a safe haven in the shadow of war? – mia korpiola 57 n his forewordto the Swedish translation of Gerichts Teuffel (1580) I by Georgius AmWald (1554 –1616), first printed in Sweden in 1616, Ericus Benedicti Schroderus (ca. 1575 – 1647) referred to the Svea Court of Appeal.126 Schroderus eloquently lauded the establishment of the Court of Appeal that he attributed to God “who had the hearts of all potentates in his hand” (som alla Potentaters Hierta haffuer i sin Hand) and whom he thanked for granting the Swedish realm the means of suppressing all themiscarriages of justice, falsehoods and evils that could daily be observed. Indeed, the translation of AmWald’s book was dedicated to the judges and staff of this court, two of whom were his own ennobled brothers, Johan Skytte (1577 – 1645, orig. Schroderus), former tutor to crown prince Gustav Adolf, and Lars Skytte (ca. 1574 – 1634).127 Next, Schroderus thanked the king and his council, before again extolling the virtues of the Court of Appeal: “to which like to a safe haven all those who in past times have suffered oppression and injustice may have free entry to complain of their plight and there obtain comfort and aid. Yes, the Royal Court of Appeal is to all the unjust, especially people involved in trials, like a bridle in the mouth and blinkers in the eye that keeps them from acting unfairly.”128 Schroderus also considered the establishment of the Court of Appeal to be a “fundament and foundation for a good and laudable policy in our beloved fatherland” which would help to keep King Gustav II Adolf long in power.129 126 For Schroderus, see Burius, Anders 2000-2002 p. 612. 127 am Wald, Georgius 1619, trans. Schroderus, p. Ar; Berg, Tor 1920 pp. 94-111; Anjou, A. 1899 pp. 29, 57. 128 “[T]il hwilken såsom til en trygg hampn alle the som vthi förlupne Tijder haffua lijdit Förtryck och Oförrätt, måge haffua itt frijtt tilträdh, til at klaga theras Nödh, ther the förminna Tröst och Vndsättning: Ja, then Konungslige Hoffrätt är allomwrångwijsom, särledes Rättgångs Personer, såsom itt Betzl i Munnen, och en Törnesyyl vthi ögat, som holler them tilbaka til at handla orättrådeliga,” am Wald, Georgius 1619, trans. Schroderus, p. Aijr. 129 “Och såsom itt Fundament och Grundwaal till en godh och berömmeligh Politia vthi wart käre Fädernesland: Så at ther Gudh then Aldrahögste täcktes honom länge widh macht holla […],”am Introduction
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