- jefty call'd together the States of the Kingdom, and gave them a Summary Account of the State of Affairs during the War , and the Iffue of it ; and propofed to them to infpecl the Occafions of the great Lofles the Kingdom had fuftain'd , to find out Means to deliver the Government from the Streights ( or rather States) it laboured un- der, and to confult for its further Security.
The Odium of all the Loffes and Misfortunes of the War, was eafily fix'd upon the Minifters that had managed Affairs in the King's Mino- rity. And therefore a Committee was chofen L91 J out of the feveral Bodies of the States, to en- quire into the Mifcarriages and Evil Counfels of thofe Minifters , and pafs Sentence upon the Delinquents : And to this End the Regifters of the Council were examin'd, the Damage arifing from each Refolution computed, and every Se- nator that had voted therein, was charged wich his Proportion of it ; and that with fo much Ri- gor, that their whole Eftates have not fufficed to make Satisfaction. To this the States alfo found, that the Power the Senators attributed 2 to
$0 An Account of Sueden.
*o themfelves , had helped to produce thefe bad Effeds ; and therefore declared, That as they, the States, needed no fuch Mediators her ween the King and them- fo neither did they r, ,] find, that the Article of his Majefty's Corona- tion Oath, (in v/hich he had promifed to rule the Kingdom with the Advice of the Senators) did oblige him to think it necefTary any longer to have their Concurrence to any Counfels he thought fit to take 5 or continue their Salaries to more of them than he was pleafed to employ: Upon which feveralof them were laid afide ; and the reft, inftead of their former Title of Coun- cilors, or Senators of the Kingdom, were ftiled the King's Counfellors ; a Method which per- haps in time may coft the Crown dear, there be- ing left none to bear the Burthen between the King and the Complainants. And to give great- er Strength to this, the States declared alfo, That r * -I though the Regents, during a Minority , might * be called to Account for their Administration • yet his Majefty, who received his Crown from God, was only accountable to God for his Acti- ons, and tied by no other Engagements than what his Coronation- Oath imported ; nameiy, To rule the Kingdom according to Law : Which Article was further explain d in the following Convention.
To remedy the great Neceffities the Govern- ment was reduced to, anddifcharge the vaft Debts contracted in the War, feveral very important Conclusions were made ; for both, a very large Benevolence was granted, towards which every PeiTon in the Kingdom, that receiv'd Wages, paid ne Tenth Penny ; every whole Farm Five [94] Crown?, which is near as much as the ufual Rent of thole Farms ; and the Cities a proportiona- ble Contribution •■> and that for Two Years, or
if
An Account of Sueden. 41
if a War happen'd, for Four. And a Refolution was taken to eftablifh a New College of Reda- ction, with Power to reunite to the Crown all fuch Lands, as by former Kings had been alie- nated by way of Donation, or fold at an under Value.
The Choice of the Members of this College, and the Particulars of their Inftru&ions were left to his Majefty ■ the States only prefcribing fome General Bounds, and efpecially providing, That of fuch Lands as were to be reunited, the Value of 70 /. a Year mould be left to the Pof- feflbr.
The Care of the future Security of the King- dom the States recommend to his Majefty, [9^] praying him to make fuch an Eftablifliment of the Militia, and Preparation of the Fleet and Fortreflfes, as mould appear needful : So favou- rable was this Conjuncture for the Advancement of the King's Authority, that he fcarce needed to ask whatever he defired ; each Body of the States ftriving which mould out bid the other in their ConcefTions. The Nobility and Gen- try, who univerfally depend on the King, as not being able to fubfift upon their own private For- tunes, without fome Additional Office, were under a Neceffity to comply with every thing, rather than hazard their prefent Employments, or future Hopes of Advancement: Their Inte- reft therefore obliged them to keep Pace with the Officers of the Army that fat in their Houfe, [96] and fome others of their Brethren, who vigo- roufly promoted the King's Affairs.
The Clergy, Burghers and Peafants, were ea- fily perfuaded, That theMiferies they had fuffef- ed, proceeded from the too great Power of the Nobility ; That the King could never be too much trufted j his Majeftv having fo oft expo-
G fed
4^ An Account of Sueden.
fed his Life to the greateft Dangers in Defence of his Subje&s, it was their Duty to make all the Grateful Returns they were able : Befides, they were glad of an Occafion of humbling the No- bility, who in Profperity were always imperious; and concluded, that the Burthen falling upon them, would redound to their own Eafe.
Thefe Difpofuions of the People, added to the exceflive Affe&ion they had for the King's
[97] Perfon, from an Opinion of his Piety, and Ad- miration of his Courage, gave him an Oppor- tunity to lay the Foundations of as Abfofote a Sovereignty, as any Prince in Europe poffeffes. The Project of which great Alteration, his Majefty Cas was fuppofed) received from Baron John GyUenftiern, a Minifter of Great Abilities, and as great an Enemy to the Senate : He had wait- ed on the King in the War, and drawn to him- felf the Management of all weighty Affairs, and perhaps expe&ed to hold the fame Poft upon this Great Revolution, which in the former Confti- tution he could not hope : But before this Af- fembly, and foon after his Return from an Em- baffy in Denmark, he died, not without Sufpicion of foul Play.
[98] Upon thefe Foundations, his Majefty, after the Separation of the States, fet his Minifters earneftly to work, and with an Unwearied Ap- plication took Cognizance of their Proceed- ings.
Foreign Affairs were committed to Count Be* nedift Oxenftiern, Monfieur Ebrenflien, and Mon- fieur Gernftedt, Perfons of great Experience and Abilities. The Count began to be employ'd in Publick Affairs at the Treaty of Munfter ; at which he was for fome time, and has fince been for the moft part in Embaflies, efpecially in Ger- tnany, and was then return'd from the Treaty of
Nime-
An Account of Sueden. 43
tfimeguen, where he had ( Vis faid upon his La- dy's Account ) entertain'd a violent Averfion to France : And being made Prefident of the Chan- cery in the room of Count Magnus de la Gardie, who wa$ laid afide, he took Care to give his Majefty the fame Impreflions ; laying before him [99] how that Court, by Corrupting his Minifters, had engag'd Sueden in the War of which his Ma- jefty had felt the Miferies, and was forced to fit down with the Lofs of fome Territories in Get- many, befides Forty Sail of good Ships, and above 100000 Men ; all which might either have been prevented, or repair'd, if France had not facri- fic'd Sueden to its own Intereft : That the Subfi- dy was rather diftributed by French Commifia- ries, and employ'd in their own Service, than paid to his Majefty ,* who oft-times, in his great- eft Need, could not be fupplied out of that Fund : That his Majefty could neither be Matter of his own Councils, nor make any tolerable Fi- gure in Europe, fo long as he was efteem'd a Pen- fioner, and a Mercenary.
Thefe, and the like Reafons, moved the King [ioo] to command each Member of the Privy Council to put in Writing what Meafures they thought advifable for him to take, in relation to Foreign Affairs ,• in which fome of them argued very warmly for France ; but the Reafons on the other Side were more prevalent with his Majefty, who thereupon took fuch Refolutions as produced the Guaranty League with Holland, and other Coun- fels that Sueden has fince purfu'd.
For the Management of Affairs at Home, his Majefty employed Baron Claudius Flemingb ; whofe Father having been ill ufed by the Re- gents in the King's Minority, had left him feve- ral Proje&s that fell in with the Defigns on Foot> and enabled him to go thro* with the Reduction
G z of
44 An Account of Sueden.
of Crown-Lands, being made Prefident of that [ioi] College, and aflifted with a competent Number of Aifeflbrs. He began to examine the Titles of thofe that held any Lands that had formerly belonged to the Crown ; and where any fuch were found to have been alienated by way of Donation for pretended Services, or were fitua- ted in forbidden Places, (that is, within Six Miles of any of the King's Caftles ) they were reunired to the Crown without further Difpute; the Value of 70 /. per An. being referved to the PofTeflbr. As to Crown- Lands that had been foid, Enquiry was made into the Nature of the Price, and the real Value of the Eftate. Where Ready Money had been paid, the Intereft of f per Cent, was allowed for it ; and if the Yearly Value of the Eftate exceeded that Intereft, the [102] faid Overplus, and the Intereft of it at 8 pr Cent, from the hrft Alienation, was computed, and frequently made to amount to as much as the Capital it felf ; which being by that means fatif- fied, the Eftate return'd to the King. Where Lands had been given in Payment of Arrears, there no Intereft was allow'd, the Capital being accounted unfruitful : So that the Yearly Value of fuch Lands, together with the Intereft, was deduced from the Principal ; which being foon eaten our, not only the Lands return'd to the King, but the Poffeffor alfo became indebted to him ; and he was to accept k as an Aft of Grace, if his Majefty took ihe Lands, and forgave the Debt.
By rf- . Methods the King recover'd a very gr Kevenue, tho' with the Impoverifhing of [105] m°ft Families in Suedeny and many of them fuch, whefe Anceftors and themfelves alfo had fpent their Lives and Fortunes in the Crown's Service ; which Confiderations cculd not be regarded, nor
Excepti-
An Account of Sueden. 45
Exceptions made in Favour of any in particular, without adding to the Difcontents of all the reft, who more patiently fuffer'd, while the Cafe was general.
The fame Baron Flemingh was alfo made Pre- fident of the Treafury, and of the College of Liquidation ; a Court ere&ed not only to be a Barrier to the Treafury, and keep all Creditors off, till their Accounts were firft ftated and ap- proved in that College ; but his Bufinefs was al- io to find out fuch as were any ways indebted to the King, to form the Charge againft them, and demand Payment , which was not to be refufed upon pretence (as it fometimes was the Cafe) [104] that the Party had greater Sums due from the Crown, but the King's Debt was to be paid firft, and without any delay, and the Party left to ftate his Accounts afterwards in the College of Liquidation. And wherein fuch A<fts were ufed towards many, by making (as they call them ) Obfervacions upon the Price, the Time of deli- vering the Species of Money, and the like, that feveral of the King's Debts have been paid with- out a Farthing of Money, and not a few Pre- tenders have thereby been made Debtors to the King, and Payment extorted with great Rigor.
