are frequently found in Sueden and in greater variety than in England which seem to have been the Dane Gilt or Tribute that the Nation then paid The Normans also who about that time settled in France were in part Natives of this Country so that England together with the Miseries that accompanied those Conquests owes a great part of its Extraction to these People But to pass on to Times of more certainty it was about the Year 830 that the Emperor Ludovicus Pius sent Ansgarius afterwards Arch-bishop of Hamburgh to attempt the Conversion of the Suedes and Goths who at first had little or no Success but in his second Journey some Years after he was better received and baptized the King Olaus who was afterwards martyred by his Heathen Subjects and offered in Sacrifice to their Gods nor did Christianity become the general Religion of Sueden till about a Hundred Years after when it was planted by the English Bishops formerly mentioned sent for thither by another Olaus in whose time the Kingdom of Sueden and that of Gothia were united but became afterwards to be separated again and continued so near Two Hundred Years when they were again joyn'd on Condition that the Two Royal Families should succeed each other by turns as they did for the space of One Hundred Years but not without great Disorders and much Blood shed This occasion of Quarrel which ended in the Extirpation of the Gothick Family was succeeded by another for Waldemer Son of Berger Ierle or Earl who was descended from the Royal Family of Sueden being at that time chosen King by his Father's Advice he created his Three Brothers Dukes of Finland Sudermanland and Smaland with such a degree of Sovereignty in their respective Dukedoms as enabled them to disturb their Brother's Government who was at last forced to resign the Kingdom to his Brother Magnus which he left to his Son Berger who lived in continual Dissention with his Two Brethren Erick and Waldemar till he took them Prisoners and famish'd them to Death upon which he was driven on t of the Kingdom and succeeded by Duke Erick's Son Magnus who was perswaded to suffer his Son Erick to be chosen King of Sueden joyntly with himself as his other Son Haquinus was of Norway Both these Brothers made War upon their Father who thereupon caused the Eldest to be poysoned the other Haquinus being reconciled to his Father married Margaret the Daughter Waldemar King of Denmark in whose Person the Three Northern Kingdoms were afterwards United This Magnus being deposed for his ill Government made place for his Sister's Son Albert Duke of Mechlenburgh of whom the Suedes were soon weary and offered the Kingdom to Margaret whose Husband Haquinus had left her Norway and her Father Denmark King Albert therefore being beaten in a pitch'd Battle was taken Prisoner by this Margaret who succeeded him and enacted the Vnion of the Three Crowns into a Law which was ratified by the States of those Kingdoms but proved much to the Prejudice of Sueden and to the Advantage of Denmark which People had always the Art or Luck to get their King's Favour and render the Suedes and Norwegians suspected conformable to Queen Margaret's Advice to her Successor Sueden shall feed you Norway shall cloath you and Denmark shall defend you At her request the Three Nations chose her young Nephew Erick of Pomerania reserving to her self the Government during his Minority which she out-lived and had time to repent at last she died of the Plague in the Year 1412. This Erick married Phillippa the Daughter of Henry the 4th of England of her their Histories relate that Copenhagen being besieged and King Erick in despair retreating to a Monastery she took the Command of the City and beat the Besiegers but afterwards having in the King's absence fitted out a Fleet that was unsuccessful at his return he so beat and abused her that she thereby miscarried and retiring into a Cloyster died soon after The Oppression the Suedes lay under from Strangers and to whom the King committed the Government of Provinces and the Custody of all Castles contrary to the Articles of the Vnion made them at last throw off the Yoke and renounce their Allegiance to King Erick in whose place they substituted the General of the Kingdom Carl Knuteson with the Title of Protector which he held about Four Years till they were perswaded to accept Christopher of Bavaria whom the Danes and Norwegians had already chosen his short Reign gave the Suedes new Disgusts to the Vnion so that upon his Death they divided themselves and chose Carl Knuteson to be their King who had before been their Protector and remains a memorable Example of the Vicissitude of Fortune for after he had Reigned Ten Years he was driven out by a Danish Faction and retiring to Dantzick was reduced to great want Christian of Oldenburg