CONDITIONS IN SWEDEN.
When Gustavus was only twenty-six years of age, in the midst of wars and
struggles, he was laying the foundations for a greater Sweden. In 1620
he inquired of the bishops how knowledge could be disseminated among the
people. He claimed that he had a greater want than that of money,
namely, competent persons for civil and military positions.
He inquired what schools for the common people, what seminaries, what
colleges were necessary to educate the people. He inquired where good
teachers could be obtained from foreign countries, and required that
they should be brought to Sweden. He said, "The instruction in religion
may be passable, but as the clergy do not understand matters of
government and of civic life, they cannot be expected to prepare men for
the State." So men of affairs were now secured to assist in teaching.
In 1625 he granted to the Upsala Academy, as he called what is now the
great University, from his own hereditary estates, three hundred and
fifty manors, besides the crown tithes in several parishes, a stipend
for many professors, and $3,250.00 yearly for the community or student
house, with $2,500.00 yearly for maintenance, besides setting apart
money for prizes.
He transferred to the Library at Upsala his printing plant, and began
the library by presenting his own books. He erected a library building,
and arranged for its endowment. He established four gymnasiums, or, as
we would call them, colleges, and laid the foundation for that general
course of schools, colleges and universities which has made Sweden one
of the best educated nations on earth.
From 1627 Sweden had by letters patent opened the doors to Protestant
exiles. The Dukes of Mecklenburg had there found asylum and honorable
occupation for their sons.
The women and children of wealthy Germans had been sent to Sweden, and
the common people were well informed as to the devastating wars in
Germany.
Oxenstiern was not favorable to Gustavus going to the relief of Germany.
He feared for the life of his friend, and for the succession of the
Vasas. The same view was taken by Skytte, his old tutor. The daughter of
Gustavus was not yet quite four years of age.
Before the Estates the king did not urge the defence of Protestantism so
much as patriotism. He said, "Denmark is used up. The Imperial army of
Papists have Rostock, Wismar, Stettin, Wolgast, Greifswald and nearly
all the other ports. Rugen is theirs, and they continue to threaten
Stralsund. They aim to destroy Swedish commerce and to plant a foot on
the southern shores of our Fatherland. The fight is for house, home and
faith."
The Estates voted at once for regular and heavy taxes for three years.
The nobles renounced their privilege of freeing tenants from service and
taxation. The mercantile companies gave up their subsidies to provide
for the fleet. Many had spoken against the war, but when the vote was
taken all voted to sustain their king.
Gustavus said: "I did not call you together because of any doubt in my
mind, but that you might oppose me if you wished. That freedom you no
longer enjoy. You have spoken. My view is this, that for our safety,
honor and final peace, I see nothing but to make a bold attack on the
enemy. I hope it will be for the advantage of Sweden, but I also hope,
if the day go hard with us, no blame will be laid upon me, for I have no
other end in view but that advantage. I do not underrate the
difficulties, such as the want of means, or the doubtful issue of
battle. It is no idle glory I am seeking, the king of Denmark is
sufficient warning to me against that, besides the judgment of posterity
leaves a man very little glory. I am satisfied with glory and want no
more. Your duty is clear, to exhort all my subjects to continue in their
present devoted attitude. For myself, I see that I have no more rest to
expect but the rest of eternity."
From this time Gustavus Adolphus met no further opposition among his own
people. All Sweden at that time had only about one and a half million
people, not so many as now live in New York City.
Richelieu sent a wily ambassador to Gustavus, but the king was careful
to enter into no hampering alliance with a Catholic power. Charnace, the
emissary of Richelieu, twice visited Sweden, in the winter and spring of
1629 and 1630. He assured the king that the Protestant States would
receive him with open arms. The king replied that such was not the case.
Gustavus well knew that the Elector of Saxony, although a Protestant,
was an ally of the Emperor simply to save his country from devastation,
and that his brother-in-law of Brandenburg was a slothful glutton,
wanting only to be let alone.
As long as Denmark might "bite Sweden in the heel," Gustavus felt loth
to leave his kingdom. He now had a personal interview with Christian IV.
of Denmark and assured himself of goodwill on that side, he renewed the
guards along the side next Russia and Poland, and quietly made ready his
army, both by land and sea, for going to the relief of Germany.
The Emperor said: "We shall now have another little enemy to fight."
