CHAPTER VI.
THE SECRET AGENT.
THE COURT AT CELLE--MR. WRAXALL--PRESENTATION TO THE QUEEN--HAMBURG--THE DANISH NOBILITY--THE PROPOSITION--THE CREDENTIALS--RETURN TO CELLE--BARON VON SECKENDORF--THE QUEEN'S ACCEPTANCE--ANOTHER VISIT TO CELLE--THE INTERVIEW IN THE JARDIN FRANCOIS--CAROLINE MATILDA'S AGREEMENT--THE INN IN THE WOOD--BARON VON BULOW--A STRANGE ADVENTURE--ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND.
There is but little information to be derived about the life of Caroline Matilda during the year 1773. All we know is, that she continued to devote her life to charity and literary pursuits. Being endowed with a rare desire for learning and a splendid memory, she soon became versed in the beauties of German literature. Every evening before supper she had either German works read to her or read them herself. "The Death of Abel" moved her to tears, and Gellert was another of her favourite poets. She knew many of his hymns by heart, and was fondest of the one beginning "I ne'er will seek to injure him, who seeks to injure me." She arranged a small hand library in a turret room hung with green damask, where she liked most to sit, and amused herself in turn with music and reading. Although she was a first-rate musician, she continued to take lessons in the art; but only cared for serious and tragical compositions, and might frequently be heard confiding to the instrument the grief that agitated her sorrowing heart.
In order to distract her thoughts, a theatre was arranged in the palace. On January, 1773, Schröder's celebrated company of comedians came to Celle, and gave their first performance on the court stage, a spacious box having been railed off in the pit for the queen, the court, and the nobility. The queen attended nearly every performance, and the court chamberlain carefully obeyed the instructions he had received from London, only to allow amusing performances to take place, so that Holberg's comedies were frequently played, but never tragedies, or even serious dramas. That this precaution was necessary, was seen on the performance of the play "Appearances are Deceptive," in which the appearance of some children on the stage produced so violent an impression on the queen, that she at once quitted the playhouse, and, in spite of the rough breeze, was obliged to walk about for a long time in the gardens ere she could regain her self-possession. Afterwards, the court at times acted plays, in order to provide a slight amusement for their beloved queen.
An idea of Caroline Matilda's mode of life will be best formed, however, from a perusal of the following letter to her sister, written in the summer of 1773:--
MADAM AND DEAR SISTER,
Thanks to Heaven for having made me sensible of the futility and delusion of all worldly pomp and stately nothingness. Believe me when I tell you that I have not once wished to be again an enthroned queen. Were my dear children restored to me, I should think, if there is on this earth perfect happiness, I might enjoy it in a private station with them; but the Supreme Disposer of all events has decreed that my peace of mind should be continually disturbed by what I feel on this cruel and unnatural separation. You are a tender mother, and I appeal to your own fondness. Pray give my love to the dear Augusta[47] and all her brothers; now that she is in her seventh year, she is, I dare say, an agreeable, chatty companion. As for Charles, he is, I understand, like his father, born a warrior: nothing but drums, swords, and horses can please his martial inclination. George, Augustus, and William equally contribute to your comfort and amusement. Tell them I have some little presents I shall send them the first opportunity.
You desire to know how I vary my occupation and amusements in this residence. I get up between seven and eight o'clock; take a walk in the garden if the weather permits; give my instructions to the gardener for the day; observe his men at work with that contented mind which is a perpetual feast; return to my castle for breakfast; dress myself from ten to eleven; appear in my little circle at twelve; retire to my apartment about one; read, and take an airing till dinner; walk again about an hour in the garden with the ladies of my retinue; drink tea, play upon the harpsichord, sometimes a little party at quadrille before supper; and, am commonly in bed before twelve. Every Monday, I receive petitions from real objects of compassion, and delight in relieving their necessities according to my power; and thus, every week passes in a regular rotation of rational conversation, _lectures amusantes et instructives_, musical entertainments, walks, and a little curious needlework. I see everybody happy around me, and vie with each other in proofs of zeal and affection for my person. Now, I can truly say, I cultivate friendship and philosophy, which are strangers to the throne. I expect to see you soon, according to your promise; this visit will add greatly to the comfort of your most affectionate sister,
CAROLINE MATILDA.
