THE PRESENT STATE OF DENMARK By GVY MIEGE Author of the New Cosmography or Survey of the whole World LONDON Printed for Tho. Basset at the George in Fleetstreet near St. Dunstan's Church 1683. To His Royal Highness THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE GEORGE THE KING of Denmark's only Brother May it please Your Royal Highness THE Liberty I take to offer You this Work is not out of Presumption It is a Debt I come to pay an Homage I come to render to Your ROYAL HIGHNESS 'T is Your R.H. has occasion'd it upon the News of your happy Marriage with the Princess Which has diffused so great a Joy through the whole Nation that it had certainly broke out into Extraordinary and Publick Demonstrations at any other Conjuncture However it has created a Desire to know the estate of a Kingdom which has given us so Illustrious a Prince by his Birth so famous for his Courage and so Amiable by that Sweetness of Disposition which has already gained him so many Hearts in this Realm Therefore to satisfy the Publick I have undertaken this short Description of the State of Denmark in writing of which I had the advantage of speaking well of Denmark without having need to flatter And I am perswaded it will be so much the more Acceptable to Your ROYAL HIGHNESS and the Publick If it shall have the Fortune to please 't will be no small Satisfaction to me and I should think my self very happy to have done Something that had the Honour to be approved by so great a Prince For whom my Prayers to Heaven shall be to pour down its most benign Influences upon Your ROYAL HIGHNESS to crown your Marriage with a glorious Off-spring that this happy Alliance may prove an eternal Bond of Amity between the two Kingdoms of England and Denmark and that Your ROYAL HIGHNESS may all the days of your Life be the Delight of your Friends and Terrour of your Enemies I humbly beg of Y. R. H. to accept of these Marks of the Zeal I have for your Service and to believe that none can be with more Veneration than I am YOVR ROYAL HIGHNESSE'S Most humbly devoted Servant GVY MIEGE READER HERE you have a Short but Comprehensive Description of the State of Denmark which may be called Multum in Parvo The Occasion for Writing of it is easy to guess at Before the late Marriage of GEORGE Prince of Denmark with the Lady ANN the English had no other Interest in that Countrey but that of a Northern Trade And the Truth is few People minded it but such as traded that Way But now these two Crowns are come to a closer Vnion 't is worth our while to look back and to consider the State of that Monarchy wherein the English Nation has so great an Interest in the Prince's Person A Monarchy which has been in former times most formidable both to France and England and which has to this day the Command of the Baltick in a far better manner than the Venetians can pretend it of their Gulf. A Monarchy of great Latitude if we consider all the accessory Estates to the Crown of Denmark as the Kingdom of Norway with the Isles of Schetland Feroe and Iseland besides the Coast of Groenland in Terra Polaris Arctica and New-Denmark in the Northern America In Germany West of the Dutchy of Bremen the King of Denmark has got of late years the fruitful Counties of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst In Africk he has Frederixburg upon the Coast of Guinea besides some Holds in Asia As for the Kingdom of Denmark it self which is the main Thing of all I have had the advantage of knowing the Country not only by reading Authors upon that Subject but also by my own Experience when I was there an Attendant on the Right Honourable the Earl of Carlisle in his Northern Embassy's What material Changes have hapned there since I got out of my Memoires So that you have really in this small Tract the State of Denmark both Ancient and Modern Wherein you will find not only Geography but a great deal of History both Civil and Natural POSTSCRIPT Upon the finishing of this Book at the Press I was not a little surprised to see another get the start of it being of this very size upon the same Subject and bearing the same Title The Style whereof might have been more polite the Matter better digested the Impression much neater and the Faults less numerous had not the Book as I am informed been hurry'd into the World for the preventing of This. But some People will run though they make more Haste than good Speed ERRATA PAge 7. l. 2. for was read has p. 10. l. 12. for upon r. of p. 17. l. 13. 14. r. most part p. 31. l. 16. blot out formerly p. 108. l. 23. r. 64th p. 111. last line r. to drive p. 127. l. 10. r. to the Czar THE PRESENT STATE OF DENMARK A Prefatory Discourse of the Rise and Progress of this Monarchy THE State of Denmark the Description whereof I take in hand has been in former Ages a great and formidable State Gotricus or Godfrey was the first King of Note that took upon him the Danish Government Which hapned in the Year of our Lord 797. And 't was about this time that the Danes first began to infest the Coasts of England that they invaded Frizeland with a Fleet of 200 Sail and would have indangered the great Monarchy of France if the Death of Godfrey and the Quarrels that arose about the Succession after his Decease had not kept them off At last their Affairs at home being composed again they employ'd their whole Forces against England as the weaker Enemy This hapned in the beginning of the ninth Century that is in the time of Egbert the last King of the West-Saxons and the first of England Which being now reduced from a State of Heptarchy into that of a Monarchy was unhappily disturbed by these new Guests Who having filled up the void Rooms of the Juites and Angles in Jutland formerly called the Cimbrick Chersonese thought it convenient to follow them into Britain also So that next to the Saxons the Danes were the most considerable Actors in the Stage of England Where they continued about 225 years during which time they first erected many small Sovereignties Till after several Checks given them by King Alfred his Son Edward and Athelstan Edward's Son they were at last brought by King Edred under the English Government and compelled by him to be christened So that they lived with the English mixed in Marriages and Alliance and incorporated with them But toward the latter end of the tenth Century in the Reign of King Ethelred a weak Prince the Danes began again to grow upon the English Insomuch that the King was sain to buy his Peace of them at the yearly Tribute of ten thousand Pounds inhanced soon after to forty thousand A vast Sum in those Times which was
