trous defeat
reached them, rose in revolt, under the leadership of Sten Sture, drove
the Danes out of Stockholm, and kept his queen, Christina of Saxony,
prisoner for three years. Hans had no more armies to send to Sweden and
he was obliged to renounce its crown.

Norway also rose against him under a brave leader, and his power over
that country was threatened also. It was finally saved for him by his son
Prince Christian, who used his power so cruelly after order was restored
that he nearly routed out all the old Norwegian nobles.

Thus, from his attempt to make the Ditmarshers pay taxes against their
will, King Hans lost one kingdom and came near losing another. The only
successful war of his reign was one against the traders of Luebeck, who
had treated him with great insolence. In a war which followed, the fleet
of the Luebeckers was so thoroughly beaten that the proud merchant princes
were glad to pay 30,000 gulden to obtain peace. Then, having this one
success to offset his defeat by the Ditmarshers, King Hans died.

_THE BLOOD-BATH OF STOCKHOLM._

The most cruel tyrant the northern lands ever knew was Christian II. of
Denmark, grandson of Christian I., whose utter defeat at Stockholm has
been told. For twenty-seven years Sweden remained without a king, under
the wise rule of Sten Sture. Then Hans of Denmark, son of Christian I.,
was chosen as king, in the belief that he would keep his promises of good
government. As he failed to keep them he was driven out after a four
years' rule, as we have told in the last tale, and Sten Sture became
practically king again.

How Christian, who succeeded Hans as king of Denmark, and had shown
himself a master of ferocity and bloodthirsty cruelty in Norway and
Denmark, overcame the Swedes and made himself king of Sweden, is a story
of the type of others which we have told of that unhappy land. It must
suffice to say here that by force, fraud, and treachery he succeeded in
this ambitious effort and was crowned king of Sweden on the 4th of
November, 1520.

He had reached the throne by dint of promises, confirmed by the most
sacred oaths, not one of which he had any intention of keeping, and the
Swedes might as well have set a wolf on their throne as given it to this
human tiger. One thing he knew, which was that the mischief and disquiet
in Sweden were due to the ambition of the great lords, and he mentally
proposed to ensure for himself a quiet reign by murdering all