A P P E N D I X .
N° I. .
Articles o f the New Form o f Government eft'ablifhed in
Sweden at the Revolution o f m d c c l x x i i .
'T h e Following fo rm o f go v e rnm en t is an e x a it tranfc r ip t o f th a t
w h ic h w a s tranflated in to E n g li ih , b y order o f his Sw ed iih M a -
; j e f t y , from th e or ig in a l, and p r inted for th e ufe o f th e E n g liih
M erch an ts refident at S to ck h o lm . A lth o u g h i t contains feveral
expreffions and phra fes n o t p e r fec tly con fon ant to th e idiom o f
th e E n g liih lan gu a g e , j e t , as it is a Rate-paper o f g rea t con fe -
■quence, I th o u g h t it more advifeable to p r int it in its prefen t
fo rm , than to new- model th e f ty le ; p a r ticu la r ly as th e r e are v e r y
few expreffions, th e m ean in g o f w h ic h can be doubted. T h e
re ade r w i l l , th erefore, excufe a n y tr iflin g errors in th e f ty le , or
■orthography ; and n o t im p u te th em to a n y n e g lig en c e in th e
;author.
WE , G U S T A V U S , b y th e g ra c e o f G o d , k in g o f Swed en, G o th s , and V an d a ls ,
& c . & c . & c . h e ir o f N o rw a y , d u k e o f S ch le fw ig , Ho lfte in , & c . & c . mak e i t
k n own , th a t w h e re a s , from th e b eg in n in g o f O u r reign , W e u n in te r ru p ted ly ha ve endeavou
red to emp lo y O u r ro y a l p ow e r an d a u th o r ity to p romote th e ad vancement, ftrength,
an d w e lfa re o f this rea lm, as w ell as th e imp rovemen t, fa fe ty , and happinefs o f O u r loyaJL
fu b je & s ; and th a t , in o rde r to o bta in this en d , W e h a ve fou n d , th a t the prefent f itu -
ation o f th e c o u n try requ ires an unavoidable amendment o f th e F un damen ta l L aw s ,
ad ap ted to th e above-mentioned fa lu ta ry pu rpofe ; and th e re fo re , a fte r th e moil exa£t
-and mature deliberation and reflection, W e ha ve drawn up a form o f gove rnment, w h ich
th e States o f th e rea lm now aflembled unanimpufly ha ve received and fworn to j w h ich
•form of-go ve rnm en t, fo agreed to b y th e ftates , W e g ra c iou fly h a ve been p le a fed , b y th efe
p re fen ts , to approve and con firm, a c co rd in g to its lite ra l fenfe , in th e form and manner
followin g .
W e , th e u n d e r -w r itten Senators and States o f th e k in gd om o f Sweden, counts ,
b aron s , bifhops, kn igh ts and n o b ility , c le r g y , ch iefs o f th e militia , deputies o f th e towns
and -peafantry, h e re aflembled in b e h a lf o f ourfeives and ou r fe llow -fu b je& s at home ,
mak e it kn ow n , th a t whereas W e , b y a fad experience have found, th a t , under th e name
o f the blefled L ib e r ty , feveral o f ou r fellow-dhbje&s h a v e formed an A r ifto c ra c y , fo mu ch
more intole rable, as it h a th been framed under licentioufnefs , fortified b y felf-inte reft and
feverities, and fin a lly fu p p o r ted by fore ign powers, to- th e detriment o f the whole fo c ie ty ,
and w h ich h a th b rou gh t us in th e u tm o il infecurity b y the w ron g in te rp re ta tion o f the
law ,
.law ,, and at Laii m igh t have led the. k in gd om , o u r de ar native co u n try , to th e d re ad fu l
fa te , w h ic h th e hiftory o f forme r times, and the ex am p le o f o u r n e igh b ou r s, h a th laid
b e fo re u s , had n o t the fp ir it o f ze alous c itiz en s , and th e ir love to the co u n try , fupported
b y th e z e a l au d atehievements of* the H ig h and Puiflant P rin c e an d L o rd G uftavu s I I I .
