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REVIEW OF HISTORICAL BOOKS.

ELUCIDATION OF THE HISTORY OF COUNTS STRUENSEE AND BRANDT, &c. CONCLUDED FROM P. 53.

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OUNT Ranzau, accompanied by colonel Eichstädt, and a few other officers, repaired to the chamber where flept the beautiful and amiable queen Matilda. The noife occafioned by their entrance into the anti-chamber alarmed her, and the called her attendants. Pale and trembling they entered the apartment; fear had rendered them incapable of anfwering her questions. Terrified by thefe appearances, the rcfe to enquire herfelf into the caufe of their terror; when one of them informed her that count Ranzau, accompanied by a train of officers, had entered the antichamber, and defired to be announced to her in the name of the king. Ranzau!' cried the, and in the name of the king! Run to Struenfee, and call him to my affiftance.' She was then informed that Struenfee had been fecured and carried to prifon. I am betrayed, I am undone, I am loft for ever! But,' added fhe, more compofedly, let the traitors come in; I am prepared to meet my fate.' Half dreffed, the went to meet them with the most undaunted fortitude. Ranzau refpectfully addreffed her, and read the orders of the king: fhe heard him without interruption; and, defiring to read them herself, Ranzau delivered the paper to her. Having read it quite through, without betraying the leaft fign of fear, the threw it upon the ground with contempt, and cried, The character of treachery in you, and of weakness in the king, is so strongly stamped upon this whole tranfaction, that I fhall not obey these orders.' Ranzau entreated her to conform to the commands of the monarch.Commands!' cried fhe, with indignation, commands of which he binilelf is ignorant-commands forced by the most villainous treachery from foolish imbecility-fuch commands fhall never be obeyed by a queen!' Upon this, Ranzau grew more ferious in his expoftulations; and informed her, that

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his orders must be obeyed, and without lofs of time. Till I have feen the king,' returned fhe,' your orders fhall not be executed upon me. Bring me to him immediately; I muft, I will fee him.' She then stepped forward towards the door, but Ranzau ftopped her; he' grew impatient, and his entreaties were changed into threats. Wretch!' cried the enraged princefs, is this the language of a fubject to his queen? Go, thou moft contemptible of beings! go from my fight, covered with your own infamy, but never feared by me!'The pride of Ranzau was touched; he caft an enraged look at his officers, fraught with a dreadful meaning; and the boldest of them ftepped forward to feize the defencelcfs princefs. She tore herself from his arms, and called for help with all her ftrength, but in vain, for no affiftance was at hand. Thus, ftruggling alone against armed men, diftracted with rage and despair, she flew to the window, tore it open, and attempted to throw herself out. One of the officers held her in the very moment: her fury now knew no bounds; fhe feized him by the hair, and dragged him to the ground: a fecond attacked her; and with equal strength and courage fhe difengaged herself from him. This fhocking, this inhuman spectacle, which would have forced the dagger from the hand of the most bloody affaffin, made no impreffion upon the mind of Ranzau and his banditti. They united their coward strength against this noble heroine; and he fell at last breathlefs, and almoft fainting, into the arms of one of the officers. As foon as the had somewhat recovered, and it appeared evident that the could make no further refiftance, fhe was forced to dress herself in an adjoining chamber; and Ranzau, who was mean and cruel enough to infult her with offenfive and indecent language, led her to the carriage which waited to carry her to the fortrefs of Cronenburg.

"Major Kartenfchoild, and another officer of ftill inferior rank, entered the carriage with her; and the fourth feat

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hemence, Heavens! I am undone, my lord has deferted me!' Upon her arrival in the fort, fhe uttered loud come plaints; and, overwhelmed with unspeakable diftrefs, her knees refused their support, the funk down upon the stairs, and was dragged into her bedchamber. The fight of a bed alarmed her; the stepped back, and cried, "Take me away, take me away! reft is not for the miferable! there is no rest for me!'

She was then put into a chair; her bofom heaved with violent fighs, her whole frame feemed agitated and convulfed with anguish, and fhe at laft burst into tears. Thanks to God,' cried fhe, with fervency, for this bleffing! this is a comfort of which my enemies cannot rob me; and hearing the voice of her infant daughter, fhe flew to her with rapture : And art thou here, poor innocent creature?' cried the, then is thy unfortunate mother not wholly wretched.' With the most moving affection fhe clafped the babe to her bofom, kiffed it with ardency, while a torrent of tears bedewed its cheeks."