The Payment of the Fleet, his Majefty com- mitted to Baron Hans IVatchtmalfter, (in the place of the Great Admiral, Count Steenbeck) who pre- vailed to have it removed from Stockholm, its or- dinary Station, to a Harbour fortified for that [iof] purpofe in the Province of Bkaking, and named Carlfcrone, as being both nearer to Denmark, and Germany, earlier free from Ice in the Spring, and the Parts adjacent abounding wirh Timber. In that, and other Places, great Diligence was ufed, both to repair the Old Ships, which amounted jioi to Twenxy Sail, and to build new ones, of
which
4 6 An Account of Sue den.
which fince that time , about Twenty from Eighty to Forty Guns ; and Eight or Ten of lefs Force, have been built by Two Englijh, and other Mafter builders.
The Eftablifhment of the Militia, his Majefty
made his own peculiar Care, as having more
immediately felt the Effects of the Diforder it
r -, had been in,, and learnt by Experience the Ne-
LIo6J ceffity of fuch a ftanding Force, as might an-
fwer the Ends of its Inftitution.
In what manner his Majefty proceeded here- in, fhall be fhown in another place.
In this Interval, his Majefty publifhed feveral new Laws ; one a'gainft Duels, the Subftance of which is already mentioned ; another to fix the Right of Precedency among the Nobility and Officers j wherein next after the Privy-Counfel- lors, the Soldiers are principally confidered ; each confiderable Office being ranked according to its Dignity and Precedency, determined ac- cording to that Rank, without any Rcfpect to Birth or Quality.
At the next AfTembly of the States in the Year i68^,befides a Benevolence equal to that granted [107] the laft Seflions, his Majefty obtained fuch far- ther Advantages, as the Ends he defigned did re- quire ; for not only the Re-union of the 70 /. a Year referved by the former Seflion, was con- fented to, and that without the leaft Difficulty, becaufe thofe of the Nobility that had loft molt, did thereby revenge themfelves of the Officers of the Army : And others, who had been the great Sticklers in the Redu&ion, by which themfelves had loft little or nothing, if the Refervation of 70 /. per Annum had ftood ; but the Article of /?«- ling the Kingdom according to Lavf, was alfo further explained, and the States declared, That his Ma- jefty was nor thereby tied to the Laws then in
being,
An Account of Sueden. 47
being, but might alter the fame, and add there- to fuch Conftitutions, as he thought moft ufeful for the prefent State of the Kingdom ; and that whatever Inftructions he pleafed to give any College or Officer, the fame were a Law to [108] them, and all others that they concerned; adding only this, That they hop'd his Majefty would communicate to the States fuch Laws as were of a general Nature, and intended to be binding to the whole Kingdom. And whereas his Majefty had laid before the States, the undue Proceedings of the Minifters at his Father's Death, whofe Teftamtnt they refcinded, and alter'd the Frame of the Government: he had prefcribed to be ob- ferv'd in the King's Minority ; the States decla- red, That the Authors of thofe Alterations were no honeft Fatriots, and left them to the King's Juftice, promifing that in cafe of his Majefty's Deceafe, during his SucceiTor's Minority, they would fee his Teftament punctually fulfilled, and the Form of Government thereby prefcribed, in- rI0Q] violably obferved.
The next Affembly of the States in 1686, re- newed the ufual Benevolence which was asked to enable the King to pay his Debts , and made fome further Conceflions in the Matter of the Reunion, rather to take off the Odium from the King and his Minifters, than to add any Autho- rity to his Majefty's Proceedings.
Thefe and the like Conceflions have rend, his Majefty an Abfolute Monarch, to which his Subjefts fubmit without any Conteft ; and had not thofe other Preflures that accompanied it made it uneafy, there would fcarce have been found in that Loyal Kingdom any one Perfon difaffe&ed to the Government : But the lots of E- ftates, they fuppofed to have Right to, has created Difcontents in many ©f the Nobility and Gen- [no]
try,
4 8 An Account of Suedcn.
try, and the frequent and heavy Taxes impofed by the States are no lefs fenfible to thofe of infe- rior Degrees ; that perhaps the King of Sucden has loft as much in the Affection of his Subjects, as he has gain'd in his Revenue ; yet this is not like to produce any bad Effe&s, fince the King knows fo well how to make himfelf obeyed, and has fuch effe&ual Means in his Hands, not only to reftrain any Diforders, but to engage the greateft Part of the Nation to his Intereft.
For the Distribution of all Employments of any Value in the Kingdom, belongs to his Ma- jefty ; and the Nobility and Gentry, as well as others, are under a greater Neceflicy than ever, -, of rendring themfelves acceptable to him, that LIJIJ they may getEmployments. Befides, hisMajefty has lately thought fit to caufe all that are in Office to renew their Oath of Fidelity ; the Tenor of which has. been accommodated to the prefent Government. The Inftructions alfo of all Go- vernors of Provinces, and other, both Civil and Military Officers, have been revifed and renew- ed : And as a new Body of Laws Ecclefiaftical is already publifhed ; fo the Common Laws of the Kingdom are under Confideration, to be ren- dred more plain, full, and fuitable to the prefent State of things, according to the Mind of the King, and thofe that are his Advifers in this Change ; yet all this Power and Provifion is not by the Court it felf thought fufficient to keep an Oppreffed People from Diforders ; nor would it r -i likely long do fo, if the King did not by great ^ Applications and Deferences court the Clergy, and by no fraall Degrees of Compliance with them, not only in Ecclefiaftical, but even in Ci- vil Affairs, cultivate their Fidelity and Affection ; and this, becaufe the Priefts have very great and uncontroulable Intereft and Authority among the
Com-
An Account of Suedeit. 49
Common People (who only can make Diftur- bances) andean at their Pleafure inflame, orap- peafe them.
CHAP. X. [11;]
Of the Fr ivy -Council.
THE Ancient Conftitution, which gave them the Title of Senators of the King- dom, gave them alfo Authority, not only to ad- vife in all Bufinefs of Importance, but in fome Cafes to admonim and over-rule the King, who was not at Liberty to tranfaft any weighty Af- fairs without the Concurrence of a Majority of the Senate ; and though the King chofe them, yet the States received their Oath, which rather exprefs'd theirFidelity to theKingdom in genera?, than to the King j their Office was for Life, and not only Attempts upon their Perfon, but Defa- mation of them, was accounted Treafon.
But the Late Revolution has effectually delivered [l 14! the King from this (as they call it) Encroach- ment upon Royalty and Prerogative, and reduced thofe Officers to the Title, and proper Duties of Privy-Counfellors ; putting it into the King's Power to employ them as lie thinks fir, ro ask their Counfel as he fees Occafion, and to lay fuch of them afide, as he finds convenient, which his Majefty accordingly praftifes; fome of them being laid afide, and the remainder, together with thofe the King hath added to them, are difpers'd into variousEmployments,and very rare- ly meet in a Body ; his Majefty tranfa&ing all Affairs, both Domcftick and Foreign, with the proper Officers, to whom they are immediately
H en-
*>o An Account of Suedcn.
entrufted, without the Participation of the whole [ny] Council. The Number of Privy. Counfellors is at prefcnt about Eighteen, each of them has a Salary of ;oo/. a Year ; and molt have other be- neficial Employments.
U^-\ CHAP. XI.
Of the States of Sweden.
TH E Boundlefs Liberality of the Three laft Seffions of the States hath left that Body little more than its Ancient Name, and a Power of Confent to fuch Impofitions as the King's Oc- cafions require, which he.chufes rather to receive through their Hands, than employ his Authority in a Matter fo apt to adminifter occafion of Dis- content : Their ufual time of Aflembly, is once in three Years, or oftner, if the Affairs of the Kingdom require it. The Letters for calling them together, are fent to the Governors of Pro- vinces, who thereupon write to each Nobleman [117] and Gentleman in their Province, and to the Bi- ftiops, who caufe the fame to be publifhed in all Churches.
The Body of the Nobility and Gentry are re- prefented by one of each Family, of which there are about a Thoufand in Sueden> and with them the Colonel , Lieutenant-Colonel, Major, and one Captain of each Regiment (it and vote.
For the Clergy, befides theBifhops and Super- intendents in each Rural Deanery, or Ten Pa- rimes, one is chofen, and maintained at the Charge of his Eledors \ thefe make a Body of a- bout Two Hundred.
The
An Account of Saeden. 5 *
The Reprefentatives of the Burghers are cho- fen by the Magiftrates and Common-Council of each Corporation, of which- Stockholm fends Four, others Two, and fome One, who make about One Hundred and Fifty.
The Peafants of each Diftrift chufe one of their L118^ own Quality to appear for them, whofe Charges they bear, aud give him Inftru&ionsinfuch Mat- ters as they think needRedrefs. They are about 2> o.
Their firft meeting, (when at Stockholm) is in a large Room in the CafUe, called the Hall of the Kingdom, where his Majefty being feated on a Throne, and the Privy-Counfellors lifting at fome Diftance, the President of the Chancery makes them a Compliment in the King's Name, and then a Secretary reads his Majefty 's Propofals to them, in which they are acquainted with the State of Affairs fince their Recefs, and the pre- fent occafion of their Advice and Afliftance. To which, firft, the Marfhal of the Nobility, who is chofen by the King, returns an Anfwer, and kif- [119] fes the King's Hand ; and after him, the Arch- bimop in the Name of the Clergy; the firft Burgher-Mafter of Stockholm, for the Burghers, and one of the Peafants for his Brethren. They then feparate into Four feveral Houfes, and chufe a Secret Committee, compofed of an equal Num- ber of each Body, who receive frcm the King's Minifters fuch further Informations of his Maje- fty's Pleafure, as are not thought fit to be com- municated in Publick, and thereupon prepare fuch Matters as are to be propofed to the feveral Bodies. In each Houfe Matters are concluded by Majority of Voices ; and if one or more of thefe Bodie? differ in Opinion from the reft, they are either brought over by Perfuafions, or the Point remains unconcluded.
