a safe haven in the shadow of war? – mia korpiola 95 made one or two salutary examples, the work was not done thoroughly. The great offenders were not brought to book.”268 However, the legitimacy of the regime was especially important under strained circumstances as had already been emphasized in the instructions of King Erik XIVfor his administration during his absence from the capital on a military campaign against Denmark in 1563. These contained guidelines for ex officio proceedings by the Royal Procurator, Councillors of the Treasury (Cammerråd) and Treasury officials (cammererer) against bailiffs or other officials suspected of mismanagement or corruption. Another urgent issue was the levying of troops: in this, farms were to be kept arable and the drafting of soldiers was on no account to involve giftgiving or bribery.269 The Court of Appeal also came to face similar considerations. For example, it received news that the officer in charge of levying troops in the town of Jönköping in Småland was making “a big market” (hullit een stoor marknadh) out of it, freeing able-bodied men for bribes and gifts and enlisting poorer and less suitable men in their stead. The Court insisted that the matter be investigated and brought to justice. There was concern that the practice was becoming an increasingly common abuse that caused the King’s subjects much injustice “which by no means can be tolerated.” Once the governor had had the incident examined locally in court, the Court of Appeal was to decide on the punishment.270 The Court also received a complaint from a noblewoman concerning the wrongful conscription of her servants and dependents and had it investigated.271 As had been observed, the legitimacy of the system required that “the process of conscription would have to be fair and seen as such by the peasants who would bear the brunt of the conscription burden.” The regime tried to counter such evils as described above by the 1620 “Ordinance on Military Personnel” outlining the conscription procedure.272 268 Roberts, Michael 1953 p. 114, quotation pp. 114-115. 269 Instruction of ErikXIVfor crown officials during his absence from Stockholm during a military campaign, 1 Nov. 1563, inHandlingar rörande Skandinaviens historia, 27, pp. 24, 26, 38-39. 270 RA, SHA, B I a:1, Court of Appeal to Nils Stiernskiöld, 14. Oct. 1614, fols. 53r-53v: “[N]u almeent är wordet ett stort missbruk medh, Och aldenstund att K: Mtz Vndersåter däruthinnan mÿkin oförrätt skeer, [53v] huilken ingalunda står till att lijdha.” See also ibid., Court of Appeal to Gustav Stenbock, 15. Oct. 1614, fols. 53v-54r. 271 RA, SHA, B I a:1, 19 Nov. 1614, fols. 70v-71r. 272 Peterson, Gary Dean 2007.
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