The Swedish House of Nobilit\' as a Legal History Arena enacted the first Nobility Act (Riddarhusordning). The present Act is from 1866, but the principles from 1626 - as to the organization of the Estate - are still in force. The relation between King and Parliament was regulated by the King’s section in the National Law Code (landslagens konungsbalk) of the Middle Ages and the Underwritings which the kings had to do (kungaförsäkran). I here mention the underwriting of Gustavus Adolphus of 1611, which was designed by Axel Oxenstierna.^ He is also the author behind the 1617 Parliament Act. The Kingpromised not to overload the Estates with too many sessions (herredagar). To make a new law the consent of the Council and Parliament were necessary. But in the 17th century not many new laws were made. The aimwas to replace the medieval codes (landslagen, stadslagen) with a modern one. This work began in the 17th century but was not finished until 1734 (see section 4). In this house there were many deliberations on that matter. Eric Lindskiöld (1634-1690), whose portrait you can see behind me, was the speaker of this house (lantmarskalk) and also the first president of the 1686 Royal lawcomission. Lindskiold’s career is interesting and shows us that a newtime was on the way. He was the son of a blacksmith in Skänninge and advanced to be a count and one of the King’s (Charles XI) closest counsellors. Now back to the Founding Fathers. As long as Gustavus Adolphus was alive he and Axel Oxenstierna formed a sort of working committee in the government of the realm. Mostly they agreed but in constitutional matters they represented different interests. After many years of correspondence with Hugo Grotius Oxenstierna had won a deep interest and admiration for the Dutch oligargic-aristocratic system of government.^ Oxenstierna had strong confidence in the aristocracy’s - in particular the Oxenstierna family’s — capacity of governing. In the regency government, established after the death of Gustavus Adolphus in 1632, three men of five belonged to the Oxenstierna family. The most obvious evidences for Axel Oxenstierna’s constitutional ideas are the 1634 Constitutional Act (Regeringsform) and the 1626 Nobility Act. Both carry the impression of his hand. Through this Constitution the King is alienated from the administration.^ Through the Nobility Act Oxenstierna tried to raise a platform for permanent power for the peerage. Howdo we know? First: The very special voting rules as mentioned above. Secondly: The documented but unfinished plans of an immense Nobility 327 ^ Carlsson — Rosén, Svensk Historia I, 1962, p. 490 ff. ^ Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas skrifter och brefvexling, Hugo Grotii bref 1633-1645, Stockholm 1889, 1891. ** Sven A. Nilsson, Stormakten Sverige/Statsbygge och samhällsförändring, p. 13 (Stormaktstid/ Erik Dahlberg och bilden av Sverige, 1992), Sven A. Nilsson et al.. Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon, art. Oxenstierna, Axel, 1994, p. 511.
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