COXE’s TRAVELS IN DENMARK.

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tented with the Queen-dowager, he had firft entered into a fee ret correfpondence withCount Bernfdorf, continued his intercourfe near two years, fometimes by letters, andfometimesby meffages, and received from him inftrudlions in what manner to proceed.While engaged in this bufinefs, he entered into another correfpondence with SchachRathlow, who had the principal {hare in procuring the difmiffion of Count Bernfdorf,but was now difpleafed with the perfons in power, and made private offers to the Prince,without being acquainted with his fecret correfpondence with Bernfdorf. The Princecarried on this double intrigue under the direction of Count Bernfdorf, in whom heimplicitly confided, without being fufpe&ed by his preceptor Sporen, or by his governor,General Eikfted, and even lulled the fufpicions of the Queen-dowager : her Majefty, ina converfation which fhe held with him about a week before the event, taxed him withholding a fecret correfpondence ; to which he returned an evafive anfwer with fuch un-concern and ferenity, that he entirely removed her fufpicions.

Thus a boy, not fixteen years of age, duped veterans in court-intrigues, by pretendingto be entirely friendly to the Queen-dowager’s party, and to acquiefee in the nomina-tion of the new privy-council, at the moment he was determined to remove them. Andalthough the project was entrufted to above ten perfons, yet not one of them betrayedthe fmalleft fymptom which could create fufpicion.

Every meafure which prudence dictated was adopted on this important occafion.General Hut had affembled the guards in order to force the privy-council to compliance,fliould the members make any oppofition; and the governor of the citadel was preparedto admit the Prince within the fortrefs, if affairs had not turned out to his wilhes. For-tunately the courage andaddrefs of the Prince, and the popularity of his caufe, renderedthefe precautions unneceffary.

The Prince treated with great mildnefs all thofe perfons whom he removed from theirplaces. He conferred on the ex-minifter Guldberg, a penfion of 5000 * rix-dollars,and appointed him governor of Aarhus , a fpecies of honourable banifhment. He no-minated Steman governor of Haderfleben; affured him, he was convinced of the fide-lity with which he had difeharged his office of treafurer, adding, that if he could notfufficiently reward him, he would amply provide for his children.

The chief perfons who a&ed as the Prince’s confidants, and who have fince filled theprincipal offices in court and Hate, were M. de Schach Rathlow, Count Bernfdorf,Count Shimmelman, General Hut, and M. de Bulow, then gentleman of the bed-cham-ber, and now marlhal of the Prince’s court.

The only foreigner who is fuppofed to have had any knowdedge of the tranfaftion,was Mr. Elliot, who had repaired to Copenhagen from Berlin in the capacity of Britifhenvoy; and the King of Great Britain was the firft fovereign to whom the Prince-royalcommunicated his fuccefs.

Chap,. VI .—Excurfion to Hirjholm, Fredericjborg, Friedenjberg, and Fredericfwerk.

THE fhortnefsof my ftay at Copenhagen during my firft tour, and the earlinefs ofthe feafon, prevented me from making excurfions in the environs of Copenhagen . Myfecond tour in 1784, having afforded mean opportunity of gratifying my curiofity, Imade an agreeable expedition to the palaces of Hirfltolm, Fredericlborg, Friedenfberg,and to the iron founderies of Fredericfwerk,

* looef.

Hirlholmj