FORTIA’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.
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oppofite advice, the King yet refolved on the paffage, adhering to the opinion of CountDahlberg*, a foldier of fortune, then major of artillery, who pledged himfelf for itsfuccefs. A fquadron of guards and the King’s carriage were loft ; the reft all arrived'.orders were iffued for every one to take care of himfelf, and fuccour none on pain ofdeath. Shortly after the peace, Charles , fufpedling the Danes might attack him whenhe fhould be otherwife employed, and wilhing to put it out of their power to injurehim, himfelf firft broke the'treaty; fo that he had on his hands at once Denmark, Po-land, the Empire, and Holland , and bravely oppofed all his .enemies. A prematuredeath carried him off at Gottenburg in 1660, in the thirty-fixth year of his age, andfixth of his reign. This Prince was intrepid, indefatigable, and endowed with great ta-lents for war, which he was continually waging. To him the pacific virtues, whichalone complete the happinefs of a nation, were unknown; yet throughout his reign,Sweden continued to be refpected abroad, on account of her maintaining the reputationfo long acquired. It is on this account alone that Charles deferves to be reckonedamong the fovereigns who have graced the throne of Guftavus Vafa. His fon, five yearsof age, fucceeded him.
Charles XL refembled neither his father nor his fon ; rieverthelefs he was at war forfeveral years, and gained in perfon two battles from the Danes, under command oftheir King,. Chriftian V. (that of Lund in 1676, and that of Landfcron in 1677.)Peace being concluded in 1679, Charles cemented it by marriage with the filler of theKing of Denmark. He immediately limited the power of the fenate; and managed,in 1682, in fpite of the oppofition of the nobility, to be inverted with abfolute power,which he preferved to the day of his death. He took advantage of his authority torecruit the finances of the ftate and the police of the kingdom ; he knew how to makehimfelf refpefted as well by his fubjecis as foreign powers: the flourilhing ftate inwhich he left the army, commerce, and finances, is folely attributable to the ufehe made of his ability for governing, and his afting without controul and by him-felf. lie handed down unlimited power to his fon, which that Prince frequentlyabufed.
Charles XI . died in 1697, forty-two years of age ; he had prepared the peace of Ryf-wick, which was not concluded until after his death. Charles XI . reigned feven-and-thirty years, and reigned a defpot f.
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* General Count Dahlberg, who was prefent at this paffage, an attempt which Hands unequalled in theannals of war, ferved under Charles XI. , and accompanied him in all his battles, and particularly at Lund,on the 14th December 1676 : he was afterwards made governor of Riga, and was with Charles XII . atthe famous palfage of the Dwina, then nearly ninety years of age ; he confequently was prefent at themoft memorable aflions.of three feveral reigr.s. He it is who publilhed Suecia antiqua, a collection of plansand vi,ews in Sweden . He left no, fon : by the female fide, Count Oxenjliern , formerly prime minifter, de«fcends from him. Since an opportunity offers to fpeak of this fenator, though we may rifle offending hispiodelfy, we yet cannot fuffer it to efcape without obferving of him what we flrall be joined in by all whoknow him. To a name rendered fo famous by the grand chancellor under Chriftina, he unites the moltfrank and noble manners, elegance of language, an abundance of fenfe, mildnefs, amiability, and information•void of pedantry, which in our efteem encreafes its value.
j- Many people deteft the name of defpot, confident;;; that word fynonimous wu'th tyrant ; what, however,conftitutes defpot ifm, is the power of making laws, of cancelling fuch as exilt, of impofing taxes at will*and of leffening the freedom of the people. Hence a number of perfons in France , where clear ideas ongovernment are extremely rare ir.deed, notwitliftanding it is a fubjeft which has employed them ineffediuallyfor thefe four years pall, confound the power with the will. Ruffia undoubtedly is a defpotic ftate ; ftill1 more