gent and form an alliance with the king
of Denmark. While the Cabinet was in session, he despatched a messenger
to King Christiern, urging him to break the truce with Sweden, and
informing him that the Castle of Nykoeping, now in the hands of one of
the archbishop's satellites, should be thrown open to him if he would
draw thither with his army. At the same time the archbishop began to
fortify himself in Staeket. Learning this, the regent saw that the hour
for compromise was past. He dissolved the Cabinet, and, advancing with
all speed to Nykoeping, stormed the castle. So rapid had been his
action, that he took the archbishop's officers all unprepared, and at
the first assault the garrison surrendered. This was on the 15th of
August. After taking the officer in command of the garrison to
Stockholm, where he was consigned to prison, the energetic young regent
proceeded to Vesteras, where, on the 8th of September, in an address to
the populace, he rendered an account of his actions, and informed the
people that the archbishop and others were engaged in a plot to yield
the kingdom into the hands of Christiern. Thence he proceeded to an
island some six miles from Staeket, and remained there through the
autumn, keeping an eye on the archbishop's castle and preparing, if
necessary, to besiege it. The Danish party by this time saw that they
were dealing with a man of mettle, and began to change their tactics.
Hoping to gain time, they gave out that they would be glad to have the
burgomaster and Council of Stockholm act as mediators in the dispute;
and on the 20th of October Ulfsson wrote to Sture to appoint a time for
conference. The regent, however, was not so easily deceived. Trolle was
still adding to his strength in Staeket, and looking forward to aid from
Denmark. The regent therefore replied to Ulfsson that Trolle had brought
on the dispute, and he must answer for it. "As to a conference with
you," adds the regent, "my time is now so fully occupied that I can
appoint no day before the Cabinet meeting to be held shortly at Arboga."
About the same time he wrote to the Chapter at Upsala, insisting on an
answer to a former letter, in which he had called on them to declare
whether they proposed to side with him or the archbishop. In this letter
he informs them: "As to your question whether I intend to obey the
ordinances of the Church, I answer that I shall defend the Holy Church
and respect the persons of the clergy as becomes