another wise, intelligent, and able prince, should be chosen common
monarch; and if anyone, because of high treason, was banished from one
kingdom, then he should be banished from them all. A month after, on the
Queen's birthday, July 13th, a legitimate charter was drawn up, to which
the Queen subscribed and put her seal; on which occasion Eric of
Pomerania was anointed and crowned by the archbishops of Upsala and Lund
as king of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The _Te Deum_ was sung in the
churches of Calmar, the assembly crying out: "_Haecce unio esto perpetua!
Longe, longe, longe, vivat Margarethe, regina Daniae, Norvegiae et
Sveciae!_"

This strict union of the three large states became a potent bulwark for
their security, and made them, in more than one century, the arbiter of
the European system; the three nations of the northern peninsula
presenting a compact and united front, that could bid defiance to any
foreign aggression.

Although Eric of Pomerania was elected king, and in 1407 passed his
minority, Margaret continued governing until the day of her death. "You
have done all well," wrote the people to her, "and we value your
services so highly that we would gladly grant you everything." The union
of the three Scandinavian kingdoms having been established in Calmar,
all her efforts were now aimed at regaining the duchy of Schleswig,
which circumstances had compelled her to resign to Gerhard IV, Count of
Holstein. For such a reunion with Schleswig a favorable opportunity
appeared, when Gerhard was killed in an expedition against the
Ditmarshers, leaving behind three sons in minority. Elizabeth, Gerhard's
widow, fled to Margaret for succor against her violent brother-in-law,
Bishop Henry of Osnabrueck. Margaret, fond of fishing in foul water, was
very willing to help her, but availed herself of the opportunity to
annex successively different parts of Schleswig.

The dethroned Swedish King, Albert, never able to forget his anger
toward Margaret or her severity against him, and continually cherishing
a hope of reascending the Swedish throne, and considering the Union of
Calmar a breach of peace, contrived to make the Swedish people
displeased with her, and thought it a suitable time to revolt from her
dominion. He established a strong camp before Visby, the capital of the
island of Gulland, having six thousand foot and, at some distance, nine
thousand horse. Determined to engage before their junction could take
p