[Footnote 23: The Commission of Inquiry has received orders to consider in what manner the persons _employed in convicting_ the prisoners of state should be rewarded; in consequence of which it was allotted that Dr. Hee and Dr. Münter should each receive 300 rix dollars; but the court was of a different opinion, and judged it most proper to make presents to these ecclesiastics. The two civil officers who drew up the protocol each received 150 Danish ducats.--_Annual Register_ for 1772.] [Footnote 24: This letter I have found in Raumer's "Beiträge zur neueren Geschichte," vol. i.] CHAPTER IV. THE HIGH COMMISSION. THE TEN PRISONERS--THE REPORT--LIEUT.-COLONEL VON HESSELBERG--ETATS-RATH WILLEBRANDT--PROFESSOR BERGER--UNJUST SENTENCES--VON GAHLER--FALCKENSKJOLD AND STRUENSEE--SERIOUS CRIMES--THE SENTENCE--THE ROYAL APPROVAL--THE FORTRESS OF MUNKHOLM--THE COMMANDANT--RESIGNATION--THE ORDER OF RELEASE--CURIOUS CONDITIONS--DEATH OF FALCKENSKJOLD. After the execution of the two counts, the turn came for the other ten prisoners of state to be disposed of. In order to justify in the sight of Europe the sanguinary treatment of the two principal victims, these prisoners must also appear in the light of state criminals, although no actual offence could be proved against a single one of them. Although the grounds for their sentences are of the most paltry description, it is easy to discover in them that, after the removal of their real enemies, the dominant faction wished to affect a display of mercy, probably through fear of public opinion, which was beginning to be loudly expressed both at home and abroad, about the cruel fate of the two counts. The court believed it necessary to lay before the nation in print the sentences of Counts Struensee and Brandt, and with them a list of the crimes for which they were tried. This measure, however, had the contrary effect to what was expected. Nothing was seen in this sentence but a desire to prove the counts guilty, and a long series of absurd conclusions, by which it was sought to attain this object: the sentence on Count Brandt, more especially, revolted every one, and the general dissatisfaction was unmistakable.[25] Hence, although it was proposed in the council to lop off one or two more heads, one of the judges, Kofod Ancher, thought it was time to say to the king, as was said to Augustus, _siste carnifex_. It was therefore decided that the only victim of judicial vengeance should be Falckenskjold, who had dared to be an honest admirer of Struensee, and was really at the same time an enlightened statesman and politician.