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
Moved by these arguments, Struensee proceeded to dress himself, and
was so unprepared for the event, that he only had the masquerade dress
which he had so recently taken off. He was obliged, therefore, to put
on the pink domino breeches, but was allowed to take his furs, as the
weather was bitterly cold. Bound hand and foot, the late omnipotent
minister was dragged to a coach, and conveyed, under a powerful escort,
to the citadel. As he got into the coach, he groaned, "Great God,
what crime have I committed?" When he got out of the coach again, he
requested that a trifle might be given the driver, and Köller handed
the latter a dollar. The driver expressed his thanks, but said, in
good Danish, "I would have done it for nothing."
Struensee was then conducted to the commandant of the citadel, in whose
presence he cursed terribly, till he was ordered to be silent. He was
taken by the commandant's orders to the cell in which a notorious
pirate of the name of Norcross had been confined for a long time. On
entering it, he opened his eyes very wide, and said to the officer,
"Where are my valets?" The answer was, "I did not see any of your
valets following you." "But my secretary?"--"He is not here either." "I
must have my furs; confound it, it is cold here, and I have no wish to
be frozen to death." On seeing a wretched wooden chair, he exclaimed,
"What is the meaning of this chair? bring me my sofa." The officer
replied, with a frosty look, "There is nothing at your service here,
sir, but a night commode." On receiving this answer the prisoner burst
into an awful rage, and ran with his head against the wall to dash out
his brains; but the watch prevented his design. On the commandant being
informed of this, he ordered Struensee to be laid in chains, which hurt
him more than all the other treatment, and he passionately cried, "I am
treated _en canaille_."[41]
The simultaneous arrest of Count Brandt was confided to a turncoat
and now zealous accomplice of the conspirators, Colonel von Sames,
ex-commandant of Copenhagen. Formerly an admirer of Struensee, he had
joined the minister's enemies after his own enforced retirement to
make way for Major-General von Gude, and was now anxious to regain
the favour of the new government. Accompanied by a guard, he crept to
Brandt's apartments, but found the door locked. On Sames threatening to
burst it open with the butt-ends of muskets unless it were opened to
allow him to execute a royal order, Brandt at length turned the key,
but met the intruders with his drawn sword. When the guard, however,
made preparations to disarm him, he threw his sword away, remarking:
"This must be a mistake. I am a minister of state, and have committed
no crime for which I can be arrested."
The officer observed that it was no error, and begged him to yield.
He did so, with the words: "Eh bien, monsieur, je vous suivrai
tranquillement."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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