raised upon the Subjects by the name of Danegelt Till at last King Ethelred weary of these Exactions and willing to shake them off plotted with his Subjects to kill all the Danes as they slept in their Beds Which Plot took effect according to expectation on St. Brice's night Nov. 12. Anno 1012. Sueno was then King of Denmark to which Crown he added Norway by Conquest He being a right Valiant Prince heard no sooner of the Nocturnal Exploit of the English but he prepared a mighty Fleet in order to revenge so great an Outrage and Dishonour done to his Nation He came over himself with his Fleet unto England and the dreadful noise of his Approach compelled King Ethelred to fly Away he goes into Normandy leaving his poor Subjects to the Mercy of a cruel Invader who breathed nothing but Revenge The Danes having thus by the Valour and good fortune of Sueno their King recovered their Power in England obtained at last the Kingdom in the Person of his younger Son Canute A Temperate Prince and who did really deserve the Title of Great Besides the Crown of England he got the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway upon the Decease of his Brother Olaus and conquered that of Sweden Thus he was King of England Denmark Norway and Sweden But unhappily for his Posterity he opened a way to their Exclusion from the Crown of England when he sent back his Danish Forces into their Country A very Impolitick Act as if a Kingdom got by Force could be held by Favour 'T is true he reigned twenty Years and at his Death left the Crown of England to Harold his base Son But then the Danes Interest here grew so weak that in less than seven years this Crown returned to the Saxon Line For King Harold reigned but four years and died without Issue To whom succeeded his Brother Hardy Canute King of Denmark who reigned here but about two Years and was the last King of the Danish Race in England Thus the Danes had here in all but three Kings of their Nation viz. Canute the Great and his two Sons Harold and Hardy Canute who reigned here all three but about 26 years To Hardy Canute succeeded his half Brother Edward surnamed the Confessor the seventh Son of Ethelred by Emma his Queen Goodwine Earl of Kent being the main Instrument in setting him up The Saxon Line being thus re-inthroned we must now follow the Danes into Denmark and take a view of their Transactions in the North. Canute the Second aforesaid had a Sisters Son called Sueno who was his next Successor but one in Denmark This Sueno restored the Kingdom of Norway to the Norvegians But it was again united to Denmark in the Reign of Aquin King of Norway by his Marriage with Margaret Daughter of Waldemar the Third King of Denmark that is above three hundred Years ago In which State it has continued ever since Aquin being dead his Widow Queen Margaret took up the Reins of the Government And not being contented with two Crowns she ventured them to get that of Sweden as a Crown that had gone away from her Ancestors and that by course should have fallen to the share of her Husband Albert of Mecklemburg was then King of Sweden This Semiramis of the North challenges him as an Usurper raises an Army against him fights him routs his Army and takes the King Prisoner So that Albert was fain to resign his Crown to Margaret as her due This brave Queen having thus united the three Kingdoms under her Command caused an Act of State to be passed in Calmar one of the chief Towns in Sweden for the Perpetuation of this Union unto her Successors the Law and Privileges of each Kingdom continuing as before they were Her immediate Successor was Eric Duke of Pomeren her own Sisters Son Him she adopted for her next Heir and he was accordingly chosen in her life time King of the three Kingdoms into which he succeeded actually after her Decease Anno 1422. Having reigned about 27 years he resigned his Kingdoms Anno 1439. This Resignation was followed by an Anarchy which lasted six years At last viz. Anno 1445 Christopher Count Palatine of the Rhine and Nephew of Eric being the Son of Margaret his Sister was chosen by the joynt Consent of all the States of these Kingdoms He reigned but three years and died without Issue Whereupon the Swedes grown weary of the Danish Government broke the foresaid Agreement made at Calmar and chose a King of their own The Danes on the other side considering the great Advantage they had got by the Addition of Norway pitched upon Adolph Duke of Sleswick and Earl of Holstein for the next Successor that they might get in those Estates to their Kingdoms But he excused himself by reason of his Age and want of Children and commended to them Christiern Earl of Oldenburg his Nephew and next Heir who was accordingly chosen An. 1448. Adolph dying some years after King Christiern succeeded him in the Estates of Holstein and Sleswick continuing ever since united unto that Crown And from this Christiern the Succession was hitherto continued in his Line As for the Crown of Sweden 't is true the Danes