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diff --git a/old/51368-8.txt b/old/51368-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 5da42b4..0000000 --- a/old/51368-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9629 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's A Queen of Tears, vol. 1 of 2, by William Henry Wilkins - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: A Queen of Tears, vol. 1 of 2 - Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark and Norway and Princess - of Great Britain and Ireland - -Author: William Henry Wilkins - -Release Date: March 5, 2016 [EBook #51368] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A QUEEN OF TEARS, VOL. 1 OF 2 *** - - - - -Produced by Emmanuel Ackerman, University of California -Libraries, Microsoft (scanning) and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - -A QUEEN OF TEARS - - - - -_BY THE SAME AUTHOR._ - -THE LOVE OF AN UNCROWNED QUEEN: - - -SOPHIE DOROTHEA, CONSORT OF GEORGE I., AND HER CORRESPONDENCE WITH -PHILIP CHRISTOPHER, COUNT KONIGSMARCK. - -NEW AND REVISED EDITION. - -_With 24 Portraits and Illustrations._ - -_8vo, 12s. 6d. net._ - - -LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO., - -LONDON, NEW YORK AND BOMBAY. - - -[Illustration: O keep me innocent, make others great. - -Caroline Mathilde. - -_After the painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1766._ - -_Walter S. Colls, Ph. Sc._] - - - - - A QUEEN OF TEARS - - CAROLINE MATILDA, QUEEN OF - DENMARK AND NORWAY AND - PRINCESS OF GREAT BRITAIN - AND IRELAND - - BY - - W. H. WILKINS - _M.A., F.S.A._ - - _Author of "The Love of an Uncrowned Queen," and - "Caroline the Illustrious, Queen Consort of George II."_ - - WITH ILLUSTRATIONS - - IN TWO VOLUMES - VOL. I. - - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. - 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON - NEW YORK AND BOMBAY - 1904 - - - - -PREFACE - - -Some years ago, when visiting Celle in connection with a book I was -writing on Sophie Dorothea, _The Love of an Uncrowned Queen_, I found, -in an unfrequented garden outside the town, a grey marble monument of -unusual beauty. Around the base ran an inscription to the effect that -it was erected in loving memory of Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark -and Norway, Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, who died at Celle -in 1775, at the age of twenty-three years. To this may be traced the -origin of this book, for until I saw the monument I had not heard of -this English Princess--a sister of George III. The only excuse to be -offered for this ignorance is that it is shared by the great majority -of Englishmen. For though the romantic story of Caroline Matilda is -known to every Dane--she is the Mary Stuart of Danish history--her name -is almost forgotten in the land of her birth, and this despite the fact -that little more than a century ago her imprisonment nearly led to a -war between England and Denmark. - -Inquiry soon revealed the full measure of my ignorance. The dramatic -tale of Queen Caroline Matilda and her unhappy love for Struensee, her -Prime Minister, has been told in Danish, German, French and English in -a variety of ways. Apart from history and biography, it has formed the -theme of novels and plays, and even of an opera. The most trustworthy -works on the Queen and Struensee are written in Danish, a language -not widely read. In English nothing of importance has been written -about her for half a century,[1] and, owing to the fact that many -documents, then inaccessible, have since become available, the books -are necessarily incomplete, and most of them untrustworthy. Moreover, -they have been long out of print. - -[1] I except Dr. A. W. Ward's contribution to the _Dictionary of -National Biography_, but this is necessarily brief. A list of the books -which have been written about the Queen in different languages will be -found in the Appendix. - -My object, therefore, in writing this book has been to tell once -more the story of this forgotten "daughter of England" in the light -of recent historical research. I may claim to have broken fresh -ground. The despatches of Titley, Cosby, Gunning, Keith and Woodford -(British Ministers at Copenhagen, 1764-1775) and others, quoted in -this book, are here published for the first time in any language. -They yield authoritative information concerning the Queen's brief -reign at the Danish court, and the character of the personages who -took part, directly or indirectly, in the palace revolution of -1772. Even Professor E. Holm, of Copenhagen, in his admirable work, -_Danmark-Norges Historie_ (published in 1902), vol. iv. of which deals -with the Matilda-Struensee period, is ignorant of these important -despatches, which I found two years ago in the State Paper Office, -London. To these are added many documents from the Royal Archives -at Copenhagen; most of them, it is true, have been published in the -Danish, but they are unknown to English readers. I have also, in -connection with this book, more than once visited Denmark, and have -had access to the Royal Archives at Copenhagen, and to the palaces in -which the Queen lived during her unhappy life at the Danish court. I -have followed her to Kronborg, where she was imprisoned, and to Celle, -in Germany, where she died in exile. My researches at this latter place -may serve to throw light on the closing (and little-known) years of the -Queen's brief life. She rests at Celle by the side of her ancestress, -Sophie Dorothea, whose life in many ways closely resembled her own. - -A word of explanation is perhaps necessary for the first few chapters -of this book. In all the biographies of Caroline Matilda written in -any language, her life in England before her marriage has received -scant consideration, probably on account of her extreme youth. As her -parentage and education were largely responsible for the mistakes of -her later years, I have sketched, with some detail, the characters of -her father and mother, and her early environment. This plan has enabled -me to describe briefly the English court from the death of Queen -Caroline to the accession of George III., and so to form a link with my -other books on the House of Hanover. - -My thanks are due to Miss Hermione Ramsden for kindly translating for -me sundry documents from the Danish; to Mr. Louis Bobé, of Copenhagen, -for much interesting information; and to the Editor of the _Nineteenth -Century and After_ for allowing me to re-publish certain passages from -an article I recently contributed to that review on Augusta, Princess -of Wales. I must also thank the Earl of Wharncliffe for permitting -me to reproduce the picture of Lord Bute at Wortley Hall, and Count -Kielmansegg for similar permission with regard to the portrait of -Madame de Walmoden at Gülzow. - - W. H. WILKINS. - - _November, 1903._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - PREFACE v - - CONTENTS ix - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi - - CHAPTER I. - BIRTH AND PARENTAGE 1 - - CHAPTER II. - CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 19 - - CHAPTER III. - THE BETROTHAL 35 - - CHAPTER IV. - THE TRAINING OF A KING 52 - - CHAPTER V. - "THE NORTHERN SCAMP" 70 - - CHAPTER VI. - MATILDA'S ARRIVAL IN DENMARK 84 - - CHAPTER VII. - MARIAGE À LA MODE 106 - - CHAPTER VIII. - AT THE COURT OF DENMARK 124 - - CHAPTER IX. - THE BIRTH OF A PRINCE 138 - - CHAPTER X. - CHRISTIAN VII. IN ENGLAND 152 - - CHAPTER XI. - THE PRODIGAL'S RETURN 175 - - CHAPTER XII. - STRUENSEE 193 - - CHAPTER XIII. - THE TEMPTER 209 - - CHAPTER XIV. - THE QUEEN'S FOLLY 228 - - CHAPTER XV. - THE FALL OF BERNSTORFF 251 - - CHAPTER XVI. - QUEEN AND EMPRESS 265 - - CHAPTER XVII. - THE REFORMER 280 - - CHAPTER XVIII. - THE ORDER OF MATILDA 303 - - CHAPTER XIX. - THE DICTATOR 328 - - TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - QUEEN MATILDA (_Photogravure_). _From the Painting - by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1766_ _Frontispiece_ - - LEICESTER HOUSE, WHERE QUEEN MATILDA WAS BORN _Facing page_ 4 - - FREDERICK, PRINCE OF WALES, FATHER OF QUEEN MATILDA. - _From the Painting by J. B. Vanloo at Warwick - Castle, by permission of the Earl of Warwick_ " " 14 - - MADAME DE WALMODEN, COUNTESS OF YARMOUTH. _From - the Painting at Gülzow by permission of Count - Kielmansegg_ " " 24 - - JOHN, EARL OF BUTE. _From the Painting by Sir Joshua - Reynolds at Wortley Hall, by permission of the Earl - of Wharncliffe_ " " 36 - - THE ELDER CHILDREN OF FREDERICK AND AUGUSTA, PRINCE - AND PRINCESS OF WALES, PLAYING IN KEW GARDENS. _From - a Painting, temp. 1750_ " " 50 - - QUEEN LOUISE, CONSORT OF FREDERICK V. OF DENMARK AND - DAUGHTER OF GEORGE II. OF ENGLAND. _From a Painting - by Pilo in the Frederiksborg Palace_ " " 62 - - KING CHRISTIAN VII. _From the Painting by P. - Wichman, 1766_ " " 76 - - KEW PALACE, WHERE QUEEN MATILDA PASSED MUCH OF HER - GIRLHOOD. _From an Engraving, temp. 1751_ " " 90 - - THE MARRIAGE BALL OF CHRISTIAN VII. AND QUEEN - MATILDA IN THE CHRISTIANSBORG PALACE. _From a - Contemporary Print_ " " 104 - - THE CHRISTIANSBORG PALACE, COPENHAGEN. _From an Old - Print, temp. 1768_ " " 120 - - EDWARD, DUKE OF YORK, BROTHER OF QUEEN MATILDA. - _From the Painting by G. H. Every_ " " 132 - - QUEEN MATILDA RECEIVING THE CONGRATULATIONS OF THE - COURT ON THE BIRTH OF THE CROWN PRINCE FREDERICK. - _From a Contemporary Print_ " " 142 - - CARLTON HOUSE, PALL MALL, THE RESIDENCE OF THE - PRINCESS-DOWAGER OF WALES. _From a Print, temp. - 1765_ " " 156 - - THE MASKED BALL GIVEN BY CHRISTIAN VII. AT THE OPERA - HOUSE, HAYMARKET. _From the "Gentleman's Magazine," - 1768_ " " 172 - - THE PALACE OF FREDERIKSBORG, FROM THE GARDEN - TERRACE. _From an Engraving, temp. 1768_ " " 180 - - WILLIAM HENRY, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, BROTHER OF QUEEN - MATILDA. _From the Painting by H. W. Hamilton, 1771_ - " " 190 - - STRUENSEE. _From an Engraving, 1771_ " " 206 - - QUEEN SOPHIA MAGDALENA, GRANDMOTHER OF CHRISTIAN - VII. " " 226 - - AUGUSTA, PRINCESS OF WALES, MOTHER OF QUEEN MATILDA. - _After a Painting by F. B. Vanloo_ " " 244 - - GEORGE III., BROTHER OF QUEEN MATILDA. _From a - Painting by Allan Ramsay (1767) in the National - Portrait Gallery_ " " 264 - - THE FREDERIKSBERG PALACE, NEAR COPENHAGEN. _From a - Print, temp. 1770_ " " 282 - - THE PALACE OF HIRSCHHOLM. _Temp. 1770_ " " 304 - - TWO RELICS OF QUEEN MATILDA IN THE ROSENBORG CASTLE, - COPENHAGEN. (1) THE INSIGNIA OF THE ORDER OF - MATILDA; (2) THE WEDDING GOBLET " " 330 - - QUEEN MATILDA AND HER SON, THE CROWN PRINCE OF - DENMARK. _From the Painting at the Rosenborg, - Copenhagen_ " " 348 - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. - -1751. - - -Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark and Norway, Princess of Great -Britain and Ireland (a sister of George III.), was born at Leicester -House, London, on Thursday, July 22, 1751. She was the ninth and -youngest child of Frederick Prince of Wales and of his wife Augusta -of Saxe-Gotha, and came into the world a little more than four months -after her father's death. There is a Scandinavian superstition to the -effect that children born fatherless are heirs to misfortune. The life -of this "Queen of Tears" would seem to illustrate its truth. - -Caroline Matilda inherited many of her father's qualities, notably his -warm, emotional temperament, his desire to please and his open-handed -liberality. Both in appearance and disposition she resembled her father -much more than her mother. Some account of this Prince is therefore -necessary for a right understanding of his daughter's character, for, -though she was born after his death, the silent forces of heredity -influenced her life. - -Frederick Prince of Wales was the elder son of George II. and of his -consort Caroline of Ansbach. He was born in Hanover during the reign of -Queen Anne, when the prospects of his family to succeed to the crown of -England were doubtful, and he did not come to England until he was in -his twenty-second year and his father had reigned two years. He came -against the will of the King and Queen, whose cherished wish was that -their younger son William Duke of Cumberland should succeed to the -English throne, and the elder remain in Hanover. The unkindness with -which Frederick was treated by his father had the effect of driving him -into opposition to the court and the government. He had inherited from -his mother many of the graces that go to captivate the multitude, and -he soon became popular. Every cast-off minister, every discontented -politician, sought the Prince of Wales, and found in him a ready weapon -to harass the government and wound the King. The Prince had undoubted -grievances, such as his restricted allowance and the postponement of -his marriage to a suitable princess. For some years after Frederick's -arrival in England the King managed to evade the question of the -marriage, but at last, owing chiefly to the clamour of the opposition, -he reluctantly arranged a match between the Prince of Wales and -Augusta, daughter of the reigning Duke of Saxe-Gotha. - -The bride-elect landed at Greenwich in April, 1736, and, two days -after her arrival, was married to Frederick at the Chapel Royal, -St. James's. The Princess was only seventeen years of age and could -not speak a word of English. She was tall and slender, with an oval -face, regular features, bright, intelligent eyes, and an abundance -of light-brown hair. Frederick's marriage did not make him on better -terms with his parents, and in this family quarrel the Princess, who -soon showed that she possessed more than usual discretion, sided with -her husband. The disputes between the King and the Prince of Wales -culminated in an open act of revolt on the part of the latter, when, -with incredible folly, he carried off his wife, on the point of her -first lying-in, from Hampton Court to St. James's. Half an hour after -her arrival in London the Princess was delivered of a girl child, -Augusta, who later in life became Duchess of Brunswick. The King was -furious at this insubordination, and as soon as the Princess was -sufficiently recovered to be moved, he sent his son a message ordering -him to quit St. James's with all his household. The Prince and Princess -went to Kew, where they had a country house; and for a temporary London -residence (while Carlton House, which the Prince had bought, was being -repaired) they took Norfolk House, St. James's Square. - -A few weeks after this rupture the illustrious Queen Caroline died, -to the great grief of the King and the nation. Her death widened the -breach in the royal family, for the King considered that his son's -undutiful conduct had hastened his mother's death. Frederick now -ranged himself in open opposition to the King and the government, and -gathered around him the malcontent politicians, who saw in Walpole's -fall, or Frederick's accession to the throne, their only chance of -rising to power. The following year, 1738, a son and heir (afterwards -George III.) was born to the Prince and Princess of Wales at Norfolk -House. This event strengthened the position of the Prince, especially -as the King's health was reported to be failing. - -Frederick removed his household to Leicester House in Leicester Fields. -It was here, eleven years later, that his posthumous daughter Caroline -Matilda was born. Leicester House was built by the Earl of Leicester -in the reign of James I. There was a field before it in those days, -but a square was subsequently built around the field, and Leicester -House occupied the north-east corner of what was then Leicester Fields, -but is now known as Leicester Square. It was a large and spacious -house, with a courtyard in front, and the state rooms were admirably -adapted for receptions and levees, but as a residence it was not so -satisfactory. Frederick chiefly made use of Carlton House and Kew -for his family life, and kept Leicester House for entertaining. His -court there offered a curious parallel to the one his father had held -within the same walls in the reign of George I., when the heir to -the throne was also at variance with the King. Again Leicester House -became the rallying place of the opposition, again its walls echoed -with the sound of music and dance, again there flocked to its -assemblies ladies of beauty and fashion, elegant beaux, brilliant wits, -politicians and pamphleteers. Frederick's intelligence has been much -abused, but he was intelligent enough to gather around him at this time -much of what was best in the social life of the day, and his efforts -were ably seconded by his clever and graceful wife. - -[Illustration: LEICESTER HOUSE, WHERE QUEEN MATILDA WAS BORN.] - -After the fall of Walpole several of the Prince's friends took office, -and a formal, though by no means cordial, reconciliation was patched -up between the King and the Heir Apparent, but there was always veiled -hostility between them, and from time to time their differences -threatened to become acute. For instance, after the Jacobite rising the -Prince of Wales disapproved of the severities of his brother, the Duke -of Cumberland, "the butcher of Culloden," and showed his displeasure in -no unequivocal manner. When the Jacobite peers were condemned to death -the Prince and Princess interceded for them, in one case with success. -Lady Cromartie, after petitioning the King in vain for her husband's -life, made a personal appeal, as a wife and mother, to the Princess of -Wales, and brought her four children to plead with her as well. The -Princess said nothing, but, with evident emotion, summoned her own -children and placed them beside her. This she followed by praying the -King for Cromartie's life, and her prayer was granted. - -After the reconciliation the Prince and Princess of Wales occasionally -attended St. James's, but since the death of Queen Caroline the court -of George II. had lost its brilliancy and become both gross and -dull, in this respect contrasting unfavourably with Leicester House. -Grossness and dulness were characteristic of the courts of our first -two Hanoverian kings, but whatever complaint might be brought against -Leicester House, the society there was far livelier and more refined -than that which assembled at St. James's. The popular grievance against -Leicester House was that it was too French. France was just then very -unpopular in England, and the British public did not like the French -tastes of the Prince of Wales--the masques imitated from Versailles, -the French plays acted by French players and the _petits soupers_. High -play also took place at Leicester House, but the Princess did her best -to discourage this. In the other frivolities which her husband loved -she acquiesced, more for the sake of keeping her influence over him -than because she liked them. Her tastes were simple, and her tendencies -puritanical. - -At Kew the Prince and Princess of Wales led a quieter life, and here -the influence of the Princess was in the ascendant. Kew House was an -old-fashioned, low, rambling house, which the Prince had taken on a -long lease from the Capel family. The great beauty of Kew lay in its -extensive garden, which was improved and enlarged by Frederick. He -built there orangeries and hothouses after the fashion of Herrenhausen, -and filled them with exotics. Both Frederick and his wife had a love -of gardening, and often worked with their children in the grounds, and -dug, weeded and planted to their hearts' content. Sometimes they would -compel their guests to lend a hand as well. Bubb Dodington tells how he -went down to Kew on a visit, accompanied by several lords and ladies, -and they were promptly set to work in the garden, probably to their -disgust. Dodington's diary contains the following entries:-- - -"_1750, February 27._--Worked in the new walk at Kew. - -"_1750, February 28._--All of us, men, women and children, worked at -the same place. A cold dinner."[2] - -[2] Bubb Dodington's _Diary_, edition 1784. - -It was like Frederick's monkeyish humour to make the portly and pompous -Dodington work in his garden; no doubt he hugely enjoyed the sight. The -Prince's amusements were varied, if we may judge from the following -account by Dodington:-- - -"_1750, June 28._--Lady Middlesex, Lord Bathurst, Mr. Breton and I -waited on their Royal Highnesses to Spitalfields to see the manufactory -of silk, and to Mr. Carr's shop in the morning. In the afternoon the -same company, with Lady Torrington in waiting, went in private coaches -to Norwood Forest to see a settlement of gypsies. We returned and went -to Bettesworth the conjurer, in hackney coaches. Not finding him we -went in search of the little Dutchman, but were disappointed; and -concluded the particularities of this day by supping with Mrs. Cannon, -the Princess's midwife."[3] - -[3] Bubb Dodington's _Diary_, edition 1784. - -These, it must be admitted, were not very intellectual amusements. On -the other hand it stands to Frederick's credit that he chose as his -personal friends some of the ablest men of the day, and found delight -and recreation in their society. Between him and Bolingbroke there -existed the warmest sympathy. When Bolingbroke came back to England -after Walpole's fall, he renewed his friendship with Frederick, -and often paced with him and the Princess through the gardens and -shrubberies of their favourite Kew, while he waxed eloquent over the -tyranny of the Whig oligarchy, which kept the King in thrall, and -held up before them his ideal of a patriot king. Both the Prince and -Princess listened eagerly to Bolingbroke's theories, and in after -years the Princess instilled them into the mind of her eldest son. -Chesterfield and Sir William Wyndham also came to Kew sometimes, and -here Frederick and Augusta exhibited with just pride their flower-beds -to Pope, who wrote of his patron-- - - And if yet higher the proud list should end - Still, let me add, no follower, but a friend. - -The Prince not only sought the society of men of letters, but made some -attempts at authorship himself. His verse was not very remarkable; the -best perhaps was the poem addressed to the Princess beginning:-- - - 'Tis not the liquid brightness of those eyes, - That swim with pleasure and delight; - Nor those heavenly arches which arise - O'er each of them, to shade their light: - -and so on through five stanzas of praise of Augusta's charms, until: - - No,--'tis that gentleness of mind, that love - So kindly answering my desire; - That grace with which you look, and speak, and move, - That thus has set my soul on fire. - -Perhaps it was of these lines that the Prince once asked Lord Poulett -his opinion. "Sir," replied that astute courtier, "they are worthy of -your Royal Highness." - -Notwithstanding his admiration of his wife, Frederick was not faithful -to her. But it may be doubted whether, after his marriage, he indulged -in any serious intrigue, and his flirtations were probably only -tributes offered to the shrine of gallantry after the fashion of the -day. In every other respect he was a good husband. He was also a -devoted father, a kind master to his servants, and a true friend. In -his public life he always professed a love of liberty. To a deputation -of Quakers he once delivered the following answer: "As I am a friend -to liberty in general, and to toleration in particular, I wish you may -meet with all proper favour, but, for myself, I never gave my vote in -parliament, and to influence my friends, or direct my servants, in -theirs, does not become my station. To leave them entirely to their own -consciences and understandings, is a rule I have hitherto prescribed -to myself, and purpose through life to observe." "May it please the -Prince of Wales," rejoined the Quaker at the head of the deputation, "I -am greatly affected with thy excellent notions of liberty, and am more -pleased with the answer thou hast given us, than if thou hadst granted -our request." - -Frederick avowed a great love for the country over which he one day -hoped to reign; and, though French in his tastes rather than English, -he did all in his power to encourage the national sentiment. For -instance, it is recorded on one of his birthdays: "There was a very -splendid appearance of the nobility and gentry and their ladies at -Leicester House, and his Royal Highness observing some lords to wear -French stuffs, immediately ordered the Duke of Chandos, his Groom of -the Stole, to acquaint them, and his servants in general, that after -that day he should be greatly displeased to see them appear in any -French manufacture".[4] - -[4] _The Annual Register_, January, 1748. - -Moreover, he instilled in the minds of his children the loftiest -sentiments of patriotism. In view of the German predilections of -his father and grandfather the training which Frederick gave his -children, especially his eldest son, had much to do in after years -with reconciling the Tory and Jacobite malcontents to the established -dynasty. The wounds occasioned by the rising of 1745 were still -bleeding, but the battle of Culloden had extinguished for ever the -hopes of the Stuarts, and many of their adherents were casting about -for a pretext of acquiescing in the inevitable. These Frederick met -more than half way. He was not born in England (neither was Charles -Edward), but his children were, and he taught them to consider -themselves Englishmen and not Germans, and to love the land of their -birth. His English sentiments appear again and again in his letters and -speeches. They crop up in some verses which he wrote for his children -to recite at their dramatic performances. On one occasion the piece -selected for representation was Addison's play of _Cato_, in which -Prince George, Prince Edward, and the Princesses Augusta and Elizabeth -took part. Frederick wrote a prologue and an epilogue; the prologue was -spoken by Prince George. After a panegyric on liberty the future King -went on to say:-- - - Should this superior to my years be thought, - Know--'tis the first great lesson I was taught. - What! though a boy! it may with pride be said - A boy--in England born, in England bred; - Where freedom well becomes the earliest state, - For there the laws of liberty innate--etc., etc. - -There came an echo of this early teaching years later when George III. -wrote into the text of his first speech to parliament the memorable -words: "Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of -Briton". - -In the epilogue spoken by Prince Edward similar sentiments were -expressed:-- - - In England born, my inclination, - Like yours, is wedded to this nation: - And future times, I hope, will see - Me General in reality.[5] - Indeed, I wish to serve this land, - It is my father's strict command; - And none he ever gave shall be - More cheerfully obeyed by me. - -[5] Prince Edward, Duke of York, became a Vice-Admiral of the Blue. - -We get many pleasant glimpses, in contemporary letters and memoirs, -of the domestic felicity of the royal household at Kew and Leicester -House; of games of baseball and "push pin," with the children in -the winter, of gardening and cricket in the summer, and of little -plays, sometimes composed by the Prince, staged by the Princess and -acted by their sons and daughters all the year round. "The Prince's -family," Lady Hervey writes, "is an example of innocent and cheerful -amusement,"[6] and her testimony is corroborated on all sides. - -[6] Lady Hervey's _Letters_. - -Frederick Prince of Wales died suddenly on March 20, 1751, to the -great grief of his wife and children, and the consternation of his -political adherents. The Prince had been suffering from a chill, but -no one thought that there was any danger. On the eighth day of his -illness, in the evening, he was sitting up in bed, listening to the -performance of Desnoyers, the violinist, when he was seized with a -violent fit of coughing. He put his hand upon his heart and cried, -"_Je sens la mort!_" The Princess, who was in the room, flew to her -husband's assistance, but before she could reach his side he was dead. -Later it was shown that the immediate cause of death was the breaking -of an abscess in his side, which had been caused by a blow from a -cricket ball a few weeks before. Cricket had been recently introduced -into England, and Frederick was one of the first to encourage the game, -which soon became national. He often played in matches at Cliveden and -Kew. - -No Prince has been more maligned than Frederick Prince of Wales, and -none on less foundation. He opposed Walpole and the Whig domination, -and therefore the Whig pamphleteers of the time, and Whig historians -since, have poured on him the vials of their wrath, and contemptuously -dismissed him as half fool and half rogue. But the utmost that can -be proved against him is that he was frivolous, and unduly fond of -gambling and gallantry. These failings were common to the age, and in -his case they were largely due to his neglected youth. Badly educated, -disliked by his parents, to whom he grew up almost a stranger, and -surrounded from the day of his arrival in England by malcontents, -parasites and flatterers, it would have needed a much stronger man -than Frederick to resist the evil influences around him. His public -utterances, and there is no real ground for doubting their sincerity, -go to show that he was a prince of liberal and enlightened views, a -friend of peace and a lover of England. It is probable that, had he -been spared to ascend the throne, he would have made a better king than -either his father or grandfather. It is possible that he would have -made a better king than his son, for, though he was by no means so -good a man, he was more pliant, more tolerant, and far less obstinate. -Speculation is idle in such matters, but it is unlikely, if Frederick -had been on the throne instead of George III., that he would have -encouraged the policy which lost us our American colonies. Dying when -he did, all that can be said of Frederick politically is that he never -had a fair chance. Keeping the mean between two extreme parties in -the state he was made the butt of both, but the fact remains that he -attracted to his side some of the ablest among the moderate men who -cared little for party and much for the state. Certainly nothing in his -life justified the bitter Jacobite epigram circulated shortly after his -death:-- - - Here lies Fred, - Who was alive, and is dead, - Had it been his father, - I had much rather; - Had it been his brother, - Still better than another; - Had it been his sister, - No one would have missed her; - Had it been the whole generation, - So much better for the nation; - But since 'tis only Fred, - Who was alive, and is dead, - There's no more to be said. - -George II. was playing cards when the news of his son's death was -brought to him. He turned very pale and said nothing for a minute; then -he rose, whispered to Lady Yarmouth, "_Fritz ist todt_," and quitted -the room. But he sent that same night a message of condolence to the -bereaved widow. - -[Illustration: FREDERICK, PRINCE OF WALES, FATHER OF QUEEN MATILDA. - -_From the Painting by J. B. Vanloo at Warwick Castle, by permission of -the Earl of Warwick._] - -The death of her husband was a great blow to Augusta Princess of -Wales. Suddenly deprived of the prospect of becoming Queen of England, -she found herself, at the age of thirty-two, left a widow with eight -young children and expecting shortly to give birth to another. Her -situation excited great commiseration, and among the people the dead -Prince was generally regretted, for despite his follies he was known to -be kindly and humane. Elegies were cried about the streets, and very -common exclamations were: "Oh, that it were his brother!" "Oh, that -it were the Butcher!" Still it cannot be pretended that Frederick was -deeply mourned. A conversation was overheard between two workmen, who -were putting up the hatchment over the gate at Leicester House, which -fairly voiced the popular sentiment: "He has left a great many small -children," said one. "Aye," replied the other, "and what is worse, they -belong to our parish." - -Contrary to expectation the King behaved with great kindness to his -daughter-in-law, and a few days after her bereavement paid her a visit -in person. He refused the chair of state placed for him, seated himself -on the sofa beside the Princess, and at the sight of her sorrow was -so much moved as to shed tears. When the Princess Augusta, his eldest -granddaughter, came forward to kiss his hand, he took her in his arms -and embraced her. To his grandsons the King said: "Be brave boys, be -obedient to your mother, and endeavour to do credit to the high station -in which you are born". He who had never acted the tender father -delighted in playing "the tender grandfather".[7] - -[7] _Vide_ Horace Walpole's _Reign of George II._ - -A month after his father's death Prince George was created Prince -of Wales and Earl of Chester, but the young Prince, though always -respectful, never entertained any affectionate feelings for his -grandfather. This may have been due, in part, to the unforgiving spirit -with which the old King followed his son even to the tomb. Frederick's -funeral was shorn of almost every circumstance of state. No princes -of the blood and no important members of the government attended, and -he was buried in Westminster Abbey "without either anthem or organ". -Of the few faithful friends who attended the last rites, Dodington -writes: "There was not the attention to order the board of green cloth -to provide them a bit of bread; and these gentlemen of the first rank -and distinction, in discharge of their last sad duty to a loved, and -loving, master, were forced to bespeak a great, cold dinner from a -common tavern in the neighbourhood; at three o'clock, indeed, they -vouchsafed to think of a dinner and ordered one, but the disgrace was -complete--the tavern dinner was paid for and given to the poor".[8] - -[8] Dodington's _Diary_, April 13, O.S., 1751, edition 1784. - -Some five months after Frederick's death his widow gave birth to a -princess, the subject of this book. Dodington thus records the event, -which, except in the _London Gazette_, was barely noticed by the -journals of the day:-- - -"On Wednesday, the Princess walked in Carlton Gardens, supped and went -to bed very well; she was taken ill about six o'clock on Thursday -morning, and about eight was delivered of a Princess. Both well."[9] - -[9] Dodington's _Diary_, July 13, O.S., 1751, edition 1784. - -The advent of this daughter was hardly an occasion for rejoicing. Apart -from the melancholy circumstances of her birth, her widowed mother -had already a young and numerous family,[10] several of whom were far -from strong, and all, with the exception of her eldest son, the heir -presumptive to the throne, unprovided for. - -[10] Table. See next page. - -Eleven days after her birth the Princess was baptised at Leicester -House by Dr. Hayter, Bishop of Norwich, and given the names of Caroline -Matilda, the first being after her grandmother, the second harking -back to our Norman queens. Except in official documents she was always -known by the latter name, and it is the one therefore that will be -used in speaking of her throughout this book. The infant had three -sponsors, her aunt the Princess Caroline (represented by proxy), her -eldest sister the Princess Augusta, and her eldest brother the Prince -of Wales. In the case of the godfather the sponsorship was no mere -form, for George III. stood in the light of guardian to his sister all -through her life. - - TABLE SHOWING THE CHILDREN OF FREDERICK AND AUGUSTA, PRINCE AND - PRINCESS OF WALES, AND ALSO THE DESCENT OF HIS MAJESTY KING - EDWARD VII. FROM FREDERICK PRINCE OF WALES. - - Frederick Prince of Wales = Augusta of Saxe-Gotha - (son of George II. and | (daughter of Frederick II. - Caroline of Ansbach). | Duke of Saxe-Gotha). - | - +---------------------------------+ - | - +--Augusta, b. 1737, d. 1813, m. Charles William Duke of Brunswick, - | and had issue among others - | | - | Caroline, Consort of George IV., who had issue - | | - | Princess Charlotte, d. in childbirth, 1817. - | - +--George III., b. 1738, d. 1820, m. Charlotte Princess of - | Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and had issue among others - | | - | Edward Duke of Kent - | | - | Queen Victoria - | | - | King Edward VII. - | - +--Edward Duke of York, b. 1738, d. 1767, unmarried. - | - +--Elizabeth, b. 1739, d. 1759, unmarried. - | - +--William Henry Duke of Gloucester, b. 1743, d. 1805, m. Maria - | Countess Dowager Waldegrave, illegitimate dau. of Sir Edward - | Walpole, and had issue among others - | | - | William Frederick Duke of Gloucester, m. Mary, dau. of George - | III., no issue. - | - +--Henry Frederick Duke of Cumberland b. 1745, d. 1790, m. Anne, - | dau. of Lord Irnham, afterwards Earl of Carlhampton, and widow - | of Andrew Horton, no issue. - | - +--Louisa Anne, b. 1748, d. 1768, unmarried. - | - +--Frederick William, b. 1750, d. 1765, unmarried. - | - +--CAROLINE MATILDA, b. July 11, 1751, m. 1766, Christian VII., King - of Denmark, d. 1775, and had issue - | - Frederick VI., King of Denmark, d. 1839, and - Louise Augusta, Duchess of Augustenburg, d. 1843. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH. - -1751-1760. - - -The early years of the Princess Matilda were passed at Carlton House -and Kew. After her husband's death the Princess-Dowager of Wales, as -she was called, resided for the most part in London at Carlton House. -She used Leicester House on state occasions, and kept it chiefly for -her two elder sons who lived there with their tutors. Carlton House -was a stately building fronting St. James's Park with an entrance in -Pall Mall. It was built by a Lord Carlton in the reign of Queen Anne, -and was sold in 1732 to Frederick Prince of Wales. The great feature -of Carlton House was its beautiful garden, which extended along the -Mall as far as Marlborough House, and was laid out on the same plan as -Pope's famous garden at Twickenham. There were smooth lawns, fine trees -and winding walks, and bowers, grottoes and statuary abounded. This -garden gave Carlton House a great advantage over Leicester House in the -matter of privacy, and was of benefit to the children. - -Cliveden, near Maidenhead, and Park Place, Henley-on-Thames, two -country places, owned, or leased, by Frederick were given up, but the -Princess retained her favourite house at Kew, and sent her younger -children down there as much as possible. The greater part of Matilda's -childhood was spent there, and Kew and its gardens are more associated -with her memory than any other place in England. The Princess-Dowager -encouraged in all her children simplicity of living, love of fresh -air and healthy exercise. Each of the little princes and princesses -was allotted at Kew a small plot of ground wherein to dig and plant. -Gardening was Matilda's favourite amusement, and in one of the earliest -of her letters she writes to a girl friend:-- - -"Since you left Richmond I have much improved my little plot in our -garden at Kew, and have become quite proficient in my knowledge of -exotics. I often miss your company, not only for your lively chat, but -for your approbation of my horticultural embellishments.... You know we -[the royal children] have but a narrow circle of amusements, which we -can sometimes vary but never enlarge."[11] - -[11] The authenticity of this letter is doubtful. It first appeared in -a work entitled _Memoirs of an Unfortunate Queen, interspersed with -letters written by Herself to several of her Illustrious Relatives -and Friends_, published 1776, soon after Matilda's death. Some of the -letters may be genuine, others are undoubtedly spurious. - -The Princess was better educated than the majority of English ladies -of her time, many of whom could do little more than read and write -(but seldom could spell) with the addition of a few superficial -accomplishments. Matilda was a fair linguist, she could speak and -write French well, and had a smattering of Italian. Like her brothers -and sisters she committed to memory long passages from English -classics, and recited them with fluency and expression. She had a great -love of music, and played on the harpsichord, and sang in a sweet and -pleasing voice. She was thoroughly trained in "deportment," and danced -to perfection. She was a pretty, graceful girl, not awkward, even at -the most awkward age, and early gave promise of beauty. She rejoiced -in an affectionate, generous disposition and a bright and happy -temperament. She stood in awe of her mother, but she was devoted to her -brothers and sisters, especially to her eldest sister, Princess Augusta. - -This Princess was the one who was suddenly hurried into the world on -a July night at St. James's Palace. She was fourteen years of age -when Matilda was born, and was a woman before her youngest sister -ceased to be a child, so that she stood to her in the place of friend -and counsellor. Augusta had not the beauty of Matilda, but she was -a comely maiden with regular features, well-shaped figure, pleasant -smile, and general animation. She was the best educated of the family. -This was largely due to her thirst for knowledge. She read widely, -and interested herself in the political and social questions of the -day to a degree unusual with princesses of her age. She was sharp and -quick-witted, and in her childhood precocious beyond her years. "La! -Sir Robert," she pertly exclaimed, when only seven years of age, to -Sir Robert Rich, whom she had mistaken for Sir Robert Walpole, "what -has become of your blue string and your big belly?" Sir "Blue-string" -was one of the Tory nicknames for Walpole, and in the caricatures -of the time his corpulence was an endless subject of ridicule. Her -parents, instead of reprimanding her, laughed at her pleasantries, -with the result that they often found her inconveniently frank and -troublesome. After Frederick's death her mother, who had no wish to -have a grown-up daughter too soon, kept her in the background as much -as possible, a treatment which the lively Augusta secretly resented. - -Matilda's other sisters, the Princesses Elizabeth and Louisa Anne, -were nearer her in age and were much more tractable than Augusta. -They both suffered from ill-health. Her eldest brother George Prince -of Wales was a silent youth, shy and retiring, and not demonstrative -in any way. Edward, her second brother, afterwards Duke of York, -was livelier and was always a favourite with his sister. Her three -youngest brothers, William Henry, afterwards Duke of Gloucester, Henry -Frederick, later Duke of Cumberland, and Frederick William (who died at -the age of fifteen), were her chief playmates, for they were nearer her -in age. The children of Frederick Prince of Wales and Augusta had one -characteristic in common; clever or stupid, lively or dull, sickly or -strong in health, they were all affectionate and fond of one another. -Quarrels were rare, and the brothers and sisters united in loving and -spoiling the pet of the family, pretty, bright little Matilda. - -For eighteen months after her husband's death the Princess-Dowager -of Wales remained in closest retirement. At the end of that time she -reappeared in public and attended court, where, by the King's command, -she received the same honours as had been paid to the late Queen -Caroline. She was also made guardian of her eldest son, in case of the -King's demise during the Prince of Wales' minority. William Duke of -Cumberland bitterly resented this appointment as a personal affront, -and declared to his friends that he now felt his own insignificance, -and wished the name of William could be blotted out of the English -annals. It increased his jealousy of his sister-in-law, and she, on her -part, made no secret of her inveterate dislike of him. Her children -were taught to regard their uncle as a monster because of his cruelties -at Culloden, and he complained to the Princess-Dowager of the "base and -villainous insinuations" which had poisoned their minds against him. - -The Princess-Dowager of Wales rarely attended St. James's except on -ceremonial occasions. Nominally George II.'s court, for the last -twenty years of his reign, was presided over by the King's eldest -unmarried daughter, Princess Amelia, or Emily, a princess who, as -years went on, lost her good looks as well as her manners. She became -deaf and short-sighted, and was chiefly known for her sharp tongue -and her love of scandal and high play. She had no influence with the -King, and her unamiable characteristics made her unpopular with the -courtiers, who treated her as a person of no importance. In reality -the _dame regnante_ at St. James's was Madame de Walmoden, Countess -of Yarmouth, who had been the King's mistress at Hanover. He brought -her over to England the year after Queen Caroline's death, lodged her -in the palace, created her a peeress, and gave her a pension. In her -youth the Walmoden had been a great beauty, but as she advanced in -years she became exceedingly stout. Ministers, peers, politicians, -place-hunters of all kinds, even bishops and Church dignitaries, paid -their court to her. She accepted all this homage for what it was worth, -but though she now and then obtained a place for a favourite, she very -wisely abstained from meddling in English politics, which she did not -understand, and chiefly occupied herself in amassing wealth. - -[Illustration: MADAME DE WALMODEN, COUNTESS OF YARMOUTH. - -_From the Painting at Gülzow, by permission of Count Kielmansegg._] - -Lady Yarmouth was the last instance of a mistress of the King of -England who received a peerage. Her title did not give her much -prestige, and her presence at court did not add to its lustre. During -her ten years' reign Queen Caroline had set an example of virtue and -decorum, which was not forgotten, and the presence of a recognised -mistress standing in her place was resented by many of the wives of the -high nobility. Some of these ladies abstained from going to St. James's -on principle, others, and these the more numerous, because the -assemblies there had become insufferably dull and tedious. If the court -had been conducted on the lavish scale which marked the reigns of the -Stuarts, if beauty, wit and brilliancy had met together, some slight -lapses from the strict path of virtue might have been overlooked. But a -court, which was at once vicious and dull, was impossible. - -The Princess-Dowager of Wales, who prided herself on the propriety -of her conduct and the ordered regularity of her household, was the -most conspicuous absentee, and though she now and then attended St. -James's as in duty bound, she never took her daughters to court, but -declared that the society there would contaminate them. She rarely, -if ever, honoured the mansions of the nobility with a visit, and her -appearances in public were few and far between. She lived a life of -strict seclusion, which her children shared. During the ten years that -elapsed between Frederick's death and George III.'s accession to the -throne, the Princess-Dowager was little more than a name to the outer -world; the time had not come when the veil of privacy was to be rudely -torn from her domestic life, and the publicity from which she shrank -turned on her with its most pitiless glare. - -The policy of the Princess was to keep in the background as much as -possible and devote herself wholly to the care and education of her -numerous family. She did her duty (or what she conceived to be her -duty) to her children to the utmost in her power, and in her stern, -undemonstrative way there is no doubt that she loved them. She ruled -her household with a rod of iron, her children feared and obeyed, but -it could hardly be said that they loved her. Despite her high sense of -duty, almsgiving and charity, the Princess-Dowager was not a lovable -woman. Her temperament was cold and austere, her religion was tinged -with puritanism, and her views were strict and narrow. She had many of -the virtues associated with the Roman matron. There was only one flaw -in the armour of the royal widow's reputation, and this her enemies -were quick to note. That flaw was her friendship with Lord Bute. - -John, third Earl of Bute, had been a favourite of Frederick Prince of -Wales. He owed his introduction to the Prince to an accident which, -slight though it was, served to lay the foundations of his future -political career. He was watching a cricket match at Cliveden when -a heavy shower of rain came on. The Prince, who had been playing, -withdrew to a tent and proposed a game of whist until the weather -should clear. At first nobody could be found to take a fourth hand, -but presently one of the Prince's suite espied Bute and asked him -to complete the party. The Prince was so much pleased with his new -acquaintance that he invited him to Kew, and gave him a post in his -household. Bute soon improved his opportunities, and the Princess also -extended to him her confidence and friendship; perhaps she found in -his cold, proud temperament and narrow views some affinity with her -own character and beliefs. Frederick rather encouraged this friendship -than otherwise. He was very much attached to his excellent and virtuous -wife, but no doubt her serious way of looking at things wearied his -more frivolous nature occasionally. According to the scandalous gossip -of Horace Walpole: "Her simple husband when he took up the character -of the regent's gallantry had forced an air of intrigue even upon his -wife. When he affected to retire into gloomy _allées_ of Kew with Lady -Middlesex, he used to bid the Princess walk with Lord Bute. As soon -as the Prince was dead, they walked more and more, in honour of his -memory."[12] - -[12] _Memoirs of George II._, vol. ii.; see also Wraxall's _Hist. -Memoirs_, vol. ii. - -At the corrupt court of George II., where the correct conduct of the -Princess was resented as a tacit affront, the intimacy between the -Princess and Lord Bute was soon whispered into an intrigue. Once at a -fancy dress ball during the lifetime of Frederick when the Princess -was present, the beautiful Miss Chudleigh appeared as Iphigenia and so -lightly clad as to be almost in a state of nudity. The Princess threw a -shawl over the young lady's bosom, and sharply rebuked her for her bad -taste in appearing in so improper a guise. "_Altesse_," retorted Miss -Chudleigh, in no wise abashed, "_vous savez, chacun a son but_." The -impertinent witticism ran like wildfire round the court, and henceforth -the names of the Princess and Lord Bute were associated together in -a scandalous suggestion, which had nothing to warrant it at the time -beyond the fact that the Princess treated Lord Bute as an intimate -friend. - -After Frederick's death the scandal grew, for the Princess was very -unpopular with the Walmoden and her circle, and they delighted to have -the chance of painting her as bad as themselves. Yet Bute was some -years older than the Princess. He was married to a beautiful wife, the -only daughter and heiress of Edward Wortley Montagu, by whom he had a -large family, and he was devoted to his wife and children. He was a man -of high principle, and lived a clean life in an age of uncleanness. -Lady Hervey writes of him: "He has always been a good husband, an -excellent father, a man of truth and sentiments above the common run -of men". Bute was not a great man, but his abilities were above the -average, and he possessed considerable force of character. He acquired -complete ascendency in the household of the Princess-Dowager, and -exercised unbounded influence over the young Prince of Wales. Princess -Augusta and Prince Edward disliked him, and secretly resented his -presence and his interference in family matters. The other children -were too young to understand, but Lord Bute was a factor which made -itself felt in the daily life of them all, and not a welcome one. Life -had become appreciably duller with the royal children since their -father's death. Gone were the little plays and masquerades, the singers -and dancers. Gone were the picnics and the children's parties. Even -the cards were stopped, and the utmost the Princess-Dowager would -allow was a modest game of comet. The children suspected Lord Bute of -aiding and abetting their mother in her Spartan treatment of them, and -disliked him accordingly. - -The Princess-Dowager had need of a friend and counsellor, whether Lord -Bute was the wisest choice she could have made or not. She was quite -alone in the world, and had to fight against many intrigues. She was -not a woman to make friendships quickly, and she disliked the society -of her own sex. Thus it came about that in the secluded life she led, -except for the members of her household, two persons only were admitted -to Carlton House and Kew. One was Lord Bute, the other Bubb Dodington. - -Bubb Dodington, whose diary we have quoted before, was a wealthy -_parvenu_ whose ambition in life was to become peer. Walpole had -refused him his coveted desire, and he therefore attached himself to -Frederick Prince of Wales, who borrowed money from him, and invented a -post in his household for his benefit. As far as it was possible for -Dodington to be attached to any one, he seems to have been attached to -his "Master," as he calls him. After Frederick's death, when, to use -his own phrase, "there was little prospect of his doing any good at -Leicester House," he again courted the favour of the government. But he -retained a sentimental attachment to his master's widow, or (for he was -a born intriguer) he wished to keep in touch with the young Prince of -Wales. In either case he was careful not to break off his friendship -with the Princess-Dowager, and often waited upon her at Carlton House. -The Princess, though she did not wholly trust him, clung to him as -a friend of her husband's. He was useful as a link with the outer -world, he could retail to her all the political gossip of the day, and -she, in turn, could make him the medium of her views, for she knew -what she told him in apparent confidence would be retailed to all the -town before the day was over. Dodington was an inveterate gossip, and -his vanity was too much flattered by being made the confidant of the -Princess-Dowager for him to conceal the fact. Moreover, he was wealthy, -and a shrewd man of business. The Princess sorely needed advice in -money matters, for her dower was only £50,000 a year, and out of that -sum she had to keep up Leicester House, Carlton House and Kew, educate -and maintain her numerous family, and to pay off by instalments her -husband's debts--a task which she voluntarily took upon herself, though -it crippled her financially for years. She did all so well that her -economy was a triumph of management. - -From Dodington's diary we get glimpses of the domestic life of the -Princess-Dowager and her children after her husband's death. For -instance, he writes: "The Princess sent for me to attend her between -eight and nine o'clock. I went to Leicester House expecting a small -company, or little musick, but found nobody but her Royal Highness. -She made me draw a stool and sit by the fireside. Soon after came in -the Prince of Wales, and Prince Edward, and then the Lady Augusta, all -in an undress, and took their stools and sat round the fire with us. We -continued talking of familiar occurrences till between ten and eleven, -with the ease and unreservedness and unconstraint as if one had dropped -into a sister's house that had a family to pass the evening. It is much -to be wished that the Prince conversed familiarly with more people of a -certain knowledge of the world."[13] - -[13] Dodington's _Diary_, Nov. 17, 1753, edition 1784. - -This last point Dodington ventured to press upon the Princess more -than once, for it was a matter of general complaint that she kept -her children so strictly and so secluded from the world. They had -no companions or playmates of their own age besides themselves, for -the Princess declared that "the young people of quality were so -ill-educated and so very vicious that they frightened her.... Such was -the universal profligacy ... such the character and conduct of the -young people of distinction that she was really afraid to have them -near her children. She should be even in more pain for her daughters -than her sons, for the behaviour of the women was indecent, low, and -much against their own interests by making themselves so cheap."[14] - -[14] Dodington's _Diary_, edition 1784. - -We have dwelt thus on Augusta Princess of Wales not only because she -was the mother of Princess Matilda, but because so little is known of -her. The scandalous tales of Whig pamphleteers, and the ill-natured -gossip of her arch-maligner Horace Walpole cannot be accepted without -considerable reserve. No adequate memoir has ever been written of this -Princess. Yet she was the mother of a king whose reign was one of the -longest and most eventful in English history, and the training she gave -her eldest son moulded his character, formed his views and influenced -his policy. It influenced also, though in a lesser degree, the life of -her youngest daughter. Matilda inherited certain qualities from her -father, but in her early education and environment she owed everything -to her mother. To the strict seclusion in which she was brought up -by this stern mother, who won her children's respect but never their -confidence, and to her utter ignorance of the world and its temptations -(more particularly those likely to assail one destined to occupy an -exalted position), may be traced to some extent the mistakes of her -later years. - -There were breaks in the children's circle at Carlton House and Kew. -Prince Frederick William died in 1765 at the age of fifteen, and -Princess Elizabeth in 1759 at the age of nineteen. Of the first nothing -is recorded, of the latter Horace Walpole quaintly writes: "We have -lost another princess, Lady Elizabeth. She died of an inflammation -in her bowels in two days. Her figure was so very unfortunate, that -it would have been difficult for her to be happy, but her parts and -application were extraordinary. I saw her act in _Cato_ at eight years -old when she could not stand alone, but was forced to lean against the -side scene. She had been so unhealthy, that at that age she had not -been taught to read, but had learned the part of _Lucia_ by hearing the -others studying their parts. She went to her father and mother, and -begged she might act; they put her off as gently as they could; she -desired leave to repeat her part, and, when she did, it was with so -much sense that there was no denying her."[15] - -[15] Walpole's _Letters_, vol. iii., edition 1857. - -The following year a life of much greater importance in the royal -family came to a close. George II. died at Kensington Palace on October -25, 1760, in the seventy-seventh year of his age, under circumstances -which have always been surrounded by a certain amount of mystery. The -version generally received is as follows: The King rose in the morning -at his usual hour, drank his chocolate, and retired to an adjoining -apartment. Presently his German valet heard a groan and the sound of a -heavy fall; he rushed into the room and found the King lying insensible -on the floor with the blood trickling from his forehead, where he had -struck himself against a bureau in falling. The valet ran to Lady -Yarmouth, but the mistress had some sense of the fitness of things, and -desired that the Princess Amelia should be sent for. She arrived to -find her father quite dead. His death was due to heart disease and was -instantaneous. - -George II. was buried in Henry VII.'s Chapel, Westminster Abbey. His -last wishes were fulfilled to the letter. He had desired that one -of the sides of Queen Caroline's coffin (who had predeceased him by -twenty-three years) should be removed and the corresponding side of his -own coffin should be taken away, so that his body might lie side by -side with hers, and in death they should not be divided. This touching -injunction was piously carried out by command of his grandson, who now -succeeded him as King George III. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE BETROTHAL. - -1760-1765. - - -The accession of George III. to the throne made at first little -difference in the lives of his brothers and sisters, especially of the -younger ones. It made a difference in their position, for they became -brothers and sisters of the reigning king, and the public interest -in them was quickened. But they remained under the control of the -Princess-Dowager, and continued to live with her in the seclusion of -Carlton House and Kew. - -The Princess-Dowager's dominion was not confined to her younger -children, for she continued to exercise unbounded sway over the -youthful monarch. He held his accession council at her residence -at Carlton House, and there he delivered his first speech--not the -composition of his ministers, who imagined they saw in it the hand -of the Princess-Dowager and Lord Bute. "My Lord Bute," said the King -to the Duke of Newcastle, his Prime Minister, "is your very good -friend, he will tell you all my thoughts." Again in his first speech -to Parliament the King wrote with his own hand the words, to which we -have already alluded: "Born and educated in this country, I glory -in the name of Briton". Ministers affected to find in all this an -unconstitutional exercise of the royal prerogative, and the Whig -oligarchy trembled lest its domination should be overthrown. - -Hitherto the influence of the Princess-Dowager with her eldest son, -and the intimate friendship that existed between her and Lord Bute, -had been known only to the few, but now the Whigs found in these -things weapons ready to their hands, and they did not scruple to use -them. They instigated their agents in the press and in Parliament, -and a fierce clamour was raised against the Princess as a threatener -of popular liberties. Her name, linked with Lord Bute's, was flung -to the mob; placards with the words "No Petticoat Government!" "No -Scottish Favourite!" were affixed to the walls of Westminster Hall, and -thousands of vile pamphlets and indecent ballads were circulated among -the populace. Even the King was insulted. "Like a new Sultan," wrote -Lord Chesterfield, "he is dragged out of the seraglio by the Princess -and Lord Bute, and placed upon the throne." The mob translated this -into the vulgar tongue, and one day, when the King was going in a sedan -chair to pay his usual visit to his mother, a voice from the crowd -asked him, amid shouts and jeers, whether he was "going to suck". - -[Illustration: JOHN, EARL OF BUTE. - -_From the Painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds at Wortley Hall, by -permission of the Earl of Wharncliffe._] - -The Princess-Dowager was unmoved by the popular clamour, and her -influence over the young King remained unshaken; indeed it was -rather strengthened, for his sense of chivalry was roused by the -coarse insults heaped upon his mother. Lord Bute continued to pay his -visits to Carlton House as before, the only difference made was that, -to avoid the insults of the mob, his visits were paid less openly. The -chair of one of the Princess's maids of honour was often sent of an -evening to Bute's house in South Audley Street, and he was conveyed in -it, with the curtains close drawn, to Carlton House, and admitted by -a side entrance to the Princess's presence. These precautions, though -natural enough under the circumstances, were unwise, for before long -the stealthy visits leaked out, and the worst construction was placed -upon them. - -In the first year of the King's reign the supremacy of the -Princess-Dowager was threatened by an attachment the monarch had formed -for the beautiful Lady Sarah Lennox, daughter of the second Duke of -Richmond. But the house of Lennox was a great Whig house, and its -members were ambitious and aspiring, therefore the Princess-Dowager -and Bute determined to prevent the marriage. That they succeeded -is a matter of history. Lady Sarah's hopes came to an end with -the announcement of the King's betrothal to Princess Charlotte of -Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The announcement was not popular, for the nation -was weary of royal alliances with the petty courts of Germany. But -the Princess-Dowager had made confidential inquiries. She was told -that Charlotte, who was very young, was dutiful and obedient, and no -doubt thought that she would prove a cipher in her hands. In this the -Princess-Dowager was sadly mistaken. Lady Sarah Lennox, or an earlier -candidate for the honour, a Princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, would -have been pliable in comparison with Charlotte of Mecklenburg, who, on -her arrival, showed herself to be a shrewd, self-possessed young woman, -with a tart tongue, and a full sense of the importance of her position. -Charlotte soon became jealous of her mother-in-law's influence over the -King. Her relations with her sisters-in-law also were never cordial, -and with the Princess Augusta she was soon at open feud. - -George III. and Charlotte were married at the Chapel Royal, St. James's -Palace, on September 8, 1761, and a fortnight later were crowned -in Westminster Abbey. The Princess Matilda, then ten years of age, -witnessed her brother's wedding, but unofficially, from a private pew. -Her first public appearance was made at the coronation, when we find -her following the Princess-Dowager in a procession from the House of -Lords to Westminster Abbey. A platform, carpeted with blue baize and -covered by an awning, had been erected across Palace Yard to the south -door of the Abbey, and over this platform the Princess-Dowager and all -her children passed, except the King, who was to be crowned, and Prince -Edward and Princess Augusta, who were in their Majesties' procession. - -"The Princess-Dowager of Wales," it is written, "was led by the hand -by Prince William Henry, dressed in white and silver. Her train, which -was of silk, was cut short, and therefore not borne by any person, and -her hair flowed down her shoulders in hanging curls. She had no cap, -but only a circlet of diamonds. The rest of the princes and princesses, -her Highness's children, followed in order of their age: Prince Henry -Frederick, also in white and silver, handing his sister Princess Louisa -Anne, dressed in a slip with hanging sleeves. Prince Frederick William, -likewise in white and silver, handing his youngest sister, the Princess -Matilda, dressed also in a slip with hanging sleeves. Both the young -princesses had their hair combed upwards, which was contrived to lie -flat at the back of their heads in an elegant taste."