"Luth'risch, Papstich, und Calvinisch,

Diese Glauben alle drei,

Sind vorhanden, doch ist Zweifel,

Wo das Christenthum denn sey!"

As regards the old lady's story, it is true; for Charles XI., when he came to Husaby before visiting St. Sigfrid's Well, first inspected the tattered garment of the captured monk, and shook his sides with laughter. Behind the altar, together with an early font, still stand a pile of lances (blosst'stångar), which, fitted with torches, were borne before the bridegroom by his best men on his way to the church, a custom of the olden time, when weddings took place by night. The Fästnings Ohl, or betrothal, was in former days a grand ceremonial throughout Sweden. The young pair sat on a raised platform under a canopy of silk; behind them was placed the bridal bench, where, arranged on a silken cover, were exhibited the wedding presents of plate, jewels, and money. Another old custom, now obsolete, was that of the Brud-bad (bride's bath), taken by the fiancée in great state three or four days previous to the wedding.

Husaby once formed part of the De la Gardie Grefskab; the arms may be seen in all directions. Leaving the church, we visited the spring, St. Sigfrid's Well, o'ershadowed by a rock, from which a stunted ash extends its

The last bride who took the brud-bad was Ebba de la Gardie, the betrothed of Magnus Stenbock. The ceremony was performed at Rosenbad, on the Södermalm, at Stockholm, to which place she proceeded, attended by a large concourse of noble ladies both married and single. The bath was followed up by a grand banquet and ball at the De la Gardie palace. Fifty years since the custom still prevailed in Skåne. The bridal couch was dressed in a chamber called the "wedding-hall."

VOL. I.

S

branches. Around the broken stone runs an inscription; a poor-box is placed by the side.

When some years since the source was emptied out, many early Anglo-Saxon and English coins were found -gifts of pious pilgrims who were wont to visit the well on St. Sigfrid's day, Feb. 18th. All here bears the saint's name-St. Sigfrid's Meadows, St. Sigfrid's Road; for the king gave the whole village "till Staff Och stol" in gratitude, says the chronicler, that "Sweden's soul was in this place rescued from heathenism."

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We each quaffed a glass of water from the holy well; then dropping a small coin in the iron-bound box for Bishop Jon's sake, again started on our way. Before the ruins stands the maypole, in these parts wreathed with leaves and hens' eggs, not with flowers. Upon a breezy heath studded with pines and juniper stand two lofty Runic stones: when one of them fell in the last century, twenty pair of oxen could scarce raise it up again. The setting sun reflected on the lake shone in one continued pillar of fire, such as guided the Israelites through the wilderness; the eye scarcely dares to gaze upon the Kinne waters, so bright are they and dazzling. We pass through gates innumerable, at last roll into the newly built city of Lidköping.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Lidköping - The Bell War Cathedral tower of Skara The Folkungar-Tournament of the Kettle-mender-Domkyrka-Tomb of Erik Soop, the saviour of Gustaf Adolf - Bishop Brynolf and his 'Rhyming Chronicle'- His English predecessors- Beggars unknown in early times in Sweden- English sweating sickness - Journal of Charles XI.-Its pious conclusion.

LIDKÖPING.

BUILT where the Lida-ån discharges its waters into the Kinne bay, Lidköping commands from her long jetty a glorious view of Kinne Kulle over the deep blue waters. This town derives some importance from its corn-trade; the streets and squares are wide; there are many handsome houses newly built, and more in course of building. The new brick church, with buttresses of Kinne limestone, picked out in black and white, Florentine fashion, with a lofty black slated spire and gilded finials, is as a whole most creditable and effective. An older building on the same site fell a prey to the fire which some few years since reduced the city to ashes, destroying everything, even to the great bell, of which old people still love to tell stories, chuckling as they relate "How in the Bell War,'* when Gustaf Wasa ordered his bailiffs

* Gustaf Wasa owed a large sum to the Lubeckers; until this was repaid there was no hope of free commerce for the country; so in 1530

to carry it to Lödose,* the bell became so heavy no team of oxen could move it; but no sooner had the men left it than the townspeople hoisted it up light as a feather to its place again! where it pealed merrily till cracked by the last fire."

From a threatened conflagration more serious still, in 1561, Lidköping escaped by the stratagem of parson Olof in Harened, who, when the troops of Christian IV. drew nigh, caused fires to be lighted throughout the adjoining forest, and ordered the townspeople to beat drums by day and night. The Danes, imagining the Swedish army to be encamped in the woods, retired, burning Husaby and Skara on their way, but leaving Lidköping unscathed. These early clergy were plucky fellows, and endless are the anecdotes of their spirited, not spiritual, doings.

In the centre of the great square stands the small townhouse, where, if you love to study character from men's portraits, some good, more only daubs, and all sadly wanting cleaning, you will find hanging on the walls the sovereigns of the Wasa dynasty, beginning with King Gustaf; his son Erik, splendidly dressed, as was his wont; when once a king he was only too glad to have done with his father's economy, his patching and turning; in him are repeated the features of Gustaf, but not his stern character. Then follows his brother

he determined that the church bells should be given up and melted down to supply the deficit. This ordinance was most distasteful to the people; an insurrection broke out in Dalarne; and the very men who had aided the king in his wanderings when a fugitive, now rose in rebellion against him. This rising was termed the "Bell War."

* Kings are six of one and half-a-dozen of another. Henry VIII., playing at dice with Sir Thomas Partridge for the bells of old St. Paul's, lost them at one throw.

John, with pointed beard, and face false as a Valois. The great Gustavus, the hero of Protestantism, in a buff jerkin, most unwieldy; Christina, fair, but deformed in bust, and thus depicted always-strange that painters should have so little flattered a sovereign!

Lidköping was little more than a small fishing village till Queen Christina gave it to De la Gardie, who rebuilt it, doing much to improve its commerce, founding fresh schools, and eighteen churches in the country. Charles XI., at the Reduction, writes word to the burghers, "How, understanding the town now bears on its shield the arms of De la Gardie in conjunction with those of Sweden, in place of a Skara bishop in pontificalibus, he begs they will for the future content themselves with the shield borne by their forefathers, for this must no longer be."

We passed one night at Lidköping, and next day drove to Skara.

SKARA.

Its grammar-school is the most ancient foundation in the kingdom, for the Lap king, after his conversion, had Anglo-Saxon teachers from England to instruct the Christian youth. At a later period the Benedictines took charge of the school, but were so lazy that Pope Innocent IV. had to set matters right by his bull called 'Collegium Canonicorum.'

On walking through the streets of Skara, an old cathedral town with bishop, droning bees, and sycamores, you wonder why King Olof should have chosen for the capital of his new diocese* a site so far removed from

* Husaby was appointed a bishopric pro tem. till Skara Domkyrka