ains of that day who had fought in
the Low Countries and in France, were made welcome at the Swedish
court; and the favorite pastime of the young Gustavus was to question
them concerning the battles, sieges, and military exploits in which
they had been engaged.

When Charles IX. died, in 1611, Gustavus, being then seventeen years
old, was declared to be of age and succeeded to the throne. There was
need of an able and resolute man to cope with the many difficulties
which sprang up round about him. In the first place there was one war
with Denmark, already raging; the strained relations with Russia and
Poland threatened to precipitate two more. Norway, which was then
united with Denmark under the same king, was also jealous of Sweden;
and the Norwegian peasantry destroyed at Kringelen, in Guldbrandsdal,
an army of Scottish mercenaries, under the command of Colonel
Sinclair, which was marching to the relief of Gustavus. The Danes had
occupied two important Swedish cities, Calmar and Elfsborg, and being
determined to utilize their advantages to the full, repelled all
overtures for peace. It was of no avail that Gustavus renounced his
title of King of the Laplanders, the assumption of which by his father
had been one of the causes of the war. Christian IV., of Denmark,
continued to push hostilities with unflagging vigor, and several
battles were fought with varying fortunes. In 1612, he set sail with a
fleet of thirty-six vessels for Stockholm, intending to capture the
city. The Swedish fleet, being much inferior in numbers, was forced to
retire under shelter of the fortress of Waxholm, which guards the
access to the capital. In this dire dilemma, Gustavus strained every
nerve to avert the threatened disaster. With a small force, chiefly of
Dalecarlians, he marched day and night, and hastened to Waxholm in the
hope of surprising the Danish fleet which had been detained by adverse
winds. But the enemy, being probably informed of his approach, saw
that their opportunity for capturing the capital was gone, and
returned again to their own coast. Negotiations were now resumed and
peace was concluded in 1613. The Danes were to surrender Calmar
immediately and Elfsborg at the end of six years; the Swedes agreeing
to pay a war indemnity of one million thalers.

The war with Russia, which Gustavus had inherited from his father, had
of late been in a state of suspension. The Swedes had occupied a large
amount of Russian territory,