A curious instance of a mistake occasioned by Struensee's use and abuse of German is preserved for us by Reverdil. An individual in Norway, whose house stood on a very rapid river, down which wood was floated to the sea, had put up in front of his house a stockade to stop the wood, and agreed with the woodmen as to the price they should pay for the use of his establishment. The persons interested, desiring to render their contract more solemn, requested the king to ratify it, according to a received custom. This request was sent from the Danish Chancery to the cabinet with a favourable report. The clerk who had to translate the documents into German did not understand the word _flaxboom_, by which the stockade was designated; and as he saw that the affair related to the right of passage on the river, and as _flachs_ meant flax in German, he assumed that these persons were arranging a tax to be paid on all flax brought down the river. This offended Struensee, who at once addressed a reprimand to the Chancery, on its proposition to establish a toll which would be very onerous upon the flax trade, and contrary to all the principles of political economy. The Chancery replied, that his Majesty had doubtless been deceived by his German translator; that no flax came down the river; and, in a word, cleared up the misunderstanding. The explanation gained the department a fresh reprimand, for having the audacity to suppose that his Majesty had Danish reports translated, and did not understand his own language. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 136: An affecting trace of this training was seen on the very last day of the life of Frederick VI. As is well known, he died of entire loss of strength; but on the afternoon before his death, he gave the parole for the day in his audience-room. While doing so, his three-cornered hat fell from his grasp; but he would not allow any one to pick it up, but did so himself with the utmost difficulty.] [Footnote 137: Reverdil, p. 224.] [Footnote 138: "Authentische Aufklärungen," p. 72.] [Footnote 139: After the palace revolution of 1772, Thott joined the newly-formed ministry. Moltke Bregentved accepted no office, and died in 1793, at the age of 83. Reventlow eventually became curator of Kiel University, where he died in 1783. Rosenkrantz was recalled to the privy council in 1784, when the crown prince broke up Guldberg's ministry and became prince regent, but he was dismissed again in 1788. He died in 1802.] CHAPTER XII. THE GREAT REFORMER. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LOTTERY--THE KING'S BIRTHDAY--THE ORDER OF MATILDA--VON FALCKENSKJOLD--THE RUSSIAN QUARREL--THE CIVIC COUNCIL--COURT RETRENCHMENT--THE COLLEGE OF FINANCES--ROSENBORG GARDENS--THE GARDES DU CORPS--STRUENSEE'S PUSILLANIMITY--NEGOCIATIONS WITH RUSSIA--RUMOURS OF WAR. At the beginning of 1771, the court quitted the palace of Frederiksberg,[140] and returned to the Christiansborg Palace.