umn ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁An ▁arist ocrat ▁by ▁birth , ▁he ▁never theless ▁belonged ▁to ▁a ▁family ▁which ▁had ▁not ▁benef itted ▁from ▁the ▁lav ish ness ▁of ▁recent ▁reg imes . ▁Both ▁personal ▁interest ▁and ▁patri ot ism ▁thus ▁contributed ▁to ▁his ▁ze al ▁for ▁the ▁recovery ▁of ▁the ▁crown ▁lands ▁and ▁for ▁strength ening ▁the ▁crown ▁against ▁the ▁arist ocr atic ▁families . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Upper ▁House ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁sp okes man ▁of ▁the ▁gent ry ▁against ▁the ▁magn ates , ▁whose ▁in ordinate ▁privileges ▁he ▁sought ▁to ▁cur tail ▁or ▁abol ished . ▁His ▁advers aries ▁vain ly ▁endeav oured ▁to ▁gain ▁his ▁favour , ▁for ▁as ▁court - mar shal ▁and ▁sen ator ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁more ▁host ile ▁to ▁the ▁dominant ▁patr icians ▁who ▁followed ▁the ▁advent ur ous ▁policy ▁of ▁Magn us ▁Gabriel ▁De ▁la ▁Gard ie . ▁Thus ▁he ▁opposed ▁the ▁French ▁al liance ▁which ▁de ▁la ▁Gard ie ▁carried ▁through ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 2 ▁and ▁consist ently ▁advoc ated ▁economy ▁in ▁domestic ▁and ▁neutral ity ▁in ▁foreign ▁affairs . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Sc an ian ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 5 ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁loyal ▁and ▁ener get ic ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁young ▁king ▁Charles ▁XI ▁and ▁finally ▁became ▁his ▁ind isp ens able ▁coun s ell or . ▁Indeed , ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁political ▁principles ▁which ▁he ▁inst illed ▁into ▁the ▁youth ful ▁monarch ▁were ▁faith fully ▁followed