the record of my sufferings with the commencement of the day which
concluded with the fatal evening of my captivity, and to mention
somewhat of that which befell me on the vessel. After the captain had
cast anchor a little outside the pier of St. Anna, on August 8, 1663,
at nine o'clock in the forenoon, he was sent on shore with letters by
Peter Dreyer, who was commissioned by Petcon, at that time the
minister resident in England, of his Majesty the King of Denmark, to
take charge of me. I dressed myself and sat down in one of the cabins
of the sailors on the deck, with a firm resolution to meet
courageously all that lay before me;[58] yet I in no wise expected
what happened; for although I had a good conscience, and had nothing
evil with which to reproach myself, I had at various times asked the
before-mentioned Peter Dreyer the reason why I had been thus brought
away. To this question he always gave me the reply which the traitor
Braten had given me at Dover (when I asked of him the cause of my
arrest); namely, that I was, perhaps, charged with the death of
Major-General Fux, and, that it was thought I had persuaded my son
to slay him; saying, that he knew of no other cause. At twelve
o'clock Nils Rosenkrantz, at that time Lieutenant-Colonel, and Major
Steen Anderson Bilde, came on board with some musketeers.
Lieutenant-Colonel Rosenkrantz did not salute me. The Major walked up
and down and presently passed near me. I asked him, en passant, what
was the matter? He gave me no other answer than, 'Bonne mine, mauvais
jeu;' which left me just as wise as before. About one o'clock Captain
Bendix Alfeldt came on board with several more musketeers, and after
he had talked some time with Peter Dreyer, Dreyer came to me and
said, 'It is ordered that you should go into the cabin.' I said,
'Willingly;' and immediately went. Soon after, Captain Alfeldt came
in to me, and said he had orders to take from me my letters, my gold,
silver, money, and my knife. I replied, 'Willingly.' I took off my
bracelets and rings, gathered in a heap all my gold, silver, and
money, and gave it to him. I had nothing written with me, except
copies of the letters which I had addressed to the King of England,
notes respecting one thing or another relating to my journey, and
some English vocabularies; these I also gave up to him. All these
Alfeldt placed in a silver utensil which I had with me, sealed it in
my presence, and left the vessel with it. An hour, or somewhat more,
afterwards, Major-General Friderich von Anfeldt,[59] Commandant in
Copenhagen, arrived, and desired that I should come to him outside
the cabin. I obeyed immediately. He greeted me, gave me his hand, and
paid me many compliments, always speaking French. He was pleased to
see me in health, he feared the sea might have inconvenienced me; I
must not allow the time to seem long to me; I should soon be
accommodated otherwise. I caught at the last word and said, smiling,
'Monsieur says otherwise, but not better.' 'Yes, indeed,' he replied,
'you shall be well accommodated; the noblest in the kingdom will
visit you.' I understood well what he meant by this, but I answered:
'I am accustomed to the society of great people, therefore that will
not appear strange to me.' Upon this, he called a servant and asked
for the before-mentioned silver utensil (which Captain Alfeldt had
taken away with him). The paper which Captain Alfeldt had sealed over
it was torn off. The Major-General turned to me, and said: 'Here you
have your jewels, your gold, silver, and money back; Captain Alfeldt
made a mistake--they were only letters which he had orders to demand,
and these only have been taken out, and have been left at the Castle;
you may dispose of the rest as you wish yourself.' 'In God's name,' I
answered, 'am I, therefore, at liberty to put on again my bracelets
and rings?' 'O Jesus,' he said, 'they are yours; you may dispose of
them as you choose.' I put on the bracelets and rings, and gave the
rest to my attendant. The Major-General's delight not only appeared
in his countenance, but he was full of laughter, and was overflowing
with merriment. Among other things he said that he had had the
honour of making the acquaintance of two of my sons; that he had been
in their society in Holland; and he praised them warmly. I
complimented him in return, as was proper, and I behaved as if I
believed that he was speaking in good faith. He indulged in various
jokes, especially with my attendant; said that she was pretty, and
that he wondered I could venture to keep such a pretty maiden; when
Holstein ladies kept pretty maids it was only to put their husbands
in good humour; he held a long discourse on how they managed, with
other unmannerly jests which he carried on with my attendant. I
answered nothing else than that he probably spoke from experience. He
said all kinds of foolish jokes to my servant, but she did not answer
a word. Afterwards the prison governor told me that he (von Anfeldt)
had made the King believe, at first, that my attendant was my
daughter, and that the King had been long of that opinion. At length,
after a long conversation, the Major-General took his leave, saying
that I must not allow the time to seem long to me; that he should
soon come again; and he asked what he should say to his Majesty the
King. I begged him to recommend me in the best manner to their
Majesties' favour, adding that I knew not well what to say or for
what to make request, as I was ignorant of what intentions they had
