Hence arose a long war between Sweden and Poland, which at length, in the time of Gustavus Adolphus, was concluded in favour of Sweden.

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS; HIS EARLY PROMISE.

Though

It was on the 9th of December, 1594, that Charles's son, Gustavus Adolphus, the first child by his second marriage, was born in the old palace at Stockholm. There is a tradition, about as credible as such things generally are, that ten years before his birth the celebrated astronomer and astrologer, Tycho Braho, read in the heavens that a newly-discovered bright star in the constellation Cassiopeia portended the birth of a prince in the north, who should achieve great deeds, and save the Protestant Church. Charles had long acted as an uncontrolled governor of Sweden, it was not until 1604 that, at the reiterated prayers of the Estates, he formally accepted the crown as the chosen King and hereditary ruler of the Swedes, Goths, and Wends. At the same time the little Gustavus Adolphus was formally acknowledged as Crown Prince. An astute and sagacious prince, Charles saw on the political horizon the first indications of the great storm that was to break over Europe in the next generation; and accordingly in his will he recommended Gustavus Adolphus to cultivate the friendship of the Protestant princes of Germany, which he himself had carefully fostered. His prophetic eye seems also to have seen the future glory round the head of his illustrious son. It is told how, when those around him sought to stimulate him to great and far-reaching undertakings, he would lay his hand on the head of the royal child with a quiet smile, and the hopeful words, "Ille faciet,"-" He will do it."

From his earliest childhood, the boy showed indications of an acute power of observation and of a frank, fearless spirit, the strong combative, energetic Vasa type that burst forth in madness in the case of King Eric, but which, kept in bounds by the solid self-control of a strong character, could hardly fail to achieve great things. At five years of age, being taken to see some ships of war, he expressed his preference for one vessel, The Black Knight, because it had most guns. When told by his attendants, who wished to dissuade him from entering a wood, into which he was running, that there were snakes there, "Then give me a stick," said he, "and I can kill them."

EDUCATION OF THE PRINCE.

His father, the good King Charles, very judi

ciously put the boy under the care of a tutor, who had studied men as well as books, and whose academical learning had been supplemented by nine years of travel. The eager and acquisitive mind of the boy enabled him to profit to the fullest extent by the instruction he received. In his twelfth year he could speak Latin, at that time the diplomatic language of many courts, German, Dutch, French, and Italian; and be had, moreover, some knowledge of the Polish and Muscovite tongues. Like most lads of a militry tendency, the old Roman writers interested ho greatly; the deeds he found chronicled excited his emulation. History attracted him far more than poetry. He afterwards learnt the practical part of the art of war from General James de la Gardie, the most celebrated Swedish leader of the time. It is pleasant to record that the young student manifested the utmost attachment and gratitude to his zealous and efficient tutor, whom he afterwards raised to the rank of an Imperial Councillor, and employed in the most importa business. His father, King Charles, very judiciously insisted on the boy's presence at Councils f State; and took measures to impress him st.s early age with the responsibilities that thicken round "the head that wears a crown." The b tary ardour of the youth induced him to pets his father, when he had hardly completed hi fifteenth year, to let him take part in a camp1405 against Russia; but Charles judiciously restraine the boy's impatience; though a Danish war i the next year gave the Prince the opportunity sought, of proving to the world that, stripling & was, he possessed a military genius from wh the greatest things might be expected in th future. By a masterly stratagem, which remind us of some of the exploits of Mordaunt, Earl o Peterborough, in Spain, he took the town o Christianopel with five hundred cavalry, who he disguised in Danish uniforms, then master the garrison by a coup-de-main; on w occasion he narrowly escaped death or captu his horse having become entangled with t rider in a half-frozen marsh.

ACCESSION TO THE THRONE; DIFFICULTIES © THE YOUNG KING'S POSITION.

He returned from this first brilliant campa to find his father dying. The Swedish ger James de la Gardie, had been gaining great r tories for his master in Russia; and of the victories, and of the further fact that his young son had been chosen Czar by a faction Russia, Charles received intelligence as he lay his death-bed at Nyköping. "I leave my wor

Ears to better hands," said the dying King with ale, pointing to his young heir.

