Christian II

was crowned at Stockholm on Nov. 4, 1520. On the 8th the heads of the Swedish party,.among whom was Gustavus’ father, were executed. By the beginning of 1521 Gustavus had raised a considerable force, and had repeatedly defeated the Danes. On Aug. 24 he was named administrator of the kingdom by_ the States which had a embled at Wadstena. On June 6, 1523, he was elected king by the Diet of Strengnas. On the 20th he became master of Stockholm, which he had besieged three times. He deferred his coronation to avoid taking the oath to support the Church, as he had become a convert to Luther an ism, and had determined to humble the clergy, whose power was exce ive. In 1527 he obtained the exclusion of the bishops from the senate and their subjection to the civil power. He now openly profe ed Luther an ism, and was crowned by a Protestant archbishop of Upsala on Jan. 12, 1528. The Luther an religion was formally established at a diet held at Orebro in 1529. In 1544 the States a embled at Wester a as declared the kingdom hereditary in his house. He died in Stockholm Sept. 29, 1560. * Gustavus IL., Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden; a grandson of Gustavus Vasa; born in Stockholm Dec. 9, 1594, and received a most careful education. He was trained to war under experienced generals, and at the age of 16 he took his place in the State council. Charles IX., the father of Gustavus, had been declared king to the exclusion of his nephew Sigismund, who, on accepting the crown of Poland during his father’s lifetime, had abjured the Protestant religion. On the death of Charles, Gustavus succeeded him, with the consent of the States, as king-elect.