with regard to me. Towards three o'clock Major-General von Anfeldt
returned; he was full of laughter and merriment, and begged me to
excuse him for being so long away. He hoped the time had not appeared
long to me; I should soon get to rest; he knew well that the people
(with this he pointed to the musketeers, who stood all along both
sides of the vessel) were noisy, and inconvenienced me, and that
rest would be best for me. I answered that the people did not
inconvenience me at all; still I should be glad of rest, since I had
been at sea for thirteen days, with rather bad weather. He went on
with his compliments, and said that when I came into the town his
wife would do herself the honour of waiting on me, and, 'as it seems
to me,' he continued, 'that you have not much luggage with you, and
perhaps, not the clothes necessary, she will procure for you whatever
you require.' I thanked him, and said that the honour was on my side
if his wife visited me, but that my luggage was as much as I required
at the time; that if I needed anything in the future, I hoped she
might be spared this trouble; that I had not the honour of knowing
her, but I begged him, nevertheless, to offer her my respects. He
found various subjects of discourse upon Birgitte Speckhans[E08] and
other trifles, to pass away the time; but it is not worth the trouble
to recall them to mind, and still less to write them down. At last a
message came that he was to conduct me from the vessel, when he said
to me with politeness: 'Will it please you, madame, to get into this
boat, which is lying off the side of the ship?' I answered, 'I am
pleased to do anything that I must do, and that is commanded by His
Majesty the King.' The Major-General went first into the boat, and
held out his hand to me; the Lieutenant-Colonel Rosenkrantz, Captain
Alfeldt, Peter Dreyer, and my attendant, went with me in the boat.
And as a great crowd of people had assembled to look at the
spectacle, and many had even gone in boats in order to see me as they
wished, he never took his eyes off me; and when he saw that I turned
sometimes to one side and sometimes to another, in order to give them
this pleasure, he said, 'The people are delighted.' I saw no one
truly who gave any signs of joy, except himself, so I answered, 'He
who rejoices to-day, cannot know that he may not weep to-morrow; yet
I see, that, whether for joy or sorrow, the people are assembling in
crowds, and many are gazing with amazement at one human being.' When
we were advanced a little further, I saw the well-known wicked
Birgitte Ulfeldt,[E09] who exhibited great delight. She was seated in
an open carriage; behind her was a young man, looking like a student.
She was driving along the shore. When I turned to that side, she was
in the carriage and laughed with all her might, so that it sounded
loudly. I looked at her for some time, and felt ashamed of her
impudence, and at the disgrace which she was bringing on herself; but
for the rest, this conduct did not trouble me more than the barking
of the dogs, for I esteemed both equally.[60] The Major-General went
on talking incessantly, and never turned his eyes from me; for he
feared (as he afterwards said) that I should throw myself into the
water. (He judged me by himself; he could not endure the change of
fortune, as his end testified, for it was only on account of an
honorary title which another received in his stead that he lost his
mind. He did not know that I was governed by another spirit than he,
which gave me strength and courage, whilst the spirit he served led
him into despair.[61]) When the boat arrived at the small pier near
the office of the Exchequer, Captain Alfeldt landed and gave me his
hand, and conducted me up towards the castle bridge. Regiments of
horse and foot were drawn up in the open place outside the castle;
musketeers were standing on both sides as I walked forwards. On the
castle bridge stood Jockum Walburger, the prison governor, who went
before me; and as the people had placed themselves in a row on either
side up to the King's Stairs, the prison governor made as if he were
going thither; but he turned round abruptly, and said to Alfeldt,
'This way,' and went to the gate of the Blue Tower; stood there for
some time and fumbled with the key; acted as if he could not unlock
it, in order that I might remain as long as possible a spectacle to
the people. And as my heart was turned to God, and I had placed all
my confidence in the Most High, I raised my eyes to heaven, sought
strength, power, and safety from thence, and it was graciously
vouchsafed me. (One circumstance I will not leave unnoticed--namely,
that as I raised my eyes to heaven, a screaming raven flew over the
Tower, followed by a flock of doves, which were flying in the same
direction.) At length, after a long delay, the prison governor opened
the Tower gate, and I was conducted into the Tower by the
before-mentioned Captain Alfeldt. My attendant, who was preparing to
follow me, was called back by Major-General von Anfeldt, and told to
remain behind. The prison governor went up the stairs, and showed
Alfeldt the way to a prison for malefactors, to which the name of the
'Dark Church' has been given. There Alfeldt quitted me with a sigh
and a slight reverence. I can truly say of him that his face
expressed pity, and that he obeyed the order unwillingly. The clock
was striking half-past five when Jockum closed the door of my prison.