The English ambassador threatened the most dreadful vengeance against the Danish court, if the perfon of the queen were violated, or the least infult offered her.

The unfortunate Matilda was in the mean time folitary, deferted, and oppreffed by the most exquifite dittrefs, and the most dreadful uncertainty of the fate deftined for her. Her tears, the company of her infant daughter, who never quitted her knees, and the melancholy fatisfaction of indulging her grief undisturbed by unfeeling witneffes, were her only comforts. It was three days before her attendants, who began to be feriously apprehenfive for her life, could prevail upon her to take any nourishment, or to lie down upon her bed. The king had already for

"III. A criminal connection with the queen.

"IV. The improper manner in which he had educated the prince royal. "V. The great power and decifive influence he had acquired in the government of the state.

"VI. The manner in which he ufed this power and influence in the adminiftration of affairs,

"The third article contains, perhaps, the only charge against Struenfee, upon which ftrict juftice could have pronounced fentence. This weak and irrefolute man, depreffed by misfortune, terrified by being threatened with the most excruciating tortures of the rack, confused by the artful and ambiguous questions put to him, and perhaps enticed by a faint hope, that the only means of escape left him, would be to make his caufe the caufe of the queen-made, upon his examination on February the 21st, a confeflion, delivered with all the confufion natural to a distracted mind, by which he highly impeached the character of the queen, and caft a melancholy fhade over a certain period of her life. This confeffion was a new crime, which roufed the indignation of every honeft mind against him.

"Previous to the grand trial of the queen, commiffioners were fent to examine her; of whom baron Schak-Rathlau was the head. A long and tedious feries of days fpent in the most gloomy folitude, the most exquifite diftrefs, and tormenting fufpenfe, had not yet broke the fpirit of this noble princess. She received the commiffioners with an unaffected dignity, which difplayed in its full extent the strength of her foul. A long ftring of captious and diftreffing questions which were put to her, were not able to difconcert her; her anfwers were fhort, pertinent, and precife; the calmly infifted, that he could not reproach herfelf with any crime: and her

the commiffioners into the utmost embarraffment. The cunning Schak faw plainly that he muft in vain attempt to cope with the understanding of the queen; but he hoped that her heart was not equally proof againft his fubtlety: and he promised himself as complete fuccefs in an attack upon the tenderness of her difpofition, as he had in defeating his fophiftical reafoning. He therefore made ufe of a ftratagem, in order to procure from her that confeffion, which alone could give validity to the fentence they were previously determined to pronounce, that led him to an action, by which his name will be for ever branded with infamy.

"He abruptly informed the queen, that count Struenfee, in his examination on the 21st of February, had made a confeffion highly difgraceful to the honour and dignity of her majesty. Impoffible!' cried the aftonished Matilda; Struenfee never could make fuch a confeffion; and, if he did, I deny every thing he has faid.' Schak was too cunning to fuffer her to recover from her fright and aftonifiment; but added immediately, that Struenfee had not only actually made this confeffion, but had confirmed it in his examination on the following day, and had even figned it: but that, as the queen denied its truth, nothing but the most excruciating tortures, and the moft ignominious death, could atone for fo grofs a violation of the majesty of the queen of Denmark.

This was a thunderbolt to the unfortunate princefs; the fell fenfelefs back upon her chair; her colour left her cheeks, and a deadly palenefs occupied its place. Her regard for her honour ftruggled violently with her feelings. She at laft recovered; and faid, with a faltering voice, And if I confefs what Struenfee has faid to be true; may he then hope for mercy at the hand of his judges' She at the fame time caft her beautiful eyes at count Schak, with a look fult of fear and hope, and expreffive of every thing her lips dared not to utter. The countenance of Schak immediately cleared up; he bowed affent, in a manner which the queen might interpret as favourably as the pleased; and prefented io her a paper, containing the accufa

