or it
he had answered her disdainfully. In a letter he had used foul and
abusive language, calling her "a king without breeches," and the
"abbot's concubine" (_abbedfrillen_), on account of her particular
attachment to a certain abbot of Soro, who was her spiritual director.
It is, however, true, that her intimacy with this monk gave room for
some suspicion that her privacies with him were not all employed about
the care of her soul. Afterward, to ridicule her yet more, King Albert
sent her a hone to sharpen her needles, and swore not to put on his
nightcap until she had yielded to him. But under perilous circumstances
Margaret was never at a loss how to act. She acted here with the utmost
prudence, trying first to gain the favor of the peers of the state, and
solemnly promising to rule according to the Swedish laws. War now broke
out between Albert and Margaret, whose army was commanded by Jvar Lykke.
The encounter of the two armies--about twelve thousand men on each
side--took place at Falkoping, September 21, 1388. A furious battle was
fought, in which the victory for a long while hung in suspense. But
Margaret's good fortune prevailed; Albert was routed and his army cut to
pieces, and Margaret was now mistress of Sweden.

While this was passing, the Queen tarried in Wordingborg Sjelland,
ardently desiring to learn the result. But no sooner did she hear that
the victory was gained, and the Swedish King and his son Eric taken
prisoners, than she hastened to Bahus, in Sweden, where the King and his
son were brought before her. Lost in joy and amazement at having her
enemy in her power, the Queen now retorted upon King Albert with
revilings, and she made him wear a large nightcap of paper--a
retaliation proportioned to his offensive words. He and his son were
thereupon brought to Lindholm, a castle in Skane, where they were kept
prisoners for seven years. When they entered the castle, a dark, square
room was assigned them, and when the King said, "I hope that this
torture against a crowned head will only last a few days," the jailer
replied: "I grieve to say that the Queen's orders are to the contrary;
anger not the Queen by any bravado, else you will be placed in the
irons, and if these fail we can have recourse to sharper means." To the
excessive self-love, intemperance, conceitedness, and want of foresight
which had characterized all his actions, the unhappy Albert had to
ascribe his present situation.

The year fo