d ambitious to increase his power, he was zealous for the
welfare of his country, and did more than any other of his time to awake
Sweden to a sense of her existence as a nation. It was on the foundation
laid by him that a still greater leader was soon to build a mighty
edifice.

On the 21st of January, 1504, at a general diet of the magnates, with
delegates from the burghers and peasantry of Sweden, Svante Sture was
elected regent. His reign was even more warlike than that of his
predecessor. The Cabinet, it is true, had come to see the benefits
resulting from Sten Sture's rule, and the majority of them were lukewarm
adherents of the Swedish party. But Hans was more determined than ever
to seize the crown, and not only harassed Svante throughout his reign by
a long series of invasions, but did all he could to compromise him with
other foreign powers. Svante, however, succeeded in winning many
friends. In 1504 he concluded a truce of twenty years with Russia, which
was extended, by treaty of 1510, to 1564. In 1510 an alliance was also
formed between Sweden and the Vend cities. In 1506 the Dalesmen, at one
of their assemblies, issued a letter to the people of their provinces,
urging them to support Svante with life and limb. But this burst of
enthusiasm was short-lived. The war with Hans hung on. New taxes had to
be imposed, and several fiefs to which different magnates laid claim
were appropriated to the crown. Discontent spread once more, and at a
Cabinet meeting held in September, 1511, Svante was declared deposed. He
refused to yield till heard by a general diet of the kingdom, and while
negotiations were pending, on the 2d of January, 1512, he died.

Nothing could have given certain members of the Cabinet greater
pleasure. The clerical members especially, being warmly attached to the
Danish cause, thought they now saw an opportunity to set Hans on the
throne. About the middle of January the Cabinet came together and, at
the solicitation of Archbishop Ulfsson, resolved to intrust the
government for the time being to Erik Trolle. This gentleman, of whom we
have already seen something, was of high birth as well as talent,
thoroughly versed in affairs, and allied to the Danish party not only by
family connection, but also by reason of large estates in Denmark. He
was, moreover, a warm friend of the archbishop.

However, the hopes of Trolle were not destined to be realized. At the
death of Svante, the Castle of Oerebro