ficer
captured in the battle outside Stockholm. This man testified, among
other things, that before the Danish fleet set forth, a messenger from
Trolle had appeared before King Christiern to solicit aid for Staeket.
Indeed, the charge of conspiracy was proved beyond the shadow of a
doubt. The whole house rose with one accord in denunciation of the
traitor. Without a dissenting voice it was decreed that Staeket, "the
rebel stronghold," should be levelled to the ground; that Trolle should
nevermore be recognized as archbishop; that, though by the terms of his
safe-conduct he might return to Staeket, he should not come forth
therefrom till he had given pledge to do no further injury to the
kingdom; and, finally, that if Trolle or any other in his behalf should
solicit excommunication on any of those present for this resolve or for
besieging or destroying Staeket, or should otherwise molest them, they
all should stand firm by one another. This resolve, before the diet
parted, was put into writing, and to it every member attached his
seal.[28]

The archbishop, as had been promised him, was permitted to return to
Staeket, which was again put into a state of siege. The siege, however,
was of short duration. Deserted by the largest portion of his officers,
and with no immediate prospect of further aid from Denmark, the
archbishop had nothing for it but to yield. Staeket thus fell into the
hands of Sture; and the archbishop was placed in the monastery of
Vesteras, to remain there captive till further disposition should be
made of his archbishopric.[29]

The whole country was by this time overrun with rebels. Particularly
along the southern frontier the Danish party, in close alliance with the
king of Denmark, kept the inhabitants in a state of terror; and their
hostile demonstrations became at last so marked that the regent found it
necessary, in the autumn of 1517, to despatch his army thither to
repress them. This news was brought to Christiern's ears, still tingling
with the report of the disaster of his fleet. The monarch, having no
stomach for a winter campaign among the snows of Sweden, bethought him
of a truce until the coming spring. There chanced to be in Denmark at
the time a smooth-mouthed scoundrel with the unsavory name of
Arcimboldo. He was by trade a dealer in indulgences, having been
commissioned by Leo X. to vend his wares throughout the northern parts
of Europe. He had already spent some time in Lubeck, where