Transcriber's Note: Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible. Some changes have been made. They are listed at the end of the text. Italic text has been marked with _underscores_. [Illustration: GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS] THE WORLD’S BEST HISTORIES SWEDEN BY VICTOR NILSSON, PH.D. AUTHOR OF “LODDFAFNISMAL, AN EDDIC STUDY” _WITH FRONTISPIECE_ THE CO-OPERATIVE PUBLICATION SOCIETY NEW YORK AND LONDON COPYRIGHT 1899 BY PETER FENELON COLLIER SWEDEN CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 5 CHAPTER I SWEDEN IN PREHISTORIC AND EARLY HISTORIC TIMES--ARCHÆOLOGICAL FINDS AND CLASSICAL TESTIMONY 11 CHAPTER II DAWN OF SWEDISH HISTORY--HEIMSKRINGLA AND YNGLINGATAL 33 CHAPTER III THE VIKING AGE--ANSGAR, THE APOSTLE OF SWEDEN 44 CHAPTER IV EARLY CHRISTIAN ERA--STENKIL’S LINE AND INTERCHANGING DYNASTIES 64 CHAPTER V THE MEDIÆVAL STATE--THE FOLKUNG DYNASTY 80 CHAPTER VI UNIONISM VERSUS PATRIOTISM--MARGARET, ENGELBREKT AND CHARLES KNUTSSON 100 CHAPTER VII UNIONISM VERSUS PATRIOTISM--UNCROWNED KINGS OF THE STURE FAMILIES 115 CHAPTER VIII REVOLUTION AND REFORMATION--GUSTAVUS VASA 130 CHAPTER IX REFORMATION AND REACTION--THE SONS OF GUSTAVUS I. 161 CHAPTER X PERIOD OF POLITICAL GRANDEUR--GUSTAVUS II. ADOLPHUS 192 CHAPTER XI PERIOD OF POLITICAL GRANDEUR--QUEEN CHRISTINE 220 CHAPTER XII PERIOD OF POLITICAL GRANDEUR--CHARLES X. AND CHARLES XI. 242 CHAPTER XIII PERIOD OF POLITICAL GRANDEUR--CHARLES XII. 268 CHAPTER XIV PERIOD OF LIBERTY--THE ARISTOCRATIC REPUBLIC 310 CHAPTER XV GUSTAVIAN PERIOD--GUSTAVUS III. AND GUSTAVUS IV. ADOLPHUS 343 CHAPTER XVI THE CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY--CHARLES XIII. AND THE EARLY BERNADOTTES 365 CHAPTER XVII PARLIAMENTARY REFORM--CHARLES XV. 391 CHAPTER XVIII PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY--OSCAR II. 414 INTRODUCTION