When the Affairs propofed by the King are fi- rl203 H 2 nifhed, ^
^2 An Acfomt of Suedcn.
milled, they then infinuare their Grievances, each Body feveralty, to which the King returns fuch Anfwers as he thinks fit ; and to each Member of ihe three Inferior Bodies an Authentick Copy is delivered, as well of the general Conclufion made by the whole States, as of the King's An- fvver to the Grievances of his refpecYive Body, which he carries home to his Electors.
[121] CHAP. XII.
Of the Revenue of the Kingdom.
TH E ftanding Revenues of the Kingdom of Suedai arife from Crown-Lands, Cu- ftoms, Poll- Money, Tythes, Copper and Silver- Mines, Proceedings at Law, and other lefs con- siderable Particulars ; which are calculated in all to near a Million of Pounds a Year ; of which the Lands make above One Third, and the Cu- stoms almofl a Fourth. The Poll- Money is paid only by the. Peafants; each of which above Six- teen, and under Sixty, pays about Twelve-pence, a Year.
In th , xreafurv-Chamber, a Prefident ( now Baron Fabian Wrede) with Four Counfellors, and [122] other Officers fit, and act as a Court of Juftice, in fuch Matters as relate to the King's Revenue ; but they make no Alignments, that being the Bufinefs of the Contoir of State, in which the CommiftVy, in Conjunction with the Prefident, difpofe of all Payments, but yet not without Orders immediately from the King. At the Be- ginning of every Year they make a Calculation of what is likely to come in, and what wjll re- main above the ordinary Charge , which they lay before his Majefty, and receive his Orders what Debts fnall firft be paid. The greateft part
of
An Account of Sucden. 5 3
of the King's Money partes thro' the Bank, and thereby faves the Charge of Officers to receive and pay it ; there being between the Contoir of State and the Bank, only one Rent-Mafter , ( as they ftile him,) who keeps Account with them [i2->~] both, and gives Alignments according to the Orders he receives.
The Revenue is fuppofed at prefent to exceed the ordinary Charge of the Crown ; and the King having lately had Three feveral extraor- dinary Contributions, and vaft Forfeitures from the faulty Minifters of State, as alfo great Ad- vantages in Recovering the Debts due to the Crown, would have his Coffers well fill'd, if the Building of Ships, and paying of Debts con- traded in the laft War, had not drain'd them in fome Meafure. In 1686. it was told the States, in the King's Name, That in Six Years Time his Majefty had paid Debts to above Two Millions of Pounds, (tho' many of them were paid with little Money, ) befides the Building of about Thirty Ships : And yet 'tis generally believed the King is not ill provided with Ready Cam : L1^] And there is great Neceffity for fuch Provifion, to fupply any prefling Occafion, fince the Credit of Sueden is very low Abroad ; and at Home the ordinary Taxes are fo high, that the People can- not long furnifh any Additional and Extraor- dinary Affiftances ; that as the Crown has refu- nded all former Liberalities , and with Rigor ex- acted its utmoft Right, fo it muft chiefly depend upon thofe Funds ; little being to be expe<fled from the People, and no Credit from Abroad in Cafe of Extremity, fince thofe that have formerly trufted the Crown have been fo very ill ufed ; and neither the States of the Kingdom, if they fhould interpofe their Engagements, are in a Condition to make them good ; nor can any De-
pendance
54 dn Account of Sueden.
[i2f] pendance be made upon the Security either of the Crown-Lands , or any other Branch of the Revenue, fince the late Refumption of thofe Lands, and Revocation of fuch Securities, have deftroy'd all future Faith.
CHAP. XIIL
[126] Of the Forces of Sueden.
THE Reputation gaind, and the Conquefts made by Sueden in this and the laft Age, has not fo much been owing to its Native Strength, as to Foreign Affiftance of Germans, French, Eng- lish, and especially Scots , of whom they have ufed great Numbers in all their Wars with Mof- co-vy , "Poland, Germany, and Denmark; and by them the Art of War and Military Difcipline has been by Degrees introduced into this Nation, that in former Times had only the Advantage of Courage and Numbers : For tho' the Original Constitution of the Countrey , and its Divifion into Hundreds, and other larger Portions, that ["127! ftiM retain Military Names, feems to have been the Work of Armies ; and the frequent Expedi- tions of the Goths, and other Inhabitants of thefe Parts, (hew, That in all Ages they were addict- ed to War and Violence ; yet it was in a difor- derly and tumultuous Manner ; their Infantry al- ways confiding of unexperienc'd Peafants, raifed for the Occafion, and disbanded as foon as it was over. The Feudal Laws indeed (which are fup- po.fed to have had their Birth amongft thefe Peo- ple) provided for a Competent Number of Ca- valry ;
An Account of Saeden. $
valry ; all Eftates of the Nobility and Gentry being held by Knights Service ; And while the Kingdom was Elective, the Kings were bound to maintain fome Forces of Horfe, out of the Revenues of the Crown. But this Eftablimmenc had been in a great Meafure corrupted, and the Kingdom fo fhatter'd with Dotneflick Broils, that it made a very inconfiderable Figure ; and was [i* little known in Europe till the Crown became Hereditary, and the Intereft of the Royal Family concerned in the Strength and Profperity of the Nation. Since that Time, the (landing Forces of the Kingdom have been augmented, yet not fo effectually eftablifhed as its Neceflities requi- red : For it generally happen'd , that the No- bility and Gentry were fo backward in Fitting out their Horfe, and the Levies of Foot not be- ing to be made without the Gonfent of the Pea- fants, in the Affembly of the States , it was fo hardly obtain'd, that the Regiments were very thin , and Recruits extreme difficult ; nor were the Officers Salaries fo punctually paid, as to en- able them to be in Readinefs on all Occafions.
To remedy thefe Inconveniences, the prefent LI29J King, on whom the States had conferr'd an Abfo- lute Power, to put the Militia into fuch a Method as he mould think fit, has made fuch Regulations in all the Particulars relating to this Matter, as were requifite to bring it to Perfection.
The new Injunctions he has made about the Cavalry, thzt the Nobility and Gentry furnifli,are fo exa&, that 'tis not in their Power to put either the Man or the Horfe, that are once Lifted, to other Employments than what are there fpecified, but muft have them in a continual Readinefs whenever they are call'd upon, with fuch Arms and Equipage as his Majefty hath directed. In default of which, fevere Penalties are inflicted,
and
e; 6 An Account of Suederi.
and the Eftates they hold by that Service fubjeft to Confifcation.
i;o] For the Infantry, the King has taken the like Care : And whereas formerly no Levies could be made but by Confent of the States ; and that but by fmatl Parcels at a time, and with fuch Difturbance, that on thofe Occafions 'twas ufual for half the Peafants to run into the Woods, and other Hiding-places, to efcape being made Soldiers ; this has been remedied by the King's Commiflioners, who have distributed the Infan- try of each Province proportionably to the Number of Farms ; each of which of the Value of about 60 or 70/. a Year (not being appropriated to the Officers, or other peculiar Services) is charged with one Foot- Soldier, who receives from the Farmer Diet, Lodging , ordi- nary Cloaths, and about Twenty Shillings a Year in Money ; or elfe, a little Wooden Houfe is
1 % *] built for him at the Farmer's Charge ; who muft alfo furnifh him with as much Hay as will keep a Cow in Winter, and Pafturage in Summer, and Plow and Sow for him fuch a Parcel of Ground as will afford him Bread. They that are marry 'd, ( as many of them are ) generally ac- cept this latter Condition : The unmarried Sol- diers ufually abide with the Farmer, but are not bound to do him any Service without Wages. When they have once taken the Peafants Mo- ney, and are lifted in the King's Service, they can never quit it fo long as they are able to ferve, and if they defert, are punifhed with Death. The firft Inftitution of this Method was very burdenfome to the Peafants, who were at great Charge to hire their Men, which coft them 10, and fometimes 20 /. a-Piece ; and the fame they
132] muft do whenever their Soldier dies. This in Peaceable Times will not be fo chargeable as it
is
An Account of Sueden. ky
is in Times of War j when Men will be unwil- ling to ferve, and Recruits more frequently needed. And as this is Part of the Projecl hi- therto unexperienc'd, fo moft believe ir will be found very difficult, if not impracticable.
As all the common Soldiers are thus provided for at the Country's Charge, fo all Officers, both of Horfe and Foot, are maintained by the King, who hath appropriated fo much of the Lands lately reunited, or formerly belonging to the Crown, to thatPurpofe. So that every Of- ficer has a Convenient Houfe, and Competent Portion of Land to live upon, fituate in that Part of the Country where the Regiment he be- longs to is quartered ; as alfo the Rent of fo many other Farms as make up his Pay ; which [i;;J tho' it be fomewhat lefs than formerly, yet be- ing punctually paid, either in Money, Corn, or other Commodities, they find it more profitable, than when they were to follicit for it at the Treafury.
A Colonel of Foot has, of thefe Lands, the Yearly Rent of about ;oo/. and the reft pro- portionably; which amounts to about 2500 /. a Year, for all the Officers, both Upper and Un- der, of One Foot-Regiment. And there being in Sueden, Finland and Lieftand, 2S Regiments of Foot under this Eftablifhment, the Maintenance of all the Officers belonging to them, coils the King about 7000 /. a Year : What Charge the Cloathing of the Common Soldiers once in Two or Three Years, their Arms, and fuch other Neceffaries may put the King to, cannot be fo [,- eafily computed.
The Officers of Horfe are provided for after the fame manner, with fuch large Allowance as is requifitc. There are Fittecn Regimen: Horfe thus eftabliflied, and the Maintenance of
I thv!.
5$ An Account of Sueden.
their Officers is computed to be about 8ooco/. a Year, all which arifes from the Rents of Crown- Land', as do alio the Wages of Civil Of- ficers in the Country, who have Farr^.s annexed to their Employments, in the fame manner as the Militia.
