and made a long speech about it. To this I at length replied, that
the Marechal de Birron in nowise concerned me; that I had no answer
to make on the matter, and that it seemed to me that it was not a
case in point. Count Rantzow asked me why, when I was demanded with
whom I had corresponded in the kingdom, I had not said that I had
written to him and to the treasurer Gabel. To this I replied that I
thought those who asked me knew it well, so that it was not necessary
for me to mention it; I had only said that of which they probably did
not know. Count Rantzow again whispered to the chancellor, and the
chancellor said: 'In a letter to Lady Elsse Passberg you have written
respecting another state of things in Denmark,' (as he said this, he
looked at Count Rantzow and asked if it was not so, or how it was);
'what did you mean by that, madame?' I replied that I could not
recollect what cause her letter had given me to answer it in this
way; what came before or what followed, would, without a doubt,
explain my meaning; if I might see the letter, it would prove at once
that I had written nothing which I could not justify.
Nothing more was said with regard to it. Count Rantzow asked me what
foreign ministers had been with my lord in Bruges. 'None,' I
answered, 'that I am aware of.' He asked further whether any Holstein
noblemen had been with him. I answered, 'I do not know.' Then he
enumerated every Prince in Germany, from the Emperor to the Prince of
Holstein, and enquired respecting each separately whether any of
their Ministers had been with my husband. I gave the same answer as
before to each question, that I was not aware that any one of them
had been with him. Then he said, 'Now, madame, confess! I beg you;
remember Marechal de Birron! you will not be asked again.' I was
somewhat tired of hearing Birron mentioned so often, and I answered
rather hastily: 'I do not care about the Marechal de Birron; I
cannot tell what I do not know anything about.'
Secretary Krag had written somewhat hurriedly it seemed, for when at
my desire he read aloud what he had written, the answers did not
accord with the questions; this probably partly arose from hurry, and
partly from malice, for he was not amicably inclined towards my late
lord. I protested against this when he read the minutes. The
chancellor agreed with me in every item, so that Krag was obliged to
re-write it. After this they got up and took their leave. I requested
to beg His Majesty the King to be gracious to me, and not to believe
what he had been informed with regard to my husband. I could not
imagine they would find that he had ever deviated from his duty.
'Yes,' answered Count Rantzow, 'if you will confess, madame, and tell
us who is concerned in this business and the details of it, you might
perhaps find him a gracious lord and king.' I protested by the living
God that I knew nothing of it; I knew of nothing of the kind, much
less of accomplices. With this they went away, after having spent
nearly three hours with me, and then the prison governor and the
women entered. They spread the table and brought up the meal, but I
took nothing but a draught of beer. The prison governor sat down to
table with the women. If he had been merry before, he was still more
so now, and he told one indecent story after another.
When they had had enough of feasting and talking he went away and
locked the door; he came as usual again about four o'clock in the
afternoon, and let the women go out, staying with me until they
returned, which generally was not for two hours. When the women were
alone with me, Anna told Catharina of her grief for her first
husband, and nothing else was talked of. I behaved as if I were
asleep, and I did the same when the prison governor was alone with
me, and he then passed the time in singing and humming. The evening
meal was also very merry for the women, for the prison governor
amused them by telling them of his second marriage; how he had wooed
without knowing whom, and that he did not know it until the
betrothal. The story was as ludicrous as it was diffuse. I noticed
that it lasted an hour and a quarter.
When he had said good night, Anna sat down on my bed and began to
talk to Catharina, and said, 'Was it not a horrible story of that
treacherous design to murder the King and Queen and the whole royal
family?' Catharina answered, 'Thank God the King and Queen and the
whole family are still alive!' 'Yes,' said Anna, 'it was no merit of
the traitors, though, that they are so; it was too quickly
discovered; the King knew it three months before he would reveal it
to the Queen. He went about sorrowfully, pondering over it, unable
quite to believe it; afterwards, when he was quite certain of it, he
told the Queen; then the body-guard were doubled, as you know.'