[16] - -[16] _The Annual Register_, September 22, 1761. - -For some time after George III.'s marriage the Princess-Dowager and -Bute continued to be all-powerful with the King. The aged Prime -Minister, the Duke of Newcastle, clung to office as long as he could, -but at last was forced to resign, and in 1762 Lord Bute became Prime -Minister. The Princess-Dowager's hand was very visible throughout -Bute's brief administration; her enemy the Duke of Devonshire, "the -Prince of the Whigs," as she styled him, was ignominiously dismissed -from office, and his name struck off the list of privy councillors. -Other great Whig Lords, who had slighted or opposed her, were -treated in a similar manner. Peace was made with France on lines the -Princess-Dowager had indicated before her son came to the throne, and -a still greater triumph, the peace was approved by a large majority -in Parliament, despite the opposition of the Whig Lords. "Now," cried -the Princess exultingly, "now, my son _is_ King of England!" It was her -hour of triumph. - -But though the Whigs were defeated in Parliament, they took their -revenge outside. The ignorant mob was told that the peace was the first -step towards despotism, the despotism of the Princess-Dowager and her -led-captain Bute, and the torrent of abuse swelled in volume. One -evening when the Princess was present at the play, at a performance -of Cibber's comedy, _The Careless Husband_, the whole house rose when -one of the actresses spoke the following lines: "Have a care, Madam, -an undeserving favourite has been the ruin of many a prince's empire". -The hoots and insults from the gallery were so great that the Princess -drew the curtains of her box and quitted the house. Nor was this all. -In Wilkes's periodical, _The North Briton_, appeared an essay in -which, under the suggestive names of Queen Isabella and her paramour -"the gentle Mortimer," the writer attacked the Princess-Dowager and -the Prime Minister. Again, in a caricature entitled "The Royal Dupe," -the young King was depicted as sleeping in his mother's lap, while -Bute was stealing his sceptre, and Fox picking his pocket. In _Almon's -Political Register_ there appeared a gross frontispiece, in which -the Earl of Bute figured as secretly entering the bedchamber of the -Princess-Dowager; a widow's lozenge with the royal arms hung over -the bed, to enforce the identity. Worst of all, one night, when the -popular fury had been inflamed to its height, a noisy mob paraded -under the windows of Carlton House, carrying a gallows from which hung -a jack-boot and a petticoat which they afterwards burned (the first -a miserable pun on the name of John Earl of Bute, and the second to -signify the King's mother). The Princess-Dowager heard the uproar from -within and learned the cause from her frightened household. She alone -remained calm. "Poor deluded people, how I pity them," she said, "they -will know better some day." - -What her children thought of all this is not precisely recorded, but -it would seem that the King stood alone among them in the sympathy -and support he gave to his mother. Prince Edward, Duke of York, and -the Princess Augusta were openly hostile to Lord Bute. Prince Edward -declared that he suffered "a thousand mortifications" because of him. -Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was sullenly resentful, -and even Prince Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland, made sarcastic -remarks. What Matilda thought there is no means of knowing; she was -too young to understand, but children are quick-witted, and since her -favourite brother, Edward, and her favourite sister, Augusta, felt so -strongly on the subject, she probably shared their prejudices. There is -little doubt that the mysterious intimacy between the Princess-Dowager -and Lord Bute was the cause of much ill-feeling between her and her -children, and had the effect of weakening her authority over them -and of losing their respect. Years after, when she had occasion to -remonstrate with Matilda, her daughter retorted with a bitter allusion -to Lord Bute. - -The Princess Augusta had inherited her mother's love of dabbling in -politics, and as her views were strongly opposed to those of the -Princess-Dowager the result did not conduce to the domestic harmony -of Carlton House. The Princess Augusta, of all the royal children, -had suffered most from the intimacy between her mother and Lord -Bute. Horace Walpole wrote of her some time before: "Lady Augusta, -now a woman grown, was, to facilitate some privacy for the Princess, -dismissed from supping with her mother, and sent back to cheese-cakes -with her little sister Elizabeth, on the pretence that meat at -night would fatten her too much".[17] Augusta secretly resented the -cheese-cakes, but she was then too young to show open mutiny. Now -that she had grown older she became bolder. She was the King's eldest -sister, and felt that she was entitled to a mind of her own. Therefore, -with her brother, the Duke of York, she openly denounced Lord Bute and -all his works, and lavished admiration on his great rival, Pitt. This -was a little too much for the Princess-Dowager, who feared that Augusta -would contaminate the minds of her younger brothers and sisters. -She resolved therefore to marry her to some foreign husband, and -thus remove her from the sphere of her present political activities. -Moreover, it was quite time that Augusta was married. She had completed -her twenty-sixth year and her youthful beauty was on the wane. "Lady -Augusta," writes Horace Walpole, "is not handsome, but tall enough -and not ill-made, with the German whiteness of hair and complexion so -remarkable in the royal family, and with their precipitate yet thick -Westphalian accent."[18] - -[17] _Memoirs of the Reign of George III._, vol. iii. - -[18] _Ibid._ - -Augusta might have married before, but she was extremely English in -her tastes, and had a great objection to leaving the land of her -birth. Neither her mother nor her brother would entertain the idea -of an English alliance, and so at last they arranged a marriage -between her and Charles William Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of -Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, a famous soldier, and the favourite nephew of -Frederick the Great. The Prince arrived in England in January, 1764. -He had never seen his bride before he came, not even her portrait, -but when he saw her he expressed himself charmed, adding that if he -had not been pleased with her he should have returned to Brunswick -without a wife. Augusta, equally frank, said that she would certainly -have refused to marry him if she had found him unsatisfactory. They -were married in the great council chamber of St. James's Palace with -little ceremony. The bride's presents were few and meagre, and Augusta -declared that Queen Charlotte even grudged her the diamonds which -formed the King's wedding gift. Four days after the marriage a civic -deputation waited upon the pair at Leicester House, and presented an -address of congratulation. Princess Matilda was present, and stood at -the right hand of her mother. - -The King did not like the popularity of his brother-in-law, and -therefore hurried the departure of the newly wed couple. The Princess -of Brunswick shed bitter tears on leaving her native land. The day she -left she spent the whole morning at Leicester House saying good-bye -to her friends, and frequently appeared at the windows that the -people outside might see her. More than once the Princess threw open -the window and kissed her hand to the crowd. It was very tempestuous -weather when the Prince and Princess set out on their long journey to -Brunswick, and after they had put to sea rumours reached London that -their yacht had gone down in the storm; but, though they were for a -time in great danger, eventually they landed and reached Brunswick -safely. - -The marriage of the Princess Augusta was soon followed by the betrothal -of her youngest sister. The Princess Matilda was only in her thirteenth -year. But though too young to be married, her mother and the King, -her brother, did not think it too soon to make arrangements for her -betrothal. - -The reigning King of Denmark and Norway, Frederick V., for some years -had wished to bind more closely the ties which already existed between -him and the English royal family. The late Queen of Denmark, Queen -Louise, was the youngest daughter of King George II. She had married -Frederick V., and had borne him a son and daughters. After her death -the King of Denmark cherished an affectionate remembrance of his Queen -and a liking for the country whence she came. He therefore approached -the old King, George II., with the suggestion of a marriage in the -years to come between his son, the Crown Prince Christian, then an -infant, and one of the daughters of Frederick Prince of Wales. After -George II.'s death the idea of this alliance was again broached to -George III. through the medium of Titley,[19] the English envoy at -Copenhagen. - -[19] Walter Titley, whose name occurs frequently in the negotiations -of this marriage, was born in 1700 of a Staffordshire family. He was -educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took -a distinguished degree. He entered the diplomatic service in 1728 -and became _chargé d'affaires_ at Copenhagen in the absence of Lord -Glenorchy. In 1730 he was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister -Plenipotentiary. In 1733 Richard Bentley, the famous master of Trinity -College, Cambridge, offered him the physic fellowship of the College. -Titley accepted it, resigned his diplomatic appointment, but found -that he had become so much attached to his life at Copenhagen that he -was unable to leave it. The King of Denmark, with whom he was a great -favourite, urged him to stay, and the Government at home were unwilling -to lose a valuable public servant who possessed a unique knowledge of -the tortuous politics of the northern kingdom. So Titley resumed his -post and held it for the remainder of his life. He died at Copenhagen -in February, 1768. - -The King, after consultation with his mother, put forward his second -surviving sister, the Princess Louisa Anne (who was about the same age -as the Crown Prince Christian), as a suitable bride. But Bothmar, -the Danish envoy in London, reported to the court of Copenhagen that -Louisa Anne, though talented and amiable, was very delicate, and he -suggested that the King of Denmark should ask for the Princess Matilda -instead. This Princess was the beauty of the family, and her lively -disposition and love of outdoor exercise seemed to show that she had a -strong constitution. George III. demurred a little at first, on account -of his sister's extreme youth, but after some _pour-parlers_ he gave -his consent, and the King of Denmark sent orders to Bothmar to demand -formally the hand of the Princess Matilda in marriage for his son the -Crown Prince. At the same time Bernstorff, the Danish Secretary of -State for Foreign Affairs,[20] wrote to Titley, acquainting him with -the proposed alliance, but asking him to keep the matter a profound -secret until all preliminaries were arranged.[21] - -[20] Count Johan Hartvig Ernst Bernstorff was a Hanoverian by birth, -and a grandson of Bernstorff of Hanover and Celle, Minister of George -I. He early entered the service of Denmark, and represented his adopted -country as envoy at the courts of St. James's and Versailles. When he -left the diplomatic service he became Minister of State for Foreign -Affairs at Copenhagen, and filled other important posts. Finally he -became Count and Prime Minister. He must not be confounded with Count -Andreas Peter Bernstorff, his nephew, who was later Prime Minister of -Denmark under Frederick VI. - -[21] Sa Majesté, qui se souvient toujours avec plaisir et avec la -bienveillance la plus distinguée, de vos sentiments pour sa personne, -et pour l'union des deux familles royales, m'a commandé de vous faire -cette confidence; mais elle m'ordonne en même temps de vous prier de -la tenir entièrement secrète, jusqu'a ce qu'on soit convenu de part et -d'autre de l'engagement et de sa publication. (Bernstorff to Titley, -August 18, 1764.) - -A few days later Titley wrote home to Lord Sandwich: "I received from -Baron Bernstorff (by the King of Denmark's command) a very obliging -letter acquainting me with the agreeable and important commission which -had been sent that same day to Count Bothmar in London.... The amiable -character of the Prince of Denmark is universally acknowledged here, so -that the union appearing perfectly suitable, and equally desirable on -both sides, I hope soon to have an opportunity of congratulating you, -my Lord, upon its being unalterably fixed and settled."[22] - -[22] Titley's despatch to Lord Sandwich, Copenhagen, August 29, 1764. - -Within the next few months everything was arranged except the question -of the Princess's dower, which had to be voted by Parliament. In the -meantime a preliminary treaty between the King of Denmark and the King -of Great Britain was drafted and signed in London by Lord Sandwich on -the one part and Bothmar on the other. This was in the autumn, when -Parliament was not sitting, but the Danish Government stipulated that -the announcement of the marriage was not to be delayed beyond the next -session of Parliament, though the marriage itself, on account of the -extreme youth of both parties, would be deferred for a few years. - -Accordingly, at the opening of Parliament on January 10, 1765, George -III. in his speech from the throne said:-- - -"I have now the satisfaction to inform you that I have agreed with my -good brother the King of Denmark to cement the union which has long -subsisted between the two crowns by the marriage of the Prince Royal of -Denmark with my sister the Princess Caroline Matilda, which is to be -solemnised as soon as their respective ages will admit". - -In the address to the throne Parliament replied to the effect that -the proposed marriage was most pleasing to them, as it would tend to -strengthen the ancient alliance between the crowns of Great Britain and -Denmark, and "thereby add security to the Protestant religion".[23] - -[23] Presumably the alliance would strengthen the Protestant religion -by weakening the influence of Roman Catholic France at Copenhagen. It -must be borne in mind that Denmark was then a much larger and more -important country than it is now. Norway had not broken away from the -union, and Denmark had not been robbed of the Duchies of Schleswig and -Holstein by Prussia. - -On January 18 the King gave a grand ball at St. James's Palace in -honour of the double event of his youngest sister's betrothal and Queen -Charlotte's birthday. On this occasion the Princess Matilda made her -first appearance at court, when she opened the ball by dancing a minuet -with her brother, Prince Edward Duke of York. The Princess was then -only thirteen and a half years old, but she won the admiration of all -the court by her beauty and grace. She was very fair, with hair almost -flaxen in hue, pale gold with a gleam of silver in it, large tender -blue eyes, an arched nose, a well-shaped mouth (the underlip perhaps a -little too full), and a complexion like the wild rose. Her figure was -shapely and developed beyond her years, and she carried herself with -ease and dignity. - -The feelings of the Princess Matilda, who was thus betrothed to a -Prince whom she had never seen, were not consulted in the slightest -degree. The proposed marriage seemed a suitable one; and it was more -brilliant than that of her sister, the Princess Augusta; moreover, it -would strengthen the political alliance between England and Denmark, -and, it was hoped, give England more influence in the Baltic. These -considerations were sufficient for her brother, George III., who must -be held directly responsible for this marriage. The question of his -sister's happiness, or unhappiness, did not enter. The child Princess -disliked the idea from the first; her ladies-in-waiting noticed that -so far from showing any pleasure at her added dignity she became -pensive and melancholy. She was too young to realise all this marriage -would mean to her, but she knew that it would involve exile from her -native country, and separation from her family, and she grieved much -in secret, though afraid to show her unhappiness openly. She gave some -hint of her feelings to her aunt, the Princess Amelia, soon after her -betrothal. - -The Princess Amelia often went to Bath, then a very gay place, where -she played cards and talked scandal to her heart's content. She had a -great liking for her little niece, and she asked permission to take her -to Bath on one of these visits for a few weeks. Matilda, weary of the -dulness and seclusion of Carlton House, pleaded hard to go, but the -Princess-Dowager would not hear of it. She disliked her sister-in-law -and disapproved of her card-playing proclivities. Matilda was greatly -disappointed at her mother's refusal, and said that she had been -looking forward to the journey, for she loved to travel. The Princess -Amelia tried to cheer her niece, and remarked jocularly: "It will not -be long before you will have plenty of travelling". "I know what you -mean," said Matilda, "but surely it would be happier for me to stay -where I am, than go so far for a Prince I have never seen." - -[Illustration: THE ELDER CHILDREN OF FREDERICK AND AUGUSTA, PRINCE AND -PRINCESS OF WALES, PLAYING IN KEW GARDENS. - -_From a Painting, temp. 1750._] - -The Princess found consolation in the thought that her dreaded -marriage would not take place for some time (it was to be deferred -for two years, until 1767), and in a few months after her betrothal -she recovered her spirits, and interested herself once more in her -gardening and other simple pleasures, and in little acts of beneficence -to the poor families whom she took under her especial protection at -Kew. She pursued her studies diligently, the better to qualify herself -for the high position she was intended to fill. At the suggestion of -the King of Denmark, she began to learn German, the language then most -spoken at the Danish court.[24] It is characteristic of the English -tendencies of Frederick Prince of Wales, that, though both he and his -wife were born in Germany, not one of their children was taught -German as a necessary part of his, or her, education, and several of -them remained ignorant of it. - -[24] Letter of the Duke of Grafton to Titley, St. James's, March 14, -1766. - -We must now give some account of the Princess Matilda's betrothed -husband, the Crown Prince Christian, and of the court of Denmark. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE TRAINING OF A KING. - -1749-1766. - - -The Crown Prince Christian (afterwards Christian VII. of Denmark and -Norway) was born on January 29, 1749, and was therefore two years and -six months older than his first cousin and betrothed bride, Princess -Matilda. - -When he was in his third year Christian lost his mother, Louise, -daughter of George II. of England and consort of Frederick V. of -Denmark. Queen Louise was very beautiful, and had inherited from -her mother, Queen Caroline, her grace and dignity and her virtues -and talents. She was possessed of great tact, and won the love and -reverence of all classes, and, what was more difficult, of all races -of her husband's subjects, whether Danes, Norwegians or Germans. The -Danes compared her to their sainted Dagmar, and her early death was -regarded as a national calamity. During Louise's illness the streets of -Copenhagen were thronged from early dawn by people waiting for news, -and the churches were filled with praying and weeping men and women. -Every night, outside the palace gate, crowds waited patiently for -hours, their faces, white in the darkness, turned towards the wing of -the palace where the Queen lay dying. Louise died in 1751 (the year -that Caroline Matilda was born), and left behind her the legacy of a -bright example. The Danes owed England a debt of gratitude for sending -them this admirable princess, a debt they amply repaid a century later -when they gave to the English people a descendant of Queen Louise, -a princess even more beautiful and beloved than her illustrious -ancestress--our gracious Queen Alexandra.[25] - -[25] A short table showing the descent of Her Majesty Queen Alexandra -from Queen Louise of Denmark:-- - - Louise daughter of George II. of England and Queen of Frederick V. - of Denmark. - | - Charlotte Princess of Denmark. - | - Caroline Princess of Denmark. - | - Christian IX. King of Denmark. - | - Queen Alexandra. - - -King Frederick was overwhelmed with grief at his consort's death and -refused to be comforted. He could not mention her name without weeping; -he commanded the deepest court mourning for a year and prohibited -all public amusements for the same period. Yet, like many bereaved -widowers, before and since, the more deeply this royal widower mourned -his wife, the more quickly he sought consolation by giving her a -successor. Six months of the stipulated mourning had scarcely passed -when the King cast off his sables and wedded Princess Juliana Maria -of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. This princess was the youngest of six -daughters, two of whom had already made great alliances. The eldest -was married to Frederick the Great, and the second to Prince Augustus -William, the heir presumptive to the throne of Prussia. One of her -nieces came near to be married to George III., but was rejected by -him on the advice of his mother. This slight upon her house did not -tend to make Juliana Maria well disposed towards the English royal -family; and the love of the Danes for the English princess who was her -predecessor contrasted vividly with her own unpopularity. Juliana Maria -was a handsome and determined woman, rigidly correct in her conduct and -unblemished in her morals, but she was of a cold and selfish nature, -a profound intriguer and dissembler. Frederick V. married her from a -sense of duty; he wanted a queen to preside over his court, and a wife -to give him another son. Juliana Maria fulfilled both these conditions; -she looked every inch a queen, and in due time presented her husband -with a prince, who was named Frederick. But though she shared her -husband's throne she had no place in his affections. - -Frederick V. was popular with his subjects, who named him "Frederick -the Good". The first part of his reign as fully justified this title -as the latter part belied it. Queen Louise was his good angel and -led him to higher things, but when her beneficent influence was gone -he abandoned himself to evil habits, especially to his besetting one -of drunkenness. So much did he give way to this vice that he became -a confirmed dipsomaniac, and the reins of government passed out of -his hands into those of his Prime Minister, Count Moltke, and of his -mother, the Queen-Dowager, Sophia Magdalena. - -This princess, the widow of Christian VI.,[26] was a daughter of -the Margrave of Brandenburg-Culmbach. She had obtained considerable -political influence in her husband's lifetime, and she continued to -hold it throughout the reign of her son. She was a woman of narrow and -strict views, but had a great love of display. Between her and Moltke -an alliance existed for a time. They played into one another's hands -so cleverly that Juliana Maria, despite her ambitious and intriguing -disposition, found herself outwitted by her mother-in-law and the Prime -Minister. Sophia Magdalena's superior knowledge of Danish affairs gave -her an advantage over Juliana Maria, who, though the King's wife, -laboured under the disability of not being in the King's confidence. -Count Moltke was not a minister of great ability, and he was suspected -of selling his country's interests to other powers. Certain it is that -during the last years of Frederick V.'s reign the foreign envoys of -France, Russia and England were in turns the real rulers of Denmark. -With Moltke the French influence was generally paramount. - -[26] Christian VI., the son of Frederick IV., was born in 1699, -ascended the throne in 1730 and died in 1746, after a peaceful and -prosperous reign. He was succeeded by his son Frederick V. - -The Crown Prince Christian suffered an irreparable loss in his mother's -death, for she was devoted to her son and kept him with her as much as -possible, though this was contrary to the traditional etiquette of the -Danish court. After Queen Louise died the Crown Prince and his sisters -were handed over to the loveless care of governesses and tutors, and -their father never troubled about them. Juliana Maria was not an -affectionate stepmother, and left her husband's children severely -alone. Even if she had wished to give them personal supervision, the -etiquette of the Danish court would have prevented her. Moreover, any -movement she might have made in that direction would have been regarded -with suspicion. Juliana Maria regarded the Crown Prince Christian as -an obstacle in the path of her ambition. If he were out of the way her -son Frederick would succeed to the throne. She probably wished him -out of the way, but the stories that she plotted against the life of -her stepson rest on no trustworthy evidence, and may be dismissed as -unworthy of credence. - -At the age of six Christian was taken out of the nursery and given an -establishment of his own. Count Berkentin, a privy councillor, was -appointed his governor, and Count Reventlow his chamberlain and tutor. -Berkentin was an old man, indolent and easy-going, who was glad to -shift the responsibility of his troublesome charge on other shoulders, -and asked for nothing more than to draw his salary and be left in -peace. The training of the Crown Prince therefore devolved wholly on -Reventlow, who was a Danish noble of the most reactionary and barbarous -type. Reventlow's one idea of education was to harden the lad, to -make, as he said, a man of him--he might rather have said to make a -brute of him. He took no account of the idiosyncrasies of Christian's -character, or of his nervous, highly strung temperament. He sought to -crush him down to one low level, the level of himself. The boy was -brought up in slave-like fear of his brutal master, and sometimes -beaten for trifling errors so inhumanly that foam gathered on his lips -and he writhed in agony. Even in his boyhood, Christian's nervous -paroxysms sometimes degenerated into fits of an epileptic nature, and -so encouraged the growth of a terrible malady. - -Reventlow superintended the Crown Prince's education, that is to say, -his training and his daily life. He did not teach him his lessons. -The learned German author, Gellert, was first asked to undertake this -duty, but he refused. The King then appointed one Nielsen, who had -been tutor to several of the young Danish nobility. Nielsen was a -very learned man, but unfortunately had not the capacity of imparting -his learning in a lucid and attractive manner, and he was too fond of -abstruse speculations to teach things which would be useful to the -royal pupil. Nielsen was a Lutheran clergyman, but he was notoriously -unorthodox, and he mixed his religious instruction with a good deal -of profane philosophy. The poor little prince was not old enough to -understand theological, or philosophical, disquisitions; they weighed -like a nightmare on his youthful mind, and the result of this teaching -in after life was a curious mixture of freethinking and superstition. -The Crown Prince was taken to church twice every Sunday, where he sat -between his two tormentors, Reventlow and Nielsen, and listened to -dull and interminable sermons. If his attention flagged for a moment -Reventlow would pinch him, and when he came out of church Nielsen would -catechise him concerning the sermon, and make him repeat the preacher's -arguments at length. Christian regarded these religious exercises with -intense dislike, and dreaded Sunday as his chief day of torment. - -In the Crown Prince's hours of recreation he was neglected, and allowed -to keep bad company. His chief companions were two youths employed -about the court; one was Sperling, a page of the chamber and a nephew -of Reventlow; the other was Kirschoff, a servant of the chamber, and a -friend of Sperling. Both these youths were vicious and corrupt. They -were older than the Crown Prince and acquired great influence over him. -They set him a bad example by their evil habits, they poisoned his -mind by retailing all the scandals of the court, and they corrupted -his heart by mocking at everything good and noble. It has been well -said that they occupy the same place in the history of Denmark as Louis -XV.'s infamous servants Bachelier and Le Bel do in the history of -France. - -It stands to Juliana Maria's credit that she objected to these youths -as playmates of the Prince and to Reventlow's system of education, -and remonstrated with the King, but Frederick V. would not listen -to her. Later Bernstorff made similar representations and with more -success, for when Christian was eleven years of age a change took place -for the better. A Swiss named Reverdil[27] was appointed to instruct -the Crown Prince in mathematics and French, and he gradually extended -his teaching to other branches of learning. Reverdil was an upright -man, and did his duty according to his lights. He saw clearly that -the boy's physical and mental health was being ruined by Reventlow's -barbarous methods, and did what he could to improve things. But well -meaning though he was he made his pupil's life unhappier by introducing -a new torture in the form of public examinations. The Crown Prince -was examined twice yearly in the knight's hall of the Christiansborg -Palace[28] in the presence of the King, the Ministers, and the -_corps diplomatique_, and if we may judge from the courtly reports -of the foreign envoys he acquitted himself well. Yet, this testimony -notwithstanding, it is certain that he was not well educated, for he -was ignorant of solid acquirements. But he could dance a minuet with -much grace and could play the flute, sing, ride and fence well. He was -a fair linguist and spoke German and French. More important still he -was taught the Danish language, which had been neglected at the Danish -court, and the household of the Prince, except his French and German -tutors, were forbidden to speak to him in other language but Danish. - -[27] Reverdil was born in 1732 in the Canton of Vaud, and educated at -the University of Geneva. He became professor of mathematics at the -University of Copenhagen in 1758, and two years later was appointed -assistant tutor to the Crown Prince Christian. He has left a record of -his experiences at the Danish court in a book entitled _Struensee et la -cour de Copenhague 1760-1772, Mémoires de Reverdil_. To this work I am -indebted for much valuable information. - -[28] The Christiansborg Palace, situated on an island in the heart of -Copenhagen, was originally erected by Christian VI. in 1733-40. It -was a magnificent building both externally and internally, and for -five reigns was the principal palace of the Kings of Denmark. It was -partially burned down in 1794, but rebuilt. It was again gutted by -fire in 1884; but the walls are still standing. The palace could be -restored to its pristine splendour, and it is a reproach that this -residence, so rich in historic associations, has not been rebuilt. A -bill is occasionally introduced for the Danish parliament to grant the -necessary funds, but it has hitherto been defeated by the democratic -party on the ground that the King is well housed in his palace of the -Amalienborg, which, in point of fact, is much too small to be the chief -royal palace of the capital. - -The Crown Prince was precocious in some things and backward in others. -He was naturally quick-witted and had a gift of sarcasm and mimicry in -which he freely indulged; he made buffoon parodies of the preachers and -their sermons, and he mimicked ministers of state, high court officials -and even the august royal family. Some of his boyish sarcasms show -that he felt the cruel way in which he was treated and the subordinate -position in which he was kept. For instance, Frederick V., in one of -his generous moods (probably after a hard spell of drinking), made -Moltke a present of the palace of Hirschholm and all its contents. It -was a common ground of complaint that Moltke took advantage of his -master's weakness to enrich himself. The Crown Prince, hearing of this -princely gift, waylaid Moltke coming from the audience chamber of the -King, and thrust into his hand a picture of Hirschholm.[29] "Content -yourself with this, your Excellency," said the Prince, "for, believe -me, unless you get the crown as well, Hirschholm will never be yours." -The Prime Minister, taken aback at this display of authority on the -part of the heir apparent, wisely forebore to press the matter further, -and Hirschholm remained the property of the crown. On another occasion, -when the King and his favourite minister were drinking together, the -Crown Prince was present. The King commanded Christian to fill glasses -for himself and Moltke. Christian hesitated. The King repeated his -order, and told him that he could fill his own glass as well. The -Prince then filled Moltke's glass to the brim, the King's glass half -full, and into his own he poured only a few drops. "What do you mean by -this?" said the King. "I mean, sire," replied his son, "to denote our -relative importance in the state. His Excellency being all-powerful I -have filled his glass to the full. You being only second in authority -I half filled yours; as for me, since I am of no consequence, a drop -suffices." - -[29] It is possible that his grandmother Sophia Magdalena may have -instigated him to do this, as Hirschholm was her favourite palace. - -Despite his precocity, Christian had some extraordinary crazes and -superstitions. One of them he cherished from the nursery. His Norwegian -nurse had told him many legends of Scandinavian Vikings whose physical -perfections rivalled the gods, mighty warriors who were invulnerable -in battle, like the legendary heroes of ancient wars. At this time -there was a very widespread belief in northern Europe in a foolish -superstition called the "Art of Passau," a secret charm which made men -hard and invulnerable in battle. The young Crown Prince's imagination -was fired by it, and he determined to acquire the secret of the charm -and so attain his ideal of supreme physical perfection. Gradually -he came to believe that he had found it, and soon the hallucination -extended to his thinking that he was also endowed with superhuman -mental attributes, and he saw himself a mightier ruler and warrior than -Peter the Great or Frederick the Great, and a greater philosopher than -Leibniz or Voltaire. The fulsome despatches of Cosby, the assistant -English envoy,[30] would almost seem to warrant this preposterous -belief, for he describes the Crown Prince in the most extravagant terms. - -[30] In 1763 the envoy, Titley, on the ground of age and infirmity, -was granted an assistant, and the British Government sent Cosby to -Copenhagen, and he virtually took over the whole business of the -legation, Titley only intervening in domestic matters connected -with the royal families of England and Denmark. Cosby conducted the -diplomatic business until his recall in 1765. He suddenly went insane. - -[Illustration: QUEEN LOUISE, CONSORT OF FREDERICK V. OF DENMARK AND -DAUGHTER OF GEORGE II. OF ENGLAND. - -_From a Painting by Pilo in the Frederiksborg Palace._] - -"I had yesterday," he writes, "the honour of an audience with -the Prince Royal, and was greatly charmed with the graceful and -affectionate manner in which his Royal Highness received and answered -the compliment I had the honour to make him on the part of the King -[George III.].[31] This young Prince already promises everything that -the most sanguine hopes of this nation can expect. To an amiable and -manly countenance, a graceful and distinguishing figure, he joins an -address full of dignity, and at the same time extremely affable. But -what struck me most was the great resemblance of his Royal Highness, -both in person and manner, to the King [George III.] when his Majesty -was of the age the Prince now is [sixteen]. The likeness is in truth so -striking that it seems rather that of a royal brother than of a Prince -more distantly related [a first cousin] to his Majesty."[32] - -[31] Wherever square brackets occur the matter is interpolated. - -[32] Cosby's despatch, Copenhagen, March 27, 1764. - -Soon after this exchange of compliments between George III. and his -cousin of Denmark the negotiations began which resulted in Christian's -betrothal to Matilda of England. The formal announcement was not made -at Copenhagen until January 18, 1765, when it was enthusiastically -received by the Danish people, who cherished a fond remembrance of -their last Queen from England--Queen Louise. Cosby writes: "The -intended nuptials of the Prince Royal with the Princess Matilda were -declared at court yesterday. There was a very brilliant ball and supper -at the royal table on this occasion, and the evening concluded with -illuminations, and every possible demonstration of joy from all ranks -of people."[33] - -[33] Cosby's despatch, Copenhagen, January 19, 1765. - -On Palm Sunday, 1765, Christian, who had now reached his seventeenth -year, and was already betrothed, was confirmed by the Bishop of -Copenhagen in the chapel of the Christiansborg Palace in the presence -of the King and royal family, the ministers, foreign envoys and all -the court. The occasion was one of much state and ceremonial, for -confirmation in Denmark was, and is, regarded as a very important rite, -and signifies the taking upon oneself the serious responsibilities -of life. The inevitable examination preceded the Crown Prince's -confirmation. Accounts differ as to how he acquitted himself under -this ordeal. Some said that when the Bishop examined the Prince he -discovered that he was well acquainted with Tindal but ignorant of -the Bible. On the other hand, the courtly Cosby writes: "He excited -the admiration of all present by his graceful delivery and thorough -knowledge of the subject of religion; ... the masterly ease and dignity -with which he expressed his sentiments as well as such promising -abilities had an effect on the whole audience".[34] And Titley wrote -later: "As the religious sentiments of a person brought up for absolute -sovereignty may deserve some attention, I have taken the liberty of -adding hereunto as close a translation as I could make of what the -Prince Royal declared at the late solemnity of his being confirmed. -This young Prince, who is of a very amiable genteel figure, discovers -the greatest humanity and goodness of disposition, and is also -distinguished by a most lively understanding which has been carefully -cultivated in a noble, rational way. The declaration is said to be -entirely his own, and I am the more apt to believe it, as having been -assured that he is particularly well grounded in the study of the law -of nature and in general theology."[35] - -[34] Cosby's despatch, Copenhagen, April 2, 1765. - -[35] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, April 23, 1765. - -The declaration was as follows:-- - -"I do acknowledge in the presence of God, in the presence of the King, -in the presence of this congregation, and of all those who have been my -instructors, that there is an eternal and unalterable law of nature; -from the obligation and force of which no man can be exempted by any -station, or dignity, or power upon earth. I am likewise fully convinced -that the right and true way to salvation is through faith in Jesus -Christ; and I profess it to be my steadfast purpose to live and die in -this belief. - -"I am also sensible of the general and particular functions to which -God has called me; and which I will always endeavour, by the assistance -of the Divine grace, to fulfil. But as, from human weakness, I must be -continually in danger of falling, so I hope that God will strengthen -and support me, that I may not be entangled in the snares of Satan. And -therefore I am persuaded, that, not only the congregation here present, -but also the whole people of this country, will join their prayers with -mine, that I may be enabled to sustain the combat of faith to the end, -and persevere, without spot or blame, in the law prescribed to me, till -the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."[36] - -[36] "A declaration made by the Prince Royal of Denmark when he was -confirmed in the King's Chapel on Palm Sunday, March 31, 1765." - -Though the betrothal of the Crown Prince to an English princess was -exceedingly popular with the Danish people, it was not universally so -in other and more exalted quarters. It was especially obnoxious to -France, and soon after Christian's confirmation an intrigue was set -afoot to break it off. The English envoy took fright lest the intrigue -should be successful, but his fears were groundless, for the alliance -had a firm friend in Frederick V., who, though weak on other points, -was firm as a rock on this one. Titley sought an audience of the King -of Denmark about this time and writes home:-- - -"His Danish Majesty received me in the most gracious manner as usual, -and told me he had now a picture of the Princess [Matilda] and was -extremely well pleased with it. That he had always highly approved -alliances of blood with the royal family of Great Britain, which he -hoped would in time produce close and perfect national union, and that -he heartily wished these family connections might still be repeated -and continued between the two courts through all posterity.... (_In -cipher_) In speaking of this marriage the King of Denmark could not but -remember his late Queen, whose behaviour he praised, and whose loss he -lamented with such an overflowing tenderness as filled his eyes with -tears, which he strove in vain to stifle, and often wiped away with his -handkerchief."[37] - -[37] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, June 4, 1765. - -The picture to which the King of Denmark referred was a painting of -the Princess Matilda which had been sent from England to Copenhagen at -his express wish. The King declared himself delighted with the picture, -wherein he found many points of resemblance to his lamented Louise. We -find Titley writing again:-- - -"The picture of the Princess Matilda, having been put into a fine -frame by his Danish Majesty's order, was placed some days ago over the -toilet of the Prince Royal at Frederiksberg[38] unknown to his Royal -Highness. The Prince, as I am told, was equally surprised and delighted -to find it there, and after having surveyed it over and over with great -attention and inexpressible pleasure, declared his approbation and -satisfaction in terms of rapture. Yesterday being the birthday of the -Princess Matilda it was celebrated in a private manner by the royal -family at Fredensborg,[39] whither the Prince went two or three days -before on purpose to assist at the festivity."[40] - -[38] The Frederiksberg Palace is situated in the western suburb of -Copenhagen. It must not be confounded with Frederiksborg, which is -some twenty miles from the capital, near the village of Hilleröd. -Frederiksberg was built by Frederick IV., about 1720-30, in the Italian -style. There is a fine view from the terrace. It is surrounded by a -well-timbered park, and the gardens contain many shady promenades. The -palace is now used as a military academy: the grounds are a favourite -resort of the citizens of Copenhagen. - -[39] Fredensborg Slot (or castle) was built in 1720-24 in memory of -the recently concluded peace between Sweden and Denmark, and was known -as the "Castle of Peace". It is a plain unpretentious building, but -the gardens and park are beautiful, and reveal lovely views over the -blue lake of Esrom. The woods are extensive and the trees very fine. -Fredensborg is now used as the summer residence of the Danish royal -family. The family gatherings which have assembled within its walls -during the reign of Christian IX. have made Fredensborg famous over -Europe. - -[40] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, July 23, 1765. - -Some few months after this pleasing incident the English match lost -its most powerful friend at the court of Copenhagen. On January 13, -1766, Frederick V. died, in the forty-third year of his age and the -twenty-first of his reign. His health for some time previously had been -going from bad to worse, and his malady, dropsy, was increased by his -habits of intemperance. Latterly his mind had become affected as well, -but before the end his brain cleared, and he called his son to his -bedside and said:-- - -"My dear son, you will soon be the King of a flourishing people, but -remember, that to be a great monarch it is absolutely necessary to be -a good man. Have justice and mercy, therefore, constantly before your -eyes, and above all things reflect that you were born for the welfare -of your people, and not your country created for your mere emolument. -In short, keep to the golden rule of doing as you would be done by, and -whenever you give an order as a sovereign examine how far you would be -willing to obey such an order were you a subject."[41] - -[41] _Gentleman's Magazine_, February, 1766. - -A few hours after Frederick V.'s death Bernstorff proclaimed the new -King to the people from the balcony of the Christiansborg Palace in -these words: "King Frederick V. is dead, but King Christian VII. lives. -The Crown Prince has become the ruler of the united kingdoms of -Denmark and Norway." Whereupon all the people shouted: "May the King -live long and reign well like his father!" Christian was then pleased -to show himself to his people, and was afterwards proclaimed throughout -the city by the heralds. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -"THE NORTHERN SCAMP." - -1766. - - -Few monarchs ever began their reign with more ardent prayers of their -people, or inspired brighter hopes, than "Christian VII., by the -grace of God King of Denmark, Norway, of the Goths and Wends, Duke of -Schleswig-Holstein, Stormarn and the Dittmarsches, Count of Oldenburg -and Delmenhorst"--to quote his full style and titles. The young King -was regarded as the probable regenerator of Denmark. "The eminent -virtues and truly royal disposition of the new Sovereign afford a -very agreeable prospect of his future reign," writes Titley. Again: -"He is in all respects a very hopeful Prince, virtuously disposed, -with excellent natural parts, and solidity as well as vivacity of -understanding".[42] The envoy's views were echoed by all who came in -contact with the King. - -[42] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, January 18, 1766. - -Christian VII. held his first council a few days after his father's -death and acquitted himself with tact and dignity. It was his -introduction to affairs of state, for though, according to the _Lex -Regia_ of Denmark, the heir apparent came of age when he reached the -age of fourteen, Christian had been kept quite ignorant of public -business. This was the more inexcusable as his father's failing health -made it likely that his accession would take place at any moment. -Christian VII. was seventeen years of age when the call came for him -to ascend the throne, and it found him utterly unprepared. To quote a -Swedish writer: "The young monarch exchanged the schoolroom and the -birch-rod for the throne and sceptre". - -This policy of keeping the heir apparent in ignorance of the -constitution and government of the country was part of a set plan. -The Ministers wished to retain all power in their own hands, and they -viewed with alarm the possibility of a new ruler taking the initiative. -For the King of Denmark and Norway in those days was no mere puppet of -sovereignty. He was invested with absolute power, and was in theory, at -any rate, as much an autocrat as the Tsar of all the Russias. The late -King, from indolence and indifference, had let all the power drift into -the hands of his ministers, but there was no reason why Christian VII. -should do the same. The royal policy of _laissez-faire_ had not been so -successful in the last reign that the nation desired its continuance in -this. The trend of foreign policy under Moltke had been to sell Denmark -bound hand and foot to France. In home affairs, the army and navy had -drifted into a deplorable state of inefficiency, the national debt was -abnormally large, and the taxes burdensome. Many of the nobility were -disaffected and corrupt, the middle classes sullen and discontented, -and the peasants ground down to the level of beasts of burden. -Undoubtedly there was something rotten in the state of Denmark. - -The young King at first made a laudable effort to do what he could. -"He begins, they say," wrote Titley, "to show a desire of becoming -thoroughly master of the state of his affairs, and it is not to be -doubted that he will soon make great progress in that knowledge, if -he takes right methods and his application is equal to his capacity." -Again: "Sensible people here begin to conceive great hopes of their -young Sovereign, and cannot enough admire his application to business, -and also the quickness and solidity of his understanding".[43] And -again: "With a great share of vivacity and youthful levity he yet -thinks very seriously and strives to make himself master of his -affairs, so far at least as not to be under the necessity of blindly -following the suggestions of anybody; ... he is unwilling to do -anything that he cannot understand or rationally approve".[44] - -[43] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, January 21, 1766. - -[44] _Ibid._, March 14, 1766. - -If this show of authority somewhat alarmed Moltke and his placemen, -the inexperienced King at first did nothing to displace them. For -the first few months of his reign Christian VII. ruled through a -triumvirate, composed of Moltke, Bernstorff and Reventlow. The -triumvirate, though they detested each other, united in an attempt -to discourage the King from governing. If Christian expressed an -opinion on any matter of state, they either raised difficulties, or -embarked on wearisome discussions. Baffled and discouraged at every -turn the young King resolved not to yield without a struggle to his -dictators. He knew that the affairs of the nation were in confusion, -and he asked a distinguished servant of the state, Count Frederick -Danneskjold-Samsöe,[45] to draw up for him an independent report of -the condition of the kingdom. Danneskjold-Samsöe performed his task -with alacrity, and painted an appalling picture of the distress of -the people, the corruption and mismanagement in the great spending -departments of the state, and the misgovernment of ministers. He -inveighed against the whole policy of the ministers, and especially -against that of Bernstorff, whom he regarded as chiefly responsible -for the marriage arranged between the King and the English Princess -Matilda. This marriage he boldly declared was displeasing to the -nation. But in this respect he met with no success; the King showed -no inclination to hurry into matrimony, but the betrothal remained -unaltered. So far as could be judged Christian inherited his father's -liking for England. "I am told," wrote the English envoy, "that he -has a predilection towards England. He often talks in private of the -British blood in his veins, and often intimates the satisfaction -it would give him to lead his army in person in the cause of Great -Britain."[46] - -[45] Count Frederick Danneskjold-Samsöe was a grandson of Christian -V. The first Count was Christian V.'s son by Sophie Amalie, daughter -of Paul Mothe, an apothecary. His daughter by his first marriage, -Frederica Louise, married in 1720 Christian Augustus, Duke of -Holstein-Sondeburg-Augustenburg. This marriage played an important -part in the interminable Schleswig-Holstein question as affecting the -legitimacy of the Pretender. Christian, the late Duke of Augustenburg, -and his brother Prince Frederick, also married daughters of the -house of Danneskjold-Samsöe. The mother of Prince Christian of -Schleswig-Holstein was a Countess Danneskjold-Samsöe. - -[46] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, May 13, 1766. - -Christian VII. acted so far on Danneskjold-Samsöe's report as to -dismiss his Prime Minister, Moltke, without a pension, and to strip him -of all his offices. He had always disliked Moltke, whom he considered -chiefly responsible for his having been kept in subjection and in -ignorance of public affairs during the late King's lifetime. Contrary -to expectation he did not treat Reventlow with the same severity. He -gave him titular honours, but quietly put him on one side. Bernstorff -triumphantly acquitted himself of the charges brought against him, and -rapidly advanced in the King's favour. He soon became the most powerful -minister in Denmark. - -A firm friend of Bernstorff and of the English alliance was Prince -Charles of Hesse.[47] This Prince was Christian VII.'s first cousin, -and, like him, had an English mother--Princess Mary, daughter of -George II. This Princess married the Landgrave Frederick of Hesse, who -after his marriage became a Roman Catholic. His sons were then taken -away from his guardianship, and sent, for the greater security of their -Protestantism, to Copenhagen, where they grew up under the protection -of Frederick V. Prince Charles was much loved by King Frederick, who -betrothed him to his daughter the Princess Louise. Prince Charles was -good-looking, clever and high principled, but he was almost penniless, -and the proposed alliance was considered a poor one for the Danish -Princess. They, however, were very much in love with one another, and -Christian VII. approved of the betrothal quite as much as the late King. - -[47] Prince Charles of Hesse, afterwards Landgrave, left behind him a -manuscript entitled _Mémoires de mon Temps_. After nearly a century it -was ordered to be printed by King Frederick VII. of Denmark for private -circulation. It is the authority for many passages in this book. - -Prince Charles was at this time a great favourite with his royal -cousin, who often sought his advice. The young King had need of a -disinterested counsellor who was not afraid to speak, for before long -the bright hopes entertained concerning him began to fade. The tactics -of his ministers in seeking to blunt the edge of the King's interest -in state affairs had been only too successful. They wished him not to -interfere, or take the initiative in any way, but they wanted him to -be diligent in doing what they told him, and punctual in the discharge -of routine duties. But Christian VII. soon developed a distaste for -all work, and showed an inclination to shirk the most formal duty. -He rarely attended a council, and would leave the necessary papers -unsigned for days.[48] - -[48] "The late ministry," wrote Gunning after the fall of Bernstorff's -Government in 1770, "are said to have neglected no means of presenting -all business to His Majesty's youthful eye through the terrifying -medium of labour and drudgery. They used many efforts (and at length -they succeeded) to inspire him with a thorough distaste for everything -but ease and dissipation, with the sole design of maintaining their own -power and consequence. They equally diverted his application from civil -or military business, the former with a view of managing it themselves, -the latter in order to prevent any great exertion of the natural power -of an arbitrary government, which without an army is a mere chimæra." -(Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, April 4, 1771.) - -[Illustration: KING CHRISTIAN VII. - -_From the Painting by P. Wichman, 1766._] - -In other ways, too, Christian showed signs of change, not for the -better. For a few months after his accession he spent his evenings -in the circle of the royal family, with his sisters and stepbrother, -the Hereditary Prince Frederick. He by turns visited the two -Dowager-Queens, Juliana Maria and Sophia Magdalena. Juliana Maria -treated him with great friendliness, and his grandmother, Sophia -Magdalena, was genuinely fond of him. But the company of the two -dowagers was not lively, and it was made worse by the stiff etiquette -that prevailed in their circles. It pleased the King's wayward humour -to outrage all these laws of etiquette, and even to descend to the -level of practical jokes, sheltering himself against retaliation by his -position. On one occasion he blew a cup of scalding tea into a lady's -face when she was in the act of drinking it; on another he exposed his -august grandmother to derision by powdering her hair with sugar. In -addition to the two Dowager-Queens there was another old princess -at the Danish court, the King's aunt, Charlotte Amelia, who lived only -for religious practices and charity. Even the halo of sanctity which -surrounded this royal spinster did not protect her from insult. She was -constantly tormented by the King and jeered at before the courtiers. -At first Charlotte Amelia treated this insolence as boyish fun, but at -last things became so bad that she withdrew from court. Her limit of -endurance was reached when one of the King's pages crawled under the -dining-table on all fours, disguised as a savage, and nearly frightened -her to death. She retired to the Amalienborg and could never be -persuaded to return to court. The King's practical joke cost him dear, -for the Princess Charlotte Amelia revoked her will, and left her large -fortune away from her nephew to the poor. - -When he was weary of tormenting old ladies Christian VII. introduced -the custom of retiring to his own apartments after dinner, and there, -surrounded by a chosen circle of his intimates, he would lay aside his -kingly dignity and make merry with his friends. No doubt these evening -gatherings were in imitation of those of his exemplar, Frederick the -Great, where ceremonial and etiquette were banished and the Prussian -King and his friends engaged in intellectual conversation and social -enjoyment. Unfortunately for the parallel, Christian's clique consisted -of foolish and dissipated young courtiers, and their conversation -mainly turned upon current scandals, or _risqué_ French novels were -read and commented on. When in turn the King was wearied of these -diversions, he conceived the idea of prowling about his capital at -night, disguised like another Haroun al Raschid, but from a very -different motive to that which guided the enlightened Caliph, and -with very different results. Soon strange rumours were heard of these -nocturnal expeditions, of wild sallies and adventures, of street -fights, breaking of windows and conflicts with the watchmen. In these -excursions Kirschoff and Sperling accompanied the King, and aided and -abetted him in his wildest extravagancies. The sober Danes began to -take fright lest their young monarch should be thoroughly corrupted -by his evil companions. He was already earning the title, which the -English ladies gave him later, of "The Northern Scamp". The British -minister, who at first had nothing but praise for Christian VII., now -writes:-- - -"As this young gentleman [Sperling] is not eminently qualified to be -of any particular use or amusement to his Sovereign, otherwise than by -assisting him in the gratification of irregular passions, people are -alarmed at such a connection, and the greatest care will be taken to -prevent the evil effects which are naturally to be apprehended from -it".[49] - -[49] Titley's despatch, February 4, 1766. - -Something had to be done, so the ministers made a scapegoat of -Kirschoff and sent him away from court with a pension. Kirschoff, -though quite as vicious, was far less dangerous than Sperling, for -he had not the same influence with the King. But unfortunately this -arch-corrupter was suffered to remain, and by example and precept he -continued to encourage his master in vice and dissipation. The young -King's only restraint to the indulgence of gross and unbridled passions -was the superstition engendered by his gloomy creed. His teachers -had instilled into him a lively terror of hell and the devil, and -had painted in darkest colours the eternal punishment of the wicked. -Christian's mind often dwelt upon these things, and eventually the -torments of hell became with him a monomania. He used to discuss -this, and other religious questions, with Prince Charles of Hesse, -who had a liking for theological conversations; but his serious moods -did not last long. For instance, on one occasion the two young men -argued long and earnestly on the efficacy of the sacrament, and then -prayed together. The King was apparently deeply moved, but half an -hour later, when they went to see Queen Sophia Magdalena, he made a -mockery of the whole thing. "Charles and I have been praying together -most piously," he said, and burst into boisterous laughter. With such a -volatile temperament, never in the same mind two hours together, with -the spirit warring against the flesh, and the flesh warring against -the spirit, surrounded by temptations and evil example, the King did -well to hearken to Prince Charles when he urged him to marry as soon as -possible. Things were going from bad to worse, and it seemed that in a -happy marriage lay the only hope of the young monarch's salvation. - -The Danish nation eagerly desired to see their King married, for they -wished to have the succession to the throne assured in the direct line. -The Ministers also desired it (even those who were opposed to the -English alliance), partly for political reasons, and partly because -they thought that the evil tendencies of the King could only be checked -in this way. Christian, himself, was averse from marriage, but since -it was inevitable, it was easier for him to yield now than to postpone -the question, only for it to be revived later. And if he must wed, his -English cousin would do as well as any other bride. - -The marriage had been arranged to take place the following year, -1767, but, under the circumstances, it was thought advisable by -the Government at Copenhagen that it should take place sooner, and -representations were made to the court of St. James to that effect. -The English envoy, who was in constant dread lest the influence of -the French party should break off the match, also wrote home urging -the speedy fulfilment of the contract. Moreover, English interests -conspired to make it advisable that the marriage should take place -soon. Gunning,[50] who had succeeded Cosby at Copenhagen, wrote: -"There can be scarce any doubt that if the marriage takes place before -a renewal of the French treaty, the influence of so amiable a Princess, -as her Royal Highness is, on so young a Prince (who as yet has given -way to no tender attachment) will operate powerfully in favour of the -mutual interests of the two kingdoms".[51] Titley was no less zealous, -and while Gunning spoke of the political advantages of a speedy union, -he extolled the virtues of the royal bridegroom. "In his way of living -he is regular and sober," he writes, "eats heartily, but drinks little -or no wine. His temper is compassionate and good, but equitable and -firm. He has a quick apprehension, with a sound and not uncultivated -understanding, and his mind is well seasoned with the principles of -virtue and religion. He is now impatient for the accomplishment of -his marriage, and as he is hitherto under no prepossession, there is -the greatest reason to believe he will find his happiness in that -union."[52] What higher praise could be given of any prince! - -[50] Robert Gunning (afterwards Sir Robert Gunning) was born in 1731, -and came of a distinguished Irish family. On the recall of Cosby -through ill-health, he was appointed Minister Resident at the court of -Denmark in November, 1765, but he did not arrive in Copenhagen until -April, 1766. His instructions were to assist the Envoy Extraordinary -and Minister Plenipotentiary, Walter Titley, and to keep the British -Government well informed of passing events. He performed his duties -so well, that, on the death of Titley in 1768, he was appointed his -successor at Copenhagen. He remained there until June, 1771, when he -was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the -court of Prussia. Eventually he was transferred to the Russian court, -and after a distinguished diplomatic career died a Baronet and a Knight -of the Bath in 1816. - -[51] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, April 19, 1766. - -[52] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, May 13, 1766. - -The British King and Government, who were most anxious to check the -designs of France in the Baltic, responded with alacrity, and matters -advanced so quickly that, at the end of May, Bernstorff despatched -a messenger to Bothmar in London with instructions to conclude the -marriage contract, and to propose the completion of it in October. - -During the summer of 1766 the nuptials of the King of Denmark's two -sisters took place in Copenhagen, the elder to the Crown Prince of -Sweden, and the younger to Prince Charles of Hesse. These events were -solemnised with considerable magnificence, and so was the birthday of -the future Queen of Denmark, now aged fifteen. Gunning writes: "To-day -was celebrated at the palace of Frederiksberg with every possible -demonstration of joy and festivity the birthday of the Princess -Matilda. His Danish Majesty omitted nothing that could tend to show the -satisfaction he felt upon that happy occasion. He did Mr. Titley and me -the honour of admitting us to his table, that we might be witnesses of -it, a favour conferred on none of the other foreign ministers."[53] - -[53] Gunning's despatch, July 26, 1766. - -English influence was decidedly in the ascendant at Copenhagen, but -the envoy's desired alliance of England, Russia and Denmark against -the designs of France and Sweden did not advance rapidly. It was hoped -that Matilda on her arrival at the Danish court would help it forward. -She was regarded as a pawn in the diplomatic game, and we find Titley -writing home before the marriage, to advise the part she was to play. -"The partisans of France," he writes, "still keep up their spirits -here in spite of very discouraging appearances. I have heard that they -place some hopes even in the future Queen, expecting to work upon her -youth and inexperience so far as to incline her to favour their cause. -Therefore ... I would beg leave to intimate that it were to be wished -that her Royal Highness before she comes hither might be a little -prepared, and put upon her guard against all such impressions, since -it is very certain that her authority here will be always precarious, -whatever flattering prospects may be held out to her, if any foreign -interest should prevail to the prejudice of England. It cannot, -however, be doubted that her Royal Highness will preserve a favourable -remembrance of her native country, especially when she finds her Royal -Consort and the generality of the nation giving in to those very -sentiments which must be natural to her."[54] - -[54] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, July 7, 1766. - -These representations were doubtless communicated to Matilda. Her -brother, George III., signified his consent to the marriage taking -place in October, and commanded his minister at Copenhagen to inform -the court of Denmark that his sister would set out for her new home as -soon as the necessary formalities were accomplished. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -MATILDA'S ARRIVAL IN DENMARK. - -1766. - - -When Matilda was told that her marriage would take place a year earlier -than at first arranged she burst into tears, and no longer concealed -her extreme reluctance to the Danish match. The Princess-Dowager of -Wales commanded Sir Joshua Reynolds to paint the portrait of the future -Queen of Denmark before her departure from England, and the great -painter complained that he was unable to do justice either to the -Princess or himself, because she was always weeping.