I found before me a small low table, on which stood a brass
candlestick with a lighted candle, a high chair, two small chairs, a
fir-wood bedstead without hangings and with old and hard bedding, a
night-stool and chamber utensil. At every side to which I turned I
was met with stench; and no wonder, for three peasants who had been
imprisoned here, and had been removed on that very day, and placed
elsewhere, had used the walls for their requirements. Soon after the
door had been closed, it was opened again, and there entered Count
Christian Rantzow, Prime Minister, Peter Zetz, Chancellor,
Christoffer von Gabel, at that time Chancellor of the Exchequer, and
Erich Krag, at that time Secretary, all of whom gave me their hands
with civility. The Chancellor spoke and said: 'His Royal Majesty, my
gracious master and hereditary king, sends you word, madame, that His
Majesty has great cause for what he is doing against you, as you will
learn.' I replied: 'It is much to be regretted by me, if cause should
be found against me; I will, however, hope that it may not be of such
a kind that His Majesty's displeasure may be lasting. When I know the
cause I can defend myself.' Count Rantzow answered: 'You will obtain
permission to defend yourself.' He whispered something to the
Chancellor, upon which the Chancellor put a few questions: first,
Whether on my last journey I had been in France with my husband? To
which I answered in the affirmative. Then, What my husband was doing
there? To which I replied, that he was consulting physicians about
his health, whether it would be serviceable to him to use the warm
baths in the country, which no one would advise him to do; he had
even been dissuaded from trying them by a doctor in Holland of the
name of Borro,[E10] when he had asked his opinion. Thirdly, What I
had purposed doing in England? To this I replied that my intention
had been to demand payment of a sum of money which the King of
England owed us, and which we had lent him in the time of his
misfortune. Fourthly, Who had been in England with me? I mentioned
those who were with me in England--namely, a nobleman named Cassetta,
my attendant who had come hither with me, a lacquey named Frantz, who
had remained in England, and the nobleman's servant. Fifthly, Who
visited my husband in Bruges? I could not exactly answer this, as my
lord received his visits in a private chamber, where I was not
admitted. Count Rantzow said, 'You know, I suppose, who came to him
oftenest?' I answered, that the most frequent visitors among those I
knew were two brothers named Aranda,[E11] the before-mentioned
Cassetta, and a nobleman named Ognati. Sixthly the Chancellor asked,
With whom I had corresponded here in the country? To which I
answered, that I had written to H. Hendrick Bielcke, to Olluff
Brockenhuuss, Lady Elsse Passberg, and Lady Marie Ulfeldt;[E12] I did
not remember any more. Count Rantzow enquired if I had more letters
than those which I had given up? To which I answered in the negative,
that I had no more. He asked further, Whether I had more jewels with
me than those he had seen? I answered that I had two strings of
small round pearls on my hat, and a ring with a diamond, which I had
given a lieutenant named Braten in Dover (it was he who afterwards
betrayed me). Count Rantzow asked, How much the pearls might have
been worth? This I could not exactly say. He said, that he supposed I
knew their approximate value. I said they might be worth 200
rix-dollars, or somewhat more. Upon this they were all silent for a
little. I complained of the severity of my imprisonment, and that I
was so badly treated. Count Rantzow answered, 'Yes Madame, His Royal
Majesty has good cause for it; if you will confess the truth, and
that quickly, you may perhaps look for mercy. Had Marechal de
Birron[E13] confessed the matter respecting which he was interrogated
by order of the King, when the royal mercy was offered to him if he
would speak the truth, it would not have fared with him as it did. I
have heard as a truth that the King of France would have pardoned him
his crime, had he confessed at once; therefore, bethink yourself,
madame!' I answered, 'Whatever I am asked by order of His Majesty,
and whatever I am cognizant of, I will gladly say in all submission.'
