Guftawis Adolphus, b.Nov; i> 17' In an adjoining chapel repofe the aihes o f his fecond fon CH* I>>
John III. who afcended the throne o f Sweden in 1568. He '_
did not owe his elevation to his own great or eminent qualities,
but folely to the infanity o f his brother Eric X IV. whom-
he contrived to depofe. This uxorious fovereign, the degenerate
fon o f Guftavus Vafa,foon loft the affection o f his fub--
je&s by his weak and imprudent conduit, and by his attempts-
to recover Sweden to the Roman catholick religion. His
tender confcience, though it did not prevent him from poi-
foning his brother Eric, yet induced him to pay a moft fcru-
pulous obedience to the ridiculous penance * ordered by the
popefor the commiffion o f that murder. Though a bigot
in all fedts, he feems to have formed no fettled principles o f
religion ; but became by turns a proteftant and a catholick, -
as he was.governed by perfons o f different perfuafions. During
his father’s reign he was a zealous.Lutheran ; while his
firft- wife Catharine lived, a fincere catholick; upon -his-fe-
cond marriage with a Swedilhlady,,who was a Lutheran, his
zeal for the eftabiiihment o f the Roman dodtrines fubiided ;
and at his;.death he- exprefled an almoft total indifference for-
the introduction of that new liturgy? which he had before
been fo a&ivein enforcing,- to the hazard of a civil-war, A
Ihort epitaph, after an exaggerated defcription of his military
reputation, afcribes to John an accompliihment which he
poflefled in an eminent degree, ¡the knowledge o f languages. .
It might h-ave added, an exteniive erudition in all branches -
of literature; more indeed t, according to the expreflion o f
a Swediih hiftorian, than .became a fovereign;-a g ra ce ful;
perfon, and the moft winning affability o f manners.- He died
in 1592, neither regretted nor efteemed; coniigning to his.
N am e ly , to fa ft one day in the* w eek f a pen an ce , w h ic h , it is fa id, he neYer'Omitted.
Pahfin, V o l. XV. p . 80. f -.Dahl in.
F f f 2-- fon