Series 3 > Letters of James the Fourth, 1505-1513

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LETTERS OF JAMES IV
the rebellion had been suppressed, and his son Christiern,
or Christian, afterwards (1513-23) King Christian II, estab¬
lished as Viceroy, in Sweden the rebels had so far come off
best in a long and obstinate struggle. In addition, Liibeck,
rejoicing at the opportunity of humbling a formidable
commercial rival, joined the rebel Swedes in their war
against Denmark.
To King John’s request, sent on November 25, 1504, for
two ships well armed and equipped to be sent to Calmar
in Sweden,1 James, in April 1505, returned a polite refusal,
with a caution to his uncle not to be too hard on the Swedes.2
At the same time he advised the Swedes to make peace,
and warned them that he would intervene should he find
that his uncle was imperilled unjustly. Later in the year
he seems to have sent some ships to Copenhagen, where
Queen Christina was besieged for six months by the
Swedes.3
Another appeal was sent by King John in the autumn
of 1506. Liibeck and other Hansa towns threatened to
deprive him of the command of the Baltic. Scotland and
France must send him such help at the beginning of the
summer of 1507 as would enable him to regain it.4 James
responded early in 1507 by sending Robert Forman, Dean
of Glasgow, with Lyon King-of-Arms, to investigate, and
to preach caution and restraint in both Liibeck and Den¬
mark. On March 8, 1507, however, before the envoys had
arrived in Denmark, James was able to congratulate his
uncle on a satisfactory agreement with Liibeck, and to
assure him that if the negotiations had broken down, the
Scottish fleet would have sailed for Denmark.5
The Scottish envoys returned to Copenhagen from
Lubeck on April 17, and were joined a few weeks later
by Montjoye, the French King-at-Arms. According to
John, they were completely successful: on July 20 he
sent to James a copy of the agreement which, with their
help, he had concluded with the representatives of Lubeck
1 No. 4.
8 No. 37.
8 No. 86.
8 Nos. 3 and 5.
‘ Nos. 46, 47.