474.
b o o k « without leaving behind it fome affliction. We have been
■ V“ ' , « (befide the provocations given us from the reproaches of
« flanderous men), exceedingly tormented with hunger,cold,
“ ftench, and darknefs ; and, what is more affe&ing than all
the reft, my enemies have more than once attacked us with
“ fwords and poiniards. Sometimes we have been deprived
tt pf the common refreihments of reft and fle'ep, becauie of
“ tumults and noife in the night-feafoniif.” Once, in particular,
being roufed to refiftance by the infults of one o f his
brutal keepers., the latter ihattered his arm with a muiket,
and left him for feveral hours weltering in bis blood without
any affiitance.
We are naturally anxious to know in what manner a fovereign,
long ufed to the pomp and pageantry o f a court, could
amufe h imfelf in a prifon, deprived not only o f aft the comforts,
but even the neceifaries of li f e ; and hiftory has, in this
inftance, gratified our curiofity.
During the firft part o f his confinement he employed himfelf
in writing an apology for his own Conduit, as well
with refpeCt to his brother John, as in relation to the qataf-
trpphe o f the Stures. Several o f the papers, which he
iketched upon this, occafion ftill exift. They are drawn HP
in the form o f fyllogifms t, with the minuteft attention to the
rules of logick ; an extraordinary mode o f eoniblation to a
depofed fovereign.
In the beginning o f 1 5 69 Eric was fummoned before the
ftates affembled at Stockholm,and,likeCharles I.o f England,
* A c c o u n t o f L iv o n ia , p . 1 1 4 . . “ t t ja t k in g d om ; N ic h o l a s Sw a n te flb n fat
A fp e c im e n o f th e f e fy llo g ifm s m a y , “ v o u r e d t h e en em ie s o f t h e k in g d o m ;
p e r h a p s , n o t'ta e u n a c c e p ta b le t o th e r e a d e r . “ T h e r e f o r e h e is a n e n em y o f th is .k in g -
“ H e w h o aflifls m y e n em y , d e c la re s “ dom.. J o h n is m y f u b j e f l , a s .w c ll a c c o rd -
“ h im f e l f m y e n e m y ; J o h n affifted m y “ in g t o a ll th e law s , a s f r om h is o a th o t
“ e n em ie s w i th m o n e y ; e r g o , h e d e c la re s “ a l l e g i a n c e ; th e r e f o r e h e c a n n o t jn d g e me
“ h im f e lf m y e n em y . H e w h o fa v o u rs t h e “ w h o am h is k in g , b e c a u fe I en jo y th e
“ e n em ie s o f a k in g d o m , is a n e n em y o f “ S w e d iih l aw .” H i l l , d e E r i c X IV . p . 2 1 ° . Vvt~r»nO'nt
J O V R H E Y T O G O ' t H E B O R G. 4JS
brought to a trial before his fubjeils. His two brothers being c h a p .
prefent, the articled o f accufation were read, when Eric, whofe » 1X’ ■
capacity, naturally good, was quickened by his misfortunes,
anfwered the feveral charges, with a warmth o f eloquence
and fubtlety of argument, which aftonifhed his accufers. In
the heat o f diipute, John reproached him with his infanity :
“ I never Was infane hut once,” the depofed monarch m-
ftântly replied, “ and that was when i réleafed you front
“ prifon.”
At the conclufirin o f this trial, he was declared to have forfeited
thecrown by his mifcóndiiét and tyranny.; and, being
fè-òonduéted to prifon, underwent an additional load o f
tilamitiés. lie not88gg wanted occafionally common neceffaries,
but, what afllirfted him more ftrongly, he was deprived
even o f his hoòfcs, which had hitherto afforded him fome
amufcment, and o f the fociety o f his wife and children. In
Vain he Wrote repeated letters to his brother, requefting fome
alleviation o f his diftrefs ; but not the flighteft notice was
paid to thefe applications. However tyrannical we may efteem
his conduit w h i l e he fat upon the throne, yet fuch unnatural
cruelties, fo wantonly infliited without the leaft neceiiity,
refleil the utmoft difgrace upon the memory o f his brother;
and Wé almoft lofe our abhorrence o f Eric’s former aitions. in
our fenfe o f his calamitous fituation. The people, at length
fympathizing with the diftrefs o f their depofed fovereign,
began to condemn thé extreme rigour o f his treatment, and
a ftrong patty even meditated a revolt. Upon its difcovery
and fuppreffion, hé was transferred to Abo in Finland, where
he underwent a ftill feverer confinement. In j 570 he was
imprifoned at Caftleholm, in the ifle o f Aland, in a dungeon,
which I have defcribed in a former chapter ; and in the autumn
o f the fame year wasrémoved to the caftle o f Gripf-
P P P a holm.