[55] But neither -tears nor lamentations had any effect with the Princess-Dowager; that -stern mother told her daughter to remember that princes and princesses -were not as ordinary mortals, free to wed as inclination suggested, -and she recalled the fact that she, herself, had been sent from her -secluded German home at the age of seventeen to England, to wed a -husband whom she had never seen. - -[55] Northcote's _Memoirs of Sir J. Reynolds_, vol. i. - -Matilda's home had not been altogether a happy one because of this same -mother, but she was fondly attached to her brothers and to her invalid -sister Louisa Anne, and she loved the land of her birth. She forced a -smile in response to those who came to offer their congratulations, but -she took no interest in the preparations for her marriage. She seemed -to have a foreboding of evil, and it was evident to all that she was a -most unwilling bride, sacrificed upon the altar of political expediency. - -Not much time was allowed the young Princess for reflection, for soon -after the message was received from the Danish court her marriage and -departure were pushed on with all speed. On June 3, 1766, a message -from the King was delivered to Parliament asking for the marriage -portion of the Princess Matilda. After some debate, more on matters of -form than the actual sum, a portion was voted of £100,000. - -This important preliminary over, the King decided that his sister was -to be married by proxy in England on October 1, and leave for Denmark -the next day. The event excited some public interest, and we glean the -following particulars from the journals concerning the preparations for -the bride's journey:-- - -"Tuesday the provisions dressed in the royal kitchen at Somerset House -were sent on board the yachts at Gravesend. The Princess Matilda's -baggage was yesterday sent down and the yachts sailed last night for -Harwich."[56] - -[56] _The Gazetteer_, September 23, 1766. - -"There are orders for two coaches, two post-chaises and four saddle -horses to be ready on Thursday next at five o'clock to attend the -Queen of Denmark to Harwich."[57] - -[57] _The Gazetteer_, September 29, 1766. - -"We hear that Princess Matilda has ordered genteel presents to all her -servants, and also some benefactions to be distributed among a number -of poor persons after her departure."[58] - -[58] _The Public Advertiser_, September 29, 1766. - -"Detachments of the Queen's, or Second Regiment of Light Dragoons, are -stationed on the Essex Road to escort the Queen of Denmark to Harwich. -'Tis imagined the Princess will only stop to change horses, as the -necessary refreshments are carried in the coach. One of the King's -cooks goes over with her Royal Highness."[59] - -[59] _The Public Advertiser_, October 1, 1766. - -George III. personally superintended the arrangements for his sister's -marriage and journey to Denmark. We find from him the following letter -to the Secretary of State:-- - -"I return you the proposed ceremonial for the espousals of my sister -which I entirely approve of. The full power must undoubtedly _ex -officio_ be read by you, and the solemn contract by the Archbishop of -Canterbury. I desire, therefore, that you will have it copied, only -inserting the royal apartments of St. James's Palace instead of the -Chapel Royal, and my brother's Christian name in those places where it -has, I think, evidently been, through the negligence of the copier, -omitted where he speaks. As in all other solemn declarations, that is -always used as well as the title. The Archbishop should then have -it communicated to him, that he may see whether it is conformable to -precedents, besides the dignity of his station calls for that mark of -regard from me."[60] - -[60] Letter of King George III. to the Right Honourable Henry Seymour -Conway, Secretary of State, Queen's House, September 20, 1766. British -Museum, Egerton MS. 82, fol. 20. - -On Wednesday, October 1, 1766, between seven and eight o'clock in the -evening, the Princess Matilda was married by proxy to the King of -Denmark in the council chamber of St. James's Palace. Her brother, the -Duke of York, stood for Christian VII., and the ceremony was performed -by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the presence of the King, the Queen, -the Princess-Dowager of Wales, and other members of the royal family. -A large company of nobility, gentry and foreign ministers were also -present. Immediately after the ceremony the Queen of Denmark, as she -was called, received the congratulations of the court, but she looked -pale and dejected and her eyes were full of unshed tears. The same -evening the Queen took formal leave of her brother, George III. - -Matilda slept that night at Carlton House, and the next morning at -half-past six, in the grey light of a chill October dawn, she said -good-bye to her mother, and set out on her long journey. Three coaches -were waiting to convey the Queen to Harwich, the road was lined with -infantry, and a company of Life Guards was drawn up to escort her as -far as Mile End. These preparations caused a small crowd to assemble -in Pall Mall. The parting between Matilda and her mother was most -affecting. The marriage had been the Princess-Dowager's pet project, -but even she felt a pang when she bade her youngest child farewell and -sent her to the keeping of a strange prince in a far-off land. Her -farewell present to her daughter was a ring on which the words were -engraved, "May it bring thee happiness". When the young Queen came out -of the house to enter her coach it was noticed by the waiting crowd -that she was weeping bitterly, and this so affected many of the women -and children that they wept in company. The Duke of Gloucester, Baron -Bothmar,[61] the Queen's vice-chamberlain, who had been sent from -Denmark to escort her Majesty, and Lady Mary Boothby accompanied Queen -Matilda. The Life Guards conducted her as far as Mile End, and were -there relieved by a detachment of Light Dragoons who escorted the Queen -as far as Lord Abercorn's house at Witham, where it was arranged that -she would dine and sleep the night. Of this stage of her journey it is -written: "Her Majesty was dressed in bloom-colour with white flowers. -Wherever she passed the earnest prayers of the people were for her -health and praying God to protect her from the perils of the sea. An -easy melancholy at times seemed to affect her on account of leaving -her family and place of birth, but upon the whole she carried an air -of serenity and majesty which exceedingly moved every one who beheld -her."[62] - -[61] A brother of the Danish envoy at the court of St. James's. - -[62] _Public Advertiser_, October 5, 1766. - -The next morning Matilda set out again, and escorted by another -detachment of Light Dragoons reached Harwich soon after four o'clock in -the afternoon, but the wind being in the north-east, and the sea rough, -it was not thought advisable for her to embark. She therefore went to -the house of the collector of customs where she supped and lay the -night, and the next morning at half-past eleven went on board the royal -yacht with her retinue. Here she took leave of her brother the Duke of -Gloucester who returned to London. The wind was still rough and the -yacht lay all the morning in the Roads, but towards evening, when the -gale had abated, she set sail for the coast of Holland. Matilda came on -deck and watched the shores of her native land until the last lights -faded from her view. - -The evening of her departure, it is interesting to note, the eloquent -Nonconformist minister, George Whitefield, preached a sermon at his -Tabernacle in London on the marriage of the youthful Queen, and -concluded with an impassioned prayer for her future happiness.[63] - -[63] _Vide Public Advertiser_, October 8, 1766. - -It was known how unwilling she had been to go, and very general pity -was felt for her. "The poor Queen of Denmark," writes Mrs. Carter to -Miss Talbot on October 4, 1766, "is gone out alone into the wide world: -not a creature she knows to attend her any further than Altona. It is -worse than dying; for die she must to all she has ever seen or known; -but then it is only dying out of one bad world into another just like -it, and where she is to have cares and fears and dangers and sorrows -that will all yet be new to her. May it please God to protect and -instruct and comfort her, poor child as she is! and make her as good, -as beloved and as happy as I believe her Aunt Louisa was! They have -just been telling me how bitterly she cried in the coach so far as -anybody saw her."[64] - -[64] Mrs. Carter's _Letters_, vol. iii. - -The Queen had a very rough crossing, and did not arrive at Rotterdam -until six days after she had embarked at Harwich. She landed under a -discharge of cannon, and she was received with considerable ceremony -by the Prince Stadtholder and other personages. From Rotterdam to -Copenhagen is a distance of some six hundred miles. It had been -arranged that the Queen should accomplish this by slow stages, and -every resting-place on the line of route had already been decided upon. - -[Illustration: KEW PALACE, WHERE QUEEN MATILDA PASSED MUCH OF HER -GIRLHOOD. - -_From an Engraving, temp. 1751._] - -At Rotterdam she embarked on the Stadtholder's yacht and proceeded -by water to Utrecht, where she stayed the night at the house of a -Dutch nobleman. From Utrecht she proceeded by coach, and passed in -due course into her brother's Hanoverian dominions. Her retinue was -a large and splendid one, and everywhere on the route she attracted -great attention, the people coming out to cheer and bless her. She lay -for one night at Osnabrück, in the castle, and (tradition says) in -the same room where her great-grandfather, George I., was born and was -driven back to die. She was received there, as elsewhere, with great -marks of distinction. At Lingen in Westphalia a cavalcade of students, -arrayed in blue uniforms, came out of the town gate on horseback to -meet her. They conducted her to the house where she was to rest, they -serenaded her, and kept guard all night under her windows. The next -morning they escorted her three leagues on the road to Bremen, where -they took their leave. Her Majesty thanked them for their gallant -conduct. - -At Harburg on the Elbe Matilda embarked upon a richly decorated barge, -which had been built by the city of Hamburg for her use. On this she -sailed down the Elbe to Altona. The river was covered with boats and -all kinds of craft, flying the British and Danish flags, and as the -barge came in sight of Hamburg (a city adjacent to Altona) the Queen -was saluted by a discharge of thirty guns. The quays of Hamburg were -gaily decorated, and thronged with people anxious to catch sight of the -youthful Queen. - -A few minutes before Matilda's landing at Altona the Stadtholder of -Schleswig-Holstein went on board to pay his respects to the Queen -of Denmark, and to present to her Madame de Plessen, her first -lady-in-waiting, the maids of honour, and the men of her household, who -had there assembled to meet her. At Altona the Queen first set foot -in Danish dominions. She landed at six o'clock in the evening, and -passed down a bridge covered with scarlet cloth, and between two lines -of maidens dressed in white, who strewed flowers before her feet. The -streets, through which she drove, were lined with burghers under arms, -thronged with people, and decorated with flags, mottoes and triumphal -arches. The Queen passed under one of these arches, beautifully -illuminated, just in front of her house. That same evening the chief -ladies of the city were presented to her, and she supped in public. The -Queen rested at Altona over Sunday. In the morning she went to church, -and on her return held a court. She also received a deputation of the -magistrates of Altona, and one of them read the following address:-- - -"Your Majesty now gives us a mark of goodness, which we cannot -sufficiently acknowledge, in graciously permitting us to testify the -boundless veneration and joy which are excited in the hearts of the -burgesses and the inhabitants on your happy arrival in this city. It -is true that in every part of your journey your Majesty will receive -from your faithful subjects transports of joy and most ardent vows, -nevertheless, our fidelity is surpassed by none, and Altona at the same -time enjoys this happy privilege, that she is the first of all the -cities in the kingdom to admire in your Majesty's person a Princess the -most accomplished, and a Queen to whose protection we have the honour -to recommend ourselves with all possible submission."[65] - -[65] _Public Advertiser_, letter from Hamburg, November 4, 1766. - -Matilda graciously replied, and charmed every one by her youth -and affability. When the court was over, the Queen, attended by a -detachment of Hamburg troops and Danish cuirassiers, made a progress -through Altona and Hamburg, and was greeted with enthusiasm by all -classes of the people. - -The next morning, Monday, the Queen took leave of her English suite, -who were now to return to England. The parting moved her to tears, and -she presented Lady Mary Boothby, who had been with her for years, with -a watch, set with diamonds, and a cheque for a thousand crowns. It -had been stipulated by the Danish court that Matilda should bring no -English person in her train to Denmark, so that she might more readily -adapt herself to the customs of her adopted country. - -The Danish suite were, of course, all strangers to the Queen, and the -first aspect of her chief lady-in-waiting, Madame de Plessen, was not -reassuring. Madame de Plessen was the widow of a privy councillor, and -was a little over forty years of age. She had been lady-in-waiting to -Queen Sophia Magdalena, who held her in high esteem: it was through her -influence that she obtained this appointment. Madame de Plessen was -a virtuous and religious woman, with a strict sense of duty and high -moral principles, and could be trusted to guide the young Queen in the -way she should go. But she had been trained in the old school, and her -ideas of etiquette were rigid in the extreme. She sought to hedge round -the Queen with every possible form and ceremony, and at first her -chill formalism frightened the timid Queen, who had not yet discovered -that behind her austere demeanour Madame de Plessen concealed a kind -heart. - -Madame de Plessen was a clever and ambitious woman, and like her -former mistress, Sophia Magdalena, she favoured the French party at -Copenhagen. Her appointment, as head of the Queen's household, was -therefore viewed with no little apprehension by Gunning, who, some -time before Matilda's arrival in Denmark, wrote to warn the British -Government:-- - -"The person at the head of the list [of the Queen's household]," he -writes, "is a lady of an excellent understanding, possessing a thorough -knowledge of the world, and a most intriguing disposition. These -talents have recommended her to the Ministers here as a proper person -to place about the future Queen, but they are not the only ones. Her -being entirely devoted to the French system and interest, pointed her -out as the fittest instrument, to either give the young Princess the -bias they wish (which they think will not be difficult at her age), or, -by circumventing her, prevent that influence they conclude she will -have on the King. Their having unhappily effected the latter in the -late reign, gives them hopes of being equally successful in this; but -if her Royal Highness be prepared against these snares, her good sense -and discernment will prevent her falling into them, or being persuaded -by all the arguments (however specious) they may use, that it is not -the interest of this country [Denmark] to engage itself too close with -England."[66] - -[66] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, May 20, 1766. Marked "_secret_". - -It soon became apparent that the English envoy's fears were not without -foundation, and before long Madame de Plessen gained a great ascendency -over her young mistress. But at first she put aside all thought of -political intrigue, and her only instinct was maternal sympathy for the -lonely little Queen. Within a few days Matilda completely won Madame de -Plessen's heart, and the duenna determined at all hazard to protect her -charge against the perils and temptations of the corrupt court whither -she was bound. - -From Hamburg Matilda proceeded by easy stages through her Danish -dominions. She was received at the gates of the city of Schleswig by -the chief burgesses and clergy, who complimented her on her arrival. -Her journey was a triumphal progress. Gunning writes from Copenhagen: -"We have an account of her Majesty's being arrived at Schleswig in -perfect health. The transports of the common people at the expectation -of again seeing an English princess on the throne are scarcely to be -described. Her Majesty's affability and condescension have already -gained her the hearts of all those who have had an opportunity of -approaching her."[67] - -[67] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, October 25, 1766. - -Matilda arrived at the historic town of Röskilde,[68] near Copenhagen, -on the evening of November 1, and rested there the night. Here Titley -and Gunning were waiting to have audience, and a courier was sent ahead -to inform the King, who was at the Christiansborg Palace, that his -Queen was at Röskilde. The next morning, as early as seven o'clock, -Christian VII., with his brother the Hereditary Prince Frederick, and -his cousin Prince Charles of Hesse, set out in all haste for Röskilde. -Here the King and Queen saw one another for the first time. The King -greeted his bride with great heartiness, and bade her welcome to his -kingdom. So delighted was he with her that, in defiance of etiquette, -he embraced and kissed her in the presence of all the company. The -little Queen seemed much comforted by this warm welcome, and at first -sight was favourably impressed with her husband. The young King -had charming manners, and was by no means ill to look upon. Though -considerably under middle height he was perfectly proportioned, and -possessed agility and strength. His features were regular, if not -handsome, and, like his Queen and cousin, he was very fair, with blue -eyes and yellow hair. His personal appearance was greatly enhanced by -his dress, which was magnificent and in the best of taste. - -[68] Röskilde, an ancient town on the fjord of that name, once the -capital of the kingdom, and afterwards the residence of the Bishop -of Zealand. It has a magnificent cathedral, containing the tombs of -the Kings and Queens of Denmark. They are buried there to this day. -Röskilde is about twenty English miles from Copenhagen. - -After the first greetings were over, a procession was formed to -escort Matilda to Frederiksberg, where she was to stay until her -marriage. Again Christian put etiquette on one side and insisted on -entering the same coach as the Queen--an ornate state coach drawn by -six white horses. The coach was preceded by an escort of guards and -followed by a train of other coaches. Frederiksberg was reached about -noon, and here the Queen-Mother, Sophia Magdalena, the Queen-Dowager, -Juliana Maria, the Princess Louise, the King's sister, and a great -number of the nobility were assembled to welcome the bride. Matilda -was received by all with the greatest marks of affection and respect. -Even Juliana Maria, who saw in her advent a blow to her hopes, forced -herself to greet the young Queen with some show of cordiality. As for -the old Queen, Sophia Magdalena, she frankly was delighted with her -granddaughter-in-law, and sent a special message to Titley, as to an -old friend, to tell him "how extremely satisfied and charmed she was -with the person and conversation of the new Queen".[69] Matilda gave -universal satisfaction, and the envoys wrote enthusiastically:-- - -"She has everywhere been received in these dominions with all due -honours and the greatest demonstrations of joy. She seems to gain -universal applause and affection wherever she appears, and her -particular attendants are unanimous in giving the highest praises to -her disposition and behaviour."[70] - -[69] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, November 4, 1766. - -[70] _Ibid._ - -Immediately on her arrival at Frederiksberg Matilda held a court, -at which many personages of distinction were presented to her. The -court was followed by a banquet, when the King and his bride, the two -Dowager-Queens and the rest of the royal family dined in public. After -the banquet the King and all the other personages present took their -leave and returned to Copenhagen, leaving Matilda to well-earned rest. -Her long journey had occupied a month; she left England on October 2, -and reached Frederiksberg on November 2. All this time she had been on -the road, and perpetually receiving congratulations and deputations. -It was no small tribute to the tact and amiability of this princess of -fifteen that she everywhere won golden opinions. And it was proof of -the strength of her constitution that she bore the long and tedious -journey across northern Europe, in inclement weather, without illness -or undue fatigue. - -Matilda rested at Frederiksberg for five days. On Saturday, November -8, she made her public entry into Copenhagen--on the occasion of -the marriage the same evening. Her entry was attended with every -circumstance of pomp and enthusiasm. About noon Princess Louise drove -to Frederiksberg, where her young sister-in-law was ready to receive -her. Accompanied by the Princess, Queen Matilda drove to a common -outside Copenhagen behind the "Blaagaard" [Blue Farm], where she found -a long procession awaiting her. The Queen here descended from her coach -and entered another, beautifully decorated and gilt. The procession -then set out for Copenhagen in the following order:[71] A squadron of -Horse Guards; a band of mounted drummers and trumpeters, twelve royal -pages in gold and crimson liveries on horseback, and a cavalcade, under -the command of the Master of the Horse, consisting of many officers of -the court. Then followed the ministers of state and the ambassadors -in their coaches; each coach vied with the other in magnificence, and -each was drawn by six horses and escorted by six running footmen. Then -came the Knights of the Order of the Elephant, wearing their robes and -insignia; the Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog, also in their -robes; the Royal Head Riding-Master, mounted on the "Dancing Horse" -(whatever that may mean), and a bevy of beautifully dressed ladies -in coaches. The climax of all this magnificence was the lovely young -Queen in robes of silver tissue and ermine, with a circlet of diamonds -on her fair hair, seated in her coach drawn by eight white horses, -and surrounded by royal lackeys in gorgeous liveries. Immediately -behind the Queen's coach came the members of her household; and twelve -halberdiers, arrayed in scarlet cloaks and equipped with pikes, closed -the procession. - -[71] The following description of the Queen's entry into Copenhagen and -her marriage is based upon official documents in the archives of the -Court Marshal at Copenhagen, and from Danish papers of the time. - -The procession entered Copenhagen through the Nörreport [North Gate] -and passed along the Nörregade [North Street] to the Gammeltorv -[Market Place]. Cannon thundered as the Queen passed under the gate, -and all the bells of the churches clashed forth joyous chimes. The -route was gaily decorated with flags and draperies; companies of -burghers lined the streets, and the balconies, windows, and even the -housetops were crowded with people, who cheered with wild enthusiasm. -The little Queen, looking like a fairy in her robes of silver tissue, -was seen, bowing and smiling, through the windows of her great gorgeous -coach, and she captured all hearts at once. "The English rose," the -Danes called her, and they hailed her as another Queen Louise, who -would act as a guide and helpmate to her husband, a purifier of his -court, and a true friend of the people. - -In the Market Place the procession came to a halt for a few minutes -before the Town Hall, and the Queen was met by a bevy of eighteen -young girls, dressed in white, and who carried wreaths and baskets of -flowers. Here was a magnificent arch, seventy feet high, representing -a Corinthian portcullis, and through the archway was revealed a -background in perspective of the Temple of Hymen. A statue of Hymen -looked down upon an altar, and above this altar allegorical figures of -Denmark and England clasped hands. A pretty ceremony took place; the -maidens passed up the steps and laid their wreaths upon the altar of -Hymen singing: - - God bless King Christian the Mild - And his Caroline Mathilde. - -Then they cast flowers before the Queen's coach, and at "the same -moment was heard the most delightful music, which broke forth -simultaneously from all sides". Thus amid music, song, flowers and -shouts of joy and welcome, Matilda proceeded on her way through the -city, and at last reached the Christiansborg Palace. - -As her coach drew up at the main entrance, the guard presented arms, -and the heralds blared on their silver trumpets. The heir presumptive, -Prince Frederick, was waiting to receive the Queen; he assisted her -to alight, and conducted her up the grand staircase into the King's -presence. The King received his bride with every mark of affection and -honour, and then led her to the knights' hall, where a state banquet -was served. The King pledged his Queen in a superb wedding goblet of -crystal and gold, manufactured for the occasion.[72] - -[72] This goblet is still preserved in the Rosenborg. It is a -magnificent specimen of Danish art. The Danish and English arms are -ground into the crystal, the crowned initials of the bridal pair are -also inscribed, and underneath appears the legend "_Felici sidere -juncti_, 1766". The elaborately chased lid is surmounted by a crown. -The height of the goblet is eighteen inches. - -After the banquet the Queen retired to her apartments to rest awhile, -and then robed for her wedding. At seven o'clock in the evening all -the ladies belonging to the two first ranks of the Danish nobility -(namely, the countesses and baronesses), and the ladies who had -taken part in the royal procession into Copenhagen, assembled in the -ante-chamber of the Queen's apartments. At half-past seven the Queen -appeared, a beautiful vision wearing a robe of white silk brocaded with -silver, a veil of priceless lace and a crown of pearls and diamonds. -The ladies made a lane for her to pass, and curtsied their obeisance. -The Queen, who, despite her tender years, bore herself with great -dignity, proceeded to the knights' hall, where the wedding procession -was marshalled. All the members of the royal family joined in this -procession with the exception of the Queen-Dowager, Juliana Maria, who -pleaded illness as an excuse for not appearing. The King and Queen -came last of all, and walked under a canopy to the royal chapel of the -Christiansborg, where the marriage ceremony was performed by Bishop -Harboe of Zealand. The chapel was brilliantly illuminated, and thronged -with the chief personages in Denmark, clad in rich attire, and covered -with orders and jewels. During the ceremony the King and Queen stood, -or knelt, on a _haut pas_ before the altar, which was covered with -cloth of gold and decked with silver candlesticks bearing large wax -tapers. At the conclusion of the marriage service the procession was -re-formed, and the King and Queen were conducted from the chapel to the -ante-room of their apartments, where the company dispersed. - -In honour of the marriage day a silver medal was struck, and numerous -orders and titles were distributed. At night the city of Copenhagen was -illuminated, and people paraded the streets all night shouting and -singing for joy. The young Queen had won all hearts, and the popular -enthusiasm evoked by the marriage augured well for the future of the -monarchy. - -Copenhagen held high festival for a week after the royal wedding, and -the populace as well as the court joined in the festivities. There was -a gala performance at the theatre including a "Felicitation Ballet," -in which there were many pretty allusions to the young Queen, who -was styled Venus or "_la plus belle_". Two days after the marriage -the knights' hall of the Christiansborg Palace was the scene of a -wedding ball. Queen Matilda opened the ball by dancing a minuet with -the King with much grace and spirit. She then honoured the English -envoy, Gunning, by commanding him to dance with her--a very natural -proceeding, for she wished to pay honour to her native country. -But it gave offence to some of the other foreign envoys present, -especially to the Spanish minister, who was the _doyen_ of the _corps -diplomatique_ at Copenhagen, and he reported the circumstance to the -Spanish court, who later demanded an explanation.[73] Nor was this the -only unpleasantness at the ball. After supper the _kehraus_, a Danish -country dance, was danced, and one figure was danced in procession. The -_kehraus_ was led by Prince Charles of Hesse and his wife, the Princess -Louise--probably because they knew all the figures. The King came next -with the Queen, and all the rest of the company followed, two and two. -The King, who had supped freely, was in boisterous spirits, and called -out to Prince Charles: "Lead the _kehraus_ through all the apartments". -The Prince therefore led the procession through the rooms on the first -floor of the palace, the band, presumably, going before. The procession -of laughing and dancing men and women followed, until they came to the -ante-chamber of the Queen's apartments. At the door of the Queen's -bedchamber Prince Charles found Madame de Plessen standing like a -dragon in his path. Imperiously she waved him back, and declared that -his entrance would be an outrage, alike on etiquette and decency. But -the King, whom any opposition goaded to anger, shouted: "Do not heed an -old woman's nonsense! Go on! Go on!" Therefore Madame de Plessen, still -expostulating, was thrust aside, and the procession danced through the -Queen's bedchamber, and so back to the ballroom. - -[73] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, November 18, 1766. - -[Illustration: THE MARRIAGE BALL OF CHRISTIAN VII. AND QUEEN MATILDA IN -THE CHRISTIANSBORG PALACE. - -_From a Contemporary Print._] - -These incidents, trivial though they were, revealed the rocks ahead in -the way of the young Queen, and showed that no common care would be -necessary to avoid them. As the English Secretary of State, Conway, -wrote to Gunning not long after Matilda's arrival at Copenhagen:-- - -"Her Majesty is entering upon the most important era of her life, and -at a tender age is launched, as it were alone, into a strange and wide -ocean, where it might require the utmost care and prudence to steer -with that nice conduct which may at once conciliate the affections -of her court and people, and support the dignity of that high station -to which Providence has called her".[74] - -[74] Conway's despatch to Gunning, St. James's, November 18, 1766. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -MARIAGE À LA MODE. - -1766-1767. - - -The court of Denmark over which Matilda was now the reigning Queen, -though not the ruling spirit, was the last place in the world for a -young and innocent girl to be sent alone. It was a hotbed of intrigue, -a stye of vile epicurism, where even decency was disregarded. Cunning -as foxes, and like foxes in their lust and greed, the majority of the -courtiers thought only of advancing their personal interests at the -expense of each other, or by vain and frivolous amusement to kill the -passing hour. All things that made for purity of life, nobility of -purpose, or singleness of heart, were mocked at and derided. Truth, -honour and virtue were by-words. During the later years of Frederick -V.'s reign the influence of the French court (at its worst) had not -been confined in Denmark to politics alone, but extended to manners and -morals as well. This influence became far more visible at the court -of Christian VII. than at that of his father. The society which the -young King collected around him within the walls of the Christiansborg -Palace did its best to copy Versailles, and it succeeded in aping the -vices, if not the superficial refinement, of the court of France. -At Christiansborg might be seen the same type of silly brainless -persons as those who flitted about the ante-chambers of Versailles, -who adopted the same frivolous tone, and the same loose morals. Their -avowed object was to avoid _ennui_, but in their pursuit of pleasure -they often caught boredom. The Danish courtiers, both men and women, -were artificial to the core. They painted their faces, powdered their -hair, and dressed extravagantly. They disguised every real sentiment, -and sought always to seem what they were not. They expressed nothing -but contempt for the language and customs of their native land. To be -Danish was _bourgeois_, to be virtuous even more so. - -The cheap cynicism which mocks at marriage, and all its privileges and -duties, was much in vogue among the fashionable or "young party" at the -Danish court. Christian VII. had heard too much of these views from the -young rake-hells whom he chose for his companions not to be entirely -at one with them, and he looked on marriage as the greatest burden. He -had been extremely reluctant to take it upon himself and had only done -so at the strongest representations of his ministers. Reverdil declares -with a groan that to this epicene being "_une personne royale dans son -lit lui semblait d'ailleurs plutôt un objet de respect que d'amour_," -and adds that the King would have certainly refused to perform his -connubial duties had it not been represented to him that the absence -of an heir to the throne would give rise to all manner of evil gossip -respecting himself. - -The young King had consented to marry with an ill grace, and after -his marriage he lost no time in declaring to his boon companions that -he intended to be in every respect a husband _à la mode_. The first -sight of his consort's fresh and youthful beauty had seemed to awaken -in him some dormant sense of manliness, and he treated her at first -with a plausible imitation of lover-like ardour. He was flattered by -the warmth of her reception and the praises of her beauty, which he -interpreted as tributes to his own good taste. The ceremonies incident -on the wedding gratified his love of display, and the festivities that -followed delighted his pleasure-loving soul. He was like a child with -a new toy, but he wearied of it even more quickly than a child. If -his passion ever existed it was short-lived, for on the third day of -his marriage he said to one of his intimate friends that he strongly -advised him never to marry, as the unmarried state was far preferable. -This speech might have been credited to the affectation of a very -young husband who wished to pose as a cynic, but there was evidently -something more behind it, for neither of the young couple appeared to -be happy during the first days of their married life; Christian was -restless and discontented, Matilda pensive and melancholy. - -The Queen's depression was natural. The excitement and novelty of her -journey and her enthusiastic welcome had buoyed her up at first, but -now these were over she felt the reaction. She was a stranger in a -strange land, separated from every one she had ever known, and she -suffered from homesickness. A closer acquaintance with her husband -obliterated the favourable first impression she had formed of him. -He was a disappointment. The flattering despatches which the English -envoys had sent to London (some of which we have quoted) credited -him with every physical and mental endowment, and portrayed him as -a paragon among princes. These encomiums, duly communicated to the -Princess-Dowager, had been dunned into Matilda's ears with such -persistency that she thought she was marrying a prince who was almost -a demi-god, and who gathered up into himself all the attributes of -the legendary heroes of Scandinavian romance. What then must have -been her disappointment when she found that her husband resembled a -French _petit maître_, rather than a son of the Vikings. To add to -her disillusion Christian made hardly any show of affection for his -wife, and after the first few days treated her with open indifference. -A week after their marriage the royal couple gave a banquet at the -Christiansborg Palace, and it was noticed by the company that already -the bloom had faded from the young Queen's cheeks, and she smiled with -evident effort. Her sadness increased from day to day, and she often -gazed at the ring her mother had given her, with its inscription, "May -it bring thee happiness," and sighed heavily. The King, who wished for -nothing but to be amused, was piqued by his consort's despondency, and -so far from making any attempt to comfort her, relieved his feelings -by satirical remarks. One day when one of his favourites called his -attention to the Queen's sadness, he said: "What does it matter? It is -not my fault. I believe she has the spleen." The King's indifference -to his Queen was quickly noticed by the courtiers, who took their cue -accordingly, and treated her as a person of little account. Ogier, the -French envoy at Copenhagen, reported to Paris three weeks after the -marriage: "The English Princess has produced hardly any impression on -the King's heart; but had she been even more amiable she would have -experienced the same fate, for how could she please a man who seriously -believes that it is not good form (_n'est pas du bon air_) for a -husband to love his wife?" - -The French envoy was exultant that the marriage, on which England had -built such high hopes, should produce so little effect politically. -The Queen had no influence with the King, and he would be more likely -to oppose her wishes than to yield to them, if only for fear lest it -should be thought that he was governed by his wife. The poor little -Queen had no wish for political power, and was too much downcast by -her own personal disappointments to be of any use in a diplomatic -intrigue. But George III., and the English Government, who had no -knowledge of the real state of affairs, persisted in their project of -using the Queen for their own advantage; and Secretary Conway sent -minute instructions to Gunning as to the best way in which this could -be worked. - -"In regard to your applying to the young Queen," he writes, "her -affection to his Majesty [George III.], and love for her native -country, cannot but incline her to preserve, as much as it can be in -her power to do, the mind of the King of Denmark, permanently fixed -upon the strictest union with his Majesty's, who has no one view in -his alliance inconsistent with the honour of the King of Denmark or -the welfare of his kingdom. Both Mr. Titley and you will doubtless -omit nothing that can mark your utmost attention and desire of serving -her Majesty. There might seem an impropriety in endeavouring to engage -her Majesty to interfere in business, especially in what has the air -of court intrigue, but so far as informing her Majesty fully of the -present state of the court, and apprising her who are the best friends -of her native country, and consequently most inclined to promote the -true honour and interests of their own, it will be your duty, and may -be an essential service to her Majesty, whose good sense will make the -properest use of the lights you furnish. The etiquette of the court of -Denmark (I find by your letter of September 2) allows an easier access -to family ministers than to others, and this privilege you will, I -imagine, have no difficulty to preserve.... You may also be assured -that the affection of his Majesty [George III.], and his care for the -welfare and happiness of his sister, so deservedly the object of his -love and esteem, cannot fail of having suggested every proper counsel -and information more immediately necessary for her guidance in the -delicate and important situation she is placed. Upon that foundation -you may properly build, and in such further lights as it may be fit for -you to give her Majesty, I think both the opportunities and the matter -of the information itself should rather flow naturally than be too -affectedly sought."[75] - -[75] Sir H. S. Conway's despatch to Gunning, St. James's, October 24, -1766. - -The English Government was soon disappointed of its hope of using -the Danish Queen as a pawn in the political game. Gunning, in bitter -disappointment, enlightened Conway as to the true state of affairs -a few weeks after the marriage. "All access to either the King or -Queen of Denmark," he wrote, "is rendered so difficult that without -being furnished with some pretext I can never expect to approach -either of their Majesties but in public. The preference given me there -has already occasioned some of the most unheard of and preposterous -complaints." [Here he refers to the protest of the Spanish minister -already mentioned.] "Monsieur Reventlow[76] has lately made me some -overtures to a better understanding; he speaks in raptures of the -Queen whenever I see him, and I believe will constitute as much as -depends upon him to promote her Majesty's happiness. This is of itself -a sufficient reason for my wishing to cultivate his good opinion, and -if possible to bring him over to our interests. [The French Minister] -encourages the carrying on intrigues against us; they (I need not tell -you, sir) increase every day, and particularly since the arrival of -her Majesty,--the principal people about her being our most inveterate -enemies."[77] - -[76] Reventlow had been appointed the Queen's Chief Chamberlain. - -[77] Gunning's despatch to Conway, Copenhagen, November 18, 1766. - -One of the "inveterate enemies" was the austere and haughty Madame de -Plessen, who hedged the Queen round with iron etiquette, and permitted -none to enter her presence without her permission. Especially did she -throw difficulties in the way of the English envoy having frequent -access of her Majesty, on the ground that his visits would be sure -to cause jealousy and ill-will. The Queen, she urged, must overcome -her natural preferences, she must forget that she was a Princess of -Great Britain, and remember only that she was Queen of Denmark and -Norway. This was perhaps sound advice so far as it went, but Madame de -Plessen's object in giving it was not altogether disinterested. She, -like her former mistress, Queen Sophia Magdalena, was a sworn friend -of France, and probably in its pay. Madame de Plessen had a genius -for political intrigue, and her apartments in the palace formed a -_rendez-vous_ for the friends of France. - -It is difficult to follow the cross-currents of politics at the Danish -court during the early years of the reign of Christian VII., but so -far as foreign affairs were concerned, the position may be briefly -summarised thus: The main object of England was to check France; the -main object of Sweden was to check Russia. Therefore, whatever was -disagreeable to France at Copenhagen was agreeable to England. Whatever -was disagreeable to Sweden was agreeable to Russia. Failing to see -her own influence in the ascendant at the Danish court, England would -prefer to see that of Russia. Bernstorff, the Prime Minister, was very -friendly to Russia, and not ill-disposed to England. Therefore, the -French envoy and Madame de Plessen intrigued against him. In domestic -politics also the Queen's chief lady was in opposition to Bernstorff, -and to her chambers flocked malcontents, including many of the staider -and more conservative among the Danish nobility, who shook their heads -over the misgovernment of the Prime Minister, and the follies and -extravagancies of the King and his friends. - -The advent of the young Queen was made an excuse for the King to -gratify his passion for festivity and display. During the preceding -reign the court had led a comparatively quiet life, but the winter -following Christian VII.'s marriage was an unceasing round of gaiety. -Balls, banquets, concerts, masques, operas and plays, hunting parties, -sledge parties, circuses, and excursions to the different royal castles -around Copenhagen--there were a good many--succeeded one another in -quick succession. The King had a great love for the play, so he built -a court theatre at the Christiansborg Palace and decorated it without -regard to expense. A French company acted there, and the King and his -suite frequently took part in the performances. The King acted a part -in Voltaire's _Zaire_, and his performance was received with great -applause. He was so much impressed with his dramatic talents that he -twice repeated his performance in the larger theatre of Copenhagen, and -there the general public were permitted to attend. Acting, however, was -but a passing phase with the King, and he soon tired of it, though he -undoubtedly showed talent. - -Madame de Plessen did all she could to prevent the Queen from taking -part in the court festivities, but Matilda, who was young, and fond of -pleasure, could not be prevailed upon to absent herself altogether, -more especially as by doing so she would incur the displeasure of the -King. But she never appeared unless attended by Madame de Plessen, and -turned to her always for guidance. It was Madame de Plessen who chose -the ladies to dance in the same quadrilles as the Queen, and she took -care that none, however beautiful or fashionable they might be, should -be admitted to this honour if there were the slightest blemish upon -their reputation. With men the same care was not necessary, for, as a -matter of etiquette, the Queen never danced with any but princes of -the blood, ambassadors, ministers of state, or others it was deemed -advisable to honour in an especial manner. - -The introduction of masquerades was a still more startling innovation, -and gave great offence to the two Dowager-Queens. Sophia Magdalena -protested, but though her protests were supported by several of the -ministers, and the more prominent among the clergy, they were unheeded. -The King and his friends anticipated too many gallant adventures to -forego the opportunities which a masked ball offered, and they wished -to imitate at Copenhagen those masquerades held at the opera in Paris. -The first masked ball ever given in Denmark was held in December in -the Christiansborg Palace. All the ladies and gentlemen belonging to -the first three classes were admitted, besides all officers belonging -to both services. They were allowed to appear in any fancy dress they -chose, the only restriction being that they should not come "in the -likeness of an animal or any unseemly disguise". The King appeared -as a Sultan, and his immediate following were also in eastern dress. -The point was fiercely debated whether the Queen should appear at the -masquerades or not; the Dowager-Queens and Madame de Plessen being -wholly against it, and the King insisting upon it. Finally a compromise -was arrived at; Matilda showed herself to the company for a short -time, and then retired to her apartments to play chess with court -ladies chosen for her by Madame de Plessen, and the elderly wives of -ministers. It was as well that the Queen retired early, for the tone of -the masquerade became more and more free as the evening wore on, and -degenerated at last into riotous licence. - -The expense of these entertainments was very heavy, and the people, -who were overburdened with taxes, began to murmur. There was great -distress in Copenhagen during the winter of 1766-67, and the contrast -between the want and misery in the poorer quarters of the city, and -the festivity and extravagance in the palace, was very striking. The -people, who loved the pomp and circumstance of royalty, might at -another time have overlooked this lavish expenditure, on the ground of -the youth and natural gaiety of the King. But sinister rumours were -afloat concerning him and his pleasures, and he had already by his -puerile amusements and dissipated conduct forfeited to a great extent -the public respect. Moreover, the Puritan party in Denmark was very -strong, and included the elder members of the royal family, and many -of the most influential personages in church and state. These regarded -many of the court festivities with disapproval, and the masquerades -with horror. The clergy especially were violent in their denunciations, -and did not hesitate to fan the flame of popular discontent. For -instance, a building, belonging, and adjacent to, the Christiansborg -Palace, in which there was a large wood store and brewery, caught fire -about this time, and was burned to the ground; the conflagration was -the biggest known in Copenhagen for years. Pastor Münter, a preacher -of great power, seized upon the incident to preach a sermon against -the sinful amusements of the court. He declared that the fire was a -sign from heaven to warn the King and his following to refrain from -their wicked ways, and if they did not profit by it they would be -utterly consumed with fire, if not here, then most certainly hereafter. -The sermon made a great sensation in Copenhagen, and the preacher was -reprimanded by the court, but he was regarded as an inspired prophet by -many austere Puritans. - -The worst of all this controversy was that the innocent young Queen was -blamed unjustly. Rumours were spread abroad that Matilda was largely -responsible for these extravagancies; and in proof of the assertion -it was pointed out that the introduction of masquerades followed upon -the arrival of the English princess. It was said that these rumours -originated at the court of the Queen-Dowager. Juliana Maria had retired -to the Fredensborg with her son, the Hereditary Prince Frederick, where -she was surrounded by a little circle of malcontents. In due time these -untruths reached Matilda's ears and caused her great annoyance. The -young Queen's household, including Madame de Plessen, did everything -they could to contradict the reports, but with indifferent success. The -mischief was done, and it remained a fixed idea in the minds of many -people that the Queen was almost as devoted as the King to frivolous -amusements. Queen Matilda communicated her uneasiness to the English -envoy, who wrote home:-- - -"At a time when the Crown labours under the pressure of heavy debts, -and the revenue, from mismanagement, is so much lessened, people -naturally complain of the increase of expenses, and the introduction -of a number of entertainments, and amongst these, of masquerades. The -Queen is under the greatest uneasiness, lest this should be imputed to -her having any inclination for a diversion of this kind, from which, -on the contrary, the goodness of her heart, and the purity of her -sentiments, render her very averse. The sweetness of her disposition, -and the uncommon degree of prudence and discretion she is endowed with, -must ensure her a large share of happiness; but whatever my wishes -may be, I cannot flatter myself this will ever bear any proportion to -what her Majesty so justly deserves."[78] To which the Secretary of -State replied: "Your attention to her Danish Majesty is most justly -commendable, and certainly her Majesty's cautious conduct is most -amiable and respectable".[79] - -[78] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, December 6, 1766. - -[79] Conway's despatch, St. James's, December 29, 1766. - -The festivities of the Danish court culminated in the coronation and -anointing of the King and Queen, which took place on May 1, 1767.[80] -The day dawned brilliantly fine, though the air was clear and cold. -At an early hour the bells of the Vor-Frue-Kirke (the Church of -Our Lady, the metropolitan church of Denmark) began to ring, and -bells chimed merrily from other towers. At eleven o'clock all the -gentlemen-in-waiting assembled in the King's ante-chamber, and all the -ladies-in-waiting in the Queen's. The King donned the anointing robes: -"A short jacket and breeches of gold brocade, pearl-coloured silk -stockings, white gloves embroidered with gold, and white shoes with red -heels; his buckles, garters and coat buttons were set with diamonds, -and his cloak of royal ermine was embroidered with golden flowers". -The King, thus arrayed, crowned himself with his own hands according -to the _Lex Regia_, which ordained that "since the Kings of Denmark do -not receive the crown from any hands but their own, the ceremony of -coronation shall be performed by themselves". - -[80] The following description of the coronation is taken from official -documents preserved in the Royal Archives, Copenhagen. - -With the crown on his head the King, accompanied by the Grand -Chamberlain, who carried the Queen's crown on a velvet cushion, went to -the Queen's room and crowned her with his own hands. - -This ceremony over, the King took the sceptre in his right hand -and the orb in his left, and donned the collars of both the great -Danish orders, the Elephant and the Dannebrog. Then he passed into -his audience chamber, his train upborne by the Counts Reventlow and -Danneskjold-Samsöe. There he held a court, and received the homage of -the principal personages in the state. - -The Queen, likewise attired in her anointing robes, to wit: "A robe of -cloth of gold, and a royal mantle of red velvet lined with ermine and -embroidered with gold crowns," and with the crown upon her head, passed -into her audience chamber, her train upborne by Madame de Plessen and -the Countess St. Germains. Here she held a court, and received the -homage of the assembled ladies. - -[Illustration: THE CHRISTIANSBORG PALACE, COPENHAGEN. - -_From an Old Print, temp. 1768._] - -The procession to the chapel of the Christiansborg was then marshalled, -and as the bells rang out it passed down the marble stairs of the -palace and across the quadrangle to the chapel. The King walked under a -red velvet canopy, upborne by four privy councillors and four Knights -of the Elephant. The Queen walked beneath a similar canopy, upborne by -four privy councillors and four Knights of the Dannebrog. - -The royal chapel was decorated with great splendour. Of this, as of -the other arrangements connected with the coronation, it was recorded: -"There was nothing lacking to make it beautiful. It was so splendid and -superb that even the foreign envoys were forced to admire the beauty -and lavish expenditure, to say nothing of the art in which these were -turned to account." The thrones of the King and Queen were placed upon -a dais, under a gorgeous canopy, upborne by two figures of angels with -drawn swords. On one side of the canopy was the King's motto, "_Gloria -ex amore patriae_," and on the other were the initials of the King -and Queen. The King's throne was of solid ivory, surmounted by a huge -amethyst nearly as large as a hen's egg. The Queen's throne was of -silver, elaborately wrought, and polished until it shone like crystal. -At the foot of the thrones lay three life-size lions in cast silver. - -At the entrance to the royal chapel the King and Queen were received -by the three Bishops, who were to officiate at the ceremony of the -anointing, vested in copes of gold brocade. The Bishops first -conducted the King to his throne while the choir sang an anthem. They -then returned and led the Queen to her throne in like manner. Bishop -Harboe of Zealand preached a sermon, and then the ceremony of anointing -took place; the coronation was considered as already performed. First -the King was anointed with the holy oil, and then the Queen. The -service concluded with a _Te Deum_. - -As the royal procession returned to the palace, a salute from the -ramparts was fired, and the heralds on the gate blew a loud blast on -their silver trumpets. The King and Queen received the congratulations -of their court, and then the coronation banquet took place. During -the banquet a chorale was sung by the choir, of which a verse may be -roughly translated as follows:-- - - And long shall it be before the sons of the North weep, - For while Christian lives, and Matilda, - There shall be nothing but joy, - And every man shall dwell in his tent in peace. - -The coronation was a people's holiday, and ample provision was made for -every class to partake in the festivities. When the banquet was over -the King and Queen passed on to the balcony of the palace to look down -upon the general rejoicings. A free dinner was given to the populace, -and wine ran like water from a fountain, "red wine on the right side -and on the left white, five hogsheads of each, of which all drank who -would". In the courtyard an ox had been roasted whole, and not an ox -only, for it was stuffed with "three wethers, five lambs, eight pigs, -ten geese, twenty brace of duck, and fifty-eight brace of old (_sic_) -hens". The roasted ox reposed upon a carriage painted red, and its -horns were gilt. - -"The moment their Majesties appeared on the balcony," continues the -chronicle, "the fountain of wine was set running, and the ox was -wheeled forward, pulled by eighteen sailors in white breeches and -jackets, with sashes of red, and wreaths upon their heads. On either -side of the ox-carriage more sailors walked, similarly attired, and -carried baskets of bread. The Quarter-master-Sergeant then ascended the -ox-carriage and cried in a loud voice: 'The roast ox will now be given -away!' and he threw to the crowd a number of silver pieces. With shouts -of delight the people rushed forward and scrambled for money, food -and wine. The feasting and revelry that followed occupied a countless -number of the poor all that evening and the greater part of the night, -so delighted were they. Their Majesties took great pleasure in watching -the tumult from the balcony of the Christiansborg." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -AT THE COURT OF DENMARK. - -1767-1768. - - -The relations between the King and Queen did not improve as time went -on. Matilda was frightened by Christian's wildness and dissipation, -piqued by his indifference, and wounded by his sarcasms. Though she -was very young she had a high spirit, and did not submit quietly to -insult. Her position at the court, of which she was nominally the -reigning Queen, was very unsatisfactory--the King was autocrat and she -was nothing--even in trifling questions concerning the royal household -she was not consulted, and if she ventured to express an opinion it -was ignored. She had no relative to whom she could look for guidance. -The Queen-Mother, Sophia Magdalena, had retired to Hirschholm; she was -nearly seventy years old, and since the fall of Moltke had abjured -politics and given herself up to good works. The Queen-Dowager, Juliana -Maria, was secretly hostile, and Matilda did not trust her, though the -three Queens at this time, as Reverdil says, lived outwardly "_dans -une grande intimité et dans un ennui paisible_". The King's sister, -the Princess Louise, was too much absorbed in her husband and child -to be of any use to her sister-in-law, and the King's aunt, Charlotte -Amelia, had never appeared at court since Matilda arrived in Denmark. -So the young Queen had to seek the advice of her chief lady, Madame de -Plessen, and she was guided by her in all things. It was the wish of -this lady to bring back to the lax court of Christian VII. the stiff -and wearisome etiquette that had prevailed in the reign of the King's -grandfather, Christian VI. In her eyes Matilda was not only a young -married woman, but the Queen of the land, whom the King himself might -only approach according to the rules of etiquette. Christian must be -made to understand that Queen Matilda was his honoured consort, and not -his mistress. - -It is possible that, had the young couple been left to themselves, they -would in time have understood one another better, and learned to make -allowances for each other. They were little more than children when -they married, and quarrelled like children; they would probably have -been reconciled afterwards like children, and become better friends. -But they were not left to themselves. Madame de Plessen chose to stand -between husband and wife in their most intimate relations, and with -disastrous results. She was especially to blame in embittering the -Queen's mind against the King by repeating every thoughtless utterance -of his, and magnifying every foolish deed. In Madame de Plessen's -opinion the Queen could only acquire an influence over her husband by -treating him with coldness, and resisting his advances. The ladies -of the court were ready to throw themselves into the King's arms at -the least provocation--not that he ever gave them any--and Madame -de Plessen thought that he would value most what it was not easy to -obtain. In pursuance of this policy she advised the Queen to treat -him with coyness and reserve. For instance, the King came unannounced -one morning into the Queen's room while she was dressing. A kerchief -had just been placed around her neck; the King pushed it aside and -pressed a kiss upon his wife's shoulder. Whereupon Madame de Plessen -held up her hands in disgust, and the Queen, taking her cue from the -duenna, feigned anger, and reproached her husband for disarranging her -kerchief. The King snatched it off her bosom, tore it in pieces, and -threw it on the floor. He did not come back for several days. - -Again, Madame de Plessen was annoyed because the King sent in the -evening to know if the Queen had retired to bed; she considered it -wanting in respect to the Queen, and advised Matilda to put a stop to -it. The next time the King sent to make his inquiry, the answer was -returned that her Majesty was playing chess and would not retire until -her game was finished. The King waited until twelve o'clock, and then -he came into the Queen's apartments and found her still playing chess -with Madame de Plessen. Very much annoyed he began to walk up and down -the room without saying a word, and the game was not finished until -the clock struck one. The Queen then said she wished to have her -revenge, and he saw Madame de Plessen give a triumphant smile. Then he -understood what was meant. He left the room in a fury, and banged the -door after him, and did not come near the Queen again for a fortnight. -There were many such scenes as these, and each one left the relations -between the King and Queen more strained than before, until within a -year of their marriage they were thoroughly alienated from one another. - -The immediate result of Madame de Plessen's interference was to drive -the King still further into dissipation and folly. Prevented from -enjoying his wife's society as he would, he spent his evenings with -his friends, who included the wildest spirits of the court. The King's -evening parties, which he held in his own rooms, had long ceased to -bear even a superficial resemblance to the celebrated gatherings of -Frederick the Great; they assumed by degrees a more and more noisy and -riotous character. The young men indulged in sham fights and wrestling -to develop the King's "smartness"--this was the word he used to denote -his physical strength. These fights, indulged in after plentiful -libations of wine, often proved destructive of the furniture, and -sometimes ended in high words and bad temper. But the fighting was -comparatively harmless. The King's evening gatherings unfortunately did -not stop here, but degenerated into excesses which recalled the orgies -described in the pages of Juvenal and Petronius. Even Sperling seems -to have found these dissipations too much for him. At any rate he -gradually lost the King's favour, and was replaced by Brandt, a page of -the chamber. - -Enevold Brandt was a few years older than Christian VII. He came of -an ancient Danish family: his father had been a privy councillor and -private secretary to Queen Sophia Magdalena, but he died before his -son's birth. His mother married again Baron Söhlenthal, and young -Brandt was brought up in his stepfather's house. At an early age he -went to Copenhagen to study law, and passed his examinations with -flying colours. In his vacations Brandt travelled widely: he was a -polished man of the world and possessed brilliant social qualities. -Christian VII., who was clever enough to appreciate cleverness in -others, took a great fancy to him, for a time. Honours, both legal -and courtly, were showered upon him. He was appointed an assessor of -the Court of Chancery, a page of the chamber, and an assessor of the -Supreme Court. Brandt was below the middle height, and though his face -could not be described as handsome, he had an air of distinction. After -Christian's accession he was a good deal about the person of the King, -and was of great use in arranging the masquerades. It was thought that -he would succeed Sperling as the King's first favourite, but Christian -quickly tired of his friends, and as soon as the masquerades were over -Brandt found himself eclipsed in the royal favour by Holck. - -Conrad, Count Holck, despite his wildness and extravagancies, was the -best of Christian VII.'s favourites (and bad was the best). Unlike -Sperling and Brandt, he was neither an intriguer nor a self-seeker. -He was a dare-devil youth, wealthy, handsome, and brimming over with -boisterous good-humour and animal spirits. Christian VII. found Holck -an excellent foil for the dark moods and the morbid humours that -occasionally beset him, and the pair soon became fast friends. - -Brandt and Holck were always at the King's evening gatherings, and -sought to outvie one another in their master's favour by proposing -fresh extravagancies. There were many others; among them a young -Englishman named Osborne, who held a commission in the Danish service, -Count Danneskjold-Laurvig, and some older men, including Saldern -the Russian envoy. By way of variety the King resumed his nocturnal -expeditions, which he had abandoned since his marriage. Accompanied by -his wild companions he roamed the streets of Copenhagen in disguise, -visiting taverns and houses of ill-repute, molesting peaceable -citizens, fighting with the watchmen, and breaking lamps and windows. -Of course these freaks got abroad and set a fashion, and bands of -disorderly youths prowled about the city at night in imitation of -the King and his companions, thereby causing great difficulty to the -superintendent of the police, for they pretended often to be the King's -party, and for fear of mistake he hardly dared to make an arrest. -Things came to such a pass at last that the watchmen lost patience, -and determined not to let the rioters off easily, whether they -belonged to the King's party or not. On one occasion, pretending not -to know, they caught the King and belaboured him so unmercifully that -he had to retire to bed for some days, and pretend that he was ill of -the fever.