but Peter Svensson, who saw this, had no intention of letting them escape so easily; he marched down the river to another ferry six miles below, and there crossing, fell on the Danes unexpectedly at Söunebohed, just as they were preparing to break up. Some part of his troop, whom he had left behind, crossed at Brunbäck Ferry, and attacked the enemy on their side. The assault was violent and well-conducted; the greater part of the Danes fell before the arrows and clubs of the Dalmen; many were chased into the river, where they were drowned, and the rest pursued as far as the province of Westmanland. Didrik Slaghök and Jöns Beldenack did not stop till they got to Westeräs. The Dalmen rejoiced in the signal success, and to this very day the songs composed about it may be heard in the valleys.

Thus we drove the Jutes into Brunbäck's wave,

Thus the water sealed their doom.

We grieve for this, that the river gave

Not Christian's self a tomb.

Gustavus sought meanwhile to improve the Dalmen in the art of war; he taught them to sharpen the points of their arrows, that they might take better effect on the armor of their adversaries; he caused long lances to be made for a certain number of his troop, that they might be able to keep off the attack of the horsemen, and drilled them besides to keep compact squares, turn to right and left, and so on. He was very severe towards those who showed insubordination, either in discipline or in plundering the peasants; he himself examined into and judged the transgression, and death was often the reward of such wild offenders; but, on the other hand, none could be more anxious or eager for all that regarded their interests or well-being, sparing on his part neither pains nor trouble to see that they should want for nothing. By these means he was both loved and esteemed, and none either desired or ventured to do anything against his will.

On the 23d of April, the valiant St. George's Day, he mustered his whole army by Romfertuna Church, divided it into squares, and then into two main bodies, of which he confided the one to Lars Olsson, the other to Lars Eriksson, who were

to bear the command of each. He next made a formal declaration of war against King Christian, and on the 29th of April marched down to Balundsäs, east of Westeräs, intending, on the following day, to attack the town. But the Danes, proud of their victory at Köping, said contemptuously, "that even if it should rain Dalmen for three days, they would cut them all to pieces," and with similar expressions they rushed out of the town, hoping at once to drive back the advancing Swedes.

Gustavus was but half way through Balunds Forest, when he heard the sound of the battle already begun; he hurried on, the Danish shot was flying on every side, and struck his companions; in vain his men besought him to shun the danger for his own person, he was not to be restrained; but the victory was almost already won before he arrived. When the Danish horsemen had ridden against the Dalmen, Lars Olsson had made them put their new lances to profit; in vain the riders sought to press through the thick-set hedge of pointed spears which stretched before them; the horses stumbled and fell, pierced by the long lances, and brought down their riders in their fall, who, all clad in harness as they were, were stung by the newly-pointed Dal arrows. Thus four hundred fell; the rest turned in affright, threw themselves on their own infantry, which was trodden under foot and put in confusion. The battle was lost; the Danes fled to the town, where they sought to make a second resistance, and the garrison of the castle, to assist them, set the nearest wooden houses on fire; but they were followed through its streets by Lars Olsson and Lars Eriksson, who pursued them to the bridge, crossing the river which runs on the other side, where many of them, in the confusion, were drowned. Others crowded into the convent by the bridge, seeking to confess and receive absolution before they should be cut down by the pursuing Swedes. The Danes had thrown up fortifications beyond the bridge, and there the fight concluded. The victors extinguished the fire in the town, and Lars Eriksson and his troop rejoined Gustavus, carrying with them the Danish cannon, which had been taken in their violent skirmish in the street.

The miners and peasants, however, who remained in the

town, unaccustomed to discipline and order, thinking themselves quite secure, dispersed to plunder the store-houses. Others went down into the cellars to make acquaintance with what liquor they might contain; and some merry fellows among them carried a great wine barrel up to the Council Hall, placed it on the middle of the floor, themselves in a circle round it, and broached it with songs and merriment. The Danes, remembering what had happened at Köping, collected beyond the river, and prepared themselves to fall on the Swedes by the time they should be intoxicated. But neither had Gustavus forgotten that misfortune, and knowing but too well the want of discipline among the Dalmen, sent Lars Olsson back with his troop to make note of the movement of the Danes; and not before time, for scarce had he reached the market-place, ere he met them fully armed and in good order marching back into the town. A violent struggle now recommenced; but the Danes were again driven back and obliged to betake themselves to their entrenchments beyond the river. Gustavus now entered the town himself; in wrath he learnt the disorder and drunkenness of the peasants, and reproached them in sharp and serious terms. He descended into the cellars, struck himself the staves off some barrels, letting the wine and ale flow in streams, and desired his servants to do the same. "I would rather see meat and wine wasted," he said, "than the blood of my soldiers."