tions against herself, to which nothing was wanting to complete the triumphof her enemies, but her fignature. This dreadful inttrument of her deftruction renewed in the mind of the queen the moft violent emotion, and her whole frame was in the greatest agitation. Suddenly the feemed to exert her utmoft fortitude; she took a pen and began, with trembling hand, to write her name. She had already finished the letters CAROL- when cafting a glance at Schak, fhe faw his eyes eagerly fixed upon her hand he trem bled with impatience, and betrayed in his face the malicious joy of triumphant treachery. In a moment fhe was convinced of the base arts practised against her, he threw away the pen, and cried with the ftrongeft emotion, I am fhamefully deceived; Struenfee never accufed me; I know him too well; he never could have been guilty of fo great a crime. She endeavoured to rife, but her ftrength failed her; the funk down, fainted, and fell back into her feat. With the most impudent audacity Schak then immediately took up the pen, put it between her fingers, and grafping her hand in his, he guided it; and before the unfortunate princefs again recover ed, fhe had added the letters MATILDA to the former CAROLThe commiffioners immediately depart ed, and left her alone. Their fudden difappearance had the most dreadful effect upon the mind of the queen; the at once forefaw the whole of her terrible misfortunes. She fwooned away fuc ceffively for a confiderable time, grew dangeroufly ill, and it was with diffi culty her life was faved.

INĄ

At her trial fhe was moft ably defended by Uhldal; but the third feffion decided her fate, fhe was formally divorced for ever from her husband; and it was feriously deliberated whether the infant princefs Louifa ought or not to be declared illegitimate. The counts Struenfee and Brandt having been alfo pronounced guilty, it was ordered that their execution fhould take place upon a large plain, contiguous to the city, appropriated and prepared for that purpole. This horrid fcene commenced at nine o'clock on the morning of the 28th. The Rev. Dr. Münter affitted count Struenfee, and the Rev. Mr. Hee attended

attended count Brandt, in their laft devotions. Brandt mounted the fcaffold firit; and it feemed, from the undifturbed calmness of his behaviour, that till that moment he had still hoped to receive mercy. His confcious innocence had fondly cherished this hope; but when he at last saw that all his expectations were in vain, he prepared to meet his fate with mild refignation. He was executed first: he beheld, with unfhaken firmness, the axe fever his right hand from his body; and with equal fortitude fubmitted his neck to the ftroke that deprived him of his life. His head was taken up, and repeatedly exhibited to the innumerable spectators that furrounded the bloody fcaffold.Struenfee did not fhew the fame courage: his hand was cut off, in the most aukward and painful manner, by reiterated ftrokes: he rofe from the block with violence; and was obliged to be held down by main force to receive the fatal blow. Both thefe executions were conducted with great disorder, and lofs of time; by which the fufferings of the unfortunate victims were cruelly and unneceffarily lengthened.

"This dreadful day was clofed with the fame inhumanity with which it had been opened, Without the leaft neceffity, a long circuit was taken, in dragging the melancholy remains of the two counts through the town to the place where they were to be exposed to public view.

"Measures were now taken for the removal of queen Matilda from Cronenburg. The fmall town of Aalborg in Jutland was first intended for her refidence, and the herfelf feemed to wish to live within the Danish dominions.

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But when he heard of the melancholy end of her friends, the changed her refolution. Her brother, the king of England, had made an offer to the Danish court, to appoint her a refidence in the electorate of Hanover: this pro➡ pofal was accepted; and it was at the fame time agreed, that she should still keep the title and rank of a queen. Her dower of two hundred and fifty thoufand dollars was returned, and an annuity of thirty thousand dollars fettled upon her for life.

"On the 27th of May, two English frigates of thirty-two guns each, and a cutter, arrived at Helfingör; and on the 30th instant the queen left Cronen burg. The laft moments which this aniable princefs fpent in the Danish dominions, were diftreffing in the higheft degree. She was now under the ne ceffity of parting from her only comfort, the only object of her affection, her infant daughter; and of leaving her in the hands of her fworn enemies. She fondly preffed for fome minutes the babe to her bofom, and bedewed it with a fhower of tears: fhe then attempted to tear herself away; but the voice, the fmiles, the endearing motions of her infant, were chains that irrefiftibly drew her back. At laft fhe called up all her refolution, took her once more into her arms, imprinted upon her lips, with the impetuous ardour of distracting love, the farewel kifs, returned her to the attendant, and cried, Away, away! I now poffefs nothing here.'-One of the king's boats carried her to the first frigate, and the fquadron fet fail for Stade, from whence he was to travel by land to Zelle."

