it may well preferve from contempt thofe that are ridiculous. As the names of the two Guftavus's were very dear to the Swedes, the King accordingly miffed no opportunity of fhewing his attachment to the memory of thofe great men, of holding them up as models by which to regulate his conduct, and of infinuating fome refemblance, at least, between his own fituation and theirs. We have already feen the parade with which the filver, hammer of Guftavus Adolphus was difplayed at the plenum: the King did not lofe fight of this object upon the appointment of a new fenate, and the letters of vocation, which were fent to the members, upon that occafion, were a direct tranfcript of thofe that had been used in the time of the former great prince. At the fame time, to fhew his own attention to the diftreffes of the people, and to confirm the odium which he had alreadybrought upon the states, by attributing to them the famine which prevailed, he caused ten thousand measures of meal, of twenty pounds each, to be diftributed amongst them; which, though infufficient to afford them any effectual relief, was equal to the purpofe, for which, it was defigned.

The doubt of the states with refpect to their being again affembled was foon removed. Every thing was now changed, and they no longer feemed the fame men. The

marthal of the diet opened 25th. the plenum with a long fpeech in praife of the King, mixed with pious a knowledgments to, Heaven for the bleflings of the late happy revolution. The different orders had no other emulation than in acts of adulation and fervility;

and no other business than to execute whatever they were ordered The King made a thort speech, in which he preferved the fame tone and manner which he had hitherto fo fuccessfully practifed: he returned thanks to Heaven, which had that day, enabled him to address, them with that confidence, and that ancient Swedish fimplicity, which had been in ufe in the time of his ancestors; that as they had. all now but one common aim,, which was the good of the nation, it was neceflary, for that purpose, that the aflembly of the states should be fpeedily terminated; that therefore his proposals were very, concife; that the exigencies of the ftate were great, and that frugality fhould not be wanting on his fide he then recommended concord and unanimity in their deliberations, and affured them that whatever they granted fhould only be employed to their own good,

1

The propofitions contained, that the ufual contributions fhould be agreed to and confirmed; that an extraordinary fupply thould be furnifhed for the expences of the late King's funeral, and for thofe of the coronation; that, as it could not be determined how far the amount, of thote two articles, together with the ordinary revenues, might be fufficient to answer the neceffities of the ftate in these times, a fecret. committee might be, appointed, chofen from the three orders who direct the affairs of the bank, with whom the King might deliberate upon the means to be used in certain cafes in which fecrecy might be neceflary; and laftly, that the. ftates fhould fpeedily put the affairs of the bank, into fuch a condition, as would effectually facilitate all

money

they tranfactions: The ftates were also informed that it was the King's pleasure, that they should immediately take thefe matters in to confideration, and determine finally upon them within fourteen days, as it was neceffary that the diet fhould at that time be terminated.

The day was concluded by a grand deputation from the four or ders, confifting of 120 perfons, to return thanks to the King for his paterial care, by which the nation had been reftored to its true liber ty, and to defire that a medal might be ftruck in commemoration of that happy event.

The fubfequent meetings of the diet were productive of nothing but compliances in the fullest terms with the King's requifitions. The grants for the ufual and for the extraordinary ftipplies, with refpect to the funeral and coronation expences, were immediately paffed. A motion was however made in the affembly of the nobles, that the fupplies fhould only be granted for a limited time, as well in conformity to the ancient conftitution, as to the practice of the late government; and it was therefore, propofed that the grant fhould be reftricted to the term of fix years. This reftriction was ftrongly oppofed by the court party, and particularly by the marfhal of the diet, who had made the late copious harangue in praise of the King's virtues: they pretended, that the debating of this question, which was of fuch infinite confequence to the nation, and to pofterity, would prolong the affair too much, and prevent their giving an anfwer within the limited time, and it was there fore better to refer it to the King,

before they paffed any refolution upon it. Abfurd as this propofal muft for ever appear, it was immediately agreed to; and the King, as a proof of his patriotifm, in return expreffed his wishes, that the nobility fhould have the fame confidence in his paternal care that the other orders had, by whom no limitation was propofed.

Thus the contributions were made perpetual; and the third article which the King propofed, of being enabled to raise extraordinary fupplies upon particular occafions, by the help of a fecret committee, was not only complied with, but the whole power lodged in the King's hands; who was both to judge of the exigence, and find the means of fupply, while the directors of the bank were to act the part of a fecret committee, in fuch matters as he thought proper to confult them upon. By these meafures the King is become virtually poffeffed of all the powers of go vernment,and the states feem thereby to have irrevocably fealed their own doom; nor does it now appear that, without fome extraordinary change of circumstances, the crown can have any motive for the future convocation of a diet.