Upon this Count Rantzow offered me his hand, and I reminded him in a
few words of the severity of my imprisonment. Count Rantzow promised
to mention this to the King. Then the others shook hands with me and
went away. My prison was closed for a little. I therefore profited by
the opportunity, and concealed here and there in holes, and among the
rubbish, a gold watch, a silver pen which gave forth ink and was
filled with ink, and a scissor-sheath worked with silver and
tortoiseshell. This was scarcely done when the door was again
opened, and there entered the Queen's Mistress of the Robes, her
woman of the bed-chamber, and the wife of the commissariat clerk,
Abel Catharina. I knew the last. She and the Queen's woman of the
bed-chamber carried clothes over their arm; these consisted of a long
dressing-gown stitched with silk, made of flesh-coloured taffeta and
lined with white silk, a linen under-petticoat, printed over with a
black lace pattern, a pair of silk stockings, a pair of slippers, a
shift, an apron, a night-dress, and two combs. They made me no
greeting. Abel Cath. spoke for them, and said: 'It is the command of
Her Majesty the Queen that we should take away your clothes, and that
you should have these in their place.' I answered, 'In God's name!'
Then they removed the pad from my head, in which I had sown up rings
and many loose diamonds. Abel Cath. felt all over my head to see if
anything was concealed in my hair; then she said to the others,
'There is nothing there; we do not require the combs.' Abel Cath.
demanded the bracelets and rings, which were a second time taken from
me. I took them off and gave them to them, except one small ring
which I wore on the last joint of my little finger, and which could
not be worth more than a rix-dollar, this I begged to be allowed to
keep. 'No,' said the Mistress of the Robes, 'You are to retain
nothing.' Abel Cath. said, 'We are strictly forbidden to leave you
the smallest thing; I have been obliged to swear upon my soul to the
Queen that I would search you thoroughly, and not leave you the
smallest thing; but you shall not lose it; they will all be sealed up
and kept for you, for this I swear the Queen has said.' 'Good, good,
in God's name!' I answered. She drew off all my clothes. In my
under-petticoat I had concealed some ducats under the broad gold
lace; there was a small diamond ornament in my silk camisole, in the
foot of my stockings there were some Jacobuses', and there were
sapphires in my shoes. When she attempted to remove my chemise, I
begged to be allowed to retain it. No; she swore upon her soul that
she dared not. She stripped me entirely, and the Mistress of the
Robes gave Abel Cath. a nod, which she did not at once understand; so
the Mistress of the Robes said: 'Do you not remember your orders?'
Upon this, Abel Cath. searched my person still more closely, and said
to the lady in waiting: 'No, by God! there is nothing there.' I said:
'You act towards me in an unchristian and unbecoming manner.' Abel
Cath. answered: 'We are only servants; we must do as we are ordered;
we are to search for letters and for nothing else; all the rest will
be given back to you; it will be well taken care of.' After they had
thus despoiled me, and had put on me the clothes they had brought,
the servant of the Mistress of the Robes came in and searched
everywhere with Abel Cath., and found every thing that I had
concealed. God blinded their eyes so that they did not observe my
diamond earrings, nor some ducats which had been sown into leather
round one of my knees; I also saved a diamond worth 200 rix-dollars;
while on board the ship I had bitten it out of the gold, and thrown
the gold in the sea; the stone I had then in my mouth.[62]
[58] In the margin is added: 'I had a ring on with a table-diamond
worth 200 rix-dollars. I bit this out, threw the gold in the sea,
and kept the stone in my mouth. It could not be observed by my
speech that there was anything in my mouth.'
[59] That is the Aulefeldt mentioned in the Preface under the name
of Anfeldt.