recovered it in the time of the said Christiern For Charles Canute King of Sweden whom the Swedes had chosen on the Death of Christopher King of Denmark and Sweden being upon discontent fled to Dantzick where he ended his days Christiern was called in by a Party of the Swedes and crowned King of Sweden But he was outed again under colour that he had not kept Conditions with them Christiern dying Anno 1482. his Son John succeeded him and the Swedes then overpowred by the Moscovites received him as their King But their turn being served they expelled him also To John succeeded Anno 1513. his Son Christiern the Second the Nero of the North who recovered once more the Crown of Sweden But he used his Subjects so insolently at home and his Victory in Sweden so cruelly that he was driven out of Denmark by his Uncle Frederick and out of Sweden by Gustave Eric descended from the ancient Kings of Sweden Thus the Danes recovered no less than three times the Crown of Sweden till they were utterly dispossessed of it by the foresaid Eric Anno 1523 in whose House it has continued ever since And such is the Vicissitude of humane Affairs that whereas in former Ages the Crown of Sweden was subject to Denmark in this our Age that of Denmark was twice reduced to such straits by the Swedes that the whole Kingdom of Denmark was in a manner confined within the Walls of Copenhagen and then in the greatest Distress imaginable All which hapned within the compass of four years viz. in the years 1657. 1658. 1659. 1660 under the late Reigns of Charles the Ninth King of Sweden and of Frederic the Third King of Denmark The History of which Wars you will find accurately written by Sir
't is observable besides that in Imitation of the Picts Wall in England there was within few miles South of Sleswick a long Trench and Wall from the one Sea to the other so broad that a Chariot or two Horsemen a breast might ride upon it The same was first built by Gotricus or Godfrey King of Denmark in the time of Charles the Great either to stop the Current of his Victories or to hinder the daily Incursions of the Saxons The Tract thereof still very easy to be seen is called Danewark to this day South of the Dukedom of Sleswick lies that of Holstein A woody Country called Holstein from the Dutch word Holt which signifies a Wood or Forest The River Eyder divides it Northward from Sleswick Westward it is bounded partly with the Elb and Eastward with the Baltick The River Elb one of the five great Rivers of Germany divides it from the Dukedom of Bremen and further Southward it is bounded with the Dukedom of Saxen Lawemburg This Country is divided into four principal Parts viz. Dithmarsen North-westward Holstein properly so called Stormaren Southward and Wageren North-castward First Holstein specially so called together with Stormaren was made an Earldom by the Emperour Lotharius Anno 1134. in the Person of Adolph Earl of Schomburg who had deserved well of him in his Wars And when Christiern Earl of Oldenburg was called to the Crown of Denmark Anno 1448 he having gotten Dithmarsen of the Emperour Frederick the Third prevailed so far as to have the whole Estate erected into a Dukedom to be held by him and his Successors of the sacred Empire The famous Hanse-Towns of Hamburg and Lubeck that on the Elb and this on the Trave both on the Borders of Holstein and Germany are reckoned as Towns of Holstein though neither of them subject to the King of Denmark nor to the Dukes of Holstein Hamburg is of that part of Holstein which is called Stormaren about sixteen German miles from Bremen in Germany six East of Staden and eight West of Lubeck It is built at the Influx of the Alster into the Elb in a large Plain with fat and rich Pastures round about it the Ships coming up to it a great way with the Tide This is an ancient City great populous beautiful and rich and a Place of vast Trading There is the old and new Town both surrounded with good Walls and well fortified The Buildings for the most part are of Brick the Streets somewhat narrow but the publick Structures very fair especially the Council-house adorned with the Statues of the nine Worthies carved with very great Art then the Exchange or Meeting-place for Merchants and amongst the Churches S. Nicolas and S. Catharines Church this last having a marble Chair with Figures of Alabaster and Ornaments of Gold most delicately wrought It is observed says Heylin that there were in this Town at one time 177 Brewers when there was but forty Bakers one Lawyer and one Physician The Reason of which Disproportion was that a Cup of Nimis was their usual Physick that Bread was counted a Binder and so not to be used but in case of Necessity and that their Differences were sooner ended over a Can than by course of Law This formerly was the Staple Town for English Cloth from whence on some Discontents it was removed to Stade and at last to Holland Anciently Hamburg was an Archbishops See founded by Charles the Great but transferred to Bremen Anno 850 with the Consent of Lewis the then Emperour Moreri says that Hamburg was sometime subject to the Archbishops of Bremen that afterwards the Hamburgers were under particular Lords of their own and at last came to be under the Dukes of Holstein But Heylin having told us that this City was repaired by Charles the Great and walled by the Emperour Henry the Fourth says further that it was accounted since that time an Imperial City and made one of the Hanse upon the first Incorporating of those Towns Which notwithstanding upon a Controversy arising about that time betwixt the Earl of Holstein and the People of Hamburg this Town was adjudged to belong to the Earls of Holstein and that Determination ratify'd by Charles the Fourth Anno 1374. In pursuance whereof the Hamburgers took the Oath