book its former fiouriihing ft’ate, containing, w hen I paffed through
_ ^ _ t h e town, only eight ftudents.
The cathedral is a large old brick building, which has nothing
remarkable, except fome coftly monuments of a private
Danith family. The church, which formerly belonged to
the convent o f Recolets, contains the fepulchre o f John king
o f Denmark, and o f his fon Chriftian II.
John afcended the throne in 14 8 1 , upon the death o f his
father Chriftian I. and in 14 9 7 , renewing the union o f Cal-
mar, he obtained the crown o f Sweden ; which the Swedes,
however, did not long permit him to enjoy. He died on the
1 2th o f February, 1 5 13 , having on his death-bed forcibly
admoniflied his fon Chriftian II.; admonitions which could
have but little effedt upon a breaft already corrupted by
power, and impatient for dominion. John would have acted
more wifely, i f he had endeavoured to render his fon’s infant
mind capable of receiving the impreffions o f virtue, and had
not fhamefully neglected his education ; a crime highly re-
prehenfible in a father, becaufe it can never be remedied ;
but unpardonable in a fovereign, who is perhaps rearing a
tyrant for his fubjedts, and entailing upon his country a ferries
o f evils, for which he is himfelf chiefly accountable.
Hiftorians agree in reprefenting John as a wife and prudent
prince, inclined to peace, but enterprizing in war; and as
generally moderate and humane : admitting, however, that
he perpetrated occafional adts o f violence and cruelty, derived
from a fpecies of melancholy madnefs, that preyed upon his
mind, and at times deprived him o f his fenfes.
His fon, the oruel and unfortunate Chriftian II. is entombed
near his father, under a plain grave-ftone, fomewhat raifed,
but without any infcription. He was born at Nyborg, on
the 2d o f July, 1 4 8 1 ; and difcovered in his youth many
2 ' fymptoms
fymptoms o f a lively genius and a goodunderftanding, which, CI^ P-
i f properly cultivated, might have rendered him the orna->— .— >
ment, inftead o f becoming, as he proved, the difhonour o f
his country. The young prince was entrufted to a common
burgher o f Copenhagen ; and w'as afterwards removed to
the houfe o f a fchool-mafter, who was alfo a canon o f the
cathedral. In this latter fituation his chief employment
confifted in regularly accompanying his mafter to church,
where he diftinguifhed himfelf beyond the other fcholars and
chorifters in chanting and finging pfalms. From thence he
was placed under the tuition o f a German preceptor, a man
o f learning, but a pedant; under whom, however, he made
a confiderable proficiency in the Latin tongue. From this
humble education Chriftian imbibed a tafte for bad company;
was accuftomed to haunt the common taverns, to mix with
the loweft of the populace, to fcour the ftreets, and to be
guilty of every excefs. The king at length, informed o f
thefe irregularities, reproved him feverely ; but as the prince
had already contracted thofe bad habits, which were grown
too ftrong to yield to any effort, thefe admonitions were too,
late. He feigned, however, contrition for his paft behaviour;
and again won the afFedtions of his father by his military
fucceffes in Norway; and by an unwearied application to
the affairs o f government.
During the firft years o f his reign, which commenced in
1 5 13 , his adminiftration w'as in many refpedts worthy o f
praife; and the excellence of many o f his laws, which it
would be unjuft to deny, has induced Holberg * to affirm,
that i f the character o f Chriftian II. was to be determined by
his laws, and not by his adtions, he would merit the appellation
of Good, rather than o f Tyrant. Happy would it have
* Dan , G e f . V o l. I I , p , 9 4,
V ol. II. 4 F been