rced the
captains to run back to harbor. Then he decided to go overland, through
Denmark, Holland, and France, but while he was laying his plans for this
journey, an effort was made by certain love emissaries to turn his
thoughts towards Mary Stuart, the widow of a French king and heiress of
the throne of Scotland. He listened to these representatives and was so
pleased with their description of Mary's charms that his single-minded
devotion to Elizabeth was shaken.

The loveliness of Mary Stuart was a strong inducement to the young king,
but the high estate of Elizabeth was a greater one, and he did not cease
his efforts to win her hand. Being told that the chief obstacle in his
way was the handsome Earl of Leicester, he grew violently jealous of this
favored courtier. He at first challenged him to mortal combat, but as
this could not conveniently be carried out, he secretly bade his agent in
London to hire an assassin to deal with the earl, promising protection
and a rich reward to the murderer. This villainy the agent refused to
perform, and Erik now, hoping to frighten Elizabeth to give him a
favorable answer, spread a report in England that he was courting the
Scottish queen. The effect was different from what he anticipated, for
Elizabeth at once positively rejected his suit and all seemed at an end.

[Illustration: ARMORY AND COSTUME HALL OF THE ROYAL MUSEUM, SWEDEN.]

About this time a third lady fair came into the game. Erik was told of
the charms and rare character of the Princess Renata of Lotringen,
granddaughter of the late Christian of Denmark, and at once opened
negotiations for the hand of this princess. At the same time the crafty
Elizabeth pretended to relent and Erik was again on fire for her hand.
Thus he had now three love projects under way, from two of which, those
for Mary Stuart and Princess Renata, favorable answers were returned.

But the volatile lover, before receiving these answers, had added a
fourth string to his bow of courtships, having decided to propose for the
Princess Christina of Hesse. By this time he had spent on his threefold
courtship vast sums of money and had gone far towards making himself the
laughing-stock of Europe.

Erik's new course of love did not run smooth. The fates seemed against
him in his marriage projects. His first proposal for Christina, indeed,
received a favorable reply and it was decided that the selected bride
should arrive at Stockholm in the following