of Allegiance to Christiern Earl of Oldenburg the first King of Denmark of that House as Earl of Holstein acknowledging him and his Successors for their lawful Lords But since that time they have slip'd their Necks out of the Collar and having took upon themselves to live as a free State they only pay some small Duty to the King of Denmark as Duke of Holstein and that rather by way of a Toll upon the account of Gluckstad that lies betwixt Hamburg and the Mouth of the River Elb than on any other account However the King of Denmark seems to have a just Claim to Hamburg and he never draws near it with any Forces but the Hamburghers jealous of their Liberty and perhaps conscious of their Guilt put themselves into a Posture of Defence In order to which besides their constant Garrison and the promised Assistance of the rest of the Hanse-Towns upon all occasions they can raise about fifteen thousand Citizens in Arms to stand for their Liberty Lubeck the chief of all the Hanse Towns was at first but a goodly Borough which Adolphus Earl of Holstein built Anno 1143. in the time of the Emperour Conrade III. But it was so well priviledged by the said Earl and his next Successors that in a short time it bid defiance to its Founders and was made a Dukedom of it self By the Emperour Frederick I. it was united to the Empire but after his Death they chose themselves another Duke Who having governed them five Years was subdued by the Danes and the City made subject to that Kingdom In which Condition they remained till delivered by the Emperour Frederick II by whom being infranchised again it became Imperial and was afterwards listed amongst the Hanse Towns Anno 1500. John King of Denmark attempted to reduce this City under his Obedience which War broke out again in the year 1509 and then the Swedes espoused the Lubeckers Quarrel Anno 1547 in Charles the fifth's time they sent their Deputy's to the Emperour to get a Continuation of their Privileges for which they presented his Imperial Majesty with 100000 Crowns Anno 1562. they ingaged in a War with Eric King of Sweden which War continued till the year 1570. Ever since this City has been in a flourishing Condition And though it has been burnt down several times particularly in the year 1238 yet it raised it self always out of its Ashes T is built upon all the sides of a rising Hill on the top whereof stands the Church of St. Mary whence is a descent to all the Gates of the City affording to the eye a most pleasing Prospect The Buildings are very beautiful and all of Brick the Streets strait and even
Cattel being the two main Things that are exported out of Denmark the first by Sea and the last by Land over into Germany the Incomes of Custom-houses as to other Commodities are not exceeding great But on the other side the Accession of the Crown-Lands is not inconsiderable In short the Kings Revenues are such that he keeps a handsom Court and maintains a good Fleet with several Garrisons he has in his numerous Forts and Frontire-Places As to the Forces which he is able to raise that may best be seen by some of his Royal Predecessors particular Undertakings As of Christiern II who at the Request of Henry II. of France sent a Fleet of a hundred Sail into Scotland and therein no fewer than 10000 Souldiers And of Frederick his Uncle then Duke of Holstein who in his Wars against this Christiern whose Removal from the Crown he had projected brought 50000 Men into the Field to make good his Quarrel In short considering the many Ports and Islands this Crown is Master of both within the Baltick and without it cannot be but the King may suddenly raise a strong Power at Sea And then considering that each of the Nobility which are here numerous enough is bound to find a certain number of Horse upon all Occasions as are those also who hold Lands of the King which the Danes call Verlehninge there is no doubt but he is able to make good Levies for a sudden Service especially in defence of his Dominions For State-Affairs the King has his Council of State with whose Advice he determines either of Peace or War enters into new Leagues or Confederacies and imposes Taxes upon his Subjects as occasion requires In this Juncture of time this Court seems engaged with France with an Eye upon Sweden in order perhaps to recover from that Crown by the Assistance of France what has been formerly extorted from the Crown of Denmark by the Treaty of Roschild Schonen is a fine Country East of Seland which till that Treaty belonged to Denmark and if the King of Denmark should attempt to recover it by such means as God has put into his hands 't were but repelling Force by Force and endeavouring to regain that by Force of Arms which Charles Gustave by the terrour of his Arms extorted from Frederick I pass by the Act of Calmar whereby the Swedes bound themselves to a perpetual Union with Denmark under the lawful Successors of Queen Margaret Which Act was afterwards confirmed upon the Coronation of Eric her immediate Successor For all Causes and Controversies such is the Constitution of this Crown that they are first to be decided in the Herets or Prefectures where they first arise From whence it is lawful to appeal to the Judge of the Province from him to the Chancellor of the Kingdom and finally to the King and Council Having said thus much as to the Government of Denmark and of the King as Supreme thereof I shall now present you with the Chronological Succession of the Kings of Denmark with an Historical Abstract of those Kings Lives that have any thing worth taking notice of The Danish Authors make a great Catalogue of fabulous Kings since King Dan which being unwilling to impose upon the Publick I shall freely pass over I could begin as Heylin with Gotricus whom he looks upon as the first Legislator of the