[81] On another night, however, he achieved a triumph, and -brought home a club as a trophy, which he had wrested from one of the -watchmen. - -[81] The Saxon minister at Copenhagen in his despatch of April 12, -1768, states that the King's indisposition was due to a wound he -received in one of these combats with the watchmen. - -Details of these extravagancies came to the young Queen's ears from -time to time, through the medium of Sperling, who, now that he was -superseded in the King's favour, attached himself to the Queen's -_entourage_, and, with his uncle, Reventlow, who was the Queen's -chamberlain, was often to be seen in the apartments of Madame de -Plessen. Prejudiced by Sperling the Queen took a violent dislike to -Holck, whose evil influence over the King she believed to be the cause -of all her troubles. Holck ascribed the Queen's dislike of him to -Madame de Plessen, whom he regarded as his enemy, and he retaliated -after the manner of his kind. Not only did he treat the Queen with -scant respect, but he declared that she was piqued because he did not -make love to her. He also behaved to Madame de Plessen with great -rudeness, and instigated the coarse and mischievous jokes whereby the -King sought to make the chief lady's position intolerable at court and -so force her to resign. But these tactics proved unavailing, for the -more rudely Madame de Plessen was treated by the King the more closely -did she cling to her post. She determined to protect the Queen come -what might, and Matilda, in return, identified herself with Madame de -Plessen's friends, and regarded her chief lady's enemies as her own. On -July 22, 1767, the Queen attained her sixteenth birthday, but to punish -her the King would not celebrate it. - -In August, 1767, Christian VII. determined to make a tour through -Holstein. The Queen, who was fond of travel, eagerly desired to -accompany the King, and the royal tour was made the subject of many -entreaties and negotiations on her part and the part of her household. -But to further mark his displeasure the King refused to take her, and -a serious quarrel took place between them. The Queen was to be pitied, -because the indifference she had shown towards her husband had in great -part been assumed at the suggestion of Madame de Plessen. She was now -likely to become a mother, and, by a natural instinct, she had grown -into an inclination for the father of her child. But she attributed -the King's refusal not to Madame de Plessen but to Holck (who, it is -very possible, had something to do with it), and insisted that if the -King would not take her he should not take Holck either. After much -difficulty she carried the point, but her victory only enraged the -King, and gave her no satisfaction. - -Reverdil, who was the Queen's friend, did his best to patch up the -quarrel. He accompanied the King on his tour through Holstein, and -urged him to write affectionate letters to his wife. He pointed out -that, considering the state of the Queen's health, there was need to -indulge her in her whims and fancies. Christian, who was still smarting -from the interference of Madame de Plessen, consented with an ill -grace, and only on condition that Reverdil composed the letters and he -merely copied them. These letters pacified Matilda; she was ignorant -of their real authorship, and replied with affection. The King did not -distinguish himself during his tour or increase the loyalty of the -duchy. He offended, by his frivolity and recklessness, the old Holstein -nobility, who, if somewhat barbarous, were very strict in their ideas -of what a King should be. - -[Illustration: EDWARD, DUKE OF YORK, BROTHER OF QUEEN MATILDA. - -_From the Painting by G. H. Every._] - -While Christian VII. was absent in Holstein Matilda heard of the -death of her favourite brother, Edward Duke of York, a gallant, -high-spirited youth. The Duke chose the navy as a profession, and if -his promotion in it was rapid (he was promoted to be a rear-admiral at -the age of twenty-three), he showed himself to be a brave sailor, and -distinguished himself under Howe at the bombardment of Cherbourg. After -the capture of the town the Duke gave the French ladies a ball. "He -told them he was too young to know what was good breeding in France, -and therefore he should behave as if meaning to please in England, and -he kissed them all."[82] The young Prince was a great favourite -with the ladies. His first love was the beautiful and witty Charlotte, -Countess of Essex. He then transferred his affections to the even more -beautiful Duchess of Richmond, sister-in-law of Lady Sarah Lennox. -But the most serious of all his love affairs was his passion for Lady -Mary Coke, a young widow, who found herself at an early age "the envy -of her sex; in the possession of youth, health, wealth, wit, beauty -and liberty". The young and ardent Duke seems to have given her a -promise of marriage, for during his lifetime she always spoke of -him to her friends as her betrothed, and after his death displayed -immoderate grief. The Duke's numerous love affairs and his constant -pursuit of pleasure naturally involved him in money difficulties. The -Princess-Dowager of Wales declined to supplement her second son's -allowance, and often lamented his extravagance, but George III. was -fond of his volatile brother, and occasionally helped him, though it -was against his strict principles to do so. One day the Duke went to -St. James's in a state of the greatest dejection, and, when he saw the -King, sighed heavily. The King asked him why he was so low-spirited. -"How can I be otherwise," said the Duke, "pressed as I am by creditors -and without a penny to pay them?" The King, much affected, pressed a -thousand pound note into his brother's hand. The Duke gravely read -every word of it aloud, then marched out of the room singing, "God save -great George our King!" - -[82] _The Georgian Era_, vol. i. - -The Duke of York had kept up a constant correspondence with Queen -Matilda since she had left England; he wrote to her from Paris a few -weeks before his death telling her that he was making a tour through -France, and intended, before he returned to England, to travel -northwards and pay her a visit at Copenhagen. But on his journey to the -south of France the Duke caught a chill, and when he arrived at Monaco -he was taken seriously ill. For fourteen days he lingered in great -suffering, alleviated only by the affectionate offices of the gentlemen -of his suite and the kindness of the Prince of Monaco. The Duke died on -September 17, 1767, at the age of twenty eight. His body was removed -on board the British ship-of-war _Montreal_, and conveyed home to be -buried in Westminster Abbey. - -The news of the Duke of York's death reached Copenhagen on October 10, -and the English envoy was under some difficulty how best to break the -news to the Queen, in her delicate state of health. He writes: "My -apprehensions of the effect it might have had on her Danish Majesty in -her present situation, whenever she became acquainted with it, made -me communicate my first intelligence of it to Madame de Plessen, of -whose caution and discretion in this instance I have no doubt, that she -might take such methods of preparing the Queen for it as she judged -most likely to lessen the shock, which otherwise so unexpected an event -might be attended with. I have the pleasure to acquaint you that her -Majesty has suffered as little as (considering the great tenderness of -her disposition) could well be expected."[83] - -[83] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, October 13, 1767. - -Queen Matilda felt her brother's death keenly, the more so as she -had been looking forward to his visit to Copenhagen, when she hoped -to confide to him her troubles, and ask his help and guidance. When -Christian heard of his Queen's loss, he wrote her (through Reverdil) -an affectionate letter of condolence. The Queen was touched by this -consideration; she felt tenderly towards her husband, and was anxious -to be friends. When the King returned from Holstein, the Queen drove -out eight leagues from Copenhagen to meet him. But Christian's greeting -was cold and formal, though he got into her coach and drove back with -her into Copenhagen, so that the citizens might think that he was on -good terms with his Queen. - -After her husband's return Matilda made several efforts to win his -love, and behaved to him with the utmost submission, but he did -not respond. Her pathetic desire to please him, her extreme youth -and loneliness, the fact that she was soon to become the mother of -his child--these considerations had no weight with Christian VII. -He repulsed his wife's advances, and treated her with rudeness and -contempt, conduct which, under the circumstances, was peculiarly -brutal. He made coarse jokes about her condition; he even tried to -force Holck, whom she detested, upon her as master of her household. -She refused with tears and agitation, so the King made him court -marshal, and gave him the management of all the festivities at court, -where comedies, balls and masquerades succeeded one another without -interruption. - -In addition to Christian's cruelty to his Queen, he flaunted his -infidelity before her eyes. He had no inclination for the ladies of -the court (indeed the company of refined women seemed distasteful -to him), but at Holck's suggestion he sought the society of women -politely termed "actresses," and thereby derived no little amusement -and distraction. Holck, however, was not responsible for a woman whose -acquaintance the King made at this time, who went by the nickname -of _Stovlep Katerine_, or "Catherine of the Gaiters". This woman, -according to Reverdil, was brought before the King's notice by Count -Danneskjold-Laurvig. Her real name appears to have been Anna Catherine -Benthaken, and she was the natural daughter of an eminent officer in -the Danish service. As a child she was brought up in the household -of this officer, but after his death her mother married a retired -soldier, who was by trade a tailor who made gaiters. As Catherine -was penniless she accompanied her mother to her stepfather's poor -house, where, in return for her board and lodging, she was obliged to -sew gaiters--hence her nickname. But she could not brook this life -long, and having a vivacious temperament and some natural gifts she -sought other means of livelihood. Copenhagen in the eighteenth century -offered few opportunities of honest work for unmarried women, so -Catherine first became an opera dancer, and then the mistress of an -Englishman, Sir John Goodrich.[84] She lived with him for some time, -and was generally known as "Milady". At the time Christian made her -acquaintance, "Milady" was a good-looking young woman, with a fine -figure, and an excellent taste in dress. She was amusing and witty, and -equal to any wild scheme the King might conceive. It was her ambition -to become _maîtresse en titre_, and to this end she lent herself to all -kinds of extravagancies in order that she might gain greater influence -over the King. Before long "Milady" achieved her ambition; she received -the honour of an invitation to a masquerade at the palace, and the -King showed his preference to the court by dancing with her nearly all -the evening. Queen Matilda was spared the sight of this insult, for in -consequence of her state of health she was unable to be present, but -the incident was duly reported to her, and filled her with grief and -resentment. - -[84] Sir John Goodrich was nominated by the British Government Minister -Plenipotentiary to Sweden, but, through the intrigues of the French -Government, he never got nearer Stockholm than Copenhagen. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE BIRTH OF A PRINCE. - -1768. - - -Queen Matilda gave birth to a son and heir--the future King Frederick -VI.--on January 28, 1768. Titley thus records the event: "Yesterday -the Queen of Denmark fell in labour, and about ten o'clock at night -was happily delivered of a prince, to the extreme satisfaction of her -royal consort and the whole court. The Queen, God be praised, and the -new-born prince are this morning both as well as can be expected. This -very important and much desired event happened but an hour or two -before the anniversary of the King of Denmark's own birthday, and we -are now celebrating the double festivity. The birth of an heir male to -the Crown has completely fulfilled the ardent wishes and prayers of the -public, and consequently spread a real joy through all ranks of the -people here."[85] - -[85] Titley's despatch, Copenhagen, January 29, 1768. - -A few days later the infant prince was christened by the name of -Frederick. The ceremony took place in the Queen's bedchamber, and -nobody was admitted except the ministers and council--the English -envoy was not invited. Queen Juliana Maria, to whom the birth of this -prince was the death-blow of her hopes, and the Princess Charlotte -Amelia (represented by proxy), were the godmothers, and Prince -Frederick, the King's brother, was the godfather. The King had wished -for a public ceremonial, but the babe was sickly and ailing, and it -was deemed necessary to baptise him as soon as possible. During her -illness the Queen was fenced round by the most rigid etiquette by -Madame de Plessen; she was attended in turn by Madame de Plessen, a -lady-in-waiting, and the wife of a Knight of the Elephant. The infant -was attended by two court ladies, who were changed according to rank, -and this absurd formality continued until all the court ladies had -shared the privilege. The Queen, a short time after her confinement, -had also to undergo the ordeal of sitting up in bed (the royal infant -in a bassinet by the side of the bed) and receiving the congratulations -of the court ladies and gentlemen, who filed through the room in -procession. The fatigue of this levee, or perhaps Madame de Plessen's -wearisome formalities, made the Queen seriously ill. Gunning, who never -lost a chance of attacking his arch-enemy, wrote to Lord Weymouth:-- - -"Her Danish Majesty has been very much indisposed for some days, but -her physicians, who own that they were not without apprehensions, now -assure me that all danger is over. It is with the greatest concern that -I think myself obliged to acquaint your lordship with my fears that her -Majesty's indisposition has been occasioned, in some measure, by the -imprudent conduct of the lady who is her _grande maîtresse_. I thought -it my duty to acquaint General Conway with the character of Madame de -Plessen immediately after her nomination to a post that I could wish -she had never filled, expressing at the same time my desire that her -Majesty might be informed of it. And in some despatches subsequent to -the Queen's arrival here, I applied for instructions with regard to my -explaining this matter to her Majesty, but not having had any orders -to do so, I could not with propriety, and consistent with my duty, -venture upon it, though I daily saw the fatal effects of the ascendant -this lady acquired. Her Majesty's sweetness of disposition and her -natural vivacity could not but, as indeed it did, attract the esteem -and affection of a young Prince who had so great a share of the latter. -Had she been allowed to follow the bent of her own inclinations, it -would have been so firmly established that nothing could have shaken -it. But this would not have answered the end of those who advised a -different conduct. The Queen's influence and ascendant would then -have been too great, and she herself would not have been subject to -that of others.... An attention to the situation her Majesty has been -in of late has prevented the King's executing the resolution he has -long taken of removing her _grande maîtresse_, but as soon as the -Queen's health is thoroughly established, I understand this is to take -place."[86] - -[86] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, February 17, 1768. - -Gunning proved right in his conjecture, for a few weeks later Madame -de Plessen was suddenly dismissed. The King would hardly have dared -to take this step if others had not come to his assistance. Madame -de Plessen had made many enemies by her tactless conduct, but her -political intrigues were the direct cause of her fall. So long as the -French party was in the ascendant all went well with her, but during -the last year Russia had grown in power and influence at the Danish -court. Russia, through her two envoys, Saldern, the envoy in Holstein, -and Filosofow, the envoy in Copenhagen, had gained the ear of the -Prime Minister, Bernstorff, and other persons holding high office, -notably of Baron Schimmelmann,[87] Grand Treasurer. Moreover, Saldern -was a personal friend of the King, and joined him in many of his -wildest dissipations; and it is probable that he won Christian over -to Russia by giving him money to defray his extravagancies. Saldern -was a terrible man, a semi-barbarian, with rough brutal strength and -domineering will that bore down all opposition. He knew that Reventlow, -the Queen's chamberlain, and Madame de Plessen were on the side of -France; he determined to get rid of them, and to this end used all his -influence with the King. Reventlow was dismissed with ignominy, and -Sperling, his nephew, soon followed; but Madame de Plessen remained, -and until she was gone Saldern could not feel safe against French -intrigues. He regarded the Queen's household as the centre of the -French party, and he hated Matilda because she supported Madame de -Plessen. A letter of Saldern's, written about the end of January, 1768, -gives an insight into the character of the man. "My great torment," he -wrote, "comes from the Queen. She has lost her right arm in Reventlow, -but she still has the left in Plessen, a mischievous woman, but I will -deprive her of this arm also.... When the King goes to see the Queen -she tells him he ought to be ashamed of himself, and that the whole -city says he lets himself be governed by me. She only says this out of -revenge, because I sent away her flea-catcher (_sa preneuse de puces_). -The King tells me all this, and I show him _mon égide_, and we laugh -together."[88] - -[87] Schimmelmann was a German-Jew by birth, and a type of the rogue -now called a "financier". After a career as a money-lender, during -which he amassed a fortune, he arrived in Denmark. He possessed great -financial ability, and made himself so useful to the Danish Government -that he was given first the title of Baron, then the Order of the -Elephant, and lastly appointed Grand Treasurer. - -[88] _Mémoires de Reverdil_, pp. 122-23. - -All the same it was some months before Saldern could screw up the -King's courage to the point of dismissing Madame de Plessen, but at -last he succeeded. As soon as the Queen was convalescent the King ran -away with Saldern to Frederiksborg, and from the safe shelter of that -retreat he despatched a signed order to Madame de Plessen commanding -her to quit the palace immediately on its receipt, without taking leave -of the Queen. As the King was all-powerful, there was nothing for -Madame de Plessen to do but obey; indeed she feared for her life if -she remained in Copenhagen. So she fled with all speed, the same day -she received the order, to her estate of Kokkedal, on the Sound. - -[Illustration: QUEEN MATILDA RECEIVING THE CONGRATULATIONS OF THE COURT -ON THE BIRTH OF THE CROWN PRINCE FREDERICK. - -_From a Contemporary Print._] - -Bernstorff was ordered to acquaint the Queen with the King's resolution -and declare it to be irrevocable. When the Queen was told that her -first lady had gone, there was a most painful scene--she burst into -tears and refused to be comforted. Her anger and resentment against the -King knew no bounds, and she declared she would never forgive him. The -whole of the Queen's household was now changed; all her friends were -sent away, and nominees of Holck and Saldern put in their places. The -King wished to appoint as chief lady, Madame von Berkentin, who had -intrigued against Madame de Plessen, but the Queen absolutely refused -to admit her to her presence, and so, after much angry recrimination -the vacant post was bestowed upon Madame von der Lühe, who was not any -more pleasing to the Queen from the fact that she was the sister of -Count Holck. But Madame von der Lühe proved more satisfactory than the -Queen expected, and gradually won her confidence; the worst appointment -was that of Fräulein von Eyben as maid-of-honour. This woman, who had -by no means an unsullied reputation, was false and untruthful--a spy -who sought opportunity to betray her mistress. - -Madame de Plessen was pursued with relentless severity, and two days -after her dismissal from the Danish court she was ordered to quit the -kingdom. She withdrew to Hanoverian territory, and finally settled -at Celle. She was forbidden to hold any communication with her former -mistress, but it is probable that she managed to evade this order. The -separation was a bitter grief both to the Queen and her chief lady. -Despite her domineering disposition and want of tact, Madame de Plessen -dearly loved her young mistress, and would have died, had it been -necessary, for her sake. She was by nature hard and undemonstrative, -but the helpless little Queen had found a tender spot in her heart, and -the maternal love she felt for her mistress was all the more fierce -because of its concentration; in shielding her from the contamination -of the court she was like a tigress guarding her young. Perhaps it -was the very fierceness of her devotion which led her into errors of -judgment, but great though these were, if she had avoided political -intrigue, she might have retained her place. - -To Matilda the loss of this good woman, for she was a good woman -despite her unamiable qualities, was irreparable. Surrounded as she was -by spies and enemies, beset by perils and temptations, she knew that -she had in her chief lady a disinterested friend, and she clung to her -all the more because she had not strength of herself to stand alone. -Had Madame de Plessen remained with the Queen, the errors and follies -of after years would never have been committed. In the dangerous path -Matilda had to tread, beset by pitfalls on every side, she needed some -one who would guide her stumbling feet, and lead her in the way she -should go. - -Queen Matilda was not allowed much time to indulge in her grief, for -within ten days of Madame de Plessen's dismissal she had to hold -a court, at which she received the congratulations of the foreign -ministers and Danish nobility on the birth of her son. The day was -observed as a general holiday, and in the evening there was a banquet -and ball at the Christiansborg Palace. If she wrote to England to -complain of the hard treatment she had suffered in thus being deprived -of one in whom she placed confidence, she probably received little -comfort from her brother. We find Lord Weymouth writing to Gunning -before Madame de Plessen's dismissal: "The King would not be sorry to -hear of her removal,"[89] and after it: "I assure you that the King is -thoroughly sensible of the zealous and dutiful motives which engaged -you to see with so much concern the dangerous tendency of that lady's -influence".[90] - -[89] Lord Weymouth's despatch to Gunning, March 18, 1768. - -[90] _Ibid._, May 4, 1768. - -In the same despatch (May 4, 1768) Lord Weymouth announced the death -of the Princess Louisa Anne, and enclosed a sealed letter from George -III. to the Queen, whose sorrows now came upon her thick and fast, -for her sister's death was the second bereavement she had sustained -within a few months, in addition to the loss of her faithful Plessen. -Louisa Anne, who had once been put forward as a possible Queen of -Denmark, had been always an invalid, and was so diminutive in stature -that, though she completed her nineteenth year before she died, she -looked like a sickly child of thirteen. There is nothing recorded -of her beyond that she was a lover of literature, and of an amiable -disposition. - -The death of her sister furnished the Queen with an excuse for not -appearing at court festivities, which became wilder and more dissolute, -and were attended by many persons of ill-fame, both men and women. -Prominent among them was "Catherine of the Gaiters," who had now gained -great influence over the King, and led him (or he led her) into the -wildest excesses. It was one of Christian's peculiarities that he liked -to see women dressed as men, and to humour him "Milady" disguised -herself in the uniform of a naval officer and accompanied the King -and his friends on their night adventures. During her varied career -"Milady" had made several enemies among women of her own walk in life: -they were jealous of her prosperity and spoke ill of her. To revenge -herself she induced the King and his party to enter the houses where -these women lived, smash the windows and throw the furniture into the -street. The watchmen had secret orders to take no notice of these -proceedings, but they often found it difficult to prevent the populace -from rising in indignation. Reverdil, who viewed the _liaison_ between -the King and "Milady" with disgust, once saw Christian returning to the -palace, boasting loudly of his exploits, and he could not refrain from -uttering the sarcasm, "_Voilà un beau chemin à la gloire_". The King -was exceedingly angry, and said, "Do not mock at me. Scold me if you -will, but do not mock at me." - -Reverdil did not heed the warning, and a few evenings later at the -palace theatre he saw "Milady" sitting in a prominent box and covered -with jewels; below her were the maids of honour, and facing her was -the Queen. Reverdil was standing near Holck, who was responsible for -this arrangement, and he thus gave vent to his indignation. "Sir," -said he, "though a hundred times you have turned into ridicule what I -have said, I say again that a man can be neither a good subject, nor a -good servant, who does not weep to see such a creature thus defy the -Queen, and the King make himself, to the great peril of the state, the -_greluchon_ of a foreign minister." Holck turned on his heel. The next -morning Reverdil received a written order from the King commanding him -to leave Copenhagen within twenty-four hours. The out-spoken Swiss lost -no time in obeying the order, and left the country. When he returned to -Copenhagen three years later the situation had changed. - -Reverdil was not the only one who entered a protest against the -ascendency of "Catherine of the Gaiters". She had induced the King to -buy her a palace, create her a baroness, and promise her a pension, -but in the hour of her triumph she fell as suddenly as she had risen. -The shameful scenes in the streets had so moved the honest people -of Copenhagen to indignation that they threatened to rise in revolt -unless the woman was dismissed. So threatening was their attitude and -so loud were their murmurs that at last the ministers resolved to act. -They sought the assistance of Schimmelmann and Saldern to convince the -King that matters had reached danger-point. The latter then went with -Bernstorff to the King, and by trading on his fears, persuaded him to -sign an order commanding Catherine to quit the kingdom at once. The -King signed without much difficulty; perhaps he was frightened, perhaps -he was already weary of her. Catherine was arrested at her house -and conducted across the frontier to Hamburg, where the obsequious -municipality put her into prison.[91] - -[91] There she remained for some years. Eventually Struensee set her at -liberty, but she never returned to Copenhagen. - -Dismissal and banishment now formed the order of the day at Copenhagen. -Prince Charles of Hesse had left the capital under the cloud of the -King's displeasure, and though he was later given as a consolation the -vice-royalty of the duchies, he was for a time in exile. Reventlow, by -making friends with the Russian party, had managed to crawl back into -office, but not to a place in the household of the Queen. Brandt soon -followed Sperling into banishment. He became jealous of the reigning -favourite Holck, and wrote the King a private letter containing severe -reflections on Holck's conduct. As might have been expected the King -showed the letter to Holck, with the result that Brandt was commanded -to quit the capital within twenty-four hours, and Danish territory -within eight days. Holck was more in favour than before, and the -Queen's position more unhappy. - -The King, now that he was deprived of the society of "Milady," and -a check put upon his follies, suffered from _ennui_, and determined -to travel. He proposed to visit England and France, and to be absent -from Denmark six months. His ministers, who at another time would have -opposed the idea of the King being away from his dominions for so long, -now thought it advisable that he should go. The situation had become -intolerable. The King was most unpopular with his people, and if he -travelled for a time it would not only give an opportunity for scandal -and bitter feeling to die down, but it was possible that he would gain -wisdom, and return a saner and better man. The question of expense was -a considerable one, but in this matter Schimmelmann proved useful--he -advanced a loan. - -When Matilda heard of her husband's intended tour, she pleaded hard to -accompany him, especially as he was going to England. The desire to see -again her family and native country made her put aside her pride, and -beg this favour of the King with all the eloquence in her power. But he -refused on several grounds, the real reason being that he did not want -her with him. She then prayed that Madame de Plessen might come back to -her during the King's absence, and it was said that Christian, before -he started, promised to grant this, but when he had gone a little -way on his journey he withdrew his promise. Under the circumstances -the Queen came to the wise resolution of retiring from the capital -altogether during the King's absence. It was necessary for her to be -on her guard, for it was rumoured that an intrigue was set on foot to -deprive her of the regency in the event of the King's demise.[92] No -doubt Juliana Maria thought that the post of regent should be filled -either by herself, or her son Frederick, whose chances of succession -to the throne had been greatly lessened by the birth of Matilda's son. -There had been some idea of appointing a regent during the King's -absence from his dominions, but the claims of the rival Queens were -too delicate to decide, and the difficulty was avoided by appointing -a council of regency composed of Counts Thott and Moltke and Baron -Rosenkrantz. - -[92] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, May 14, 1768. - -Christian VII. left Copenhagen in May, 1768, on his tour; his suite -consisted of no less than fifty-six persons, chief among them being -Bernstorff, the principal Secretary of State. The King travelled south -through Schleswig, where he remained some little time; the two Russian -envoys, Saldern and Filosofow, were there, and weighty diplomatic -matters were discussed. The treaty by which Russia exchanged her -claims on ducal Schleswig and Holstein for the counties of Oldenburg -and Delmenhorst was arranged there--a treaty of great importance to -Denmark.[93] - -[93] Peter III. of Russia had made a claim upon his hereditary states -of Holstein-Gottorp in 1762, and was preparing to enforce it when he -was deposed and assassinated. His consort and successor, Catherine the -Great, agreed to an amicable settlement of the affair by exchange. - -The King then proceeded through the southern part of his dominions -_viâ_ Kiel to Ahrensburg, near Hamburg. Here, without knowing it, he -took one of the most important steps of his life. He appointed John -Frederick Struensee, a doctor of Altona, his travelling physician, and -Struensee joined the King's suite forthwith. - -A few days later Christian quitted Denmark. After paying a visit of -reconciliation to his brother-in-law, Prince Charles of Hesse, at -Hanau, near Frankfort, he travelled down the Rhine to Cologne, and -thence to Amsterdam and Brussels. From Brussels he journeyed to Calais, -where his brother-in-law, George III., had sent the _Mary_ yacht to -convey him to England. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -CHRISTIAN VII. IN ENGLAND. - -1768. - - -Christian VII. landed at Dover on August 9, 1768. He was received with -especial marks of distinction, a salute was fired from the cannon of -the castle, and the vessels in the harbour were dressed with flags. -Royal coaches were in waiting, and Lord Hertford and Lord Falmouth -received him on behalf of the King. The King of Denmark's suite -consisted of Count Bernstorff, his principal Secretary of State, Count -Moltke the younger, Grand Marshal, Count Holck, Master of the Wardrobe, -Baron Schimmelmann, Treasurer, Baron Bülow, Lord-in-Waiting, Dr. -Struensee, Physician, and several others. - -Christian declined the royal coaches, and preferred to travel in a -post-chaise to avoid ceremony. With the principal members of his -suite he pushed on ahead, leaving the others to follow with the -baggage. Lord Hertford told his Majesty that the clergy and the -corporation of Canterbury, through which city he was to pass, had made -great preparations to receive him. The King was annoyed, for he was -travelling _incognito_ as the Prince of Traventhal, and his object -in coming to England was to amuse himself, and not to be wearied by -receiving addresses from mayors and Church dignitaries--for the clergy -in particular he had a dislike. He said to Bernstorff: "The last King -of Denmark who entered Canterbury laid it to ashes. I wish the citizens -had remembered that, and then perhaps they would have let me pass -unnoticed." But Bernstorff told Christian that he must at least receive -the address, which he did with ill grace, but he declined the luncheon -prepared in his honour. - -The King of Denmark arrived in London at seven o'clock in the evening, -and when his coach pulled up before St. James's Palace, Holck -exclaimed, "By God, this will never do! This is not a fit place to -lodge a _Christian_ in!" In truth the somewhat dingy exterior of St. -James's Palace was not, at first sight, likely to impress a foreigner, -but when the King entered he pronounced his lodgings tolerable. George -III. had spent £3,000 in refurnishing a suite of apartments for his -brother-in-law. Moreover, he defrayed the cost of his royal guest's -table during his stay in England, at the cost of £84 a day, without -wine, and the wine bill, no doubt, was a heavy addition. He also -decorated the King of Denmark's sideboard with the splendid gold plate -of Henry VII., which was seldom used, except at coronation banquets, -and was brought from the Tower especially for the occasion. These marks -of respect, it may be supposed, George III. paid to the office of the -King, for it is certain that he disliked the man, and heartily wished -him anywhere but at St. James's. - -Christian VII. had invited himself to the English court, and came as -a most unwelcome guest. His visit was singularly ill-timed, for the -Wilkes riots had taken place recently, and the King was unpopular, -and much worried and annoyed. Moreover, the court was in mourning for -the Princess Louisa Anne, and the King wished to give none but the -absolutely necessary receptions this year. He disliked festivities -as much as the King of Denmark revelled in them, and he grudged the -outlay which the visit of his self-invited guest entailed. Besides, -George III., who was a model of the domestic virtues, had heard of the -profligacy of the King of Denmark, and the cruelty and disrespect with -which he treated his Queen. Matilda had written home piteous complaints -of the sufferings she endured, and though George III. declined to -interfere between man and wife, and advised his sister to make the -best of her lot, he felt just resentment against her husband, who -ill-treated her so grossly.[94] - -[94] George III.'s repugnance to the King of Denmark's visit is shown -in the following note which he wrote to Lord Weymouth before he came: -"As to-morrow is the day you receive foreign ministers, you will -acquaint M. de Dieden (the Danish minister) that I desire he will -assure the King, his master, that I am desirous of making his stay in -this country as agreeable as possible. That I therefore wish to be -thoroughly apprized of the mode in which he chooses to be treated, that -I may exactly conform to it. This will throw whatever may displease -the King of Denmark, during his stay here, on his shoulders, and -consequently free me from that _désagrément_; but you know very well -that the whole of _it is very disagreeable to me_." [Richmond Lodge, -June 8, 1768.] - -In pursuance of these sentiments George III., though he had every -necessary preparation made for the King of Denmark, showed no warmth in -welcoming him. He was holding a levee in St. James's Palace the very -hour that Christian arrived there, but instead of hastening to greet -him, he sent a formal message to the effect that he would receive him -at the Queen's House (now Buckingham Palace) at half-past five o'clock. -To the Queen's House, therefore, at the appointed hour Christian -repaired. George III.'s reception of his cousin and brother-in-law -was cold and formal, and immediately it was over he left London for -Richmond Lodge, where he remained in seclusion nearly the whole time of -the King of Denmark's stay in England. - -Christian then went to Carlton House to pay his respects to his -mother-in-law. His reception there was less frigid, but far from -satisfactory. The Princess-Dowager of Wales could not help showing him -how anxious she was about her daughter. She overwhelmed her son-in-law -with inquiries concerning his wife's health, which wearied him greatly, -and he could not refrain from saying in an audible whisper to Holck, -"_Cette chère maman m'embête terriblement_". The Princess-Dowager -reopened the question of Madame de Plessen's dismissal, acting, -no doubt, at the request of Queen Matilda, and prayed the King to -reinstate her, as she was afraid for her daughter to be exposed to the -temptations of the court without a strict duenna. Christian, who was -visibly annoyed, said he would not oppose Madame de Plessen's return, -if the Princess-Dowager insisted upon it, but if she came back he and -the Queen must occupy separate palaces, as he was determined never to -have Madame de Plessen under his roof again. As this would involve a -virtual separation, the Princess-Dowager forebore to press the point -further. She reported her ill-success to Matilda, and begged her to -submit to the inevitable, and try to conciliate her husband. Now that -she saw what manner of man her son-in-law was, the Princess-Dowager -regretted the part she had played in bringing about this unhappy -marriage. - -Ill-health and many sorrows had softened this stern Princess's heart; -life had not gone smoothly with her of late. The one friend in whom -she trusted, Lord Bute, had been driven from England by her implacable -enemies. Bute had taken office at the request of the Princess-Dowager, -and for her sake he had laid it down. The ostensible ground he gave for -his resignation was ill-health, the real one was a chivalrous desire to -check the flood of cowardly insult aimed through him at the second lady -in the land. The Princess-Dowager urged him not to make the sacrifice, -for she well knew it would be in vain, and she proved to be right. Bute -was still pursued with a relentless hatred, and his enemies were not -satisfied until they had driven him first from London and then out of -the country. Unable to withstand the storm any longer Bute went into -exile, and at the time when Christian VII. visited England, he was -wandering about Italy under the _incognito_ of Sir John Stewart. The -Princess-Dowager was much cast down by the loss of her friend, with -whom she could hardly correspond, without fear of her letters being -intercepted. Moreover, her sorrows were increased by the death of two -of her children (the once numerous family of Frederick Prince of Wales -was now reduced to five), and by the unsatisfactory conduct of her -two younger sons, the Dukes of Gloucester and Cumberland, who showed -tendencies (the latter especially) to folly and extravagance. - -[Illustration: CARLTON HOUSE, PALL MALL, THE RESIDENCE OF THE -PRINCESS-DOWAGER OF WALES. - -_From a Print, temp. 1765._] - -The visit of her son-in-law, the King of Denmark, so far from -comforting her, only increased her anxiety. The more she saw of him the -more she disliked him. He was restive under her covert reproaches, and -at last entirely lost her good graces by his impertinence. The Princess -was telling fortunes by cards one evening with one of her ladies, to -whom Christian had given a diamond star. The King said to her: "_Chère -maman_, which King am I in your pasteboard court?" "Lady----," said the -Princess-Dowager archly, "calls you the King of Diamonds." "What do -you call Holck?" asked Christian. "Oh, by a more flattering title--the -King of Hearts." This nettled the King, who retorted: "And pray, _chère -maman_, what do you call Lord Bute--the Knave of Hearts?" This repartee -greatly discomposed the Princess-Dowager. She flushed crimson, and -gathered up the cards without a word. - -Though Christian was so unwelcome at court, he was exceedingly well -received by all classes of the nation, who made him the hero of -the hour. The fact that the King disliked him rather increased his -popularity than otherwise. The King and Queen, in consequence of the -seclusion in which they lived, had little or no influence on society. -George III. preferred a quiet domestic life with his wife and children, -routs, balls and assemblies had no attractions for him. Therefore -London society, which loves the presence of royalty, hailed the King of -Denmark with delight. All the fine ladies were in love with him, all -the fine gentlemen sought the honour of his acquaintance, imitated his -dress and deportment, and even copied his eccentricities. The rumour of -his vices lent an additional piquancy. He was nicknamed "the Northern -Scamp," and the ladies invented a headdress in his honour, which was -known as the "Danish fly". "The King of Denmark," writes Whately to -George Grenville, "is the only topic of conversation. Wilkes himself is -forgotten, even by the populace."[95] The people cheered him wherever -he went, and the nobility vied with one another in giving him splendid -entertainments. First to have the honour of entertaining "the royal -Dane" was Lady Hertford, who gave a brilliant assembly at Hertford -House. Horace Walpole, who was present, writes:-- - -"I came to town to see the Danish King. He is as diminutive as if he -came out of a kernel in the Fairy Tales. He is not ill made, nor weakly -made, though so small; and, though his face is pale and delicate, -it is not at all ugly.... Still he has more royalty than folly in -his air, and, considering he is not twenty, is as well as any one -expects any king in a puppet show to be.... He only takes the title -of _Altesse_ (an absurd mezzo-termine), but acts king exceedingly; -struts in the circle, like a cock-sparrow, and does the honours of -himself very civilly."[96] And again: "He has the sublime strut of his -grandfather (George II.), and the divine white eyes of all his family -on the mother's side.... The mob adore and huzza him, and so they did -at the first instant. They now begin to know why, for he flings money -to them out of the window; and by the end of the week, I do not doubt -they will want to choose him for Middlesex. His court is extremely well -ordered, for they bow as low to him at every word as if his name were -Sultan Amurath. You would take his first minister for only the first -of his slaves.... There is indeed a pert young gentleman who a little -discomposes this august ceremonial; his name is Count Holck, his age -three-and-twenty; and his post answers to one that we had formerly in -England ages ago, called, in our tongue, a royal favourite."[97] - -[95] _Grenville Papers_, vol. iv. - -[96] Walpole's _Letters_, vol. v., edition 1857. - -[97] _Ibid._ - -Lady Hertford's assembly was followed by a magnificent entertainment -at Syon House, given by the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. "An -inexpressible variety of emblematical devices was illuminated by -more than fifteen thousand lamps, and the temple erected in the inner -court was ornamented by transparent paintings, which had a very happy -effect."[98] A gala performance was also given at the opera, which was -attended by all the rank and fashion of the town, though the King and -Queen were absent. After the opera the King went to Mrs. Cornelys' -house in Soho Square (a sort of Assembly Rooms at that period). "Mrs. -Cornelys had put the apartments in all the possible order that a few -hours' notice would admit of, and the whole was splendidly illuminated -with upwards of two thousand wax lights. The moment the King entered -the grand room the music (consisting of French horns, clarinets, -bassoons, etc.) began playing, and his Majesty seemed very much pleased -at the agreeable manner of his reception. Dancing was proposed; the -King opened the ball with the Duchess of Ancaster, and named the second -minuet with the Countess of Harrington; the minuets were succeeded by -English country dances, and those by the French cotillons."[99] - -[98] _The Annual Register_, 1768. - -[99] _Ibid._ - -Christian's maternal aunt, the Princess Amelia, was indignant with -George III. for the way he ignored his royal guest, and she gave a -grand entertainment at Gunnersbury House in honour of her Danish -nephew. "The entertainment was extremely magnificent. Invitations were -given to upwards of 300 of the nobility. The supper consisted of 120 -dishes; a grand fire-work was then played off; and the ball, which was -very splendid, ended about three o'clock on Saturday morning."[100] -The Duke of Gloucester was present, but the King and Queen did not -attend. The lovely Lady Talbot, who was much admired by Christian, was -the belle of the ball, and wore a diamond coronet worth £80,000. The -beautiful and lively Lady Bel Stanhope also created a sensation, and -Holck fell in love with her. It is said that he proposed marriage, but -Lady Bel, or her parents, would not hear of it. The Princess Amelia -declared herself to be very fond of her nephew, who, she said, reminded -her of her sister, Queen Louise, but she was distressed that he did not -get on better with his wife, and asked him why. "_Pourquoi?_" replied -Christian, "_Pourquoi?--elle est si blonde!_" Walpole has something to -say on this head too, for he tells us, "At the play of _The Provoked -Wife_, he (the King) clapped whenever there was a sentence against -matrimony--a very civil proceeding when his wife was an English -Princess". - -[100] _The Annual Register_, 1768. - -George III.'s neglect of the King of Denmark occasioned so much comment -that he at last reluctantly gave a ball in Christian's honour at -the Queen's House, at which the Princess-Dowager of Wales, the Duke -of Gloucester, and a great number of the nobility were present. The -Princess Amelia was not asked; the King owed her a grudge for the way -in which she had forced his hand in giving an entertainment to her -nephew--an example he was bound to follow. The King of Denmark opened -the ball with Queen Charlotte, and King George danced a minuet with the -Duchess of Ancaster, who seems to have been the greatest lady of the -day outside the royal family. - -Christian VII. showed no hurry to quit a country where he was so well -received, and in September, when London was empty, he made several -tours in the provinces. It was a very wet summer, and the rains were -heavier than had been known in the memory of man. "The Serpentine river -in Hyde Park rose so high that it forced down a part of the wall, and -poured with such violence upon Knightsbridge, that the inhabitants -expected the whole town to be overflowed; the canal in St. James's Park -rose higher than ever was known; in short, no man living remembered so -much rain-fall in so short a time."[101] Several parts of the country -were flooded, and the high roads rendered impassable; travelling -by coach always slow, became slower still, and in some places was -attended with difficulty and even danger. But these things did not -daunt Christian, who rushed about the country, from one end to another, -stopping nowhere for any time, and apparently taking no interest in -anything he saw. Even the polite writer in the _Annual Register_, who -devoted pages to Christian's doings, was constrained to say: "His -journeyings are so rapid, and his stay at places so short, that, if -he is not a youth of more than common talents, he must have a very -confused idea of what he sees". - -[101] _The Annual Register_, September 1, 1768. - -Horace Walpole, who now pursued the King of Denmark with strange -malignity, writes: "You know already about the King of Denmark, -hurrying from one corner of England to the other, without seeing -anything distinctly, fatiguing himself, breaking his chaise, going -tired to bed in inns, and getting up to show himself to the mob at the -window. I believe that he is a very silly lad, but the mob adore him, -though he has neither done nor said anything worth repeating; but he -gives them an opportunity of getting together, of staring and of making -foolish observations."[102] Bernstorff excused the King's indifference -on the ground that he was short-sighted. This also served to explain -many apparent discourtesies, for Christian often ignored people to whom -he had been most gracious a few days before. It is probable that Horace -Walpole was one of the victims of this little peculiarity, and that -accounts for the venom with which he writes of the King. Christian may -also have ignored Walpole's niece, Lady Waldegrave, who had secretly -married the Duke of Gloucester, and who, though the marriage was not -declared, already gave herself the airs of a princess of the blood. - -[102] Walpole's _Letters_, vol. v., edition 1857. - -Christian's first excursion was to York. Attended by a retinue of a -hundred and twenty persons he set out from London, and, in passing, -visited Cambridge. The Vice-Chancellor, the heads of houses, the -doctors, professors, proctors and other officials of the university, -clad in their scarlet robes, received the King at the entrance of the -senate house, and conducted him to a chair of state, where an address -was presented to him. The King was invited to a public luncheon, but -he excused himself, and asked the Vice-Chancellor to supper with him -at his inn. Christian shirked all ceremony, and saw the sights of -Cambridge in his riding coat and boots. At York the Corporation made -every preparation to entertain him in a splendid manner, but the King -declined all formalities, saw the races, visited the Minster and other -public buildings, and the next day set out on his return journey to -London, going round by way of Liverpool and Manchester, "where he was -particularly gratified by viewing the stupendous works of the Duke of -Bridgewater, at which he expressed both astonishment and pleasure". - -A few days after the Danish King's return to London he again set forth -on a visit to Oxford. He was received in state by the Vice-Chancellor -and officials of the university, and in full convocation had the -degree of Doctor of Civil Law conferred upon him. Bernstorff, Holck -and other members of the Danish suite also received honorary degrees, -and Struensee had conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Medicine. -After Oxford the King visited several places, and was perpetually on -the road. When he was at Newmarket for the races the Vice-Chancellor of -Cambridge waited on him, and in the name of the university presented -an address, and graces for conferring the same degree upon the King -and his nobles as they had received at Oxford. - -The grandest entertainment provided for Christian was his state visit -to the City of London. The Lord Mayor with the aldermen and sheriffs, -all in their robes, set out in coaches from the Guildhall for the -Three Cranes, where they embarked at eleven o'clock in the morning -on board the city state barge, "the streamers flying, a select band -of water-music playing, and the principal livery companies attending -in their respective barges," to Westminster, where they awaited the -arrival of Christian from St. James's Palace. The King came punctually, -and as he set foot on the city barge a royal salute was fired, and -loud cheers rent the air from the vast crowds of people who lined the -banks on either side, thronged the bridges, and crowded the river on -innumerable craft. The procession glided down the Thames to the Temple -Stairs. "During the course of this grand passage on the water his -Majesty frequently expressed himself highly pleased, and his admiration -of the several great and beautiful objects round him; and sometimes -condescended to come forward in order to gratify the curiosity of the -people, who eagerly fought to get a sight of his royal person, though -at the hazard of their lives."[103] Arrived at the Temple Stairs the -King landed, took his seat in the Lord Mayor's coach, and proceeded -to the Mansion House. The streets through which he passed were gaily -decorated, and crowded "with an innumerable populace, while the windows -and tops of houses were equally crowded with spectators of both sexes, -whose acclamations, together with the ringing of bells, and the shouts -of the multitude, loudly expressed their joy at his Majesty's presence; -his Majesty expressed his surprise at the populousness of this city, -and his satisfaction at the kindness of the citizens".[104] - -[103] _The Annual Register._ - -[104] _Ibid._ - -Arrived at the Mansion House an address was read to the King by the -City Recorder. Curiously no direct mention was made of Queen Matilda, -but we take from it one passage to show the gross and servile flattery -which characterised the whole effusion. "The many endearing ties which -happily connect you, Sir, with our most gracious Sovereign, justly -entitle you to the respect and veneration of all his Majesty's faithful -subjects; but your affability and other princely virtues, so eminently -displayed during the whole course of your residence among us, have in -a particular manner charmed the citizens of London, who reflect with -admiration on your early and uncommon thirst for knowledge, and your -indefatigable pursuit of it by travel and observation, the happy fruits -of which they doubt not will be long employed and acknowledged within -the whole extent of your influence and command." Christian returned a -suitable reply in Danish, and, "upon notice that the dinner was served, -his Majesty was conducted into the Egyptian Hall, where his Majesty -condescended to proceed quite round, that the ladies (who made a most -brilliant appearance in the galleries) might have a full view of his -royal person". The banquet was a Gargantuan one, and took four hours -to work through. Several toasts were drunk to the sound of a trumpet, -but, at the King's request, without speeches. In addition to the usual -loyal toasts, were added those of the King of Denmark and Norway and -his Consort, Queen Matilda. The King himself proposed two toasts, -"Prosperity to the British Nation," and "Prosperity to the City of -London".[105] - -[105] _The Annual Register._ - -At eight o'clock his Majesty took his leave, the City Fathers going -before him to his coach bearing wax lights. The King returned to St. -James's Palace through crowded streets, brilliantly illuminated in his -honour. The whole visit was a remarkable tribute to his undeserved -popularity. Truly there must be some strange glamour around the name -of king, when a prince like this, who had never said or done anything -worth recording, and a great deal which was quite unfit to be recorded, -received from the greatest city in the world an ovation which could not -be surpassed if he had been one of the world's greatest heroes. - -Moreover, the King of Denmark was pursuing in London the same -scandalous amusements as those which had revolted his subjects in -Copenhagen. Incredible though it may seem, night after night he and -his favourite, Holck, disguised as sailors, would pass hours drinking -and frolicking in the stews and pot-houses of St. Giles'. These -adventures generally began after midnight. Christian would leave some -splendid entertainment given in his honour by the proudest of the -English nobility, and hurrying back to St. James's would change his -clothes, and start out again to seek distraction in the lowest forms -of dissipation. These extraordinary predilections were perfectly -well known to many people of rank and fashion, and the knowledge -filtered down to the mob, who cheered the Danish King whithersoever -he went. Perhaps they lent, such was the depravity of the age, an -additional zest to the cheers. Even Queen Matilda, left behind in -far-off Denmark, heard from London of her husband's transgressions. It -is said that she wrote to her aunt, the Princess Amelia: "I wish the -King's travels had the same laudable object as those of Cyrus, but I -hear that his Majesty's chief companions are musicians, fiddlers, and -persons designed for inglorious employments. What a wretched levee! -And his evening amusements are said to be still more disgraceful. His -delicacy and sentiment cannot be supposed to dignify these fleeting -gratifications. If I had not experienced his fickleness and levity at -home, I could not have heard, without emotion and disquietude, of his -infidelities abroad."[106] - -[106] _Memoirs of an Unfortunate Queen._ - -Having said this much in condemnation of Christian VII. in England, -it is only fair to turn the other side of the shield, and record one -or two anecdotes of him which may have accounted, to some extent, for -his undoubted popularity. One day he saw a poor tradesman seized in -his shop by two bailiffs, who thrust him into a hackney coach, despite -the lamentations of his weeping wife and family, and drove off to the -Marshalsea. The King commanded Count Moltke to follow the coach and -find out all particulars. Moltke reported that the unlucky man had -contracted a debt in the course of his business, and had been charged -exorbitant interest. The King paid the debt, set the man free from -prison, and gave him five hundred dollars to start anew. This was only -one instance of several exhibitions of generosity, for he gave away -considerable sums to liberate poor debtors from the Marshalsea and -Fleet. Christian had also a habit of scattering money among the crowd, -which would account for many cheers--though money was scarce in Denmark -its King had always plenty to throw away on his travels. - -One day when Christian stepped out of his coach to enter St. James's -Palace, a fine buxom girl, who formed one of the little crowd that -always assembled to witness the King's goings out and comings in, burst -through the line, caught the King in her arms, and, fairly lifting him -off the ground, kissed him heartily. "Now," said she, "kill me if you -like, I shall die happy, for I have kissed the prettiest fellow in the -world." Christian, far from being offended, was delighted with this -tribute to his charms. He gave the girl a crown and ran laughing up -the stairs. But after this incident it was necessary to have a double -line of attendants, as other maidens might have been tempted to repeat -the experiment, for the King, though so small, was much admired by the -ladies of all classes. He was fond of dining in public at St. James's, -that is to say, he sat at a table in the middle of the room, and the -general public, chiefly women, were admitted to a space at one end, -shut off by a rail, whence they could see "the Northern Scamp" eat his -dinner. Powdered, painted, patched, perfumed, richly dressed in silk, -velvet and lace, and besprinkled with jewels, Christian looked like a -Dresden china figure. The men said he resembled a girl dressed in a -man's clothes, but the women adored him. - -Six weeks had passed since the King of Denmark's arrival in England, -yet he showed no inclination to depart. But the King of England, who -had to bear the cost of his maintenance, thought that it was high time -for him to return to his Queen and country. Other hints proving vain, -George III. invited his royal guest to what he pointedly called a -"farewell entertainment" at Richmond Lodge, on September 26. "A most -elegant structure," we read, "was erected, in the centre of which -was a large triumphal arch, about forty feet high, of the Grecian -order, decorated with figures, trophies and other embellishments." The -entertainment was equal to the magnificence of the structure, and the -fireworks were the finest ever exhibited in England. The road from St. -James's Palace to Richmond Lodge, along which Christian passed, was -illuminated by upwards of fifteen thousand Italian lamps. - -The Danish King accepted this "farewell entertainment," but still -showed no signs of saying farewell. The Princess-Dowager of Wales, -therefore, by way of speeding the parting guest, gave a supper party -on October 1, to bid him good-bye. It consisted of three tables, one -for their Majesties and the Princess-Dowager, a second for the King -of Denmark and fifty of the nobility, and a third for the Prince of -Wales (afterwards George IV., then a boy of six years old) and his -attendants. The supper party accomplished the object for which it -was given, and Christian VII. named the much-wished-for day of his -departure, which, however, was not for another fortnight. - -On October 10 the King of Denmark gave a masquerade ball to his English -friends, who had entertained him so lavishly. The ball took place at -the Opera House in the Haymarket, and two thousand five hundred guests -responded to the "royal Dane's" invitation. Queen Charlotte did not -appear, she did not approve of masquerades; her virtuous husband also -did not approve of them, but could not resist the temptation of being -present, though he compromised with his conscience by peeping at the -gay scene from a private box, behind transparent shutters. The Princess -Amelia, who was old and infirm, witnessed the revels from another box, -where she sat the whole evening masked. The scene was one of great -brilliancy, and the value of the jewels worn on this occasion was -estimated at upwards of £2,000,000. The company must have been rather -mixed, and a good many people lost articles of jewellery, which they -never recovered. The following account of the ball is taken from the -_Gentleman's Magazine_:-- - -[Illustration: THE MASKED BALL GIVEN BY CHRISTIAN VII. AT THE OPERA -HOUSE, HAYMARKET. - -_From the "Gentleman's Magazine," 1768._] - -"His Danish Majesty came in, masked, between ten and eleven o'clock, -dressed in a domino of gold and silver stuff, a black hat and white -feather, walked about with great good nature and pleasantry until -twelve, then withdrew with a select company to supper and appeared -no more.... The Duke of Cumberland was in a crimson domino, trimmed -with gold, black hat and white feather. The Duke of Gloucester in a -purple domino, white hat and white feather. Her Grace the Duchess -of Northumberland appeared in the character of Rembrandt's wife, in -a close black gown trimmed with gold, a rounded coif, a short apron -tucked up, and a painter's brush in her hand. Lady Bel Stanhope and her -sister represented pilgrims in brown gowns with blue sashes trimmed -with silver, and small hats laced round with diamonds. The Countess -of Harrington and the two young ladies, her daughters, were extremely -simple in their appearance, but at the same time extremely elegant.... -His Grace the Duke of Northumberland was in a Persian habit, with a -fine turban richly ornamented with diamonds. Lord Grosvenor was in a -splendid suit of the Turkish fashion. The Duchess of Ancaster, in the -character of a Sultana, was universally admired; her robe was purple -satin bordered with ermine, and fluttered on the ground so much in the -style of Eastern magnificence that we were transported in fancy to -the palaces of Constantinople.... Many of the most superb, as well as -the best fancied dresses in the whole assembly were those of eminent -citizens, or those who had acquired their fortunes by trade." - -Another account says: "The principal grotesque characters were the -conjurer, the black, and the old woman. There was also a Methodist -preacher, a chimney sweeper, with his bag, shovel and scraper, and a -boar with a bull's head, all of which were supported with great good -humour."[107] - -[107] _The Annual Register._ - -Two days after the masquerade the King of Denmark held a levee at St. -James's Palace, at which a large company attended to take leave of him. -The following day he went to Queen's House to say farewell to the King -and Queen, and to Carlton House to wish the Princess-Dowager good-bye. -Christian made several valuable presents before his departure, but the -most notable was a gold box studded with diamonds which he gave to -Garrick, the great actor, and begged him to receive it as a small token -of the regard he had for his genius. - -The King of Denmark posted to Dover on October 15, and on his way -thither he broke the journey at Chatham and went up the Medway on -H.M.S. _Victory_, and inspected the British fleet. It chanced that -the young officer who commanded the _Victory_ was Gambier, who forty -years later, in 1807, was the Admiral commanding the English fleet -that bombarded Copenhagen. The following day the King of Denmark left -England, after a stay of more than two months, and sailed for France. - - * * * * * - -Christian VII. went to Paris where he remained for some time as the -guest of the French King, Louis XV. It would not be germane to this -history to give a detailed account of the King of Denmark's experiences -in Paris. He was splendidly entertained by the King and the French -nobility, and welcomed on all his public appearances with enthusiasm. -His private amusements were of the same nature as those he had followed -in London. If it had been possible to corrupt Christian's morals more -than they were corrupted his experiences in Paris would have done it. -France was then slowly going down the steps that led to the revolution. -The heartlessness, extravagance and immorality of the nobility stood -in fearful contrast to the brutality, misery and ignorance of the -people. Already could be heard the mutterings of the coming storm, -but the Danish King had no eyes to see, nor ears to hear, nor mind to -understand anything beyond the amusements of the passing hour. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE PRODIGAL'S RETURN. - -1769. - - -On January 14 Christian VII. returned to Copenhagen after an absence of -nearly eight months. Queen Matilda drove out to meet him, and husband -and wife exchanged affectionate greetings. Together they entered -Copenhagen, amid the firing of cannon, ringing of bells, and the joyful -acclamations of the people. The English envoy gives the following -account of the entry: "The Queen went as far as Röskilde to meet his -Majesty, which strong mark of her affection and regard could not fail -of affording him the highest satisfaction. Between six and seven -o'clock their Majesties made a public entry into this capital, under -a triple discharge of the cannon on the ramparts. The whole garrison, -as well as the burghers, were under arms, and permission having been -given a few days before to illuminate the houses, the inhabitants -vied with each other in doing this, as well as the short notice would -admit of, and in demonstrating their joy in every other manner they -could. The foreign ministers, nobility, etc., attended at the palace -of Christiansborg in order to pay their compliments upon this happy -occasion, which the King was pleased to receive, after he had made a -short visit to the Dowager-Queens."