Produced by Emmy, Juliet Sutherland, Music transcribed by June Troyer and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Transcriber's Note: Bold text is surrounded by =equal signs=, italic text is surrounded by _underscores_, and text that had the letters spaced in the original is surrounded by ~tildes~.] THE CHAUTAUQUAN. _A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE PROMOTION OF TRUE CULTURE. ORGAN OF THE CHAUTAUQUA LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC CIRCLE._ VOL. III. JUNE, 1883. NO. 9. Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle. _President_, Lewis Miller, Akron, Ohio. _Superintendent of Instruction_, J. H. Vincent, D. D., Plainfield, N. J. _General Secretary_, Albert M. Martin, Pittsburgh, Pa. _Office Secretary_, Miss Kate F. Kimball, Plainfield, N. J. _Counselors_, Lyman Abbott, D. D.; J. M. Gibson, D. D.; Bishop H. W. Warren, D. D.; W. C. Wilkinson, D. D. REQUIRED READING FOR THE _Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle for 1882-83_. JUNE. A GLANCE AT THE HISTORY AND LITERATURE OF SCANDINAVIA. By L. A. SHERMAN, Ph.D. VII.—SWEDISH HISTORY FROM CHARLES XII. TO OSCAR II. In the poem of Axel some of our readers may suspect that Tegnér has idealized the exploits and daring of Charles XII. and his enthusiastic guard of honor. Doubtless some allowance must be made for the exaggerations of time, but that Charles XII. stands almost alone in history for indomitable resolution and reckless bravery, seems clear. To estimate his career and character in a word we can not do better than turn to the last pages of Voltaire’s history of his life, from which we quote the following: