"KING CHARLES! this blood will not be shed during your reign...." (here
the voice grew less distinct) "but five reigns later. Woe, woe, woe to
the House of Vasa!"
Then the spectres of the countless personages who formed this
extraordinary assembly gradually became fainter, until they soon looked
like coloured shadows, and then they completely disappeared. All the
fantastic lights were extinguished, and those of Charles and his suite
revealed only the old tapestries, slightly waving in the draught. They
heard for some time afterwards a melodious sound, which one of the
witnesses described as like the sighing of wind amongst leaves, and
another to the rasping sound given by the strings of a harp that is
being tuned. All agreed as to the duration of the apparition, which they
judged to have lasted about ten minutes.
The black draperies, the dissevered head, the drops of blood which had
stained the dais--all had vanished with the phantoms; only upon
Charles's slipper was there a bloodstain. This was the sole witness left
by which to recall the scene of that night, had it not been sufficiently
engraved upon his memory.
When the King returned to his chamber he had an account written of what
he had seen, signed it himself, and caused it to be signed by his
fellow-witnesses. In spite of the precautions taken to keep the contents
of this document secret it was soon known, even during the lifetime of
Charles XI. It still exists, and up to the present time no one has
thought fit to throw doubts upon its authenticity. In it the King
concludes with these remarkable words:--
"And if that which I herein relate is not the simple truth, I renounce
all my hope in the life to come, the which I may have merited for some
good deeds done, and, above all, for my zeal in working for the welfare
of my people, and in preserving the faith of my forefathers."
Now, when the reader recollects the death of Gustavus III., and the doom
of Ankarstroem, his assassin, they will find more than a mere
coincidence between that event and the circumstances of this
extraordinary prophecy.
The young man beheaded before the States Assembly should be called
Ankarstroem.
The crowned corpse should be Gustavus III.
The child, his son and successor, Gustavus Adolphus IV.
Finally, the old man was the Duke of Sudermania, uncle of Gustavus IV.,
regent of the Crown, and, in the end, King, after the deposition of his
nephew.