Danes and the Establisher of their Kingdom But I shall content my self to begin with Harold the first Christian King of Denmark that settled the Christian Religion in those Parts and who began his Reign about the Year 927. The Chronological Succession of the Christian Kings of Denmark since the Year 927. Anno Chr. Reigned 927 HArold I. 48 Years 975 Sueno I. 35. Years 1010 Olaus 10. Years 1020 Canute I. 21. Years 1036 Canute II. 9. Years 1045 Magnus 4. Years 1049 Sueno II. 27. Years 1074 Harold II. 2. Years 1076 Canute III. 9. Years 1085 Olaus 10. Years 1095 Eric I. 7. Years 1102 Harold III. or Nicolas 33. Years 1135 Eric II. 4. Years 1139 Eric III. 8. Years 1147 Canute IV. 8. Years 1155 Sueno III. 2. Years 1157 Waldemar I. 28. Years 1185 Canute V. 18. Years 1202 Waldemar II. 40. Years 1241 Eric IV. 9. Years 1250 Abel 2. Years Anno Chr. Reigned 1252 Christopher I. 7 Years 1259 Eric V. 28. Years 1286 Eric VI. 35. Years 1321 Christopher II. 12. Years 1333 Waldemar III. 42. Years 1376 Margaret with Aquin 36. Years 1412 Eric VII 27. Years 1445 Christopher III. 3. Years 1448 Christiern I. 34. Years 1482 John 32. Years 1513 Christiern II. 10. Years 1523 Frederick I. 11. Years 1534 Christiern III. 24. Years 1559 Frederick II. 29. Years 1588 Christiern IV. 60. Years 1648 Frederick III. 22. Years 1670 Christiern V. the present King  Harold I. according to our Account was converted to the Christian Faith seeing for a Proof of it a Clergy-man carry a burning hot Iron in his hands without any hurt Whereupon he became the Apostle of the North and prudently governed his Dominions His Son being still a Heathen waged War with him and slew him in a Battel Sept. 1. Anno 980. That Son was Sueno I. otherwise called Swain his immediate Successor At first a great Enemy of the Gospel as well as an Usurper of the Throne in his Father life-time and a great Scourge unto the English Being outed of his Estate by Eric King of Sweden he received the Gospel regained his Kingdom and re-established Christianity in it his War on England still continuing He was King of Denmark by Birth and of Norway by Conquest Which last he conquered from Olaus then King of Norway After Sueno's Death both Denmark and Norway fell to the share of his eldest Son Olaus whilst his younger Son Canute fixed in England Olaus having reigned Ten years in the North and dying without Issue left his two Crowns to his Brother Canute I. surnamed the Great but the second Canute in the general Account His Father Sueno being dead he went on in his Conquests against King Edmund surnamed Iron-side who succeeded Ethelred After some Disadvantages he at last came off victorious in a field-Fight Then he challenged his Rival to a single Combat which made them Friends but he obliged him to divide his Kingdom with him Not long after which Edmund having been basely murdered by Edward surnamed the Outlaw his eldest Son King Canute brought the Murderers to a condign Punishment and took upon himself the Government of the whole Kingdom After that he conquered Sweden and brought the Crown of Scotland to a state of Vassalage He married Emma the Widow of Ethelred and Daughter of Richard Duke of Normandy In the year 1027 he went in Pilgrimage to Rome and died eight years after leaving the Northern Crowns to Canute and England to Harold his base Son He had a Daughter called Elfgine who was married to the Emperour Henry III. Canute II second Son of Canute I was first of all King of Denmark and
afterwards of England upon the death of his elder Brother Harold who died not long after his Coronation Anno 1040. He was kindly received by the English but he proved very unkind to ' em For he caused several of the chief Men of the Kingdom to be put to death and he oppressed the People with heavy Taxes To avenge the Injuries done to his Mother Emma by Harold he caused him to be digged out of his Grave and his head to be cast into the Thames Two years after his coming to the Crown he went to a Wedding in Lambeth where he fell off his Chair and died Some thought he had been poisoned However he being dead the English took up Arms and made a riddance of the Danes This is that King Canute which was commonly called Hardy Canute To him succeeded King Magnus in Denmark who governed that Kingdom the space of four years He was Son of Olaus King of Norway Sueno II was Sisters Son of Canute I according to our account by Ulso an English Duke 'T was he that restored the Kingdom of Norway to the Norwegians Harold II was Son of that Sueno There is nothing memorable of him that I can find at present but that he was surnamed the Idle Canute III was Brother of that Harold He attempting to recover England was murdered at the Altar in the Church of St. Albans Anno 1081 and after that ranked among the Martyrs A Son of his called by his Name did likewise suffer Martyrdom and was canonized a Saint Anno 1164 by Pope Alexander IV. The Church of Rome celebrates his Day on the 19th of January I suppose this is that Canute who was murderin the Church of Odensee in Funen whom Heylin mistakes for his Father As for Olaus I find nothing of him that 's memorable Eric I surnamed the Good was Brother of Canute the Saint He being a Religious Prince took a Voyage to Rome and afterwards to the Holy Land with his Queen Bochilde and he died in Cyprus Harold III was base Son of Eric 'T is said he was murdered by his own Brother Eric II called the Bastard a cruel and passionate Prince was also assassinated Eric III Son of Anna Sister of Eric II succeeded him He was surnamed the Lamb because of his sweet Nature But he had no Fortune in his Wars with the Swedes At last he retired into a Monastery and there died Canute IV. was slain at a Feast by his Successor Sueno III who was likewise murdered by his Successor Waldemar I Son of Canute the lawful