King of Denmark and Norway succeeded him and renewed the Vnion which was soon dissolved Christian after a Reign of Five Years being turn'd out Carl Knuteson was restored to the Crown which he held only Three Years being over-power'd by a Faction of the Clergy and forced to forswear the Crown and retire into Finland where he again fell into want upon his Deposition his Daughter's Husband Erick Axelton was made Governour of the Kingdom which was miserably shattered by Factions of which the Bishops were the greatest Ring-leaders in Favour of Christian of Denmark whom they endeavoured to restore but their Party being worsted Carl Knuteson was the third time received King of Sueden and continued so till his Death upon which Steno Sture a Noble Man of ancient Family was made Protector of the Kingdom which he defended a long time against King Christian and his Successor to the Crowns of Denmark and Norway but was at last forced to give place to Iohn who again restored the Vnion of the Three Crowns but pursuing his Predecessors steps in oppressing the Nation and imploying of Strangers he was soon expell'd the Kingdom And Steno Sture was again made Protector and he dying Suanto Sture succeeded in the same Quality He had continual Wars with King Iohn all the time of his Government which at his Death was conferred on his Son Steno Sture the younger who withstood the Danish Faction which the Arch-bishop of Vpsall headed till dying of a Wound he received in a Skirmish against the Danes Christiern or Christian the II. King of Denmark and Norway was advanced to the Crown of Sueden but behaved himself so tyrannically and shed so much innocent Blood especially of the Nobility which he design'd utterly to root out that his Reign became intolerable and the whole Nation conspired against him under the Conduct of Gustavus the First descended from the ancient Kings of Sueden whose Father had being beheaded and his Mother had two Sisters imprison'd by Christiern He was
not Power to administer an Oath nor to inflict any Corporal Punishment From them there lies an Appeal to the respective National Court and in some Cases to the King as in all other matters For matters relating to the Mines besides Inferior Courts and Officers settled in the respective parts of the Countrey a General Court called the College of the Mines sits at Stockholm of which most commonly the President of the Treasury is chief with a Vice-President and other Assessors the Laws in this regard are more exact and particular than in other matters and for the most part Justice very carefully administred The Power of executing all Judicial Sentences 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 whither they may be Convened and punish'd upon plain Proof of Default But the Proof being difficult and Ministers of Justice apt to favour each other they take great liberty to delay Execution or to arbitrate and put their own sense upon Sentences so that this part of Justice is administred the worst of all others and has an Influence not only at home but lessens the Credit of the Suedish Subjects abroad against whom Justice cannot be obtained without great difficulty The ordinary Charges of Law-Suits are no where more moderate than in Sueden the greatest burthen arising from a late Constitution That all Declarations Acts and Sentences must be written upon Seal'd Paper of different Prizes from Two pence to Seven Shillings a Sheet according to the Quality of the Cause the Benefit of which accrues to the King and is computed to bring in about 3000 l. a year other Charges are very few every man being permitted in Criminal Actions compelled to plead his own Cause Accordingly the Practice of the Law is below a Gentleman and rather the Refuge than the Choice of meaner persons who are very few in Number and for the most part very poor The Custom of a Jury of Twelve men is so ancient in Sueden that their Writers pretend it had its Original among them and was thence derived to other Nations but at present it is disused every where except only in the Lower Courts in the Country and there the Jury-men are for Life and have Salaries they have this peculiar to themselves that among them there must be an unanimous Concurrence to determine a Cause which in other Courts is done by a Majority of Voices Titles to Estates are rendred more secure and less subject to Contests by the Registers that are kept of all Sales and Alienations as well as of other Engagements of them The Purchaser running the hazard of having an After-Bargain take place of his if he omit the Recording of his Transaction in the proper Court In Criminal Matters where the Fact is not very evident or where the Judges are very favourable the Defendant is admitted to purge himself by Oath to which is oftentimes added the Oath of Six or