led. He now set forth, as admiral of the Swedish fleet, to
besiege the town of Visby. The siege began on the 19th of May, and was
enlivened during a few weeks by several skirmishes. Nothing of
importance, however, was accomplished. The siege was protracted through
the summer, and at last the besiegers showed so little life that their
leader, the favorite of Gustavus, was reported to have turned his coat
once more and joined the enemy.[95]

Not yet had the siege begun when evidence was furnished that Fredrik was
in league with Norby. So early as the 9th of May Gustavus wrote to Brask
that the Danes were rumored to be supplying Norby with stores and
ammunition. A few days later word arrived from Fredrik that he wished
once more to put off the congress, this time till the 24th of June.
Gustavus was now fairly mad with indignation, and declared to Brask that
he would neither be present nor allow his envoys to be present at the
proposed congress. He was discreet enough, however, to conceal his wrath
from Fredrik; and, without refusing the offer of the Danish king, he
called a meeting of his Cabinet, to which he urged Lubeck to send her
envoys. Fredrik in the mean time had been negotiating on his own
account with Norby, and had wrung promises from him which led to the
impression that Norby had thrown up his allegiance to Christiern II. and
was ready to accept the authority of Fredrik. Elated by this false hope,
the Danish monarch felt in a position to ignore the slight that had been
put upon him by Gustavus, and sent delegates, apparently unbidden, to
the Swedish king and Cabinet, proposing that a congress be held in
Denmark to settle all matters of dispute, the Swedish army in the mean
time to withdraw from Gotland, and Norby to be given safe-conduct from
the isle. These terms Gustavus rejected with disdain, declaring that he
had striven for the good of all to scatter Norby with his "nest of
robbers," and would consent to a meeting with Fredrik only on condition
that in the interval Norby should receive no aid of any shape or kind.
Fredrik, finding that Gustavus was determined, and that Norby's feigned
alliance was somewhat airy, yielded reluctantly to this condition. The
Swedish army continued in its camp at Visby; and the two monarchs,
attended by their Cabinets, proceeded to the town of Malmoe in hope of
settling their disputes. The congress opened on the first day of
September. The two monarchs with their retinues were pr