Catherina enquired how they had learnt it. Anna answered, 'That God
knows; it is kept so secret that no one is allowed as much as to ask
from whom it came.' I could not help putting in a word; it seemed to
me a pity that they could not find out the informer, and it was
remarkable that no one ventured to confess having given the
information. Catherina said, 'I wonder whether it is really true?'
'What do you mean?' answered Anna; 'would the King do as he is doing
without knowing for certain that it is true? How can you talk so?' I
regarded this conversation as designed to draw some words from me,
so I answered but little, only saying that until now I had seen
nothing which gave credibility to the report, and that therefore I
felt myself at liberty not to believe it until I saw certain proof of
it. Anna adhered to her statement, wondered that there could be such
evil people as could wish to murder the good King, and was very
diffuse on the matter.[E17] She could be at no loss for material, for
she always began again from the beginning; but at last she had to
stop, since she spoke alone and was not interrupted either by
Catharina or by me.
[E17] When the sentence on Ulfeldt had become publicly known, the
most absurd rumours circulated in Copenhagen, and found their way
to foreign newspapers. For instance _the kingdom's_ Intelligencer,
No. 33, Aug. 10-17, 1663, says, in a correspondence from Hamburg:
'They say the traitors intended to set Copenhagen on fire in divers
places, and also the fleet, to destroy the King and family, to blow
up the King's palace, and deliver the crown over to another.' The
Government itself, on hearing of Ulfeldt's plots, made great
military preparations.
I got up and requested to have my bed made, which Catharina always
did. Anna attended to the light during the night, for she was more
watchful than Catharina. I read aloud to them from Anna's book,
commended myself to God, and laid down to sleep. But my sleep was
light, the promenades of the rats woke me, and there were great
numbers of them. Hunger made them bold; they ate the candle as it
stood burning. Catharina, moreover, was very uncomfortable all night,
so that this also prevented my sleeping. Early on the morning of
August 11 the prison governor came as usual with his brandy
attentions, although they had a whole bottle with them. Catharina
complained a good deal, and said she could not endure the oppressive
air; that when she came in at the door it seemed as if it would
stifle her; if she were to remain there a week she was certain that
she would be carried out dead. The prison governor laughed at this.
The women went away, and he remained with me. He presented me
Major-General von Anfeldt's compliments, and a message from him,
that I 'should be of good courage; all would now soon be well.' I
made no reply. He enquired how I was, and whether I had slept a
little; and answered himself, 'I fancy not much.' He asked whether I
would have anything, again answering himself, 'No, I do not think you
wish for anything.' Upon this he walked up and down, humming to
himself; then he came to my bedside and said: 'Oh, the dear King! he
is indeed a kind master! Be at peace; he is a gracious sovereign, and
has always held you in esteem. You are a woman, a weak instrument.
Poor women are soon led away. No one likes to harm them, when they
confess the truth. The dear Queen, she is indeed a dear Queen! She is
not angry with you. I am sure if she knew the truth from you, she
would herself pray for you. Listen! if you will write to the Queen
and tell her all about the matter, and keep nothing back, I will
bring you pen, ink, and paper. I have no wish, on my soul! to read
it. No, God take me if I will look at it; and that you may be sure of
this, I will give you wax that you may seal it. But I imagine you
have probably no seal?' As I answered him not a word, he seized my
hand and shook it rather strongly, saying, 'Do you not hear? Are you
asleep?' I raised my head threateningly; I should like to have given
him a box on the ears, and I turned round to the wall.
He was angry that his design had failed, and he went on grumbling to
himself for more than an hour. I could not understand a word beyond,
'Yes, yes! you will not speak.' Then he muttered somewhat between his
teeth: 'You will not answer; well, well, they will teach you. Yes, by
God! hum, hum, hum.' He continued thus until the tower warder,
Rasmus, came and whispered something to him; then he went out. It
seemed to me that there was someone speaking with him, and so far as
I could perceive it must have been someone who asked him if the ink
and paper should be brought up, for he answered, 'No, it is not
necessary; she will not.' The other said, 'Softly, softly!' The
prison governor, however, could not well speak softly, and I heard
him say, 'She cannot hear that; she is in bed.' When he came in again
he went on muttering to himself, and stamped because I would not
answer; he meant it kindly; the Queen was not so angry as I imagined.
He went on speaking half aloud; he wished the women would come; he
did nothing else but beg Rasmus to look for them.
Soon after Rasmus came and said that they were now going up the
King's Stairs. Still almost an hour passed before they came in and
released him. When they had their dinner (my own meal consisted of
some slices of lemon with sugar) the prison governor was not nearly
so merry as he was wont to be, though he chattered of various things
that had occurred in former times, while he was a quarter-master. He
also retired sooner than was his custom. The women, who remained,
talked of indifferent matters. I also now and then put in a word, and
asked them after their husbands and children. Anna read some prayers
and hymns from her book, and thus the day passed till four o'clock,
when the prison governor let them out. He had brought a book with
him, which he read in a tolerably low tone, while he kept watch by
me. I was well pleased at this, as it gave me rest.
At the evening meal the prison governor began amongst other
conversation to tell the women that a prisoner had been brought here
who was a Frenchman; he could not remember his name; he sat
cogitating upon the name just as if he could not rightly hit upon it.
Carl or Char, he did not know what he was called, but he had been
formerly several years in Denmark. Anna enquired what sort of a man
he was. He replied that he was a man who was to be made to sing,[63]
but he did not know for a certainty whether he was here or not.
(There was nothing in all this.) He only said this in order to get an
opportunity of asking me, or to perceive whether it troubled me.
[63] That is, give information.
He had undoubtedly been ordered to do this; for when he was gone Anna
began a conversation with Catharina upon this same Carl, and at last
asked me whether we had had a Frenchman in our employ. I replied that
we had had more than one. She enquired further whether there was one
among them named Carl, who had long been in our service. 'We had a
servant,' I answered, 'a Frenchman named Charle; he had been with us
a long time.' 'Yes, yes,' she said, 'it is he. But I do not think he
has arrived here yet; they are looking for him.' I said, 'Then he is
easy to find, he was at Bruges when I left that town.' Anna said she
fancied he had been in England with me, and she added, 'That fellow
knows a good deal if they get him.' I answered, 'Then it were to be
wished that they had him for the sake of his information.' When she
perceived that I troubled myself no further about him she let the
conversation drop, and spoke of my sister Elizabeth Augusta, saying
that she passed her every day. She was standing in her gateway or
sitting in the porch, and that she greeted her, but never uttered a
word of enquiry after her sister, though she knew well that she was
waiting on me in the Tower. I said I thought my sister did not know
what would be the best for her to do. 'I cannot see,' said Anna,
'that she is depressed.' I expressed my opinion that the less we
grieved over things the better. Other trifles were afterwards talked
of, and I concluded the day with reading, commended myself to the
care of Jesus, and slept tolerably well through the night.
August 12 passed without anything in particular occurring, only that
Anna tried to trouble me by saying that a chamber next to us was
being put in order, for whom she did not know; they were of course
expecting someone in it. I could myself hear the masons at work. On
the same day Catharina said that she had known me in prosperity, and
blessed me a thousand times for the kindness I had shown her. I did
not remember having ever seen her. She said she had been employed in
the storeroom in the service of the Princess Magdalena Sybille, and
that when I had visited the Princess, and had slept in the Castle, I
had sent a good round present for those in the storeroom, and that
she had had a share in it, and that this she now remembered with
gratitude. Anna was not pleased with the conversation, and she
interrupted it three times; Catharina, however, did not answer her,
but adhered to the subject till she had finished. The prison governor
was not in good humour on this day also, so that neither at dinner
nor at supper were any indecent stories related.
On August 13, after the women had been into the town and had
returned, the prison governor opened the door at about nine o'clock,
and whispered something to them. He then brought in another small
seat; from this I perceived that I was to be visited by one more
than on the previous occasion. At about ten o'clock Count Rantzow,
General Skack, Chancellor Retz, Treasurer Gabel, and Secretary Krag
entered. They all saluted me with politeness; the four first seated
themselves on low seats by my bedside, and Krag placed himself with
his writing materials at the table. The Chancellor was spokesman, and
said, 'His royal Majesty, my gracious Sovereign and hereditary King,
sends you word, madame, that his Majesty has great cause for all that
he is doing, and that he entertains suspicions with regard to you
that you are an accomplice in the treason designed by your husband;
and his royal Majesty had hoped that you would confess without
compulsion who have participated in it, and the real truth about it.'