Twelve other men who are all Vouchers of his Integrity Treason Murther Double Adultrey Burning of Houses Witchcraft and the like Heinous Crimes are punished with Death which is executed by hanging of Men and beheading of Women to which burning alive or dead quartering and hanging in Chains is sometimes added according to the Nature of the Crime Criminals of the Gentry and Nobility are usually shot to Death The Punishment of Stealing is of late instead of Death changed into a kind of perpetual Slavery the Guilty party being condemned to work all his Life for ☞ the King in making Fortifications or other Drudgery and always has a Collar of Iron about his Neck with a Bow coming over his Head to which is a Bell fastened that rings as he goes along Duels between Gentlemen if the one Party be kill'd are punish'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 Prison with Bread and Water for two years to which is added a Fine of 1000 Crowns or one years Imprisonment and 2000 Crowns Reparation of Honour in case of Affront is referred to the respective National Court where Recantation and Publick Begging of Pardon is usually inflicted Estates as well acquired as inherited descend 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 without the Intervention of a Judicial Sentence in case of their Children's disobedience only they may bequeath a Tenth of their acquired Possessions to such Child or other as they will favour Where an Estate descends incumbred with Debts the Heir usually takes two or three Months time as the Law allows to search into the Condition of the Deceased's Estate and then either accepts the Inheritance or leaves it to the Law which in that case Administers as lately besides other Instances was practised upon the decease of the late Rix Drost Count Magnus De la Gardier the King's Unkle CHAP. IV. Of the Natural Inclinations and Dispositions of the Suedes THE Nature of the Climate which affords a very healthful and dry as well as sharp Air disposes the Natives to a vigorous Constitution and that confirm'd by a hardy Education course Fare hard Lodgings c. qualifies them to endure whatever uneasy Circumstances befal them better than those that are born in a more moderate Country and more indulgently bred But on the other side it seems as if the severity of the Clime should in a manner cramp the Faculties of their Bodies and indispose them for any great degree of Dexterity and Nimbleness and the same may be said in a great measure of their Minds too which seldom are found endued with any eminent share of Vivacity or Pregnancy of Wit yet by Industry Experience and Travelling not a few of them arrive at a mature and solid Judgment being led by their Genius to serious things in which they that have Patience to go through with the Studies they apply themselves to become Excellent and merit the Title of great and able Men but this seems not to be the Talent of this Nation they being generally more apt to sit down with superficial Acquisitions than to pursue their Studies to a fundamental degree This Disposition of Body and Mind qualifies them more for a Life of Labour and Fatigue than of Art and Curiosity and the effect of it is visible in all Orders of Men among them The Nobility mostly apply themselves to a Military Life in which they are more famous for Courage and enduring Hardships than for Stratagems and Intrigues They that are employed in the Administration of Civil Affairs tho they are indeed Laborious and Indefatigable in their business yet they seldom raise their Speculations above what the necessity of their Employments require their Abilities proceeding not so much from Study as Experience in the Tract of
business In point of Learning they like their Neighbours the Germans are more given to Transcribe and make Collections than Digest their own Thoughts and commonly proportion their Studies to their occasions In matters of Trade they more easily do the Drudgery than dive into the Mystery either of Commerce or Manufactures in which they usually set up for Masters before they be half taught so that in all such things as require Ingenuity Neatness or Dexterity they are forc'd to be served by Strangers Their Common Soldiers endure Cold and Hunger and long Marches and hard Labour to admiration but they learn their Duty very slowly and are serviceable more by their Obedience to command and standing their Ground than by any great forwardness to attack their Enemy or in nimbleness and address in executing their Orders and so their Peasants are tolerably Laborious when need compels them but have little regard to Neatness in their Work and are hardly brought to quit their old slow and toilsome Methods for such new Inventions as are more dextrous and easy The Dispositions more peculiar to the several degrees of