Part 41 (2/2)

It is thus quite possible that in the not distant future no less than four of King Christian's children, ere brought up with littleinto Danish noble families, will occupy thrones in Europe It reatest of those thrones,--that one will be Queen of England; the other is Empress of Russia,--while the two sons will be respectively King of Denood fortune, in a worldly point of viehich has come to the Danish royal family, cannot certainly be attributed solely, or even mainly, to luck or chance It has been, after all, chiefly its virtues which have won it such a high position in Europe The good breeding and excellent character of the king's children have won for thehters are as womanly and virtuous as they are physically attractive, and the sons areand irreproachable habits

THE STORY OF A KING WHO WAS PUT INTO A BAG

”His realht be said of the s are but human, and they are pitiable objects indeed when they fall froh estate into the power of their ene spectacle in his fall than Valden of this king, the Golden Age see dorew He annexed Pomerania He wrested from the German Empire all the territories in their possession north of the Elbe and Elde, and he finally became the master of Northern Germany

He was a chanty of all the people he ans of Esthonia, with an army of 60,000 ly pon was now most splendid Denmark was supreme in Scandinavia and Northern Germany The Pope revered the Danish power, and the world feared it

But secret foes are often erous than open enemies The conquered princes of Ger these was the Count-Duke of Schwerin He pretended great respect and affection for Valde's ruin, but they failed He was called ”Black Henry” in his own country on account of his dark face and evil nature, and Valdeainst him as a false friend

[Illustration: THE KING IN THE BAG]

But he ar liked hi of 1233 Valdemar invited hi I am disabled and cannot leave ht of a way to acco-cherished purpose

He left his couch at once, and sent his spies to shadow the king

The king landed at Lyo with only a few attendants

One night the king was sleeping in the woods of Lyo in a rude, unguarded tent His son was by his side

They were awaked from slumber by an assault from unknown foes, and a sense of suffocation

What had happened? The king could not move his arms; his head seemed enveloped in cloth He could not see; his voice was stifled

He _felt_ himself carried away

Black Henry had entered the tent with his confidants, and had put the King of the North and his son into two bags, and tied the aith them to the river

Black Henry laid his two captives in the bottos, and hoisted sail; and Valde, was bloay towards the German coast

He was thrown into prison, and there lived in darkness and neglect

The Pope ordered his release, but it was not heeded The Danes tried to rescue hireee ransodom, but found his territory reduced to its old narrow lione His e; and at last it was a coffin Poor old man! His last years were peaceful, and in them he served Denmark well