[Footnote 75: Fredensborg, or the Palace of Peace, was built by Frederick IV., in 1720, in testimony of the pleasure which the peace of Nystadt caused him. The death of Charles XII., that unhappy king, who was possessed by the monomania rather than the genius of war, was considered a blessing throughout the north, which his warlike temper plunged into disorder and ruin.--De Flaux, "Du Danemark."] [Footnote 76: "Authentische Aufklärungen."] [Footnote 77: "Memoirs of an Unfortunate Queen."] [Footnote 78: "Vie privée de Louis XV." London, 1781.] [Footnote 79: "Mémoires de M. le Baron de Bezenval," vol. i. p. 204.] [Footnote 80: Although Carlyle has recently thrown a doubt on this anecdote, it is too well established as an historical fact for even that writer absolutely to demolish it.] [Footnote 81: The sources whence I have drawn the above hasty sketch of Paris in the eighteenth century are--Duclos, Mémoires Secrets--Marmontel, Mémoires--Soulavie, Mémoires de Richelieu--Soulavie, Décadence de la Monarchie Française--Madame du Hausset, Mémoires--Madame de Campan, Mémoires--Bezenval, Mémoires--Dumouriez, Mémoires--Casanova, Mémoires--Vie privée de Louis XV.--Les fastes de Louis XV.--Voltaire, Siècle de Louis XV.--Mémoires Historiques et Anecdotales de la Cour de France--Chesterfield's Letters--Mercier, Tableau de Paris--Lacretelle, Histoire de la France pendant le XVIII. Siècle--Barbier, Journal du Règne de Louis XV.] [Footnote 82: "Denkwürdigkeiten des Barons von Gleichen," p. 49.] [Footnote 83: "Annual Register, 1768."] [Footnote 84: "Memoirs of an Unfortunate Queen."] [Footnote 85: An amusing counterpart to this had occurred during Christian's stay in London. One day, when his coach drove up to the door of his residence, a fine-looking girl burst through the double line of attendants, caught the King of Denmark in her arms, and, kissing him heartily, said, "Now kill me if you please, I can die contented, since I have kissed the prettiest fellow in the world." The king, far from being offended, gently liberated himself from her embrace, and ran, laughing and skipping, up-stairs.] [Footnote 86: Written by l'Abbé de Beau de Voisenon, and to be found in the "Almanach des Muses" for 1769.] CHAPTER VIII. JOHN FREDERICK STRUENSEE. THE INTERIM MINISTRY--STATE OF THE NATION--THE KING'S HEALTH--THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER--STRUENSEE--HIS EDUCATION AND CAREER--HIS FRIENDS--SHACK ZU RANTZAU--THE TRAVELLING SURGEON--THE COURT DOCTOR--THE PARTIES AT COURT--PLANS OF CAROLINE MATILDA.