The successors of this enlightened restorer of Swedish liberty were, with few exceptions, not worthy of him. They were all indeed endued with a chivalry and heroism not common even in ages when such attributes were regarded as the perfec tion of character; but they were devoid of sober judgment, of nice discrimination, and of sound policy. Their romantic spirit and enterprizes, as in the case of Charles X1I. not unfrequently ap proached to the verge of infatuation or insanity; and tended directly to retard the progress of know ledge and civilization in the territories over which they ruled.
Of the descendants of Vaza, Gustavus Adolphus, on whom has been conferred the title of Great, was the most distinguished, and to whom we have a] ready alluded in this article as the bulwark of the Protestant faith. He defended the Lutherans against the Emperor with equal bravery and good fortune. He made war, with success and with consummate skill, against Russia, Denmark, Poland, and Ger many, and these great achievements he performed before he had completed his thirty-seventh year; at which age he fell in the arms of victory at Lutzen; carrying " to the tomb," says Voltaire, " the name of Great, the regrets of the north, and the esteem of his enemies."* He was succeeded by his daughter, Christina, to whom we have before referred as a great patroness of learning and learned men. She became a Ca tholic; and relinquishing her crown, retired at the age of thirty-seven to Rome, where she passed the remainder of her life in the centre of the arts which she loved, and for which she had renounced sove reignty.
The history of Charles XII., who has not inaptly been called " an illustrious madman, "—his succes sive victories over the Danes, the Poles, the Rus sians, his ultimate defeat at Pultowa, his confine ment in Turkey, his escape, and his death at the siege of Frederickshall, are well known to every reader, and need not to be told here. Nor is it ne cessary to enter on the history of any of his suc cessors. The extensive conquests which Sweden had made beyond the Baltic were gradually taken from her during the course of the last century. The late Gustavus IV., on the French revolution, en tered into an alliance with Great Britain against France; and when, in 1808, Russia joined her forces to those of the latter kingdom, he broke off an al liance with that power; and on the invasion of his territories by the Russians, lost Finland, which has since (1809), continued dissevered from Sweden. The result of this war was not merely this loss, but the dislike of his people, and resentment of the nobles. The Duke of Sundermania, who was at the
head of the discontented party, conceived and exe cuted the plan of dethroning Gustavus, and of in vesting himself with his honours. This was easily effected: not the least disturbance took place on ac count of it; and the Duke assumed the crown under the title of Charles XIII.
Charles changed the government from a despotic to a limited monarchy. He made peace with Rus sia. He joined himself to the allies against France. By a treaty made in 1814, and confirmed in the sub sequent year at the congress of Vienna, Norway was added to his dominions, on condition of his ceding to Prussia Pomerania and the island of Rugen: Finland was finally guaranteed to Russia; and Swe den was confined within the bounds which we have already described. It may here be mentioned, that when Norway was united to the country which we are describing, her independence, as to govern ment, laws, and institutions, was solemnly stipu lated: a full account of which may be found under the article NORWAY. Meanwhile, in 1810, General Bernadotte, a Frenchman, had the influence to get himself declared Crown-prince of Sweden; a choice which, though at first it excited general surprise, has proved very judicious, from the prudent and liberal character of that celebrated person. In 1818 Charles XIII. died, and Bernadotte quietly as cended the throne, under the title of Charles XIV. This monarch has indeed shown himself worthy of the dignity conferred on him. He has patronized and promoted, as previously stated, every species of internal improvement. He has constructed canals, erected schools, and clone all in his power to promote the cause of education. A new civil and penal code is in progress. The public hospitals have not been overlooked; six useless ones have been suppressed; every modern improvement or discovery is immediately introduced. And, under his enlightened sway, Sweden, though, from inhe rent physical causes, she can never rise higher than a power of the second order, is rapidly advancing in real prosperity and influence, and is affording an example of improvement and of enlightened policy, which many nations more highly favoured in point of climate and physical advantages, would do well to imitate.
See Travels by Coxe, Wraxall, Thomson, Con way, Brooke, Rae Wilson; Revue Encyclopedique for Feb. 1829. Can tzler. Mcm. sur les .8ffaires Polit. et Econ. de Swede; also the works of Puffendorf, Vertot, and Voltaire, respecting Sweden. Edin. Annual Register for 18 1 5.