these People are That the Nobility and Gentry are naturally Men of Courage and of a Warlike Temper have a graceful Deportment inclined to value themselves at a High rate and make the best Appearance they possibly can that they may gain the respect of others and are therefore more excessive in the number of their Attendants Sumptuous Buildings and Rich Apparel than in the plentifulness of their Tables or other less observ'd Occasions They never descend to any Employments in the Church the Practice of Law or Physick or the Exercise of any Trade and tho to gain experience in Maritine Affairs they submit to the lowest Offices abroad yet at home there is but one Example known of a Gentleman that accepted the Command of a Merchant's Ship The Clergy are but moderately Learned and little acquainted with the Disputes about Religion as having no Adversaries to oppose they affect Gravity and long Beards are esteemed for their Hospitality and have great Authority among the Common People The Burghers are not very Intelligent in Trade nor able to do their business without Credit from abroad rather inclined to impose upon those they can over-reach than follow their Calling in a fair way The Peasants when Sober are very obsequious and respectful but Drink makes them mad and ungovernable most of them live in a very poor Condition and are taught by necessity to practice several Arts in a rude manner as the making their Shooes Cloathes c. the several Instruments of Husbandry and other necessaries that they cannot spare Money to buy And to keep them to this as also to favour the Cities it is not permitted to more than one Taylor or other such Artisan to dwell in the same Parish tho it be never so large as many of them are above twenty Miles in compass In general it may be said of the whole Nation that they are a People very Religious in their way and constant frequenters of the Church eminently Loyal and Affected to Monarchy Grave even to Formality Sober more out of necessity than Principles of temperance apt to entertain Suspitions and to envy each other as well as Strangers more inclined to pilfering and such secret Frauds than to such open Violences as breaking of Houses or Robbing on the Highways Crimes as rarely committed in this as in any Country whatever CHAP. V. Of the Religion of Sueden CHRISTIANITY was not received into Sueden till about the beginning of the Ninth Century and not into Finland till near three hundred Years after and if not first Preached was at least first Established by English Divines of whom the chiefest was St. Sigfrid who as their Histories relate quitted the Arch-Bishoprick of York to become the Apostle of the Goths as they stile him with him three of his Nephews that he brought thither were Martyred by the Heathen Goths So also was St. Eskill and other English by the Suedes and about the Year 1150. St. Henry an English Bishop accompani'd St. Erick King of Sueden in his Expedition to Finland which the King conquered and the Bishop converted into Christianity he also was Martyred by the Infidels and lies buried at Abo the Metropolis of that Country The Reformation as well there as in Denmark and Norway began soon after the Neighbouring parts of Germany had imbraced Luther's Tenets and was established according to his Platform The Tyranny of King Christian the Second who then wore these three Northern Crowns gave an opportunity to Gustavus the Founder of the present Royal Family both to alter Religion and advance himself to the Regal Dignity which till that time was Elective but was then made Hereditary to his Family in which it has since continued as the Lutheran Religion has also done in the Country never but once disturbed from abroad and since that disturbance never distracted at home with Non-conformity all the Orders of Men agreeing in a constant Attendance on Divine Service and a Zeal for their own Way without any nice Enquiries into disputable Points either in their own Tenets or those of other Churches whereby it becomes the business of their Preachers rather to persuade the Practice of Piety than to oppose the Doctrine of others or defend their own The Church is governed by an Archbishop and Ten Bishops whose Studies are confined to their own Employments being never called to Council but only at the Assembly of the States nor troubled with the Administration of any Secular Affair their Revenues are very moderate the Archbishop of Upsall not Importing 400 l. a year and the Bishopricks after that Proportion Under them are Seven or Eight Superintendents who have all the Power of Bishops and only want the Name and over each Ten Churches is a Provost or Rural Dean with some Authority over the Inferior Clergy of whom the Sum total may best be computed by the Number of Churches which in Sueden and Finland is