When the Chancellor ceased speaking, I replied that I was not aware
that I had done anything which could render me suspected; and I
called God to witness that I knew of no treason, and therefore I
could mention no names. Count Rantzow said, 'Your husband has not
concealed it from you, hence you know it well.' I replied, 'Had my
husband entertained so evil a design, I believe surely he would have
told me; but I can swear with a good conscience, before God in
Heaven, that I never heard him speak of anything of the kind. Yes, I
can truly say he never wished evil to the King in my hearing, and
therefore I fully believe that this has been falsely invented by his
enemies.' Count Rantzow and the Chancellor bent their heads together
across to the General, and whispered with each other for some time.
At length the Chancellor asked me whether, if my husband were found
guilty, I would take part in his condemnation. This was a remarkable
question, so I reflected a little, and said, 'If I may know on what
grounds he is accused, I will answer to it so far as I know, and so
much as I can.' The Chancellor said, 'Consider well whether you
will.' I replied as before, that I would answer for him as to all
that I knew, if I were informed of what he was accused. Count Rantzow
whispered with Krag, and Krag went out, but returned immediately.
Soon afterward some one (whom I do not know) came from the
Chancellor's office, bringing with him some large papers. Count
Rantzow and the Chancellor whispered again. Then the Chancellor said,
'There is nothing further to do now than to let you know what sort of
a husband you have, and to let you hear his sentence.' Count Rantzow
ordered the man who had brought in the papers to read them aloud. The
first paper read was to the effect that Corfitz, formerly Count of
Ulfeldt, had offered the kingdom of Denmark to a foreign sovereign,
and had told the same sovereign that he had ecclesiastical and lay
magnates on his side, so that it was easy for him to procure the
crown of Denmark for the before-mentioned sovereign.
A paper was then read which was the defence of the clergy, in which
they protested that Corfitz, Count of Ulfeldt, had never had any
communication with any of them; that he had at no time shown himself
a friend of the clergy, and had far less offered them participation
in his evil design. They assured his royal Majesty of their fidelity
and subjection, &c. Next, a paper was read, written by the
Burgomaster and council in Copenhagen, nearly similar in purport,
that they had had no correspondence with Count Corfitz Ulfeldt, and
equally assuring his royal Majesty of their humble fidelity. Next
followed the reading of the unprecedented and illegal sentence which,
without a hearing, had been passed on my lord. This was as unexpected
and grievous as it was disgraceful, and unjustifiable before God and
all right-loving men. No documents were brought forward upon which
the sentence had been given. There was nothing said about prosecution
or defence; there was no other foundation but mere words; that he had
been found guilty of having offered the crown of Denmark to a foreign
sovereign, and had told him that he had on his side ecclesiastical
and lay magnates, who had shown by their signed protestations that
this was not the case, for which reason he had been condemned as a
criminal.
When the sentence with all the names subjoined to it had been read,
the reader brought it to me, and placed it before me on the bed.
Everyone can easily imagine how I felt; but few or none can conceive
how it was that I was not stifled by the unexpected misery, and did
not lose my sense and reason. I could not utter a word for weeping.
Then a prayer was read aloud which had been pronounced from the
pulpit, in which Corfitz was anathematised, and God was prayed not to
allow his gray hair to go to the grave in peace. But God, who is
just, did not listen to the impious prayer of the unrighteous,
praised be His name for ever.
