Life and Times of Her Majesty Caroline Matilda, Vol. 2 (of 3): Queen of Denmark and Norway, and Sister of H. M. George III. of EnglandWraxall, Lascelles, Sir
History
Life and Times of Her Majesty Caroline Matilda, Vol. 2 (of 3): Queen of Denmark and Norway, and Sister of H. M. George III. of England
Wraxall, Lascelles, Sir
Caroline Mathilde, Queen, consort of Christian VII, King of Denmark, 1751-1775; Denmark -- History -- Christian VII, 1766-1808
A few days after the festival given to the dockyard-men, at the
beginning of October, Brandt proposed to Falckenskjold to go through
the garden to the king's sleeping apartment, induce the monarch to get
up, take him privily to Copenhagen, and then arrest Struensee.
"What?" Falckenskjold exclaimed, in amazement and disgust. "You would
effect the ruin of your friend, the man to whom you owe everything?"
Brandt replied that Struensee could be conducted to Kronborg, whence
he could pass over into Sweden, and that as much money as he desired
could be given him.
"And the queen?" Falckenskjold enquired.
"Oh, I will take charge of her," Brandt answered. "I understand the art
of amusing women. I will direct their pleasures: I would convert this
court, where we now lead a very wretched life into a place of delight.
As for the government, that can be carried on how they please, for I do
not propose to interfere in that."[15]
Falckenskjold replied, that there was a good deal to lose and nothing
to gain by the affair, and asked Brandt how he supposed they would both
fare if they fell into other hands.
"Bah!" Brandt exclaimed; "I have studied the law, and will be able
to answer. I only wish to have an end of this: I long to see this
government overthrown."
Falckenskjold finally gave him the sensible advice to keep such
ill-digested plans to himself, and kept the affair secret from
Struensee.
About the same time, another man meditated designs of a similar nature
against Struensee. This was Von der Osten, who, though overwhelmed
with favours, did not mean honestly by his protector, and could not
conceal his dissatisfaction. Von der Osten had a separate interview
with Reverdil and Brandt: to the former he spoke about overthrowing the
favourite, but could make but little capital out of the honest Swiss.
What he proposed to Brandt will be best seen from the latter's report
to Reverdil:--
"Osten," Brandt said to Reverdil a few days after the interview, "is a
coward and a villain, who would like to employ you and me in pulling
the chestnuts out of the fire. Some days ago, he gave me a midnight
interview, and finding me well disposed through the anonymous letters
I had received, he represented to me the public distress in such
lively colours, that I entered with him into the project of arresting
Struensee, and this is the plan I proposed to him:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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