BRICK xtv. of Sweden, the son of Gustavus Vasa, was acknowledged, by a diet bell at Westeraas in 1544, as heir to the throne while he was in his eleventh year : he succeeded his father in 1559. He began by showing a considerable degree of jealousy towards his brothers John, Magnus, and Charles, whom their father had made dukes of Finland, East Gothic, and Sudermanland, as feudatories of the crown.
He was also engaged in war with the Liflandera, or Livonians, who had placed themselves under the protection of Denmark and of Poland ; but the Esthlanders remaining attached to Sweden, Erick sent an army to Revel for their protection, and successfully defended that place against the Poles. Erick bad at one time, before he was king, been a suitor for the hand of Elizabeth of England, and after his accession to the throne he embarked to pursue his addresses in person. A violent tempest however having driven him back to Sweden, Erick, who was superstitious and a believer in astrology, gave up all thoughts of the match, and turned his attentions to Mary, queen of Scotland, but with no better result. Ills brotherJohn having married Catharine, daughter of Sigistnund, king of Poland, without Erick's consent, Erick besieged him in the entitle of Abo, made him prisoner, and kept him and his wife in close confinement, until the remonstrances of the people obliged him to release them. At the same time a war broke out
between Denmark and Sweden, in which the Swedes had the advantage In several sea fights. Meantime King Erick gave himself up entirely to his miatreeisee, end entrusted the c ire of the kiugdom to his favourite Joram l'eersou, au unprincipled man, by whose advice and that of Dlouysius Iturrteue, a Frenchman by birth and his former tutor, be put to death several noblemen, among others the Stures, father and sou, who belonged to a powerful Swedish family of Nile Sturo : one of them was stabbed by the king with his own baud. Erick even went so far as to concert a scheme to put to death his brothers at a great festival to be given at Stockholm, but having been apprised of It, they conspired against him, seized upon several castles, collected a force, and marched upon the capital. Erick, after some defence, was obliged to surrender; the assembly of the states deposed him in 1568, and be WAS kept a close prisoner in the castle of' Gripeholm, where he was treated very severely. His brother John was proclaimed king of Sweden. After nine year.' confinement, Erick was put to death by poison, by order of his brother, in 1577.
(Celsius, Kbanny Erick den Fiortondes IliAtoria, 1795.)