Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 09 (of 15), ScandinavianMorris, Charles
History
Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 09 (of 15), Scandinavian
Morris, Charles
Scandinavia -- History
Ture Joensson, one of the Swedish nobles who had joined Christian, led a
portion of his forces against the fortress of Bohus, writing to its
commandant, Klass Bille, a letter in which he set forth the great change
for good which had come upon King Christian and begging him to side with
his Grace. He closed in the manner customary in those days: "Commending
you, with your dear wife, children, and friends, hereby to God's
protection."
On the next day he received the following answer:
"Greeting suited to the season.
Learn, Ture Joensson, that I yesterday received your writing with
some of your loose words with which you sought to seduce me from my
honor, soil my integrity and oath, and make me like yourself, which
God, who preserves the consciences of all honest men, forbid. To the
long and false talk which your letter contains, I confess myself,
by God's providence to be too good to give you any other answer than
this which my letter conveys. You have so often turned and worn your
coat, and it is now so miserably thread-bare on both sides, that it
is no longer fit to appear among the apparel of any honest man. No
more this time, I commend you to him to whom God the Father
commended that man who betrayed His only Son,
_Ex Bohus._
Sunday next before Lady-day, 1531."
Klass Bille proved as good with an answer by balls and blows as by pen,
and the Castle of Bohus defied all attempts to take it.
Meanwhile the Swedish exiles were writing to their friends at home, and,
elated by the capture of a Swedish fort, Christian marched his army
towards the frontier, and made ready to invade the kingdom from which he
had been driven two years before.
But Gustavus and Frederick were not idle. They recognized the danger of
this invasion and prepared to meet it, renewing their treaties that they
might work loyally together. Gustavus wrote to his officers not to fight
with Christian unless they were from four to six times as strong, as he
wished to give him a reception that would cure him of all future desire
to return to Sweden.
The forces of Christian and Gustavus first met at Kungelf, where
Christian looked with disturbed eyes on his antagonists as he saw them
marching across a frozen river, among them three thousand men in armor of
polished steel. Turning to Ture Joensson, who stood beside him, he said
wrathfully:
"You said that there was not a man-at-arms in Sweden. What see you
yonder? Do you think those old women?"
The next morning Ture Joensson's body was found lying headless in the
street, whether thus punished by Christian for his lies or by some Swede
for his treason, is not known.
The war began with equal fortune at first to each side, but later fortune
turned in favor of the Swedes, while food grew scarce in Christian's
army, his foragers being beaten back wherever they appeared. Soon, with
an army dwindled to two thousand men, he was forced to march back to
Obslo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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