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Protestantism in Sweden and Denmark - James Aitken Wylie

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channels than the monastery; <strong>and</strong> the fathers found<br />

more profitable employments than those <strong>in</strong> which<br />

they had been wont to pass the drowsy hours of the<br />

cell. Not a few became preachers of the Gospel;<br />

<strong>and</strong> some devoted to h<strong>and</strong>icraft those thews <strong>and</strong><br />

s<strong>in</strong>ews which had run waste <strong>in</strong> the frock <strong>and</strong> cowl.<br />

The tide was manifestly go<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong>st the<br />

bishops; nevertheless they fought on, hav<strong>in</strong>g nailed<br />

their colors to the mast. They fed their hopes by the<br />

prospect of succor from abroad; <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> order to be<br />

ready to co-operate with it when it should arrive,<br />

they cont<strong>in</strong>ued to <strong>in</strong>trigue <strong>in</strong> secret, <strong>and</strong> took every<br />

means to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> a brood<strong>in</strong>g irritation with<strong>in</strong> the<br />

k<strong>in</strong>gdom. Frederick, to whom their policy was well<br />

known, deemed it wise to provide aga<strong>in</strong>st the<br />

possible results of their <strong>in</strong>trigues <strong>and</strong> mach<strong>in</strong>ations,<br />

by draw<strong>in</strong>g closer to the Protestant party <strong>in</strong><br />

Germany. In 1532 he jo<strong>in</strong>ed the league which the<br />

Lutheran pr<strong>in</strong>ces had formed for their mutual<br />

defense at Schmalkald.[9]<br />

It is not easy adequately to describe the change<br />

that now passed upon <strong>Denmark</strong>. A serene <strong>and</strong><br />

163

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