[108] - -[108] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, January 17, 1769. - -Thus did Denmark welcome home her prodigal son. - -Queen Matilda had spent the greater part of the time since the King -left her at Frederiksborg,[109] some twenty miles from Copenhagen. -Frederiksborg was the most magnificent of the country palaces of the -Danish King, and has well been called the "Versailles of Denmark". -It stands to this day, and the site is one of the most picturesque -in Europe; the buildings cover three islands in a lake, connected by -bridges, the palace proper occupying the third island. The exterior is -rich in florid ornamentation, carried out in a warm sandstone, which -admirably harmonises with the time-stained brick of which the palace -is built. The windows look across the green water of the lake--a -vivid green nowhere seen as at Frederiksborg--to the gardens, laid -out in the old French style, with straight walks and terraces, and -clipped hedges of beech and hornbeam. The most magnificent room in -Frederiksborg is the knights' hall, and below it is the church, where -the Kings of the Oldenburg line were once wont to be crowned. This -church is the most ornate of any in Denmark; everywhere is colour--in -the traceried windows and frescoed walls, in the inlaid ivory work -of the stalls, the pulpit of ebony and embossed silver, and the -purple-vested altar with its golden crucifix. In short, Frederiksborg -is a magnificent specimen of the Danish Renaissance, and brings vividly -before us the life, the colour and richness which characterised the -court life of mediæval Denmark. - -[109] Frederiksborg was built early in the seventeenth century by -Christian IV. on the site of an old building, and was used as a -residence by the Kings of Denmark until 1859 (Frederick VII. usually -resided there), when a large part of the building was destroyed by -fire. Thanks to the munificence of the King, the Government and the -public, and especially to Herr J. C. Jacobsen, a wealthy brewer, who -contributed a large sum, the palace has been admirably restored, and -the interior is now fitted up as a National Historical Museum. The -contents, which include many works of art, illustrating events in -Danish history, are not so interesting as one might suppose, but the -visitor to Frederiksborg is well repaid by the beauty of its exterior, -the magnificence of its chapel, where the work of restoration has been -admirably done, and by the old-world charm of its gardens. - -At Frederiksborg Matilda spent the summer and autumn months of 1768 -alone. She occupied herself for the most part in works of charity, and -strove to forget her own sorrows in relieving those of others. There -was no philanthropic institution in the kingdom which she did not -support, and in her immediate neighbourhood her name became a household -word for many acts of kindness and benevolence. The young Queen went in -and out among the poor of the adjacent village of Hilleröd, visiting -the sick and helping the needy. The fame of her good deeds spread -abroad, and the poor throughout Denmark, even thousands to whom she -was only a name, came to look upon her as a protectress and a friend. -They believed that the golden days of good Queen Louise had come back -again. "The English," they said, "send us not Queens, but angels." - -For the rest, Matilda lived in great retirement. Occasionally she -received visits of ceremony from the Dowager-Queens, from Sophia -Magdalena, who lived at Hirschholm, or from Juliana Maria, who lived at -Fredensborg. The masked hostility of Juliana Maria continued unabated, -but the extreme circumspection of the young Queen's conduct gave no -occasion for cavil. Except the Dowager-Queens she saw no one beyond her -immediate household, and though most of these had been forced upon her -against her will, yet after the first restraint wore off she showed -to them no resentment. Her kindness and consideration won all their -hearts, with one exception--that of Fräulein von Eyben, who, though -pretending to be devoted to her mistress, was secretly working against -her. Matilda took no part in state affairs during the King's absence, -not even in ceremonial duties. Taking their cue from the King, the -Ministers who had been left to conduct the business of the state while -he was abroad, treated the Queen as a person of little importance, and -even neglected to pay her the ordinary visits of ceremony. - -Since Madame de Plessen had left the court Matilda had no one to whom -she could talk freely, nor, except her sister Augusta of Brunswick, -had she any one to whom she could write without restraint. Augusta -had her own troubles too, but she kept a warm corner in her heart for -her youngest sister, and throughout life remained her truest and -staunchest friend. But, at best, letter-writing is a poor substitute -for personal converse, and at this time Matilda was much alone. - -The young Queen must have often felt friendless and depressed as she -paced the terraces of Frederiksborg or looked down from the windows -of her apartments into the green water which lapped the castle walls, -or gazed out on the clear northern night, and watched the moonlight -play on the towers and pinnacles of the palace. Sometimes of a morning -she would wander forth to the beech woods beyond the gardens. These -beeches, mighty with age, are now, as they were then, one of the -features of Frederiksborg. They are always beautiful--beautiful in -spring, with their satin-smooth trunks, and branches still leafless, -but tipped with brown spikes flushed with purple, and already bursting -to disclose the woolly buds of silver within; beautiful in summer, when -the pale green leaves form a shimmering canopy overhead; beautiful when -the golden hues of autumn mingle with the russet-brown of the cones; -beautiful even in winter, when the leafless branches stretch like -lacework against the leaden hues of the sky, and the shrill winds from -the Baltic whistle through them, and the ground beneath is carpeted -with husks of their lavish fruit. Matilda grew to love these beech -woods greatly, and even to-day they are associated with her name. - -The Queen had one consolation in her loneliness which was not hers -when she came to Denmark-- she had her son, and found much happiness -in him, for the maternal instinct was always strong in her. She could -no longer feel a stranger and an alien in a country over which her -son would, under Providence, one day rule; she was not merely the -King's wife, but the mother of the future King of Denmark. The Crown -Prince was at first sickly and ailing, but when the Queen went to -Frederiksborg, in defiance of court etiquette, she took the infant -under her immediate care, and kept him with her as much as possible. -During the summer, under his mother's watchful love, the little -Prince, whose life was so precious to the Danish nation, grew much -stronger. The English envoy mentions an audience he had with the Queen -at Frederiksborg soon after her arrival there, and adds: "The Prince -Royal, whom her Majesty was pleased to allow me to see, is greatly -grown since his removal to the country. The resemblance between his -Highness and the King's (our royal Master's) family is striking to all -those who have had the honour of seeing him."[110] - -[110] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, July 9, 1768. - -[Illustration: THE PALACE OF FREDERIKSBORG, FROM THE GARDEN TERRACE. - -_From an Engraving, temp. 1768._] - -The only ceremonial the Queen attended, in the absence of Christian -VII., was the inauguration of an equestrian statue of the late King -Frederick V. at Copenhagen in the late autumn. Shortly after this -function Matilda removed from the country to the Christiansborg Palace, -and there awaited the King, who did not return until two months later -than he at first intended. Matilda had now determined to make the best -of her husband, notwithstanding the reports which had reached her of -his dissipation in London and Paris. He was the father of her child, -and her interests were bound up with his. The future happiness of her -son, and the prosperity of his kingdom, largely depended on Christian -VII. It was clearly the Queen's duty to put aside her own grievances, -however great they might be, and make an effort to guide the King in -the right way. Therefore she welcomed him home as affectionately as if -no cloud had dimmed their parting eight months before. - -The King was surprised and delighted at the change which had taken -place in his Queen's appearance and demeanour. The restful and healthy -life she had led at Frederiksborg had added greatly to her charm, her -figure had developed and her spirits improved. Christian had left -Matilda an unformed girl, he came back to find her a beautiful and -self-possessed woman. His wayward fancy was pleased, and soon the _mot_ -ran round the palace that the King had actually fallen in love with -his own wife. He might well have done so, for she was by far the most -beautiful woman at his court. There is a portrait of Queen Matilda in -the Rosenborg at Copenhagen, painted about this time, when she was in -her eighteenth year. It represents her in the full bloom of her beauty. -The face is a pure oval, the brow lofty and serene, the nose delicately -chiselled, the lips full and red, the large eyes of a peculiar shade -of light blue, the expression a combination of youthful dignity and -sweet archness. Her hair is dressed high, and powdered after the -fashion of the time; she wears a blue robe, with a narrow edge of -ermine to betoken her queenly rank, and round her finely-moulded throat -is a close necklace of pearls. Even if we make allowance for courtly -flattery, the picture remains that of a woman of rare loveliness and -indescribable charm. - -Though her heart was untouched, Matilda was no doubt flattered by her -husband's attentions, and she honestly tried to meet his advances -half way. Acting on the advice of her mother, her sister, and of all -who wished her well, she strove to please him, and in her desire to -hold his fickle favour, she even overlooked the fact that the hated -Holck was still in the ascendant. Perhaps she thought, by fair words -and guile, to undermine his ascendency. Her efforts, if they did not -add to her own happiness, at least conduced to the outward harmony -of the royal pair, and were coincident with a marked improvement in -Christian's mode of life. For the first few months after the King's -return this improvement was maintained; the nocturnal expeditions, -which had so scandalised the citizens of Copenhagen, were now entirely -given up; there were no masquerades, and the court became quite -decorous. Formerly the dinner used to be rushed through for the King to -hurry off to his apartments and occupy himself in unworthy pursuits. -Now the King and Queen dined in public nearly every day, and with -much ceremony. The leading ministers, the foreign envoys, and all who -distinguished themselves in the service of church or state, were in -turn honoured with invitations, and the conversation at the dinner -table became almost intellectual. Yet the court did not grow dull; -cotillons and minuets were often danced in the palace, and the opening -of the theatre for the season afforded much interest and amusement. The -centre of all this pleasant society was the young Queen, the praises -of whose beauty and amiability were on every tongue. Moreover, always -accompanied by the Queen, the King reviewed the fleet, inspected -the docks and fortifications of Copenhagen, and visited learned and -scientific institutions with the object of comparing them with those he -had seen abroad. The King also again endeavoured to interest himself -in affairs of state, attended councils and criticised many details -of administration. This remarkable change delighted alike the King's -ministers and his subjects, and they ascribed the improvement quite as -much to the influence of the Queen as to the result of his travels. -The Queen, it seemed at this time, was likely to become a power in the -state. The English envoy writes home:-- - -"Your Lordship (the Earl of Rochford) has been already acquainted with -the change that appeared in his Danish Majesty. Those amusements in -which he used to take delight no longer afford him any. The society of -the Queen seems alone to constitute his happiness. Her Majesty will -now, no doubt, obtain that just and proper degree of influence, which -her numberless amiable qualities entitle her to, and which she would -have much earlier enjoyed, had not the happy effect of it been too -much apprehended by some who did not expect to find their account in -it."[111] - -[111] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, February 18, 1769. - -Impressed, no doubt, by the warmth of his welcome in England, the King -of Denmark was now strongly English in his sentiments. He talked much -about his English mother, and delighted to honour anything which had to -do, even remotely, with England. For instance, he sent the order of the -Elephant to Prince George of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the youngest brother -of Queen Charlotte; he despatched a pressing invitation to the Duke -of Gloucester to visit Copenhagen, and he resolved to celebrate Queen -Matilda's birthday with all possible ceremony, not only as a mark of -her new-found favour in his eyes, but also because he wished to pay a -compliment, through her, to the royal house of England. - -The Duke of Gloucester duly arrived at Copenhagen to take part in -the celebration of his sister's birthday. He was the first of her -family whom Matilda had seen since she left home, and she received -him with demonstrations of joy. Gunning writes: "Their mutual joy and -satisfaction on this occasion was greater than can be expressed".[112] - -[112] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, July 11, 1769. - -William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was in his twenty-sixth year at -the time of his visit to Copenhagen. He was the least intelligent of -the numerous family of Frederick Prince of Wales, but he had some -sterling qualities, which made him resemble, more than the other sons, -his eldest brother George III. If he lacked the wit and brilliancy -of the Duke of York, he did not possess the vices and follies of the -Duke of Cumberland. As a boy he was dull and heavy-witted, and the -Princess-Dowager cared for him the least of all her children. According -to Walpole she used to treat him with severity, and then accuse him -of sulking. "No," said the Duke, on one occasion, "I am not sulking, -I am only thinking." "And pray, of what are you thinking?" asked his -mother with scorn. "I am thinking that if ever I have a son, I will not -make him as unhappy as you make me." The Duke of Gloucester grew up -a silent, reserved man, and shortly after attaining his majority, he -became enamoured of Maria, Dowager-Countess Waldegrave. His passion was -the more violent, because of the way his affections had been stunted -in his youth, and the obstacles to the attainment of his desire only -served to quicken his ardour. The obstacles were considerable, for -the Dowager-Countess Waldegrave, in consequence of a stain upon her -birth,[113] was hardly a meet woman for the King's brother to take to -wife, and, on the other hand, as she told him, she was too considerable -a person to become his mistress. She was a young, rich and beautiful -widow of spotless reputation and boundless ambition. Many suitors -were at her feet, among them the Duke of Portland, the best match -in England, yet by some strange perversity Lady Waldegrave rejected -them all, and engaged in a dalliance with the unattractive Duke of -Gloucester. The Duke's wooing was long and unsatisfactory; the King -and the Princess-Dowager did their utmost to break off the affair, the -friends of Lady Waldegrave remonstrated, and counselled prudence. But -threats, advice and warnings were all in vain, and at last the Duke -of Gloucester and Lady Waldegrave were secretly married in September, -1766, in the drawing-room of Lady Waldegrave's town house, by her -domestic chaplain. The secret was jealously guarded; some declared that -the young couple were married, others, less charitable, that they ought -to be, but the Duke and his Duchess let them gossip as they would. The -Duke was always with Lady Waldegrave in public, and his manner to her -was exactly the manner a man would treat his honoured wife. The livery -worn by her servants was a compromise between that of the royal family -and her own. But the marriage was not declared, and at the time the -Duke of Gloucester came to Copenhagen there seemed no probability that -it ever would be.[114] - -[113] The Dowager-Countess Waldegrave was the illegitimate daughter -of Sir Edward Walpole (brother of Horace Walpole), by Mary Clement, a -milliner's apprentice. She was the second and the most beautiful of -three beautiful daughters, Laura, Maria and Charlotte. It was said that -after the birth of her children, Edward Walpole intended to marry Mary -Clement, but she died suddenly, and his honourable intentions were too -late. He, however, took the children, acknowledged them, and gave them -every advantage of wealth and education. When they grew up, though -their birth prevented presentation at court, they were successfully -launched into the best society. All three made brilliant marriages. -Laura married the Rev. the Hon. Frederick Keppel, brother of the Earl -of Albemarle, who subsequently became Bishop of Exeter; Charlotte, -Lord Huntingtower, afterwards fifth Earl of Dysart, and Maria, Earl -Waldegrave. Lord Waldegrave died a few years after the marriage, -leaving his widow three daughters and a large fortune. - -[114] The marriage was not declared until 1772, when, in consequence of -a bill having been brought into Parliament to regulate royal marriages, -the Duke publicly acknowledged Lady Waldegrave as his wife. The King -was highly incensed, and Queen Charlotte even more so. They refused to -receive the Duchess at court, though the King had to acknowledge the -marriage as legal; consequently the Duke and Duchess went to Italy, -where they remained for some time. In 1776 they returned to England -with their two children, Prince William Henry and the Princess Sophia. -Their conduct was so irreproachable that a reconciliation took place -between the Duke and the King, and the Duchess of Gloucester and her -children were duly acknowledged. Prince William Henry of Gloucester -eventually married his cousin, Princess Mary, daughter of George III. - -The Duke of Gloucester was received with every mark of respect, and -his visit to Copenhagen was a continual round of festivity. There was -a grand review of the troops in his honour, and a gala performance -at the court theatre. One day the King and Queen and the Duke made -an excursion to the ancient castle Kronborg at Elsinore, and were -entertained by the commandant of the fortress. The Queen-Mother, Sophia -Magdalena, gave a _déjeuner_ to the English Prince at Hirschholm and -Count Otto Moltke gave a ball. The Queen's birthday festivities are -described by the English envoy:-- - -"Saturday, July 22, was the anniversary of the Queen's birthday, -which not having been observed since her Majesty's arrival in these -dominions, by reason of the King of Denmark's absence, his Majesty was -determined to celebrate it now with as much magnificence as possible. -The court testified its joy on this occasion by a very numerous and -brilliant appearance.... In the evening followed a succession of new -entertainments at the court theatre, designed and executed purposely -in honour of her Majesty, and the day's festivity was closed with a -great supper at the King's table. On Monday began the second act of -this celebration. At six o'clock in the evening his Majesty and the -noblemen who performed a part in the Carousal,[115] richly habited -in Turkish dresses, and upon horses finely caparisoned, set out in -grand procession through the city, attended by the Horse Guards and -by a large band of martial music; at seven the procession returned to -the great area of the palace, and as soon as the noblemen, appointed -judges, had taken their seats, the exhibition began. One quadrille -was led by the King, the other by Count Ahlfeld, governor of the -city. The whole ceremony was very magnificent, and performed with the -utmost address and good order, in the presence of her Danish Majesty, -the Queen-Mother, Sophia Magdalena, his Royal Highness the Duke of -Gloucester, the whole court, and several thousand spectators. The -performance concluded soon after nine, and was succeeded by an elegant -supper and ball. The court returns this evening to Frederiksberg, where -there is a grand firework to be played off; the whole gardens are to -be illuminated, and, after a magnificent supper in a large building -erected for that purpose, a masquerade ball is intended, to which two -thousand persons are to be admitted."[116] - -[115] The Carousal was a musical ride which the King and the courtiers -had been rehearsing in the riding school for weeks beforehand. _Vide_ -Gunning's despatch, April 15, 1769. - -[116] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, July 25, 1769. - -The Duke of Gloucester left Copenhagen a few days after the Queen's -birthday, and returned to England. Though Christian had prepared all -these festivities in his brother-in-law's honour, he did not hesitate -to exercise his wit at the expense of his guest. The Duke was silent -and dull, and his lack of conversation was made a subject of ridicule -by the garrulous King. One day Christian asked Holck what he thought of -the Duke, and the favourite replied: "He reminds me of an English ox!" -The Duke was very stout for his age, and had a broad red face and large -ruminating eyes. The King laughed at Holck's witticism, and maliciously -repeated it to the Queen, who was incensed at the impertinence. If -the truth must be told, the English Prince did not appear in the most -favourable light at the Danish court. He stared and said little, and -chiefly distinguished himself by his enormous appetite. - -When her brother left Copenhagen the Queen found herself once more -alone. His visit had been to a great extent a disappointment to her, -for he had little in common with his sister, and not much sympathy for -her in her troubles. These, as time went on, grew from bad to worse. -Despite all her efforts Holck continued in the ascendant, and his -influence was wholly against the Queen. He was known throughout Denmark -as the man whom the King delighted to honour, and even Matilda was -forced to show public marks of favour to the man whom she considered -her worst enemy. For instance, in September she was compelled by the -King to attend Holck's wedding to a daughter of Count Laurvig, "an -honour," to quote the English envoy, "never before conferred in this -kingdom upon any subject when the ceremony was performed out of the -palace; but indeed the whole of this had more the appearance of the -nuptials of a prince of the blood than those of a private person, the -King having conveyed Count Holck in his Majesty's chariot, at the -same time giving him the right hand from Frederiksberg to Copenhagen, -the Queen and all the court following".[117] Holck's marriage made no -difference to his mode of life, and Christian's infatuation for his -favourite continued as great as before. Mounted couriers tore along the -road between the Blaagaard, where Holck lived, and the King's palace -at all hours of the day and night, and on one occasion two horses were -killed in the wild haste with which the horseman rode to convey the -King's message to his favourite. - -[117] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, September 30, 1769. - -[Illustration: WILLIAM HENRY, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, BROTHER OF QUEEN -MATILDA. - -_From the Painting by H. W. Hamilton, 1771._] - -Nine months had passed since Christian's return from abroad, and -it was at last seen by his subjects that the hopes they had formed -of their King's reformation were doomed to disappointment. The -costly experiment of foreign travel had proved a failure. True, he -no longer scandalised his people with riots in the streets, or his -court with shameless disregard of morality, for his strength was no -longer equal to such exhibitions. The incessant round of dissipation -in London and Paris had shattered an already enfeebled constitution. -The King's tendency to melancholia became more marked every day, and -symptoms of the dread malady which before long overtook him began to -make themselves apparent. His delusions as to his prowess became more -frequent, and he showed strange aberrations of intellect. He was a -mental and physical wreck. - -In October, 1769, Queen Matilda fell ill. Her illness was the crowning -indignity and proved the limit of her long-suffering endurance. With -it also came to an end the efforts she had bravely made since the -King's return to do her duty to her husband, and lead him to higher -things. This was the turning-point of Matilda's life, and explains, if -it does not excuse, much that followed after. She threw down her arms. -Insulted and degraded, it is no wonder that the young wife of eighteen -was filled with a disgust of life. The remonstrances of her physicians -were unavailing, she turned her face to the wall and prayed for death. -The Queen's condition was so serious that the English envoy thought it -necessary to write home the following diplomatically worded despatch:-- - -"I am extremely sorry to acquaint your Lordship that the state of the -Queen of Denmark's health has lately presented some very unfavourable -symptoms; which have given such apprehensions to her physicians, as to -make them think that a perfect re-establishment may be attended with -some difficulty, unless her Majesty can be persuaded to pay unusual -attention to herself. I am so thoroughly sensible how deeply it would -affect the King [George III.] to receive information of a still more -alarming nature, and so anxious to prevent it, that I cannot help -desiring your Lordship to represent to his Majesty that, though there -appears no immediate danger, yet the situation the Queen of Denmark -is at present in is too critical not to make it highly necessary to -obviate worse symptoms, and as this happy effect depends very much upon -her Majesty's own care, I believe she would be wrought upon by nothing -more successfully than by some affectionate expostulations from the -King, upon the very great importance of her life."[118] - -[118] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, November 4, 1769. - -It was at this critical moment, when her whole being was in passionate -revolt, when she was disgusted with her environment, and weary of life, -that Matilda's evil genius appeared upon the scene in the guise of a -deliverer. This was the King's physician--John Frederick Struensee. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -STRUENSEE. - -1737-1769. - - -John Frederick Struensee was born at Halle, an old town in northern -Germany, on August 5, 1737. His father, Adam Struensee, was a -zealous Lutheran minister; his mother was the daughter of a doctor -named Carl, a clever man, much given to mysticism, who had been -physician-in-ordinary to King Christian VI. of Denmark. The Struensee -family was of obscure origin. The first Struensee of whom anything is -known began life under a different name. He was a pilot at Lubeck, -and during a terrible storm, in which no other man dared venture out -to sea, he brought into port a richly laden vessel. In honour of his -courageous deed he received from the corporation of Lubeck the name -of Strouvensee, which means a dark, stormy sea--a fit emblem of his -descendant's troubled career. - -John Frederick Struensee received his early education at the grammar -school of his native town. It was not a good education, for the -masters were imperfectly educated themselves, but the boy was so -extraordinarily precocious, and had such a thirst for knowledge, that -he soon absorbed all that his tutors could teach him, and began to -educate himself. The wave of mysticism was then passing over northern -Germany, and Struensee's teachers were infected with it, and no doubt -communicated their views to their pupil, for Struensee was all his life -something of a mystic, or, to speak more correctly, a fatalist. Despite -the orthodox Protestantism of his parents, the younger Struensee's -eager and inquiring mind had always an inclination to scepticism, and -before he had attained man's estate he was already a freethinker on -most matters of religion. He seems always to have retained a belief in -God, or a First Cause, but he never had the conviction that man enjoyed -a future life: he held that his existence was bounded by this life, and -always acted on that assumption. Side by side with the mysticism which -was permeating northern Germany there existed a religious revival. -The theory of conversion, whereby a man was suddenly and miraculously -converted from his evil ways and made sure of future salvation, was -peculiarly acceptable to many, and amongst Struensee's companions were -youths of notoriously loose morals who declared that they had suddenly -"found salvation". As this declaration was not always accompanied by -a corresponding change of life, Struensee hastily and unjustly came -to the conclusion that all religion was little more than an organised -hypocrisy. His father's long sermons, to which he was compelled to -listen Sunday after Sunday, left no impression on his heart, and his -sire's private exhortations to his son to change his life, and flee -from the wrath to come, wearied him. His mother, who had inherited -her father's mystical views, and supplemented them with her husband's -hard and uncompromising evangelicalism, also lectured her son until -the limits of his patience were exhausted, and he resolved as soon as -possible to quit a home where he was unhappy. - -Struensee exhibited remarkable abilities at an early age; he -matriculated at the university of Halle in his fourteenth year, and he -had not completed his twentieth when he received the degree of doctor. -Notwithstanding these academic distinctions, he was unable at first to -earn money, and his means were so limited that he was forced to remain, -an unwilling dweller, in the house of his parents. Even at that early -age his enterprising and restless mind and his unbridled ambition began -to make themselves manifest; his academic successes he considered -merely as steps towards further greatness. His father used to warn him -against worldly ambition and intellectual pride, but his exhortations -fell on deaf ears. - -In 1757, when Struensee was twenty years old, his father received "a -call" to become chief preacher of the principal church of Altona, a -city situated on the northern bank of the Elbe, within the kingdom of -Denmark. This change in the family fortunes was destined to exercise a -material influence on Struensee's future. The young doctor accompanied -his father to Altona, and in a few months was appointed town physician, -and country physician of the adjacent lordship of Pinneberg and the -county of Rantzau. The elder Struensee did not remain long at Altona, -for the fervour of his eloquence soon brought him preferment, and he -was appointed by the Danish Government superintendent-general of the -clergy of the duchy of Holstein, an office equivalent, in influence and -importance, to that of bishop. Left to himself, the young doctor bought -a house in Altona, and set up his own establishment. He entertained -freely some of the principal people in Altona. Struensee was a pleasant -host and clever conversationalist, and early gave evidence of those -social qualities which afterwards proved useful to him. But his polish -was superficial, and concealed his natural roughness and lack of -refinement. He would do anything to gain notoriety, and to this end -affected the bizarre; for instance, he had two skeletons with candles -in their hands placed one on either side of his bed, and by the light -of these weird candelabra he read himself to sleep. - -As Struensee's establishment was expensive and his means limited, -he invited a literary man named Penning to live with him and share -expenses. In 1763 the two started a magazine called _The Monthly -Journal of Instruction and Amusement_. The magazine was not a financial -success, and at the end of six months ceased to exist. It did not -contain anything very wonderful; perhaps the most remarkable article -was one headed "Thoughts of a Surgeon about the Causes of Depopulation -in a given country," which was written by Struensee, and contained -ideas on population which he afterwards put in practice. Struensee -also published some medico-scientific treatises, but nothing of any -great merit. He did not distinguish himself as a writer, but he was -without doubt a widely read man; his favourite author was Voltaire, -and next to him he placed Rousseau. He was also much influenced by the -writings of Helvetius. Struensee was a deep, if not always an original, -thinker, and his ideas generally were in advance of his time. - -In Altona Struensee soon won a reputation as a successful doctor, -and his handsome person and agreeable manners made him very popular, -especially with women. The good-looking young physician gained through -his lady patients (and it was his boast that women were his best -friends) access to the best houses in, and around, Altona. He made the -acquaintance of Count Schack Karl Rantzau, the eldest son of Count -Rantzau-Ascheberg, one of the most considerable noblemen in Holstein, -the owner of vast estates, a Danish privy councillor, and a Count of -the Holy Roman Empire. Of Count Schack Karl Rantzau we shall have -occasion to write at length later; suffice it here to say that he was -already middle-aged when Struensee met him, and had led a wild and -disreputable life. Struensee was useful to him in no creditable way, -and before long the two became very intimate. They made an informal -covenant that if either attained power he should help the other. But -at present nothing seemed more unlikely, and Rantzau gave Struensee -only promises and flattery, which, however, were enough, for the young -doctor was very vain, and moreover exceedingly fond of the society of -titled and highly placed personages. - -Struensee also visited the house of the Baron Söhlenthal, who was -the stepfather of Enevold Brandt, and thus became acquainted with -Christian VII.'s one-time favourite. Struensee had also attended, in a -professional capacity, Madame von Berkentin, who was later appointed -chief lady to the Crown Prince Frederick; and it was at her house that -he said, half in jest and half in earnest: "If my lady patronesses will -only contrive to get me to Copenhagen, then I will carry all before me". - -But for a long time he remained at Altona and all these fine -acquaintances had no other effect than making his scale of living -much higher than his circumstances warranted. He became considerably -in debt, and this, added to dislike of his calling, for his ambition -soared high above the position of a country doctor, made him restless -and discontented. He was on the point of resigning his post, and -taking a voyage to Malaga and the East Indies, partly to escape his -difficulties, partly on account of his health, when a very different -prospect revealed itself to him. The night is darkest before the dawn, -and dark though Struensee's fortunes were at this moment, the gloom -soon vanished in the dawn of a golden future. - -Christian VII., with a numerous suite, was then passing through -Holstein, preparatory to starting on his prolonged tour in England and -France. The King's health was far from strong, and it was necessary -that he should have a physician to accompany him on his travels; for -this purpose a young and active man who could adapt himself readily to -the King's eccentricities was preferable to the older and staider court -physicians, who indeed showed no inclination to undertake the task. -Struensee strained every nerve to obtain the post, and was strongly -recommended by Rantzau and Madame von Berkentin. The King had heard of -the young physician of Altona through Brandt, before the latter had -fallen into disgrace. Holck also knew something of him, and said that -he would serve. As Holck's slightest recommendation carried weight -with the King, Struensee obtained the coveted post, and was appointed -travelling physician. On June 6, 1768, he joined the King's suite near -Hamburg, and entered at once upon his duties. - -Struensee at first did not occupy a prominent place in the King's -suite. His profession of itself did not entitle him to be a member -of the first three classes who were received at court. His position -was a middle one, between the lackeys and those members of the King's -suite who ranked as gentlemen, and it must have been uncomfortable. -Some little difficulty arose as to with whom he should travel, but -he was finally given a seat in the coach of Bernstorff's secretary. -Struensee was not a man to be content to remain long in an anomalous -position, and he proceeded, very cautiously at first, to make his -situation better. As the King's physician he had unique opportunities, -and made the most of them. Christian was a hypochondriac, who imagined -himself ill when he was not, and often made himself really ill from his -excesses; he loved to talk about his ailments, and Struensee listened -with sympathetic deference. The King, who was always wanting to be -amused, found the doctor a pleasant companion. He discovered that he -could talk on a great many matters besides his profession, that he -was widely read, and had a considerable knowledge of philosophy and -French literature, in which Christian was genuinely interested. He -supplied a void which could not be filled by Holck, who cared nothing -for literature or abstruse speculations, and whose tastes were purely -material. - -The King's suite soon began to remark the pleasure which the King took -in conversing with his doctor, but Struensee was so modest, so anxious -to please every one, that he did not arouse feelings of jealousy. He -was especially careful to avoid political discussions, and never made -the slightest allusion to affairs at home. He was also very discreet, -and never spoke about his royal master, or his ailments, or made -any allusion to the escapades in which the King and his favourites -indulged. So far did Struensee carry this caution, that during the -King's tour he rarely wrote home to his parents and friends, and when -he did, he restricted himself to indifferent topics. His father thought -this apparent forgetfulness was because his son had lost his head -in consequence of his good fortune. "I knew," he said to a friend, -"that John would not be able to bear the favour of his monarch." But -Struensee had intuitively learned the lesson that the word written -over the gateway of all kings' palaces is "silence!" His position, -though pleasant, was precarious; he was only the travelling physician, -and his appointment would come to an end when the King returned home. -It was Struensee's object to change this temporary appointment into -a permanent one, and from the first moment he entered the King's -service he kept this end steadily in view. Struensee had another -characteristic, which in the end proved fatal to him, but which at -first helped him with both the King and Holck. Side by side with his -undoubted brain power, there existed a strong vein of sensuality, and -he readily lent himself to pandering to the King's weaknesses in this -respect. Struensee had no sense of morality; he was a law unto himself, -and his freethinking views on this and other questions were peculiarly -acceptable to his royal master. - -Struensee had a certain measure of success in England, and through -the King of Denmark's favour, he was invited to many entertainments -to which his position would not otherwise have entitled him. His -reputation for gallantry was hardly inferior to that of Holck. It is -stated that Struensee fell violently in love with an English lady of -beauty and fortune, and his passion was returned. He wore her miniature -next his heart, and it was found upon him after his death--but this -rests on hearsay. What is certain, during his sojourn in England, is -that he received honorary degrees, from the universities of Oxford and -Cambridge; and he took riding lessons at Astley's, and became an expert -horseman. - -Struensee accompanied the King to Paris, and took part in the pleasures -of that gay capital. Struensee visited the gallery at Fontainebleau -where Queen Christina of Sweden, after her abdication, had her -secretary and favourite Monaldeschi murdered, or, as she regarded it, -executed. Soon after he returned to Denmark Struensee told his brother -that he had been induced to visit the gallery by a dream, in which -there appeared before him the vision of an exalted lady whose name -he hardly dared to mention. He meant, of course, Queen Matilda. His -brother heard him in ominous silence, and Struensee, after waiting -some time for an answer, quoted his favourite maxim: "Everything is -possible". - -In January, 1769, Struensee returned to Altona in the King's suite. The -place and time had now come for him to take leave of his royal master, -and retire once more into the obscurity of a country doctor--a prospect -which, after his sojourn at glittering courts, filled him with dismay. -But Bernstorff and Schimmelmann, whose good offices he had assiduously -courted during the tour, spoke on his behalf to the King, and Christian -appointed Struensee his surgeon-in-ordinary, with a salary of a -thousand dollars a year, and as a mark of his royal esteem gave him a -further five hundred dollars. Struensee remained at Altona for a few -weeks after the King had left for Copenhagen to sell his house, pay his -debts and wind up his affairs. He visited his parents at Schleswig to -receive their congratulations and take leave of them. His father shook -his head doubtfully over his godless son's rapid rise in the world, -and his mother warned him against the perils and temptations of the -wicked court. But Struensee, flushed with his success, was in no mood -to listen to their croakings. He believed in himself, and he believed -in his destiny. "Everything is possible," he said. The desire of his -youth was gratified before he had arrived at middle age. He was going -to Copenhagen, and what was more, to court; the future was in his own -hands. - -Struensee arrived at Copenhagen in February, 1769, and at first -seemed to occupy himself only with his duties as the King's -surgeon-in-ordinary. But all the while he was feeling his way, and -every week he strengthened his position with the King. It was not long -before Struensee set himself to undermine the influence of Holck. He -first frightened the King about the state of his health, and then -diplomatically represented to him that the immoderate dissipation, -in which he had been in the habit of indulging with Holck, was bad -for him, and should be avoided. Struensee did not take a high moral -ground; on the contrary, he pointed out that greater pleasure might be -obtained by moderation than by excess. He also counselled the King to -occupy himself with public affairs, and so keep his mind from brooding -upon his ailments, and to take outdoor exercise. All this advice was -good, and the King followed it with manifest benefit to his health. -He stayed less indoors, and drove out frequently, accompanied by the -Queen, to the chase, until one day the horses got restive and the -carriage was overturned, and threw both the King and the Queen on the -ground. Fortunately, they both escaped unhurt, but after this incident -Christian became nervous and would not hunt any more. - -In May, 1769, the King was pleased to show his appreciation of -Struensee by making him an actual councillor of state, which admitted -the doctor to the third class, or order of rank,[119] and thus -permitted him to attend the court festivities. During the summer -Christian's health became more feeble, in consequence of his epileptic -seizures, and Struensee became resident physician. He made use of this -privilege to observe more closely the state of affairs in the royal -household, seeking always to turn things to his own benefit. He formed -the acquaintance of every member of the household, not despising even -the valets, and studied their character and peculiarities. - -[119] To the first class belonged the privy councillors of state, the -generals and lieutenant-generals, admirals and vice-admirals, and the -Counts of Danneskjold-Samsöe (by reason of birth); to the second class -the councillors of conference, major-generals and rear-admirals; and to -the third, actual councillors of state, colonels and commanders. These -three classes only had the right to attend court. - -Struensee found that the conflicting elements at the Danish court -might be roughly divided into two parties. The party in the ascendant -was that of Holck, or rather of Bernstorff, for Holck took no part -in politics. But he was supported by the ministers in power, with -Bernstorff at their head, who made use of his influence with the King. -Behind Bernstorff again was the power and favour of Russia. The other -party was nominally that of the Queen-Dowager, Juliana Maria, and -Prince Frederick, the King's brother. This, owing to the unpopularity -of the Queen-Dowager, was small, and included chiefly malcontents, who -were opposed, either to the policy of the Government, or to the new -order of things at court. It was supported, however, by many of the -Danish nobility, men of considerable weight and influence in their -provinces, and the great body of the clergy, who were a power in the -state. In short, it represented the forces of reaction, which had -gathered around the Queen-Mother, Sophia Magdalena, before she retired -from public affairs. It was also supported by French influence which, -since the rise of Bernstorff, had declined in Copenhagen. - -Between these two factions stood the reigning Queen. She was neglected -by both of them, but, during the spring of 1769, after the King's -return, she asserted herself in a way which showed to a shrewd observer -like Struensee that she would not always submit to be treated as a -nonentity. The Queen had not yet realised the inherent strength of her -position as the wife of the reigning King and the mother of the future -one. It was a position which would grow stronger as her husband grew -weaker. - -Struensee grasped the situation a few months after his arrival in -Copenhagen, and with sublime audacity resolved to turn it to his -advantage. Neither of the existing parties in the state would ever be -likely to give him what he most desired--political power. The party of -Bernstorff would help him in little things. If the doctor proved useful -to them with the King, he would be rewarded with money, a higher place -at court, a decoration, possibly a title. But that would be all. The -reactionary party of Juliana Maria would not do so much; they might -employ him in their intrigues, but the haughty Danish nobility, who -formed its backbone, would never admit a German doctor of obscure birth -to terms of equality. But Struensee's soaring ambition knew no bounds. -He determined to win both place and power, and to do this he realised -that it was necessary to form a new party--that of the Queen. - -[Illustration: STRUENSEE. - -_From an Engraving, 1771._] - -The material was ready for the moulding. The Queen was opposed to the -party in power; she hated Holck and disliked Bernstorff; nor was she -any more well-disposed towards the party of Juliana Maria. Matilda was -young, beautiful and beloved by the people, who sympathised with her -wrongs, and would gladly see her take a more prominent position in -the state. No one knew better than Struensee, the confidential doctor, -that Christian VII. would never again be able to exercise direct power. -He was a mental and physical wreck, and it was only a question of a -year, perhaps only of a few months, before he drifted into imbecility. -But in theory, at least, he would still reign, though the government -would have to be carried on by others. On whom, then, would the regal -authority so properly devolve as upon the Queen, the mother of the -future King? The ball was at her feet if she would stoop to pick it -up. Matilda had only to assert herself to be invested with the King's -absolute power--power which, since she was a young and inexperienced -woman, she would surely delegate to other hands. And here the ambitious -adventurer saw his opportunity. - -There was at first a drawback to Struensee's schemes; the Queen -would have nothing to do with him. Matilda was prejudiced against -the doctor; he was the King's favourite, and she imagined he was of -the same calibre as Holck and the rest of Christian's favourites--a -mere panderer to his vicious follies. Shortly after his arrival at -Copenhagen, before he grasped the situation at court, Struensee had -made a false step. He had sought to intrigue the King with one Madame -Gabel, a beautiful and clever woman, who was to play the part of his -Egeria--for the benefit of the doctor. But Madame Gabel died suddenly -and the plot was foiled. The Queen had heard of this episode and -disliked Struensee accordingly. She ignored him, and for nine months -after his arrival at court (from February to October, 1769), he had not -the honour of a word with her. But Struensee was by no means daunted by -the Queen's dislike of him; he regarded it as an obstacle in the path -of his ambition, which like other obstacles would have to be overcome. -He waited for an opportunity to dispel her prejudice, and it came with -the Queen's illness. - -Matilda had reached the point of despair. The court physicians -could do nothing with her, she rejected their remedies and turned a -deaf ear to all remonstrances. Matters went from bad to worse until -the Queen's life was thought to be in danger. As we have seen, the -English envoy suggested that George III. should write a private letter -of remonstrance to his sister. Whether the suggestion was acted -upon or not there is no record to tell, but remonstrance came from -another quarter. Christian VII., who had grown into a liking for his -wife, became very much alarmed, and at last, perhaps at Struensee's -suggestion, commanded that the Queen should see his own private -physician, in whom he had great confidence. Matilda refused; all that -she knew of the doctor filled her with suspicion and dislike. But the -King insisted, and at last she yielded to his commands, and admitted -Struensee to her presence. It was the crisis in her destiny. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -THE TEMPTER. - -1769-1770. - - -A single interview sufficed to break down the Queen's prejudice against -Struensee. His manner was so tactful and deferential; he seemed to be -so grieved at her condition, and so anxious to serve her that before -he withdrew she was convinced she had misjudged him. He was as skilful -as he was sympathetic; the remedies he prescribed took effect almost -immediately, and when the doctor again waited on his royal patient -he found her better. Struensee's visits were repeated daily, and as -Matilda improved in health she was naturally grateful to the physician -who wrought this change. She also became attracted by his tact and -courtesy, so different from the treatment she met with from Holck and -his party. She began to talk to the doctor on general subjects, and -discovered that he was an extremely intelligent and well-read man. -Struensee flattered himself that he had even more knowledge of the -human heart--and especially of the heart of woman--than of medicine. -He sought to amuse and distract the Queen, until she looked forward to -his visits with pleasure, and every day gave him longer audience than -before. - -Struensee was one of those doctors who find out what their patients -like to do, and then advise them to do it, and after several -conversations with the Queen, he arrived at most of her likes and -dislikes. The Queen, having been bred in England, was fond of an -outdoor life. In Denmark at that time ladies of rank never went outside -their gates except in a carriage, and for them to ride or walk about -the streets was unknown. Struensee advised that the Queen should set a -precedent, and walk and ride when, and where, she pleased. In pursuance -of this advice the Queen, a few days later, to the astonishment of -many, was seen walking briskly about the streets of Copenhagen, -attended by her ladies. She also rode a great deal, and, though she -did not at first appear in public on horseback, she spent hours riding -about the park and woods of Frederiksborg. Matilda much enjoyed her -new-found freedom, which made a great flutter in all grades of society -in Copenhagen. The Danish _Mercury_ wrote a poem on the subject of the -Queen walking in the town ending with the lines:-- - - Thanks, Matilda, thanks for the discovery, - You've taught healthy women to use their legs. - -Struensee also advised the Queen that it was bad for her to remain so -much alone. She must have amusement, surround herself with cheerful -people and join in the court festivities. He hinted that it was -advisable for her to take a more prominent part in these ceremonials, -not only because of her health, but because it was incumbent upon her -position as the reigning Queen, which, he added discreetly, some people -about the court did not seem to respect as they should do. Matilda, -who was not very wise, rose to the bait, and before long confided to -her physician the mortification and annoyance she suffered from Holck -and his following. Struensee listened sympathetically, and told the -Queen that though he had not ventured to mention the matter before, -he had noticed with amazement and indignation the scant consideration -paid to her at her own court. The desire of his heart, he said, was -to serve her, and if she would only listen to him, he would improve -this state of affairs as surely as he had improved her health. Here -the doctor obviously stepped outside his province, but the Queen, far -from rebuking him, encouraged him to proceed. Struensee then said -deferentially that, since all power and authority came from the King, -the Queen would be well advised to court his favour. This advice was -not so palatable to Matilda as the other he had given her, especially -at this juncture. She could not forget in a moment how cruelly she had -been wronged, and she hesitated. Then Struensee changed his note and -urged the Queen's own interest. He spoke to her plainly of the King's -failing mental powers, and declared that henceforth he must always be -ruled by some one. It were better, therefore, that the Queen should -rule him than another, for by doing so she would gather the regal -power into her own hands and so confound her enemies. The King was -anxious to repair the past; it was for the Queen to meet him half-way. - -The Queen suspiciously asked the doctor what was his object in striving -to mediate between her and the King. Struensee replied, with every -appearance of frankness, that he was studying his own interests quite -as much as those of the King and Queen. The King had been pleased to -show him especial marks of his favour, and he wished to remain in his -present position. He had noticed that all the preceding favourites of -the King had striven to promote disunion between Christian and his -consort, and they had, one after another, fallen out of favour and been -banished from court. Their fate was a warning to him, and an instinct -of self-preservation prompted him to bring about a union between the -King and Queen, because by so doing he was convinced that he would -inevitably strengthen his own position. - -After some hesitation Matilda proceeded to act on this advice also, -and, short of admitting the King to intimacy, she sought in every way -to please him. The King, also prompted by Struensee, responded with -alacrity to his wife's overtures, and came to lean upon the Queen more -and more. Before long Matilda's influence over her husband became -obvious to all. The young Queen delighted in the deference and homage -which the time-serving courtiers now rendered to her. Holck's star was -on the wane; he still filled the post of Master of the Ceremonies, -but it was the Queen who commanded the revels, and changed, or -countermanded, Holck's programme as she pleased. - -Struensee was now surely gaining ground. Both the King and the Queen -placed their confidence in him, with the result, as he predicted, that -he stood on a firmer footing than any former favourite. The Queen gave -him audience every day, and the conversations between them became more -intimate and more prolonged. There was nothing, however, at first to -show that the Queen had anything more than a liking for the clever -doctor, whose society amused and interested her, and whose zeal in her -service was apparently heart-whole. Everything so far had succeeded -exactly as Struensee foretold, and the vision of future happiness and -power, which he portrayed in eloquent terms, dazzled the young Queen's -imagination, while his homage and devotion flattered her vanity. - -Struensee's appearance and manner were such as to impress any woman. -He was thirty-two years of age, tall and broad shouldered, and in the -full strength of manhood. Though not really handsome, he appeared to -be so in a dashing way, and he made the most of all his points and -dressed with consummate taste. He had light brown hair, flashing eyes, -an aquiline nose and a high forehead. He carried himself well, and -there was about him a suggestion of reserved strength, both mental and -physical. His manner to the Queen was a combination of deference and -easy assurance, which pleased her mightily. By the end of January, -1770, the Queen no longer needed medical advice, but she required -Struensee's services in other ways, and the more she saw of him the -more she became attracted to him. Soon a further mark of the royal -favour was shown to the doctor, and a handsome suite of rooms was given -him in the Christiansborg Palace. - -Holck was the first to take alarm at the growing influence of the new -favourite, and came to regard him as a rival who would ultimately -drive him from court. Struensee looked upon Holck with contempt, and -was indifferent whether he went or stayed. But the Queen insisted that -he must go at the first opportunity, and Struensee promised that her -wishes should be obeyed in this, as in all things--in a little time. -Holck confided his fears to Bernstorff, warned him that the doctor was -playing for high stakes, and advised him to remove Struensee from the -King's person before it was too late. To the aristocratic Bernstorff, -however, it seemed impossible that a man of the doctor's birth and -antecedents could be any real danger, and he laughed at Holck's -warning. This is the more surprising, as both the Russian and English -envoys spoke to the Prime Minister about the sudden rise of Struensee, -and advised him to watch it well. The Russian minister, Filosofow, -went further, and presumed to make some remarks to the King on the -subject, which Christian ignored at the time, but afterwards repeated -to Struensee and the Queen. - -This interference on the part of Filosofow was no new thing. For -some years the Russian envoy had practically dictated to the Danish -King whom he should appoint and whom he should dismiss from his -service. He even presumed to meddle in the private affairs of the -Danish court, no doubt at the instigation of his mistress, Catherine -the Great. The Danish King and Government submitted to this bondage -until the treaty was signed, by which Russia exchanged her claims on -Schleswig-Holstein for the counties of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. -As this exchange was eagerly desired by Denmark, the mere threat of -stopping it threw the King and his ministers into alarm, and made -Russia mistress of the situation. Curiously enough Filosofow, who was a -very astute diplomatist, did not realise the changed state of affairs, -and continued to dictate to the King as before. The haughty Russian did -not consider Struensee to be of any account from a political point of -view, but personally he objected to meeting him on terms of equality. -He had also, it was said, a grievance against Struensee, because he had -outrivalled him in the affections of a beautiful lady of the Danish -court. For some time he fretted at the royal favour shown to the -upstart doctor, and at last he showed his contempt for him by a public -act of insolence. - -It chanced in this wise. Wishing to conciliate the Danish monarch, -Filosofow gave a splendid entertainment to the King and Queen at the -Russian embassy. It consisted of an Italian opera, composed for the -occasion, and performed by persons of fashion about the court,[120] -and was followed by a banquet. Struensee, who was now invited to the -court entertainments, as a member of the third class, was present, and -so marked was the favour shown him by the King and Queen that he was -admitted to the box where the royal personages were. Filosofow, in his -capacity of host, was also in the box, and he was so much irritated at -the presence of the doctor that he showed his disgust by spitting on -his coat. Struensee, with great self-control, treated the insult as -though it were an accident, wiped his coat, and said nothing. Filosofow -immediately insulted him again in the same way. This time the action -was so unmistakable that Struensee withdrew from the royal box, and -later demanded satisfaction of Filosofow. The Russian treated the -challenge with contempt. He said that in his country an ambassador did -not fight a duel with a common doctor, but he would take his revenge in -another way, and give him a sound thrashing with his cane. Whether he -carried out his threat is uncertain, but it is certain that Struensee -never forgave the insult. The Queen also resented the flouting of her -favourite, and, despite the attempted mediation of Bernstorff, she -ignored Filosofow at court, and spoke with dislike of him and his -mistress, the Empress Catherine, who, she thought, was responsible -for her envoy's meddlesome policy. A few months before it would have -mattered little what the Queen thought, or did not think, but now her -influence with the King was growing every day. - -[120] _Vide_ Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, March 31, 1770. _Ibid._, -April 24, 1770. - -Eventually Filosofow had to retire from Copenhagen and give place to -another, but that was not yet. At this time he again warned Bernstorff -that his days of power were numbered, unless he forthwith took steps -to get Struensee removed from court. In this the envoy proved more -far-sighted than the minister, for Bernstorff still considered it an -incredible thing that his position could be seriously threatened. Yet -within a month of the Russian's warning the extraordinary favour which -Struensee enjoyed with the King and Queen was further demonstrated. - -The small-pox raged in Denmark in the spring of this year, 1770, and -in Copenhagen alone twelve hundred children died of it. Struensee -advised that the Crown Prince should be inoculated as a prevention. -Inoculation had lately been introduced into Denmark, and Struensee's -suggestion was met with a storm of protest from some of the nobility, -all the clergy and many of the doctors. Despite this Struensee carried -his point; he inoculated the Crown Prince and watched over him in the -brief illness that followed. Matilda herself nursed her son, and would -not leave his bedside day or night. Her presence in the sick-room threw -the Queen and the doctor continually together. Struensee was justified -of his wisdom, for the Crown Prince not only escaped the small-pox, but -soon rallied from the inoculation which it had been freely prophesied -would cause his death. The doctor was rewarded with signal marks of the -royal favour; he was given the title of Conferenzrath, or Councillor of -Conference, which elevated him to the second class, and was appointed -reader to the King, _lecteur du roi_, and private secretary to the -Queen, with a salary of three thousand dollars. Ministers were amazed -at the sudden elevation of the favourite, and began to ask themselves -whither all this was tending. - -Step by step as Struensee rose in honour Matilda gained in power. It -was now apparent to all about the court that the Queen, and not the -King, was the real ruler of Denmark. The Queen's ascendency over her -consort was so great that he did nothing without her approval. She in -turn was guided by Struensee; but, whereas the Queen's authority was -seen by all, Struensee's power at this time was only guessed at. His -plans were not matured. The prize was within his grasp, but he was -careful not to snatch at it too soon lest he should lose it altogether. -Struensee now accompanied the King and Queen wherever they went, and, -since his elevation to the second rank, dined at the royal table. -Bernstorff seems to have thought that these privileges were all that -Struensee cared about, and given money, a title and social position the -doctor would be content, like Holck, with the royal favour, and leave -politics alone. He little knew that Struensee in his heart despised -these things; they were to him merely the means to an end, and that end -was power. In his pursuit of power Struensee swept every consideration -aside. Honour, duty and gratitude were nothing to him provided he -gained his desire. In his belief in his destiny, his great abilities, -his soaring ambition and complete heedlessness of every one save -himself, this extraordinary man was a type of the _uebermensch_. - -Struensee's treatment of the Queen was an example of his utter -unscrupulousness. Her condition when he came to court would have -moved any man to pity. Her youth, her beauty and her friendlessness -appealed to every sentiment of chivalry. The conditions under which -Struensee made her acquaintance were the most intimate and delicate. -He quickly gained her confidence; she trusted him from the first, and -showed her gratitude by heaping favours upon him. Everything that -came to Struensee in the next few years--honour, place and power--he -owed to the Queen, and to her alone. Common gratitude, apart from any -other consideration, should have led him to treat her honourably, -but from the beginning he was false to her. He who came in the guise -of a deliverer was really her evil genius. The young Queen was never -anything to him but a means to an end. Adventurer and intriguer as -he was, Struensee had marked Matilda down as his prey before he was -admitted to her presence, and she fell an easy victim to his wiles. -He made use of her as a shield, behind which he could work in safety. -She was to be the buffer between him and his enemies; she was to be -the ladder by which he would rise in power. To this end he tempted -her with consummate art. He was first her confidential physician, then -her devoted servant, then her friend and counsellor, and then her -lover. This last phase was necessary to the success of his plans, and -he deliberately lured his victim to her ruin in order that he might -gain absolute mastery over her. Struensee gradually acquired over the -Queen an almost mesmeric power, and she became so completely under his -influence that she obeyed his wishes like an automaton. But it did not -need hypnotism to cause a woman so tempted, so beset on every side as -Matilda was, to fall. She had inherited from her father an amorous, -pleasure-loving nature; she was of a warm, affectionate disposition, -which had been driven back on itself by her husband's cruelty and -infidelities. Now, it was true, the King was anxious to make amends, -but it was too late. Christian had greatly changed in appearance during -the last year. Though little over twenty, he already looked like an -old man, very thin, with sharp, drawn features and dead-looking eyes. -Matilda, on the contrary, was in the full flood of womanhood; her blood -flowed warmly in her veins, yet she was tied to a husband who, from his -excesses, was ruined mentally and physically, and she was tempted by a -lover in the full strength of his manhood, a lover who was both ardent -and masterful, and whose strength of will broke down all her defences -as though they had been built of cards. Moreover, her environment -was bad--as bad as it could be. The atmosphere of the court was one -of undisguised immorality; the marriage tie was openly mocked at and -derided. The King had often told her to go her own way and let him go -his, and now so far from showing any signs of jealousy, he seemed to -take a delight in watching the growth of the intimacy between his wife -and the confidential physician. He was always sending Struensee to the -Queen's chamber on some pretext or another, and the more Matilda showed -her liking for Struensee's society the more the King seemed to be -pleased. That clever devil, opportunity, was all on Struensee's side. - -The Queen had no safeguards against temptation but those which arose -from the promptings of her own conscience. That she did not yield -without a struggle, that the inward conflict was sharp and bitter, -there is evidence to prove. - - _O keep me innocent, make others great!