But all these efforts were impotent to dispel the expression of gnawing sorrow, which was imprinted on the countenance of the queen, and was spread over her whole manner. Toward the middle of 1774, a great pleasure, however, was caused the queen, by the receipt of a portrait of her son, the crown prince Frederick, which was sent her from Copenhagen. Shortly after she had received the picture, her grande maîtresse, Madame d'Ompteda, entered the room, because she had heard the queen speaking loudly, and was much surprised at finding her alone. With tears in her eyes, but with the sweet smile which, even in sorrowful moments, played round her mouth, she said to the grand mistress:
"You cannot account for hearing me speaking loudly and yet not finding any one with me? Well, do you know with whom I was conversing? It was with this dear picture."
And she then produced the portrait of the youthful prince.
"And now that you have surprised me," the queen continued, "you shall also know what I was saying to the picture. I employed the words which you a few days ago placed in the mouth of a daughter who had found her lost father again, except that I have altered them as follows:
Eh! qui donc comme moi gouterait la douceur De t'appeler mon fils, d'être chère a ton cœur! Toi, qu'on arrache aux bras d'une mère sensible, Qui ne pleure que toi, dans ce destin terrible."[48]
On September 18, 1774, Mr. N. W. Wraxall, junior, arrived at Celle. This gentleman had, at an early age, obtained a profitable employment in the East Indies, and had even attained some dignity; he, however, threw up his post for motives which may be made known hereafter but do not belong here, and returned to England. He was very ambitious, and that ambition had been fostered by the fact that, having in his youth ransacked the muniments of Bristol, he had discovered that one of his ancestors was bailiff of that city in the thirteenth century; but the difficulty was, to what object would he turn that ambition: he was unknown and friendless, while, at the same time, the _res angusta domi_ warned him to be up and stirring. There was but one way of acquiring fame and popularity: in those days, authorship was more respected, as being rarer, than it is among ourselves. Mr. Wraxall, therefore, determined first to make a tour, and then print an account of it, and, for this purpose, resolved to visit a but little known part of Europe, and thus add novelty to his descriptions. With this purpose he set out for the North, ran through Denmark, a portion of Sweden and Russia, and, on his homeward route, thought there would be no harm in going a little out of his way to visit the Queen of Denmark: he had learned something about her sad fate while in Copenhagen, and this had excited a wish to know more, literary capital being left out of the question.
On September 18, then, Mr. Wraxall waited on Baron Seckendorf, chamberlain to the queen, who presented strangers. The "Private Journal" shall tell us how he fared:--
"I went, at half-past one, to the castle of Zell. Monsieur Seckendorf introduced me to the grand maître of her Highness the Princess of Brunswick. The princess herself entered in about a quarter of an hour: she gave me her hand to kiss, and began conversation with me directly; it was interrupted by the queen's entrance, to whom I was presented, with the same ceremony. Her Majesty and the princess kept me in constant talk before and after dinner; we talked of Denmark, of Prince Frederick, his intended marriage, &c. 'He was a child,' said she (the queen), 'unknown while I was there.' Hirschholm, she said, was her favourite palace. 'But, tell me,' said the princess, 'about the queen-mother: she's my aunt, but no matter: say what you will, you may be free--and for the king, how is he?' I very frankly expressed my sentiments. The queen asked me a thousand questions about the court of Russia, Sweden, my travels, &c. The queen asked me, also, about her children, the prince in particular. I told her how they dressed him now: I assured her I had been taken for a spy in Copenhagen. Her Majesty related to me Mr. Morris's affair with Miss Calvert. She was very gay, and seemed in no way a prey to melancholy. She was very fat, for so young a woman. She asked me my age. I told her. 'You are, then,' said she, 'exactly as old as I am; we were born in the same year.' Her features are pretty, and her teeth very small, even, and white. She resembles his Majesty (George III.) infinitely in face: but the princess said, not so strongly as she. I don't think so, and told her royal highness so. Her Majesty appealed to one of her maids of honour, who agreed in opinion with me. The queen was dressed in a Barré coloured gown, or at least an orange red, so very nearly resembling it that I could not distinguish the difference. I asked her how many languages she spoke. 'Five,' she said, 'Danish, English, French, German, and Italian.' The princess is much thinner in face, but not a great deal less in her person: she wants the Queen of Denmark's teeth, but has a very good complexion. She asked me about the Duchess of Glo'ster, if I had seen her, if I knew her. 'She is a very fine woman,' she added, 'even now.' Mrs. C---- was mentioned. 'She was a prodigious favourite,' I remarked, 'of the Duke of York.' She replied, with a smile, 'For a moment.' She did me the honour to ask me to take Brunswick in my way next summer, or whenever I visited Germany again. She said she might, and should, have mistaken me for a Frenchman. 'You don't take that for a compliment, do you?' the queen observed. 'Indeed, no! I was too proud of my country.' Macaronies formed a part of our conversation. ''Tis all over now,' I said, 'the word is quite extinct in England.' 'But, tell me,' said her Majesty, 'tell me ingenuously, were you not a bit of a one, while it lasted?' I assured her not. I took my leave soon after dinner.
