Kings & rulers > History of Charles XII. King of Sweden

46 THE HISTORY OF *
belt part of Pomerania by Guflavus Adolphus : and
be had no fecurity for the reft, but the moderation 1
of Charles. Farther towards the fouth-weft between
the rivers ofElbe and Wefer lay theduchy of Bremen,
the laft territory of the ancient conquefts of thei
Swedes,filled withftrong gallons,which opened to the
conqueror the gates of SaxSjkqft the empire. Thus
from the German ocean almoft to^he mouth of the 1
Borifthenes, which make the breaJKi of Europe, and
to the gates of Mufcow, all was in confternation, and '
every moment expecting an entire revolution. His
veftels were mafters of the Baltic, and employed in I
tranfporting prifoners from Poland into his own count Si;
try. Sweden alone was calm in the midft of thefe V
great emotions, tailing the fweetsof a profound peace,: 5:
and enjoying the glory of her king, without bearing ;t.
the weight of it; fince his victorious troops were; u
paid and maintained at the expence of the conquer* 1
ed.
In this general filence of the North before the arms
of Charles XII. the town of Dantzick ventured to dif- t
oblige him. Fourteen frigates and forty tranfport ::
veflels were bringing the king a fupply of fixthoufand
men, with cannon and ammunition, to finifh the ~
fiege of Thorn. Thefe fuccours mull neceflarily pafs
up the Weiflel. At the mouth of this river lies -
Dantzick, a rich and free town, enjoying with El-
bing and Thorn the fame privileges in Poland, as
the imperial towns have in Germany. Its liberty 1
had been attacked by turns, by the Danes, the J
Swedes, and fome German princes, and was preferved t
only by the jealoufy which thefe powers had of each
other. Count Steinbock, one of the Swedilh generals^
alTembled the magiftrates in the king’s name,demand¬
ed apaftage for the troops, and offered to buy powder
of them and fome ammunition. The magiftrates; by
an ufual imprudence in thofe who treat with their
fuperiors in llrength, durft neither abfolutely refufe,
nor expresflygrant what he demanded. General Stein* ,
1