Page 461
CHAP. XIII.
Of the Kingdom of Sweden.
§ 1. THE Swedish Historians have out of their ancient Monuments shown the World, that the Kingdom of Sweden is the most antient Kingdom in Europe, and that this Country, was, after the Deluge, sooner stored with Inhabitants than the other parts of Europe. Neverthe∣less it is very uncertain who were the first Inhabitants, and at what time they first settled there, as likewise whether they were immediately governed by Kings, or whether the Fathers of Families, had the chief sway among them, till the Regal was grafted on the Paternal Power. The names and deeds of their Kings, and the time of their Reigns are also not easie to be determined, for the List which has been published of these Kings, is not so Authentick, but that it may be called in question; And, as to the transactions of those times, they are most of them taken out of antient Songs and Fabulous Le∣gends, and some of them out of the allegorical Traditions of their antient Poets or Scalders, which have perhaps been wrongly interpreted by some Authors. And Jo∣hannes Messenius in his Scandinavia Illustrata, does not stick to say, that the old Swedish Historiographer Jo∣hannes Magnus did strive to outdo in his bragging Hi∣story, the Danish Historian Sanno Grammaticus. Jo∣hannes Magnus Makes Magog, the Son of Japhet Grand∣son of Noah, the first Founder of the Schytick and Go∣thick Nations, and says that from his two Sons Sweno, and Gether and Geg, the Swedish and Gothish Nations had their names. He relates, that after this Family was ex∣tinguished, Sweden was during the space of four hun∣dred years under the Government of certain Judges, and that about eight hundred years after the Deluge, both the Kingdoms of the Swedes and Gothes were uni∣ted