ares," they said, "that no foreigner shall enter the Cabinet or
govern land or castle, yet we shall gladly see you grant him both castle
and land as you deem best, doubting not that you will so watch over his
and all other grants that your subjects suffer not." In accordance with
this concession Hoya was given Stegeborg in fee, and his marriage with
Margareta was arranged to take place in January next. As to quartering
in the monasteries, the conservative element prevailed, the Cabinet
decreeing that it was not advisable to fill the monasteries with horse
and men. That the coronation take place at once, the Cabinet strongly
urged, though they refrained from expressing opinion as to the
confirmation of the bishops. The proposition that the king be given
power to regulate the royal rents was not rejected, but a hint was
thrown out that the proper step was rather to prepare an accurate list
of all crown property and collect the rents as due thereon of old.[98]

Clearly enough this meeting would not satisfy a hungry people. In fact
apparently it added to their rage, and we find the people of Dalarne at
this time drawing up a long list of grievances to be laid before the
king. Their first and weightiest complaint was that certain rich men,
stewards of the king, had bought up all the grain in their district, and
had made a corner in it so that the poor man could not get enough to
eat. Further than this, they protested against the king's practice of
admitting into the kingdom all sorts of foreigners, "who have put their
heads together to ruin the common people." This vehement lament aroused
Gustavus to the gravity of his position, particularly as he learned that
Sunnanvaeder was inciting the people to rebel. Hoping to quiet matters,
he despatched his messengers to all parts of the kingdom with soothing
words. He endeavored in every way to impress upon the people that the
high price of food was due entirely to the war between the emperor and
the King of France; and as to the repudiation of the "klippings," of
which some people had complained, he asserted that he had thereby
suffered far greater injury than his people. Sunnanvaeder's conspiracy
was the thing that caused him most anxiety, and on the 9th of December
he addressed the Dalesmen on that theme. "Dear friends," he suavely
wrote, "report has reached our ears that Sunnanvaeder has gone among you
with plots to throw the kingdom into strife once more. We beg you in the
name