in a manner worn out of memory But since this Uniting of these two Estates the Title of Duke of Holstein and a good Part of the Country was in a manner dismembred from the Crown and given to Adolph Brother of Christiern III who governed it interchangeably with the King Afterwards another part of this Country was bestowed upon John younger Brother to Frederick II. Of which two Dukes and their Successors you shall have a further Account in its proper place Of the Islands of DENMARK And first of Seland and Funen SEland the principal Island of Denmark and the greatest of the Baltick Sea lies opposite to Schonen in Sweden and is parted from it by the Sund as it is from Funen Westward by the great Belt The same being the Codanonia of the Ancients is a most pleasant and fruitful Island extending from North to South sixteen German miles and from East to West about twelve Now a German Mile is at the least as much as four English The chief Place of this Island is Copenhagen Lat. Hafnia Dan. Kiobenhaven the Metropolis and usual Residence of the Kings of Denmark A brave City grown up from a small beginning Hues or Huido Archbishop of Lunden and Bishop of Roschild was the first who laid the Foundations of it in the Year 1165 when in the same place where now stands Copenhagen he caused a Fortress to be built against the Pirates that roved over this Sea which Fortress was called by his Name Axel Hues About which afterwards some Fishermen built themselves Cottages and in process of time the richest sort of them erected not only Store-houses but Dwelling-Houses fit to receive the Merchants in who came to buy their Fish This Commerce drew thither many more Inhabitants to whom James Bishop of Roschild granted several Priviledges and Immunities in the year 1254. Thus in succession of time this City which at first was but a few Fishermens Cottages grew to that greatness that it is now one of the most noble Cities of the North. To which several Kings of Denmark have greatly contributed by their Publick Buildings and granting the Citizens many great Priviledges but especially Christiern the Fourth the present Kings Grandfather whose Memory is still cherished by the Inhabitants Copenhagen you must know is seated upon the East-side of the Island under the fifty sixth degree of Northern Latitude Christiern the Fourth having laid the Foundation of a new City in the little Isle of Amag or Amager joyned it to the old by a Bridge and called it by the name of Christierns Haven He built also a goodly Magazine-house and strengthned the City on the Island-side with Walls and Bulwarks Thus Copenhagen is properly divided into two Parts by that Inlet or Arm of the Sea which parts the old Town from the new In the new Town the less of the two is the Royal Castle a Fabrick of ancient Structure with large Ditches and high Walls about it There is also the Mint the Exchange and the Arsenal one of the finest in Europe Wherein is seen that wonderful Celestial Globe that has no less than six foot of diameter the work of Tycho Brache the great Danish Astronomer From this new Town there is a Passage to the old over several Bridges Here the Streets are broad and every where furnished with Store-houses The principal Churches are S. Nicolas the Holy Ghost and S. Mary's Church in which last is performed the Coronation of the Kings of Denmark On this side also is seen the fine Port the Cittadel the Custom-house and the University First founded by Eric or Henry the ninth but perfected by King Christiern the first and the succeeding Princes by whom it was liberally endowed The Island of Amag which lies on the East-side of the Town makes a very safe Road for all kinds of Shipping So that the Haven is not only capacious but most commodious and safe against all Winds of the Baltick Sea The excellency whereof as much as any thing else has improved this City to that degree that when the late King of Sweden came first before it in the year 57 he fell in love with her and said she was a fair Bride worth dancing for This City as other great Towns has not only been oppressed by Strangers but has been also under the hard Circumstances of Civil Dissensions For taking part with Christiern II. against his Uncle Frederick it was taken by Frederick Anno 1522. And in the year 1536 after a years Siege and the Calamity of War and Famine it was forced to surrender it self to Christiern III. After that it injoy'd the Comforts of Peace for a long Series of Years until Charles Gustave King of Sweden made War upon it And had he won this fair Bride as he sportingly used to call her what a brave Dower had she brought him But he was frustrated of his Expectations as well by the great Courage and vigorous Resistance of King Frederick as by the concurrent but stinted Assistance of such as were self-concerned in the Conservation of his Crown Next to Copenhagen Roschild is a Place of good note situate about the middle of the Island four Leagues West of Copenhagen 'T was formerly a See Episcopal the Bishops whereof had the honour of Crowning the Kings of Denmark In the Cathedral Church are to be seen the Tombs of many of the Danish Kings some of them very fair and sumptuous This City is famous besides for the Treaty of Peace made here in the Year 1658. betwixt the Kings of Sweden and Denmark upon the first Invasion of this Country by the Swedes South and by West from Roschild almost four Leagues off lies Sora another Town of Seland Of old times beautify'd with a goodly Monastery the Revenues whereof at the Change of Religion were converted to the Maintenance of a Free-School built here by Frederick I. But in the year 1623. Christiern IV. adding hereunto the Revenues of two other dissolved Monasteries the one in the Isle of Laland and the other in Jutland founded here a new University for the better Supply of Learned Men both for Church and State Northward from Copenhagen you will find Elsinor or Elsineur Dan. Helsingor a noted Sea-Town with a good Harbour to it It lies about three Leagues North of Copenhagen and not above a mile from the Sund. At the very Entrance of which Streight and over against the Castle of Elsinburg in Schonen is the famous Castle and Palace of Cronenburg the strongest and most considerable Fortress of Denmark Built with incredible Charge and Pains by King Frederick II who laid the Foundations of it within the Sea Into the bottom of which there was sunk a great number of huge Stones and Flints locked together with great Oaken Piles and those fastned with such Skill and Artifice that no Storm or Tempest how violent soever can shake it From this Castle which is in a manner the Key of the Baltick Sea one may easily discern each Ship