He was, however, unwilling that the whole Burden of government should rest on those young Ladders. By the Treaty of Nykóping, which

d the conditions of succession, it had been 4-nded that the majority of Gustavus Adolphus

ld be fixed for his twenty-fourth year; and arles, by his will, declared that the Dowager n, with the Prince John and six councillors, d carry on the regency until this majority - attained. But the young King had already red confidence among all classes; and at a ting of the Estates of Nykóping, on the 11th Ivember, 1611, it was determined to place the we authority in the boy-king's hands. Among

xouncillors who, with the Queen-Mother the King's uncle John, composed the regency, the most astute was Axel Oxenstierna. Through in the Queen announced to the Estates that was not inclined to carry on the government Lazer; whereupon, by a resolution of the ambly, Gustavus Adolphus, who had just

d upon his eighteenth year, was declared eage, and was invested with the complete Berity of a King of Sweden; his uncle, Duke John, cordially coinciding in the step.

Bat the path of the young King was beset with alties. The Swedish nobility formed a pful class, jealous of the King's authority

tenacious of their own privileges. Gustavus ww compelled to make many important conces: to them, and also to give an increased

city to the Estates of the realm in the goLent, and enlarged authority to the Church. Aat deal of tact was necessary to tread at once arly and firmly in the difficult path that lay Dre the young ruler; and it is greatly to his ut that the extensive privileges he was compid to grant to the nobility never, during his time, became a source of oppression to the Sales below them, so well did he understand Ato balance the rights of the various ranks in one another.

THE INHERITANCE OF THREE WARS. The country he was called upon to govern * exceedingly poor, with the roughest of zates, and a very unproductive soil. "Diese Len, diese Hungerleider"-"These Goths, se hungry wretches," said the scornful Tenstein, speaking of the inhabitants of

Lavia. Indeed, at Gustavus's accession, the st towns in Sweden could only with the ist difficulty raise a few dollars monthly for the maintenance of an army and fleet; and

shortly before his father's death, the Prince had been obliged to give to an army contractor a written acknowledgment for a debt of eighteen dollars, not having that sum in ready money. And yet he had with his kingdom inherited no less than three great wars-with Denmark, Russia, and Poland. The first of these wars had been kindled by national jealousies which had long subsisted between Sweden and Denmark, and was the more burdensome from being waged on the soil of Sweden; it was, however, a contest that might easily be terminated by concessions. The second war, that with Russia, had been kindled in the first instance by the ambition and desire for conquest of the Swedish rulers them. selves, and could be ended without great difficulty, so long as the honour of Sweden was sufficiently preserved. But the war with Poland was altogether of another kind. Sigismund, the weak King, whose long rule was a source of calamity to the country, was not the real foe with whom Sweden had to reckon; behind him stood the power, the wealth, the far-stretching influence of the great Austrian House. The Hapsburg rulers put Sigismund forward as the champion of the Roman Catholic faith against the Protestant North, and assisted him with money and men and warlike stores to maintain the struggle. Thus it was that Gustavus Adolphus was forced, by the exigencies of his position, from one war to another; advancing through the Danish, Russian, and Polish contests to that great struggle in Germany with which his fame is most intimately associated. Nothing could be more unjust than to class this King among the conquerors in the ordinary sense of the word. Though his tastes and genius were undoubtedly military, he never recklessly plunged his country into danger to gratify his own ambition. For the safety of Sweden, and for the maintenance of the position she had won among the nations of Europe, he was compelled to take up arms; but that his ambition grew with the opportunities as they unfolded themselves before him, and that he conceived the idea of giving to Sweden an importance of which none of his predecessors had dreamed, is certain; he would have been more or less than human had it been otherwise.

One proof of sagacity he gave soon after his accession, in a matter that brought great advantage to Sweden,-an advantage that continued long after his death. It was in the choice he made of the before-mentioned Axel Oxenstierna to the responsible position of Prime Minister. At this time the young statesmen was only twenty-eight years old; but the unerring eye of

the King had detected in him talents and qualities of a high order.