short of Two thousand to which the Addition of Chaplains and Curates will encrease the Body of the Clergy to near Four thousand persons they are all the Sons of Peasants or mean Burghers and can therefore content themselves with the small Income of their Places which besides more inconsiderable Dues arises 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 Uses However the Clergy have generally wherewithal to exercise Hospitality and are the constant Refuge of Poor Travellers especially Strangers who use to go from Priest to Priest as elsewhere from Constable to Constable The Clergy of each Diocess upon the Death of their Bishop propose Three persons to the King who either chuses one of them or some other to succeed in that Office which is also practised in the Choice of Superintendents In the Choice of an Archbishop all the Chapters in the Kingdom vote but the
Projects that fell in with the Designs on foot and enabled him to go through with the Reduction of Crown-Lands being made President of that Colledge and assisted with a competent number of Assessors He began to examine the Titles of those that held any Lands that had formerly belonged to the Crown and where any such were found to have been alienated by way of Donation for pretended Services or were situated in forbidden places that is within Six miles of any of the King's Castles they were reunited to the Crown without further dispute the Value of 70 l. per An. being reserved to the Possessor As to Crown-Lands that had been sold enquiry was made into the nature of the Price and the Real Value of the Estate Where Ready Money had been paid the Interest of 5 per Cent. was allowed for it and if the Yearly Value of the Estate exceeded that Interest the said Overplus and the Interest of it at 8 per Cent. from the first Alienation was computed and frequently made to amount to as much as the Capital it self which being by that means satisfied the Estate return'd to the King Where Lands had been given in Payment of Arrears there no Interest was allow'd the Capital being accounted unfruitful so that the Yearly Value of such Lands together with the Interest was deducted from the Principal which being soon eaten out not only the Lands return'd to the King but the Possessor also became indebted to him and he was to accept it as an Act of Grace if his Majesty took the Lands and forgave the Debt By these Methods the King recover'd a very great Revenue tho with the Impoverishing of most Families in Sueden and many of them such whose Ancestors and themselves also had spent their Lives and Fortunes in the Crown 's Service which Considerations could not be regarded nor Exceptions made in favour of any in particular without adding to the Discontents of all the rest who more patiently suffered while the Case was general The same Baron Flemingh was also made president of the Treasury and of the Colledge of Liquidation a Court erected not only to be a Barrier to the Treasury and keep all Creditors off till their Accounts were first stated and approved in that Colledge but his business was also to find out such as were any ways indebted to the King to form the Charge against them and demand Payment which was not to be refused upon pretence as it sometimes was the Case that the Party had greater Sums due from the Crown but the King's Debt was to be paid first and without any delay and the Party left to State his Accounts afterwards in the Colledge of Liquidation And wherein such Acts were used towards many by making as they call them Observations upon the Price the time of delivering the Species of Money and the like that several of the King's Debts have been paid without a farthing of Money and not a few Pretenders have thereby been made Debtors to the King and payment extorted with great Rigour The payment of the Fleet his Majesty committed to Baron Hans Wachtmeister in the place of the Great Admiral Count Sâ—eenbeck who prevailed to have it removed from Stockholm its ordinary Station to a Harbor fortified for that purpose in the Province of Bleaking and named Carlscrone as being both nearer to Denmark and Germany earlier free from Ice in the Spring and the Parts adjacent abounding with Timber In that and other places great diligence was used both to repair the Old Ships which amounted not to Twenty Sail and to build New Ones of which since that time about Twenty from Eighty to Forty Guns and Eight or Ten of less force have been built by Two English and other Master builders The Establishment of the Militia his Majesty made his own peculiar Care as having more immediately felt the Effects of the Disorder it had been in and learnt by Experience the necessity of such a Standing Force as might answer the ends of its Institution In what manner his Majesty proceeded herein shall be shown in