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Protestantism in Sweden and Denmark - James Aitken Wylie

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Chapter 7<br />

Introduction of <strong>Protestantism</strong><br />

Into <strong>Denmark</strong><br />

IN trac<strong>in</strong>g the progress of the Reformation <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>Sweden</strong>, our attention was momentarily turned<br />

toward <strong>Denmark</strong>. Two figures attracted our notice -<br />

- Arcimboldus, the legate-a-latere of Leo X., <strong>and</strong><br />

Christian II., the sovereign of the country. The<br />

former was busy gather<strong>in</strong>g money for the Pope's<br />

use, <strong>and</strong> send<strong>in</strong>g off vast sums of gold to Rome;<br />

the latter, impatient of the yoke of the priests, <strong>and</strong><br />

envious of the wealth of the Church, was try<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

<strong>in</strong>troduce the doctr<strong>in</strong>es of Luther <strong>in</strong>to <strong>Denmark</strong>,<br />

less for their truth than for the help they would give<br />

him <strong>in</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g himself master <strong>in</strong> his own<br />

dom<strong>in</strong>ions. Soon, however, both personages<br />

disappeared from the scene.<br />

Arcimbold <strong>in</strong> due time followed his gold-bags<br />

to Italy, <strong>and</strong> Christian II., deposed by his subjects,<br />

retired to the court of his brother-<strong>in</strong>-law, Charles<br />

120

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