I!° ° K terize the family o f Brandenburgh. An unfortilnate mif-
— .— underftanding had for fome time taken place between her
and his Swediih majefty: it was chiefly occafioned by
the ambitious views o f the queen dowager, who, accuftomed
to rule the cabinet with abfolute authority in the reign of
her huiband, expected to retain the fame influence during
that of her fon ; but as the monarch, who had emancipated
himfelf from the ihackles o f an ariftocracy, had too much
fpirit to be governed by a woman, the difappointment of her
views drew from her frequent expoftulations and bitter re-
monftrances, which, joined to.circumftances o f too delicate a
nature to be publickly mentioned, terminated at length in an
open rupture. Her majefty died at Stockholm in the month
of July, 1782.
Agreeably to my ufual attention to tombs and monuments,
I did not omit paying a vifit to the fepulchres o f the kings of
Sweden, whofe remains are interred in the church o f Ritter-
holm. The firft o f thefe monarchs is Magnus La-
deilas, fon o f Birger Jarl, who, having forced his brother to
abdicate, afcended the throne o f Sweden in 1274, and died
in 1290, with the character o f a wife and prudent monarch;
although he entailed upon his kingdom a longferies of civil
feuds and commotions, by dividing it into different fiefs, and
bellowing them upon his three fons. His afhes are covered
by a tomb o f ilone, which Hands before the altar; and near it
is the fepulchre of Charles Canutfon, who was elected king
when the Swedes firft broke the union o f Calmar. In his
contell for the crown he found fuch powerful rivals in the
kings o f Denmark, that, from the time o f his firft afcending
the throne to his death, Sweden was rent into two violent
parties, which, as they alternately prevailed, Charles was One
moment a king, and the next an exile ; and his depofitions
4 and
and reftorations were fo frequent, that it remains to be quef- CHAP-
tioned, whether, during the sera o f his reign, he was not of- - . -
tener a titular, than a real fovereign. He was, however, in
full pofleflion o f the regal authority when he died at Stockholm
in 1470 *.
The next fovereign, though after a long interval, whofe
remains are depofited in this church, is Guftavus Adolphus,
whofe eminent civil and military virtues raifed Sweden to
the higheft degree o f renown ; and who was one' o f thofe
few princes that never engaged in war but upon the
jufteft grounds: The greateft commander o f an age, which
abounded in great generals, he flood' up am advocate for
liberty and toleration againft tyranny, perfecution, and
bigotry ; and laid the firft foundation o f that equal balance
of power which was afterwards fettled by the-peace
of Weftphalia. In 1632 he- finilhed his glorious career
at the battle o f Lutzen, in the 38th year o f his age :
being amongft the foremoft o f the combatants, he received
a ball in his left arm, but ftill kept the field till another pierced
him through the body. Many of the Swedes aflert, and ftill
believe, that this great monarch was treacheroufly killed by
the duke o f Saxe Lauenburgh, who fought by his fide. Upon
examining, however, the proofs advanced in favour o f
this afiertion, they amount merely to vague conjectures and
uncertain traditions ; and no fubftantial evidence has been
ever produced which might tend to criminate the duke : it- -
is more probable, indeed, that a general, who was remarkable-*
for his courage, and who ralhly expofed his pcrfon on- all
occafions, fhould receive his death from the enemy than from-
one of his own aflociates; unlefs the contrary fhould- be eft a- -
hliihed upon the moft undoubted facts.
T h e fucceeding lbvereigns o f the H o u le o f V a fa , ex cep tin g C h a r le s I X . are in ter red
« Upfal'a. See C h a p te r V I .
As