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
called from Wiburg the Episcopal See situate on a River which runs Northward into the Bay of Limfort South of that lies the District of Arhusen so called from Arhusen the chief place hereof Situate East-Southward from Wiburg by the Sea side and being a Port of good note few miles above the lesser Belt Opposite to which is Rinkoping on the West-side of the Peninsule thirteen Leagues distant from Arhusen Westward and ten from Ripen Northward This is a noted Sea Port on the German Ocean The Diocese of Ripen is the most Southern and the largest of all The same is so denominated from Ripen the Episcopal See seated on the West-side of the Peninsule near the German Ocean and fortified with a Castle Under this Diocese there are no less than thirty Herets or Perfectures 282 Parishes seven walled Towns and ten Royal Castles Amongst these Towns I cannot but take a particular notice of Fredericks-Ode The taking of which by the Swedes Nov. 4. Anno 1657. under the Conduct of Marshal Wrangel did not only give them the Plunder and Contribution of most part of Jutland but also traced them the way for their further Conquests This was a new Town seated on the lesser Belt indowed with many Priviledges to invite Inhabitants and fortified on the Land-side The Sea-side being pallisadoed from the adjoyning Bulwarks as sar as deep Water was counted strong enough But the Swedes under favour of the Darkness and some false Alarms broke down that wooden Fence and rushing in up to the Saddle-skirts in Water took the Town by Storm Where besides 2000 slain they made above 2000 Prisoners whereof near 200 Officers There they found no less than 33 Colours and 80 Pieces of Canon with other Store of Ammunition and Plunder But the Swedes kept it little above a twelve Month in their hands For about the latter end of the following Year the Emperour the King of Poland and the Elector of Brandenburg being confederated together against the Swedes in their own and the Danes behalf they put the Swedish Forces in Jutland so hard to it that they were fain to quit all their Holds there Upon their quitting of this Place the Confederates resolved but in vain to pursue the Swedes into the Isle of Funen Where they were so warmly received by the Defendants that they were fain to retire before they could reach the shore Here is also in this Diocese the Sea-Port of Colding not above six miles South-west of Fredericks-Ode The same is fortified with a Castle called Arnsburg and here is paid the Toll for the Horses and Oxen which pass this way for Holstein and Germany This Town was taken from the Swedes some time before Fredericks-Ode by Czernesky who commanded the Polish Forces Having forced the Kings Palace he put the whole Garrison to the Sword reserving only the Governour and his Lieutenant to publish his Victory and their own Misfortune I proceed now to South-Jutland which as I said before comprehends the Dukedoms of Sleswick and Holstein Though there are those I confess who look upon Holstein as no part or Member of Jutland but as a Country of it self The first is so called from Sleswick the chief Place of it Seated towards the end of a large Bay or Inlet of the Baltick which runs half way the Peninsule Westward and gives to Sleswick a fair and commodious Haven The Dukedom was first erected by King Eric of Denmark who gave it to Waldemar great Grandchild of Abel a former King Anno 1280 to be held by him under the Right and Sovereignty of the Kings thereof But the Male Issue failing it returned to the Crown and was by Margaret Queen of Denmark conferred on Gerard Earl of Holstein Anno 1386. Afterwards repenting of that Act she extorted it out of the hands of his Widow but it was again recovered by the Valour and good Fortune of his Son Adolphus After whose Death it fell together with Holstein to Christiern of Oldenburg King of Denmark by whom it was incorporated with that Crown Next to Sleswick there are other Places of good note in this Dukedom As Gottorp near Sleswick a strong Castle and the usual Residence of the Dukes of Holstein Gottorp of the Royal Family of Denmark Frederickstad on the River Eyder some fourteen miles West of Gottorp Tonningen a strong Fortress not above eight miles from that to the Westward and seated also on the River Eyder not far from its Influx in to the German Sea but lately dismantled by the King of Denmark The River Eyder is the chief of this Peninsule and was the ancient Boundary betwixt the Saxons and the Danes It rises above Rensburg and parts all the way it runs the Dukedoms of Sleswick and Holstein 'T is from this River that the said Duke of Holstein's Country from Tonningen as far as Husum is called Eyderstede Now Husum lies almost full North of Tonningen commodiously seated on a Bay of the German Sea and fortified with a Castle Both this Place and Tonningen as well as Frederickstad did lately belong to the Duke of that Name North-East from Husum you will find Flensburg a noted Town with a Castle on a Bay of the Baltick Sea called Hever Bay There is a Port so deep so safe and so commodious that the very Ships come up close to the Houses almost every where Further North is Apenrade likewise on the Baltick Sea Six or seven miles further you will find Hadersleben a Town of good note near the Baltick and over against the Island of Funen beautify'd with the fair Castle of Hansburg begun to be built by John the eldest Son of King Christiern I. then Duke of Holstein but finished by Frederick II. King of Denmark This Town and Castle was in the forementioned Wars twice taken by the Swedes but at last restored with the rest There is one Town more in these Parts I thought fit to take notice of and that is Tondern near the German Sea almost opposite to Apenrade aforesaid on the Baltick Betwixt Sleswick and Flensburg is a Territory that goes by the Name of Anglen From whence England has got its denomination ever since King Egbert whose Ancestors perhaps were born in this Tract of Land caused this Kingdom to be called Engel-lond afterwards turned into England in a Parliament held at Winchester Anno 814. So that the English Nation is not only originally descended from the Saxons and Danes but the very Name of England has its original from thence And if there ought to be any Ties of natural Friendship betwixt two Nations sprung up from the same Root it must be betwixt these Nations especially considering the Uniformity of Manners the Congruity of Religion as to the main Points and the stricter Union of both Crowns by such Royal Matches on both sides as makes the same Bloud run in the Veins of both the Royal Families I said before that the River Eyder was the ancient Boundary betwixt the Saxons and the Danes But
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
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
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