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HE quick fucceffion and difgrace of minifters and favourites which had taken place for fome time at the court of Copenhagen, were no uncertain indications of a weak and tottering government. It is not however ealy to form any conclufion upon fuch events in arbitrary ftates, where public affairs are locked up in the obfcurity of filence and the mystery of intrigue, and the few who are acquainted with causes, or can judge of events, are too prudent, or too much interefted, to disclose what they know. It was however to be expected, that the crifis to which affairs were brought by the late revolution, and the difgrace which the reigning queen met with, muft have brought on an ecclairciffement, which would have gratified the curiofity of the public with a real fate of facts, however fatisfied they may be as to their juftice or propriety. It was indeed thought, that the rear relation which the unfortunate Queen bore to the throne of Great Britain, would, in juftice to her character and honour, have occafioned fuch an explanation's being infifted upon, as would have prevented her falling a facrifice to the malice of a party; while the inveftigation of her conduct might have expofed their fecret views in fuch a manner, as even to convince a mifguided prince, of their dangerous tendency.

Nothing of this nature has however been done; and this mytterious February, 1774

tranfaction ftill continues in its original darkness and obfcurity. The court of Great Britain, wifely perhaps, forbore to take any farther intereft in it, than the prefervation of the unfortunate Queen's life, which is. faid to have been in danger, the recovery of her liberty, and the obtaining of a ftipend for her fubfiftence in another country.

In this ftate of things, we can only give an account of fuch facts as are apparent to the world, and draw fuch evident conclufions as naturally arife from them, without any other knowledge of the preceding caufes, than what appears from their effects. Weak reigns, are always the ages of favouritifm; and odious as favourites are in general to mankind, they are feldom more fo than they deserve ; the weaknefs that makes them neceffary, can feldom diftinguish in its choice; and the qualities which make them agreeable, are not often those that are cultivated by the virtuous or the wife.

The late Count Struenfee, was one of those numerous adventurers, which from the great number of its governments, abound more in Germany than in any other country. They are generally people of low birth, who receive a peculiar mixed education, that is neceffary to the puriuits for which they are intended. Some knowledge of the civil law; of the rights of particular fates; of public forms and official writings, together with a minute attention to L

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the etiquette of the refpective courts, are indifpenfibly requifite; to which may be added, fome knowledge in chymistry, if not in phyfick; of the moft polite modern languages; and of the most fashionable writers. Among the number of them thus endowed, that fwarm about the different courts, and fraggle from one to the other, where they are well received, if not employed, there must be feveral fo eminent in their genius, as to rife by their merit to the firft honours and employments; and those who are not fo happily diftinguished, feldom fail, among fuch a variety of characters as are exhibited among fome hundreds of fovereigns, to find fome one, to whom they will render themfelves ufeful or agreeable. This encourages others to the fame purfuit, and the fucceffion is never at an end.

Struenfee, was the fon of a Lutheran clergyınan, who is, or was, the fuperintendant of fome churches, in the dutchies of Slefwic, or Holftein; he ftudied phyfic and chymiftry, and is faid to have been recommended to the prefent King of Denmark at Hamburgh, as a young man of confiderable parts and abilities. He is reprefented to have been, in reality, a man of an infinuating addrefs, fome abilities, great ambition, profligate manners, and abandoned in his principles.

His progrefs in favour was fo rapid as to amaze every body. He quickly abandoned his profeflion, became minifter of state, and was, with his friend and fellow adventurer Brandt, raised at once to the fir rank of nobility in the kingdom, they being both created earls. Struenfee alio fent for his brother, who was made counfellor of ftate, and placed either high in, or at the head of the finances. The new favourites, grown giddy by this rapid elevation, loft all appearances of moderation in their prepaity. Count Bernttorif,

and the old and faithful fervants of the crown, were difgraced and banifhed from court; and fuch of the ancient nobility as did not degrade themselves by their conduct, met with the fame fate.

It is faid that Count Brandt fhewed from the first, all that infolence and arrogance that feem peculiar to new men, upon a fudden and unexpected rife; but that Struenfee had more fenfe and moderation in the beginning, until the fhameful adulation and fervility of the nobility, made him at length to forget himself so entirely, as to fhew the greatest contempt, upon every occafion for the natives of the country, their language, manners, and even their laws. The King during this time, from whatever caufe, is reprefented to have been in a most deplorable state of imbecility both of body and mind.