The Laws the King hath made for maintain- ing this Conftitution are very exacl: and parti- cular, and provide with great Caution, that nei- ther the Peafantsfhall he opprefs'd, nor the Lands and Houfes ruin'd. To which end all fuch
[i;f] Land? are Yearly vifired, and the Pcfleflbr com- pelfd to make fuch Repairs as are found needful. And as every Officer upon his firft coming to fuch an Eftate, Tubfcribes an Inventory of it, fo upon Advancement he cannot take Poflfeffion of another Charge, till he hath put that Eftate into as geed a Condition as he found it ; and in cafe of Death, his Heirs cannot inherit till that be done.
In Times of Peace, all TrefpafTes and Crimes committed by the Soldiery fall ordinarily under the Cognizance of "a Civil Magistrate, who has the fame Authority over them as "over the reft of the King's Subjects ; except when they are en- camped, orinGarifon, or any way under flying Colours : In all which Cafes, as alio in all Mat- ters that relate folely to their Profeffion, their Officers have Jurifdi&ion over them, without
fi;6] vvhofe Leave a private Soldier is not permitted to lodge out of his Quarters, nor be abfent a Dav from the Parifh he belongs to. The Infe- rior Officers cannot bs abfent from their Charge but by the Colonel's Permiflion ; nor Captains, and thofe above them, without the King's Leave. And the good Effect of the Officers conftant Refidence upon their refpe&ive Charges, appears in the (\u\zi ancj peaceable Behaviour of the
Soldiers,
An Account of Sucdcii. 59
Soldiers, who have nor hitherto broke out into any Enormities, nor given the common People any great Occafion of Complaint.
To keep them in Difcipline, each Company meets, and is Exercifed once a Month, and eve- ry Regiment once or twice a Year, at which times only they wear the King's Cloaths, which at their Return, are carefully laid up in the Churches.
For their Government in Time of War, the LMTJ King hath lntely caufed the Articles of War to be reviewed and printed, together with a new Eftablifhment of Courts Martial, and Inftru&i- ons for the Auditors General, and other Officers concern'd in the Miniftration of Juftice.
And for his Majefty's Information on all Oc- cafions, a Book hath been lately made, fpecify- ing the Names of every Military Officer in the King's Army, the Time when they firft came into the Service, and by what Steps they have rifen, by which means, at one view, his Majefty knows the Merit and Services of any Officer.
The Forces in Pomerania and Bremen, as alfo the Regiment of Foot- Guards, are not under this Eftablifhment, but are paid in Money.
The whole Body of the King of Sue Jen's For- r «-i
ces, according to the beft and mod exaft Ac- L ' J
count, is as follows :
The Eftablifh'd Militia in Sueden,
Finland and Lufland, are, Men
Cavalry 19 Regiments, is 17000
Infantry 28 Regiments, is 37000
Fcot-Guards 1 Regiment, 2000
Forces in Vomercn and Bremen 6 Re- ) >
> 6000 giments, is 3
In all, f o Regiments, 60000
I 2 Each
£o An Account of Sueden.
Each Regiment ordinarily confifts of 1200 Men, (but Tome of more) of which 96 are Offi- cers ; and fuch Care is taken to keep them com- piear, that it very feldom happens, that 20 Men at a time are wanting in a Regiment ; and as they are always in a Readinefs, to a great Body of them may quickly be brought together, efpe- tr39] c'ia'ly towards the Borders of Denmark and Nor- way, where in twenty Days Time the King of Sueden can have an Army of 20000 Men.
Above the ordinary Eftablifhment, the King hath annex'd to each Regiment about twenty fu- pernumerary Farms, to anfwer any extraordina- ry Accidents of Fire, &c and to furnifh a Sub- fiftence for fuch Officers, as are paft Service.
For common Soldiers that Age or Wounds have rendred unfit for War, there is one general Hofpital, which has a good Revenue ; and be- sides that, every Officer that is advanced, pays to it a Sum of Money proportionable to the Charge he arifes to. A Colonel pays 100 Crowns, and others in Proportion.
Befides the Arms in the Hands of the Militia, [140] there is a confiderable Magazine at Stockholm, and another at the Caftle of Jencoplngh, towards the Borders of Denmark ; and thefe, as Occafion ferves, are furnifh'd from a confiderable Iron- work at Oerbro in Nervia, which is continually employed in making Arms of all Sorts. In the Caftle" of Jencopingb , a Train of Artillery ftands always in Readinefs. This is the fole In- land Fortrefs in Sueden, which lefs needs fuch Artificial Strengths, as well for other Reafons, as becaufe Nature in very many Places has pro- vided it with fuch Paffes, as that a handful of Men may defend againft a great Army.
On the Borders of Norway, befide fome fmall Forts, that keep the Palfages over the Mountains,
there
An Account of Sucdcn. 61
there is the Caftle of Bahunz, fituate upon a Rock in the midft of a deep River, but overlookt by the Rocks near it.
The City of Gottenburgh is a well fortified [141] Place, but wholly commanded by the Neighbour- ing Hills.
The Town of Marflrand, and the Caftle of Elfsburgh, lie towards the Sea : On that fide to- wards Denmark are Waerburgh, Halmftad, Landfcrone and Malmo, Places of good Defence. Upon the Baltick Shore are Carlefcrone and Calmar, with two fmall Forts at the Entrance of the River leading to Stockholm. The Northern Parts are covered with Lapland, the Borders of Finland, towards RuJJia, with vaft Woods and Morafles, and in fome Parts with Caftles and Forts. In Liefland, befides Riga, Revel and Narva, which are very ftrong Places, there are feveral confiderable For- treffes.
CHAP. XIV. [I42]
Of the Trade of Sucdcn.
TH O' Sueden has in all times furnifiVd Europe with thofe neceflary Commodities it a- bounds with, yet either the Warlike Temper, the Idlenefs or Ignorance of the Inhabitants, has for- merly kept them from being much concern'd in Trade, and given Strangers the Management and Advantage of it, which for a long time, the Hans Towns, fituate on the Baltick Sea, monopo- lized, till the Seven Provinces of the Netherlands were Ereded into a Rcpublick, and became Sha- re with them : Before that time very little Iron was made in Sueden \ but the Oar, being run into
Pigs,
62 An Account of Sueden.
[142] Pig;, was carried to Dantzhk, and other Parrs of Vrujjia, and there forged into Bars ; for which reafon the Countrey-Smiths in England call Fo- reign Iron Dmtsk or Spruce Iron. The Nation owes the greateft Improvements it has made in Trade, to the Art and Induftry of fotne ingenious Mechanicks, that the Cruelty of the Duke Je Aha drove into thefe Parts : Their Succefs invi- ted great Numbers of Reformed Walloons to trans- plant thither, whofe Language and Religion re- mains in the Places they fettled in , where they erected Forges and other Conveniences for ma- king of Iron Guns, Wire, and all other Manu- factures of Copper, Brafs, and Iron, which, for the moft Part, are ftill carried on by their Po- fterity.
[144] The SueJifh Navigation was very inconfidera- ble, till Queen Chriftina, at the Conclufion of the War in 1644, obtained from Denmark a Freedom from Cuftoms for all Ships and Goods belonging to Suedijk Subjects, in their PalTage through the Sound, and eftablifh'd in her own Dominions that Difference in Cuftoms that (till fiibfifts between Suedifli and Foreign Ships, and is in Proportion of 4, 9,6, the firft called Whole-free, the fecond half and the laft Vnfree ; fo that where a whole-free Suedifl) Ship pays 400 Crowns, half-free pays ^ 00, and a Foreign VefTel 600.
But as great as this Advantage was, ic had but little Effect, till the EngHJli Art cf Navigation bridled the Hollanders, and opened the Intercourfe between England and Sueden. Since that Time
[14*] their Commerce has been much augmented , as well as ours that way, and Goods tranfported by both, or either Party, according to the various Junctures of Affairs. When Sueden has been en- gaged in a War, the Englijli Ships have had the whole Employ ; but in Times of Peace, the Ad-
2 vantags
An Account of Sucden. 03
vantage is fo great on the SueJifo Side, and Mer- chants fo much encourag'd by Freedom in Cuftoms to employ their Ships, that Englifl Bottoms cannot be ufed in that Trade, but only while Suechn is unprovided with a Number of Ships fufficient for the Tranfportation of their own Commodities. Whether ic be feafible to lay a Duty upon StteJiflt Ships, importing Goods into England, proportio- nable to what is laid upon Foreign VeiTels there, or whether the Matter be of fo great Importance as to merit fuch a Refolution, does not belong to [146] this Difcourfe to determine.
The chief Commodities SueJen vends, are Cop- per, Iron, Pitch, Tar, Maft$, Deals, and Wooden Ware, (befides the Commodities exported from Liefland) to the Value of about -ooooo /. a Year; in return of which they receive from Abroad, Salt, Wines, and Brandy, Cloth, Stuffs, Tobacco, Su- gar, Spices, Paper, Linnen, and feveral other Sorts of Goods, which are fuppofed commonly to balance their Exportations, and fometimes ex- ceed them.
Their Trade to Tortugal for Salt is accounted moft neceffary, as without great Quantities of which they cannot fubfift. That with EnglmA is more beneficial , becaufe it t.ikes offalmoft half their own Commodities, and brings in near two Thirds of Money for one cf Goods. The wor(t [1.4.7] is their French Trade, in regard i: rather fupplies their Vanities, than Necetli;ies, and gives little or no Vent to the Commodities of the Country.