Son of Eric I by whose means the Rugians and Vandals embraced the Gospel He was the first that reduced the Laws into a set form and Writing And by his Laws the Bishops were to sit with the Council of State in all Causes of moment But they were discharged from that Employment by King Christiern III. Canute V. was the Son of Waldemar and of Sophia Sister to Canute the Fourth Having reigned some time with his Father he at last succeeded him He made War to the Pomeranians and is said to have been married to Mathildis Daughter of Henry the Lion Duke of Saxony Waldemar II Brother of Canute the Fifth was Duke of Sleswick before his coming to the Crown Eric IV Son of Waldemar the Second was married to Agnes the then Marquess of Brandenburgh's Daughter He shewed a great deal of good Conduct in his Government But he was murdered by his Brother Abel the second Son of Waldemar the Second Who did not long enjoy his Usurpation For two years after he came to the Crown by an Act more Cain than Abel-like he was kill'd himself by the Boors in the Friseland War And it is said that the Place where he was inhumed swarmed with Spirits and strange Apparitions Christopher I the youngest Brother of the foresaid Abel and Eric was no Admirer of Prelates He reigned with a various Fortune and at last was taken Prisoner in his War against the Earls of Holstein Some Authors are of opinion that he did not die before the year 1268. Eric V surnamed the Old was Christopher his Son His Reign of twenty eight years was blessed with Peace and Plenty but he was slain by the Practices and Treason of his Officers Mathildis Daughter of Albert called the Great Duke of Brunswick was his Queen By whom he had amongst other Children his Son and Successor Eric VI surnamed the Young who supplanted Christopher his Elder Brother He began his Reign with a severe Punishment of his Father's Murderers He took Rostock now a Hanse Town in Mecklemburg and some other Places and he married with the Sister of Birger King of Sweden by whom he left no Issue Christopher II elder Brother of Eric added the Island of Rugen to the Crown of Denmark and gave Rostock in fief to the Dukes of Mecklemburg The Earls of Holstein beat him out of his Kingdom and he was twice restored to it Waldemar III was Son of Christopher A stout Prince but unfortunate in his Wars with the Hanse Towns which confederated against him and vanquished him in many Battels Margaret Daughter of Waldemar the Third gave her self in Marriage to Aquin King of Norway and so united the Kingdoms They had a Son named Olaus a hopeful Prince but he died young Aquin her Husband and Olaus her Son being dead she stood still at the Helm and not contented with two Crowns she put in for a third In short she attempted by force of Arms to recover the Crown of Sweden She raised a fine Army and appeared at the head of it Albert Duke of Mecklemburg was then King of Sweden He was Son of Euphemia the Sister of Magnus IV. of Sweden and got that Crown to the prejudice of Aquin the Husband of Margaret For you must know that Magnus IV. King both of Sweden and Norway had two Sons Eric and Aquin aforesaid Eric his eldest Son was his designed Successor in the Crown of Sweden whilst in his Life-time he bestow'd the Crown of Norway upon Aquin. Eric dies before his Father and after his death the Father himself was outed of his Kingdom by the practice of Albert his Nephew aforesaid Queen Margaret therefore having raised a good Army undertook to do her self Justice and to dispossess Albert of his Inchroachments By that time Albert was grown a worse Tyrant than his Predecessor which made the Nobility that had raised him up to the Throne seek the means to unthrone him So that all things seemed to concur for the Success of Queen Margarets Design And indeed such was her Valour and the Fortune of her Arms that she gave the Swedes Battel in the Year 1387 defeated their Army and took their King Prisoner A bloody Battel it was says my Author Albert was kept Prisoner for the space of seven years To get his Liberty he freely resigned his Kingdom to Margaret and so went to his own Country where he died Upon his Resignation Anno 1394 she caused
an Act of State to be passed in Calmar for the Perpetuation of this Union unto her Successors In short this was a Princess of a Temper so far beyond her Sex that all Historians cry her up as the Wonder of her Age and a second Semiramis Before she died she was sollicitous to find a worthy Successor Ingelburgis her Sister offered her one namely Eric her Son whom she got by Vratislaus Duke of Pomeren Margaret accepted of him and got him crowned in her Life-time Anno 1396 with the Concurrence of the States of the three Kingdoms The Arch-bishop of Upsal performed the Ceremony and thereupon a Law was made that the three Kingdoms should never be separated This Eric the seventh in our Account begun his Reign in the year 1412 and was Knight of the Garter His Cruelties rendred him so odious to his Subjects that they rose up in Arms every where against him Anno 1424 he went to the Holy Land And in the Year 1439 weary of swaying the Scepter he retired into Pomeren where he lived twenty years longer So that he was no less than 77 Years old when he died During that Retirement 't is supposed by some that he writ the History of Denmark which begins thus Dani ut testantur veteres Historiographi Eric having thus resigned his Kingdoms to live a private Life there was an Interregnum for the space of six years till Christopher III. came in by Election He was Duke of Bavaria but in Title only Son of John Count Palatine of the Rhine and of Margaret Sister of Eric Though he was very mild in his Government yet his Subjects were disgusted at him for bestowing the great Places of Trust upon Germans which he had promised to confer