[E08] Birgitte Speckhans was the wife of Frants v. Speckhans,
master of ceremonies, afterwards Privy Councillor, &c. She had
formerly been in the service of Leonora Christina, who was then at
the height of her position, and ever afterwards proved herself a
friend of her and Ulfeldt. It was in her house that they stayed
after escaping from Malmoe, and she kept some of their movable
goods for them during their imprisonment at Hammershuus.
[E09] Birgitte Ulfeldt was a younger sister of Corfitz, who, in a
letter to Sperling, declares her to be his and Leonora's bitterest
enemy. What is known of her life is certainly not to her advantage.
[60] In the margin is added: 'The sorrow manifested by many would
far rather have depressed me; for several people, both men and
women, shed tears, even those whom I did not know.'
[61] This paragraph was afterwards struck out, the contents being
transferred to the Preface.
[E10] This is the famous Jos. Borro or Burrhus, physician and
alchymist. He is often mentioned in books of the seventeenth
century, on account of his wonderful cures and alleged knowledge of
the art of making gold. In 1667 he came to Denmark, where King
Fredrik III. spent considerable sums on the establishment of large
laboratories for him, in a building which is still known as 'The
Gold-house.'
[E11] D'Aranda was one of the most influential families in Bruges.
One of them, by name Bernard, was some time in the Danish army,
afterwards secretary to Corfitz Ulfeldt, and employed by him in
diplomatic missions. He died in 1658, but when Ulfeldt came to
Bruges in 1662 he lived for some time with one of Bernard's
brothers.
[E12] H. Bielke was Admiral of the realm; his wife was an Ulfeldt,
and it was he who procured Corfitz Ulfeldt his leave of absence in
1662, of which he made such regretable use. He, too, was one of the
judges that convicted him. Oluf Brokkenhuus was Corfitz Ulfeldt's
brother-in-law; Elizabeth Parsbjerg was the widow of his elder
brother Lauridts Ulfeldt. Marie Ulfeldt was sister of Corfitz.
[E13] Charles de Goutant, Duc de Biron, a celebrated French
General, some time favourite of Henry IV. King of France, was found
guilty of conspiring against his master with the courts of Spain
and Savoy. Henry IV. forgave him, but he recommenced his intrigues.
It is supposed that the King would have forgiven him a second time
if he had confessed his crime; but he refused to do so, and was
beheaded in 1602.
[62] This passage was afterwards altered thus: 'God blinded their
eyes so that they did not perceive my earrings, in each of which
there is a large rose diamond, and from which I have now removed
the stones. The gold, which is in form of a serpent, is still in my
ears. They also did not perceive that something was fastened round
my knee.'
The Mistress of the Robes was very severe; they could not search
thoroughly enough for her. She laughed at me several times, and
could not endure that I sat down, asking whether I could not stand,
and whether anything was the matter with me. I answered, 'There is
only too much the matter with me, yet I can stand when it is
necessary.' (It was no wonder that the Mistress of the Robes could so
well execute the order to plunder, for she had frequently accompanied
her deceased husband. Colonel Schaffshaussen[E14], in war.) When she
had searched every part thoroughly, they took all my clothes, except
a taffeta cap for the head, and went away. Then the prison governor
came in with his hat on, and said, 'Leonora, why have you concealed
your things?' I answered him not a word; for I had made the
resolution not to answer him, whatever he might say; his qualities
were known to me; I was aware that he was skilful in improving a
report, and could twist words in the manner he thought would be
acceptable, to the damage of those who were in trouble. He asked
again with the same words, adding 'Do you not hear?' I looked at him
over my shoulder, and would not allow his disrespect to excite me.
The table was then spread, and four dishes were brought in, but I had
no appetite, although I had eaten little or nothing the whole day.
[E14] This lady is known under the name of Haxthausen; and
Schaffshausen is probably a mistake on Leonora's part, although of
course she may have been married to an officer of this name before
she married N. v. Haxthausen. She was a German by birth.