The general Diredionof theirTradebelongsto the College of Commerce, which confifts of the Prefident of the Treafury, and Four Councilors, who hear Caufes of that Nnrurc, and redrefs any Diforders that happen. TheBink zt Stockholm \sof great Benefit to Trade, a* well in regard that the King's Cuftoms for that City are paid in there,
as
l>48]
6 4 dn Account of Sueden.
as alfo that the Merchants ordinarily make Pay- ments to each other, by Bills drawn upon it, which eafes them of a great Trouble in Tranf- porting their Money from Place to Place , that would otherwife be very difficult and chargeable. This Bank is well conftituted, and was in very good Credit, whilft it had the States of the King- dom for its Guarantees, of which it has now but the Shadow ; thofe States being (and are now ftiled) the King's (not Kingdoms,) States ; fo that all its Foundation derives now from the Will and Pleafure of the King, which may on feveral Oc- cafions diminifh not only its own Sufficiency, but alfo the Confidence of thofe that make ufe of it. The Management of the Trade of Sueden has al- ways in the main been in the Hands of Strangers, moft of the Natives wanting either Capacity or Application, and all them Stocks to drive it ; for without Credit from Abroad , they are not able to keep their Iron-works going : And there- fore at the Beginning of Winter, they ufually j] make Contrads with the Englifa, and other Fo- reigners, who then advance confiderable Sums, and receive Iron in Summer ; were it not for this Neceflity, Foreign Merchants would have but little Encouragement , or fcarcely Permiifion to Live and Trade amongft them ; and even as the Cafe ftands, their Treatment of them is as rigorous as in any Countrey, occafioned chiefly by the Envy of the Burghers, who cannot with any Patience fee a Stranger thrive among them. This is lefs fenfible to Hollanders and others, many of whom become Burghers, and the reft by their near Way of Living are lefs fubjecl to Envy « but is more efpecially the Cafe of the Englijl) Merchants, who find it not their Intereft to be- come Burghers, and ufually live fomewhat too high.
The
An Account of Sueden. 6$
The Intereft of England in the Trade of Sue- [150] den may be computed, by. the Neceffity of their Commodities to us, and the Vent of ours there. Their Copper, Iron, Tar, Pitch, Malts, &c cannot be had elfewhere, except from America^ whence it has been fuppofed fuch Supplies may be furnimed ; and if fo, this Confideracion ought in reafon to have an Influence on the Suedijh Counfels, and engage them to make the EngUfli trade wich them as eafy as poffible, that the Merchants be not driven upon new Defigns.
As to our Importations thither , it has already been faid, that they fcarce amount to one third of what we export from thence, and confift chief- ly of Cloth, Stuffs, and other Woollen Manufa- ctures, of which has been formerly vended year- ly there to the Value of about foooo I. Befides [1* 1]) thefe, Tobacco, New-Caftle Coals, Pewcer, Lead, Tin, Fruits, and Sugar, with feveral other of our Commodities are fold at this Market ; as alfo good Quantities of Herrings from Scotland, with other of their Wares, that in all we are fuppofed to vend Goods to about 1 00000 /. a Year, where- of if any more than half be paid for, it is extra- ordinary. But the making of Cloth in Sueden to fupply the Army, &c which has been formerly endeavoured without Succefs,being now encoura- ged and aflifted by the Publick, and undertaken by fome Scots and others, has of late, and does now prove a great Hindrance to the Vent of our Cloth there. And to favour this Undertaking, Englifi Cloth is now, (unlefs it be fuch finer Cloths as cannot be made here) clogg'd with fuch exceflive Duties, as render the Importation C1?2! of it impracticable. Thefe Undertakers have got Workmen from Germany, and fome from England, and befides the German Wooll they ufe, they re- ceive great Quantities from Scotland (fuppofed to
K be
66 An Account of Sueden.
be purchafed out of England) without which they cannot work. "Yet as at prefent, the English Trade in Sueden is of the Importance above-men- tion'd , notwithstanding the Abatements afore- faid, it is however considerable, and will be fo, whije their Commodities continue to be neceffa- ry, and thofe that are concerned in it, will de- ferve as they need 3 Protection and Encourage- ment.
The laft Treaty of Commerce between the Two Nations, expired feveral Years ago ; and that of an older Date neither fuits the prefent
[in] State of Things, nor has been thought by the Suedes to fubfifr. ; tho' now for their own Inte- reft they infift upon the contrary ; accordingly their Treatment of the EngliJI) is only in refe- rence to their own Convenience. And as the Subject of former Complaints ftill remains, fo new Bnrrhens are frequently impofed upon them : Sometimes they have demanded of Merchants that were leaving the Countrey , a fixth Part of the Eftates they had got in it, and arretted their Effects upon that Account. And befides others that more directly concern their Trade, the quartering of Soldiers, and paying of Contribu- tions has been exacted for fome Years, and fometimes the EngliJI} forced to fubmit to it.
[15*4] In the Year 1687, upon their Petition to the King, for Redrefs of thefe Impofitions which were then very high ; upon fome above 70 /. upon others 40, 50, &c. befides that fuch of them as kept Houfe had Soldiers quartered upon them, fome 3, 6, or 8 ; in anfwer to their Peti- tion, a Vlacaet was publifhed, declaring that they fhould be exempt from thofe Payments ; but with- al, that no Foreign Merchant mould continue to Tr ^c in Sueden above Two Months in a Year, unisfs he would become a Burgher. In purfu-
ance
An Account of Sucdcn. 6y
ance of which Refolution , their Ware-houfes were fhiic up for ibme Time, and the Suedes feem refolved to proceed to Extremity : but have not put that Refolution generally in Execution, tho' they feem to wait for an Opportunity, and now and then they try it upon particular Perfons , to [ic-c] fee how Foreign Princes will take it.
The Law that exacts the third Part of fuch Foreign Merchants Eftates as die in Sueden, has not in EfTed been fo beneficial to the Suedes as frightful to the Merchants, who ( efpecially the Englifh) for that and other Reafons, never think of marrying, and fettling there, fo long as their Affairs are in good Order, and they in a Condi- tion to return Home with a Competent Eftare and Credit ; upon which Account England feems to be lefs concerned to endeavour the Repeal of that Law, it being more ufeful to have Sueden a Nurfery for young Merchants, than a Place of Settlement for thofe that have got Eftates.
CHAP. XV. Of the Suedifli Conqnefl. [If6j
THE ancient Expeditions of the Goths, and the Kingdoms they ere&ed in France, Sp*m9 Italy and elfewhere, upon the Ruins of the Rowan Empire, have little Connexion with the preienc State of the Countrey, and only fhews, that their Nation was then much more Populous and Pow- erful, than it has been in later Times , which is generally afcrib'd to the Ufe of Polygamy among them, while they were Heathens ; but the Con- K 2 que ft s
68 An Account of Sueden.
quefts which continue to be beneficial to Sueden at this Day, are of a much later Date.
[if 7] For it was not till the Year if 60, that the Suedes got Footing in Liefland, when the Knights Temples, who were Matters of thofe Parts, being overthrown by the Muscovites, King Erick of Sue- den was invited by the. Inhabitants of Revell, and the Country adjacent, to take them into his Pro- tection, which he confented to ; and the Door being thus open'd, the Crown of Sueden has by degrees wrefted from the Poles and Mufcovites the greateft part of Liefland, and fome Provinces of Rujfla adjoining to it ; Countries of ineftimable Value to Sueden^ as, which both cover it from the Incurfions of the Poles and Mufcovites, and furnifh it with plentiful Supplies of Corn and other Commodities ; befides the Benefit it reaps by the vaft Trade of thofe Parts. On the Side of
[lj8] Denmark, befides Tempter land and Hercadale, Two Northerly Provinces lying oppofite to Norway, they have recovered the rich Countries of Scho- nen, Hallandznd Blecking, which join to the Body of Sueden, and gave the Danes, while they pof- fefs'd them, free Entrance into the very Heart of the Country. They have alfo got from the Danes the Territory of Bahnus, which prevents all In- roads from that Side of Norway. Thefe, toge- ther with the Countries of Pomerania and Bremen, are fo confiderable, that their Writers own, that the prefent Royal Family hath augmented the Kingdom near one half ; only with this Difad- vantage, that all the Neighbours of Sueden are thereby difobliged, and watch all Opportunities to retrieve their Lofles j fo that Sueden can never firmly depend upon the Friendship of Denmark, Poland, Mufcovy, or any other Neighbouring
[159] Princes.
CHAP,
An Account of Sueden. 6<?
CHAP. XVI.
Of the Intereji of Sueden.
THE great Domeftick Intereft of Sued<n has been of late thought to confift in the Advancement of the King's Revenue, and Au- thority at Home, in order to make him more formidable Abroad ; To that the Nation has had no Intereft diftind from the King's; as the King on the other fide would feem to have an infeparable Connexion with the Profperity of his Subjects in general, and moft efpecially of the Yeomanry or Peafants, who are accounted the Bafis of the Kingdom, rather than the Tia- rI($0l ding Part ; therefore though the Peafants have ""
not been fpared from bearing a confiderable Share of the common Burthen, yet more Care has been taken to make it fit eafy upon them than upon the reft, and they delivered from the Oppreflion of their Fellow Subjeds, which they formerly laboured under : The Encouragement of Trade and Manufactures is alfo the King's Care, and great Wonders are expected from it ; but doubtlefs there is much more in their Ima- ginations, than will ever be found in the Ef- fed. m
It is alfo found the King's Intereft to keep the Nobility and Gentry very low. In Matters of Religion his Majefty has no other Intereft than to maintain the prefent EftabliOiment, and keep the Clergy to the due Performance of their Du- ty, which admits of little or no Difficulty. [l6i]
In
/
o An Account of Sueclcn.
In general, the chief Dorneftick Intereft of the King of Sutdtn is to preferve the Government in its prefent State, and fecure it fuch to his Suc- ceffors ; it being conftituted fo much to the Ad- vantage r ! {loyal Family, that in that re- gard it can hardly be bettered by any Change.
In -elation to Foreign Affairs, it is apparent- ly the Intereft of Sueden ,to avoid all Offenjive War, as being already in the quiet Poffeffion of as 09 •' .- d Provinces on all fides as it can
weii dej i hough more would not difpleafe ih:.m, if .lv.\ could be got with Safety; to maintain a gwv ~ Correspondence with Mofcovy by a due OV.r-. ion of the Treaty lately con-
[162] eluded, and endea our to end the Point of Separa- tion of the Limits,whichistheon!yMatter that can be like .0 create Trouble on that fide wich Poland. Sueden has little Occafion of Difference, or Reafon to apprehend any Quarrel; neither does it feem the Intereft of Sueden to aim at any further Enlargements in Germany, but rather to ufe all ,good Offices to preferve the Treaty of Munfier, as the Foundation of its Right to Vome- ran'ia and Bremen; which Provinces are of fuch Importance to Sweden, as rendring it much more confiderable to all Europe than it would otherwife be, that they will never be parted with, fo long 2s Sueden is able to defend them.