upon the Natives He marry'd Dorothy of Brandenburg and after a Reign of three Years died without Issue Whereby he made way to the Crown for the House of Oldenburg the present Royal Family of Denmark And then the Swedes weary of the Danish Government chose a King of their own Charles Canute without any regard to the Act of Calmar Christiern I Earl of Oldenburg was Son of Theodorick Earl of Oldenburg and of his Wife Hedwige Sister of Adolph Earl of Sleswick and Holstein Which Earl being offered the Crown of Denmark declined it by reason of his Age and want of Children but he recommended in his stead Christiern his Nephew and next Heir who thereupon was chosen King of Denmark After his Uncles Decease he succeeded him in the Estates of Holstein and Sleswick continuing since united unto that Crown And by the Assistance of the Bishop of Upsal he recovered the Crown of Sweden But he lost it again and after that Sweden was governed for a time by Marshals According to Moreri 't was by this King Christiern that the chief Order of Knighthood in Denmark called the Order of the Elephant was instituted and that at the Wedding of his Son John John the Son of Christiern the First was crowned King of Sweden the next Year after his coming to the Crown of Denmark But not keeping Conditions with the Swedes they turned him out and returned to their former Government under Marshals King John upon that raised an Army of 50000 Men in order to recover that Crown But his Endeavours proved fruitless Christina his Queen was Daughter of Ernest Elector of Saxony By whom he had amongst other Children his Son and Successor Christiern II surnamed the Cruel or the Tyrant Few Years after he was set upon the Throne of his Father that is in the Year 1518. He raised an Army against Sweden and went by Sea to besiege Stockholm But he was forced at last to raise the Siege They had at that time in Sweden a Triumvirate of Marshals who governed the Kingdom Two of them died natural Deaths and the last being by Christiern II. slain in Battel this Kingdom was again possessed by the Danes And then King Christiern promised his new Subjects all manner of Clemency and Lenity on his part But he could not forbear gratifying his barbarous Inclinations In order to which he invited the chief Men of the Kingdom both Spiritual and Temporal and in the midst of the Feast he caused them to be put to Death Which Inhumanity was so highly resented by the Swedes that they rose up in Arms under the Conduct of Gustave Eric and drove once more the Danes out of Sweden On the merit of which Action Gustave Eric descended from the ancient Race of the Kings of Sweden was chosen King of Sweden and in his House that Crown still continues Christiern being returned to Denmark where he continued his Crimes was likewise expelled from thence and then Frederick his Uncle succeeded him Whereupon Christiern fled into the Low-Countries with Elizabeth his Wfe Sister of Charles the Fifth and Ferdinand both Emperours After ten Years Exile he attempted with the Hollanders Assistance to regain the Crown he had lost to whom therefore he promised vast Priviledges upon the Baltick But he was taken Prisoner and after twenty seven Years Confinement in Prison he died in the year 1559 aged about seventy eight years Frederick I surnamed the Pacifick was Brother of John and Uncle of Christiern the Second He was chosen King of Denmark and Norway upon the Abdication of his Nephew and took up the Crown upon such Terms as made him little more than a titular King 'T was he however that brought in the Reformed Religion in both Kingdoms according to the Confession of Augsburg Anno 1532. he clapt his Nephew Christiern the Second in Prison and not long after he departed this Life leaving four Sons that he got by Ann of Brandenburg The eldest whereof was his immediate Successor Christiern III the eldest Son of Frederick the first suppressed with great Trouble the Party formed against him in behalf of Christiern the second He perfected the Reformation begun in the time of his Father And as he was a Lover of Learning so he proved a great Benefactor to the University of Copenhagen Dorothy his Queen was Daughter of Magnus Duke of Saxony He got by her three Sons and two Daughters His Sons were Frederick his Successor Magnus who was Bishop of Hapsel in Livonia and John Of his two Daughters the Lady Ann was married to Augustus Elector of Saxony and the Lady Dorothy to Henry Duke of Luneburg As the Emperour Charles V. prohibited and enacted that no Ecclesiastical Person should buy any immoveable Goods without the Princes Consent so this King Christiern ordained that the Clergy should sell no Church Lands without leave of the King Frederick II Son of Christiern the Third subdued Ditmarsen a part of Holstein till then unconquered by the Danes or Earls of Holstein He warred against Lubeck and Eric King of Sweden When Pope Pius IV. desired him by a Nuncio to send some body from him to the Council of Trent he declined it saying that he would have no Commerce with Popes He very much