An hour afterwards, when the dishes had been carried away, a girl
came in named Maren Blocks, and said that she had orders from the
Queen to remain the night with me. The prison governor joked a good
deal with the before-mentioned Maren, and was very merry, indulging
in a good deal of loose talk. At last, when it was nearly ten
o'clock, he said good night and closed the two doors of my prison,
one of which is cased with copper. When Maren found herself alone
with me, she pitied my condition, and informed me that many, whom she
mentioned by name (some of whom were known to me) had witnessed my
courage with grief and tears, especially the wife of H. Hendrick
Bielcke[E12b], who had fainted with weeping. I said, 'The good people
have seen me in prosperity; it is no wonder that they deplore the
instability of fortune;' and I wished that God might preserve every
one of those from misfortune, who had taken my misfortune to heart. I
consoled myself with God and a good conscience; I was conscious of
nothing wrong, and I asked who she was, and whom she served? She said
she was in the Queen's private kitchen, and had the silver in her
keeping (from which I concluded that she had probably to clean the
silver, which was the case). She said that the Queen could get no one
who would be alone with me, for that I was considered evil; it was
said also that I was very wise, and knew future events. I answered,
'If I possessed this wisdom, I scarcely think that I should have come
in here, for I should then have been able to guard myself against
it.' Maren said we might know things and still not be able to guard
against them.
[E12b] H. Bielke was Admiral of the realm; his wife was an Ulfeldt,
and it was he who procured Corfitz Ulfeldt his leave of absence in
1662, of which he made such regretable use. He, too, was one of the
judges that convicted him. Oluf Brokkenhuus was Corfitz Ulfeldt's
brother-in-law; Elizabeth Parsbjerg was the widow of his elder
brother Lauridts Ulfeldt. Marie Ulfeldt was sister of Corfitz.
She told me also that the Queen had herself spoken with her, and had
said to her, 'You are to be this night with Leonora; you need not be
afraid, she can now do no evil. With all her witchcraft she is now in
prison and has nothing with her; and if she strikes you, I give you
leave to strike her back again till the blood comes.' Maren said
also, 'The Queen knows well that my mind has been affected by acute
illness, and therefore she wished that I should be with you.' So
saying she threw her arms round my neck as I was sitting, and
caressed me in her manner, saying, 'Strike me, dear heart, strike
me!' 'I will not,' she swore, 'strike again.' I was rather alarmed,
fearing that the frenzy might come on. She said further that when she
saw me coming over the bridge, she felt as if her heart would burst.
She informed me with many words how much she loved me, and how the
maid of honour, Carisius, who was standing with her in the window,
had praised me, and wished to be able to do something for my
deliverance, with many such words and speeches. I accepted the
unusual caress, as under the circumstances I could not help it, and
said that it would be contrary to all justice to offer blows to one
who manifested such great affection as she had done, especially to
one of her sex; adding, that I could not think how the Queen had
imagined that I struck people, as I had never even given a box on the
ears to a waiting-woman. I thanked her for her good opinion of me,
and told her that I hoped all would go well, dark as things looked;
that I would hold fast to God, who knew my innocence, and that I had
done nothing unjustifiable; that I would commend my cause to Him, and
I did not doubt that He would rescue me: if not immediately He would
do so some day, I was well assured.
Maren began to speak of different things; among others of my sister
Elizabeth Augusta[E15], how she had sat in her porch as I had been
conveyed past as a prisoner, and had said that if I were guilty there
was nothing to say against it, but that if I were innocent they were
going too far. I said nothing to this, nor did I answer anything to
much other tittle-tattle. She began to speak of her own persecution,
which she did with great diffuseness, interspersing it with other
stories, so that the conversation (in the present circumstances) was
very wearisome to me; I was besides very tired, and worn out with
care, so I said I would try to sleep and bid her good-night. My
thoughts prevented me from sleeping. I reflected on my present
condition, and could in no wise reconcile myself to it, or discover
the cause of such a great misfortune. It was easy to perceive that
somewhat besides Fux's death was imputed to me, since I was treated
with such disrespect.
[E15] Elizabeth Augusta, a younger sister of Leonora, married Hans
Lindenow, a Danish nobleman, who died in the siege of Copenhagen,
1659.
When I had long lain with my face to the wall, I turned round and
perceived that Maren was silently weeping, so I asked her the reason
of her tears. She denied at first that she was crying, but afterwards
confessed that she had fallen into thinking over this whole affair.
