An account of Sweden together with an extract of the history of that kingdom

5PECIAJJ

QQiU

t)OUQLAS

LibRARy

queeN's UNiveRSiry

AT kiNQSHON

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

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.

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