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It was not to be fuppofed that fuch a state of affairs could have been lafting in any country. Every thing was done that could wound the prejudices of the people. Struenfee and Brandt were profeffed freethinkers, and publicly laughed at thofe religious forms and opinions, to which the people were frongly attached. The court was foote and diffolute; masked balls and entertainments were continually given: foreign amufements, manners and cuftoms introduced, and the plain manners, and fober decorum of the natives, treated with the moft fovereign contempt. An antient and fevere law against adultery was repealed, which the people confidered in the fame light, that they would have done a reward for the committing of it; and this operating upon their already conceived opinions, they concluded that all fences moral and religious were to be broken down.

An attempt to diffolve the King's guards, and to incorporate them into other regiments, precipitated

matters

matters to a conclufion, fooner than they probably would otherwife have arrived. The guards ftood to their arms, and abfolutely refufed to fubmit to the degradation of being incorporated with other troops; but offered to lay them down, and accept of their difcharge, upon obtaining liberty to retire to their refpective countries. It was thought neceffary to accept of this expedient, and the guards were accordingly difcharged.

This extraordinary measure afforded an opportunity to the party who were concerting the ruin of the favourites, which they did not neglect to make ufe of. It was whifpered, that the difiniffion of thofe troops, who were the proper guards of the king's períon, and whofe fidelity and attachment to him were undifputed, was the refult of a defign which had been laid to fecure it, and to compel the King to fign an act of renunciation, and to establish a regency, by which the government was to be totally and finally lodged in the hands of the Queen, and the favourites. That the ruin of the kingdom was intended, and that Struenfee, who was a tool and a creature to France, had already difgraced Count Bernftorff, who was the upholder of the English and Ruffan fyftem, in order that the French influence might become fupreme in their councils; that the whole administration would be lodged in the hands of foreigners; and that infolence and contempt which they already found fo intolerable in a few, would then be extended to every department.

Thefe infinuations fpread rapidly among the people, while the original authors were totally concealed, and the averfion to the favourites was fo general, that among fo many thousand people they had not one friend that would inform them, of what every body thought and talked

of. They were accordingly wrapt up in the most profound fecurity, while thofe meafures were taking with equal filence and fecrecy, the effects of which they were fo foon and fo fatally to experience.

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The Queen Dowager, Julia Maria, fifter to the Duke of Brunswick Wolfenbuttle, and mother to the King's half brother, Prince Frederick, was at the head of the confpiracy which was now formed. She is reprefented on the one hand, as an artful, ambitious, and intriguing woman, who having been raged from the weaknefs of administration, to form dangerous defigns in favour of her fon, who was now arrived in his 19th year, had with that view, under an appearance of the greatest friendship, impofed upon the youth and innocence of the young Queen and artfully led her into thofe measures, which were the most exceptionable and unpopular in her conduct; while in the mean time her numerous emiffaries were employed to mifreprefent all her actions, and to fwell her lightest errors, and the casual inadvertencies of youth, into crimes of the blackeft dye; that in the fame manner, and with the fame defign, the practifed upon the weakness of the King, to render him odious to the people; and that even the late measure of incorporating and of reducing the guards, had originated from her. On the other hand fhe is reprefented, as a princefs of extraordinary virtue, refolution and abililies, which he has properly and happily exerted, in refcuing the country from a fhameful and ignominious foreign yoke.

A masked ball having been given at court; the enfuing Jan. 16th morning was destined 1772. for the execution of the plot. The principal perfons concerned, befides the Queen Dowager and Prince Frederick, were,

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Count Oftein, who is now minifter of ftate, Count Rantzau, General Eichstedt, and Colonel Koller, who commanded the regiment that was that night upon duty, and brought over all the officers to their party. About four o'clock in the morning, the Queen Dowager, her fon, Gener Eichftedt, and Count Rantzau, entered the King's bed-chamber, and ordered the valet de chambre to awake him, and, in the furprize and alarm, that this unexpected intrufion excited, informed him, that the reigning Queen and the two Struenfees, were at that inftant bufy in drawing up an act of renunciation, which they would immediately after compel him to fign; and that the only means he could use to prevent fo imminent a danger, was to fign thofe orders without lofs of time, which they had brought with them, for arrefting the Queen and her accomplices. The King having hefitated at this propofal, the Queen Julia told him, that if he did not fign them it would be of no great confequence, as fhe and her fon would do it without him; fome other converfation paft, and the King was in too great a terror not to comply with their demands.