A BROKEN REED; JAMES I. AND HIS PROMISES; THE DANISH WAR AND THE TREATY. With respect to the Danish war, that eminently pacific prince, King James I. of England, offered his mediation to bring about an understanding between Denmark and Sweden; for there was nothing in which the Solomon of Whitehall better loved to display his kingcraft than in the adjustment of differences between foreign States; and so much was he given on these occasions to display his knowledge, that Henry IV. of France used jestingly to dub him "his learned brother, le docteur Jacob." But in this, as in other matters, the intention of the King exceeded his ability. Denmark made use of him as a tool, and laughed at him; Gustavus found that he had been leaning on a broken reed; and the fortune of arms had to decide the quarrel. With heroic courage, and yet with a caution and forethought that would have done honour to a veteran, the young King maintained the contest through the most trying vicissitudes. At one time, in the little town of Wähn, he was surprised by a large force of the enemy, and narrowly escaped capture or death, losing a large part of his army at a blow. At another, the Danes overran his provinces with fire and sword, destroying three thousand farmhouses during a single expedition. At length peace was concluded, the great points of difficulty being the restitution of the fortresses of Kalmar and Elfsberg, which the Danes had captured. How little of the spirit of a conqueror there was in Gustavus Adolphus, will be seen from the eminently conciliatory speech in which he explained to the assembled Estates his reasons for concluding the treaty. After explaining the conditions of the peace, he continued: "I am resolved, with God's help, to maintain the position of a good neighbour towards Denmark, and I hope to be able to come to an accommodation with our other enemies also. I have already sounded the King of Poland, partly through ambassadors and partly through letters written by myself; and from the answers received, whose contents shall be communicated to you, you will see that we are justified in hoping for a good result. But let things go as they may, we will ever put our trust in the Almighty, in whose Hand are war and peace; we will give ourselves up to His guidance, and leave no human means untried to conquer for ourselves the greatest human blessing, that of peace, so far as that may be done without

injury to the State, and without wounding our honour."

RUSSIAN AFFAIRS; THE FALSE DEMETRIUS; HIS ADVENTUROUS CAREER.

One war was thus concluded; but that with Russia was more formidable, and threatered be enduring. To explain the manner in which the King of Sweden became involved in war with the Czar, we must divert the reader's atten tion for a moment to one of the most remarkabl episodes in history-the story of the false Demtrius. The circumstances of this strange epsode were as follows:

Vassili Ivanovitch, the first ruler of Ms who took the title of Czar, died in 1533, and was succeeded by his son Ivan Vassilevitch, wh greatly extended his territories, and at his death in 1584 left two sons by different mothers: the elder, Fedor, by Anastasia Roman na: the younger, Demetrius, by his second marriage with Maria Fedorovna. Fedor, a weak prince succeeded his father; and as is the custom with feeble minds, fell completely under the influence of a favourite, a young noble nama Boris Fedorovitch Godunow; who in time excised an unlimited influence over him. Feir was childless; his only legitimate successor the boy Demetrius, son of Czar Ivan, lived in a ki of exile; and the ambitious Boris G lunow st length aspired to the succession. He sent marderers, who tore young Demetrius from hêu mother's arms, and slew that unhappy boy; bat the assassins fell victims to the fury of the spectators, who had beheld the deed of bloo Godunow intercepted the true accounts of the transaction, and persuaded the Czar that De trius had killed himself in a fit of epilepsy; and when shortly afterwards the weak Czar Fed died, Boris contrived to place the crown on his wa head. For four years he had enjoyed the frut of his successful crime, when suddenly, in the year 1605, a young man appeared, who declared himself to be Demetrius, the son of Ivan. He stated that through a stratagem of his mother, aided by the fidelity of an old servant, another bo resembling him in appearance, had been subɛttuted for him, and had suffered death in his ste This man was an imposter named Jacob Otrepiew, a son of poor but noble parents at Jarvi'aw; s worthless but clever adventurer, whom the so dental mention of a likeness between hims and Prince Demetrius had induced to play th part. Compelled for some time to conceal himself from the pursuit of Boris Godunow, who heard of his pretensions and recognised hos

dangerous such a claim might become to himself, the false Demetrius managed to enlist various men of rank and influence in his favour, especi

