GUS PAWS ERICKSON, or GusrAvus L, King of Sweden, commonly called Gorraves Vasa, a descendant of the ancient kings of Sweden, was born May 2nd 1490 at Ockestadt, near Stockholm. Sweden, which by virtue of the treaty of Calmar made in the year 1397 had become a dependency of the crown of Denmark, had by a eucceseful insurrection thrown of the Danish yoke, and was at that time governed by a Swedish stsdtholder. Denmark however never relaxed her efforts to regain her dominion, and she at length succeeded, with the assist ance of the Archbishop of Upsal, in the year 1519. Protestantiam began about this time to extend itself widely In Sweden, and on this account the pope and the archbishop of Upsal, the primate of the kingdom, afforded to Christian of Denmark all possible help. Christian seized upon the Swedish capital, and caused Erickson, of whom he was most apprehensive, to be confined in Calloe, a Danish fortress. By the assistance of the ecclesiastical party, Christian procured him self to be acknowledged king of Sweden by the assembled people, and was crowned in their presence. Before his coronation he promised to release all prisoners, and to maintain the rights and freedom of the Swedish nation; but within three days after his coronation, and on the 8th of November 1520, he violated his solemn promise by ordering the chiefs of the most respectable Swedish families, and also the members of the senate, to be arrested, and afterwards beheaded in the market-place. Thus perished in one day eighty-four persons, all belonging to the first families, and among them the father of Gustavus Vasa. When the people who were assembled at the place of execution could no longer restrain their feelings, and showed a disposition to deliver their friends and countrymen from the hands of the executioner, the Danish troops rushed upon the unarmed multitude, and massacred all who fell into their hands, without distinction of age or sex. These executions were continued for several days, and Christian thus hoped to destroy every adherent of the Swedish party. The streets of Stock holm ran with human blood ; for three days several hundred dead bodies lay upon the ground, and were at length burnt before the gates of the city.
In the meantime young Erickson had escaped from his prison ; and after a short stay at Liibeck, where, in vain, he solicited the assistance of that powerful town, had fled into the mountains of Dalecarlia. Here he received intelligence of the bloody scenes enacted at Stock holm, and of the fate of his father. When Christian was apprised of the escape of Gustavus, he set a price upon his head, and threatened with death every one who gave him the least assistance. The dread occasioned by these threats closed every door against him ; and even an old servant, upon whose fidelity he had counted, not only forsook him, but carried off all his money. Disguised in rags, he wandered about in the mountains of Dalecarlia, till at length lie found shelter as a labourer in the mines of Fahlun. After a short time Gustavus left the mines, and eutered as a day-labourer into the service of a wealthy farmer at Wika, of the name of Fehrson ; but he was soon recognised as the descendant of the kings of Sweden, and, through fear of Christian, was refused an asylum. Wandering in the middle of winter in this severe climate, he was in imminent danger of perishing through cold and want. Some peasants, who found him in a wood nearly frozen, brought him to Peterson, the owner of their village ; but here also he was recognised, and while Peterson received him with apparent kindness, ho betrayed his abode to the Danish com mander of the district. Peterson's wife however, who abhorred the treachery of her husband, saved Gustavus, who fled to the house of a peasant of the name of Nilson, and concealed himself in a cart under a load of straw, with which Nilson was .goiug to Rattwik, farther iu the interior of Dalecarlia. On its way the cart was stopped by a party of Danish eoldiere, who drove their pikes into the straw in different places. Erickson received a deep wound in the thigh ; but fearing capture more than death, ho endured in silence the danger and the pain, and succeeded in reaching Rattwik in safety.