_ - -was the pathetic prayer she wrote on the window of the chapel of -Frederiksborg[121] at a time, when in the corridors and ante-chambers -of the palace Struensee was plotting his tortuous intrigues, all of -which started from the central point of his relations with the Queen. -It was he who wished to be great, she who was to make him great, and -to this end he demanded the sacrifice of her innocence. The poor young -Queen knew her peril, but she was like a bird fascinated by a snake. -She fluttered a little, helplessly, and then fell. - -[121] This window, with the Queen's writing cut with a diamond on a -pane of glass, was destroyed by the great fire at Frederiksborg in 1859. - -The struggle was prolonged for some months, but the end was certain -from the first. It was probably during the spring of 1770 that the -flood of passion broke the Queen's last barriers down. Her enemies -afterwards declared that she entered on this fatal dalliance about the -time of the Crown Prince's illness. Certain it is that after Struensee -had been appointed her private secretary, a marked change took place -in Matilda's manner and bearing. She is no longer a pathetic figure -of wronged and youthful innocence, but appears as a beautiful and -self-willed woman who is dominated by a great passion. There were no -half measures about Matilda; her love for Struensee was the one supreme -love of her life; it was a love so unselfish and all-absorbing, so -complete in its abandonment, that it wrung reluctant admiration even -from those who blamed it most. - -Once the Rubicon crossed, reserve, discretion, even ordinary prudence, -were thrown to the winds. Struensee's object seems to have been to -compromise the Queen as much as possible, so that she could not draw -back. He was always with her, and she granted him privileges which, -as Reverdil says, "would have ruined the reputation of any ordinary -woman," though it has been pleaded, on the other hand, that her -indifference to appearances was a proof of her innocence. The Queen and -her favourite were inseparable; he was admitted to her apartments at -all hours; she took solitary walks with him in the gardens and woods, -and she frequently drove and rode out alone with him; at balls and -masquerades, at the theatre and the opera, he was always by her side; -and in public and at court she followed him with her eyes, and did not -attempt to disguise the predilection she had for him. - -The Queen had no one to remonstrate with her, or guard her from the -consequences of her imprudence. It was thought by some that the first -use Matilda would make of her new-found power would be to recall Madame -de Plessen, whose dismissal against her will she had bitterly lamented. -It would have been well for her if she had done so, for Madame de -Plessen would have saved her from herself. But if the idea crossed her -mind, Struensee would not permit it, for he well knew that the presence -of this strict duenna would be fatal to his plans. Madame von der Lühe, -Madame de Plessen's successor, though she shook her head in private, -did not venture to remonstrate with her mistress; her position, she -felt, was insecure, and she thought to strengthen it by compliance with -the Queen's whims. The maid of honour, Fräulein von Eyben, and some of -the inferior women of the Queen's household, secretly spied on their -mistress, set traps for her, and generally sought occasion to harm her. -But their opportunity was not yet, for the Queen was all-powerful. -Matilda had always found the stiff etiquette of the Danish court -wearisome; at Struensee's advice she abolished it altogether in -private, and dispensed with the attendance of her ladies, except in -public. This enabled her to see the doctor for hours alone--not that -she made any secret of these interviews. On the contrary, she talked -quite freely to her ladies about her friendship with Struensee, and -accounted for her preference by declaring that she owed him a debt of -gratitude for all he had done, and was doing, for her. He always took -her part; she said, "he had much sense and a good heart". And it must -be admitted he had apparently rendered her service; her health was -re-established, and her life was fuller and happier. No longer was she -slighted and set aside; she reigned supreme at her court, and all, even -her former enemies, sought to win her smiles. - -The Queen's relations with the King were now uniformly friendly, and -he seemed quite content to leave authority in her hands. In return she -strove to humour him, and even stooped to gratify some of his most -absurd whims. It has already been stated that the imbecile Christian -had a weakness for seeing women in men's attire; "Catherine of the -Gaiters" captivated him most when she donned the uniform of an officer -in his service, and the complaisance of the former mistress on this -point was at least explicable. But Matilda was his wife and not his -mistress, his Queen and not his fancy of an hour, yet she did not -hesitate to array herself in male attire to please her husband, at the -suggestion of her lover. It may be, too, that she wished to imitate in -this, as in other things, the Empress of Russia, Catherine the Great, -who frequently wore uniforms and rode _en homme_. However this may -be, Matilda adopted a riding-habit made like that of a man, and rode -astride. The Queen often went out hunting with Struensee, or rode by -his side through the city, in this extraordinary attire. She wore -a dove-colour beaver hat with a deep gold band and tassels, a long -scarlet coat, faced with gold, a buff, gold-laced waistcoat, a frilled -shirt with a lace kerchief, buckskin small-clothes and spurs. She had -other riding-habits of different designs, but this was the one in which -she most frequently appeared in public. She was always splendidly -mounted and rode fearlessly. On horseback she looked a Diana, but -when she dismounted she did not appear to the same advantage, for -the riding-habit made her seem shorter than she really was, and she -already showed a tendency to stoutness, which the small-clothes did not -minimise. The Queen, however, was so enamoured of her male attire that -she frequently walked about the palace all day in it, to the offence of -many and the derision of others.[122] - -[122] The Queen set the fashion to ride in male attire, and it soon -became the custom among the ladies of Copenhagen. Keith wrote a year -later: "An abominable riding-habit, with black slouched hat, has been -almost universally introduced here, which gives every woman an air of -an awkward postilion, and all the time I have been in Denmark I have -never seen the Queen out in any other garb".--_Memoirs._ - -The adoption of this riding-habit greatly tended to lessen the Queen's -popularity, while her intimacy with Struensee before long caused it -to disappear altogether. The staider and more respectable portion of -the community were ready to believe any evil of a woman who went out -riding like a man, and the clergy in particular were horrified; but -acting on Struensee's advice, the Queen never troubled to conciliate -the clergy. This was a great mistake in a puritanical country like -Denmark, where the Church had great power, if not in the immediate -circle of the court, at least among the upper and middle classes. Even -the semi-barbarous Danish nobility were disgusted. That the young -and beautiful Queen should have a favourite was perhaps, under the -circumstances, only to be expected; if he had been one of their own -order, the weakness would have been excused. But that she should stoop -to a man of _bourgeois_ origin, a mere doctor, who was regarded by the -haughty nobles as little above the level of a menial, was a thing which -admitted of no palliation.[123] But the Queen, blinded by her passion, -was indifferent to praise or blame, and Struensee took a delight in -demonstrating his power over her under their very eyes. It was the -favourite's mean revenge for the insults he had suffered from these -nobles. - -[123] Even Frederick the Great (who was very broad-minded) wrote: -"L'acces que le médecin eut à la cour lui fit gagner imperceptiblement -plus d'ascendant sur l'esprit de la reine qu'il n'etoit convenable à un -homme de cette extraction". - -[Illustration: QUEEN SOPHIA MAGDALENA, GRANDMOTHER OF CHRISTIAN VII.] - -At the end of May, 1770, the old Queen Sophia Magdalena died at the -palace of Christiansborg. For the last few years of her life she -had lived in strict retirement, and had long ceased to exercise any -influence over her grandson, the King, in political affairs. The aged -widow of Christian VI. was much reverenced by the conservative party -in Denmark, and they complained that the court treated her memory with -disrespect. One incident in particular moved them to deep indignation, -and, if true, it showed how greatly Matilda had deteriorated under the -influence of her favourite. The body of Sophia Magdalena was embalmed, -and lay in state for some days in the palace of Christiansborg. The -public was admitted, and a great number of people of all classes -and ages, clad in mourning, availed themselves of this opportunity -of paying honour to the dead Queen. It was stated in Copenhagen by -Matilda's enemies that she showed her lack of good-feeling by passing -through the mourners in the room where the Queen-Mother lay in state, -leaning on the arm of Struensee, and clad in the riding-habit which -had excited the reprobation of Sophia Magdalena's adherents. This -story was probably a malicious invention,[124] but it is certain that -the court mourning for the venerable Queen-Mother was limited to the -shortest possible period, and the King and Queen a few days after her -death removed to Frederiksborg, where they lived in the same manner as -before. Neither the King nor the Queen attended the public funeral at -Röskilde, where the kings and queens of Denmark were buried, and Prince -Frederick went as chief mourner. Rightly or wrongly, the reigning Queen -was blamed for all this. - -[124] It rests on the authority of Wittich (_Struensee_, by K. Wittich, -1879), who is bitterly hostile to Queen Matilda. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE QUEEN'S FOLLY. - -1770. - - -Struensee, who was now sure of his position with the King and Queen, -resolved to carry out his plans, and obtain the object of his -ambition--political power. In order to gain this it was necessary that -the ministers holding office should one by one be removed, and the -back of the Russian party in Copenhagen be broken. The Queen was quite -agreeable to every change that Struensee suggested; she only stipulated -that her detested enemy, Holck, should go first, and his friends at -court follow. Struensee agreed, but in these matters it was necessary -to move with great caution, and await a favourable opportunity to -strike. Quite unwittingly Holck played into his enemies' hands; the -great thing, as either party knew well, was to gain possession of -the King, who would sign any paper laid before him. A page, named -Warnstedt, who was always about the person of the King, was Struensee's -friend, and Holck therefore resolved to get rid of him and appoint a -creature of his own. He thought he could best effect this by taking the -King away from his present surroundings, and he therefore proposed -to Christian that he should make another tour through the Duchies -of Schleswig and Holstein. The King agreed, and Holck was jubilant, -for he knew that if he could only get the King to himself the power -of Struensee would be shaken. To his dismay, the Queen announced -that she intended to accompany her husband. She was anxious, she -said, to see the duchies, and had no intention of being left behind -again. Notwithstanding the difficulties which Holck raised, the King -offered no objection, and even expressed pleasure that his Queen would -accompany him. The Queen's going meant, of course, that her favourite -would go too. Struensee hailed the prospect of the tour; he had long -been wishing to get the King and Queen away from the capital in order -that he might better effect the changes he had in contemplation. - -The preparations for the tour were pushed on apace. The King and Queen -were to be attended by a numerous suite. Holck, Struensee and Warnstedt -were to be in attendance, and all the ladies of the Queen's household. -Of ministers only Bernstorff, the Prime Minister, was to accompany -them, and the same council of three, Thott, Moltke and Rosenkrantz, -who had managed public business at Copenhagen during the King's former -tour, were to conduct it again, but under limitations. They received -express orders from the King not to have any transactions with foreign -envoys during his absence, and if any matter of urgency occurred they -were to communicate with him in writing before deciding on any plan of -action. These instructions were, of course, dictated to the King by -Struensee. Bernstorff was astonished and indignant when he heard of -them, for he guessed the quarter whence they came. He began to fear -that his position was threatened, and, too late, regretted that he had -not taken the repeated advice of his friends and removed Struensee -while there was time. He knew, though the English influence was on his -side, that he had nothing to hope from the Queen; he had offended her -past forgiveness by insisting on the dismissal of Madame de Plessen, -and by wishing to exclude her from the regency. He started on the tour -with great misgivings. But he had been in office so long that even now -he could not imagine the government of the kingdom going on without -him, forgetting that no man is indispensable. - -On June 20, 1770, the royal party arrived at Gottorp Castle in -Schleswig, an ancient and unpretending edifice on the edge of a lake, -which was then occupied by Prince Charles of Hesse, whom the King had -appointed Viceroy of the Duchies. The Viceroy and his wife, Princess -Louise, drove out a league from Gottorp to meet the King and Queen, and -their greetings were most cordial, especially those between Matilda -and her sister-in-law. The King, too, was very friendly, though Prince -Charles saw a great change in him. He seemed to rally his failing -powers a little at Gottorp. - -Prince Charles noticed with amazement how great a power Struensee -had acquired; it was the first time he had seen the favourite, and he -took a strong dislike to him, which, perhaps, coloured the description -he gave of the visit. "After an hour's conversation," writes Prince -Charles [on arriving at Gottorp], "in which we recalled past times, the -Queen took me by the arm and said: 'Now, escort me to Princess Louise's -apartments, but do not take me through the ante-chamber'--where the -suite were assembled. We almost ran along the corridor to the side -door by the staircase, and then we saw some of the suite coming -downstairs. The Queen espied Struensee among them, and said hastily: 'I -must go back; do not keep me!' I replied that I could not well leave -her Majesty alone in the passage. 'No! no!' she cried, 'go to the -Princess,' and she fled down the corridor." [Struensee had probably -forbidden the Queen to talk to the Princess alone.] "I was much -astonished, but I obeyed her commands. She was always ill at ease with -me when Struensee was present; at table he invariably seated himself -opposite to her."[125] - -[125] _Mémoires de mon Temps._ - -Prince Charles and his wife noted with great regret the change in the -Queen; they remembered that she was only eighteen, they made allowance -for her good heart and her lively spirits, but even so they grieved to -see her forget her self-respect, and indulge in amusements which hurt -her reputation. They ascribed this change to the pernicious influence -of Struensee. She seemed frightened of him, and trembled, when he spoke -to her, like a bird, ensnared. Frequently he so far forgot himself as -to treat her with scant respect. For instance, Prince Charles writes: -"The King's dinner was dull. The Queen afterwards played at cards. I -was placed on her right, Struensee on her left; Brandt, a new arrival, -and Warnstedt, a chamberlain, completed the party. I hardly like to -describe Struensee's behaviour to the Queen, or repeat the remarks he -dared address to her openly, while he leant his arm on the table close -to her. 'Well, why don't you play?' 'Can't you hear?' and so forth. I -confess my heart was grieved to see this Princess, endowed with so much -sense and so many good qualities, fallen to such a point and into hands -so bad."[126] - -[126] _Mémoires de mon Temps._ - -While the King and Queen were at Gottorp Struensee carried out the -first of his changes, and recalled Brandt to court. Brandt, it will -be remembered, had been banished from Copenhagen, and even from the -country, at the suggestion of Holck. He had sought to regain the King's -favour when he was in Paris, but again Holck intervened, and he failed. -He was formerly a friend of the Queen, which was one of the reasons -why Holck got rid of him, and he was also a friend of Struensee, who -had often, in his obscure days, visited at the house of Brandt's -stepfather. Struensee had, moreover, helped him in Paris. Brandt -had recently been so far restored to favour as to be given a small -appointment in Oldenburg, but no one expected that he would be recalled -to court, and Holck was astonished and dismayed when Brandt suddenly -appeared at Gottorp and was nominated a chamberlain by the King. Brandt -noticed his enemy's dismay, and said: "_Monsieur le Comte_, you look -as if you had seen a spectre. Are you afraid?" To which Holck bitterly -replied: "Oh no, _Monsieur le Chambellan_, it is not the spectre I -fear, but his return". - -Matilda was unwell during her stay at Gottorp, and her indisposition -caused the court to remain there longer than had been intended. -Struensee saw Prince Charles's dislike of him, and was uneasy lest -he should gain an influence over the King. The silent condemnation -of the Viceroy made him impatient to be gone, and directly the Queen -was sufficiently recovered to travel she and the King set out for -Traventhal, a small royal castle in Holstein. This move furnished the -opportunity of getting rid of Holck and his following. The excuse put -forward was that Traventhal was not large enough to accommodate so -numerous a suite, and therefore Count Holck and his wife, his sister, -Madame von der Lühe, and her husband, Councillor Holstein, Chamberlain -Luttichau, Gustavus Holck, a page, Fräulein von Eyben, and two more of -the Queen's maids of honour, were ordered to go back to Copenhagen. All -these people were either related to Holck, or appointed through his -influence, and on their return to the capital they learned that they -were dismissed from office. Holck, perhaps in consideration of the fact -that he had once befriended Struensee, was granted a pension of two -thousand dollars, the others received nothing. - -Bernstorff, who went with the King and Queen to Traventhal, as minister -in attendance, was not consulted concerning these dismissals, or in -anything about the court. Woodford, the English minister of Lower -Saxony, then at Hamburg, writes: "Mr. Bernstorff and the ministers -appear to be entirely ignorant of these little arrangements, the royal -confidence running in quite another direction".[127] And again: "With -regard to the court's movements at Traventhal, nothing is known, for -everything is kept a secret from those who, by their employments, -ought to be informed".[128] The Prime Minister, Bernstorff, was rarely -allowed to see the King, for Brandt, who had now stepped into Holck's -vacant place, was always with his master, and made it his business to -guard him against any influence that might be hostile to Struensee's -plans. Holck's sudden dismissal filled Bernstorff with apprehension, -which was increased by an important move which Struensee took soon -after the arrival of the court at Traventhal--a move destined to -exercise great influence on the future of both the favourite and the -Queen. This was the recall to court of the notorious anti-Russian, -Count Rantzau Ascheberg. - -[127] Woodford's despatch to Lord Rochford, Hamburg, July 13, 1770. - -[128] _Ibid._, July 17, 1770. - -Schack Karl, Count zu Rantzau Ascheberg, whom for short we shall call -Count Rantzau, had succeeded (on his father's death in 1769) to vast -estates in Holstein. Gunning, the English envoy, thus wrote of him:-- - -"Count Rantzau is a son of the minister of that name who formerly spent -some years at our court. He received some part of his education at -Westminster School. His family is the first in Denmark. He is a man -of ruined fortunes. It would be difficult to exhibit a character more -profligate and abandoned. There are said to be few enormities of which -he has not been guilty, and scarcely any place where he has not acted -a vicious part. Rashness and revenge form very striking features in -his character. With these qualities he possesses great imagination, -vivacity and wit. He is most abundantly fertile in schemes and -projects, which he forms one day and either forgets or ridicules the -next. He would be a very dangerous man did not his great indiscretion -put it into the power of his enemies to render many of his most -mischievous designs abortive."[129] - -[129] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, April 4, 1771. - -Rantzau had led an adventurous and dishonourable career. In his youth -he had been a chamberlain at the Danish court, and had served in the -army, eventually rising to the rank of major-general. In consequence -of a court plot, he was banished from Copenhagen in 1752. He then -entered the French army, but in Paris he became enamoured of an opera -singer and resigned his commission to follow her about Europe. This -part of his career, which occupied nearly ten years, was shrouded in -mystery, but it was known that during it Rantzau had many scandalous -adventures. Sometimes he travelled with all the luxury befitting his -rank and station, at others he was at his wits' end for money. At one -time he lived at Rome, habited as a monk, and at another he travelled -_incognito_ with a troupe of actors. He had absolutely no scruples, -and seemed to be a criminal by nature. He was tried in Sicily for -swindling, and only escaped imprisonment through the influence brought -to bear on his judges. At Naples there was an ugly scandal of another -nature, but the French envoy intervened, and saved him from punishment, -in consideration of his birth and rank. In Genoa he got into trouble -through drawing a bill on his father, whom he falsely described as -the "Viceroy of Norway," but his father repudiated the bill, as he -had already repudiated his son, and again Rantzau narrowly escaped -gaol. With such a record Keith was certainly justified in saying of -him: "Count Rantzau would, ... if he had lived within reach of Justice -Fielding, have furnished matter for an Old Bailey trial any one year of -the last twenty of his life".[130] - -[130] _Memoirs and Correspondence of Sir R. Murray Keith._ - -In 1761, after the death of the Empress Elizabeth, when a war seemed -imminent between Russia and Denmark, Rantzau, who wished to be on the -stronger side, went to St. Petersburg and offered his services to -Peter III., as a Holstein nobleman who owed allegiance to Russia rather -than to Denmark. But even the sottish Tsar knew what manner of man the -Holsteiner was, and rejected his offer with contumely. In revenge, -Rantzau went over to Catherine and the Orloffs, and was involved in -the conspiracy which resulted in the deposition and assassination of -Peter III. When Catherine the Great was firmly seated upon the Russian -throne she had no further need of Rantzau, and instead of rewarding -him, ignored him. Rantzau therefore left St. Petersburg and returned -to Holstein, a sworn foe of the Empress and eager for revenge on -her. It was during this sojourn in Holstein that his acquaintance -with Struensee began, and, as at this time Rantzau could get no help -from his father, Struensee is said to have lent him money to go to -Copenhagen, whither he went to regain his lost favour at the Danish -court. In this he was foiled by the influence of the Russian envoy -Filosofow, who was then all-powerful, and Rantzau was forced to return -again to Holstein, where he remained until his father's death in -1769--the year before the King and Queen came to Holstein on their tour. - -Rantzau should now have been a rich man, for in addition to the -property he inherited from his father, he had married an heiress, the -daughter of his uncle, Count Rantzau Oppendorft, by which marriage the -estates of the two branches of the family were united. But Rantzau -was crippled with debt, and on succeeding to his inheritance he -continued to live a reckless, dissipated life, and indulged in great -extravagance. On the other hand, he was a good landlord to his people, -and they did whatever he wished. On account of his ancient name, vast -estates and the devotion of his peasantry, Rantzau had much influence -in Holstein, which he persistently used against Russia. - -Rantzau and Struensee had not forgotten their covenant of years ago, -that if either attained power he should help the other. Even if -Struensee had been inclined to forget it, Rantzau would have reminded -him, but Filosofow's public insult made Struensee determined to break -the power of Russia in Denmark, and in Rantzau he found a weapon ready -to his hand. He determined to recall Rantzau to court, because he knew -that he, of all others, was most disliked by the Empress of Russia. -Therefore, when the King and Queen arrived at Traventhal, Struensee -wrote to Rantzau and asked him to come and pay his respects to their -Majesties. Rantzau was admitted to audience of the King and Queen, who -both received him very graciously. Rantzau was the most considerable -noble in Holstein, and moreover, any favour shown to him would -demonstrate that the Danish court would no longer brook the dictation -of Russia in domestic matters. Therefore, when Rantzau, prompted by -Struensee, prayed the King and Queen to honour him with a visit to his -castle at Ascheberg, they at once consented. Attended by Struensee -and Brandt they drove over from Traventhal and spent several days at -Ascheberg. - -Rantzau entertained his royal guests with lavish magnificence, and, -favoured by brilliant weather, the visit was a great success. There was -a masque of flowers one day, there were rustic sports another, there -was a hunting party on a third, and banquets every evening. The Queen -took the first place at all the festivities (the King had ceased to -be of account), and the splendour of her entertainment at Ascheberg -recalled Elizabeth's famous visit to Leicester at Kenilworth. Though -Rantzau was fifty-three years of age, he was still a very handsome -man, a born courtier, an exquisite beau, and skilled in all the arts -of pleasing women. Had he been ten years younger he might have tried -to eclipse Struensee in the Queen's favour, but he was a cynical and -shrewd observer, and saw that any such attempt was foredoomed to -failure, so he contented himself with offering the most flattering -homage to the young Queen. As a return for his sumptuous hospitality, -Matilda gave Rantzau her husband's gold snuff-box set with diamonds, -which Christian had bought in London for one thousand guineas, and as a -further mark of her favour, the Queen presented colours to the regiment -at Glückstadt, commanded by Rantzau, of which she became honorary -colonel. The presentation of these colours was made the occasion of -a military pageant, and the court painter, Als, received commands to -paint the Queen in her uniform as colonel. This picture was presented -to Rantzau as a souvenir. - -The royal favours heaped upon Rantzau filled the Russian party with -dismay. The visit to Ascheberg had a political significance, which was -emphasised by the Queen's known resentment of Russian dictation. One -of the Russian envoys, Saldern, had brought about the dismissal of -her chief lady-in-waiting; another, Filosofow, had publicly affronted -her favourite. The Queen neither forgot nor forgave. Woodford writes -at this time: "Her Danish Majesty, formerly piqued at M. de Saldern's -conduct, and condescending at present to show little management for -the Russian party, they are using every indirect influence to keep -themselves in place".[131] - -[131] Woodford's despatch to Lord Rochford, Hamburg, July 20, 1770. - -The defeat of the Russian party would involve necessarily the fall of -Bernstorff, who, more than any other Danish minister, had identified -himself with Russia. He was greatly perturbed at the visit to -Ascheberg, which had been undertaken without consulting him. After the -King and Queen returned to Traventhal the Prime Minister was treated -even more rudely than before; he was no longer honoured with the royal -invitation to dinner, but had to eat his meals in his own room, while -Struensee and his creatures revelled below. The object of these slights -was to force Bernstorff to resign, but he still clung to office, and -strove by all possible means to mitigate the anti-Russian policy of -the Queen and her advisers. To obtain private audience of the King -was impossible, though he was living under the same roof. Bernstorff -therefore drew up a memorandum, addressed to the King, in which he -forcibly pointed out the displeasure with which Russia would view -Rantzau's appointment to any office, not only because of his well-known -opposition to the territorial exchange, but because he was personally -objectionable to the Empress, who would resent his promotion as an -insult. Bernstorff's memorandum was read by Struensee and the Queen, -and though it made no difference to their policy, yet, as Struensee did -not wish to imperil the exchange, he made Rantzau promise not to meddle -further in this matter.[132] Rantzau gave the required promise, which -was duly communicated to Bernstorff, and with this negative assurance -he had to be content. - -[132] Though the treaty was signed in 1768, the actual exchange of -territory between Russia and Denmark was not carried out until some -years later. The original understanding was that it should wait until -the Grand Duke Paul attained his majority and gave it his sanction. - -The King and Queen remained at Traventhal nearly a month in seclusion. -The Queen was left without any of her ladies, and nearly the whole of -the King's suite had gone too. Except for Bernstorff, who was kept that -Struensee might have an eye on him, the King and Queen were surrounded -only by the favourite and his creatures. At Traventhal Struensee was -very busy maturing his plans. In concert with Rantzau and General -Gahler, an officer of some eminence who had been given a post in the -royal household, Struensee discussed the steps that were to be taken -for overthrowing Bernstorff and the other ministers, and reforming the -administration. There is nothing to show that the Queen took a leading -part in these discussions, though she was of course consulted as a -matter of form. Unlike her mother, the Princess-Dowager of Wales, or -her grandmother, the illustrious Caroline, Matilda cared nothing for -politics for their own sake, but she liked to have the semblance of -power, and was jealous of her privileges as the reigning Queen. When -she had a personal grievance against a minister, as against Bernstorff, -she wished him removed, and when she was thwarted by a foreign -influence, as in the case of Russia, she wished that influence broken; -but otherwise it was a matter of indifference to her who filled the -chief offices of state, or whether France or Russia reigned supreme at -Copenhagen. Her good heart made her keenly solicitous for the welfare -of her people, and some of the social reforms carried out by Struensee -may have had their origin with the Queen; but for affairs of state in -the larger sense Matilda cared nothing, and she lent herself blindly to -abetting Struensee's policy in all things. In complete abandonment she -placed her hands beneath his feet and let him do with her as he would. -Her birth as Princess of Great Britain, her rank as Queen of Denmark -and Norway, her beauty, her talents, her popularity, were valued by her -only as means whereby she might advance Struensee and his schemes. - -Rumours of the amazing state of affairs at the Danish court reached -England in the spring of 1770, and before long George III. and the -Princess-Dowager of Wales were acquainted with the sudden rise of -Struensee, and the extraordinary favour shown to him by the Queen. -They also heard of the check which Russia had received at Copenhagen, -and the probability of Bernstorff (who was regarded as the friend -of England) being hurled from power to make room for the ambitious -adventurer. Too late George III. may have felt a twinge of remorse for -having married his sister against her will to a profligate and foolish -prince, and sent her, without a friend in the world, to encounter the -perils and temptations of a strange court in a far-off land. Moreover, -the political object for which Matilda had been sacrificed had signally -failed. The marriage had in no way advanced English interests in the -north. Russia and France had benefited by it, but England not at all. -Now there seemed a probability that, with the fall of the Russian -influence at Copenhagen, France, the enemy of England, would again be -in the ascendant there. Both personal and political reasons therefore -made it desirable that some remonstrance should be addressed to the -Queen of Denmark by her brother of England. The matter was of too -delicate and difficult a nature to be dealt with satisfactorily by -letter, and there was the fear that Struensee might intercept the -King's letter to the Queen. Even if he did not venture thus far, -he would be sure to learn its contents and seek to counteract its -influence. In this difficulty George III. took counsel with his mother, -with the result that on June 9, 1770, the Dowager-Princess of Wales set -out from Carlton House for the Continent. It was announced that she was -going to pay a visit to her daughter Augusta, Hereditary Princess of -Brunswick. - -Royal journeys were not very frequent in these days, and as this was -the first time the Princess-Dowager had quitted England since her -marriage many years ago, her sudden departure gave rise to the wildest -conjectures. It was generally believed that she was going to meet Lord -Bute, who was still wandering in exile about Europe; some said that -she was going to bring him back to England for the purpose of fresh -intrigue; others that she was not returning to England at all, but -meant to spend the rest of her life with Bute in an Italian palace. -Against these absurd rumours was to be set the fact that the Duke of -Gloucester accompanied his mother, and more charitable persons supposed -that she was trying to break off his _liaison_ with Lady Waldegrave, -for their secret marriage had not yet been published. Some declared -that the Princess-Dowager and Queen Charlotte had had a battle royal, -in which the mother-in-law had been signally routed, and was leaving -the country to cover her confusion. Others, and this seemed the most -probable conjecture, thought that she was going abroad for a little -time to escape the scandal which had been brought upon the royal family -by her youngest son, Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland. - -[Illustration: AUGUSTA, PRINCESS OF WALES, MOTHER OF QUEEN MATILDA. - -_After a Painting by J. B. Vanloo._] - -The Duke of Cumberland was the least amiable of the sons of Frederick -Prince of Wales. Physically and mentally he was a degenerate. Walpole -pictures him as a garrulous, dissipated and impudent youth, vulgarly -boasting his rank, yet with a marked predilection for low society. -Unfortunately he did not confine himself to it, but betrayed to her -ruin a young and beautiful woman of rank, the Countess Grosvenor, -daughter of Henry Vernon and wife of Richard, first Earl Grosvenor. -Lord Grosvenor discovered the intrigue, and brought an action of -divorce in which the Duke of Cumberland figured as co-respondent. For -the first time in England a prince of the blood appeared in the divorce -court, and, what was worse, cut a supremely ridiculous and contemptible -figure in it. Several of the Duke's letters to the Lady Grosvenor were -read in court, and were so grossly ill-spelt and illiterate that they -were greeted with shouts of derision, and furnished eloquent comment -upon the education of the King's brother.[133] - -[133] Lord Grosvenor got his divorce, and the jury awarded him £10,000 -damages, which the Duke had great difficulty in paying, and George -III., much to his disgust, had to arrange for settlement to avoid a -further scandal. So base a creature was this royal Lothario that he -abandoned to her shame the woman whom he had betrayed, and scarcely had -the verdict been pronounced than he began another disreputable intrigue. - -It was easy to imagine, had there been no other reason, that the -Princess-Dowager of Wales would be glad to be out of England while -these proceedings were being made public. The King, who lived -a virtuous and sober life, and his intensely respectable Queen -Charlotte, were scandalised beyond measure at these revelations, -and the possibility of another, and even worse, scandal maturing in -Denmark filled them with dismay. At present the secret was well kept in -England. Whatever the English envoy might write in private despatches, -or Prince Charles of Hesse retail through his mother, or the Princess -Augusta transmit from Brunswick respecting the indiscretions of -Matilda, no whisper was heard in England at this time, outside the -inner circle of the royal family. Therefore all the conjectures as to -the reason of the Princess-Dowager's visit to the Continent were wide -of the mark. The real motive of her journey was not even hinted. - -The Princess-Dowager was hooted as she drove through the streets of -Canterbury on her way to Dover, and so great was her unpopularity that -it was rumoured that London would be illuminated in honour of her -departure. The Princess, as announced, travelled first to Brunswick, -where she was received by her daughter Augusta and the rest of the -ducal family with honour and affection. It was arranged that the -King and Queen of Denmark, who were then at Traventhal, should also -journey to Brunswick and join the family circle. Everything was -prepared for their coming, the town was decorated and a programme of -festivities drawn up, when suddenly the Grand Marshal of the King of -Denmark arrived at Brunswick with the news that the Queen was ill, -and unable to travel so far. That Matilda's illness was feigned there -can be little doubt, for she was well enough the next day to go out -hunting as usual with Struensee by her side, and in the evening she -played cards until midnight. The incident showed how greatly the Queen -had changed, for Matilda's family affections were strong, and under -other circumstances she would have been overjoyed at the prospect of -meeting her mother after years of separation, and seeing again her -favourite sister Augusta. But Struensee knew that the journey of the -Princess-Dowager boded no good to his plans, and persuaded the Queen to -offer this affront to her mother. - -The Princess-Dowager, who had a shrewd idea of the nature of her -daughter's illness, was not to be outwitted in this way, and she -proposed a meeting at Lüneburg, a town situated between Celle and -Hamburg, in the electorate of Hanover. Lüneburg was much nearer -Traventhal than Brunswick, and Matilda could not excuse herself on -the ground of the length of the journey. If she made that pretext, -the Princess-Dowager proposed to come to Traventhal, where she might -have seen more than it was desirable for her to see. So Struensee made -the Queen choose what he thought was the lesser evil, and write to -her mother that she would meet her at Lüneburg; but he was careful to -deprive the visit of every mark of ceremony, and to make it as brief as -possible. - -The King and Queen of Denmark arrived at Lüneburg late in the evening, -attended only by Struensee and Warnstedt, who were seated in the coach -with them. Matilda did not bring with her a lady-in-waiting, and one -coach only followed with a couple of servants and some luggage. There -was no palace at Lüneburg, and the King and Queen lodged for the night -in one of the fine Renaissance houses in the main street of the old -town. The interview between the Princess-Dowager and her daughter took -place that same evening, late though it was. Struensee was present in -the room the whole time, though the Princess-Dowager pointedly ignored -him. She addressed her daughter in English, of which she knew Struensee -was ignorant, but to her anger and surprise Matilda pretended to have -forgotten it, and she answered always in German that Struensee might -understand. Under these circumstances the conversation was necessarily -constrained and formal; the Princess-Dowager did not conceal her -displeasure, and retired to bed discomfited. - -The next morning at eleven o'clock she sent for her daughter again, -and this time succeeded in having a talk with her alone. What passed -between them cannot certainly be known, but its import was generally -guessed. The Princess-Dowager was said to have told her daughter that -the dismissal of Bernstorff would be much regretted by George III., -as he had always been a friend of England and its royal family, and -it would, moreover, be disastrous to Denmark. Whereupon the Queen -haughtily rejoined: "Pray, madam, allow me to govern my kingdom as -I please". The Princess, annoyed by this want of respect, unmasked -her batteries forthwith, and roundly scolded her daughter for the -extraordinary favours she gave to Struensee. Matilda at first would not -listen, but when her mother persisted, and declared that her conduct -would end in disgrace and ruin, she retorted with an allusion to the -supposed _liaison_ between her mother and Lord Bute, which wounded the -Princess past forgiveness. The interview only widened the breach. As a -matter of form the King had invited his mother-in-law to Copenhagen, -but the invitation was now curtly refused. The Princess saw that she -could do no good, and she did not care to countenance by her presence -a state of affairs of which she did not approve. The King and Queen of -Denmark left Lüneburg in the afternoon, the Princess a few hours later; -mother and daughter parted in anger, and they never met again. - -Struensee must have felt a great sense of relief when the King of -Denmark's coach rolled out of Lüneburg on the way back to Altona. He -had dreaded the meeting between the Queen and her mother, and had -striven to prevent it by every means in his power. But when that was no -longer possible, he had long and anxious consultations with the Queen, -and prompted her how she was to act and what she was to say. Even so he -could not be quite sure of the line the Princess-Dowager might take. -If she had spoken to her daughter gently, reasoned with her, pleaded -with her in love, and appealed to her with tears, she might have had -some effect, for Matilda was very warm-hearted and impressionable. But -these were not the stern Princess's methods; she had been accustomed -to command her children, and her haughty, overbearing tone and -contemptuous reproaches stung the spirited young Queen to the quick, -and made her resent what she called her mother's unjust suspicions -and unwarrantable interference. So the result was all that Struensee -wished. Woodford, who had been commanded by George III. to attend the -Princess-Dowager during her stay in Lüneburg, writes in a despatch of -"the agitation that was visible in Mr. Struensee upon his arrival first -at Lüneburg, and the joy that could be seen in his countenance as the -moment of departure approached".[134] - -[134] Woodford's despatch to Lord Rochford, marked "private," Hamburg, -August 21, 1770. - -Struensee now felt that the time was ripe for him to come forward as -the exponent of a new foreign policy for Denmark, and as the reformer -of internal abuses. He was no longer the doctor, but the councillor and -adviser of the Crown. He had flouted Russia and prevailed against the -influence of England. What power was there to withstand him? - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -THE FALL OF BERNSTORFF. - -1770. - - -The King and Queen of Denmark travelled from Lüneburg direct to -Copenhagen. During the short stay of the court in the capital the Queen -showed herself much in public, and sought in all ways to impress her -personality upon the people. She drove every day about the streets in -a state coach, attended by an escort of guards; the King was always -by her side, and his presence was intended to give the lie to many -sinister rumours. Apparently the royal couple were living together in -the utmost harmony and the King had complete confidence in his Queen. -Together they attended the Copenhagen shooting festival, an honour -which had not been bestowed on the citizens for a hundred years, and -were most gracious in their demeanour, especially the Queen, who was -all bows and smiles. Matilda further gratified the assembly by firing -a shot herself, and inducing the King to follow her example. The -Queen hit the popinjay, but Christian missed it badly. Matilda gained -considerable popularity from the crowd by this exhibition of her skill, -but the more sober-minded citizens were scandalised because she -rode on to the ground sitting her horse like a man, and clad in her -masculine riding-habit. The King rode by her side, but it was jocularly -said that the Queen was "by far the better man of the two," which was -what exactly she wished to convey. Certainly the diminutive and feeble -Christian looked a poor creature beside his dashing and Amazonian wife. - -From Copenhagen the King and Queen went to Hirschholm, the country -palace of the late Queen Sophia Magdalena, which, since her death, had -been prepared for their use, and henceforth eclipsed Frederiksborg -in the royal favour. Hirschholm was not so far from the capital -as Frederiksborg, and was situated amid beautiful surroundings. -The palace had been built by Sophia Magdalena on an island in the -middle of a lake. It was very ornate externally, and one of the -most striking features was a huge gate-tower, which terminated in a -pyramid supported by four lions, couchant and surmounted by a crown. -This gateway gave entrance to a quadrangular court, round three sides -of which the palace was built. The interior was gorgeous, and the -decorations were so florid as to be almost grotesque; a profusion of -silver, mother-of-pearl and rock crystal embellished the walls, and the -ceilings and doors were elaborately painted. The south aspect of the -palace looked over the lake to the beautiful gardens beyond, which were -freely adorned with marble fountains and statuary. In the gardens was a -summer-house, which was used as a temporary theatre for the amusement -of the Queen and her court. Beyond the park were shady avenues and -noble forests of beech and pine. In fine weather Hirschholm was a -paradise.[135] - -[135] Hirschholm became the favourite palace of Queen Matilda, and -usurped even Frederiksborg in her favour. It was more associated than -any other palace in Denmark with her love for Struensee. Perhaps -because of this her son, Frederick VI., when he came to the throne, -razed the palace to the ground. Not a trace of it now remains, but the -beautiful woods and surroundings of Hirschholm still exist, and even -to-day is pointed out the "Lovers' walk," where the Queen and Struensee -used to pace side by side, and the summer-house where they sat, and -spoke of all their hopes and fears. - -At Hirschholm the Queen made appointments in her household to fill -the places of Madame von der Lühe, Fräulein von Eyben and others -dismissed at Traventhal. The Queen's chief ladies were now Madame -Gahler, Baroness Bülow and Countess Holstein. They were three young, -beautiful and lively women, not too strict in their conduct, and the -husbands of all, needless to say, were friends of Struensee. Madame -Gahler was the wife of General Gahler, who held high place in the -councils of Traventhal. Baron Bülow was the Master of Horse, and Count -Holstein held a post about the King. The Queen had always fretted -under the stiff etiquette of the Danish court; now, at the suggestion -of Struensee, she dispensed with it altogether, except on public -occasions. The result was that the manners of the court at Hirschholm -became so lax and unceremonious that it hardly seemed to be a court -at all. Some show of deference was kept up towards the King, but the -Queen was treated with great familiarity, evidently at her own wish, -and in Struensee's case this familiarity sometimes degenerated into -positive rudeness. The ladies and gentlemen of the royal household -laughed and joked and flirted as they pleased, without any restraint, -in the presence of the Queen, scrambled for places at her table, -and quarrelled violently over cards. Even Rantzau was surprised at -the conduct at Hirschholm. "When I was a wild young man," he said, -"everybody at court was apparently respectable, except myself. Now that -I am old, and obliged to be more careful, every one about the court has -gone mad." - -The court at Hirschholm was conducted on a scale of luxury, and on -occasion with ceremonial magnificence. The King and Queen dined -frequently in public in the grand saloon, and were served on bended -knee by pages; the marshal of the palace sat at one end of the table, -the Queen's chief lady at the other, their Majesties in the middle on -one side, and the guests honoured with the royal command opposite them. -The King was a poor and insignificant figure, and rarely uttered a -word; but the Queen, who dressed beautifully, made a grand appearance, -and delighted everybody with her lively conversation. Matilda had wit -and vivacity, though during her early years in Denmark she had perforce -to curb her social qualities; now she gave them full play, and the King -gazed at her in silent astonishment and admiration. A table of eighty -covers was also laid every day in the adjoining "Chamber of the Rose" -for the foreign envoys and great officers of state (if any happened to -be present) and the court officials. At this table Struensee, Brandt -and the other ladies and gentlemen of the household generally dined, -though the favourite was frequently commanded to the King's table, and -might have dined there every day if he had wished. But he generally -preferred to hold a little court of his own in the "Chamber of the -Rose," and most of those present paid him far more homage than they -paid the King. Struensee accepted it all as a matter of course; his -head was already turned by his success, and indeed it was enough to -turn any man's head. Only two years before he had been in an obscure -position, crippled with debt, and seriously thinking of quitting the -country to repair his fortunes; now he was the all-powerful favourite -of a Queen, and could make and unmake ministers as he would. Nothing -was done without his consent, and the removal of the court from the -capital to Hirschholm was dictated by him from reasons which the -English envoy shrewdly guessed at the time:-- - -"Among other reasons assigned for this retreat," writes Gunning, -"one is said to be the desire of eluding the scrutiny of the public -eye, which affects to penetrate somewhat further than is imagined to -be [desirable]. Another cause of this retirement is supposed to be -their Danish Majesties' resolution of continuing inaccessible (which -they have been for some time) to everybody except Mr. Rantzau and -the Favourite. And that, if certain dismissions are resolved upon, -they may be effected with greater secrecy. Mr. Bernstorff tells me -that Mr. Rantzau has frequent conferences with the French minister. -He [Bernstorff] is more alarmed than he has ever yet appeared to be, -but nevertheless seems willing to fortify himself with the favourable -conclusions afforded by the levity and dissipation which mark the -character of his adversaries, and builds upon the unanimity of the -Council, which I hope is firmly grounded. He thinks, however, that -while the influence prevails, irreparable mischief may be done, and -he is at length convinced of a truth I wished him long since to have -believed, namely--that which has been transacting is more than a -court intrigue, and that [the Favourite] was the cause of all its -movements."[136] - -[136] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, September 8, 1770. - -Bernstorff was not long left in suspense as to his future. Struensee -had now matured his plans and was ready to strike. Bernstorff was the -first to go. Soon after the court arrived at Hirschholm the King was -prevailed upon, without much difficulty, to write his Prime Minister -an autograph letter in which he informed him that, as he intended to -make changes in his system of government, he no longer required his -services. He therefore dismissed him with a pension of 6,000 dollars a -year, but gave him leave to retain his seat on the council. Bernstorff -was seated at his desk in the foreign office when this letter was -brought to him by a King's messenger from Hirschholm; he read its -contents in silence, and then turned to one of his secretaries and -said: "I am dismissed from office. May the Almighty guide this country -and its King." - -Bernstorff fell with great dignity. He replied to the King saying "that -he accepted his pleasure with all submission, but begged leave to -join the resignation of his seat on the council to that of his other -employments".[137] He accepted the pension, but how beggarly a reward -it was for his long years of service was shown by comparison with that -assigned to Count St. Germains, a friend of Struensee and Rantzau, who -had been granted 14,000 dollars annually after only three years of -office. Count Bernstorff had grown grey in the service of the state, -and had sacrificed a large portion of his private fortune in the cause -of his adopted country. His great achievement as Prime Minister was the -treaty effecting the territorial exchange with Russia; for that alone -he deserved the gratitude of Denmark. He had his faults, but he was -a man of honourable and upright character, virtuous in private life, -and in public matters earnestly desirous of the welfare of the state. -Bernstorff's fall called forth loud expressions of regret, not only -from the most considerable people in Denmark, but from many foreign -courts. Especially was this the case with the court of St. James's. - -[137] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, September 18, 1770. - -On the return of the Princess-Dowager to England with the news of her -fruitless mission, and on receipt of Gunning's despatches, specifying -the changes likely to take place in the Danish Government, George -III. resolved to write a private letter to his sister, appealing to -her directly, and urging her, whatever she did, not to part with -Bernstorff, who had shown himself zealous of his country's welfare, -and who was, moreover, a friend of England and its royal house. But -this letter arrived too late; it reached Copenhagen a week after -Bernstorff's dismissal. It was enclosed in a private despatch from -Lord Rochford to the English envoy, with orders that he was to deliver -it into the Queen's own hand. Gunning thereupon set out at once for -Hirschholm "to force the entrenchments," to quote his own phrase; but -the Queen, who probably guessed his errand, would not see him. "On my -arrival there," writes Gunning, "I had the mortification to find that -her Majesty was so much indisposed by a fresh attack of cholick as to -render my admission to her impracticable. It not being, therefore, in -my power to present the King's letter myself, I took care to have it -safely conveyed to her Danish Majesty, who commanded her Grand Master -to tell me that I should be informed when she had any orders for -me."[138] But Matilda had no orders for the English envoy, and when she -wrote to her brother of England, it was to tell him that Bernstorff -had already been dismissed, and if he wished to write to her in future -about political matters in Denmark, she would be obliged if he would -send his communications to her through her ministers. How George III. -received this rebuff is not related. - -[138] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, September 22, 1770. - -Bernstorff's dismissal was followed by that of several other ministers. -Men who had grown old in the service of the state were suddenly -deprived of their portfolios, and sweeping changes took place in the -_personnel_ of the Government. Several important political appointments -were made while the court was at Hirschholm. General Gahler, who was -avowedly the friend of France, and had spent many years of his life -in the French service, was appointed head of the War Department. He -did not possess any great military knowledge, and owed his promotion -largely to his wife, who was a friend of the Queen. Gunning described -him as "a smooth, designing, self-interested man, submissive, cool, -deliberate and timid,"[139] and Keith wrote of him later as "dark, -intriguing and ungrateful".[140] - -[139] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, April 4, 1771. - -[140] Keith's despatch, Copenhagen, November 18, 1771. - -Bernstorff had united the office of Prime Minister with that of Foreign -Secretary. The first of these posts, with amplified powers, Struensee -reserved for himself, but he did not at once formally assume it. -Rantzau was understood to desire the Foreign Office, and his ambition -placed Struensee and the Queen in a position of great difficulty. -Rantzau's violent hostility to Russia, and his rash and mercurial -temperament, made this appointment impossible. Denmark would probably -be embroiled in war in a week. On the other hand, he had rendered great -services to Struensee; he was powerful in Holstein, and dangerous -to offend. Struensee compromised the matter by giving Rantzau the -second place in the War Department. Rantzau took it under protest, and -never forgave the affront. From that time he was the secret enemy of -Struensee and the Queen, and only waited for an opportunity to wreck -them. It would have been a mistake to send him to the Foreign Office, -but it was a greater one to place him in a subordinate post, and showed -a strange lack of judgment on the part of the Queen and Struensee. It -did not satisfy him, and it gave him opportunity to betray the secrets -of the Government. - -Struensee sought to conciliate Rantzau by paying the most flattering -attention to his opinions, and it was at Rantzau's suggestion that -Colonel Falckenskjold was recalled from the Russian service and -entrusted with the reform of the Danish army. Falckenskjold was a Dane -of noble family, and had fought with distinction in the French service -during the Seven Years' War; subsequently he entered the service of -Russia. He was a man of upright character, but poor and ambitious. It -was the prospect of power that induced him, in an evil hour, to accept -an appointment at Struensee's hands. "His views of aggrandisement are -said to be boundless," wrote Gunning.[141] - -[141] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, April 4, 1771. - -Brandt was given several lucrative court appointments, but he neither -asked nor received any post in the Government. Gunning thus summed -him up: "Mr. Brandt, the King of Denmark's favourite, seems to be -too light and insignificant to deserve mention in a political light; -he is considered by the others as a sort of dragon which they have -planted within the precincts of the court to stop the avenues to the -throne".[142] Keith declared him to be "naturally rash, turbulent and -waspish".[143] - -[142] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, April 4, 1771. - -[143] Keith's despatch, Copenhagen, November 18, 1771. - -These were the principal men Struensee chose to help him in governing -the internal affairs of the kingdom, in place of the experienced -statesmen whom he had evicted to make room for them. They were none -of them first-class men, but they were the best available. Statesmen -of credit and renown held aloof from Struensee, and would not have -accepted office at his hands. Neither did he seek them, for the men -he wanted were not colleagues but creatures, who would carry out -his bidding. He had now complete control of the situation, and was -already in fact invested with autocratic power. Although nominally -only _lecteur du roi_, he read all letters that came to the King, and -answered them in the King's name as he thought best, the King doing -whatever the Queen advised him, and signing all the documents laid -before him by Struensee. In order to gather power still more into his -hands, Struensee caused Christian to issue a rescript to the heads -of departments of the state requesting them henceforth to send all -communications to the King in writing, and the King would answer them -in the same way. Audiences between the King and his ministers were -hereby abolished. - -Struensee followed up this rescript by an attack upon the Council of -State, still nominally the governing body. Soon after Bernstorff's -dismissal a royal decree was issued, limiting the power of the council -and increasing the King's prerogative. The King wished--so the message -ran--to have the Council of State organised in the best manner. He -therefore requested that the councillors, at their meetings in future, -should duly weigh and consider all the business laid before them, but -leave the final decision to the King. Their object was not to govern, -but to afford the King assistance in governing. The King, therefore, -would have them remember that there must be no encroachment on the -sovereign power, which was vested wholly in the King. - -These changes caused great excitement among the official classes and -the nobility. The government of the kingdom had hitherto been in the -hands of an oligarchy, which was recruited solely from the nobility -and their dependents. By this last decree the King intended to strip -the nobility of their privileges and power. But the King was known to -be a figurehead, and therefore the resentment aroused by these changes -was directed, not against him but against the Queen. Struensee was -still working behind the Queen, and therefore, though he was known -to have great influence, the malcontents made the Queen the first -object of their resentment. The hostility felt against Matilda for the -revolutionary policy now inaugurated was especially bitter amongst the -old nobility, many of whom, notably Count Reventlow, had formerly been -her friends. Reventlow communicated his anger to Gunning, who wrote in -haste to Lord Rochford. He saw in the present confusion an opportunity -for English influence to be re-established in Copenhagen, and, ignorant -of the rebuff the King had received from his sister a few weeks before, -he urged his old expedient that George III. should write a private -letter to Queen Matilda. - -"Both Count Reventlow and everybody ascribe [these new measures] -without scruple to the Queen of Denmark," he writes, "_whose power is -affirmed to be unlimited, and on whose will all depends_. If these -assertions are not made without reason, your Lordship will judge -how much those persons who are honoured with her Danish Majesty's -confidence have misrepresented the state of affairs to her, in order -to make her consent to what is so evidently against the system this -court has some time adopted. Should the preservation of it be thought -worthy of the King's (George III.'s) attention, your Lordship will, I -am sure, think it necessary that the Queen of Denmark should be made -acquainted with his Majesty's sentiments on this important point as -soon as possible, and before the Prince Royal of Sweden comes here, -which under the present circumstances will be most effectually done (if -I may humbly presume to offer my opinion) by a private letter from his -Majesty to the Queen his sister. It is not to be doubted but that this -would have great weight; and should it either procure the reinstatement -of Count Bernstorff (whose indubitable attachment to the King's person -and family gives him a claim on his Majesty's protection), or till such -time as this could be more easily effected, prevent any extension of -the present influence, it would soon give his Majesty (George III.) as -great an ascendency here as the court of Petersburg has had, and which, -were it conducted in a more moderate and judicious manner, would not be -liable to the same reverse. It is not, however, impracticable for the -latter [the court of Petersburg] still to prevent the defection of this -court, but it must be by different and harsher methods than those (it -is hoped) his Majesty has occasion to take."