y the Polish Voivode of Sendomir, Mniezeki, whose daughter, Maria Anna, he promised to marry and to seat on the throne of Moscow. At length, assisted by the Jesuits, whom he gained over by promising to introduce the Roman Catholic religion into Russia if they helped him to the throne, he succeeded in enlisting the Polish Government in his cause. The Polish magnates

sembled an army of 10,000 men; and at the bead of these, and of a swarm of Cossacks, the Preten ler invaded Russia. At this juncture the Car Boris suddenly died. It is supposed he poisoned himself, to anticipate the fall he looked on as inevitable. The false Demetrius was actually accepted as Czar by a large faction in Moscow, and entered the city in triumph. He was canning enough to send for the mother of the dead boy he personated, and, by loading her with favours and wealth, procured her conniv. ance in the fraud. But now, thinking the game

be disregarded the dictates of prudence, ave offence by open and premature attempts to introduce the Roman Catholic religion, offended the prejudices of almost every class, and roused anst himself powerful enemies. He had ful4 his promise of marrying the daughter of

powerful patron, the Polish Voivode; and by giving various offices of trust to Polish strangers, had still further incensed the Russians. A boyar named Shuiskoi got up a conspiracy, epelled the Czarina-Dowager to tell the truth concerning the impostor, and attacked him with two thousand followers in his palace at Moscow. The false Demetrius was killed by a pistol-shot, and his corpse was burnt after having been for three days exposed to the insults of the populace.

SWEDEN'S OPPORTUNITY; VICTORIES OF DE LA GARDE AND HORN; MODERATION AND SAGACITY OF the King.

And now a time of strife and anarchy began. For a time Shuiskoi maintained his position as Crar; but he was soon deposed and compelled

become a monk. Three impostors, each claim. I to be the true Demetrius, appeared in rapid accession; and the Poles supported their pretensions in order to weaken Russia, and tear what provinces they could from the distracted tate. In this strife Charles IX, of Sweden ad, as might be expected, taken the part of Lussia against Poland and Sigismund; and his famous generals, De la Gardie and Ewert Horn, fought bravely under very adverse circumstances,

especially gaining a victory over the Polish general Sapieha, at Dmitrov, Feb. 16th, 1610. But the Russians were not to be depended on; and though at length a part of the Muscovite nobility chose Charles Philip, the younger brother of Gustavus Adolphus, as Czar, the astute King declined the dangerous honour on behalf of his relative, in spite of the vehement remonstrances of De la Gardie, who looked only at the splendour of the imperial title, without regarding the extreme uncertainty of its tenure. The Russians now chose Michael Romanoff, a youth of seventeen, a scion of a family related to the last royal House, in 1613; and with him began that despotic rule in Russia which at various times has been the fruitful source of so much disturbance and warfare. Michael himself, a sagacious and moderate prince, laid the foundation of the great power of Russia. At his accession, a part of the country, especially Novgorod, had submitted to De la Gardie; the opposite party flew to arms, and Gustavus was obliged, in 1614, himself to proceed to Esthonia with an army, where he found the Swedish affairs in a bad condition. Gustavus soon won back all that had been lost; his generals, De la Gardie and Horn, seconded him with equal valour and skill; and when at length, at the end of 1617, peace was made with Russia, Sweden had gained not only fame but a large accession of territory. Thus a second great war had been concluded by the sagacity and valour of Gustavus; there was even a negotiation for an alliance between Sweden and Russia against Poland; but it was not successfully carried through.

Meanwhile, in his government at home, the King was giving many tokens of energy and care for his people in every department. It was manifest to all that a real king, a "conyng," or a man of knowledge, was on the throne; and with every year the personal relations between Gustavus and his people became more intimate and affectionate. The burdens which had seemed intolerable under an Eric or a Christian II., were gladly borne now that the people knew for what purpose they were imposed, and how necessary it was that Sweden should be able to oppose a strong front to her enemies. Thus, after the conclusion of the Danish war, one of the first cares of the young King was to prepare new sources of prosperity for the exhausted and impoverished nation, by rendering commerce secure. For this purpose he first put the fortresses on the. Danish coast into good defensive condition, and then proceeded to carry out a plan for the rebuilding of Gothenburg, which had been com

pletely destroyed by Christian IV. It was not until the year 1618 that Gothenburg assumed the shape of a city. It was well fortified, is very conveniently situated for commerce, and remains as a monument of the care and sagacity of the great King. The harbour is especially valuable, being sufficiently spacious to receive the largest fleet in safety.

TRAITS OF CHARACTER.

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With the same object of increasing and securing the commerce of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus entered into commercial treaties with the StatesGeneral of Holland, and with the Cities of the Hanseatic League, especially Lübeck. He summoned many strangers into the country, and thus increased its industrial productive power; showing his enlarged mind in the fact that men of all religions received equal toleration, so long as they could prove that they were leading honest and respectable lives; and to foreign and native merchants alike, important privileges were accorded. Of the King's sense of justice, the historian Archenholz tells the following example Gustavus had a law-suit with a nobleman concerning a certain landed estate. The affair was to be decided before a High Court of Appeal, which Gustavus himself had instituted, to shorten the duration and diminish the cost of legal proceedings. The King betook himself to the court in person, to hear the decision of the judges. These would have risen respectfully when their young monarch entered; but Gustavus prevented them. "You must remember," he said, "that you constitute the highest tribunal in the land, and on this occasion you are to forget who I am; your consciences alone are to speak in the sentence you are about to give." The judges pronounced in favour of the nobleman. The King made no comment upon the verdict, but only asked to look at the documents; and, acknowledging the justice of the decision, praised their integrity, declaring that he would have given them no thanks had they decided otherwise. This contrasts very favourably with the conduct of Frederick the Great on a similar occasion, who ordered the judges to reverse an adverse decision in favour of a protégé of his own, and on their refusal treated them with great contumely and injustice, proceeding even to personal violence.

GUSTAVUS'S MARRIAGE; EBBA BRAHE AND MARIA ELEONORA.

In another event that intimately concerned his own happiness, the King manifested in a striking manner his sense of the duty he owed to his

country, even where this duty interfered most with his personal inclinations. At the court of his mother, the Dowager-Queen, he saw a Likh-born maiden, Ebba Brahe, whose loveliness and good sense at once won his heart. At the castle of Rosenberg, near Stuttgart, a portrait of Eba is still to be seen, that proves her to have been very beautiful. It was the great wish of the royal lover to raise the maiden of his choice to the dignity of a queen, and to share the throne of Sweden with her; and as Ebba Brake was related to the royal family, there seemed, in the first instance, no great discrepancy in the match. But the Dowager-Queen Christina impressed upon her son that in a matter of matrimonial alliance a King cannot choose like a private man. according to his inclination. Like Polonias, she was of opinion that "He may not, as unvained persons do, carve for himself; for on his chube depends the sanctity and health of the while State; and, therefore, must his choice be cr cumscribed unto the voice and yielding of that body whereof he is the head." The King rela tantly confessed that a King's marriage was n the nature of a political alliance; and gave up his suit to the fair Ebba. She was destined, however, to become the wife of a hero; for shr gave her hand to that Count de la Gardie, who had covered himself with glory in the Enssan war. It was not until after the marriage Ebba that Gustavus himself gave his hand to the beautiful Maria Eleonora, a princess of the Ec of Brandenburg, with which ruling house an alliance of great importance to the welfare d Sweden was thus cemented. One child only, a daughter, was born of this marriage to the roya pair, the Princess Christina, sole heiress and su>> cessor to her heroic father; but who proved h self unworthy of the lofty inheritance that descended to her; and after a long life fall t eccentricities and whimsicalities, died at last i Rome, having in a fit of temper abdicated to throne her father had rendered illustrious, an abjured the Protestant faith he died to defend.

SIGISMUND OF POLAND; END OF THE WAR

The war with Poland was long and bitter. ani led eventually to that greater contest with wha the life of the hero-king closed. King Sig mund, after the death of Charles IX., renewed his claims to the Swedish throne several occasions; and thus, after various temporary cessations of hostilities, with a view of securing peace, an object Gustavus never lost sight of, the war was definitely renewed in 1621, with great advantage to Gustavus, who made important