The Intercourfe with Denmark has feldom been friendly,nor have there ever wantedGrounds of Quarrels, when the Conjunctures were favour-
[165] able; though at prefent Sueden feems to have lit- tle Occafion of Mifintelligence with that Crown, unlefs on the account of the State of Affairs A- broad, and the feveral Intercfts they have to mind therein : Their Agreement in Point ofTrade feems to cement them, but their Emulation in re- gard of a Mediation, and in other Points, is as
likely
An Account of Sue Jen. 7 1
likely to keep them at a Diftance ; nor is it at all probable thev ever will, or cm fo far furmounc their mutual Diftrufts, as actually to take. part on the fame Side, fettt in regard of their own Af- fairs, Sueden ha? gained fo much from Denmark al- ready, an^ the Intereft of the Trading Part of Eu- rope is fo much concern'd to hinder it from getting more, that being alfo inferior to Denmark by Sea, it is not probable it will in many Years have any Defign of enlarging its Territories farther on that Side, though it has undoubtedly a longing Defire [164] to Norway, which would make ic the fole Mailer of all Naval Stores. And Denmark is fo much weaker at Land, ih^t Sueden has no Reafon to ap- prehend it, unlefs Domeftick Confufions do hap- pen, which in all times Denmark has been ready to foment, and has frequently profited by them ; and it is not very' improbable, but it may, in not many Years, have an Opportunity of doing fo again ; for which Reafon efpecially it is the In- tereft of Sueden to carry fair, and live at Peace with Denmark.
In Point of Alliances, the lefs Sueden can de- pend upon its Neighbours, the more careful it has been to entertain Fi icndfhip further from Home, efpecially with France ; which fiift began about 15- o Years ago between Francis the Firft, [i6>] and Guftavuf the Firft, arid Tubfifred till of late Years, that the Emperor's Pai ty Ufas thought more agreeable to the Na ib'ri's Intereft, which it has accordingly efpou-
Th. ' lp of England or Holland, or both,
has ever been accounted indifpenfibly necefiary to Sueden, in regard of its Weaknefs by Sea , n . i- th&tt&SSueJeri hitherto engaged in anyWar, where both thofe N .ere Parties : And iffuch a
Cafe mould happen, 'tis riot to be doubted but Sueden would ule all poftible means to obtain a
Peace;
7~
An Account of Sueden.
Feace ; for that the Country cannot fubfift with- out a quick Vent of its own Commodities, and continual Supplies of fuch Neceffaries as it mud receive from Abroad, of which it is very unufu- al to make any Provifion before-hand, or lay [166] up greater Stores than what one Winter con- fumes.
C H A P. XVII.
An ExtraSi of the Hijiory of Sueden.
THE Original of the SueMfh Nations which their Hiftorians afcribe to Magog, Son of Japhety whofe Expedition thither they placed in the Year 88 after the Flood, is built upon fuch uncertain Conjectures, as neither deferves to be mention'd,nor credited, any more than the Names of the Kings fuppofed to fucceed him, invented by the Writers to fill up the Vacuities of thofe dark Times, of which other Countries, more [167] likely to have been firft Planted, can give fo little Account ; therefore though the Country might poflibly have been early inhabited, yet nothing of Certainty can be known of it, till the coming of Othinus, or Woden, who was driven out of Afi* by Vomfey the Great, about Sixty Years before the Birth of Chrift. From this Woden, who (as their Hiftories report) conquer'd Mufccvy, Saxony, Sue- den, Denmark and Norway, all Northern Nations have been ambitious to derive their Extraction ; with him the Heatbenijh Religion, that afterwards prevail'd in the North, Witchcraft, and other like
Arts
[i<S8]
An Account of Sucdcn. 73
Arts were brought in ; as alfo the Cuftom of raifing great Heaps of Earth upon the Graves of Perfons of Note, and engraving of Funeral Infcriptions upon Rocks and Stones, which yet remain in all Parts of the Country.
To V/oden, afcer his Death, Divine Honours were paid, as the God of War ; and as the two firft Days of the Week were named after the Sun and Moon, and Tuefday after 7V or Difa, an Ancient Idol, fo Wednesday had its Name from him, as Thurfday from Thor, and Friday from Frigga, which Three laft were long the chief Objects of the Northern Idolatry. The Succef- fion of the Kings after Woden is full of Confu- fion ; the Nation being fometimes parcel'd into feveral little Kingdoms, fometimes into Two, Sueden and Gotbia ; often fubjeft to Denmark or Norway, and fometimes Mafter of thofe Coun- tries, as alfo of others more diftanr, where the Goths, that forfook their Native Soil, happened to plant themfelves ; but when, or on what par- ticular Occalions they made thofe Migrations, is not certainly known, nor how long they had been Abroad when they firft began to infeft the [169] Roman Empire, about 300 Years after Chrift.
That the Saxons, who were called into England about the Year 470, were originally a Colony of Goths, is conjectured from the Agreement of their Language, Laws and Cuftcms. But that the Suedes and Goths, joined with the Danes and Nor. wegians in their Invafion of England, about the Year 800, we are affured from our own Histori- ans, that exprefly mention them, with the Cha- racter of Barbarous and Pagan Nations, as they then were ; and the fame may be concluded from the many Sixon Coins, that are frequently found in Suedtv, and in greater Variety, than in England,
L which
74 dn Account of Sueden.
which feem to have been the Dane Gilt, or Tri-
[170] bute that the Nation then paid.
The Normans alfo, who about that time fettled in France, were in part Natives of this Country, fo that England, together with the Miferies that accompanied thofe Conquefts, owes a great parr of its Extraction to thefe People.
But to pals on to Times of more Certainty; it was about the Year 8;o, that the Emperor L«- dwhus Pius fent Anfgarius, afterwards Archbifliop of Hamburgh, to attempt the Conversion of the Suedes and Gotht, who at firft had little or no Succefs ; but in his Second Journey, fome Years after, he was better received,- and baptized the King Olaus, who was afterwards martyred by his Heathen Subje&s, and offered in Sacrifice to their Gods ; nor did Chriftianky become the general
LI7IJ Religion of Sueden till about a Hundred Years after, when it was planted by the Englijh Bifhops formerly mentioned, fent for thither by another Oluut; in whofe time the Kingdom of Sueden and that of Gothia were united, but became af- terwards to be feparated again, and continued fo near Two Hundred Years ; when they were again join'd, on Condition that the Two Royal Families fhould fucceed each other by turns, as they did for the Space of One Hundred Years, but not without great Diforders, and much Bloodfhed.
This Occafion of Quarrel, which ended in the Extirpation of the Gothick Family, was fucceeded by another ; for IValdemer, Son of Berger, Jerk or Earl, who was defcended from the Royal Fa- mily of Sueden, being at that time cho- 1290. fen King, by his Father's Advice, he created his Three Brothers Dukes of
"1723 Finland t Sudermanland, and Smaland , with fuch
a Degree of Sovereignty in their refpective Duke- doms.
An Account of Sueden. 7 5
doms, as enabled them to difturb their Brother's Government ; who was at laft forced to refign the Kingdom to his Brother 1279. Magnus, which he left to his Son Berger, 129Q. who lived in continual Diflention with his Two Brethren, Erick and IValdemar, till he took them Prifoners, and famifh'd them to Death, up- on which he was driven out of the Kingdom, and fuccecded by Duke Erick's Son
Magnus, who was perfuaded to fuffer his Son Eric& to be chofe King of Sueden 15 19. jointly with himfelf, as his other Son Haquinus was of Norway.
Both thefe Brothers made War upon their Fa- ther, who thereupon caufed the Eldeft to be poi- foned, the other Haquinus, being reconciled to [in{\ his Father, married Margaret, the Daughter of Waldemar, King of Denmark, in whofe Perfon the Three Northern Kingdoms were afterwards united. This Magnus being depofed for his ill Govern- ment made Place for his Sifter's Son
Albert, Duke of Mechlenburgh, of whom the Suedes were foon weary, and 1 ; 6% . offered theKingdom to Margaret, whofe Husband Hacjuinus had left her Norway, and her Father Denmark. King Albert, therefore, being beaten in a pitch'd Battel, was taken Prifoner by this
Margaret, who fucceeded him, and ena&ed the Unlonoi the Three Crowns i;88. into a Law ; which was ratified by the States of thofe Kingdoms, but proved much to the Prejudice of Sueden, and to the Advantage of [174] Denmark, which People had always the Art or Luck to get their King's Favour, and render the Suedes and Norwegians iufpeded ; conformable to Queen Margaret's Advice to her Succeflbr ;
L 2 Sueden
j 6 An Account of Sueden.
Sueden frail feed you, Norway frail cloatb you, and Denmark frail defend you. At her Requeft the Three Nations chofe her young Nephew
Erick of Vomer ania, referving to her 1336. felf the Government during his Mino- rity, which (he out- lived, and had time to repent ; at laft (he died of the Plague, in the Year 1412. This Erick married Vbillippa, the Daughter of Henry the IVth of England : Of her their Hiftories relate, that Copenhagen being be- fieged, and King Erick in Defpair retreating to a Monaftery, (lie took the Command of the City, [175:] and beat the Befiegers, but afterwards having in the King's Abfence fitted out a Fleet that was unfuccefsful, at his return he fo beat and abufed her, that (he thereby mifcarried, and retiring in- to a Cloyfter died foon after.