[144] - -[144] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, October 6, 1770. - -It is unlikely that George III., who was still smarting under the -affront Queen Matilda offered to his last communication, acted on -his envoy's suggestion. Neither his brotherly remonstrances nor "the -different and harsher methods" of the court of St. Petersburg would -have had any effect on the Queen of Denmark. She was entirely under -Struensee's influence, and did whatever he wished, and in this case -their wishes were identical. Nothing would have induced her to recall -Bernstorff, against whom she had a grievance, and she had suffered so -much from the meddlesome interference of the Russian envoys that she -was determined to stop it at all hazards. - -[Illustration: GEORGE III., BROTHER OF QUEEN MATILDA. - -_From a Painting by Allan Ramsay (1767) in the National Portrait -Gallery._] - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -QUEEN AND EMPRESS. - -1770-1771. - - -The keynote of Struensee's foreign policy was to free Denmark from -outside interference, and the greatest offender in this respect -was Russia. The inauguration of the new regime, therefore, was the -occasion of a violent quarrel with the Russian court, to which a -personal element gave additional bitterness. Russia at this time meant -Catherine the Great, for the imperious Empress gathered all the reins -of government, both foreign and domestic, in her hands. She had come to -regard the King of Denmark as almost her vassal, and her first instinct -was to crush any signs of revolt against her influence. The Empress was -minutely informed of the changes at the Danish court and the causes -which had led to them. She knew all about the intrigue between Matilda -and Struensee. But she had no sympathy with the young Queen of Denmark, -whose career, in some respects, offered a curious parallel to her own. -Like Matilda, Catherine had been brought from a foreign country, when -little more than a child, and married to a weak and vicious prince, -in whose character there was a strain of madness; like Matilda, -she had been left alone in a strange and dissolute court, outraged -and neglected by her husband, ignored and set aside, and exposed to -every temptation. Catherine had found consolation in a lover, and -plotted with him and others. The outcome of her intrigues was the -deposition and subsequent murder of her husband, and the Empress's -elevation to the sovereign power. Rumour said that she was privy to the -assassination, but that must always remain a mystery. Of course, before -this point had been reached the parallel between the two women ended, -for Matilda, though she had undoubtedly intrigued with Struensee to get -the power into her own hands, was not of the same calibre as Catherine. -She was incapable of either her crimes or her vices; she had neither -her soaring ambitions nor her consummate powers of statecraft. Though a -woman of more than average ability, she had none of the genius of the -Russian Empress; and her heart would always hinder her from playing a -great part upon the world's stage. - -The weakness of Matilda's position was her love for Struensee. At first -she wished him to take no part in politics. "If Struensee had taken my -advice, and had not become a minister, it would have been much better," -she said, two years later in bitter retrospect, but he overruled her -in this as in all else. Everything he did was right in her eyes, and -though she sometimes trembled at the perilous path he was treading, -when he talked to her of his future policy and his sweeping reforms she -believed that he would be hailed as the saviour of the country. She -could not see that he was ignorant of statecraft, and made mistakes -which a little forethought would have avoided, for she worshipped -his commanding talents, and believed him to be a king among men. The -Danish Queen's all-absorbing passion for one man was regarded with -contempt by the Empress Catherine. It is needless to say she did not -condemn it from a moral point of view, for she was a very Messalina -in her passions, but because she considered it a fatal weakness in a -Queen who apparently aspired to reign over her husband's kingdom and to -inaugurate a new system of policy. So far from the similarity between -the trials of Catherine's early married life and the Queen of Denmark's -sorrows enlisting her sympathy, the Empress regarded Matilda with -dislike, mingled with contempt. "I have had the opportunity of seeing -the Empress of Russia's sentiments expressed in her own handwriting -relative to what is passing in Denmark," wrote Woodford. "The Empress, -in a letter to her correspondent, of September 24, says upon the -changes in Denmark, 'that allowances are always to be made for the -follies of youth, but accompanied with the marks of _a bad heart_ they -excite even a public indignation'."[145] - -[145] Woodford's despatch, Hamburg, October 16, 1770. - -There was undoubtedly some jealousy mingled with this dislike of the -Empress Catherine for a woman she had never seen. "The Semiramis of the -North" regarded herself as one to whom the ordinary rules of life and -conduct did not apply, nor even the immutable laws of right and wrong. -She was a woman of destiny, a sublime figure, above, beyond and apart -from all meaner mortals. Yet this foolish Matilda with her _bourgeois_ -favourite and paltry intrigues had presumed to challenge comparison -with one who was incomparable, and even to imitate her idiosyncrasies. -Like Catherine, Matilda rode astride in masculine attire; like -Catherine, she donned the uniform of a colonel, marched at the head -of her regiment, and fired a musket with unerring aim. True, Matilda -had only one favourite where Catherine had many, but he was one who -gathered up (in her estimation and his own) the charm of a Poniatowski, -the bravery of an Orloff, the genius of a Panteomkine, the ardour of a -Korssakof, and the beauty of a Lansköi.[146] Struensee was responsible -for this somewhat burlesque imitation of the Empress; he held before -the Queen's dazzled eyes the vision of another woman ruling her people -with consummate ability to the admiration of Europe, and Matilda was -weak enough to listen to his flattery. - -[146] Favourites of Catherine the Great. - -Catherine regarded the attempts of the Queen of Denmark to follow in -her steps as preposterous, and the anti-Russian policy as impertinent. -The Empress did not at first treat it seriously, but the limit of this -presumptuous folly (in her opinion) was reached when the news came to -St. Petersburg that her former co-conspirator and later her declared -enemy, Count Rantzau, had been taken into favour by the Danish -court, and given an appointment in the Government. Then the anger -of Catherine, as Bernstorff predicted, knew no bounds. She regarded -the appointment of Rantzau as an insult, and sent instructions to -Filosofow to represent her displeasure in the strongest terms to the -court of Copenhagen. Filosofow, who was already goaded to the point -of madness by the humiliations heaped on him by Struensee, performed -his mistress's behest with such violence and so many expletives -that the Queen strongly resented his bullying tone, and his further -residence at Copenhagen became impossible. For this, as the English -envoy wrote, "they [the court of St. Petersburg] will be in a great -measure indebted to their own conduct--disgusting this court by an open -attack on Monsieur Rantzau, whose character, let his intentions be what -they will, ought to have been too well known to them to give rise to -any great apprehensions".[147] Filosofow demanded his recall, which -was granted, and before leaving requested a private audience of the -King. But this was refused by Struensee, who had made up his mind that -henceforth foreign envoys should have no more private audiences with -the King behind his back. Filosofow was told that he could only see the -King at an ordinary court, when he could take leave of his Majesty. -The haughty Russian replied that his health would not allow him to be -present, and he left Copenhagen without taking leave of any of the -royal family. Thus was Struensee avenged upon his enemy. - -[147] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, February 12, 1771. - -Gunning rightly regarded the Russian envoy's withdrawal from the Danish -court as the result of an intrigue, which had its origin in the insult -offered to Struensee a year before. - -"This intrigue," he wrote, "sprang originally from an insuperable -disgust her Danish Majesty conceived against the person of Mr. Saldern -and latterly against that of Mr. Filosofow.... The latter, though a man -of great honour and worth, from a want of sufficient knowledge of the -world, and from being perhaps too sensible of the splendour and power -of the Empress, his mistress, studied not enough that refinement of -behaviour which was to be expected in a public character, and through -absence and inattention committed a piece of rudeness on a certain -occasion to the Favourite which his self-love (as indeed the self-love -of any other man might have done) induced him to impute to design. The -wound rankled in his heart, and I will venture to say the sense of it -was not confined to his own feelings. Her Danish Majesty was pleased to -think much the worse of Mr. Filosofow for it. In short the affront was -never forgiven, and the second Russian minister became equally, nay, -more, obnoxious to the Queen than the first."[148] - -[148] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, April 4, 1771. - -Struensee, now that he had gratified his personal animosity, had no -wish to become embroiled in a war with Russia. He thought that the -dispute had gone far enough, and it would be better to build for the -Empress Catherine a golden bridge, over which she might retreat with -dignity from a position which had become untenable. But unfortunately -for his plans he resolved to conduct the negotiations himself, for -he had not yet appointed a Foreign Secretary to take the place of -Bernstorff. It was only in the department of foreign affairs that -Struensee found himself at sea, not in regard to his policy, for his -mind was clear as to that, but with regard to the forms and phrases -usually observed in communications between courts and monarchs. He had -no training for this kind of work, and until the last two years had no -communication, direct or indirect, with princes and potentates. His -ignorance of forms and etiquette was equalled by his contempt for them. -But it could not be supposed that the King, his master, was ignorant -of these forms, and since communications with foreign sovereigns had -to be made nominally through him, errors of this nature revealed -either that the King had not been consulted, or he had not written the -letters issued with his name. Christian VII. perhaps took a malicious -pleasure in Struensee's ignorance, or he was too indifferent to correct -the glaring errors in letters signed by him, for many absurd mistakes -occurred. - -Struensee thought that a personal letter from the King of Denmark would -appease the anger of Catherine, and he therefore drew up one of these -strange documents which purported to come from Christian. But he was -so ignorant of the ordinary usage that he began it "Madame" instead of -"Madame my sister," and ended as though it had come from a subject, -"I have the honour to be, Madame, your Imperial Majesty's very humble -and obedient servant," a preposterous ending to a letter from one -sovereign to another. The letter contained a good deal of irrelevant -matter, but the gist of it was an apology for the King's refusal of a -private audience to the Empress's minister, "under the pretext," writes -Gunning, "that one having been already denied to the Swedish minister, -it could not have been consistently granted to the Russian minister, -and further, that the audiences which have been so often given, and -were now almost claimed by the Russian minister, ought to have been -considered more as a matter of courtesy than that of right. But had -Monsieur Filosofow appeared in the court circle, his Majesty would -probably have called him into the closet." The English envoy adds: -"Though perhaps this apology will not bear the test of a too strict -examination, yet as it shows an earnest desire of acceding on his -Danish Majesty's part, it may be wished the Empress may suffer herself -to be appeased by it".[149] - -[149] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, January 10, 1771. - -So far from the Empress being appeased by the King of Denmark's letter, -she received it with derision. The form, the manner, the style, the -contents, all showed her that it was not composed by her royal brother -of Denmark, but, as she coarsely said to her whole court, by the -Queen's _cicisbeo_. The relations between the courts of Copenhagen and -St. Petersburg were strained to breaking-point and Struensee was at a -loss what to do next. It was at this juncture that he appointed Count -Osten to the foreign office at Copenhagen. - -Osten was a Dane of noble family, but poor. He was educated at court -as a page in the household of Christian VII.'s father. As the youth -showed much ability, Count Moltke, who was then Prime Minister, sent -him to Leipsic to study languages, with the view of making use of him -in the diplomatic service. During his residence at Leipsic, Osten made -the acquaintance of Count Stanislaus Poniatowski (afterwards King of -Poland), and the two became great friends. On returning to Copenhagen -Osten became involved in some petty palace intrigue, which was directed -against the men who had benefited him, Moltke and Bernstorff. They -overlooked his ingratitude in consideration of his talents, but, -thinking it advisable that he should leave Copenhagen, they sent him -to St. Petersburg, as an _attaché_ to Malzahn, at that time Danish -minister in Russia. Malzahn died suddenly, and the secretary to the -legation being ill at the same time, Osten seized the opportunity -to receive and answer despatches, and to confer with the Russian -ministers. So well did he acquit himself that Bernstorff appointed him -Danish envoy at St. Petersburg, and told him that he must humour the -Grand-Duchess (later the Empress) Catherine, whose favour, as he was a -handsome and a brilliant youth, he had already won. Bernstorff already -foresaw the elevation of the Grand-Duchess to a prominent position in -councils of state. Osten paid his court assiduously to Catherine, and -during his residence at St. Petersburg Poniatowski came there. The -friendship between the two young men was renewed, and when there sprang -up an intrigue between Poniatowski and Catherine, Osten acted as a -go-between, and the lovers used to meet at his house. - -Perhaps because of the part he had played in this matter, the Danish -court found it necessary to remove Osten from St. Petersburg to -Dresden, so that he had nothing to do with the plots which led to the -assassination of the Emperor Peter, and the elevation of Catherine to -the throne. But as soon as the Empress found her position assured, -she asked the King of Denmark to send Osten back to St. Petersburg as -Danish envoy, and her request was at once complied with. The handsome -young diplomatist returned, and for two years enjoyed the friendship -of the Empress, who not only admitted him to her confidence, but even -allowed him sometimes to be present at the councils which she held with -her ministers and her generals. Suddenly, without warning, Osten fell -out of favour. The Empress wrote to the King of Denmark to request his -instant recall, and the Russian minister for foreign affairs informed -all the foreign envoys at St. Petersburg by a circular note that the -Empress had withdrawn her favour from Count Osten, and regarded him as -"a vile and odious person". The cause of Osten's disgrace was not a -political one, but referred to some secret infamy. - -Bernstorff did not wish to bring Osten back to Copenhagen, as his -talent for intrigue was so great that he might prove dangerous, nor -did he wish to lose his services altogether, for he had proved himself -a very able diplomatist; he therefore sent him as Danish envoy to -Naples. Osten went there for a time, but he never ceased to agitate for -his promotion from a post which he considered to be exile. Eventually -Bernstorff promised Osten the post of minister at The Hague; but before -his promise could be fulfilled, the once-powerful minister was himself -dismissed from office by Struensee and the Queen. - -The office of minister of foreign affairs rendered vacant by the -dismissal of Bernstorff, whose knowledge of the tangled threads of -European diplomacy was very great, was no easy one to fill--at least, -from such material as Struensee was able to command. Rantzau, who -wanted it, was impossible, and Struensee at first thought of keeping -it in his own hands; but after the ridicule poured upon his letter by -Catherine, which threatened to make the Danish court the laughing-stock -of Europe, Struensee came to the conclusion that there were some things -he did not know, and he must find some one who was, at any rate, -conversant with forms. No statesman of repute in Denmark would accept -the post on Struensee's terms, so he went through the list of Danish -envoys at foreign courts, and finding in Osten a man whose record was -unscrupulous enough for his purpose, he recalled him from Naples and -placed him at the foreign office in the hope that he would bring the -Empress Catherine to reason. - -Osten's appointment was regarded as a notable accession of strength -to Struensee's administration. His knowledge of Russian affairs was -unrivalled--a great advantage at this juncture--and Gunning, the -English envoy, who had a high opinion of the new foreign minister's -abilities, seems to have thought that he would not only restore -friendly relations with Russia, but would aid him in bringing about -an alliance between England and Denmark. "I think him well qualified -for the post he is in," he wrote, "and the only one here capable of -retrieving the affairs of this unhappy country."[150] Osten, who had to -take office on Struensee's terms, was really desirous of establishing -good relations with Russia, and one of his first acts was to write a -statesmanlike despatch to St. Petersburg, "with such representations -as he hoped would dispel the Empress's scruples regarding the late -transactions of this court, would explain all suspicious appearances, -and satisfy her Imperial Majesty".[151] - -[150] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, April 4, 1771. - -[151] _Ibid._, January 1, 1771. - -Though Osten's despatch was treated with more respect by the court -of St. Petersburg than the King of Denmark's [so-called] letter, the -Empress refused to be mollified. Her pride had been wounded by the -flouting of her representative at Copenhagen, but as her interference -in the internal affairs of the Danish court had been quite unwarranted, -she could not well ascribe her resentment to the fact that it was no -longer permitted. She therefore seized upon Osten's appointment as -an excuse for maintaining her irreconcilable attitude, and declared -that if the conduct of foreign affairs continued in the hands of that -"vile and odious person," she would break the treaty of 1768, and -end all negotiations with Denmark. Osten did not heed the Empress's -abuse; he knew from experience that her outbursts of passion did not -last long, and believed that in time she would take a more reasonable -view. But Rantzau and Gahler urged Struensee to anticipate Russia by -a declaration of war, and Struensee was half-persuaded, for he knew -that at the moment Russia was unprepared. Osten used all his eloquence -to convince Struensee of the folly of such a proceeding, which would -give offence to England as well, and probably bring the King of Prussia -into the quarrel. In this he was ably supported by Falckenskjold, who -had great knowledge of Russian affairs, but for a time it seemed that -Osten would not succeed. As Gunning wrote: "The hopes I for some time -entertained of Mr. Osten gaining a proper ascendency over the Favourite -are not greatly raised by the manner in which I see the former is -obliged to act. It seems to manifest Mr. Struensee's aim, whom every -circumstance deigns to favour, to grasp the whole power of the -administration into his own hands, and as his experience in business is -of a very short date, so long as Count Osten's knowledge and abilities -shall be found necessary for his information and assistance, so long -this gentleman may have some appearance of power."[152] - -[152] Gunning's despatch, February 12, 1771. - -In the end Osten and Falckenskjold won, and Rantzau and Gahler were -defeated. But matters remained in an _impasse_: on the one hand, -the Empress Catherine refused to receive any communications through -Osten; on the other, the King of Denmark refused to remove him, as -that would be to submit to an arbitrary interference on the part of -Russia in the internal affairs of Denmark. It was at last resolved that -Falckenskjold, who was _persona grata_ at the Russian court, should be -sent to St. Petersburg to patch up the quarrel. Falckenskjold's mission -was not very successful, for the Empress declared she would only carry -out the treaty of 1768, the territorial exchange, if Bernstorff were -recalled to the Danish foreign office, and Osten and Rantzau were -dismissed from the Government. An open breach however with Russia was -for the moment avoided. Falckenskjold returned to Copenhagen, and when -he told Struensee that the Empress insisted on the dismissal of the two -ministers, Struensee, on Osten's advice, said, and did, nothing. The -Empress, on learning that her demands had not been complied with, tried -the effect of threats, and alarming rumours reached Copenhagen that she -had determined to bombard the city, and for this purpose was equipping -six ships of the line and four frigates, which would immediately set -sail from Kronstadt. In this crisis Struensee came out well. He knew -that, though Russia might have the ships, she could not at the time -furnish a sufficient number of sailors to equip a fleet. He therefore -betrayed no panic and uttered no threats, but without ado fitted out -three ships of the line and two frigates, and gave orders to build -several others as a counter-demonstration. The ships were manned with -great rapidity, and Copenhagen was soon defended from every point. -Catherine, seeing that her threats were of no avail, forebore from -provoking Denmark to the point of open hostilities. Her hands were at -that moment full of more important matters, and so she declared "if the -present rascally advisers of the King of Denmark had rope enough they -would hang themselves". In the end her foresight was justified, but -at the time the victory was with Struensee. By his firmness he freed -Denmark from the intolerable interference of foreign ministers, which -had been going on for the last twenty years, and the fact stands to the -credit of his administration. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -THE REFORMER. - -1770-1771. - - -A short time after Bernstorff's fall and Osten's promotion, Struensee -was appointed (or rather appointed himself) Master of Requests, a -new office which, as the English envoy said, "might mean anything or -everything". It was an office invented by Struensee, and in practice -seemed to combine the authority of Prime Minister with power to -interfere in every department of government. The only obstacle which -now stood between the imperious minister and absolute power was the -Council of State, which had lost enormously in prestige since the -dismissal of Bernstorff and the royal rescript limiting its powers. -This council was a committee of nobles with conservative tendencies, -and though it was no longer able to decide anything, it still had the -power to delay new measures. Struensee, who determined to break the -power of the nobility in the same way as he had broken the yoke of the -foreign envoys, therefore resolved on a daring step. He would abolish -the Council of State, and place all authority in the hands of the King. - -After going through the farce of appointing a committee, who reported -exactly as it was ordered to report, Struensee swept away the Council -of State by the following decree which, though drawn up by the -Minister, was written throughout and signed by the King:-- - -"We, Christian VII., by the Grace of God King of Denmark, Norway, of -the Goths and Wends, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Stormarn and the -Dittmarsches, Count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, etc., etc., decree -and announce herewith: - -"As the affairs of state in an absolute government are only confused -and delayed when many of the nobility take part in them, owing to the -power and honour which they acquire from time and custom, and the -despatch of business is thereby retarded, - -"We, who have nothing so much at heart as zealous promotion of the -public weal, hereby declare that We will not let Ourselves henceforth -be checked or hindered in those measures and arrangements that are for -the national good. - -"We therefore think fit to abolish and absolutely suppress Our former -Council of State. In doing this Our object is to restore to the -constitution its original purity, and maintain the same. Thus, then, -the form of government will henceforth be, and remain exactly, as it -was handed to Our ancestors of glorious memory by the nation, and -nothing will remain to make it seem that We wish in any way to depart -from the sense and intention with which the nation transmitted it to -Our ancestors. In further confirmation of this We have had the present -decree drawn up in duplicate both in Danish and German, and command -that the copies shall be preserved for ever in the archives of the -chanceries. - -"Given under Our royal hand and seal at Our palace of Frederiksberg -this December 27, 1770. - - (Signed) "CHRISTIAN."[153] - -[153] Translated from the original document in the royal archives of -Copenhagen. - -The constitution which the King in this decree stated that his -ancestors received from the nation was the _Lex Regia_, or royal law of -Denmark and Norway, promulgated in 1660 by Frederick III. It had its -origin in a revolution against the power of the nobles, who had reduced -the King to a mere puppet of sovereignty, and formed an oligarchy which -governed the country entirely in their interests. Frederick III. freed -himself from this thraldom by a _coup d'état_, and with the consent of -the burghers and people, and the enforced sanction of the nobles, he -established the _Lex Regia_. It was therefore a most convenient weapon -for Struensee to refurbish and use against the nobles again, for with -a half-imbecile monarch, the whole of its tremendous powers would pass -to the Minister. Some description of this law may be given to show the -power which Christian VII., or rather Struensee the reformer, proposed -to gather into his own hands. - -[Illustration: THE FREDERIKSBERG PALACE, NEAR COPENHAGEN. - -_From a Print, temp. 1770._] - -The _Lex Regia_ consisted of forty articles, which declared, _inter -alia_, that "the hereditary kings of Denmark and Norway shall, and -must, be regarded by their subjects as the only supreme chiefs on -earth. They shall be above all human laws, and whether in matters -spiritual or matters temporal shall recognise no other superior -than God." That "the King only has the supreme right of making and -interpreting laws, of abrogating, amending, or superseding them". -That "the King only has the power of conferring office, or removing -from office, according to his mere pleasure". That "all dignities -and offices of whatsoever kind are derived from the King, and held -at his will". That "the King alone has the right of disposing of the -fortresses and troops of the realm; he alone can declare war, with -whom, and when, he pleases; he alone can make treaties, impose taxes, -or raise contributions of any kind". That "the King alone has supreme -jurisdiction over all the ecclesiastics of his dominions; he alone can -regulate the rites and ceremonies of public worship, convoke councils -and synods, terminate their sessions, etc.". That "all the affairs of -the kingdom, all letters and public acts, can only be expedited in the -royal name--sealed with his seal and signed by his hand". That "the -King shall not be required to take any oath or form any engagement, -whether verbal or written, since in quality of free and absolute -monarch, his subjects can neither impose an oath upon him nor prescribe -any conditions to limit his authority". That "the whole realm of -Denmark and Norway, its provinces, dependencies, islands, fortresses, -rights, jewels, money of every kind, its army, navy, everything now -enjoyed, everything that may be acquired hereafter, are the inalienable -property of the sovereign alone, and can never be divided or separated -from the crown". - -These few quotations from the _Lex Regia_ will serve to show that -Christian VII. arrogated to himself by this decree a power which no -other monarch in Europe claimed. Not even that most mighty empress, -Catherine of Russia, was so great an autocrat as this. In the -_Lex Regia_ of Denmark we find the most boundless, irresponsible, -unmitigated despotism, without a single provision in favour of -the life, substance, or liberty of any subject, high or low. The -re-establishment of this despotism in all its nakedness was the -essence of Struensee's policy, for, since the reign of the monarch who -promulgated it a century before, it had gradually fallen into disuse. - -Frederick III., the author of the _Lex Regia_, was an absolute monarch -in practice as well as theory; he broke the power of the nobles, and -nothing stood between him and his imperious will. His successor, -Christian V., began his reign on the same principles, but he found it -necessary before long to conciliate the nobles, and one of his first -acts was to create an order of titled nobility. Previously, all of -noble birth had been merely styled nobles, but now they were given -the titles of counts and barons--as if to console them for the loss -of their authority. Certain other privileges were granted to them, -but they still had no share in the government of the country, which -the King kept in his own hands. Gradually, however, there was formed -a Council of State, or Privy Council, which consisted of the heads of -the different departments in the state--such as the minister of foreign -affairs, the minister who was responsible for the army, the head of -the naval department, and the head of the finance department. These -posts at first were filled by the King's creatures, who relieved him -of detail business, but were unable to come to any decision apart from -him; but as time went on the nobles gradually crept back into office, -and were nominated one by one as heads of departments, until the -Council of State assumed more importance. Under the reign of Christian -VI. the Council of State was practically a committee of nobles, through -whom the King governed; and during the latter part of the reign of -Frederick V. (Christian VII.'s father) it usurped the sovereign power, -and the King became a puppet in the hands of his ministers. Once more, -despite the _Lex Regia_, the nobles became the rulers of Denmark. Had -they used their power wisely, they might have remained so; but great -abuses grew up. They filled every post with their creatures; they -betrayed the interests of Denmark to foreign countries; the departments -of state were badly administered, the national defences neglected, and -the people heavily taxed. This was the state of affairs which Struensee -was determined to remedy. - -Christian VII., who had fretted under the yoke of the Council of State, -especially when he first came to the throne (when the ministers who -composed it strove by every means to prevent him from governing and -to keep the power in their own hands), was quite ready to carry out -the daring policy of its abolition, though that policy was dictated -to him by Struensee. The King did not see that he was exchanging the -tyranny of King Log for that of King Stork. He always wearied of those -who dictated to him, whether ministers or favourites. He had wearied -of Moltke, he wearied of Bernstorff, and in the same way he wearied -of Sperling and Holck; and the time was coming when he would weary -most of all of Struensee and Brandt. But at present he was indifferent -to everything; he had long since ceased to take the initiative, and -only asked to be relieved of the burden of state. Sunk into premature -dotage--a listless gazer at the drama of life--so long as he was left -in peace to enjoy the few things he still cared about, he recked -nothing of his government, his kingdom, or the world. By the abolition -of the council he had become in theory the most absolute autocrat -in Europe. He had only to speak the word, or sign a paper, for the -word and the writing to immediately become law; but in fact he was an -imbecile, who let his whole power and authority drift into the hands of -another--nominally, into those of the Queen, in reality of Struensee, -who greedily snatched at every atom of power. In his muddled brain -Christian VII. still clung to the belief that he was rendering himself -equal to his great exemplar, Frederick the Great. The King of Prussia -had found a way of diminishing the power of his ministers by becoming -his own minister, and by signing the decree abolishing his Council -of State Christian VII. imagined that he was acting on a similar -plan. But, needless to say, there was no resemblance between the two -monarchs; Frederick the Great did everything himself, but the Danish -King did nothing, and the stereotyped answer he made to everyone at -this time was: "Apply to Struensee". Struensee had become a sort of -Grand Vizier. - -The day after the suppression of the Council of State a new body was -established, called the Council of Conferences, but it had no real -power. The members, who were the heads of the different departments of -the state, and all Struensee's nominees, met when commanded to do so by -the King, and expressed their views on such business as was laid before -them, advised on matters of form, and sent in their reports in writing. -As these reports all passed through Struensee's hands in his new office -of Master of Requests, they were very useful to him; they set him right -in matters of detail, and gave him the information he required without -his seeming to seek it. As that shrewd observer, Gunning, wrote: "This -is no ill-timed political scheme for those at the helm, who will, by -this method, be able to gain considerable lights without suffering any -one to have access to the King, their master, but themselves".[154] - -[154] Gunning's despatch, January 1, 1771. - -The abolition of the Council of State, though it was so drastic a -measure, was greeted with applause by the people--the burghers and the -peasants--who had long groaned under the tyranny of the nobility, and -had come to look upon them as the cause of all their ills. The royal -decree of course called forth a tremendous uproar from the privileged -classes, and if the nobles could have conferred together the situation -might have become dangerous. But Struensee hit on a very ingenious plan -for driving them out of Copenhagen. Most of them were heavily in debt, -and under the old order of things had set their creditors at defiance. -Struensee, therefore, obtained an order from the King, decreeing that -any creditor could arrest his debtor, if unable to pay at the time of -demand, and keep him in prison until the debt was discharged. In a very -short time nearly all the nobility were hurrying from the capital to -their country seats. Having scattered them, Struensee took a further -step to prevent them from returning to Copenhagen. He issued a decree, -signed by the King, to the effect that it was undesirable to encourage -the flocking to court of persons who hoped to make their fortunes -there, for it only tended to ruin and impoverish the country districts, -and entail great expense on the King. It would be much better for the -nobility, who did not desire official employment, to remain on their -estates and spend their money there instead of coming so much to the -capital; and those nobles who desired employment in the future must -first qualify themselves for it in subordinate posts. In giving these -appointments the King, henceforth, would be guided entirely by service -and merit, and pay no regard to favour or backstairs influence. - -From the enforced retirement of their country seats the Danish -nobility cursed Struensee with impotent wrath; he gave them more to -curse him for before long. Having got rid of them he next abolished -their placemen and parasites, who might have acted as their agents in -the capital. He issued a circular to all the Government departments, -informing them that in future no lackey who waited on a master would be -eligible for a public office; and thus the hateful system of lackeydom -was abolished. Formerly the nobles at the head of the departments -had given minor offices to their coachmen and their footmen in lieu -of payment, and with the result that a great number of ignorant and -incapable men were foisted upon the state, and the administration of -the Government departments was hopelessly mismanaged. Struensee sought -to break down all privileges of caste. Formerly only the nobility were -allowed to use torches at night when they drove out in their carriages, -but now an order was promulgated giving leave to all persons, of -whatever rank, whether in hired carriages or their own, to use torches -at night. But the permission was not generally availed of--probably -because the good burghers of Copenhagen found that if they and their -wives encroached upon the privileges of the nobility, they did so at -the risk of losing their custom. - -Having clipped the claws of the nobility, Struensee next aimed a series -of blows at his other enemies, the clergy. During the two previous -reigns the clergy had gained great influence in Denmark, and now -encroached in matters outside their sphere. Not content with their -spiritual sway, they expressed their opinion on political matters -with great frankness from their pulpits, and even the court did not -escape censure. Struensee, though the son of an eminent divine, was -a freethinker, and hostile to clerical influence, and both the King -and Queen disliked being preached at. Therefore it was not long -before the clergy were made to feel the weight of their displeasure. -A great number of religious festivals were still kept in Denmark as -public holidays, to the hindrance of business, and the encouragement -of idleness and extravagance on the part of the people; the clergy -cherished these festivals, and hitherto the Government had not dared -to abolish them, for fear of giving offence to the Church. But the -new order of things had scant reverence for old abuses, and a royal -decree was promulgated, which abolished, henceforth and for ever, the -public holidays at Christmas, Easter and Whitsuntide, the Epiphany, St. -John's Day, Michaelmas Day, All Saints, the Purification, Visitation -and Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, and the annual _Te Deums_ in -celebration of the deliverance of Copenhagen from Charles X.'s attack -on February 11, 1659, and of the great fire. By another decree liberty -of conscience was granted to all, and universal toleration in matters -of religion. Henceforth every man would be allowed to follow his own -belief without let or hindrance, to choose his own form of worship, -or not to worship, as he pleased. These decrees gave great offence to -the established clergy, who considered the first to be unwarrantable -interference with the vested rights of the Church, and the second, an -encouragement of godlessness and infidelity. - -Struensee was a great believer not only in new measures but new men. -Some of his appointments were good ones--notably that of Professor -Oeder (an able man who had hitherto been a member of the agricultural -commission) as head of the financial department. Oeder helped Struensee -materially in his gigantic labours, and often warned him against -precipitate and violent measures. Struensee also summoned his brother, -Charles Augustus Struensee, to Copenhagen, and appointed him one of the -deputies in the College of Finances. Charles Augustus was a clever and -hard-working man, without his brother's genius, but with a great deal -more ballast, and no objection could be taken to his appointment except -on the score of nepotism--a charge which could not fairly be brought -against Struensee, for his brother was the only member of his family -whom he appointed to any important office. Dismissals were the order -of the day in every department of the state; the imperious minister -brooked no opposition to his will even in the most trifling details. -Count Moltke, court marshal, son of the former Prime Minister, was -dismissed because he demurred to some change in ceremonial, on which -he was a much better authority than Struensee; a page of the chamber, -who was so imprudent as to speak disrespectfully of Struensee, was sent -away without warning, and the young chamberlain Warnstedt, who was a -favourite of both the King and the Queen, and had stood in confidential -relations with Struensee, was banished from court in consequence -of having made a single incautious remark about him. The aged and -respected Viceroy of Norway, Benzon, was dismissed from office without -any explanation; the Burgomaster of Bergen was discharged in the same -way; the bailiff and under-bailiff of Copenhagen were displaced at -an hour's notice. In fact, no official considered himself safe any -longer, but was liable at any moment to be dismissed without warning, -explanation or pension. As the disgraced official generally had his -discharge handed to him by a groom of the royal stables mounted on a -yellow horse, it became a saying in Copenhagen: "Whom did the yellow -horse visit last?" or, "If you are not careful, you will see the yellow -horse to-morrow". - -Struensee's idea of government was absolute despotism, combined, oddly -enough, with a liberal and enlightened policy. He was a despot, but -he was also a _doctrinaire_, and his ideas generally were in advance -of his time. He had read widely German philosophy, notably that -of Leibniz, and was a firm believer in the so-called eudæmonistic -utilitarianism--the greatest possible happiness of the greatest -possible number. He believed also in perfectionism--the inherent -right of the individual man to work out his own perfection in every -respect. Leibniz was an exponent of this school, so was Goethe, who -called his Faust a "Beyond-man".[155] Struensee was a pioneer who -sought to reduce these views to practice. He grafted on his German -philosophy certain Pagan ideals, he affected a benevolent despotism, -and he believed himself to be an _uebermensch_, a "Beyond-man," a man -of destiny. So thoroughly did he believe in himself, that he forced -the same conviction on others for a time--even his enemies, who saw in -him something superhuman and dreaded him accordingly. He bore down all -outside opposition by the sheer force of his will, and so long as he -was sure of himself his power was assured. - -[155] So too in our day has been Nietsche, who elaborated these views -in _Thus Spake Zarathustra_ and other works. - -Struensee was a great reformer, and the intrepidity with which he -carried out his theories compels admiration, but like many other -reformers he neglected to temper his zeal with discretion. Perhaps -he had an instinct that his day would not be long, for he was a -reformer in a hurry. Within a few months after the abolition of the -Council of State he revolutionised the government of the kingdom. By -a series of royal decrees, nominally issued by the King, he reformed -every department of the state. He rearranged the finance department, -he overhauled the admiralty and the war office, he cut down the -expenses of the Danish legations abroad, he abolished the method under -which titles, places and pensions had been granted, and revised the -collection of taxation. Efficiency and economy were his watchwords; -and had his system been given time to work, there is every reason -to believe that he would have achieved both in the great spending -departments of the state. - -This is not the place to write a detailed account of Struensee's -administration,[156] but a brief summary may be given of some of his -principal reforms, because they throw a light upon the character and -career of this extraordinary man. They were planned on the broad -principle of "the greatest possible good for the greatest possible -number," and nearly all of them aimed at benefiting the people at the -expense of vested interests. To appreciate his reforms we have to -remember that the government of Denmark was honeycombed with abuses, -and the peasants were ground down to the level of beasts of burden. -Only drastic measures could remedy this state of things, and those -which Struensee proposed were so sweeping as to amount to a revolution. - -[156] Professor E. Holm of Copenhagen has dealt with it most admirably -in his recent work, _Danmark-Norges Historie_, 1720-1814. - -Perhaps the most important reform he effected was in the administration -of justice. It was decreed that henceforth all men, whatever their -rank, were equal before the law; judges who had shown themselves -corrupt or negligent in the performance of their duties were removed -from their posts, and the delay in hearing trials was censured. A -multiplicity of law courts existed in Copenhagen and the provinces, -which caused great confusion and hindered the course of justice; -these were all abolished, and in their stead a single jurisdiction -was instituted. This reform gave great offence to lawyers, who lost -many fees thereby, but it proved most effectual for the better -administration of justice. - -The civic government of Copenhagen was reformed with a view to -bettering the management of the city revenues and the carrying out of -improvements. The streets were named and lighted, and the houses were -numbered. These changes gave almost as much offence to the burghers -as the abolition of festivals had given to the clergy, for they were -regarded as encroachments on the rights and liberties which the city -had obtained at various times from the Kings of Denmark. But Struensee -did not heed, and routed the forces of bumbledom in the same way as he -had routed those of bigotry. He even aimed a blow at Sabbatarianism, -and forbade the police of Copenhagen to enter private houses without -a warrant, and meddle with what might, or might not, be done by the -inhabitants on Sundays. Heretofore if found working or indulging -in "unseemly merriment" in their houses on Sundays, citizens were -liable to fine or imprisonment--a system which led to gross abuses -of the power of the police, but which was tenaciously upheld by the -magistrates and clergy. - -Other reforms included the abolition of the censorship of the press, -leaving it perfectly free; a regulation aimed at the fraudulence of -trustees; and another to check the extravagant expense of funerals, -which were often so costly as to entail ruin on the family of the -deceased. No abuse seemed too small to escape the eagle eye of the -reformer. - -A royal decree was issued which benefited the serfs. Hitherto they had -been helpless slaves in the hands of their tyrannical masters--the -nobles and landowners; but now they were only required to render -compulsory service on certain days and hours of the week, and the -remaining time was their own. The peasants were also placed under -the protection of the law, and all the privileges that belonged to -ordinary citizens were granted to them. The peasant question was a very -difficult one in Denmark, and it was Struensee's intention one day to -abolish serfdom altogether. But in this reform even he was compelled to -proceed by degrees. - -Another royal decree abolished the salt tax, which had lain very -heavily on the poorer classes, and had caused an outbreak among the -peasantry. The abolition of this tax was most popular, though the -reform was resisted by the nobility. A similar measure was an order -forbidding the exportation of corn to foreign countries, while the -importation from the duchies of Schleswig-Holstein and from one inland -province to another was encouraged. The large landowners had been in -the habit of selling their corn for export abroad at high prices, while -their peasantry were starving for bread. This was effectually checked -by this edict; many thousand loads of grain of every description were -prevented from leaving the kingdom; and, during the severe winter which -followed, were brought from the provincial granaries to Copenhagen, -with the result that flour was sold at half the ordinary price to the -inhabitants. It was also decreed that bread should be sold at the same -low rate to the poor. - -Queen Matilda had probably something to do with the measures for -improving the condition of the poor, for she had great sympathy with -toiling and suffering humanity. A few weeks after the regulations -enforcing the sale of cheap bread, a hospital for six hundred poor -children was established in Copenhagen. In this institution the Queen -took a keen interest, and to cover the cost of founding and maintaining -it a tax was levied on all carriage and saddle horses in the -capital--another device by which the rich were taxed for the benefit of -the poor, a complete reversal of the former order of things, whereby -the poor were ground down for the benefit of the rich. - -Against these beneficial reforms no objection could reasonably be -taken, and whatever the private character and motives of the man -responsible for them, they reflected great honour on his public -administration. But when he came forward as a moral reformer, his -views were more open to cavil. Copenhagen in the eighteenth century -was a very immoral city despite severe penalties on immorality, and -a system of police supervision that interfered with the liberty of -the subject--if the subject were poor. Struensee would have done well -to correct the abuses of the existing system for the suppression of -vice, but he chose rather to abolish it altogether. "Improved morals," -wrote this eminent moralist, in one of his virtuous monarch's royal -decrees, "cannot be brought about by police regulations, which are -also an encroachment on human liberty; for immoral conduct, if it -have no directly injurious influence on the quiet and safety of -society, must be left to the conscience to condemn. The secret vices -which enforced constraint entail are frequently much greater offences -against morality, and constraint only generates hypocrisy." There was -no doubt something to be urged from Struensee's point of view. He had -theories about racial perfectionism, and like many before and since, -believed that artificial selection would produce a higher breed of -men. With these ideas the conventional views of morality seemed to him -superfluous, and his reforms were aimed quite as much against them as -against social abuses. - -For instance, the Danish penal laws directed against illegitimacy -were barbarous; they called for reform, but Struensee swept them away -altogether. He decreed that henceforth illegitimate children should -not rest under any stigma; they were in future to be christened in -precisely the same way as if they were legitimate, and irregular birth -should no longer prevent a man from learning a trade, or carrying -on a business. Mothers of illegitimate children were no more to be -punished--the fathers had always got off scot free. For a long time, -in consequence of these same cruel laws, secret births, child murder, -and the desertion and exposure of new-born infants to the cold had -been common in Copenhagen. To remedy this evil Struensee and the Queen -imitated Catherine of Russia, and established a Foundling Hospital -in Copenhagen,[157] but apparently without any safeguards to prevent -its abuse. It began in a small way. A drawer containing a mattress -was placed outside a window of the lying-in hospital; a notice was -affixed that unfortunate mothers who were unable to maintain, from -any cause, their children, could leave them there, to be taken care -of by the state. This _crêche_ was so eagerly availed of that no less -than twenty-four children were found in it during the first four days, -and the number increased rapidly. The following Sunday, from almost -every pulpit in Copenhagen, came denunciation of the new institution -for foundlings. The clergy denounced it root and branch, as putting -a premium on illegitimacy and immorality, and as throwing an unjust -burden on the virtuous and industrious classes, by compelling them to -rear and maintain the deserted offspring of the immoral and the idle. -But Struensee did not heed. The old order of things, he maintained, -had resulted in infanticide, and wicked waste of human life. And he -held that these children, who had no fault but their illegitimacy, -which was not their fault, might with proper care be reared into useful -citizens. That he might thereby be going against his pet theory of -racial perfectionism, and encouraging the multiplication of the unfit, -apparently did not occur to him. - -[157] Catherine the Great established a Foundling Hospital in St. -Petersburg in 1763, with the aid of the philanthropist Demidoff. The -Empress gave 50,000 roubles towards its maintenance, and granted it -privileges and favours such as no benevolent institution had ever -received before, including exemption from taxation and the monopoly of -the state lottery. - -Struensee followed up this by an attack upon the marriage laws. It -was decreed that henceforth none but the injured party should bring a -charge of adultery. The custom by which persons convicted of adultery -were put in the pillory and preached at publicly by the clergyman of -the parish was also abolished, and all penalties beyond the dissolution -of the marriage tie were forbidden. The table of kindred and affinity -was rearranged, and marriages within certain prohibited degrees were -allowed. The Church disapproved of the marriage of first cousins -(though both Frederick V. and Christian VII. had contracted these -alliances); they were not forbidden, but a dispensation was always -required. This dispensation was now declared to be unnecessary by royal -decree, and the same authority henceforth gave a man permission to -marry his deceased wife's niece, or his deceased wife's sister. This -aroused furious protests from the clergy, but Struensee did not heed, -and further aggrieved the Church by converting two disused chapels into -hospitals for the sick poor. - -Thus it will be seen that, in his zeal for reform, Struensee aroused -against himself the antagonism of nearly every class. The court -officials, the nobles, the clergy, the lawyers, the burghers were -attacked in turn, and all saw their ancient privileges torn away from -them. Under the circumstances, their hostility to the new order of -things was natural, but the unpopularity of Struensee among the people, -whom he sought so greatly to benefit, is not so easy to understand. -That he was unpopular there is no doubt. A good deal of this was due -to the prejudice among the Danes against the German and the foreigner. -Nearly all the advisers who now surrounded the King were of German -extraction, and were dubbed "the German Junto". All grace was taken -from the royal decrees in the eyes of the Danes by the fact that they -were issued in German. It is true the court had been for centuries the -centre of Germanism in Denmark; but the people knew that Christian VII. -spoke and wrote Danish very well, and until the advent of Struensee -all royal decrees and government regulations (except those addressed -to the duchies of Schleswig-Holstein) had been written in the Danish -language. Now, in disregard of the national prejudice, they were issued -in German; and the Danish people regarded this as an insult offered to -them by a German minister. Moreover, it gave colour to the rumour that -the King was for the most part ignorant of the decrees which appeared -in his name, for it was said that otherwise he would most certainly -have framed them in his own language when addressing his own people. -Struensee, who had a contempt for forms and prejudices, and looked -at everything from the broad point of view, excused himself on the -ground that he had no time to learn the Danish language; but even so it -would have been easy for him to have had these decrees translated into -the Danish. As it was he threw away all the popularity he might have -gained from his beneficial measures by wantonly affronting the national -sentiment. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -THE ORDER OF MATILDA. - -1770-1771. - - -A curious commentary on the social reforms of the new regime was -furnished by the proceedings of the court. Extraordinary rumours were -circulated concerning the conduct of the Queen and her favourite, -and though these rumours were grossly exaggerated, still it must be -confessed that Matilda showed at this time a recklessness of public -opinion which was, to say the least of it, unwise. Having regard to the -difficult and delicate situation in which she found herself placed, -a young and beautiful woman, tied to a semi-imbecile husband, and -with a handsome and ambitious man as her adviser and intimate friend, -it surely behoved the Queen to regulate her conduct with the nicest -discretion, and to have in her household only those ladies whose -character was beyond reproach. This was the more necessary as the -sweeping, and on the whole beneficial, reforms which the Queen and her -adviser were introducing were bound to raise up against her a host of -enemies whose interests were more or less attacked--enemies who would -be sure to note any false step she might make to arouse public opinion -against her. Her duty to herself, her duty to her child, and her duty -to her high position all combined to make it imperative that in her -private life she should give not the slightest occasion for enemies -to blaspheme. But acting under the spell of Struensee Matilda threw -discretion to the winds, and even went out of her way in affronting the -prejudices of the staider part of the community. The clergy, already -enraged against the Queen and Struensee for their attacks upon the -Church, were now able to point to the conduct of the Queen and her -favourite as a proof that their strictures were just. - -[Illustration: THE PALACE OF HIRSCHHOLM, _Temp. 1770._] - -Hitherto the Danish court, outwardly at any rate, had respected -Sunday, and the King and Queen had been regular in attendance at -public worship. Now, though the King and Queen went to church -sometimes to keep up appearances, Sunday was purposely selected as -a day of pleasure. For instance, one Sunday at Hirschholm there was -a steeple-chase in the royal park, and the King gave prizes to the -winners. The races attracted a large and disreputable crowd. Nor was -it enough to slight religious convictions; they were openly mocked at -and derided. On another Sunday Brandt was guilty of the folly and bad -taste of delivering a mock sermon from the pulpit in the private chapel -at Hirschholm before the King and an assembled court, who laughed and -applauded. At this exhibition it is only fair to say the Queen was not -present. Naturally these things were repeated at Copenhagen, and the -"revels of Hirschholm" formed a favourite subject of conversation -and reprobation. The clergy fanned the flame of indignation, and many -a covert allusion to Jezebel was heard from the pulpits. Moreover, by -abolishing the censorship of the press Struensee had put a sword into -the hands of his enemies, and before long many scurrilous pamphlets -were sold in the streets, containing the coarsest abuse of the Queen -and her "minion". Caricatures in which the Queen and Struensee were -grossly depicted, and satires after the manner of Juvenal, purporting -to describe the orgies of the court at Hirschholm, were circulated in -Copenhagen, and not only posted on the walls of houses, but even in the -passages of the royal palaces. - -All this popular discontent played into the hands of the Queen-Dowager, -Juliana Maria, who, with her son, Prince Frederick, lived in -comparative retirement at Fredensborg, and sought, by the decorum of -her household and by her regular attendance at public worship, to draw -a contrast between her court and that of the reigning Queen. Juliana -Maria had always been unpopular, but now, though she was not loved, she -was respected, and became generally recognised as the representative -of the old regime, which offered in so many ways a favourable contrast -to the new. She took the place of the Queen-Mother, Sophia Magdalena, -and her palace of Fredensborg became the rallying-place of those who -were discontented with Struensee and his methods. It is quite possible -that intrigues were set on foot at Fredensborg with the object of -overthrowing the favourite, and it is probable that Struensee, who -had spies everywhere, came to hear of them, and in revenge advised -the reigning Queen to treat her brother-in-law and his mother with -discourtesy, which was not only unworthy but unwise. Juliana Maria and -her son were rarely invited to court, and when they attended they were -often kept waiting for some time before the King and Queen received -them, treated with little ceremony, and made to feel that their -presence was unwelcome. Moreover, on the birthday of the Queen-Dowager, -Juliana Maria held her usual court at Fredensborg, but neither the King -nor the Queen attended or sent congratulations, an omission which, -under the circumstances, was very marked. Prince Frederick had been in -the habit of attending the riding-school at Christiansborg, and had had -free access to the royal stables. One morning on presenting himself -there he was curtly informed that no horses could be placed at his -disposal in future, and the riding-school was closed to him, as the -Queen had reserved it for her own use. - -A great deal of this Juliana Maria had brought upon herself by the -scant consideration she had shown to the young Queen when she seemed a -person of no importance, and by the malignant and unjust rumours she -had circulated against her when she first came to Denmark. But Matilda -would have done well to be magnanimous, for these slights provoked a -reaction in favour of the Queen-Dowager. Juliana Maria behaved with -great circumspection. She did not publicly resent the affronts put -upon herself and her son, though she lamented them in private, and -she was careful always to say that she in no way censured the King, -but laid all the blame on the Queen and her favourite. Her hatred of -Matilda deepened, and the most injurious reports which were circulated -concerning the Queen had their origin in the salons of Fredensborg. The -invalid King was represented as living in a state of terror under the -dominion of his Queen and her imperious favourite. He was treated, it -was said, with positive disrespect, if not with cruelty, by the minions -with whom he was surrounded, and Matilda forgot not only her duty as a -Queen and wife but also as a mother. - -This last indictment had reference to the treatment of the Crown -Prince. So far the heir to the throne had come little before the -public, but suddenly there spread throughout the kingdom alarming -rumours of the treatment which he suffered at the hands of his mother -and her adviser, and such was the universal prejudice that these -rumours were generally credited. It was said that the Crown Prince was -neglected in a scandalous manner; he was left to run about the gardens -of Hirschholm in all weathers, insufficiently clothed, with no one -to look after him, and no companions but a boy of low rank; and his -education had not yet begun. He was frequently beaten by his mother -and Struensee, and shut up in an iron cage for hours together as a -harsh punishment; his food was of the coarsest kind, and served in a -wooden bowl, which was placed on the ground. Altogether he was treated -more like an animal than a human being, especially one who would some -day be called upon to fill a high destiny. Even the foreign envoys -heard of this treatment of the Crown Prince, and commented upon it in -their despatches. Gunning, who considered the matter not only from a -political but also from a domestic point of view (seeing that the King -of England was the uncle of the Crown Prince), wrote home in bitter -sarcasm:-- - -"As no step taken in the education of a prince is without its -importance, his nursery may sometimes present a scene not unworthy -of attention. The philosopher of Geneva would hail the dawn of more -enlightened days could he behold (as he might here) the scene of -a monarch left from his cradle to crawl unassisted upon his hands -and knees (like the nursling of a Norwegian peasant) and condemned -to lose his meals, most philosophically concealed, unless he could -discover them by the sagacity of his nose. Such are the maxims which -obtain in the royal nursery of Denmark. The latter instance is no -doubt calculated to sharpen the talent of investigation, a talent -very requisite where the labyrinth of intrigue requires some such -guide."[158] - -[158] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, October 6, 1770. - -Notwithstanding Gunning's authority, these rumours were shamefully -exaggerated, and if they may be taken as a sample of the others -circulated about the Queen, it is very difficult to say of any of them -where fact ends and imagination begins. In this case they were not only -untrue but cruel, for the maternal instinct was always strong in Queen -Matilda, and she was never so happy as when with her child. Moreover, -it was in her interest that the Crown Prince should have his health -guarded in every way, for her position would be seriously affected if -she were no longer the mother of the heir to the throne. The Spartan -treatment, therefore, which the Crown Prince undoubtedly underwent, was -sanctioned by his mother from the highest motives, for Struensee had -persuaded her that it was the training of all others most conducive to -the child's well-being. From his birth the young Prince had been of a -weakly constitution, and had shown a tendency to consumption; he had -been pampered and spoiled by his attendants, with the result that he -would not take the slightest exercise; he was fractious and peevish, -and wanted always to be petted and amused. - -Struensee, who was a believer in the famous treatment of Emile, -changed all this, and urged the Queen to bring up her son as simply as -possible, so that he would grow up to be a strong and a self-reliant -man. The Crown Prince's former attendants were sent away, and he was -given the simplest fare, consisting of vegetables, rice boiled in -water, bread and water, and milk and potatoes; no meat was allowed him. -He wore light silk clothes, and went about bare-footed. He was bathed -twice a day in cold water, and soon became so fond of it that he would -go into the bath of his own accord. He was forced to take exercise, -kept as much as possible in the open air, and made to run about the -gardens in all weathers. His room at Hirschholm was a large one on the -ground floor, some forty feet in length, and on the garden side it was -closed in by an iron trellis-work, which accounted for the story that -the heir to the throne was shut up in a cage. The little Prince had -only one playmate, a boy who was the natural son of one of the court -surgeons, and known as "little Karl". These boys were always together, -and no difference was made between them. They played, quarrelled and -fought as they would, and no one was allowed to interfere with them, -nor were any of the servants about the court suffered to speak to, or -play with, the Crown Prince. This rule was kept very strictly. For -instance, one day, when the little Prince fell in the garden and hurt -himself, Struensee's valet, who was passing, picked him up and tried -to comfort him. For this breach of rule the servant was sent to the -Blue Tower in Copenhagen and imprisoned for some time. The boy was not -allowed on any pretext to take advantage on the ground of his rank. One -day when he and his companion had some quarrel, Frederick asked Karl -how he dared to strike a prince. "I am as much a prince as you," the -other boy answered. "Yes, but I am a Crown Prince," Frederick retorted. -Thereupon the two boys fought till Frederick won the victory. Struensee -heard of this battle royal, and told the Queen, who, when she knew the -cause, insisted on the Crown Prince begging the other boy's pardon. As -Frederick refused to do so, the Queen gave him a whipping. From this -arose the rumour that he was frequently severely beaten. The charge -that he was neglected rests on more foundation. One day during the -autumn of 1770, at Hirschholm, the King and Queen and all the court -went out hunting, and on their return very late the Crown Prince could -nowhere be found. A search was made for him, and he was at last found -lying insensible in the garden half-dead with cold. He was put to bed -with a nurse, who took him in her arms and gradually restored him. The -negligence in this case was due to the servants who had been left in -charge of him, but the blame was laid upon the Queen. - -The incident became known, and so loud and insistent was the popular -clamour that the court physician, Berger, became frightened, and -insisted on some modification of the Crown Prince's treatment. -Henceforth the boy was allowed to wear shoes and stockings, given -warmer clothing, and his room was slightly heated in the winter. -His diet was also made a little fuller; his rice was boiled in -mutton-broth, and he was given meat-soup for dinner. His education, -however, was still left severely alone, and at the age of four he -could not speak any language properly, but only a jargon of Danish and -German, which he had learnt from his playmate. The excuse put forward -for this retarded education was that the boy was far from strong, and -it was the Queen's object to see his health thoroughly established -before she burdened his strength with studies. - -The Queen, as a rule, was indifferent to public criticism, but she -was much hurt at the strictures passed on her for her treatment of -her son, especially those made by foreign courts. It is possible that -some remonstrance may have reached her from England, either from her -mother or her brother, for she had drawings made of the Crown Prince, -showing him with his little rake and spade and watering-can, playing -in the garden, or leaning against his mother, all designed to show how -healthy and happy he was. These were given to the foreign envoys for -transmission to their respective courts.