BvniK or^ers by a moderate conduit, increafed the publick difcon-
'— I— »tents by the moft arrogant behaviour. The deputies o f the
clergy and commons united againft them ; and the citizens
o f Copenhagen, who .having acquired great credit by the
glorious defence o f the capital formed a very conliderable
party, were highly difgufted with them for remonftrating
againft the immunities granted by the king during the liege.
In this ftate and temper o f the parties, when the neceflary
fupplies were brought forwards, the nobles propofed an excife
upon all articles o f confumption % and exprefled themfelves
willing to fubmit to it, although their order was by law
exempted from all taxes: they accompanied this offer with
a remonftrance to the king, in which they endeavoured, not
only to reclaim many obfolete privileges, but to add freih
immunities, and to introduce many other regulations which
tended to diminilh the royal prerogative, and to check the
riling influence of the two eftates o f the commons and clergy.
The propofal o f fuch a tax, and this imprudent remonftrance,
excited great heats in the diet; the clergy and commons contended
that the offer was inlidious, as the nobles would only
pay the excife during their refidence in the towns, and
refufed fubmitting to it while they relided upon their eftates.
Upon this ground they objedted to the tax itfelf in its prefent
form ; nor would admit it on any other condition than that
it Ihould be levied equally upon all ranks without any
referve or reftriftion. The nobles not only perfifted in-
the plea o f exemption, but even refufed to be fubjedl to it
* AH th e Daniih. biftorians ag re e in th is “ w k h g rea teft eafe and co n v en ien c y,-b e -
circumften c e, that th e nobles offered to ta x “ levied upon the.commons, withou*. th e le a it
tfrem fe lv e s; th erefo re L o rd M o le fw o rth is intention o f b e a r in g an y proportionable^
w ro n g , when h e fa y s, “ the n o b ility , ac- “ ilia re themfelves.” A c c o u n t o f D enmark,.
“ co rd in g to th e ir ufual p r a d ic e , deb ated p . 32. See M a lle t, H i iL de D an oemarc I I I -
“ how the fums .o f money requifite migh-t, p; 446^
3 f o r
for more than three years, under the pretence that every im-
poft was an infringement o f their privileges. Being however
¡intimidated by the decifive refufal o f the other deputies, they
Ihifted their ground, propofed new duttes upon ftamped
paper and leather; and offered, inftead o f the excife upon
confumption, to pay a poll-tax for their peafants. The clergy
and commons at firft approved thefe additional impofts, but
afterwards; retracted, under pretence that they would not
produce a fum adequate to the wants of the nation. It is
not certain from what caufe this alteration o f their fentiments
was derived * ; whether the taxes would really have been inadequate,
or were to be granted for too ihort a time; o£
whether, urged by other motives, they were fecretly delircms
o f obtaining more eflential and durable advantages againft
the nobles. Probably all thefe motives operated upon different
perfons ; but the latter efpecially feems to have had
great influence, becaufe, in lieu o f the above-mentioned duties,
the deputies propofed that the royal fiefs and domains,
which the nobles had exclulively poflefied at a very moderate
rent, ihould be farmed to the higheft bidders. This propo-
lal irritated the nobles, who juftly deemed it an infraction
of their deareft privileges ; as, by the 46th artiele o f the coronation
oath taken by Frederick, the pofleffion o f the royal
fiefs was guarantied to their order. In- the heat o f the conteft
upon this article,one o f the chief fen a tors imprudently threw
out reproachful expreffions againft the commons, which raifed
fuch a general ferment in the- aflembly, that the deputies of
the clergy and commons broke up the meeting.
. In this ftruggle the friends o f the court .began to inter-
pole. It was eafily leen that the deputies were fo dilgufted
with the nobles, that they , would cheerfully embrace that o.c-
* M a lle t , p.’ ‘442-
C a f l o a