injured. In the centre sits the Holy Brita, attended by bishops and monks; around are depicted scenes from the New Testament. In old papistic days this altarpiece stood in the choir. To the right of the high altar, supported by fourteen Corinthian columns of green marble, stands the raised monument of mad Duke Magnus, who received most honourable burial from his brother; indeed, so rich were the fittings of his copper coffin, which hangs-Heaven knows why— suspended over a pool of water, that it did not escape being rifled. Magnus lies clad in his ducal robes of scarlet and ermine, "powdered" over with "wase," the heraldic bearings of his race;t on his head he bears

* 22nd June, 1595, Duke Charles, having received the news that his brother Magnus "sleeps in God," writes directions to Hans the builder, in Wadstena, ordering him to build up an arch in the convent church. Charles does not seem liberally inclined towards the funeral: "the letters M.D.O. are quite sufficient inscription for the coffin; but as Duchess Elizabeth is there, she will see after the black silk and all things necessary." He gives orders, however, for the three banners and three caparisoned horses to precede the coffin. "Tis probably to the duchess that Magnus owes his fine monument.

† Duke Magnus left two sido-dotters: the eldest, Lucretia, by a noble young German lady named Walborg, married Christopher Warnstedt, governor of Upland, and hofjunker to John III. In consequence of their descent from Lucretia, the family changed the mermaid, hitherto borne as their crest, to a maiden, half black and half white, with long, flowing, golden hair. Christopher came to grief with Duke Charles, got dismissed from his government, and lies buried beside Lucretia in Bro church, near Norteglia, with this motto on his tomb-" God's will be done."

The second daughter, Helena, by Anna von Haubitz, followed Cecilia, after her marriage, to Baden. King John, not approving of the court of his sister, and fearing she might be ill provided for in a foreign land, ordered Helena back to Sweden, when he richly endowed her. She married Waldemar Yxhull, a Livonian, hofmarechal to King John. Not far from Mosebacke is a narrow street still called Wolmar Yxhulle gatan, from the site of his palace.

Duke Magnus is said also to have left a son, named Sven,

the ducal coronet of East Götland. Speaking of this monument, Brunius, in his work, exclaims, "To think of the tomb of a poor mad prince, remembered only as an object of pity, still existing intact, upraised, when a gravestone alone, daily worn away by the footsteps of the curious, marks the last resting-place of Philippa, the noblest lady who ever wore a crown!"

Leaving the royal tombs, we enter the sacristy to view the relics of the Holy Brita and her daughter St. Karin, the latter turned out by Gustaf Wasa from her splendid shrine, the work of Johannes Mens, a crafty goldsmith of Wadstena. * What remains of the mother and daughter lie together in a reliquary of red velvet, studded with fleurs-de-lis, stars, and rosaces of silver gilt-emblems of the convent, midst boars' heads, boars saltant, and antlers in enamel, arms of the donors. Above the coffin hangs a portrait of St.

ancestor of the house of Eketrä (oak-tree). King John took him into service as valet-de-chambre; Duke Charles granted him patents of nobility. Sent by Duke Charles to watch the retreat of Sigismond, he was taken prisoner by the Poles, who would have hanged him had not Thure Bjielke saved his life.

* Magnus and Blancka, though they laughed at St. Brita, endowed Wadstena richly by their wills; and if wax be of any use there is no doubt they have escaped purgatory. Two wax candles, weighing 60 lbs., were to be burnt above their grave every anniversary of their death; four, of 20 lbs. each, on saints' days; two, of 20 lbs. each, every day, and that till doomsday: in addition to which they bequeathed to the as yet unfinished convent two heads of the 11,000 virgins, encased in wood; three ostrich-eggs filled with relics; gold, crystal, and jewelled chalices,-a list so long, nothing could have remained for their relatives. Queen Blancka, in her lifetime, was so careless about holy things, that St. Brita, dreadfully overcome at finding a box containing the thumb of St. Louis, and other valuables she had brought from France, in a most unsuitable place, thought fit to have a vision on the subject, which accounts, no doubt, for her Majesty's improvement.

Brita taken after death, an aged woman with mild countenance; her graveclothes tricked out with lace. The robes of the priests deserve a glance: they are rich and curious specimens of medieval needlework, some of scarlet velvet, semé with stars: down the sides are depicted the life of St. Brita and other holy subjects, with figures large as dolls encrusted thereon, sewn over with silk and gold: three black water-lily leaves embroidered on the corner of the vestments, heraldic bearings of the house of Sture.*

Having quaffed our fill of old historic memories, we now left the church. The day was hot, we sat for some time reposing in the convent garden by the Wettern side. Here you may find still growing plants once tended by the nuns for holy festivals, and bearing popish names-the kloster lily,† monks and nuns,‡ St. Brita's onion,§ and, lastly, the never-failing white lily of the Virgin. The sun dipped into the Wettern lake, and we drove home to Motala.

We spent four days at Motala, simply because, being short of cash, we could not get away. Trust not to post or telegraph in the Swedish provinces: letters, my belief is, when posted, are left in the box "till called for;" as for the telegrams, of four that we sent three missed fire, and one which was delivered came mutilated; so, patiently watching the steamers go through the locks, we stuck fast; the hotel was clean and comfortable, the weather hot, and we resigned. From Motala, for a mile's distance, a shady walk along

Maybe they were the gift of Brita, daughter of Sten Sture the lder, who died 1536, a nun in Wadstena kloster.

+ Lilium martagon.

Corydalis bulbosa.

§ Allium ursinum.

VOL. I.

X

as beautiful, and, when she died of the pest,* he raised to her memory a fine monument, which later falling to decay, the top slab was, like that of Queen Philippa, inserted in the pavement. On the inscription the queen is called the wife of Charles II., a proof historic that he was never termed VIII. during his lifetime. In later days a lying chronicle was published of the kings of Sweden, commencing with Magog; the bait took, and, when the fraud was found out, it was too late to change. Better countenance a dozen lies than touch the numeral of Sweden's twelfth Charles. The present king should, by rights, be termed Charles IX.

It is to be regretted that these tombstones are not better cared for; among the half-effaced escutcheons appear the boat of Bonde beneath a crown (probably Carl Knutsson's daughter), with those of Natt och Dag, Sture, and others of historic interest. Were they Stenfolk," antiquaries would look after them; but as to the middle ages, who cares for them in Sweden?

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In a side choir stands the altarpiece, gift of the brothers Amundi, which came from Venice in 1521. The Klokker called it the work of Pietro Quirini; † be it by him or not, it is remarkable, though greatly

property when she married." To his wife he leaves his hunting knife and "our brass kitchen articles," the picture of the saints and a gilt spoon, our state horse called 'the Bird;" to his son, "the kitchen utensils we used in summer," as well as a "great warming-pan, bedclothes, bolsters, coverlids, which we and our dear wife have collected and slept in." Each article of his wardrobe he wills away by name to his sons-in-law, though, really, beyond a certain silk cloak, there was not much to speak of.

* In 1450.

When Quirini visited Wadstena in 1432, he counted in the church upwards of sixty altars.