neback to
the sands of the sea-shore and the leaves of the forest, and their
arrows to the hail of the storm-cloud. The liberation of Sweden by
Gustavus Vasa is a history written by the people, and they counted
neither themselves nor their foes. The army was now divided under two
generals, Lawrence Olaveson and Lawrence Ericson, both practised
warriors. Gustavus next issued his declaration of war against Christian,
and marched to Westeras. He expected here to be met by the peasants of
the western mining district from Lindesberg and Nora, who had already
taken the oath of fidelity to him through his deputies; but instead of
this he was informed that Peter Ugla, one of those intrusted with the
performance of this duty, had allowed himself to be surprised at Koping,
and cut to pieces with his whole force. On the other hand, tidings
arrived that the peasants on Wermd Isle had revolted, slain a band of
Christian's men in the church itself, and made themselves masters of two
of his ships. The letters conveying the news, and magnifying the
advantages gained, Gustavus caused to be read aloud to his followers.

Theodore Slagheck, exercising power with barbarous cruelty and outrage,
had himself taken the command of the castle of Westeras. He caused all
the fences of the neighborhood to be broken down, in order to be able to
use his cavalry without impediment against the insurgent peasants, who,
on April 29th, approached the town. Both horsemen and foot, with
field-pieces, marched against them; and Gustavus, who had interdicted
his men from engaging in a contest with the enemy, intending to defer
the attack till the following day, was still at Balundsas, half a mile
from the town, when news reached him that his young soldiers were
already at blows with their adversaries, and he hastened to their
assistance. The Dalecarlians opposed their long pikes to the onset of
the cavalry with such effect that, more than four hundred horses having
perished in the assault, they were driven back on the infantry, who were
posted in their rear, and compelled to flee along with them, while
Lawrence Ericson pushed into the town by a circuitous road and possessed
himself of the enemy's artillery in the market-place. When the garrison
of the castle observed this, they set fire to the houses by shooting
their combustibles, and burned the greatest part of the town. The miners
and peasants dispersed to extinguish the flames or to plunder, bartered
with o