191.

    Ernestus.

Ernestus and Harfagar are fictitious characters.  Puffendorff, however, reports that Steen Sture was killed by the treachery of one of his confidential friends.—­The hint of the vision, l. 281-311, is taken from Lucan.

335.

    Brask’s proud genius.

Brask, Bishop of Lincoping, was secretly a partisan of Christiern’s, and escaped the massacre of Stockholm by an artful contrivance.  When the order for Trolle’s arrest was signed by the Senate and Bishops, at the instigation of Steen Sture, he added his name to the rest, but secretly slipped under the seal a note, declaring his dissent:  of this he informed Christiern, when under the edge of the axe.  On Gustavus’s insurrection, he at first remained neutral:  afterwards, being besieged in his castle by Gustavus, he came over to him.  But his invincible obstinacy and factious disposition were a great obstacle to Gustavus in the introduction of Lutheranism into his kingdom.

336.

    Bernheim.

Bernheim is a fictitious character.

337.

    Theodore.

Theodore, Archbishop of Lunden, is thus characterized by Vertot: 

“L’Archeveque de Lunden avoit beaucoup de part dans sa confiance.  C’etoit un homme de basse naissance, sans erudition, et meme sans habilete; mais savant dans l’art d’inventer de nouveaux plaisirs, et qui en connoissoit egalement tous les secrets et les assaisonnemens.  Il etoit redevable de sa faveur et de son elevation a Sigebritte (the well-known mistress of Christiern):  elle l’avoit d’abord introduit a la cour pour lui servir d’espion:  il passa ensuite tout d’un coup (here we must suspect some exaggeration), par le credit de cette femme, de la fonction de Barbier du Prince a la dignite d’Archeveque, et il se maintint dans sa faveur en presentant a Christierne des plaisirs qu’il savoit accommoder a son gout.”  P. 108, 109, Amst. ed.

Christiern, having first employed Theodore in an official commission, appointed him Administrator of Sweden in his absence.  On the news of the Swedish rebellion, that prelate, fearful of losing the ample opportunities he now possessed of indulging his voluptuousness and rapacity, sent an immediate express to his master, who ordered him to assemble his army, and attack the insurgents.  In conformity to these orders, he occupied an advantageous post on the banks of the river Brunebec:  Gustavus was on the opposite side, and he intended to dispute the passage with him.  But, through natural cowardice, or a sudden fit of alarm, he quitted his station, like Hector; and flying for safety from one fortress to another, was at last obliged, like Trolle, to take refuge in Denmark.

371.

    The factious souls, &c.

While Christiern was exercising his cruelty towards the Swedes, the Danish nobility, offended at his usurping absolute power, combined against him under the auspices of Prince Frederic, and finally succeeded in expelling him from Denmark.  The rebellion began in Jutland.