It had occurred to her that she had heard so much of Lady Leonora and
her splendour, &c., of how the King loved her, and how every one
praised her, &c., and now she was immured in this execrable thieves'
prison, into which neither sun nor moon shone, and where there was a
stench enough to poison a person only coming in and out, far more one
who had to remain in it. I thought the cause of her weeping was that
she should be shut up with me in the terrible prison; so I consoled
her, and said that she would only remain with me until another had
been fixed upon, since she was in other service; but that I for my
part did not now think of past times, as the present gave me
sufficient to attend to; if I were to call to mind the past, I would
remember also the misfortunes of great men, emperors, kings,
princes, and other high personages, whose magnificence and prosperity
had far exceeded mine, and whose misfortunes had been far greater
than mine; for they had fallen into the hands of tyrants, who had
treated them inhumanly, but this king was a Christian king, and a
conscientious man, and better thoughts would occur to him when he had
time to reflect, for my adversaries now left him no leisure to do so.
When I said this, she wept even more than before, but said nothing,
thinking in herself (as she declared to me some days afterwards) that
I did not know what an infamous sentence had been pronounced upon my
late lord,[E16] and weeping all the more because I trusted the King
so firmly. Thus we went on talking through the night.
[E16] That Leonora here speaks of her husband as her 'late lord,'
is due only to the fact that the Memoir was not written till after
his death; at the time of these events he was still alive.
On the morning of August 9, at six o'clock, the prison governor came
in, bade me good morning, and enquired whether we would have some
brandy. I answered nothing. He asked Maren whether I was asleep; she
replied that she did not know, came up to my bed, and put the same
question to me. I thanked her, adding that it was a kind of drink
which I had never tasted. The prison governor chattered with Maren,
was very merry considering the early hour, told her his dreams, which
he undoubtedly invented merely for the sake of talking. He told her,
secretly, that she was to come to the Queen, and ordered her to say
aloud that she wished to go out a little. He said that he would
remain with me in the meanwhile, until she returned, which he did,
speaking occasionally to me, and asking me whether I wished for
anything? whether I had slept? whether Maren had watched well? But
he got no answer, so that the time seemed very long to him. He went
out towards the stairs and came back again, sang a morning psalm,
screamed out sometimes to one, and sometimes to another, though he
knew they were not there.
There was a man named Jon who helped to bring up the meals with
Rasmus the tower warder, and to him he called more than forty times
and that in a singing tone, changing his key from high to low, and
screaming occasionally as loud as he could, and answering himself
'Father, he is not here! by God, he is not here!' then laughing at
himself; and then he began calling again either for Jon or for
Rasmus, so that it seemed to me that he had been tasting the brandy.
About eight o'clock Maren came back, and said that at noon two women
would come to relieve her. After some conversation between the prison
governor and Maren, he went out and shut the doors. Maren told me how
the Queen had sent for her, and asked her what I was doing, and that
she answered that I was lying down quietly, and not saying anything.
The Queen had asked whether I wept much. Maren replied, 'Yes indeed,
she weeps silently.' 'For,' continued Maren, 'if I had said that you
did not weep, the Queen would have thought that you had not yet
enough to weep for.' Maren warned me that one of the two women who
were to watch me was the wife of the King's shoemaker, a German, who
was very much liked by the Queen. Her Majesty had employed her to
attend Uldrich Christian Gyldenlowe in the severe and raving illness
of which he died, and this woman had much influence with the Queen.
With regard to the other woman, Maren had no idea who she might be,
but the last-mentioned had spoken with the Queen in Maren's presence,
and had said that she did not trust herself to be alone with me. The
women did not come before four o'clock in the afternoon. The prison
governor accompanied them, and unlocked the door for them. The first
was the wife of the shoemaker, a woman named Anna, who generally
would not suffer anybody else to speak. The other was the wife of the
King's groom, a woman named Catharina, also a German. After greeting
me, Anna said that her Majesty the Queen had ordered them to pass a
day or two with me and wait upon me. 'In God's name,' I answered.
