Christiern thought by using strict
precautions to starve the town ere winter. Pitching his camp along the
shore both north and south, and blockading the harbor on the east, he
sent messengers through the land to enlist the peasantry in his cause.
Many of them he propitiated by a generous distribution of salt which he
had brought with him from Denmark. Things, however, were not entirely to
his taste. Christina too had ambassadors inciting the people to revolt.
On the 27th of June a large body of the patriots laid siege to the
palace of the bishop of Linkoeping. About the same time also the
monastery of Mariefred, inhabited by the old archbishop Ulfsson, was
threatened; and a throng of peasants marched to Strengnaes to burn and
plunder. How crude the patriot forces at this time were is apparent from
a letter from a Danish officer to Krumpen, in which it is said that out
of a body of about three thousand only one hundred and fifty were
skilled soldiers. Christiern finally deemed it best to send a force to
Vesteras to storm the castle. This was done, the castle fell, and the
officer in command was taken prisoner. It was now August, and the
Stockholmers, no aid thus far having come to them from abroad, were
losing heart. In this state of things the king sent Gad and others
inside the walls to urge the people to surrender. Christina and her
sturdy burghers received the messengers with scorn; but the magnates,
already more than half inclined to yield, vehemently advocated the
proposal. Soon the whole town was in an uproar. A riot followed, and
some blood was shed. But at last Christina and her adherents yielded,
and delegates were sent outside the town to parley. After several days
of bickering it was agreed that Stockholm should be surrendered on the
7th of September next, but on the other hand that all hostility to
Christiern and to his fathers, as well as to Archbishop Trolle and the
other prelates, should be forgiven.[48]

Two days later, on the 7th of September, the burgomasters crossed over
in a body to Soedermalm, and delivered the keys of the city gates into
the hands of Christiern. Then, with bugles sounding and all the pomp and
ceremony of a triumph, he marched at the head of his army through the
city walls and up to the Great Church, where he offered thanksgiving to
Almighty God. That over, he proceeded to the citadel and took
possession. The same day and the day following he obtained two
documents,--one from the C