REMARKABLE DOMESTIC EVENTS.

MUTINY.

IR Jofeph Banks having delivered his opinion, that the bread fruit trees of the Friendly Iflands might be fuccefsfully cultivated in the Weft indies, to prove a fuccedaneum for other provifions, in time of fcarcity, the Bounty armed fhip was fitted out, and failed in the autumn of 1787, under the command of captain Bligh, a lieutenant

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entered into a confpiracy to fecure the hip; for the purpofe, it is thought, of returning to Otaheite, being mostly young men, and fascinated by the Circean blandifhments of the female natives. These desperadoes parted from their commander with three cheers, after having very scantily supplied the boat with provifion. The boatswain, carpenter, gunner, furgeon's mate, two midshipmen, and one mafter's mate, with Mr. Nelfon the botanist, were of the number of the unfortunate. A compafs and quadrant had been secured by accident. On the 30th of April, the boat's crew landed on one of the Friendly Ifles, in the hopes of obtaining an addition to their little stock; but they were driven off by the natives, fo bofilely, that one man was killed and feveral wounded. After much deliberation, it was at length determined to proceed for Timor, although the distance was calculated to be four thoufand miles! In order to make the most of their provifions, they reftricted each other to one ounce of bread, and one gill of water per day, and on which they continued to live till the 6th of June following, when, on the coaft of New Holland, they collected a few shell fish: with this fcanty relief, they reached Timor on the 12th, after having been forty-fix days in a crazy open boat, too fmall for one of them to lie down, and without any awning to protect them from the rain, which fell almost inceffantly for forty days; the weather, alfo, was fqually, and the fea heavy. The Dutch governor, at Timor, commiferated the fufferings of this miferable company they remained under his protection till the 20th of Auguft; when they procured a veffel for Batavia, which they reached on the fecond of laft October. Captain Bligh arrived in London on the 14th of March, leaving his companions to follow as foon as a paffage could be procured them.

The mafter's mate, named Fletcher Chriftian, of a good family, was the principal confpirator, who regularly ferved the watch from the time the ship failed from England; fo that there was no poffibility of defeating his purpofe, while fufpicion was lulled to reit. The number of thefe daring adventurers was twenty-five.-The fecondary ob

ject of the voyage was, to procure plants for the Botanic Garden at Kew.

SHIPWRECK.

The Vanfittart Indiaman was loft in the Streights of Billoton, in November laft. The fhip was on her voyage to China: fhe touched on a rock about a mile and a half from the fhore, a sharp point of which inftantly went through her bottom. No lives were loft; but five of the feamen are miffing, supposed to have decamped with fome of the filver on board.

MURDER.

About the middle of this month, the body of a foreigner was found in a ditch near Belfont-lane, about thirteen miles from London, mangled in a molt fhocking manner. The duke of Cumberland's dogs traced the blood to the fpot where the unhappy man lay. Sufpicion falling on three men who were obferved at Staines, in company with the deceased; after diligent fearch, they were apprehended near Eaft Smithfield,' while purpofing to enter on board any fhip that might be about to leave the kingdom. One of them is a Venetian ; another, a Genoefe; and the third, a Ruffian; all failors, who had landed at Portsmouth in the Crown Prince, a Sardinian veffel, in company with the deceased, who had been banished from Sardinia, his country, for a year. He had treated thefe mifcreants in the most friendly manner, during their journey; but his money, amounting to lefs than twenty pounds, which he carried in a bag, attracted their fanguinary eyes, and induced the death of their charitable companion. Several of the articles which they took away, exclufive of the money, greatly tended to their conviction; in confequence of which, they are now feparately confined, till a more complete body of evidence can be brought together. The duke of Cumberland has ordered this profecution to be carried on at his own expence.

FIRE.

The latter end of February a dreadful fire broke out on the Surry fide of Weftminster-bridge, which confumed eleven houfes, the property of Mr. Morris, formerly carpenter to the Board of Works. A melancholy accident

happened

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