[159] - -[159] Some rough sketches of these little pictures--in -water-colours--are preserved in the royal archives at Copenhagen. - -The best answer to this charge against the Queen is to be found in the -fact that the Crown Prince threw off his early weakness, grew up a -strong and healthy boy, and developed into a vigorous man, who lived to -a sound old age. All through his life the Crown Prince Frederick (who -afterwards became Frederick VI.) was able to endure much more fatigue -than an ordinary man, and he always adhered to the simple and frugal -habits to which he had been inured when a child. - -The King and Queen remained at Hirschholm until late in the autumn, and -then removed to the castle of Frederiksberg, near Copenhagen. Struensee -and Brandt accompanied them in close attendance. Struensee now was a -permanent inmate of the royal palaces, and wherever the court went he -went too--a special suite of rooms adjacent to, or communicating with, -the Queen's apartments were set apart for him.[160] - -[160] The castle of Frederiksberg is not much changed to this day, -and a secret door is still shown which, tradition says, led from -Struensee's apartments to those of the Queen. - -At Frederiksberg the King and Queen lived in comparative retirement, -but as unpleasant rumours were persistently promulgated about the -King's health, Struensee thought it well that Christian should -occasionally show himself in public, and it was announced that the -King and Queen would drive into Copenhagen every week to hold a court -at the Christiansborg Palace. There was a general curiosity to see the -King; but when the court was held he only appeared for a few minutes -and spoke to nobody; the Queen then took his place and received the -company alone. She was much mortified to see how the nobility and their -wives held aloof from the court. But on reflection she could hardly -have been surprised, for not only had recent legislation been directed -against them, but the King had published a decree a few months before -recommending the nobility to spend less time in the capital and more on -their estates. Those who attended court now, outside the foreign envoys -and the ministers and officials whose duties compelled them to be -present, were chiefly the lesser and newer nobility, the professional -classes and even the _bourgeoisie_. It was Matilda's ambition to -have a brilliant court. It was undoubtedly brilliant in the sense of -display, and was largely attended, but the company who came could -scarcely be said to add to its distinction. - -The Crown Prince of Sweden (who afterwards ascended the throne as -Gustavus III.) and his younger brother, the Hereditary Prince Frederick -Adolphus, paid a visit to the King and Queen of Denmark at this time. -The Crown Prince of Sweden had married Christian VII.'s elder sister, -and this was his first visit to Copenhagen since his marriage. As -Struensee's foreign policy was to cultivate good relations with Sweden -as against Russia, every effort was made to receive the princes with -honour. A masquerade ball was arranged for their entertainment, plays -and operas were performed at the theatre, and banquets, concerts and -levees were held every day. Despite these efforts the Crown Prince -of Sweden did not appear to be pleased with his reception, and he -made audible comments on the strange company he met at the court of -Copenhagen. At the masquerade, in particular, almost any one came who -would. He pointedly asked the Queen what had become of the Danish -nobility, several of whom he inquired for by name, and scarcely -concealed his annoyance that they were not present to do him honour. -One day, at the royal table, when he found that two or three of the -wives of the principal merchants of Copenhagen were dining there, he -sarcastically exclaimed, "And are there no Jews and Jewesses here -too?" On another occasion a beautiful lady of the _bourgeoisie_ rallied -the Prince politely for not having acknowledged her obeisance, and -he answered elaborately (in the hearing of the Queen) that he could -not understand how the Swedish envoy had made such an oversight, for -he had strictly ordered him to present every lady of noble rank who -attended the Danish court, and he could only suppose the minister had -forgotten as he had presented so few. These sarcasms were very wounding -to the Queen, and her pride was much hurt. The Crown Prince of Sweden -and his brother treated the King and Queen with studied deference, but -they declined to regard Struensee in any other light than that of a -man of almost menial birth, who might be useful to them politically. -Struensee, who had arrogated to himself a foremost place at the Danish -court, was incensed at thus being put outside the charmed circle, and -vented his ill-humour on the Queen, who was sufficiently mortified on -her own account. It was a relief to every one when the visit ended, and -the Swedish princes betook themselves to Gottorp to stay with Prince -Charles of Hesse, and amaze him and his wife with an account of the -extraordinary proceedings of the court of Copenhagen. This was the only -royal visit paid to the Danish court during Matilda's regime, and it -gave her no taste for others. - -The state of the King's mind made any repetition of this experience -impossible, for Christian VII. was no longer able to play the host to -royal guests. One of the current rumours was that Struensee and the -court physician, Berger, who was his creature, tampered with the King's -health, and gave him drugs which dulled his understanding. Certainly, -when the King appeared in public his dejected air and extreme -indifference to everything that was going on around him gave colour -to the report--which was not true. The fact was that the condition of -Christian by this time had become hopeless; his mind had partly given -way, and the greatest care was taken by the Queen and Struensee lest -this should be discovered. For if the King were proved to be incapable -of governing, what force had the decrees issued in his name? But the -King was declared to be in perfect health, and the fiction of his -absolutism was rigidly maintained. On the strength of this, sometimes, -impudent demands were made upon him, when Brandt was out of the way. - -For instance, one of the King's pages drove his master into a corner, -and said to him, "Your Majesty, make me a groom of the chamber". Nor -would he let the King out until he had granted his request, and the -royal word once spoken could not be recalled. Occasionally the King -aired his authority in a way which his keepers did not approve, and now -and then a ray of intelligence crossed his brain which found expression -in satire, and made Struensee fear that perhaps the King was not quite -so imbecile as he looked. One day Christian, who wished for nothing -but to amuse himself, had been worried to sign commissions appointing -several new conference councillors, creatures of Struensee, who had -little or no qualification for their posts. The King that evening at -dinner kicked his favourite dog "Gourmand," who was lying at his feet, -and asked, "Can you bark?" and when the dog began yelping, the King -said, "As you can bark, you shall be a conference councillor too". -He thereupon rose and proposed the health of "Councillor Gourmand," -to which all present had to drink. He also gave the dog a salary, -which had to be paid regularly from the treasury. Struensee's enemies -regarded the incident as a bitter joke on the part of the King, and -nicknamed the Minister "Gourmand". - -On another occasion when Christian had been forced to appoint a man, -whom he disliked, a chamberlain, he revenged himself by making one of -the palace menials a chamberlain too. The man, whose duty it was to -light the stoves, came into the royal apartment just after Christian -had been worried into signing the paper. "Hullo, my good fellow, -would you like to be a chamberlain?" cried the King. The man grinned -sheepishly, and, to humour his master, answered that he would not -mind. "Very well," said the King, "you shall be one: come with me." -He took the servant by the hand, and led him just as he was, in his -yellow blouse, into the great hall, where the Queen, Struensee and all -the court were assembled, walked him to the middle of the room, and -shouted in a loud voice: "I appoint this man my chamberlain". As the -theory that the King was absolute had to be kept up at all hazards, -the man became a chamberlain forthwith. Struensee, however, hit on a -device next day for getting out of the difficulty, and bought the title -back from the man for the price of a small farm some distance from the -capital, whither he was despatched as soon as possible. - -It was difficult to guard against these _contretemps_, for the King's -condition varied considerably; some days he was quite sane and lucid in -his conversation, so that no one would imagine that there was anything -the matter with him; on others he was to all intents and purposes a -madman. But his keepers never knew when the mania would break out, and -it sometimes showed itself at most inconvenient seasons. One day when -the Queen was holding a levee (it having been announced that the King -did not feel well enough to be present), the door suddenly opened, and -the King, who had managed to evade the vigilance of Brandt, walked into -the room, and waving his hand to the assembled court, peremptorily -commanded silence. The conversation was at once hushed, and the Queen, -pale and trembling, wondered what was coming next. The King, with great -earnestness, recited _The Warning Ode to Princes_, by the famous poet, -Klopstock, a poem peculiarly suitable under the circumstances. When -it was finished, he again waved his hand to the company, burst into a -laugh, and walked out of the room. It was probably after this incident -that Gunning wrote:-- - -"I am very sorry to communicate so disagreeable an article of news -as that alarming reports have been circulated on the subject of his -Danish Majesty's health. Notwithstanding infinite pains have been -taken to conceal or explain away some very unpromising symptoms, I am -apprehensive they have but too much foundation."[161] - -[161] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, February 12, 1771. - -The court had by this time returned to Copenhagen and taken up -residence at the Christiansborg Palace. Struensee now strove in every -way to win popularity for his administration. He was a great believer -in _panem et circenses_, and in pursuance of this policy seized upon -the King's birthday (January 29, 1771) as an opportunity for bribing -the populace. The celebrations rivalled in magnificence those of the -coronation, and were also intended to dispel the idea that the King was -ignored in his own court. A fountain was erected in the palace yard -whence flowed red and white wine, and all who would were allowed to -drink from it the King's health. Sheep and oxen were roasted whole, and -distributed to the crowd; gold and silver medals were struck, and money -thrown to the people. The King and Queen looked down upon the scene -from a balcony, while the galleries which ran round the quadrangle were -crowded with spectators. - -The King's birthday was also made the occasion of glorifying the -reigning Queen, and of rewarding her adherents. Struensee gave Matilda -all the semblance of power, and himself grasped the substance. In order -to identify the young Queen with the revolutionary changes that had -recently taken place, and impressing upon the nation the prominent -position which she now held in the councils of the state, a new order -was established, which was called the Order of Matilda. The Queen was -founder of the order, and the statutes were as follows:-- - - "I. The order shall be called the Order of Matilda. - - "II. It shall be conferred on both women and men. The number shall - never exceed twenty-four, the Queen, its founder, included. - - "III. It shall only be conferred on those persons who deserve - particular attention of the Queen, independently of merit or - services rendered. - - "IV. It is forbidden to ask for the order, and those who act - contrary to this rule will deprive themselves for ever of the - hope of obtaining it. - - "V. Those women or men who, on receiving the Order of Matilda, - already possess the 'Order of the Perfect Union' of the late - Queen-Mother, Sophia Magdalena, shall deliver the insignia of - the latter to the Queen. - - "VI. The order shall be worn with a pink ribbon striped with - silver. The men shall wear it round the neck, and the ladies - fasten it in the shape of a bow on the left breast. - - "VII. On the death of any person decorated with the Order of - Matilda, the heirs are expected to return the insignia to the - Queen." - -The badge of the order was a medallion with the letters "C. M." set -in diamonds, with a royal crown over it and a laurel wreath round it. -The Queen was pleased to confer it on the King, the Queen-Dowager, and -Prince Frederick. The others to whom it was given on the day of its -institution were Struensee, Rantzau, Osten, Brandt, General and Madame -Gahler, Madame de Plessen, who still lived at Celle, and Baroness -Schimmelmann, and Countess Holstein, the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. -The Queen only decorated those who were her avowed supporters, and the -establishment of this order gave her the opportunity of honouring them -in a special and personal manner. But Struensee's enemies declared that -he had invented the order for his own special benefit, inasmuch as he -despised the Order of the Dannebrog, and did not yet dare to take for -himself the Order of the Elephant--the highest order in Denmark. This, -however, was a malicious invention, for Struensee could have had any -order and title he wished, and if he did not take them all at once, it -was because he liked to prolong the pleasure of anticipation. - -The court remained at Christiansborg throughout the winter, and -Brandt, who was now established as a sort of master of the revels, had -the arrangement of all the festivities. His first step was to alter -and redecorate the royal theatre in Copenhagen at great cost, and -arrange a series of operas. For the first time in Denmark, since the -Reformation, performances were given on Sunday, and Sunday came to be -regarded as the gala night at the opera, when the King and Queen would -attend. This gave fresh offence to the puritan party in Copenhagen. -The rearranging of the royal theatre was used as an occasion for -offering a further slight to the Queen-Dowager and her son. They had -hitherto been accustomed to share the King's box, but now they were -allotted one of their own. The Queen-Dowager rarely attended operas, -but Prince Frederick did, and the excuse put forward was that there was -no room for the Prince in the royal box; but when, after protest, he -yielded the point, Struensee and Brandt appeared in the box, and seated -themselves immediately behind the King and Queen. - -Struensee turned his attention to the court, and soon the new -brooms were busily sweeping out this Augean stable of privilege and -corruption. The expenditure of the court was carefully revised, a great -many useless offices, chiefly held by the younger sons of the nobility, -were abolished, and pensions and salaries greatly reduced. The King -of Denmark was burdened with a great number of costly palaces, which -were always in need of repair. None of these palaces was closed, but -the embellishment of them, which was always going on, was commanded -to cease. By order of the late King Frederick V. the building of -a marble church, to be named after him Frederiks-Kirke, had been -begun in Copenhagen, after magnificent designs by Jardin, the French -architect. The building of this church, which had now been going on -for twenty years at enormous cost, crippled the treasury. Struensee, -who considered the building of churches as useless waste, put a stop -to the works, and broke the contracts with the builders. The church -remained half-finished.[162] This occasioned much discontent; the -contractors declared that they were ruined, the architect was loud in -his complaints, artists protested against the vandalism of abandoning -so magnificent an undertaking, and the clergy were scandalised that -the house of the Lord should be left in this condition while large -sums were squandered upon masquerades and play-houses. It is true that -Struensee's changes in the court did not effect much economy, for the -perpetual round of entertainments and festivities organised by Brandt -more than ate up anything that might be saved in another direction. - -[162] It so remained until 1878 for lack of funds, when Tietgen, a -wealthy banker of Copenhagen, undertook the cost, and it was finally -completed in 1894. The handsome copper-sheathed dome is a conspicuous -object in Copenhagen, especially when the city is approached from the -sea. - -To bring money into the depleted treasury, Struensee established a -royal Danish lottery, and it became a most profitable institution, -not only to the court but to the Government. Its establishment was -regarded by many as state encouragement of gambling, which would not -fail to bring ruin upon thousands; but protest was unavailing, for a -mania for gambling seized the citizens of Copenhagen and the people -in the provinces, and nothing was talked of but the lottery, to the -hindrance of regular and honest occupation. Struensee's defence to his -critics was that he did not establish gambling, which already existed -in Denmark; he merely sought to regulate it, and turn the craze to -the benefit of the state. In this, as in many other things, he was -imitating Catherine the Great, who raised money in the same way. - -Struensee closed his programme of court reform by what was in effect -an indirect attack upon the army, though it was really aimed at the -nobility. He abolished by royal decree the two squadrons of Household -Cavalry or King's Bodyguard, who, composed of picked handsome men, were -the flower of the Danish army. Struensee considered them to be useless, -and justified their abolition on the ground of economy; but it was said -that a personal grievance had something to do with it. The officers of -the Household Cavalry were all men of noble birth, and had the right -of coming to court when they liked. Many of them held ornamental posts -which Struensee had swept away. Naturally the officers did not view -these reforms with favour, and they revenged themselves by making -slighting remarks about the mixed company which now formed the court -circle, and ridiculing the more prominent members of it, including the -favourite himself. Struensee stopped this annoyance by abolishing the -Household Cavalry by a stroke of his pen, and gave directions that the -officers, who could not at once be attached to other cavalry regiments, -were to be placed on half-pay; but the non-commissioned officers and -privates received no compensation beyond the option of joining the Foot -Guards, whom they looked down upon and despised. - -A terrific uproar followed the promulgation of this order. The army -declared that it was an attack on the King's majesty and prestige, he -could not be properly guarded without his cavalry. The protests of the -nobles, the clergy, the lawyers, the magistracy had been nothing to -this. The officers at whom Struensee really aimed belonged of course -to a class, but the troopers were from the people, whom he desired to -conciliate. They were very popular among the citizens of Copenhagen, -who were proud of them. Even the Queen was frightened at the din, and -feared that in this measure Struensee had gone too far. Some of her -fear must have communicated itself to him; for when the Horse Guards -were returning to their barracks from the parade, where the King's -order had been read to them, Struensee, who was driving, met them face -to face. The aspect of the soldiers and the populace was so threatening -that, believing a mutiny to be imminent, he fled back to the palace -and hastily summoned the heads of the war department--Gahler, Rantzau -and Falckenskjold. The result was a complete capitulation so far as -the rank and file were concerned. A cabinet order was issued declaring -that the disbandment of the Household Cavalry was only a prelude to -the establishment of a model corps which was to be called "The Flying -Bodyguard". This corps was to be composed of the non-commissioned -officers and men of the two squadrons disbanded, and picked men from -other cavalry regiments. Struensee declared that his only object was -to provide really efficient cavalry, and this he had intended all the -time. Now that the danger had passed he sought to conceal that it was a -concession forced from him by fear. But the rumour of his panic spread -about the city, and it was even said that he had been frightened into -offering his resignation. The rumour was not generally believed, for it -was thought incredible that a man who had shown himself so daring and -indomitable should thus show signs of weakness. - -Struensee recognised that, from the popularity point of view, he had -made a false move, and sought to retrieve it by popularising the court. -Everything now was done for the masses and nothing for the classes. -When, in 1771, spring came (and it comes with a rush in Denmark) the -beautiful gardens of the Rosenborg[163] Castle in Copenhagen, and the -park and gardens of Frederiksberg, outside the walls of the city, were -thrown open to the people, and on Sundays and holidays military bands -performed for their benefit. The King and Queen frequently honoured -the concerts with their presence. They would dine in the palace, and -then mingle freely with the crowd in the gardens, which was composed -of all classes. The grounds of the Rosenborg were especially beautiful -and varied, with shady groves and shrubberies. Often of an evening the -gardens were illuminated with coloured lamps, and refreshment buffets -were erected. Struensee gave permission to the proprietor of the -buffets to open a faro-bank which was much frequented, and the rent -paid for the tables was given to the foundling hospital. Catherine -the Great had done the same thing at St. Petersburg. The clergy again -cursed Struensee from their pulpits; they declared that he turned the -King's gardens into haunts of libertinism, gambling and drunkenness, -and the shady groves and dark alleys into scenes of iniquity. These -charges were greatly exaggerated and fell wide of the mark. Most of the -amusement was quite innocent, and despite the anathema of the Church, -the opening of the royal gardens was the most popular measure of -Struensee's administration. - -[163] Rosenborg, a handsome Renaissance palace with pediments and -towers, was erected by that splendour-loving monarch, Christian IV., -in 1610. It was his favourite residence, and from his death until the -reign of Christian VII. was used as an occasional residence of the -Danish monarchs, who here deposited their jewels, coronation robes and -other treasures. Christian VII. and Matilda never used the Rosenborg -as a residence. It is now converted into a Danish historical museum, -and is full of relics and beautiful things. A visit to it is a most -instructive lesson in Danish history. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -THE DICTATOR. - -1771. - - -When the court removed from Copenhagen to Hirschholm for the summer, -it was officially announced that the Queen was likely again to become -a mother. The fact had long been known to people about the court, -but the publication of it was unduly delayed. Some months before its -announcement Gunning wrote to England: "As no declaration has yet -been made of her Danish Majesty's pregnancy, I have long entertained -scruples with regard to the propriety of mentioning it; but as nobody -seems to make the least doubt of its truth, I am at length convinced I -ought no longer to suppress so important a piece of intelligence".[164] -Extraordinary mystery was observed. The Saxon minister informed -his court that at the last drawing-room held before the Queen's -confinement, no one ventured to inquire after her Majesty's health, -though it was the usual custom. - -[164] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, February 12, 1771. - -The news was ill-received by the Danish people, who had hitherto not -been disposed to judge the young Queen too harshly. Except by the -clergy, and some women, Matilda was more pitied than blamed, and -spoken of with sorrow rather than with anger. But when her pregnancy -was at last declared, and an order issued for prayers to be offered for -her in the churches, many people (even those who had tried to believe -the best) regarded the announcement as a confirmation of their worst -suspicions. The clergy in many instances did not obey the order to pray -for the Queen, and in some of the principal churches in Copenhagen -half the congregation rose up and left the church when the prayer -was read. The Danes, though accustomed to the profligacy of their -kings, had hitherto regarded their queens as above suspicion. The old -Queen-Mother, Sophia Magdalena, had been a model of respectability: -Queen Louise was almost worshipped on account of her domestic virtues: -even Juliana Maria, the Queen-Dowager, unpopular though she was, -on account of her intriguing and vindictive disposition, had never -given occasion for the slightest whisper against her fair fame. When, -therefore, Matilda, who had come to Denmark little more than four years -before, a child-bride with golden hair and blue eyes, the incarnation -of innocence, and who (during the early years of her married life) had -won all hearts by the way she had borne her sorrows, suddenly put aside -her modesty and dignity, surrounded herself with ladies of easy virtue, -and compromised herself with a man of inferior position, she alienated -the sympathies of the people. - -It is true that, even admitting the worst, of which there was no -positive proof, the young Queen of Denmark was only imitating the -conduct of the Empress Catherine of Russia and her predecessors, -the Empresses Ann and Elizabeth. But Russia was a more barbarous -country than Denmark, and the priests of the Eastern Church took a -more tolerant view of breaches of the seventh commandment than the -puritanical clergy of Denmark. Moreover, Catherine conducted her amours -with more discretion than Matilda; her conduct in public was a model -of decorum, however shameless it might be in private; she was careful -always to conciliate the clergy, to respect the rights and privileges -of the national Church, and to be regular in her attendance at public -worship. But Matilda, urged by Struensee, had attacked the rights of -the established Church, and had needlessly shocked the conventions. And -whereas the favourites of the Empress of Russia were puppets in her -hands, the Queen of Denmark was a puppet in the hands of her favourite. - -[Illustration: - -TWO RELICS OF QUEEN MATILDA IN THE ROSENBORG CASTLE, COPENHAGEN. - -(1) THE INSIGNIA OF THE ORDER OF MATILDA; (2) THE WEDDING GOBLET.] - -It must be repeated that much would have been forgiven the young and -beautiful Queen had her favourite been other than he was--had he been -a Dane of good birth, who respected the proprieties sufficiently to -keep himself in the background. Had the young Queen been first, and her -favourite second, she might have gathered as much power in her hands -as she would, and have aroused little opposition except at the court -of the Queen-Dowager, and those whose interests she attacked. She -would certainly have reigned still in the hearts of the people, who -were willing to make great allowance because of her wrongs. But when -her favourite was a German, an upstart, who flaunted his power over -the Queen in the face of the public, and made her do a hundred things -which were not in keeping with her rank as a queen, or her dignity as a -woman, when every one knew that it was he who dictated the new policy -of the King, and used the Queen as a buffer between him and the popular -indignation, when he attacked the national institutions and flouted -the national sentiment at every turn--it is no wonder that a cry of -indignation went up, not only against the minister, but also against -the Queen. - -This indignation deepened when it was announced on July 7, 1771, that -the Queen was delivered of a daughter. Mounted messengers at once -conveyed the tidings from Hirschholm, whither the court had gone -three weeks before, to Copenhagen, and the birth of the princess was -proclaimed in the usual manner from the balcony of the Christiansborg -Palace. Royal salutes were discharged from the cannon on the ramparts -and at the arsenal, and heralds in gorgeous tabards blew a blast of -trumpets from the town hall and the principal church towers. But so -far from the event arousing any public rejoicing, ominous murmurs were -heard among the people, and the free press did not hesitate to abuse -its freedom by more scurrilous articles and gross caricatures. Though -there was no proof, the newborn infant was generally believed to be -the child of Struensee, "who," said his enemies, "had shamelessly -dishonoured the King's bed, and introduced his vile posterity in the -place of the pure blood of Oldenburg". It must be stated here, however, -that even if the Queen's indiscretion with Struensee were admitted, -it was not impossible that the Princess should have been the King's -child, and this was the view taken later by the Queen's most inveterate -enemies. Unfortunately, colour was given to this damaging report by -Struensee assisting with Berger at the accouchement of the Queen; no -other physicians were called in, and all the etiquette usual on these -occasions was abolished. - -With incredible recklessness Struensee chose this time, when his -unpopularity was at its height, and the air full of evil rumours, to -put the crown upon his audacity by seizing the kingly power in a way no -subject had ever dared to attempt before. Struensee's nominal office -hitherto had been that of Master of Requests; in reality he had been -dictator, and governed both the state and the court. But this was not -enough for his boundless ambition; he was no longer content to work -behind the King and Queen, and through his creatures Rantzau, Gahler -and Osten. He therefore induced the King to appoint him (or rather he -appointed himself) "Privy Cabinet Minister," and to invest him with -absolute authority. - -An extraordinary order, signed by the King, and counter-signed by -Struensee, was published from Hirschholm, July 15, 1771, a week after -the birth of the Princess, and copies were sent to every department -of the Government, and the ministers of foreign courts. Briefly, this -document ordained that henceforth all orders or directions issued by -Struensee and signed by him would have the same force and validity -as if they were given under the royal sign manual; and whether the -orders of the Privy Cabinet Minister came addressed to the heads of -departments, or to their subordinates in office, they were to be -instantly and implicitly obeyed. "The cabinet orders issued in this -way," wrote the King, "shall have the same validity as those drawn up -by Our hand. They shall be immediately obeyed." - -This decree, which amounted to a virtual abdication on the part of -Christian VII. in favour of Struensee, was received with consternation -and indignation from one end of the kingdom to the other. At first -it seemed impossible that the King could thus vest any subject with -unlimited power, but, since no other meaning could be attached to the -document, the people declared that it could only have been wrested -from the King by force or undue influence. It was now realised that -from the beginning Struensee had aimed at absolute power. He first -persuaded the King to abolish the Council of State and proclaim himself -an absolute monarch, and then forced him to delegate the whole power -to him as Privy Cabinet Minister. The Danish nation were, in fact, no -longer ruled by their hereditary monarch but by a foreign adventurer, -who had usurped the kingly functions, and, having abolished all -ministers and councils, gathered up into himself every branch of power -and prerogative. The unscrupulousness of the man was only equalled by -his audacity. It was the last straw on the back of the long-suffering -Danes. Hitherto, the agitation against Struensee had been confined to -certain classes; now it represented the whole nation, and not all the -laws he had passed for the benefit of the people, nor all the doles he -had meted out to them, could avail to quell the tempest of indignation -aroused by the publication of this royal decree. Its promulgation at -such a time, within a week of the Queen's delivery, gave credence -to the rumour that the infant Princess was not the King's child but -Struensee's, and it was said that this insolent tyrant, who stopped -at nothing, had already formed a plan of getting the King out of the -way, of marrying the Queen, of assassinating the Crown Prince, and -establishing himself and his posterity upon the throne of Denmark. - -The Princess was christened on the Queen's birthday, July 22, 1771, -under the names of Louise Augusta--the first name having been that of -the King's mother, the second that of the Princess-Dowager of Wales. -The King, himself, stood as principal sponsor to the child, the others -being his brother Prince Frederick, and the Queen-Dowager, Juliana -Maria. Whispers of the current scandal had reached the ears of the -Queen and Struensee, and the choice of these sponsors was a way of -contradicting them. The Queen-Dowager and Prince Frederick were present -at the express command of the King, and dared not disobey. They must -have come very unwillingly, for Juliana Maria had already stated in -private what she afterwards proclaimed in public--that the legitimacy -of the Princess was open to grave suspicion. The child was generally -spoken of by the courtiers as "the Ma'amselle". - -The Queen's birthday and the royal christening formed the occasion -of a further elevation of the all-powerful Minister. With reckless -effrontery, Struensee chose this day of all others for the King to -confer upon him and his colleague, Brandt, the title of Count, the -highest title in the kingdom.[165] No estates were granted to the -recipients of these honours; it was announced that the King had -offered large domains, but Struensee's modesty would now not allow him -to accept this further mark of the royal favour. Both Struensee and -Brandt had received large sums from the treasury, and since Struensee -could take practically what he liked, he probably thought it would -look better to waive any claim to estates for the present. So he made -a parade of his disinterestedness, and contented himself with a brand -new coat of arms, and other outward signs of his new dignity. The coat -of arms must have cost him much thought, for its composition showed -remarkable ingenuity. He symbolised in it every department of the -state, which he now governed as absolute minister. - -[165] Keith's despatch, Copenhagen, July 23, 1771. - -"The escutcheon (symbolical of the state) was divided into five fields, -the centre one of which represented a sailing vessel (the symbol of -commerce) with a crown over it, typical of the monarch and the persons -representing him. The first and fourth quarters displayed four rivers -(exports and imports idealised) on a field _or_, which was the symbol -of Denmark, rich in corn, and Norway, abounding in metal, wood and -fish. In the third and second quarters was a crown surrounded with palm -leaves (the symbol of peace and victory) and two crossed keys (the -image of authority and might) on a field _azure_, which allegorically -typified fidelity and constancy. Below the coat of arms was the royal -crown with the badge of the Matilda Order, surrounded by a laurel -wreath (the symbol of fortune, joy and honour), from which flowed two -rivers running round the chief escutcheon (the state), supported by -two beavers (the representatives of architecture and industry) guarded -by _bourgeois_ helmets (emblems of national armament), counts' crowns -(the symbol of the servant of the state), and an owl holding a key in -its mouth (as allegories of thought and wisdom). Above the whole was -displayed, between two eagle wings (the symbols of power, strength and -victory), a man-of-war in full sail (typical of the navy), and above -this, again, a suspended crown, surrounded by palm branches (the type -of peace)."[166] - -[166] Wraxall's _Life and Times of Caroline Matilda_. - -Struensee had all his life professed the most radical ideas. He had -begun his political career as one who despised rank, titles and -display--and yet he crowned it by framing this heraldic absurdity. He -had the preposterous coat of arms engraved on the seal which he affixed -to cabinet orders; he built himself a magnificent coach, resplendent -with crimson and gold, and blazoned it on the panels. He vested his -servants and running footmen in gaudy liveries of scarlet and white, -and decked them with diamond badges. When Struensee's valet appeared -for the first time in his new livery he fell down the palace stairs, -and in his fall broke his badge and his nose, and the blood spoiled -his finery. On Struensee being told of this ill-omened mishap, he -gave his usual answer to any unpleasant news: "As God wills". This -fatalistic answer also gives the measure of his arrogance, for he had -come to consider himself an instrument chosen by God. Certainly, from -his rapid rise to power, and the way in which he moulded everything -to his will, Struensee may well have believed, with many others, that -there was something supernatural about him, though his enemies declared -that his power came from the devil. At this time, notwithstanding -the universal hatred which he inspired, the Privy Cabinet Minister -seemed omnipotent and his tenure of power assured. So much was this -the case that Gunning, a very keen observer, thought it would be best -to accept the peculiar relations which existed between the Queen and -her favourite, and turn them to the advantage of England. In a long -and important despatch, written nominally for the guidance of the -English Secretary of State, Lord Halifax, in reality for George III., -he described at length the situation at the Danish court, and gave a -detailed description of the principal personages then in power. As his -general view is the one taken in these pages, it is not necessary to go -over the ground again, but the following word-portrait of Struensee may -be quoted; the more so as it is studiously dispassionate:-- - -"Mr. Struensee, the Favourite, ... was bred a physician, and till -within these ten months continued the practice of his profession. -He is supposed not to be destitute of some knowledge, acquired at a -German university, but with respect to any political attainments, -either as they may concern the state of Europe in general, or this -country in particular, he has them almost wholly to make. He is said -to have carried the freedom of thinking as far as any man, but as -his conversation discovers nothing of that vivacity and grace by -which other men in a disadvantageous situation have won their way to -royal favour, it is universal matter of wonder how he has managed to -gain so entire an ascendency over their Danish Majesties. His manner -of treating business is dry and ungraceful. He, however, possesses -a clear and ready conception of things. A great share of natural -confidence, and indifference with regard to the ideas others may form -of his principles or abilities, brings him at once without ambiguity or -affectation to the point in question, so that he is always intelligible -though he may not be agreeable. He appears to have no vanity, but it -is supplied by no small share of insolence. A stronger or juster idea -of this gentleman's character cannot be conveyed than by contrasting -it (the article only of understanding excepted) with that of Count -Bernstorff. The latter was characteristically timid, cautious and -irresolute; the former is bold, enterprising and firm. The Minister -possessed great extent of political knowledge; the Favourite is -uncommonly circumscribed in what relates to this kind of acquisition. -Count Bernstorff displayed great refinement of manners with an easy -flow of eloquence; Mr. Struensee's address is simple, and his way of -speaking inelegant and embarrassed. The Minister's conduct exhibited a -conspicuous example of morality and religion; that of the Favourite is -said to be deficient in both." - -After drawing character-sketches of Rantzau, Gahler and others, -and reviewing the quarrel with Russia, Gunning went on to show how -Struensee might be used to the advantage of England:-- - -"As the Queen of Denmark _is now in full possession of the most -absolute power_, and free from all imaginable control, it were to be -wished that some means dictated by the wisdom of our Royal Master -[George III.] were made use of to give her Danish Majesty a true and -just idea of the importance of a close and permanent alliance between -Great Britain, Denmark and Russia, and prevent her any longer from -seeing a connection with the latter through the medium of personal -resentment, so that the views of this court might be brought back -into their natural channel. Mr. Struensee, in whom her Majesty places -the most unreserved confidence, and whose vast influence with her -is unquestioned, as he is attached to no particular system, might, -with proper management, be induced to forget his personal prejudice, -and heartily to concur in, and recommend, such measures as the court -of Great Britain would wish her Majesty to pursue. This would (if I -may presume to offer my opinion) be more advisable than to attempt -his removal, which, considering the ascendency he has, could not but -be attended with danger. If he was secured, he might easily be made -instrumental to the views of the two courts. But as there can be little -hopes of gaining the other two [Rantzau and Gahler], or if there -were, of any reliance being placed on them, their dismission ought -to be effected. The critical state of the King of Denmark's health -makes it of the last importance, both to the Queen's happiness and -the tranquillity of this kingdom, that she should not, in case of the -regency devolving on her, be surrounded and advised by men so extremely -unpopular and so justly detested as these are universally. I must not -conceal from your Lordship that there is scarcely a single family -or person in these dominions of any considerable rank, property or -influence, who has not been disobliged, disgusted and (as they think) -injured; and whose disaffection, there is reason to apprehend, only -waits for a favourable opportunity of manifesting itself."[167] - -[167] Gunning's despatch, Copenhagen, April 4, 1771. - -Gunning's view did not appeal to the King of England. George III., -a model of the domestic virtues, would under no circumstances enter -into negotiations with Struensee. To do so would be to condone, or -recognise, the position the favourite held with his sister. The -official answer to Gunning's despatch was a note informing him of -his promotion as ambassador to Berlin. George III. recognised his -minister's diplomatic abilities, but it seemed to him that what was -wanted at Copenhagen at the present juncture was a man of action -rather than a diplomatist. He regarded the state of affairs at the -Danish court as impossible to last, and therefore replaced Gunning by -a man personally known to him, who could be trusted to intervene when -matters came to a crisis on behalf of the Queen. The new envoy was -Lieutenant-General (afterwards Sir Robert) Murray Keith.[168] - -[168] Keith's _Memoirs_ have been published, but they do not include -his despatches, now published in these volumes for the first time. - -Keith was a Scotsman. Born in Ayrshire, in 1730, he was the son of a -British Ambassador at Vienna. He was a man of all-round ability, though -he was perhaps more of a soldier than a diplomatist. In early life -he wrote some poems of considerable merit, and on arriving at man's -estate entered the army. He fought at the battle of Minden, and later -was appointed major-commandant of three new companies of Highlanders, -known as "Keith's Highlanders," who distinguished themselves in many -a hard-fought fight. Eventually they were disbanded, and then some -employment had to be found for their distinguished commander. In 1769 -he was appointed British Minister at the court of Saxony, and he -remained at Dresden until 1771, when George III., looking round for -some one whom he could trust, and whose fidelity to his royal house was -undoubted, chose Keith to succeed Gunning at Copenhagen. - -Keith arrived at the Danish capital in June, 1771, shortly before -the birth of the Princess Louise Augusta. He did not take up his new -duties with any zest. "Climate, comfort and society are all against -me," he wrote to his father shortly after his arrival at Copenhagen. -But he found the place "by far a finer city than I had figured to -myself, or had a right to expect from the other Danish towns I had seen -upon the road. The streets are broad, the openings and the squares -spacious, and the palace, as well as several of the public buildings, -magnificent."[169] - -[169] _Memoirs of Sir Robert Murray Keith_, vol. i. - -Keith found the situation dominated by Struensee, and like Gunning (who -had now gone to Berlin) thought that his tenure in power was assured: -"While I am in expectation of his Majesty's orders on this head," he -wrote, "I shall be equally cautious not to court too far or to disgust -this gentleman.... From all I have heard of his character, it seems -assiduous to the greatest degree, enterprising and active.... It may -not be judging too rapidly of Mr. Struensee to suppose that having -laboured so hard to get on the pinnacle of power his chief care may for -some time be to secure his situation."[170] And again: "I shall only -add that if the general opinion here is to be trusted--for hitherto -I have been able to form few opinions of my own--the new Count and -Minister will show himself at any risk, and by all means whatever, as -tenacious of the power he has grasped as he has been daring and active -in attaining to it".[171] - -[170] Keith's despatch, July 10, 1771. - -[171] _Ibid._, July 27, 1771. - -Keith quickly found that it did not depend on the King of England's -orders for him "to court or to disgust" Struensee as he pleased. The -precise degree of intimacy which was permitted him at court, or with -the affairs of the government, was regulated by Struensee himself, and -a line was laid down beyond which Keith could not pass. The Minister, -who probably guessed the motive which prompted George III. to send -Keith to Copenhagen, treated the English envoy with marked coldness, -and would not permit him to have private audience either with the -King or with the Queen. Keith thus found himself checked on the very -threshold of his mission; he sent home a bitter complaint of his -reception at the court of Denmark. He writes:-- - -"Count Struensee, after removing from the court every person of this -country who could give him umbrage, has at last been prompted by his -jealousy of the foreign ministers to make an entire change in the forms -of the audiences granted to them." ... [Here follows an account of how -the Russian envoy had been refused audience.] - -"When I presented copies of my credentials to Count Osten, he was so -civil as to offer to conduct me himself to the audiences at Hirschholm, -_as there was no Master of the Ceremonies_, and I cannot suppose that -the Count foresaw a repetition of the above innovation in my case, -as, on the contrary, he talked with pleasure of the gracious and -even distinguished reception I might expect, being the bearer of the -strongest assurances of the friendship and affection of the King for -both his Sovereigns. For my part, I had no suspicion of such intention, -not being able to figure to myself that any court could pretend to -establish _by surprise_ a regulation subversive of the very nature of -private audiences. - -"When I was ushered into the room, where his Danish Majesty stood -alone, I imagined that the folding doors, which had been opened only -at my entrance, were again shut after me; but during the audience I -found that one, or both, of the doors _behind me_ had been left ajar, -or pushed open, after I had begun to deliver the compliment with which -I was charged to the King of Denmark. - -"I was afterwards carried through several rooms of the palace into -one where, _unexpectedly_, I found her Danish Majesty alone, and -the doors on each side of that apartment stood wide open. But, as -the Queen was supposed to be within a few hours of her lying-in, I -did not judge it proper to make any difficulty with regard to that -circumstance, and therefore delivered the King's letter, accompanied -with the expressions contained in my instructions. It had occurred to -me from the beginning that to retire in the midst of the audience from -the King, or to refuse that of her Majesty _in the apparent situation -of her health_, might be interpreted as disrespectful to one or other -of their Danish Majesties.... When I spoke upon this matter to Mr. -Osten, he was so far from vindicating the innovation that he assured -me in positive terms that none such had been intended, and that the -door of the King's room being open must have been owing to accident. -I have since had good reason to believe that Mr. Osten was either -misinformed in this affair, or not sincere in what he advanced.... -About a fortnight ago Baron Hamilton was sent by the King of Sweden -upon his accession with a compliment to this court, and the audiences -granted to him upon this occasion were _with open doors_.... The affair -now came to a crisis, and, as I was sensible how much my court was -averse from a dispute of this nature, I not only said all in my power -to Count Osten, but, in order to prevent any harsh step being taken, -I offered to wait upon Count Struensee at Hirschholm, to lay before -him in the most dispassionate manner the forms observed by all the -great courts of Europe upon this head, and the impropriety, not to say -impracticability, of excluding all private audiences whatever, which -was evidently the object of the intended regulation. Count Osten was -waiting to see the event of a representation in writing he had just -made to the same effect, but if that should fail he accepted my offer -of visiting the Cabinet Minister. - -"This happened on Wednesday last, prior to our going to pay our court -at Hirschholm, and I cannot tell your Lordship how much I was surprised -at Count Osten's acquainting me the same evening that his endeavours -were unsuccessful, and my intended conference needless, as it had been -declared to him _positively_ that the King of Denmark would abide by -the resolution of granting hereafter no audiences to foreign ministers -with shut doors."[172] - -[172] Keith's despatch, Copenhagen, July 29, 1771. - -Keith soon found that nothing remained for him but to play the waiting -game at the court of Denmark. He was subjected to a form of boycott, -and both at court and the foreign office he was kept at arm's length. -"At the court," he writes, "where everything is carried on with an -affection of mystery, where the Sovereign and the Prime Minister are -equally inaccessible, a foreign envoy is obliged to watch ... the -slightest indications to form a judgment of the system of politics -likely to be adopted."[173] And again he writes to his father -privately: "An intercourse of an hour for once a week with the court, -a formal supper once a fortnight with the fashionable people--make the -whole of my public appearances. And what may form a sure prognostic of -the future society, I can safely assure you that in a residence of two -months I have not been admitted to any one visit that I have made to -man or woman, Dane or _diplomatique_."[174] - -[173] Keith's despatch, Copenhagen, August 31, 1771. - -[174] _Memoirs of Sir Robert Murray Keith_, vol. i. - -In October he writes again to his father: "I am sorry to say that -the climate, society and politics of this kingdom are equally -uncomfortable.... The little of summer I saw was sultry and languid, -August and almost all September rotten and rainy, and the few clear -days we have had lately too chilly to be abroad with pleasure. Five -months of a dismal and variable winter are now awaiting us, with as -little defence against the cold, both of body and spirit, as can well -be imagined. After looking round me with an anxious yet a benevolent -eye for anything that may be called 'society,' or even a single friend, -male or female, I am forced to own to myself that there is not any hope -of succeeding."[175] - -[175] _Memoirs of Sir Robert Murray Keith_, vol. i. - -Shortly after the arrival of Keith at Copenhagen another person -reappeared upon the scene. Reverdil, the Swiss, was recalled to the -Danish court, after an absence of three years. His return was due to -the fact that Brandt had become tired of his position as sole guardian -of the King. Christian VII. was a troublesome charge; he was often -morose and sometimes quarrelsome, and a good deal of friction arose -between him and Brandt, until the latter found his post exceedingly -wearisome. He often left the King in charge of Moranti, a black boy, -whom Christian dressed in uniform and made an inseparable companion. -Meanwhile Brandt amused himself with the beautiful Countess Holstein, -one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, with whom he had an amour. -Gallantry, music and the dance were much more congenial to him than the -society of the semi-imbecile King. He therefore told Struensee that he -must find some one else to take his place, or at least relieve him in -part of his duties. Struensee was reluctant that Brandt should resign -his position as permanent attendant to the King, for it was necessary -to keep him closely guarded from outside influence. But as Brandt -insisted, after some reflection, Struensee resolved to recall Reverdil, -who, if not his friend, was at least free from any intrigue against his -authority. - -[Illustration: QUEEN MATILDA AND HER SON, THE CROWN PRINCE OF DENMARK. - -_From the Painting at the Rosenborg, Copenhagen._] - -Reverdil was much astonished when he received a letter from Struensee -saying that the King of Denmark desired his return to court, and wished -to resume with him the scheme for enfranchising the serfs, and asked -him to name his own terms. Reverdil demurred a little at first, and -pleaded for time to consider the offer. He communicated with a trusted -friend in Copenhagen, and also asked the advice of Count Bernstorff, -who was living in retirement at Grabow, near Borstel. Reverdil's friend -at Copenhagen sent him a list of persons who had been appointed and -dismissed during Struensee's administration, and gave him to understand -that if he accepted the office he would hold it on a very precarious -tenure. Bernstorff, though greatly prejudiced against Struensee, urged -Reverdil to go, for the King had need of him, and it was his duty to -succour the unfortunate Sovereign. He wrote him a long letter, the gist -of which may be summed up in the following quotation:-- - -"Go to Copenhagen, appear at court, but do not enter into engagements -until you have reconnoitred the ground for yourself. If you can do -good, do not refuse to do it for a country that needs it. May Heaven -grant you merit and glory; but if you see that the means are refused -you, do not allow yourself to be drawn into any subordinate, doubtful -and odious employment, dictated by harsh, dishonest evil-doers. Do not -allow your name to be associated with the names of men about whom the -nation is already weeping and posterity will weep for a long time."[176] - -[176] Letter of Bernstorff to Reverdil, June 9, 1771. _Mémoires de -Reverdil._ - -Reverdil determined to follow Bernstorff's advice, and wrote to -Struensee accepting the post on the conditions that he might return -home when he thought proper, and the King should pay his travelling -expenses both ways. On his journey to Copenhagen, especially in the -duchies, Reverdil was struck with the hatred and odium which the name -of Struensee inspired among all classes. At Schleswig he met the -Princess-Dowager of Culmbach, the great-aunt by marriage of the King, -and the Prince and Princess Charles of Hesse. They all lamented the -terrible state of things at the Danish court, the insolence of the -favourite, and the infatuation of the Queen, and agreed that such an -intolerable state of affairs could not long be allowed to continue. The -thought appears to have crossed Reverdil's mind to turn back, but upon -reflection he dismissed it, and proceeded on his journey. - -Reverdil reported himself at Hirschholm in July (1771). He relates in -his _Memoirs_ that he was received by Brandt, who welcomed him with -effusion, and told him of the King's wretched mental condition, of the -necessity he had of a constant companion, and his desire that Reverdil -should fill the place, since both he and the King had grown weary of -one another. Reverdil listened in silence and without enthusiasm. He -was then presented to the King and the Queen, who received him with -great cordiality. The Queen spoke to him kindly, as, indeed, had -always been her wont, and the King was very civil, nothing in what -he said revealing his malady. Reverdil was invited to dine at the -royal table, and after dinner was admitted to private audience of the -King. Christian made some sort of apology for his abrupt dismissal -of Reverdil three years ago, and threw the blame of it on Holck. The -King's manner and speech were those of a perfectly sane man, and he -appeared to talk quite freely and without constraint. Reverdil had been -told in the provinces that every word the King said was dictated to -him beforehand by the favourites, but no sign of this was visible in -his conversation. The next day Reverdil took a drive with the King and -Brandt. Brandt treated the King with scant respect; he occupied the -whole of the back of the carriage, and lounged out of the window, that -all might see him who passed by. The poor King crouched up in a corner -of the other seat with a sad and frightened air, and seemed glad when -the drive was over. - -Reverdil now entered upon his duties, and remained alone with the -King in his apartments. Before long Christian's mania manifested -itself, despite his efforts to conceal it. His mind began to wander, -and he broke out into rapid and incoherent speech. Occasionally he -would recite lines from _Zaire_, in which he had acted years before; -often he would address Reverdil as "Brandt," sometimes as "Denize" or -"Latour"--two French actors who had been in his service--sometimes -by his right name. Now and then he would vaunt himself, and recall -the fact that he had been greeted like a god by the English nation, -and declare that his glory and magnificence were above those of all -other kings on earth. On other occasions he would become depressed -and melancholy, and belittle himself, saying that no matter what he -did he would never be more than a "little man" of no reputation. He -talked much about his infirmities, and sometimes threatened to commit -suicide. "Shall I drown myself?" he would say. "Shall I throw myself -out of the window, or dash out my brains against the wall?" But this -was only talk, for the King feared death greatly. For instance, one -day when they were in a boat on the small lake round the palace of -Hirschholm, the King said to Reverdil with a look of despair: "I -should like to throw myself into the lake"; but he added as a quick -after-thought: "and be pulled out again directly". He was aware of his -mania, and strove hard to overcome it, but in vain. There were three -marked degrees which he indicated by three German expressions. The -first was: "_Ich bin confus_" (I am confused); the second: "_Es rappelt -bei mir_" (There is a noise in my head); and the third: "_Er ist -ganz übergeschnappt_" (I am quite beside myself). And often he would -declare: "I can bear it no longer". - -The King now talked to Reverdil in German, which, in deference to -Struensee, had become the court language, though, formerly, Christian -had made it a rule that Danish only should be spoken, except to -foreigners, whom he addressed in French. German was never heard at the -Danish court during his reign until the advent of Struensee. Though the -King said little, he had a shrewd idea of what was going on between the -Queen and Struensee. Once Reverdil took up one of the King's books, and -found it marked at the history of Rizzio, the favourite of Mary Stuart. -But the King never showed the slightest symptoms of jealousy or -resentment at the relations between Struensee and the Queen, and, when -he alluded to them, it was to treat the affair as a matter of course. -Sometimes he spoke of Struensee as the Queen's _cicisbeo_, and on -another occasion he asked Reverdil whether he thought that the King of -Prussia had an amour with the Queen of Denmark. "The King of Prussia!" -exclaimed Reverdil. "I mean Struensee, of course," said the King, -thereby showing the mastery which Struensee had acquired over him; for -the King of Prussia, Frederick the Great, had always been Christian's -ideal of a great ruler. - -Reverdil found that the rumours which had been spread abroad of the -revels of Hirschholm were much exaggerated. The conversation and -conduct of the court were quite decent, and, whatever might be going -on beneath, little or no hint of it appeared on the surface. But -despite the extravagance and luxury everywhere visible, the tone was -_bourgeois_. Reverdil says that "the conversation of the company -resembled nothing so much as that of the servants of a large house who -sat down to table in the absence of their master".[177] The _corps -diplomatique_ noticed this peculiarity also, and had a hundred good -stories to tell their several courts of the ridiculous incidents which -came under their notice. As Keith wrote to his father: "This court has -not the most distant resemblance to any other under the sun".[178] - -[177] _Mémoires de Reverdil._ - -[178] _Memoirs of Sir Robert Murray Keith_, October 30, 1771. - -Reverdil gives a curious sketch of the daily life of the court at -Hirschholm. When there was no hunting, the King, the Queen, Struensee -and Brandt, and some of the ladies and gentlemen-in-waiting assembled -at _déjeuner_ between eleven and twelve o'clock, and, if the weather -were fine, the _déjeuner_ was followed by a walk in the gardens and -woods. Struensee gave his arm to the Queen as a matter of course, the -King to some lady-in-waiting whom he elected to honour, Brandt to the -Countess Holstein, and each of the other gentlemen to the lady allotted -him. In procession they paraded the grounds, and frequently would dine -in a summer-house some distance from the palace. On these occasions -etiquette was wholly banished from the royal table. The King and Queen -and the company were waited on by pages, who only entered when a bell -was rung and left immediately they had changed the courses. The Queen -placed herself at table between the King and Struensee, and if the -King's mania asserted itself, as it was apt to do at awkward times, -the Queen would command Brandt to lead him out of the room. Sometimes -instead of the promenade the King would drive out in the same carriage -as the Queen and Struensee. They generally managed to drop the King at -some point where his attendant was waiting for him, and often returned -late at night together, quite unattended. - -Reverdil noticed a great change in the Queen. Formerly her manners -were courteous, affable and winning, and she exerted herself to say -pleasant things, and place every one at his ease. Now she talked only -to Struensee, and ignored the rest of the company. If by chance she -addressed a few remarks to any one else, Struensee was always close by, -and listened to what was said. The Queen was devoted to her children, -especially to the infant Princess. Reverdil had heard rumours of the -Crown Prince's ill-treatment, but he acquitted the Queen of any blame -or neglect; she spent as much time with her children as her position -allowed, and thoroughly enjoyed the happiness of being a mother. On -rainy days, when the court was obliged to remain indoors, the Queen -often appeared in the circle, carrying her daughter and leading her -son, who clung affectionately to her dress. She always loved children. -They were her joy in the hour of her prosperity and her consolation in -the day of her adversity. - - -END OF VOL. I. - - -THE ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY PRESS LIMITED - - - - -TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE - - -Archaic, inconsistent and unusual spellings from the original book -have been preserved in this ebook. Obvious typos have been fixed. The -spelling of many family names in this book varies from the spelling -used in historical documents today. - -In the original book, "Ibid." was used in the footnotes only when the -same source was cited in adjacent footnotes on the same page. In this -ebook, the use of "Ibid." has been changed to appearing only when -adjacent footnotes on the same paragraph cite the same source. This -change is not noted in the details below. - -Details of the changes: - - Table of Contents: - The Preface, Contents, List of Illustrations and the Transcriber's - Note were added. Only Chapters I-XIX were in the original Table of - Contents. - - List of Illustrations and the caption of the illus. facing page 304: - Originally: THE PALACE OF HIRSCHHOLM, TEMP. 1770 - In this ebook: THE PALACE OF HIRSCHHOLM. _Temp. 1770._ - - Page 46: - Originally: love of out-door exercise seemed to show - In this ebook: love of outdoor exercise seemed to show - - Page 221: - Originally: in the corridors and antechambers of the palace - In this ebook: in the corridors and ante-chambers of the palace - - Page 347: - Originally: another person re-appeared upon the scene - In this ebook: another person reappeared upon the scene - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Queen of Tears, vol. 1 of 2, by -William Henry Wilkins - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A QUEEN OF TEARS, VOL. 1 OF 2 *** - -***** This file should be named 51368-8.txt or 51368-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/3/6/51368/ - -Produced by Emmanuel Ackerman, University of California -Libraries, Microsoft (scanning) and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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