Germans called all Thieves Cimbers These Cimbri having left their Peninsule the Saxons Jutes and Angles took Possession of it And upon the Removal of these into Britain the greatest part of it was peopled by the Danes who dwelt in the Islands The Danes in general are of a good Stature clear of Complexion well coloured for the most part healthful and long lived Their Language is but a Dialect of the German Tongue From which it does however so differ that the Danes and Germans cannot understand one another unless they do first converse some time together As to their Inclinations they do not vary much therein from the Swedes and Germans Only they are look'd upon to be more crafty than the latter and more ambitious than the former The Women are fair courteous and good Houswives fruitful in bearing of Children and yet delivered of them with great difficulty For Men of Learning they have had Tyche Brahe that renowned Astronomer Hemingius a well known Divine Bartholinus a Physician and Philosopher of very good esteem John Cluverus the Historian c. For great Captains Gotricus or Godfrey who setled the Government of this Kingdom and indangered the great Monarchy of France Sueno and Canute the fortunate Conquerours of England Waldemar III. a right valiant Prince but unsuccessful in his Wars against the Hanse-Towns Christiern II. a great Commander but a cruel Prince Christiern IV. little inferiour to many of his Predecessors Amongst whom we may list Queen Margaret the Semiramis of these Northern Countries a Lady of a Masculine Spirit no less fortunate than daring in her Enterprises This Nation was converted to the Christian Faith in the time of King Harold about 650 years ago Till then it cannot be said that the Christian Religion was rooted here though I read of some Christian Kings before this as Eric and Froto both living in the ninth Century Neither was the Gospel so well fix'd in Harold's time but that the Danes relapsed still for the most part to their ancient Heathenism till they were finally regained by Pope Adrian the Fourth an Englishman In process of time the Popes of Rome would needs pretend some Power and Jurisdiction over them Which when they began to exercise with too much Authority King Waldemar III. the Father of Queen Margaret is said to have return'd this Answer Naturam habemus à Deo Regnum à Subditis Divitias à Parentibus Religionem à Romanâ Ecclesiâ quam si nobis invides renuntiamus per Praesentes That is to say We hold our Life from God our Crown from our Subjects our Riches from our Ancestors our Religion from the Church of Rome which Religion if you envy us we do here remit it by these Presents But this Renunciation though then threatned was not made till afterwards King Frederick I. was he that abolished the whole Mass of Popery using therein the Ministry of Bugenhage a Divine of Pomeren by whom the Danes were reformed according to the Doctrine of the Lutheran Churches And ever since they have continued in that state of Reformation wherein the Church of Denmark differs not much from the Church of England For as they have rejected several Errors and Abuses of the Church of Rome so they have still retained a settled and prescribed Liturgy for all their Churches most of the Holy-days observed in the former Ages the Cross in Baptism Kneeling at the Communion and many other practicable Ceremonies transmitted to us from the Primitive Church The main Point wherein they differ as Lutherans from all other Protestants is the Article of Consubstantiation whereby they believe that in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the Elements of Bread and Wine remain in Substance with the real Body and Blood of our Saviour after the Consecration Of the Danish Government THis Kingdom has been till of late Elective and not Hereditary whatever Heylin pretends to the contrary 'T is true the Danes have usually preferred the Royal Family and set the eldest Son on the Throne of his Father But because the House of Austria for example has hitherto injoy'd the Imperial Crown above 240 years successively I hope it do's not follow therefore that the Empire is not Elective 'T is well known that in Denmark after the death of Christopher the Crown was transferred to the House of Oldenburg who held it on no other ground but by that of Election And about 160 years ago was not King Christiern II. outed of his Estate and Frederick advanced unto it But Dr. Heylin eludes that by saying that such things have hapned in Estates that were clearly Hereditary and ought to make no Precedent and that Acts of Violence and Force are only justifi'd by the false Topick of Success When all is done 't is undeniable that the Crown of Denmark was formerly Elective if we consider that it was made in due form Hereditary no longer ago than the year 1660 in the Person of King Frederick Which hapned thus soon after the Treaty concluded that very year betwixt his Majesty and the now King of Sweden The Clergy and Commonalty had been always jealous of the great Power of the Nobility and more particularly during the War with Sweden They therefore being now armed especially the People and consequently capable of all things secretly combined together as well out of hate to the Nobles as out of gratitude to the King for his Fortitude in preserving of them to make him Hereditary Monarch of their Crown Their declared Reasons were that being his Majesty had undergone in his War with Sweden all imaginable Dangers and that he had with admirable Constancy and Magnanimmity demonstrated his affection and willingness in Conservation of his People and Kingdom they were of opinion that so great Benefits ought not to be let pass without the demonstration and some extraordinary Marks of their Gratitude Which could not be better expressed than by presenting the Crown to his Majesty's Line by Succession Wherein they were the more incouraged by the Example of a neighbouring Kingdom meaning that of Sweden where the same Thing had been done with good Success and notable Advantage to the People This Resolution being taken these two States appointed Deputy's to inform the Senators of their design and desired them to communicate it to the Nobles whom they acknowledged to be the first and most conspicuous Part of the Whole They farther wished them to cooperate in perswading them to a Compliance in this Point that they might all joyntly agree in so reasonable and plausible an Undertaking After great Deliberation they were answered that the Proposition was not so new but that several Discourses had been had about it heretofore and that very important Reasons had been produced Pro and Con in the matter But that the Nobility could not forbear complaining of the Informality used herein namely that a Business of so great weight should not only come abroad so secretly and without the least Communication but also positively be
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