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Protestantism in Sweden and Denmark - James Aitken Wylie

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"Reformer of <strong>Denmark</strong>," Johannis Taussanus. He<br />

was born <strong>in</strong> 1494, <strong>in</strong> the country of Fionia; his<br />

parents were peasants. From his earliest years the<br />

young Taussan discovered a quick genius <strong>and</strong> an<br />

<strong>in</strong>tense thirst for knowledge, but the poverty of his<br />

parents did not permit them to give him a liberal<br />

education. Follow<strong>in</strong>g the custom of his time he<br />

entered the Order of John the Baptist, or Jerusalem<br />

Monks, <strong>and</strong> took up his abode <strong>in</strong> the monastery of<br />

Antvorskoborg <strong>in</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong>.<br />

He had not been long <strong>in</strong> the monastery when<br />

the assiduity <strong>and</strong> punctuality with which he<br />

performed his duties, <strong>and</strong> the s<strong>in</strong>gular<br />

blamelessness of his manners, drew upon him the<br />

eyes of the superior of the order, Eskildus.[9] His<br />

parts, he found, were equal to his virtues, <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> the<br />

hope that he would become <strong>in</strong> time the ornament of<br />

the monastery, the superior adjudged to the young<br />

Taussan one of those bursaries which were <strong>in</strong> the<br />

gift of the order for young men of capacity who<br />

wished to prosecute their studies abroad. Taussan<br />

was told that, he might select what school or<br />

university he pleased, one only excepted,<br />

126

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