1457 to fly from the country and take refuge in Dantzig. Christian, who had the support of the Holy See, now became king. Never acceptable, however, to the patriotic section of the people, he managed very soon by various arbitrary actions to alienate the ecclesiastical powers that had been so largely instrumental in securing the crown for him. At last coming to an open rupture with the Archbishop of Upsala, Jons Bengtsson, who had helped to put him on the throne, he seized the powerful prelate and threw him into prison in Copenhagen. But Christian was to learn that the power which could raise him to the throne was also strong enough to remove him at its pleasure. The clergy were incensed at his high-handed action, and, when the threat of excommunication from the Pope failed to secure the release of the archbishop, the nephew of the latter, Kettil Karlsson, bishop of Linkoping, issued a proclamation by which the Swedes were declared to be no longer bound by their oath of allegiance, and were exhorted to take up arms in defence of their rights and liberties.
The appeal was responded to with enthusiasm, and, unable to stamp out the flame of insurrection, Christian was forced to abandon the country. In 1464 Karl VIII was restored to the throne, which, with the exception of a short interval, he contrived to hold until his death In 1470, when he was succeeded by his nephew, Sten Sture, with the title of Regent.
To pursue the history of Sweden any farther would be unnecessary for our purpose, but without such a brief
