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would be dangerous for Sweden fliould be be imitated by his fucceffors: had he con-fented to the peace propofed by the Czar in the midft of his vidories, he might havedictated what terms he would, and have ranked on a level with the greateft fovereigns;but thirfting for vengeance he fancied fortune harneffed to his chariot wheels. Thisconfidence was one of his greateft faults ; another his advancing too far into a countryin which, lhould he gain a battle, his condition would not be ameliorated, but in cafeof defeat (which happened to him) he would be deftitute of all refources. It appearscertain that the principal caufe of his lofmg the battle was the incapacity of Mezeppa tofulfill his engagements, to which likewife the wound which Charles received mightnot a little have contributed. Had the King appeared on horfeback at the head of hisarmy there is no faying what influence his prefence and example might poffibly havehad on the event. Shortly after his death Baron Goertz , accufed of tyranny and ex-tortion on the people, was beheaded at Stockholm . We look upon him lefs as reallyguilty, as he did but obey his mailer's order, than as a vidim to the misfortunes of thetimes ; a vidim poffibly requifite in the difaftrous pofition of the kingdom. As weproceed we ffiall fpeak at large of the death of this King.
Frederic I.
Charles XII . never having been married, the ftates and fenate conceived no occafionmore favourable could offer for annihilating arbitrary power. Upon fuch conditionsthe crown was offered to Ulrica Eleanora, the filler of Charles XII . She accepted them,and the conftitution was placed upon the ancient footing. The Queen was proclaimedKing, according to cuftorn for Queens ruling themfelves, and was crowned in 1719;but the year following ffie engaged the ftates to approve of her yielding the crown toher hufband, the Prince of Heffe Caffel, who was crowned in May 1720. Ruffia refumedhoftilities againft Sweden, the death of Charles annulling all treaties between him andthe Czar. At length the peace of Nyftadt, in 1721, reftored tranquillity to Sweden atthe price of feveral provinces on the coafts of the gulf of Finland. During the twentyyears this peace continued Frederic employed himfelf on internal affairs, commerce, in-duftry, and finance. In 1731 he eftablilhed the Eaft India Company; in 1734 enteredinto a treaty of commerce with Turkey. At length, in 1741, Sweden , having caufe tocomplain of her condud, declared war againft Rullia; but the ftates failed in takingthe neceffary precautions in fimilar circumllances. The Swedilh army under Wrangelwas defeated near Wilntanftrand by troops fuperior in number; and this was the onlyadion during the war in which the Swedes conduded themfelves with their ufual valour;after this they kept continually retreating, fcarcely ever obtaining any but flight and unfre-quent advantages, a matter to be attributed to the mifunderftanding among the generals,and the almoft utter impoffibility of war being carried on with fuccefs by divided coun-cils at the helm. Generals Buddenbr&k and Levenhaupt, who commanded in the twolaft campaigns, were arrefted, and, as it frequently happens, they were made the fcape-goats for the bad fuccefs of the war, and beheaded in 1743, regarded, by all impartialmen, rather as unfortunate than guilty vidims.
1 To complete the misfortunes of Sweden , Ihe had to contend with enemies in herbofom ; the Dalecarlians revolting were fubjeded by force alone : at length the king-dom exhaufted by fuch a difaftrous war felt itfelf obliged to fue for peace with Ruffia.The peace of Abo, in 1-43, guaranteed the poffeffion, on the part of Ruffia, of theprovinces before ceded, and fixed the limits of the two ftates as they are at the prefenttime,
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