Wallenstein said that he could expel Gustavus, with the judicious use of
a rod, as he might have spoken of a recalcitrant boy. At the same time
Wallenstein offered thirty thousand dollars to anyone who would
assassinate the king of Sweden, and thus save him using the rod.
Falkenberg, a Swedish ambassador, visited the courts of Holland and of
different Protestant German States, receiving fine verbal promises of
assistance, but they utterly refused to enter into a written alliance
with Sweden. Lubeck and Hamburg advanced him money and agreed to accept
Swedish copper in return.
Every Swedish regiment was now made up to its full complement. Thirty
men-of-war, two hundred transports and fifteen thousand men were now
ready to take their share in one of the most dangerous campaigns of the
great war. It was a small army, but it was composed of veterans. Every
individual had been seasoned in previous wars, and was perfect in
discipline, courage and in devotion to his commander and king. The army
was composed mostly of Swedes, but had several regiments of Scots and
several more regiments of Germans. The king had a small but
well-equipped corps of artillery. He was also well provided with
shovels, spades and picks, with which to construct earthworks.
Oxenstiern, at the time of the king's embarkation, was also sent, with
ten thousand more men, to guard the frontier of Poland, and almost as
many as Gustavus took with him were left to guard against sudden and
unexpected invasion at home.
He set every part of his kingdom in order, as one who goes forth to meet
the doubtful issues of a great war. The law-making power of Sweden was
vested in the four Estates: Nobility, Clergy, Burghers and Peasants. The
consent of at least three of these was necessary to the king for every
forward movement.
So now, on May 19th, 1630, he called the Estates together, to rehearse
before them the causes and conditions which forced the Swedish nation
into the war. He was accompanied by the queen, also by the Council of
State, in whose hands he was to leave the government. He carried in his
arms his little daughter, Christina, then only four years of age. He
presented her to the Estates as his successor in case of his death, and
secured their renewed allegiance to her should he not return. He read
the ordinances for the government in his absence, or during the minority
of his daughter.
The assembly was in tears, and the king had to wait a few moments to
overcome his own emotion before giving his farewell address:
"Not lightly nor wantonly," said he, "am I about to involve myself and
you in this new and dangerous war. God is my witness that I do not fight
to gratify my own ambition, but the Emperor has wronged me most
grievously in the persons of my ambassadors; he has supported my
enemies, persecuted my friends and brethren; he has trampled my religion
in the dust, and even stretches his arm against my crown. The oppressed
States of Germany call loudly for aid, which by God's help we will give
them.
"I am fully sensible of the dangers to which my life will be exposed. I
have never shrunk from dangers, nor is it likely I shall escape them
all. Hitherto Providence has wonderfully protected me, but I shall at
last fall in defence of my country. I commend you and all my absent
subjects to the protection of heaven, and hope that we shall meet in
eternity.
"To you, my Councillors of State, I first address myself. May God
enlighten you, and fill you with wisdom to promote the welfare of my
people. You, too, my brave Noblemen, I commend to the divine protection.
Continue to prove yourselves the worthy successors of those brave Goths
whose bravery humbled to the dust the pride of ancient Rome. To you,
Ministers of Religion, I recommend peaceableness and piety; be
yourselves examples of the virtues which you preach, and abuse not your
influence over the minds of my people. On you, the Burghers and
Peasants, I entreat the blessing of heaven; may your industry be
rewarded by a prosperous harvest, your stores be plenteously filled, and
may you be crowned abundantly with all the blessings of this life. For
the prosperity of all my subjects, absent and present, I offer my
warmest prayers to heaven. I bid you all a sincere—it may be an eternal
farewell."
The whole assembly was in tears, the king himself was weeping, but after
a few moments he said, in a natural voice, the words of the Psalm which
he was accustomed to say aloud before entering on any new undertaking.
We give only the closing part, upon which he seemed to lay most
emphasis:
"Oh, satisfy us early with Thy mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad
all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein Thou hast
afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let Thy work
appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children, and let the
beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish Thou the work of
our hands upon us, yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it."
He set apart the first Friday of July, August and September as days of
fasting and for prayer for the nation and for the army.
In about ten days after this, at the beginning of June, he embarked at
Elfsnabbe, surrounded and cheered by a concourse of weeping relatives
and friends, but sent forward with their blessing and best wishes.