Within ten years thereafter the Lady Elizabeth ascended the throne of England. Those ten years covered many strange events, many varying fortunes--the death of her brother, the boy King Edward, the sad tragedy of Lady Jane Grey, Wyatt’s rebellion, the tanner’s revolt, and all the long horror of the reign of “Bloody Mary.” You may read of all this in history, and may see how, through it all, the young princess grew still more firm of will, more self-reliant, wise, and strong, developing all those peculiar qualities that helped to make her England’s greatest queen, and one of the most wonderful women in history. But through all her long and most historic life,--a life of over seventy years, forty-five of which were passed as England’s queen,--scarce any incident made so lasting an impression upon her as when, in Hatfield House, the first shock of the false charge of treason fell upon the thoughtless girl of fifteen in the midst of the Christmas revels. CHRISTINA OF SWEDEN: THE GIRL OF THE NORTHERN FIORDS. A.D. 1636. There were tears and trouble in Stockholm; there was sorrow in every house and hamlet in Sweden; there was consternation throughout Protestant Europe. Gustavus Adolphus was dead! The “Lion of the North” had fallen on the bloody and victorious field of Lutzen, and only a very small girl of six stood as the representative of Sweden’s royalty. The States of Sweden--that is, the representatives of the different sections and peoples of the kingdom--gathered in haste within the Riddarhaus, or Hall of Assembly, in Stockholm. There was much anxious controversy over the situation. The nation was in desperate strait, and some were for one thing and some were for another. There was even talk of making the government a republic, like the state of Venice; and the supporters of the king of Poland, cousin to the dead King Gustavus, openly advocated his claim to the throne. But the Grand Chancellor, Axel Oxenstiern, one of Sweden’s greatest statesmen, acted promptly. “Let there be no talk between us,” he said, “of Venetian republics or of Polish kings. We have but one king--the daughter of the immortal Gustavus!” Then up spoke one of the leading representatives of the peasant class, Lars Larsson, the deputy from the western fiords. “Who is this daughter of Gustavus?” he demanded. “How do we know this is no trick of yours, Axel Oxenstiern? How do we know that King Gustavus has a daughter? We have never seen her.” “You shall see her at once,” replied the Chancellor; and leaving the Hall for an instant, he returned speedily, leading a little girl by the hand. With a sudden movement he lifted her to the seat of the high silver throne that could only be occupied by the kings of Sweden. “Swedes, behold your king!” Lars Larsson, the deputy, pressed close to the throne on which the small figure perched silent, yet with a defiant little look upon her face.