"Tuesday, Sept. 20.--'Tis a very pleasant, delightful walk round the ramparts, of a full English mile. The gardens, likewise, near the town are very pleasant and well kept. The streets of Zell are for the most part wide enough, and well paved, but the buildings are very old and very miserable. The fortifications are merely nominal, of no sort of strength. The castle stands detached from the town; it is a square building, surrounded by a broad, wet ditch. There were formerly round towers at the corners, but they have been pulled down. It was built by one of the ancient dukes of Zell; within it is a quadrangle. About ten o'clock I went to the Hôtel de Ville, where at this time the shops of the merchants who come to the fair of Zell are held. Her Majesty the Queen, and her sister the princess, were there. I had the honour to talk with them near an hour; we conversed in English most familiarly on fifty subjects--the Grand Duke of Russia, the empress, the peace between Russia and Turkey, my travels, Dantzig, formed the chief articles. I showed her Majesty my medals of the Empress of Russia and some other things. She was dressed quite à l'Anglaise: a white bonnet, a pale pink nightgown, a gauze handkerchief, a little locket on her bosom. Her face is very handsome: they are his Majesty's features, but all softened and harmonized. Pity she is so large in her person. The princess was quite English all over: a black hat over her eyes, and a common nightgown with a black apron."
Little anticipating that he should see the Queen of Denmark so soon again, Mr. Wraxall proceeded leisurely through Hanover, which he says may be truly described as "a hungry electorate," to Verden and Bremen. On Sept. 27 he reached Hamburg, and dined with Mr. Hanbury, the English consul, on the following day. Among the company present were Baron von Schimmelmann and his lady, Baroness von Bülow, "a very elegant woman," and M. le Texier, who had been treasurer to Christian VII. during the memorable tour. On the next night Mr. Wraxall was gratified at the Opera with a sight of the celebrated, or rather notorious, Countess Holstein, of whom he says:--
"I examined her through my glass. She is doubtless pretty, though not in my opinion so divinely fair as fame says. Her history at Hirschholm is well known. There was no gallantry, I thought, marked in her features, though 'tis said she certainly has that quality in her constitution. I thought of the unhappy Brandt as I looked at her."
At this time the city of Altona, only half a mile from Hamburg, was crowded with the adherents and partisans of the queen, many of them being of the first families in Denmark. Hamburg offered more amusements than Altona, and they were therefore constantly to be found in the houses of the opulent citizens. Baron von Bülow, master of the horse to the Queen of Denmark, who was arrested at the time of the palace revolution, and eventually exiled to Altona, was among the number. They had already conceived the plan of effecting a counter revolution, and of restoring Queen Matilda, an enterprise to which they were urged by many motives.
The new ministry in Denmark was already growing unpopular from its weakness, languor, and incapacity. It was understood that the king ardently desired the return of his consort. The engaging qualities, fortitude, and talents of that princess, rendered more interesting by adversity, had awakened the attachment of the Danes. A numerous and powerful party in the capital and throughout the nation anxiously desired her restoration.
