a safe haven in the shadow of war? – mia korpiola 69 ordered a resolution be made concerning the upkeep of the judges, secretary, notaries and auxiliary staff. The King also told the Treasury to immediately supply the staff with something to begin with so that they would not immediately have cause to encumber the King again.168 However, obviously this was too little and too late. The letter by the Court of Appeal had especially mentioned the supporting non-noble staff of the court who were dependent on the salary for their upkeep and who had less private property to rely on in cases of temporary cash-flow problems. Considering the state of the finances of the Swedish crown and the absence of the king on overseas battlegrounds, the crown was not paying its staff very promptly. While this delay inconvenienced the noble judges, it could bankrupt commoner members of the supporting staff. The Court of Appeal acknowledged their plight in its resolution on its court fees, made prior to the autumn law term in 1614. Various types of letters issued by the court were priced and the money was to be compounded together into a pool for the benefit of the secretary, notaries and clerks.169 This was probably in accordance with existing practice that clerks of courts who did the writing were paid by the document. The timing may be significant here, however, since the very first case the Court of Appeal started its autumn term involved with the misconduct of Erik Olofsson, the “vice-fiscalis” or Deputy Crown Prosecutor. He was asked by the Court’s President, Count Magnus Brahe (1564 – 1633), why he had “taken upon himself the audacity and authority without anyone’s sanction, permission or consent” to withdraw 100dalers of the fines that had been prescribed by the court. He was also asked on whose authority and permission he had acted.170 As Erik Olofsson’s behaviour could plaints of the peasants at the Diet of Örebro, special royal passports had be shown for those requiring bed, board and horses in the king’s service, Decision of the Diet of Örebro, 5 Feb. 1614, inSvenska riksdagsakter, 1. serien, 2:1, ed. Ahnlund, pp. 464-465. 168 Letter fromGustavII Adolf to the Treasury (Cammar Collegium), 25 July 1614, RA, SHA, E I:1a 1b, fol. 70r: “Personer, som domhafwande äre, och där uti Konungs Nämbd brukade warda, såsom och till deres förordnade Secreterare och Notarios sampt med deras medhielpare, låta giöre en wiss förordning uppå deres underhold, och sedan låta lefwerera dem något där uppå nu i begynnelsen, på det de icke aldeles måge hafwa sig att beswära.” 169 Resolution of the Court of Appeal on its Court Fees, 1 September 1614, RA, SHA, E I:1a 1b, fol. 70r: “Desse Peningar skola sammanleggies i een Burssa, huilke Secret: Nota: och Notarij Skrifuere skola wara tilgodo.” 170 RA, SHA, 8 Sept. 1614, A I a 1:1, fols. 88r-88v: “Då ward Erich Olufsson, Vnder Fiscalen, tillfråget af Præsidenten, huarföre han hafuer taghit sigh den mÿndigheet till och dristligheet opå, Vthan någons loff, tillstånd eller samtÿcke,at anamma och oppbäre dhe etthundrade daler Pen-
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