Count Rantzau, and three officers, were dispatched at that untimely hour to the Queen's apartments, and immediately arrefted her; the fhewed great indignation, and feemed almoft diftracted at this infult; told Rantzau, that he fhould lofe his head for it, and repeatedly attempted to make her way to the King's apartments. She was however obliged to fubmit to a neceffity which the could not refift, and had but a very fhort time allowed her to prepare for a journey to the caftle of Cronenburgh; for which place fhe was obliged with the infant princefs, to fet out early in the morning, attended by Lady Moftyn, and escorted by a party of Dragoons.

Struenfee and Brandt were feized in their beds, and it seems to have been done before the orders were figned; for the former having started up fuddenly, and demanded eagerly to fee the authority upon which he was arrested, Col. Koller, fhewed him the point of his fword, and faid that was fufficient authority for the prefent; but that he made himfelf anfwerable for the King's confirming it. Struenfee's brother was feized at the fame time, and the three were fent together to the citadel. Struenfee's adherents, and most of the members of the late adminiftration, were feized the fame night, to the number of about eighteen, among whom were General Gahler and his lady, the matter of the horse, Baron Bulow, Gen. Gude, Col. Falkenthiold, Gen. Heffelburg, Wildedrand, a privy counfellor, and two fecretaries of state. Some of these were fent to different prifons, and others confined to their own houses.

The populace received fome intelligence of thefe tranfactions early in the morning, and proceeded to great exceffes, in the eagerness of their joy for the downfall of the favourites. Near an hundred houses are faid to have been plundered or demolished upon this occafion. As the people had fome apprehenfions with refpect to the King's perfon, he paffed flowly in a coach through the principal ftreets of the city, in company with his brother, to make them easy.

The unfortunate Struenfee, who had feen himself the idol of a crowded levee on the day immediately preceding, where the first people of the kingdom feemed ready to proftrate themfelves, if he but happened to caft his eyes towards them, and meafured their importance when they came out only by the countenance which he fhewed them within, was now in a dark dungeon chained to the floor, and loaded with the exe

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crations of all mankind, while they who were the most proud of his favour before, now either totally denied, or evaded the connection, and were the loudeft in the outcry againft him. The animofity of the populace to him, was fo extreme, that the commiffioners were obliged to take his examinations within the Citadel, with all the bridges drawn up to prevent their outrage. Nothing was to be met with in the ftreets but ridiculous hiftories and ballads of his rife and fall, and caricatura prints and pictures, which people were obliged to buy, to prevent their being thought his friends or abettors.

The government seemed now to be entirely lodged in the hands of the Queen Dowager and her fon, fupported and affifted by those who had the principal fhare in the revolution; while the King feemed little more than a pageant, whofe perfon and name it was neceffary occafionally to make use of. All the officers who had a hand in the revolution were immediately promoted, and an almost total change took place in all the departments of adminiftration. A new council was appointed, in which Prince Frederick prefided, and a commiffion of eight members, to examine the papers of the prifoners, and to commence a procefs against them.

The city was illuminated on the night of the revolution, as if it had been a deliverance from a foreign enemy. Doctor Munter, and other court preachers, were employed on the following Sunday, to preach thanksgiving fermons, which breathed none of that tenderness and charity, that are the diftinguishing characteristics of the Christian religion, but were calculated only to inflame and exafperate in the highest degree the minds of the people, which were already too well prepared for the purpose. This conduct, which was

equally indifcreet with respect to the character and dignity of the Queen, against whom no charge was yet established, as it was culpable with refpect to the unhappy culprits, whofe procefs was already begun. and their lives trembling in the hands of their judges; was no lets degrading with refpect to their own facred character and function. In thefe difcourfes, the late government was described, much in the ideas that have been conceived of the reign of Antichrift, and the members that conducted it as having no other views, than thofe devilish ones, of totally overthrowing all religion, morality, and law. In a word, their bombaftic ftyle diftinguished them as much from oratory, as the nature of the fubject, and their affected exclamations of piety, did from chriftianity.

In the mean time, amusements and diverfions, which were so much complained of before, were now affiduously cultivated and promoted, and inftead of that ferious and melancholy air of folemnity, which the prefent ftate of affairs demanded, the court prefented a round of balls, operas, entertainments, and concerts; two birth days, which immediately fucceeded the revolution, were celebrated with extraordinary magnificence, and every thing bore the marks of diffipation and levity.

Moft of the ladies of the Queen's houfhold were permitted to follow her to Cronenburgh; it does not appear that her confinement in that place was at any time very ftrict; he was permitted to walk upon the ramparts, and to take the air in a coach, under a guard. Her fon. the prince royal, who was entered into his fifth year, was put into the care of a lady of quality, who was appointed governefs, under the fuperintendency of the Queen Dowager.

Struenfee and Brandt were hardly treated