another place In this interval his Majesty published several new Laws one against Duels the substance of which is already mentioned another to fix the Right of Precedency among the Nobility and Officers wherein next after the Privy-Counsellors the Soldiers are principally considered each considerable Office being ranked according to its Dignity and Precedency determined according to that Rank without any respect to Birth or Quality At the next Assembly of the States in the Year 1683. besides a benevolence equal to that granted the last Sessions his Majesty obtained such farther Advantages as the ends he designed did require for not only the Reunion of the 70 l. a year reserved by the former Session was consented to and that without the least difficulty because those of the Nobility that had lost most did thereby revenge themselves of the Officers of the Army And others who had been the great Sticklers in the Reduction by which themselves had lost little or nothing if the Reservation of 70 l. per Annum had stood but the Article of ruling the Kingdom according to Law was also further explained and the States declared That his Majesty was not thereby tied to the Laws then in being but might alter the same and add thereto such Constitutions as he thought most useful for the present State of the Kingdom and that whatever Instructions he pleased to give any Colledge or Officer the same were a Law to them and all others that they concerned added only this That they hop'd his Majesty would communicate to the States such Laws as were of a general Nature and intended to be binding to the whole Kingdom And whereas his Majesty had laid before the States the undue Proceedings of the Ministers at his Father's Death whose Testament they rescinded and alter'd the Frame of the Government he had prescribed to be observ'd in the King's Minority the States declared That the Authors of those Alterations were no honest Patriots and left them to the King's Justice promising that in case of his Majesty's Decease during his Successor's Minority they would see his Testament punctually fulfilled and the Form of Government thereby prescribed inviolably observed The next Assembly of the States in 1686. renewed the usual Benevolence which was asked to enable the King to pay his Debts and made some further Concessions in the matter of the Re-union rather to take off the Odium from the King and his Ministers than to add any Authority to his Majesty's Proceedings These and the like Concessions have rendred his Majesty an Absolute Monarch to which his Subjects submit without any contest and had not those other pressures that accompanied it made it uneasy there would scarce have been found in that Loyal Kingdom any one Person disaffected to the Government but the loss of Estates they supposed to have right to has created Discontents in many of the Nobility and Gentry
in the King's Service they can never quit so long as they are able to serve and if they desert are punished with Death The first Institution of this Method was very burdensome to the Peasants who were at great Charge to hire their Men which cost them 10 and sometimes 20 l. apiece and the same they must do whenever their Soldier dies This in peaceable times will not be so chargeable as it is in times of War when Men will be unwilling to serve and Recruits more frequently needed and as this is part of the Project hitherto unexperienced so most believe it will be found very difficult if not impracticable As all the common Soldiers are thus provided for at the Country's Charge so all Officers both of Horse and Foot are maintained by the King who hath appropriated so much of the Lands lately reunited or formerly belonging to the Crown to that purpose So that every Officer has a convenient House and competent Portion of Land to live upon scituate in that part of the Country where the Regiment he belongs to is quartered as also the Rent of so many other Farms as make up his pay which tho' it be somewhat less than formerly yet being punctually paid either in Money Corn or other Comodities they find it more profitable than when they were to solicite for it at the Treasury A Colonel of Foot has of these Lands the yearly Rent of about 300 l. and the rest proportionably which amounts to about 2500 l. a Year for all the Officers both upper and under of one Foot Regiment And there being in Sweden Finland and Liefland 28 Regiments of Foot under this Establishment the Maintenance of all the Officers belonging to them costs the King about 70000 l. a Year what Charge the Cloathing of the common Soldiers once in two or three Years their Arms and such other Necessaries may put the King to cannot be so easily computed The Officers of Horse are provided for after the same manner with such large Allowance as is