d to bestow. By his imbecility he
lost Finland to the kingdom, and was compelled to abdicate in 1808.
This "lunatic monarch," as he was called, was escorted out of the
country with his family, never to return, and died in St. Gallin, in
1837.

Under these conditions we find Sweden at the beginning of the
nineteenth century, when Charles XIII was chosen to succeed his
nephew, the abdicated Gustavus IV Adolphus. Charles XIII was one of
the most unsympathetic of Swedish kings, but his reign marks a new
period in Swedish history, commencing the era of constitutional
government. The new constitution to which the king subscribed was
not a radical document; it only reduced the power of the king. Hans
Jaerta, one of the nobles who had renounced their privileges and been
active in the conspiracy against Gustavus IV, was the leading spirit
of the constitutional committee, and was appointed secretary of state
in the new cabinet.

It was necessary to select an heir to the throne, as Charles XIII was
childless, and Prince Christian August of Augustenborg was chosen,
much in opposition to the nobles, who wanted the son of Gustavus IV.

The Prince of Augustenborg, who was Danish governor-general of Norway,
accepted, and was adopted by the king, changing his name to Charles
August. Beloved by the lower classes who had effected his selection,
he was treated coldly by the Gustavian aristocrats, and reports of
attempts to poison the heir-apparent were in circulation even before
he arrived in Sweden. Prince Charles August himself said he had
often been warned that he would die young of paralysis, but paid no
attention to the warnings given him. During a parade of troops at
Qvidinge, in Scania, he was suddenly seen to lose consciousness
and dropped dead from his horse. A report that seemed to favor the
supposition that death resulted from poison, threw the populace into
a frenzy, and the stoning to death of Count Fersen resulted. This
occurred at the burial of the dead prince, when Count Fersen, as
marshal of the realm, opened the procession. Approaching the church
of Riddarholm, his carriage was pelted with stones, Fersen himself
seeking shelter in various places, but being pursued by the mob and
killed. Thus perished a man who, with Curt von Stedingk, had received
the order of Cincinnatus from the hands of George Washington, and who
once was so near saving Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette from their
cruel fate. Fersen's brother was save