il and perversions of the heretics. Its greatest Danish exponent,
Jesper Brochman, had just passed to his reward, but his monumental work,
_The System of Danish Theology_, remained after him, and continued to
serve as an authoritative textbook for many years to come. Though dry and
devoted to hairsplitting as orthodoxy no doubt was, it probably was not
quite as lifeless as later generations represent it to have been. Kingo
is often named "The Singer of Orthodoxy", yet no one can read his
soul-stirring hymns with their profound sense of sin and grace without
feeling that he, at least, possessed a deeper knowledge of Christianity
than a mere dogmatic training could give him.

Kingo's last months at the university were disturbed by a new war with
Sweden that for a while threatened the independent existence of the
country, a threat which was averted only by the ceding of some of its
finest provinces. During these stirring events, Kingo had to prepare for
his final examinations which he passed with highest honors in the spring
of 1658.

Thus with considerable deprivation and sacrifice, the humble weaver's son
had attained his membership in the academic world, an unusual
accomplishment for a man of his standing in those days. His good parents
had reason to be proud of their promising and well educated son who now,
after his many years of study, returned to the parental home. His stay
there was short, however, for he obtained almost immediate employment as
a private tutor, first with the family of Joergen Soerensen, the overseer
at Frederiksborg castle, and later, with the Baroness Lena Rud of Vedby
Manor, a position which to an impecunious but ambitious young man like
Kingo must have appeared especially desirable. Lena Rud belonged to what
at that time was one of the wealthiest and most influential families in
the country. Many of her relatives occupied neighboring estates, a
circumstance which enabled Kingo to become personally acquainted with a
number of them; and with one of them, the worthy Karsten Atke, he soon
formed a close and lasting friendship. He also appears to have made a
very favorable impression upon his influential patrons and, despite his
subordinate position, to have become something of a social leader,
especially among the younger members of the group.

Meanwhile the country once again had been plunged into a desperate
struggle. The Swedish king, Gustav X, soon repented of the peace he had
made when the w