The news of this victory spread far and near; gentle and simple crowded to join the young and fortunate leader; amongst others, Arwid Westgöthe, who afterwards became one of Gustavus' bravest and most trustworthy officers. The army was now divided. Orebro was to be besieged by Olof Bonde; Westeräs by Lambrecht Mattsson; Nyköping by Lars Hard. The people rose on every side against the Danes; the Södermanlanders went of their own accord to Hörningsholm, took it by storm, and cut down or took prisoners the whole garrison.

Lars and Eriksson were sent to Upsala, who on their way thither raised the people and took them in their train. The Archbishop was not in the town, and the terrified canons sent a message to the two generals, desiring them to desist from

their hostilities, as the festival of St. Erik was now to be celebrated, and his bones to be carried between Old and New Upsala. These officers replied, "It is the province of Swedish men, and not foreigners, to carry the sacred remains of the patron of the kingdom; they would, therefore, do their best to be present in Upsala for the solemnity;" and with these words the envoy of the canons was obliged to return.

Gustavus Vasa, ariving at Upsala, went to the chapterhouse and there made a serious and severe oration to the assembled canons. He represented to them their own and their Archbishop's continual disloyalty to the kingdom and its natural Governors, and promised them that if they followed the same plan with him, they should certainly not go unpunished. "Am I to consider you," he asked, "as Danes or Swedes? Will you swear loyalty to me and the kingdom, and show yourselves as faithful Swedish subjects?" The terrified canons asked permission to write to their Archbishop to hear his opinion. To this Gustavus consented, and sent by the same messenger a letter to Gustaf Trolle, in which, in serious but respectful terms, he exhorted him to think of the welfare of the kingdom, and contribute to rescue it from oppression and misery. A priest carried the letters to Stockholm. "I shall bring Gustaf Eriksson the answer myself," said the Archbishop, when he had read them. The messenger was imprisoned; and, with three thousand infantry and five hundred horse, Trolle immediately set out for Upsala.

Gustavus Vasa was sitting at supper when a deserter from Trolle's party entered in haste, and related that the Danish army was but three miles from the town. He would not, however, believe this; another soon followed, confirming the report of the first, and bringing along with him sixteen horses which had been taken from Trolle's people. Still he was not to be persuaded; but an hour after, one of his own spies returned and brought the same news. Gustavus had but seven hundred infantry and one hundred cavalry with him, his peasants having got leave to return home and sow their fields. He afterwards confessed that had Trolle then, without delay, attacked the town, he would himself have shared the fate of Bengt Bjugg; but the Archbishop was fortunately per

suaded that Gustavus had the whole Swedish army with him, and therefore did not venture an immediate attack, but permitted his people to rest that night three miles from the town.

Early in the morning Gustavus rode up the high sand hill on which the Castle of Upsala now stands; he thence, in the light of the rising sun, watched the enemy marching past Dannemark Church, and saw that resistance with his little troop would be vain; he therefore thought it most advisable to retire till he should have re-assembled his peasants. When Trolle heard this, he sent Staffan Henrikson, a bold warrior, with two hundred cavalry, in pursuit of the Swedes, whom they overtook at Läby Ford. The infantry were already over; Gustavus himself was in the midst of the stream with his body-guard, when one of them, seeing the enemy in pursuit, set up a loud cry of alarm, and rode over Gustavus and his horse. The cavalry, still waiting to cross, seeing the danger of their leader, turned to receive the pursuers with such vigor that Staffan Henrikson returned to Upsala with the loss of seventy men. Gustavus got safe out of the water, and this peril. He re-assembled his peasants and pitched his camp at Rymningen Forest; and this is the first and last time that Gustavus Vasa ever showed negligence and imprudence.

Gustaf Trolle did not await his return, but marched back with his troops to Stockholm; and Gustavus, informed of this, sent Lars Olsson and Eriksson, with a choice body, to lie in ambush for him at Lindesund Mills. The brave Staffan, however, saved Trolle by his vigilance; ever on the alert, he rode before the troops, noting every mark on their path, and not far off the road discovered the remains of an ox lately killed, which the Swedish soldiers had been eating. Suspecting that there was something under this, he galloped back to Trolle, and the whole party pursued another route to Stockholm, thus avoiding the ambuscade of the Swedes. These, enraged that their enemies should have escaped them, followed with the greatest energy; they were warmly received, but the valor of the Danes was fruitless; they were forced to flight, and were hotly pursued. Lars Olsson noted Trolle as he rode; he galloped towards him, and, when sufficiently near, slung his sword with all his might at the Archbishop, but he