eleven days.
King Frederick III. ordered my imprisonment on August 8, A.D. 1663;
King Christian V. gave me my liberty on May 18, 1685. God bless my
most gracious King with all royal blessing, and give his Majesty
health and add many years to his life.
This is finished in my prison.
On May 19, at ten o'clock in the evening, I left my prison. To God be
honour and praise. He graciously vouchsafed that I should recognise
His divine benefits, and never forget to record them with gratitude.
Dear children! This is the greatest part of the events worth
mentioning which occurred to me within the doors of my prison. I live
now in the hope that it may please God and the King's Majesty that I
may myself show you this record. God in His mercy grant it.
1685. Written at Husum[E69] June 2, where I am awaiting the return of
the King's Majesty from Norway:
[E69] This Husum is a village just outside Copenhagen, where
Leonora remained for some months before she went to Maribo, as is
proved by a letter from her dated Husum, September 18, 1685. Of
course the last paragraphs must have been added after she left her
prison, and the passage 'This is finished in my prison' refers, at
any rate, only to what precedes.
A.D. 1683. New Year's Day. To Myself.
Men say that Fortune is a rare and precious thing,
And they would fain that Power should homage to her bring.
Yet Power herself is blind and ofttimes falleth low,
Rarely to rise again, wherefore may Heaven know.
To-day with humorous wiles she holds her sovereign sway,
And could one only trust her, there might be goodly prey.
Yet is she like to Fortune, changeful the course she flies,
And both, oh earthly pilgrim, are but vain fraud and lies.
The former is but frail, the other strives with care,
And both alas! are subject to many a plot and snare.
Thou hast laid hold on Fortune with an exultant mind,
Affixed perhaps to-morrow the fatal _mis_ we find;
Then does thy courage fail, this prefix saddens thee,
Wert thou thyself Goliath or twice as brave as he.
And thou who art so small--already grey with care--
Thou know'st not whether evil this year thy lot may share.
For Fortune frolics ever, now under, now above,
Emerging here and there her varied powers to prove.
All that is earthly comes and vanishes again,
Therefore I cling to that which will for aye remain.
On March 14, 1683, I wrote the following:--
True is the sentence we are sometimes told:
A friend is worth far more than bags of gold.
Yet would I gladly ask, where do we find
A friend so virtuous that he is well inclined
To help another in his need and gloom
Without a thought of recompense to come?
Naught is there new in this, for selfish care
To every child of Eve has proved a snare.
Each generation hears the last complain,
And each repeats the same sad tale again;--
That the oppressed by the wayside may lie,
When naught is gained but God's approving eye.
See, at Bethesda's pool, how once there came
The halting impotent, some help to claim
Among those thousands. Each of pity free,
Had no hand for him in his misery
To bring him to the angel-troubled stream.
Near his last breath did the poor sufferer seem,
Weary and penniless; when One alone
Who without money works His wise own
Will, turned where the helpless suppliant lay,
And gently bade him rise and go his way.
Children of grief, rejoice, do not despair;
This Helper still is here and still will care
What He in mercy wills. He soothes our pain,
And He will help, asking for naught again.
And in due time He will with gracious hand
Unloose thy prison bars and iron band.
A.D. 1684. The first day. To Peder Jensen Totzloff.
Welcome, thou New Year's day, altho' thou dost belong
To those by Brahe reckoned the evil days among,
Declaring that whatever may on this day begin
Can never prosper rightly, nor true success can win.
Now I will only ask if from to-day I strive
The evil to avoid and henceforth good to live,
Will this not bring success? Why should a purpose fail,
Altho' on this day made? why should it not prevail?
Oh Brahe, I believe, when we aright begin,
To-day or when it be, and God's good favour win,
The issue must be well, and all that matters here
Is to commend our ways to our Redeemer dear.
Begin with Jesus Christ this as all other days.
Pray that thy plans may meet with the Almighty's praise,
So may'st thou happy be, and naught that man can do
Can hinder thy designs, unless God wills it so!
May a rich meed of blessing be on thy head bestow'd,
And the Lord Jesus Christ protect thee on thy road
With arms of grace. Such is my wish for thee,
Based on the love of God; sure, that He answers me.
LONDON: PRINTED BY
SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
AND PARLIAMENT STREET
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
The following corrections were made:
p. 53: length the good-for-nothing[good-for nothing] fellow came down,
and
p. 55: there for ten days[25] a letter from Gul...[Gl...] which he
p. 56: patacoon[patacon] to those who were to restrain her, saying,
p. 59: came to see her, no one in consequence[consequenec] consoled
her,
p. 61: When the lawyer had said that they[t hey] had now taken
p. 64: lose in Dan...[Den...].
p. 67: It was necessary[neccessary] to descend the rampart into the
p. 92: he persuaded[pursuaded] me to undertake the English journey,
p. 106: with my attendant. I answered nothing else than[then] that
p. 114: silk camisole[camisolle], in the foot of my stockings there
were
p. 132: Castle[Cstale], I had sent a good round present for those in
p. 135: sad day, and I begged them, for Jesus'[Jesu's] sake, that
p. 137: decree? I only beg for Jesus'[Jesu's] sake that what I say
p. 172: might easily injure herself with one.'[[76]]
p. 174: Synge'[[E31]]:--
p. 230: of listening to reason, for she at once exclaimed 'Ach[!]
p. 239: Karen, Nils'[Nil's] daughter, left me one evening in 1669,
p. 241: and the Frenchman[Frenchmen] was conveyed to the Dark Church,
p. 241: through Uldrich[Udrich] Christian Gyldenlove. Gyldenlove
p. 246: her word moreover, and I so arranged it[at] six weeks
p. 259: In the same year, 1671, Karen, Nils'[Nil's] daughter, left
p. 264: silent, not if I were standing before the King's
bailiff![?][']
p. 268: in the time of Karen, Nils'[Nil's] daughter. Chresten, who
p. 272: In the same year Karen, Nils'[Nil's] daughter, left me for
p. 276: and a half after her marriage, and that suddenly,
suspicion[suspipicion]
p. 300: Supper in the Queen's church[[E65]]. Once, when she came
p. 311: [60] In[in] the margin is added: 'The sorrow manifested by
many would far
p. 311: [117] In the margin is added: '1666. While Karen, Nils'[Nil's]
daughter, waited
p. 311: Nils'[Nil's] daughter. When anything gave her satisfaction,
she would take
p. 311: to set Copenhagen[Copenagen] on fire in divers places, and
also the
p. 311: Autobiography[Autobiograpy] of Leonora as 'notre vieillard;'
he was a faithful
p. 311: which placed it at the disposal of Hannibal
Sehested[Schested] when he
p. 311: [E38] 'Anno 1666, soon after Karen, Nils'[Nil's] daughter,
came to me,
p. 311: [E51] Hannibal Sehested[Schested] was dead already in 1666,
as Leonora
p. 311: disposed to Hannibal Sehested[Schested].
p. 311: entitled 'Martilogium (for martyrologium[matyrologium]) der
Heiligen' (Strasburg