The Oppreflion the Suedes lay under from Strangers, and to whom the King committed the Government of Provinces, and the Cuftody of all Caftles, contrary to the Articles of the Union, made them at laft throw off the Yoke, and re- nounce their Allegiance to King Erick ; in whofe place they fubftituted the General of the King- dom, Carl Knutefon, with the Title of Protector ; which he held about Four Years, till they were perfwaded to accept
Chriftopher of Bavaria, whom the
1440. Danes and Norwegians had already cho-
fen : His (hort Reign gave the Suedes
[176] new Difgufts to the Union ; lb that upon his
Death they divided themfelves, and chofe
Carl Knutefon to be their King, who 1448. had before been their Prote&or, and remains a memorable Example of the Viciflitude of Fortune. For after he had Reign- ed Ten Years, he was driven out by a Danifr Fa-
ftion.
An Account of Sweden. 77
etion, and retiring to Dant&ick, was reduced to great Want.
Cbriftian of Oldenburg, King of Den- mark and Norway, fucceeded him, and 14^8. renewed the Union j which was ibon diflblved. Chrijlian, after a Reign of Five Years, being turn'd our,
Carl Knutefon was reftored to the Crown ; which he held only Three 146;. Years, being over-power'd by a Fa&ion of the Clergy, and forced to forfwear the Crown, and retire into Finland, where he again fell into [177 Want. Upon his Depofition, his Daughter's Husband
Erick Axelton was made Governor of the Kingdom, which was miferably fhatter'd by Fa- ctions, of which the Bifliop were the greatefi Ring- leaders, in Favour of Chrijlian of Denmark, whom they endeavoured to reftore ; but their Party be- ing wortted,
Carl Knutefon was the Third Time re- ceived King of Sueden, and continued 1468. fo till his Death ; upon which
Steno Sture, a Nobleman of Ancient Family, was made Protector of the 1471. Kingdom ; which he defended a long timeagainft King Chrijlian, and his Succeflbr to the Crowns of Denmark and Norway, but was ac laft forced to give place to
John, who again reftored the Union r^g
of the Three Crowns ; but purfuing 1497. his PredecefTor'sSteps in Opprefling the Nation, and Employing of Strangers, he was foon expell'd the Kingdom,
And Steno Sture was again made Pro- tector ; and he dying, i>-ji.
Sutnti
78 An Account of Sueden.
Suanto Sture fucceeded in the fame 1 904. Quality. He had continued Wars with King John all the Time of his Govern- ment j which at his Death was conferred on his Son,
Steno Sture the Younger, who with-
i?i2. ftood the Danifh F3&ion which the
Archbifhop of Upfal headed ; till dying
of a Wound he receiv'd in a Skirmifli againft the
Danes,
Chriftiern , or Chrifiian the lid King of Den- mark and Norway > was advanced to the Crown of Sueden , but behaved himfelf fo tyranically, [179] and fhed fo much innocent Blood , efpecially of the Nobility , which he defign'd utterly to root out, that his Reign became intolerable ; and the whole Nation confpired againft him, under the Conduct of
Guftavm the Fir ft, defcended from if 21. the Ancient Kings of Sueden , whofe Father had been beheaded, and his Mo- ther had Two Sifters imprifon'd by Chriftiern. He was at firft received Governor of the King- dom, and Two Years after had the Regal Dig- nity conferr'd upon him. And as the Danes and Norwegians had alfo expell'd King Chriftiern, who had married Charles the Vth's Sifter, and repair'd to the Imperial Court for Succour ; which he could not obtain to any Purpofe, being upon his Landing in Norway defeated , and taken Pri- [180] foner ; in which State he continued to his Death : Therefore Guftavus was freed from all further Trouble on that Account, and at Liberty to re- drefs the Diforders of the Kingdom , which were great. His firft Conteft was with the Clergy, who had been the Authors of much Confusion infor- mer Reigns : To prevent which for the future, he took all Occafions to diminifti their Revenues, 2 reuniting
An Account of Sucdcn. 79
reuniting to the Crown all the Lands that had been given to theChurch the Iaft Hundred Years; which, togerher wirh the Reformat i<n of Religion, difquieted the firft Ten Years of his Reign, and occafion'd frequent Commotions : Which being over, the Remainder of his Time pafs'd without any Difturbance at Home, or Wars Abroad; fave only with Lubecky and fometimes with Mof- covy.
Hitherto the Kingdom of Sueden had for feve- [181] ral Hundred Years been Eletlive, but was at this Time made Hereditary tothe Malelffuc of Guftavus, in a Right Line of Succeflion ; wirhRefervation, that in Default of fuch Iffue, the Right of Election fhould return to the Eftares. Guftavw, by his Three Wives, had Four Sons, and feveral Daugh- ters. His Eldeft Son , Erick, was to fucceed to the Crown ; John was made Duke of Finland ; JMagnu*, Duke of Oftrogotbia • and Charley Duke of Sudermanland : whereby thofe Provinces were in a manner difmember'd from the Crown : An Error in Policy that Sueden has fo oft fmarted for, that they have fince made folemn Refolutions ne- ver to be guilty of it again. Thus having, in his Reign of Thirty fix Years, brought the King- dom into fuch a flourifhing Condition, as it had [182] not feen in many Ages , and entail'd a Crown upon his Family, in which it ftill continues, he left it to his Son
Erick, who was thereby hinder'd from profecuting his intended Voyage to 1^9. England, with Hopes to marry Queen Elizabeth. He Reigned Nine Years ; Five of which he kept his Brother John clofe Prifoner, upon Sufpicion of his defigning to fupplant him ; as he finally did, but not before Erick his making a Peafant's Daughter his Queen, and by feveral Cruel and Difhonourable Actions had loft the
AfFetfi-
So An Account of Suede n.
AfFe&ions of all his Subjects ; fo that he was without much Difficulty depofed, and condemn- ed to a perpetual Prifon, where he ended his
.18;] Life. Upon his Depofition, the Crown came to John HI. nctwithftanding the States 1 $68. of the Kingdom had engaged their future Allegiance to King Erich's Son, that he had by the Queen before Marriage. The War with Mofiovy, which began in King Erick\ Time, about Liefland, was carried on by this King with good Succefs, and feveral Places taken ; to which not only Moflcovy , but Poland and Den- mark alfo pretended ; for as the Knights Tempters had transferr'd their Right to Liefland upon Po- land ; fo the Mufcwvites had agreed to deliver it to Magnus, Duke of Holslein , the King of Den. mark's Brother ; in Confideration of a fmall Ac- knowledgement to the Cz,ar of Mufcovy , as the Supream Lord : So that Four great Nations
["184] claimed this Countrey at once, which poffibly might facilitate the Suedift Conquefts.
This Prince's Reign was difquieted by his At- tempt to alter the Eftabliflied Religion, in which he made confiderable Progrefs ; but was fome- times in doubt, whether he mould endeavour an Union with the Latin or Greek Church ; to the former of which he at laft declared himfelf; but could not prevail with his Subjects to follow his Lxample. He kept his Brother Erick Ten Years inPrilcn, and then thought it neceflary for Safe- ty to have him poyfon'd, according to the Ad- vice which it is faid the States of the Kingdom had given.
His Brother Magnm did not minifter any
Li8f] Caufe of Sufpicion, being difturbed in his Brain,- and uncapable of having any Dellgn.
But his Brother Charles gave him fufficient Oc- cafion of Jealoufy, and it was not without great
Difficulty,
An Account of Sueden. Si
difficulty, that things were kept from coming to an extremity between them.
After a Reign of Thirty Six Years King John died by the Fault of an ignorant Apothecary, there being then no Phyiieians in Sueden • to him fucCeeded his Son
Sigifmund, whofe Mother was Cathe- rine, a Princefs of the Jagellan Family i ^92. in Poland: To which Crown, Sigifmund had been Elefted Five Years before his Father died : His Brother John was in his Minority ; fo that his Uncle Charles had the Government of the Kingdom, till Sigifmund came from Poland ro be Crown'd in Sueden, which was not till about a L1 S6] Year after his Father's Deceafe. His Coronati- on was retarded fome Months, by the Difficulties that arole about the Points of Religion, and the Confirmation of Privileges: All which were at laft accommodated, and the King after a Years Hay in Sueden, returned to Poland, leaving the Kingdom in great Confufion, which daily in- creas'd.
So that at his return fome Years after, he was met by his Uncle at the 179S. Head of an Army, which defeated the Forces the King brought with him. Whereupon an Accommodation being patch'd up, he returned to Poland, leaving his Uncle to manage the Go- vernment. Which Port he held, till the States being weary of Sigifmund, and having in vain [iS~] brought him to confent to his Son's Advancement to the Crown, which his Brother John alfo re- fufed : They confen'd it upon his Uncle Charles the 9th, who thereby became engaged in a War with Poland, as he was already with Mufcovy ; the Scene of both being in Liefland, where the Suedes loft Ground, till the 1604. Affairs of Mufcovy fell into fuch Con-
M fufioiij
Si An Account of Suedcn.
fufion, that they were forced to give Sueden a Peace, that they might have its Affiftance a- gainft rhe Poles and Tartars; which was granted upon Terms very advantageous for Sueden, and fenr. under the Condu&jQf Count Jacob de laGar- die, who did Mttfcovy great Service ; but ihe Mus- covites failing to perform the Conditions ftipu- lated, he broke with them, and took the City [188] of Novated, and difpofed the Inhabitants, with others of the Neighbouring Provinces, to defire Prince Charles, (Philip the King's younger Son) to be their Czar; which was fo long in treating about, that the Opportunity was loft.
The Year before this King's Death, a War broke out with Denmark ; in which State he left the Kingdom to his Son
GuftavHs Adolphus, who having ended 1611. the War with Denmark, by the Media- tion of James the ift, of England, ap- plied himfelf to that in Liefland and Mujcovy : To the Borders of which he fent his Brother, not with an Intention to procure hisEftabliftiment in that Throne, which he rather aimed at for him- felf; but to induce the fortified Places adjacent to [189] Finland 2nd Liefland, to accept of Suedijh Garri- (ons in Prince Charles Philip's Name, which fuc- ceeded in a great Meafure, till another was cho- fen Czar ; with whom, after various Succefs on both Sides, a Peace was concluded by the Medi- ation of England 2nd Holland; by which Sueden, befides part of Liefland, got the Country of Inger- mmland, and the Province of Kexholm, with fe- veral fortified Places, and wholly Jhut out the Mufcovites from the Eafi Sea.