When all had been read, I bemoaned with sighs and sorrowful tears
that I had ever lived to see this sad day, and I begged them, for
Jesus' sake, that they would allow me to see on what the hard
judgment was based. Count Rantzow answered, 'You can well imagine,
madame, that there are documents upon which we have acted: some of
your friends are in the council.' 'May God better it!' I said. 'I beg
you, for God's sake, to let me see the documents. Les apparences sont
bien souvent trompeuses. What had not my husband to suffer from that
Swede in Skaane, during that long imprisonment, because he was
suspected of having corresponded with his Majesty, the King of
Denmark, and with his Majesty's ministers? Now, no one knows better
than his Majesty, and you my good lords, how innocently he suffered
at that time, and so this also may be apparently credible, and yet
may not be so in truth. Might I not see the documents?' To this no
answer was given. I continued and said, 'How is it possible that a
man who must himself perceive that death is at hand should undertake
such a work, and be so led away from the path of duty, when he did
not do so at a time when he acknowledged no master, and when such
great promises were made him by the Prince of Holstein, as the
Prince's letters show, which are now in his Majesty's hands.' Count
Rantzow interrupted me and said, 'We did not find those letters.'
'God knows,' I replied, 'they were there; of that I am certain.' I
said also, 'At that time he might have done something to gratify a
foreign sovereign; at that time he had power and physical vigour, and
almost the entire government was in his hands; but he never looked to
his own advantage, but pawned his own property to hasten the King's
coronation, so that no impediment might come between.[64] This is his
reward! Good gentlemen, take an example of me, you who have seen me
in prosperity, and have compassion on me. Pray his royal Majesty to
be mild, and not to proceed to such severity.'
[64] In the margin the following explanatory note is added: 'When
his Majesty (Christian IV.) was dead, there was no prince elected,
so that the States were free to choose the king whom they desired,
wherefore the Duke of Holstein, Duke Frederick, promised my
deceased lord that if he would contrive that he should be elected
king, the land of Fyen should belong to him and a double alliance
between his children and ours should be concluded. But my lord
rejected this proposal and would not assist in dispossessing the
son of Christian IV. of the kingdom. The prince had obtained
several votes, but my lord contested them.'
The Chancellor and Treasurer were moved by this, so that the tears
came into their eyes. Count Rantzow said to the General and the
Chancellor, 'I think it is a fortnight ago since the sentence was
published?' The Chancellor answered, 'It is seventeen days ago.'[E18]
I said, 'At that time I was still in England, and now I am asked for
information on the matter! Oh, consider this, for God's sake! and
that there was no one present to speak on my husband's behalf.' Count
Rantzow enquired whether I wished to appeal against it? I replied,
'How am I to appeal against a judicial decree? I only beg for Jesus'
sake that what I say may be considered, and that I may have the
satisfaction of seeing the documents upon which the sentence is
based.'
[E18] The sentence on Ulfeldt was given on July 24, but probably
not published till a few days later.
Count Rantzow answered as before, that there were documents, and that
some of my friends had sat in the council, and added that all had
been agreed, and that not one had had anything to say against it. I
dared not say what I thought. I knew well how matters are done in
such absolute governments: there is no such thing as opposition, they
merely say, 'Sign, the King wishes it; and ask not wherefore, or the
same condemnation awaits thee.'[65] I was silent, and bewailed my
unhappiness, which was irremediable. When Krag read aloud the minutes
he had written, namely, that when I was asked whether I would
participate in my husband's sentence, I had answered that I would
consider of it. I asked, 'How was that?' The Chancellor immediately
replied, 'No, she did not say so, but she requested to know the
accusation brought against her husband.' I repeated my words
again,[66] I know not whether Krag wrote them or not; for a great
part of that which I said was not written. Krag yielded too much to
his feelings in the matter, and would gladly have made bad worse. He
is now gone where no false writings avail; God took him away suddenly
in an unclean place, and called him to judgment without warning. And
Count Rantzow, who was the principal mover and inventor of that
illegal sentence, the like of which was never known in Denmark, did
not live to see his desire fulfilled in the execution of a wooden
image.[E19] When this was done, they rose and shook hands with me.
This painful visit lasted more than four hours.
[65] It had happened as I thought. There were some in the council
who refused to sign, some because they had not been present at the
time of the procedure, and others because they had not seen on what
the sentence was founded; but they were nevertheless compelled to
sign with the others, on the peril of the king's displeasure.
[Marginal note.]
[66] In the margin is added, 'and asked whether I was permitted to
appeal against this sentence. All were silent.'
[E19] A line has been drawn in the MS. through the two last
paragraphs, and their contents transferred to the continuation of
the Preface.