K in g of-Sweden,; G o th s , and Vandals-, o u r moil G ra c iou s Sovereign, faved an d d raw n us
o u t o f i t ; fo th a t .we have turn ed pur th ou gh ts upon fo r t ify in g o u r lib e r ty , in a man ner,
.that it ma y not b e .abufed b y a bold en te rp r iz in g ru le r , nor b y ambitious, felf-interefted,
and tre a ch erou s c itizen s , o r fp ite fu l and h a u gh ty enemies ; b u t th at th e old kingdom o f
.Sweden, and G o th ia fo r ev er may be. a free and independent realm : th e re fo re w e have
g ran ted and confirmed, as w e , b y thefe p refen ts, declare and aflert this form o f go ve rn m
en t, to. b e an un chan g eab le and; fa c re d Fundamental. L a w , w h ich w e , fo r u s and ou r
p o f te r ity , born and. u n b o rn , promife to o b ey and k eep, a fte r its lite ra l fenfe ; and deem
.thefe to be enemies; to us and th e kingdom,; th at w ou ld perfuade us to de viate th e re from ,
as i t , w o rd fo r w o rd, here follows ;
I . U n an im ity in re lig io n , and th e tru e divine w o r fliip , is th e fu r e i l bafis:o f a law fu l,
.concordan t, and.lla.ble government-; and th erefo re the’ k in g , and a l l the officers and fu b -
je£ts o f th e rea lm, fh a ll, h e re a fte r as Hitherto, firft and foremo il be addicted to the pu re
an d ev id en t,wo rd o f G o d ,, as it is revealed in th e Prophe tical and A p o lto lick W r it in g s ,
e xplain ed in the Chriftian..Symb ols, the Q a te chifm o f L u th e r , and th e unva ried C o n fe f -
lion o f A u g lb u r g , and confirmed b y th e C o u n c il o f U p fa la , and th e fo rm e r D ec rees and
Dec la rations, o f th e Sta tes, in o rde r th a t th e r ig h t o f th e ch u r ch ma y be ftrengthen ed,
b u t w ith o u t an y p rejud ice to th e righ ts o f , th e k in g , o f th e c row n , o r o f th e w h o le
Swediih p eop le .
I I . T h e k in g is in titled to rule his realm as th e law o f Sweden fa y s , He-and no o th er ,
to fo r t ify , lovp and k eep j.uftice and t ru th ; b u t fo rb id , aboliih, and de ilro y u n r igh teo u f-
nefs and in ju ry ; not to. ruin an y man as to his life and hon ou r , body o r w ellfare , unlefs
h e be law fu lly convi&ed and ju d g ed , n or to diltrain, o r fuffer to be diftrained’, f rom a n y
man his goods, moveable and unmoveable, w ith ou t law fu l trial and ju d g em en t, and to
ru le th e kingdom ac cord ing to the ch ap te r o f th e law con c ern in g th e k in g ’s p r e ro g a tiv e ,
th e Swediih law , and this form o f gove rnment.
I I I . T h e o rde r o f fucceffion to th e crown fubfifts in t ire ly as it is e ita b liih ed in
th e A f t o f In h e ritan ce , fe ttled a t Sto ck h o lm A n n o D omin i 1543 , in con fo rm ity to the lik e
° f W e ile ra s , A n n o D omin i 1544, -and th e D e c re e o f N o r rk o p in g , A n n o D om in i 1604.
, IV . N e x t to th e k in g ’ s ma jefty , th e g re a te il re fp e ft h a th been of. o ld , and (h all b e
Hereafter, p a id .to th e.fen a to r s o f the realm ;, and them th e k in g alone cre a tes a n d ’e left»
o f native Swediih kn igh th o od and n o b ility,, bound to his m a je ily b y fid e lity , lo y a lty , and
alleg ian ce ,:, and th o u gh th e y can n o t be determined to a fixt numb er, becaufe fo m an y
m a y b e .conftituted as. th e need and d ign ity o f the. k in gdom requ ires ; y e t th e y o rdin arily
o u g h t to be-fe vente en, inc lu iive o f th e h igh officers o f th e rea lm, and th e lord -lieutenant
o f P omerania. T h e c h ie f care o f all thefe. {hall b e to advife his -majefty in all th e imp ortan
t affairs and concerns o f th e k in gd om , w hen e ve r it pleafeth his majefty to co n fu lt
them ; to aflert a ll righ ts o f the realm,, to, advife all th at is moft: advantageous for him
and fqr the- k in g d om ,,a fte r th e beft o f th e ir ju d g em e n t ; lo influence the. ftates and th e
peop le to lo y a lty and willingnefs ; to-be c a r e fu l o f th e .r igh t ,, majefty, ind ependen cy, advan
tag e,; and. flou riihing f ta te .o f th e king, and the realm : and - thus* a c co rd in g to what:
th e D e c re e o f.th e D ie t o f the y e ar 1602 fays-, ad vife , as th e ir du ty demands, bu t not ru le.
F o r th e reft, th e fenators are bound to the k in g , alone, and anfwerable to him o n ly for
tHeir couniels ; y e t the k in g cannot rep ro a ch or imp ute to them an y bad fuccefs, which ,
xnay happen againft. th eir fuffrage s, exp.eftations, th o u g h ts , and opinions, formed upon
g ° ° d reafonSj e fp ee ially if. the ex ecution o f good counfels does no t-rea ch th e propofed
a,im? by the fa u lt o f him to whom it-is enjoined and commanded to perform-and ex ecu te
them. ' ■ • .