§ 6.—GUSTAVUS III. OLOF WALLQUIST. GUSTAVUS IV. 351 
The most prominent ecclesiastic in this and the next 
reign was Olof Wallquist (1755—1800), Bishop of Vexio, 
a politician and a financier, who, when scarcely more than 
thirty years old, became leader of the Riksdag and the 
Church. Under him a new office was created, the 
' Ekklesiastik expedition,’’ intended to prepare all Church 
business for the consideration of the king. It did not last 
very long, but it paved the way for the ministry of public 
worship which was afterwards created. Wallquist, who 
was a man of literary ability and piety, an effective 
preacher of the school of Bilter, was an opponent of 
neology. He died worn out with hard work at the early 
age of forty-four in the year 1800. His autobiography has 
been published, and gives the picture of a very modern 
mind. 
When Gustavus I11., who had made himself absolute 
in 1789, and had thereby earned the hatred of the nobility, 
was assassinated at a masked ball in 1492, he left his 
brother, Duke Charles, as regent for his young son, 
Gustavus IV. Gustavus III. was naturally a supporter 
of the Bourbons, and was preparing to go to war to restore 
them to the throne. Duke Charles entirely changed this 
policy. He favoured the French Republicans. He also 
at first sought an alliance with Russia by agreeing to 
betroth his nephew to a young Grand Duchess. But 
when the hour arrived the young king was absent, and the 
reason was given that he was unwilling to allow his future 
bride a chapel for her own religion, which was one of the 
articles of the contract. But the stronger reason was, I 
presume, a political one. 
Gustavus IV., when he became responsible for the 
government, was a great contrast to his father. He was 
simple in his tastes, averse to extravagance, and upright 
in private life. But he was narrow, obstinate and barren 
in conception and initiation, and dreamy in his religion. 
His great principle was hatred of Napoleon, whom he 
regarded as the Beast of the Apocalypse. 
Englishmen have reason, indeed, to speak and think