CHAPTER XXII.

DENMARK FROM 1648 TO 1730.

Differences between Denmark and Sweden-Hard terms enforced by nobles on Frederick III. of Denmark-Queen Sofia Amalia's jealousy of the Ulfelds-Conduct and success of Korfitz Ulfeld-War against Sweden -Assault of Copenhagen by Charles X.-Peace-Denmark's mortification-Insults of Swedes-Defence of Copenhageners-Success of Swedes -Character of Frederick III.-Help from the Dutch-Treaty and Peace of Copenhagen-The different orders rise against the noblesConduct of Bishop Svane, and of Nansen, chief magistrate of Copenhagen —They force the nobles to give the king absolute power—Monarchy changed without bloodshed-The power remaining to the noblesColleges of State appointed-The Minister Griffenfeld-His acts-His character and fate-Cruelty to the Ulfelds-Their fate-Christian V. first hereditary monarch-The titles of Counts and Barons first used in Denmark-Extravagance of Court-War with Sweden-Bad fortune of Danes-Troops hired out for pay-Olaus Römer-His many useful inventions-Bigotry of king and Court-Cruelty to the peasant classes -Christian V. is succeeded by his son Frederick IV., who had been neglected by his father and not trained to rule-Frederick has to make peace with his enemies-Has to contend with William of OrangeHolstein-Gottorp-The type quarrel-Subjugation of Duchy by Denmark-War in the North-Frederick's merits as a ruler-His queen's extravagance in building - Public calamities-Efforts to convert heathens-Colonies in Greenland- Troops hired out-State of the peasantry-Number of schools-Great preponderance of educated people in Denmark.

PART I.

DENMARK HUMBLED.

Frederick III., 1648-1670.-IN the present chapter we have to consider the course of events in Denmark during the latter half of the seventeenth and the earlier part of the eighteenth century, while the immediate successors of the great Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden were continuing by their conquests and personal achievements to draw the attention of all Europe to

that kingdom. In Denmark the same period of time, although marked by great and most important internal changes, presented little or nothing to excite the wonder or admiration of foreign nations. Sweden had absorbed the interest of Europe, and made the great powers value her alliance in proportion as Denmark continued to fall away from her former reputation; and when her able king, Christian IV., died in 1648, baffled by the nobles in all his efforts to benefit his kingdom, and crushed under the weight of their tyranny, it seemed as if Denmark must inevitably sink into the condition of an oligarchy, and that independent sovereignty would cease to have even a nominal existence.

Some months elapsed after the death of Christian IV. before the Council would elect his son Frederick to the throne, but towards the close of the year 1648 the nobles offered to proclaim him king of Denmark if he would sign the charter which they submitted to him. The conditions which they imposed upon the prince were harder than any ever before enforced in Denmark, but Frederick, seeing no present way of escape, agreed to them, and thus found himself almost a slave in the hands of his own council, without whose consent he could not leave the country, make peace or war, or exercise any of the powers of a king. While Frederick and his ambitious queen, Sofia Amalia, were thus little more than puppets in the State, the Ulfelds by their wealth and power, were able to maintain a brilliant position, and to eclipse the court in respect to the magnificence of their entertainments and the number of their attendants. These circumstances helped to increase the jealousy which the queen had long felt for the beauty, wit, and accomplishments of Eleanore Kristine Ulfeld, and having awakened the king's distrust of his sister, she never rested till she had destroyed the happiness of this unfortunate couple. Ulfeld's conduct in negotiating the peace with Holland, by which the Dutch were allowed to evade the Sound dues on the payment of a sum of money, and his administration of the finances under the late king, were made grounds of accusation against him; and feeling how little chance of justice he had, he escaped from Copenhagen by night with all his family, and, after many wanderings in Holland and elsewhere, went to Sweden, where

he was received with every mark of respect. The confidence placed in him by Queen Christina and her successor led him to turn traitor to his own country, and even to take an active share in the war against Denmark.