Anna, who was very officious, asked me, 'Does my lady wish for
anything? She will please only say so, and I will solicit it from the
Queen.' I thanked her, and said that I should like to have some of my
clothes, such as two night-jackets, one lined with silk and another
braided with white, my stomacher, something for my head, and above
all my bone box of perfume, which I much needed. She said she would
at once arrange this, which she did, for she went immediately and
proffered my request. The things were all delivered to me by the
prison governor at six o'clock, except my box of perfume, which had
been lost, and in its place they sent me a tin box with a very bad
kind of perfume. When the time arrived for the evening meal,
Catharina spread a stool by the side of my bed, but I had no desire
to eat. I asked for a lemon with sugar, and they gave it me. The
prison governor sat down at the table with the two women, and did the
part of jester, so much so that no one could have said that they were
in a house of mourning, but rather in one of festivity. I inwardly
prayed to God for strength and patience, that I might not forget
myself. God heard my prayer, praised be His name. When the prison
governor was tired of the idle talking and laughing, he bade good
night after ten o'clock, and told the women to knock if they wanted
anything, as the tower warder was just underneath. After he had
locked both the doors, I got up, and Catharina made my bed. Anna had
brought a prayer-book with her, from which I read the evening prayer,
and other prayers for them; then I laid down and bid them good night.
They laid on a settle-bed which had been brought in for them. I
slumbered from time to time, but only for short intervals.
About six o'clock on the morning of August 10 the prison governor
opened the door, to the great delight of the women, who were
sincerely longing for him, especially Catharina, who was very stout;
she could not endure the oppressive atmosphere, and was ill almost
the whole night. When the prison governor, after greeting them, had
inquired how it fared with them, and whether they were still alive,
he offered them brandy, which they readily accepted. When it was
seven o'clock, they requested to go home, which they did, but they
first reported to the Queen all that had happened during the half-day
and the night. The prison governor remained with me.
When it was near nine o'clock, he brought in a chair without saying
anything. I perceived from this that visitors were coming, and I was
not wrong; for immediately afterwards there entered Count Rantzow,
prime minister, chancellor H. Peter Retz, Christoffer Gabel, the
chancellor of the exchequer, and secretary Erick Krag, who all shook
hands with me and seated themselves by my bed. Krag, who had paper,
pen and ink with him, seated himself at the table. Count Rantzow
whispered something to the chancellor. The chancellor upon this began
to address me as on the previous occasion, saying that his Majesty
the King had great cause for his treatment of me. 'His Majesty,' he
went on to say, 'entertains suspicion with regard to you, and that
not without reason.' I inquired in what the suspicion consisted. The
chancellor said, 'Your husband has offered the kingdom of Denmark to
a foreign lord.' I inquired if the kingdom of Denmark belonged to my
husband, that he could thus offer it, and as no one answered, I
continued and said, 'Good gentlemen, you all know my lord; you know
that he has been esteemed as a man of understanding, and I can assure
you that when I took leave of him he was in perfect possession of his
senses. Now it is easy to perceive that no sensible man would offer
that which was not in his own power, and which he had no right to
dispose of. He is holding no post, he has neither power nor
authority; how should he, therefore, be so foolish as to make such an
offer, and what lord would accept it?'
Count Rantzow said: 'Nevertheless it is so, madame; he has offered
Denmark to a foreign potentate; you know it well.' I answered, 'God
is my witness that I know of no such thing.' 'Yes,' said Count
Rantzow, 'your husband concealed nothing from you, and therefore you
must know it.' I replied, 'My husband certainly never concealed from
me anything that concerned us both. I never troubled myself in former
days with that which related to his office; but that which affected
us both he never concealed from me, so that I am sure, had he
entertained any such design, he would not have held it a secret from
me. And I can say, with truth, that I am not the least aware of it.'
Count Rantzow said: 'Madame, confess it while the King still asks you
to do so.'
I answered, 'If I knew it I would gladly say so; but as truly as God
lives I do not know it, and as truly am I unable to believe that my
husband would have acted so foolishly, for he is a sick man. He urged
me to go to England in order to demand the money that had been lent;
I undertook the journey, unwillingly, chiefly because he was so very
weak. He could not go up a few steps of the stairs without resting to
get his breath; how should he, then, undertake a work of such labour?
I can say with truth that he is not eight days without an attack,
sometimes of one kind sometimes of another.' Count Rantzow again
whispered with the chancellor, and the chancellor continued: 'Madame,
say without compulsion how the matter stands, and who is privy to it;
say it now, while you are asked freely to do so. His Majesty is an
absolute Sovereign; he is not fettered by law; he can do as he will;
say it.' I answered: 'I know well that his Majesty is an absolute
Sovereign, and I know also, that he is a Christian and a
conscientious man; therefore, his Majesty will do nothing but what he
can justify before God in heaven. See, here I am! You can do with me
what you will; that which I do not know I cannot say.'