there besides the Kingdom of Norway Of the Isles of Schetland and of Feroe BEfore I come to a Description of these Isles it will not be improper to take notice in our way of the Orcades which formerly belonged to the Kings of Norway and Denmark They were called Orcades by the Ancients which we call now the Orkney Islands Situate North of Scotland not far from Cathness the most Northern Country of all that Kingdom and separate from one another by some narrow Streights They are in number thirty two but those of chief note eleven The Kings of Notway held these Isles till the Year 1266 when Magnus King of Norway surrendred them up to Alexander III. King of Scotland Which Surrender some of the succeeding Kings did afterwards ratifie But the Claim was finally relinquished by Christiern I King of Denmark and Norway on the Marriage of his Daughter Margaret with King James III Anno 1474. And then some Money was added to make good the Contract without which the Danes would not give up their Claim to these Islands Further Northward about sixty miles lye the Islands of Schetland and of Feroe all of them still subject to the Crown of Norway and consequently to the King of Denmark The Isles of Schetland lye North-east of the Orcades and the Isles of Feroe Northwest But the Situation of these last is something further Northward Those are under the 61 and 62 degrees of Northern Latitude about 60 Leagues West of Bergen in Norway and forty North of Scotland By Cluverius Sanson and other Geographers they are supposed to be the Hemodes of the Ancients One with another they are reckoned to be about twenty six But they are most of them little rocky Islands uninhabited The main Island and that which is worth all the rest is Schetland otherwise Hetland which gives its Name to the whole Cluster But it goes also like the chief of the Orcades by the Name of Mainland 'T is a long but narrow Island reaching from South to North about sixty miles and sixteen where broadest This Island is not much inhabited but by the Sea-side because of Fishing which is the main Thing here Southward there are high Hills and Northward there 's another called Renisfelt on the top of which is kept a great Light for the use of Mariners As the Inhabitants are not very industrious so they are not much inclined to Vices 'T is seldom they drink any strong Liquors to excess and when they do 't is as rare to see one of them mad-drunk For Quarrelling does not attend their Drinking And perhaps this their Temperancy as much as the wholsomness of the Air or the nature of the Country makes them to live so long as they do Mercator makes mention of one Laurentius a Native of this Island who lived in his time This Man says he being above 100 years of Age was yet so vigorous that he marry'd a Wife and when he was 140 years old still he went with his Boat a fishing in a most unruly tempestuous and turbulent Sea The great Dispute amongst the Learned is whether Schetland or Iseland is the Thule of the Ancients Thule which the Poets do so often speak of as Virgil Tibi serviat ultima Thule and Seneca Nec sit Terris ultima Thule Thule which the Ancients did report such strange things of and some of them beyond all belief Nulla per bruman dies says Pliny here 's no day for all the Winter with whom agree Solinus and many others as to that particular Another says more than that nullum ultra eam diem esse that beyond this Isle there was no day in any Place as if here had been the end of the World and Nature But Pytheas in Polybius go's beyond them all when he says that in this Isle there was no distinction of the Elements but a confused Mixture of all together like the Primitive Chaos of the Poets According to these Authors 't is neither Schetland nor Iseland that can be the Thule of the Ancients and 't were a hard matter to find out such a Place in any part of the known World But it is no new thing for remote Places to be strangely represented When all is done I am apt to be of Dr. Heylins Opinion who takes Schetland to be the Thule for these Reasons following First Ptolomy places Thule in the 63 degree of Northern Latitude who differs therein but in one Degree or there abouts from the best of our modern Maps Whereas Iseland is so much further North that a good part of it is within the Arctick Circle Pomponius Mela places Thule opposite to Bergen in Norway which Situation agrees with that of Schetland but not Iseland Multae sunt says Solinus circa Britanniam Insulae è quibus Thule ultima there are many Islands about Brittain of which Thule is the last or farthest off So that in his Judgment Thule must be one of the Brittish Isles which cannot be said of Iseland Insulas quas Orcadas vocant domuit despecta est Thule say's Tacitus speaking of Agricola he subdued the Island called Orcades and made sleight of Thule Now Iseland is so far from being kenned by any one of the Orcades that it is almost 5 degrees distant from the nearest of them And the truth is Iseland was so far from being known unto the Ancients that it was hardly known unto those of Norway till about the ninth Century To which add Gasper Peucerus his Observation that Schetland is by some Mariners called Thylensel which includes the name of Thule After all these Arguments who can almost doubt but that Schetland not Iseland is really the Thule of the Ancients But besides Schetland or Mainland there are two other Islands North-Eastward of a pretty bigness viz. Zell and Wust by some called Yell and Vnst These Islands and the rest being much of the same nature and constitution as those of Feroe I shall not stay to give you a particular Account of those of Schetland but proceed to those of Feroe Which as wild as they are will find us more diversion and variety than far better Countries And therefore I intend to dwell here a while under the principal guidance and conduct of a Danish Author Lucas Jacobson Debes Master of Arts and Provost of the Churches there A Man of Learning and in all likelihood of as great Integrity The Islands of Feroe lye Westward from those of Schetland and somthing more Northward The heigth of the Pole or Latitude thereof is at the South end 61 degrees 15 minutes and at the North end 62 degrees 10 minutes So that there is but little night in Summer Neither are the Winter nights so tedious long as one might imagine because the Crepusculum and Diluculum are somthing longer here than elsewhere which takes off much from the night For in the midst of Winter one may perceive something of the day at eight a clock in the Morning and at four a clock