The Poliflj War, that had fome ffiort Intervals of Truces, was of a longer continuance, and no lefs beneficial to Sueden ; which, in the Courfe
of
An Account of Sucdcn. 83
of it, took Riga, and all other Places the Poles had
in Liefland, except only one Fore, and thence
carried the War into Prujjia with the like Succef?,
till at laft by the Interposition of England, France, [190]
&c a Truce was concluded for fix Years.
This gave Guftavur Leifure to engage in the German War, to which he was both provoked by the Emperor, and encouraged by others. The Year following he began that Expedition, and on June i\» arriving in the Mouth of the Oder, he Landed his little Army that confifted of Six- teen Troops of Horfe, and Ninety-two Compa- nies of Foot, making about Eight Thoufand Men, which, befides other Additions, was aug- mented by Six Regiments of Engliflt and Scotch under Duke Hamilton, but more by the King's incredible Succefs.
Upon his firft Approach, Stctin and all [i*?*]
Pomerania fell into his Hands. The Year Sept. 7. following having joined the Elector of i6;i. Saxony, he gave the Emperor's Army under General Tilly, a total Overthrow near Liepfig: Whence he traverfed Franconia, the Pa- latinate, Bavaria, &c. till the next Year at the Battel of Lutzen ( where his Army was again victorious) he was treacheroufly kill'd, (as 'tis believed ) by Francis Albert, Duke of Saxon Lav- emburgb ; not only to the great Joy of the Imperia- lists, but of France and other his Friends, who en- vied and feared the farther Increafe of his Great- nefs. By his Death the Crown fell to his Daughter,
Chr'tHina, a Princcfs of Five Years old, in [i92l whofe Favour her Father had gained the States of the Kingdom to alter the Hereditary Union, as 'tis ftiled, which reftrained the Succeflion to the Male Line. In her Minority the Chancellor Axi I Oxenfiicrn had the Direction of the SuediJJ) Afiairs M 2 in
84 An Account of Suedcn.
in Gettttanj/'- where the War was profecuted with Variety of Succefs, but much to the Advantage of Sueden ; which was poifefs'd of above a Hundred fortified Places, and had an Army exceeding 1 00000 Men, when Prince Charles Giiftave was Generaliffimo ; a little before the Conclusion of the Treaty of Munjier, by which Sueden ob- tained for its Satisfaction , the Dukedoms of
L1^] Pomerania, Bremen and Vcrden, with the City of Wifmar, and a Right of Seffion to Vote in the Diets of the Empire, and Circle of Lower Saxony, as aifo the Sum of Five Millions of Crowns. The Queen had for feveral Years entertained a Refoiution to quit the Crown, which fhe at laft effetfted ; and after having procured Prince Charles Guftavus, to be declared Hereditary Prince (whom the States would gladly have had the Queen married, but neither he nor (lie were in- clined to it ) with much Solemnity (he diverted ~ , her felf of the Crown, and releafed her * an' ' Subjects from their Allegiance, which 1 *4* the fame Day was conferred upon Charles Guffaws, who the Year following made War upon Poland, to revenge the Affront done to him, in protefting againft his Admiflion to the Crown ; his Progrefs at firff. furprized not only
[194] Poland, bur alarm'd all Europe; for in three Months time he had taken all Prujfia, except Dantz,ick ; a great Part of Lithuania, the Cities of War faiv, Cra- cow, and other Places in the Greater and Leffer T eland Moft of the People of thofe Provinces fvvearing Allegiance to him, as being Deferted by King Cafimir , who was Med into Silefia : But this Career of Profperity did not long continue ; the firft Confirmation being over, the Poles were as ready to fall from him, as they had been to embrace his Party ; befides^ the Emperor j Mofcovy,
and
An Account of Sucden. 85
and Holland, became his Enemies, as alfo Den- mark • which gave the King of Sueden an honourable Occafion of quitting Poland, where he could not long have fubfifted. Having there- fore left his Brother, Prince Adolph, Governor of Trttjjia, he haftened to Denmark, which he riqc~j foon reduced to a Neceffity of Buying Peace at the Price of the Provinces of Schonen, Halland, and Bleaking, which was concluded in the fol- lowing Spring, but broke out again in few Months.
The King of Sueden unexpectedly land- , R ing an Army the following Summer in ' Seelandt, where he took the Caftle of Cronenburgh at the Entrance of the Sound, but had not the like Succefs at Copenhagen, which was befieged and ftormed in vain ; and being the following Sum- mer relieved by a Fleet from Holland, the Siege was turn'd into a Blockade, and continued To till Charles Guftave, having by his bold and fuccefs- ful Attempts in fix Years time drawn upon Sueden the Enmity of almoft all Europe, was taken away by a Fever, and left the Crown to his Son
Charles XI. the prefent King, whofe [19^
Miniflers obtain'd Peace with Poland, 1660. Mofcovy, the Emperor, Brandenburgh, Hol- land and Denmark, upon Honourable Conditions, which continued till it was interrupted by the late War ; of which an Account has been given already.
FINIS.
BOOKS Printed for Tim. Goodwin.
TH E whole Works of his Grace Dr. John TiUotfon, late Lord Archbifliop of Canter- bury : In 5 Vol. in Fol. With large and exact In- dexes to them all. Vol. I. contains all thofe pub- lifh'd in his Life-time ; the 7th Edition. Vols. II, III. thofe publifh'd fince by Dr. Barker ; con- taining 200 Sermons, Difcourfes on feveral Sub- jects : His Prayers for the Ufe of King William : His Difcourfe to his Servants before the Sacra- ment, &c. The 2d Edition.
Tuffendorff of the Law of Nature and Nations, done into Englijl). Fol.
Lexicon Technicum : Or an Univerfal Englijli Dictionary of Arts and Sciences ; explaining not only the Terms of Art, but the Arts them- felves. By John Harris, D. D. and F. R. S. In Two Volumes, Folio.
Reflections upon Ancient and Modern Learn- ing. To which is now added a Defence thereof, in Anfwer to the Objections of Sir William Tem- ple, and others. With Obfervations upon the Tale of a Tub. By W. Won on, D. D. Alfo a Dif- fertation upon the Epiftles of Themijlocks, Socra- tes, Euripides, &c. and the Fables of es£fop. By R. Bentley, D. D. Third Edition Corrected.
— Hiftory of Rome, from the Death of 'Antoninus Vius, to the Death of Severw Alexander. By W. Wotton, D. D. Ottavo.
— Let-
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— Letter to Eufcbia, occafion'd by Mr. To* land's Letters to Serena, Svo.
Rights of the Clergy in the Chriftian Church
afferted. In a Sermon preach'd at Newport-Pagnel in the County of Bucks, Sept. 2. 1706. With a Vindication of that Sermon, from the Excepti- ons made to it in a Pamphlet, entitl'd, A Defence of the Rights of the Christian Church. 8vo.
Leges Marchiarum, or Border-Laws : Contain- ing feveral Original Articles and Treaties, made and agreed upon by the Commiffioners of the Refpe&ive Kingdoms of England and Scotland, for the better Prefervation of Peace and Com- merce upon the Marches of both Kingdoms ; from the Reign of Henry III. to the Union of the Two Crowns in K. James I. With a Pre- face, and Appendix of Charters and Records, re- lating to the Treaties. By William Lord Bifhop of Carlifle. Svo.
Memoirs of Denzil Lord Holies, Baron of Ifield in Suffex, from 1641, to 1648. Svo.
Mifcellanea. The Third Part. Containing,1 1. An Effay on Popular Difcontents. 2. An Eflfay upon Health and Long Life. And, %. A Defence of the Efiay upon Ancient and Modern Learning. With fome other Pieces. By Sir W. Temple. Svo.
Letters to King Charles, the Prince of Orange, the Chief Minifters of State, and other Perfons. By Sir W. Temple. Being the ;d and laft Volume. Publifll'd by Jonathan Swift, D. D. Svo.
Afnby and White : Or the Debates of the Houfe of Commons in Jan. 1704. concerning fome Proceedings in Law in relation to an Election at Aylesbury. Containing the Speeches of Sir Simon Harcourt , Marquis of Hartington ( now Duke of Devonjliire ) , William Cowper Efq; (now Lord Cowper), Mr. Harley (Chancel- lor
Books Frintedfor Tim. Goodwin.
lor of the Exchequer), Sir Edward Seymour, Sir Chrijiopher Mufgrave, Mr. Dormer , ( now one of the Judges of the Common- Pleas, Sir Gilbert DoU ben, Sir Humphrey Mackworth^ Sir Jofeph Jekyll, Sif'Thomas Powys, Sir Thomas Littleton, Sir John Hawks, Mr. Lowndes, Mr. Freeman, Sir Peter King, &c on that Occafion. Together with the De- fence made by Sir Francis Pemberton and Sir 7#o- mas Jones, for the Judgment in the Cafe of Jay and Tophant. With other Cafes. In Svo.
Lex Parliament aria : Or a Treatife of the Law and Cuftom of the Parliament of England. By G. P. Efq;
Magna Britannia tfotitia : Or the Prefent State of Great- Britain, with divers Remarks upon the Ancient State thereof. By John Chamberlayne, Efq,\ The 24th Edition of the South Part called England ; and the ;d of the North Part called Scotland ; with Improvement, and more exact and larger Additions in the Lift of Officers, &c, than in any former Impreflion.
The Fables of <^£fop, and other Eminent My- th ologifts, with Moral Reflections. By Sir Ro- ger L'Eftrange, Knt. The Fifth Edition. Svo.
Dr. Stanhopes Paraphrafe and Comment on the Epiftles and Gofpels. In Four Volumes, Svo.
Echard's Roman Hiftory, with the Continuati- on. In Five Volumes, Svo.
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