The ftates having now done every thing that the King wifhed for, he thought it proper to difmifs them to their respective countries, in a ftate of as much good humour and felf-fatisfaction, with respect to their own conduct, as it was poffi❤ ble. His parting speech at the breaking up of the Sept. 9. diet, was filled with effufions of piety and gratitude to the Almigh ty, and of acknowledgments to them, for the happy facility with which, in fo fhort a time, they had

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had redeemed all their paft mifdeeds. He defcribes the inftantaneous change in their conduct, difpofition, and temper, as little lefs than miraculous; and indeed it would appear that fome fupernatural power was requifite, to work fo fudden and wonderful a converfion as that which he reprefents. From the loweft ftate of reprobation, they are in a few days rifen to the highest degree of virtue; all thofe vices and paffions, that corrupt the human heart, are fuddenly fled, and thofe glorious principles which the most adorn it, and which, it is faid, they all along poffeffed, but unfortunately knew nothing of them, are as fuddenly displayed; in a word, they are at once illuminated with all the piety, loyalty, patriotifm, courage, and concord, which infpired the ancient Swedes. The King concluded his fpeech with an information, that he hoped to meet them again at the end of fix years.

The different orders of the ftates, through the mouths of their refpective marshals, were not at all behind-hand in profettions or compliments. The fincerity of their loyalty was indeed as fufpicious, from the groinels of their adulation, as the exceffive profeffions and acknowledgments of gratitude they made to Heaven, for its fhare in the present happy event, were from other obvious caufes. The order of the clergy, however, went greater lengths, both in adulation and in profethions of piety, than any of the other though it must be acknowledged that the peafants, in this inttance, fully juttified Shakefpeare's obfervation, and trod very dofe up n the heels 'both of the nobility and clergy. Indeed their

marshal, upon this occafion, seemed to be a very different character from him who in the days of Whitelocke, made the celebrated speech to queen Chriftina. The whole language, on the fide of the King, was that of a patriot, who had juft redeemed his country from the moft deplorable tyranny; and, on the other, of a people who knew no bounds to the gratitude which they owed to Heaven and to their deliverer.

The imputation which had been fo artfully and induftrioufly thrown upon the diet, of its being the cause of the diftreffes which the people underwent from the famine, had fuch an effect upon an ignorant populace, who, in their remote and folitary dwellings, have fcarcely any means of information with refpect to public affairs, but that which is defignedly communicated to them to anfwer fome particular purpose, that feveral of the fenators were afraid to return to their respective countries, and.. were obliged to apply to the King for fuch special marks of his protection as might preferve them from the confequences.

In the mean time the King was not negligent in putting the internal government of the kingdom into fuch hands as were fully to be confided in; nor did he forget to provide for those who had distinguifhed themselves by their fervices in bringing about the revolution. The great and principal governments were, fo far as it might be, retained within the royal family. Prince Charles was created Duke of Sudermania, and appointed to the government of the provinces of Scania, Halland, Bleckingen, Bahur-Lehn, and Smaland; Prince

Frederic

Frederic-Adolphus, Duke of Oftrogo hia, and the important government of Finland; and the King's mother, the Queen Dowager, was appointed Governess of the Swedish provinces in Germany.

Hellichius, and the garrison of Christianstadt, had opened their gates to Prince Charles, as foon as he appeared before them. As the King did not now think it neceflary to pay an attention to appearances which were no longer effential, he wrote a letter to his brothor, in which he applauded in the higheft terms the bravery, fidelity, and conduct of that officer and his garrifon, and acknowledged him to be the chief leader in the late great event, and his own obligations to him, to be in proportion to its importance. He accordingly foon after brought him into the rank of nobility, and ordered a regiment to be raised on purpofe for him. To these he added a fpecies of honour which is fingular in the prefent times he feems in a certain degree to have adopted him in the manner of the ancients, by giving him the name of Guftavufchild, by which for the future he is to be diftinguished.

Every thing that had any relation to the late revolution, or any connection with it, was to be diftinguifhed, and made an object of remembrance or admiration. The circumftance of the white handkerchief, which the King had tied round his arm at the beginning of the revolt, was made the foundation of a new order of knighthood, to be called the order of fidelity, the members of which are to wear a white ribband tied round the right arm. The officers of the guards were gratified with this new dig

nity. New claffes were added to the old orders, and different appendages of honour annexed to them, in order to reward all thofe of fuperior rank, in proportion to the fervices they had rendered, or the zeal they had manifefted. Public thanks were returned to the burghers, for their conduct, and the fhare they had in this event, and all the officers were permitted to wear gold-laced hats, and yellow cockades, whether in or out of fervice: gold and filver medals, to be worn at the button-hole, were alfo diftributed among them, in proportion to the degrees of zeal which they had fhewed upon the occafion. Great promotions were alfo made in the army and the navy, and nothing was left undone, that could contribute to reconcile the minds of the people, and to foften thofe reflections which muft naturally arife, on fo great and fo fudden an alteration in their government.

It may be confidered as one of the moft extraordinary circumftances of this extraordinary revolution, that not a drop of blood, either by legal or military exertion, was fhed in the progrefs, or in confequence of it. A ftriking inftance, how much the manners of mankind have been foftened within a few. ages, and that, whatever progress the meaner or bafer qualities of the mind may have made, the more dreadful ones, which proceed from ferocity and cruelty, are in a great degree worn out.

Too much cannot be faid of the extraordinary abilities and wifdom which the King has difplayed in every part of his conduct. The profound diffimulation, the republican cloak with which he covered [E] 3

his