requisite There are Fifteen Regiments of Horse thus established and the Maintenance of their Officers is computed to be about 80000 l. a Year all which arises from the Rents of Crown Lands as do also the Wages of Civil Officers in the Country who have Farms annex'd to their Employments in the same manner as the Militia The Laws the King hath made for maintaining this Constitution are every exact and particular and provide with great Caution that neither the Peasants shall be oppress'd nor the Lands and Houses ruin'd to which end all such Lands are yearly visited and the Possessor compell'd to make such Repairs as are found needful and as every Officer upon his first coming to such an Estate subscribes an Inventory of it so upon Advancement he cannot take Possession of another Charge till he hath put that Estate into as good a Condition as he found it and in case of Death his Heirs cannot inherit till that be done In times of Peace all Trespasses and Crimes comitted by the Soldiery fall ordinarily under the Cognizance of a Civil Magistrate who has the same Authority over them as over the rest of the King's Subjects except when they are encamped or in Garrison or any way under flying Colours in all which Cases as also in all Matters that relate solely to their Profession their Officers have Jurisdiction over them without whose leave a private Soldier is not permitted to lodge out of his Quarters nor be absent a day from the Parish he belongs to the inferior Officers cannot be absent from their Charge but by the Colonel's Permission nor Captains and those above them without the King's leave and the good Effect of the Officers constant Residence upon their respective Charges appears in the quiet and peaceable Behaviour of the Soldiers who have not hitherto broke out into any Enormities nor given the common People any great occasion of complaint To keep them in Discipline each Company meets and is exercised once a Month and every Regiment once or twice a Year at which times only they wear the the Kings's Cloaths which at their return are carefully laid up in the Churches For their Government in time of War the King hath lately caused the Articles of War to be reviewed and printed together with a new Establishment of Courts Marshal and Instructions for the Auditors General and other Officers concern'd in the Ministration of Justice And for his Majesty's Information on all occasions a Book hath been lately made specifying the Names of every Military Officer in the King's Army the time when they first came into the Service and by what Steps they have risen by which means at one view his Majesty knows the Merit and Services of any Officer The Forces in Pomerania and Bremen as also the Regiment of Foot Guards are not under this Establishment but are paid in Money The whole Body of the King of Sweden's Forces according to the best and most exact Account is as follows The establish'd Militia in Sweden Finland and Liefland are Men Cavalry 15 Regiments is 17000 Infantry 28 Regiments is 35000 Foot Guards Regiment 2000 Forces in Pomeren and Bremen 6 Regiments is 6000 In all 50 Regiments 6000 Each Regiment ordinarily consists of 1200 Men but some of more of which 96 are Officers and such care is taken to keep them compleat that it very seldom happens that 20 Men at a time are wanting in a Regiment and as they are always in a readiness so a great Body of them may quickly be brought together especially towards the Borders of Denmark and Norway where in twenty Days time the King of Sueden can have an Army of 20000 Men. Above the ordinary Establishment the King hath annex'd to each Regiment about twenty supernumerary Farms to answer any extraordinary Accidents of Fire c. and to furnish a Subsistence for such Officers as are past Service For common Soldiers that Age or Wounds have rendred unfit for War there is one general Hospital which has a good Revenue and besides that every Officer that is advanced pays to it a Sum of Money proportionable to the Charge he arises to A Colonel pays 100 Crowns and others in proportion Besides the Arms in the Hands of the Militia there is a considerable Magazine at Stockholm and another at the Castle of Iencopingh towards the Borders of Denmark and these as occasion serves are furnish'd from a considerable Iron-work at Oerbro in Nervia which is continually employed in making Arms of all sorts In the Castle of Iencopingh a Train of Artillery stand always in readiness This is the sole Inland Fortress in Sueden which less needs such Artificial Strengths as well for other Reasons as because Nature in very many places has provided it with such Passes as that a handful of Men may defend against a great Army On the Borders of Norway beside some small Forts that keep the Passages over the Mountains there is the Castle