Fatal War with Sweden.-This war, which broke out in 1657, was the most fatal in its results that the Danes had ever known, for after enduring the disgrace of seeing one Danish province and island after the other overrun by the Swedish troops under their king, Charles X., and even Copenhagen itself threatened by the enemy, Frederick III. had to sign an unfavourable treaty of peace, drawn up by his foe, Korfitz Ulfeld, by which he gave up to Sweden Trondhjem and Aggerhus in Norway, the old Danish provinces of Skaania, Halland, and Bleking, besides the islands Lessö, Anholt, Femern, and Bornholm, and the lands of the Ditmarshes. He was also obliged to resign to Sweden half of the Sound dues, twelve ships of war, and a large sum of money in return for the damage done by the Danes to the fortresses in the territories of the Swedish king's brother-in-law, Duke Frederick III. of Holstein-Gottorp. In addition to these very severe terms, Charles X. had insisted on the restitution to Korfitz Ulfeld of all his forfeited lands in Denmark, and the liberation of Duke Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp from all future obligations of dependence on the crown of Denmark. Frederick III. had no alternative but to submit, and so crushed were the Danish armies, that when, in 1658, the Swedish king broke faith with the Danes, and appeared before the walls of Copenhagen with a large fleet, the troops would scarcely exert themselves to defend the capital. The burgher and working-classes showed, however, much more spirit, and determined at the cost of their lives to repel the invaders, who had roused their fury to the highest pitch by declaring that "the Swedes intended to seize upon the kingdom first, and give their reasons afterwards, for as it was evident Denmark's end had come, it could matter little whether the king's name was Frederick or Charles."

The success of the Swedes was at first not so great as they had anticipated, but their superior numbers enabled them to seize upon the castle of Cronborg and other points of defence commanding the passage of the Sound; and the unhappy city

would have had to surrender for want of provisions had not the Dutch admirals, Opdam and De Witte, forced their way through the opposing Swedish fleet, and brought food and help to the starving citizens. When Charles of Sweden found his schemes thus thwarted, he determined to take the city by assault, and on the night of the 10th and 11th February, 1659, his generals, Stenbock and Sparre, led a storming party against the fortifications of Copenhagen. The citizens, who had received warning of the intended assault, were, however, well prepared to defend themselves, and, after a desperate conflict, in which many women took part by throwing burning brands and boiling tar on the heads of the assailants, the Swedes had to fall back, leaving 2,000 dead and wounded in the hands of the Danes. Relinquishing his attack on Copenhagen for the moment, the Swedish king turned upon the small islands of Laaland, Falster, Moen, and Langeland, which were made to expiate the offence of having supplied the city with provisions, and were overrun and subjected to all the horrors of invasion by troops to whom every excess and license were allowed. King Frederick showed great fortitude and sagacity in the fearful position in which he found himself placed, and while he gave his subjects an example of personal valour and great powers of endurance, he succeeded by his earnest representations to foreign powers in securing the attention and intervention of France, England, and Holland. A conference was held at the Hague, in accordance with whose decisions a Dutch fleet, under Admiral de Ruyter, was sent to the aid of the oppressed Danes.

By the help of the Dutch admiral De Ruyter the Danish king was enabled to send an army, composed of Danes and allied troops, to the relief of Fyen, where they obtained decided advantages over the Swedes, whose commanders, the Count Palatine of Sulzbach and Count Stenbock, were barely able to make their escape, and with a remnant of their forces to join King Charles at Korsör. After an unsuccessful invasion of Norway by the Swedish king, his sudden death in February 1660 brought this disastrous war to a close, and King Frederick of Denmark joyfully concluded a peace with the widowed queen, regent of Sweden, which was signed at Copenhagen on the 27th May,

X

1660. The terms of this treaty were hard upon Denmark, which only recovered Trondhjem in Norway and the island of Bornholm, and had to submit to the unconditional surrender in perpetuity of Skaane, Halland, Bleking, and Bahus, but the kingdom had sunk so low that peace had to be bought at any price.

PART II.

ABSOLUTE POWER ESTABLISHED.

Frederick's sudden change of power.-It would be impossible to conceive a more hopeless position than the one in which King Frederick III. of Denmark found himself in the very year when his cousin, Charles Stuart of England, was restored to the throne of his forefathers. The kingdom was laid waste, the treasury was empty, and the monarchy seemed in the last stage of its existence, when King Frederick, in his great need, called together a meeting of the States in Copenhagen, and laid before them a true account of his necessities. The nobles as usual tried to throw off all responsibilities from themselves to the other orders of the State, and appealed to their special privileges of exemption from taxes. This unworthy conduct roused the anger of the burgher classes, who were conscious that it was owing to them alone that the kingdom had not been thoroughly subjugated by the Swedish king in the late war; and when the nobles refused to give anything to defray the expenses of the siege, the town council of Copenhagen, headed by their burgomaster, Hans Nansen, made an appeal to the king for the curtailment of the privileges of the nobles. The clergy, under the guidance of the learned and ambitious court-preacher, Bishop Svane, seconded their proposals, and joined with them in a demand for an inquiry into the terms on which the crown fiefs were held, with the further view of having these valuable tenures given to the highest bidder, without respect to rank. While these motions were being made within the hall of assembly, the gates of the city were closed by order

1 Anne, wife of James I. of England and VI. of Scotland, and grandmother of King Charles II., was the aunt of the Danish king, Frederick IIL