COXe’s TRAVELS IN DENMARK.

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oppofition, being divided into three principal parties * : the firft confifted of thofe whowere devoted to the court, and favoured the declaration of the Commons; the fecond,of thofe who were confcious that fome change in the conftitution was requifite, but uircertain how far to proceed ; the third, the mod confiderable in number, was compofedof thofe who were determined to affert their own privileges to the laft extremity, andftrenuouily oppofe the leaft alteration. It was no wonder, therefore, that they came toDo refolution, but poftponed their final determination to the meeting in the afternoon."While they were thus wavering, the court and the popular party took the neceffary pre-cautions to force them to a concurrence. It was feared that the enterprize might failof fuccefs, fhould the nobles quit Copenhagen and break up the diet, on the juft pre-tence that it was held in a fortified town, under awe of a garrifon devoted to the court.Indeed, feveral had already made their efcape, and others feemed inclined to follow theirexample. In confequence of thefe apprehenfions, the King iffued orders to fhut thegates; and this fpirited meafure had fuch an inftant effed on the nobles, that, abandon-ing all further refiftance, they difpatched deputies to the court, announcing their willing-Defs to concur with the Commons f.

Accordingly, on the 1 6th of Odober, the eftates annulled, in the mod folemn man-ner, the capitulation or charter figned by the King at his acceffion, abfolved him fromhis engagements, and cancelled all the limitations impofed on his fovereignty. Thewhole was finally clofed by the public ceremony of doing homage and taking the newoath, which was performed on the 18th. On that day feveral fcaffolds were erectedbefore the palace, adorned with fcarlet cloth and tapeftry, and furniffied with rows ofbenches; on an elevated platform were placed two chairs of ftate, under a canopy ofvelvet, for the King and Queen ; thefe fcaffolds communicated with the palace by anopen gallery. At the appointed time, the citizens of Copenhagen , forming twelve com-panies, were drawn up on each fide of the gallery ; the garrifon furrounded the plat-form, and the avenues leading to it; while the regiment of guards fecured the rear.- At mid-day the King and Queen, attended by the royal family, preceded by the nobles,and accompanied by the officers of ftate, repaired in folemn proceffion, amid drumsand trumpets, to the platform ; and when the nobles, the deputies of the clergy andcommons, had taken their places, the chancellor proclaimed J :

“ Since it has pleafed the Almighty, by the unanimous and voluntary refolution ofthe ftates, that this kingdom fhould be rendered hereditary in theperfon of his Majefty°ur Lord the King, and of his pofterity male and female; his Majefty, after thankingthe ftates for this proof of their affedion and zeal, not only promifes to all his gooda nd faithful fubjed, to govern them as a chriftian and merciful prince ought to do, butalfo to eftabliffi a form of government, under which they ffiall be fecure of enjoying thefame advantages under his fucceffors; and as this unanimous refolution of the ftatesr equi res a new oath of allegiance, his Majefty difcharges the ftates from all thofe oathswhich they had formerly taken, affuring each perfon in particular of his royal favourand protection.” After which all perfons who were prefent took the new oath of al-liance.

The revolution being thus -0*^under the title of the Royal Law or Denma .

remarkable are the following § : , he in effect and ought to be

“ The hereditary Kings of Denmark and Norway ftallbe m J ^ at letteemed by their fubjeas, the only fupreme head bn earth, they

* Holberg,

t Ibid,

$ Mallet. § Lettres fur le Dannemarc. Mallet.

r r 2 human