It was indispensable, in the first instance, previous to any attempt on the part of the exiled nobility, to ascertain with precision the sentiments of the queen herself. It was important for them to know whether she was willing to return to Copenhagen to resume the sovereign authority, which the king was incapable of exercising, and to co-operate with her friends toward her re-establishment. But the attempt to open any communication with the queen was equally dangerous and difficult. Though Celle was only eighty English miles distant from Hamburg and Altona, still, as the northern bank of the Elbe was in, or close to the Danish territory, the journey to and from Celle was extremely perilous. The latter court, as well as Altona, was full of spies and emissaries, maintained by the party possessing the authority at Copenhagen. Such were their suspicions, and so great was their vigilance, that no person could have passed and re-passed between those places without being watched. These impediments had hitherto prevented the queen's adherents from venturing to send any of their own body to lay their projects before her Majesty; nor did they appear to have found any other person to whom they could confide the execution of so momentous a commission. They were still under this embarrassment when chance threw Mr. Wraxall in their way.
Having supped at the house of Mr. Jerome Matthiesen, where several of the Danish nobility were invited, Mr. Wraxall was led to talk about Denmark, from which country he had so recently returned. He expressed, with the warmth natural to a young man and an Englishman, his respect for Queen Caroline Matilda, his concern for her sufferings, and his detestation of the proceedings of her enemies. These sentiments, delivered without reserve or disguise, impressed the persons present that he might be induced to undertake the commission of repairing to Celle, negotiating with the queen, and taking an active part in their intended enterprise for her restoration.
Two or three of the principal persons concerned having met on the following day, agreed to sound Mr. Wraxall's dispositions, and if they found them such as they had reason to suppose, they determined to confide their project to him. Mr. le Texier, brother-in-law of Mr. Matthiesen, was selected to execute this task. From the nature of his employment at the Danish court, this gentleman necessarily had an intimate knowledge of all the political intrigues as well as the secret history of the Danish court. At the revolution, he had been sent to Altona. This gentleman cultivated Mr. Wraxall's friendship with marked assiduity, visited him frequently, and turned the conversation on the affairs of Denmark. In order to gain Mr. Wraxall's confidence, he unfolded to him the concealed causes and springs alluded to. He inveighed against the mal-administration of the Dowager Queen Juliana and her son Prince Frederick; lamented the misfortunes of Queen Matilda, and expressed his wishes for her restoration.
On October 3, 1774, Le Texier called again on Mr. Wraxall, and being together alone, he asked him, after some rather mysterious and preparatory conversation, "if he would be ready, and if he were disposed, to serve the Queen of Denmark?"[49]
Mr. Wraxall immediately answered in the affirmative; and though he was on the point of returning to England, assured his visitor that he was ready to devote his labour, and risk his life, if necessary, in such a cause. Le Texier expressed his strong satisfaction at the reply; conjured Mr. Wraxall to be silent on everything that had passed, and undertook, without delay, to take measures for introducing Mr. Wraxall to the persons at whose request he had sounded him. Mr. le Texier then left his new ally, in order, as he said, to make his report to his friends, which they were expecting with anxiety and impatience.
On October 5, Mr. le Texier brought to Mr. Wraxall's lodgings the eldest son of Baron von Schimmelmann, and left them together. The baron, after exacting a solemn promise of secrecy, disclosed, not without marks of great agitation and apprehension, a project which had been formed for restoring the Queen of Denmark. He reminded his hearer that his life, his fortune (one of the greatest in reversion of any in Denmark), were entrusted to a stranger, as well as those of all the persons engaged in the undertaking. They then entered upon business; and the baron divulged the plans and the means by which it might be effected. At a second interview on October 7, Baron von Schimmelmann informed Mr. Wraxall that, as he was on the point of setting out for Copenhagen, in order to arrange many circumstances preparatory to, and indispensable for, carrying out this plan, the latter would receive his further instructions from Baron von Bülow.
After several interviews with this nobleman, it was finally arranged that Mr. Wraxall should set out for Celle with all practicable despatch. But points of material consequence must previously be adopted. Among them, the most important were the agent's credentials and despatches. It was dangerous to commit anything to paper, as he might be stopped, searched, and discovered on the road, which, in more than one place, ran through the dominions of Denmark. On the other hand, it was indispensable to convince the queen that he was invested with powers to treat with her, on the part of the noblemen exiled to Altona, as well as other persons in various parts of the Danish territories. To obviate these difficulties, the following expedients were determined on:--
Baron von Bülow delivered to Mr. Wraxall in lieu of credentials a seal, with which, when in Queen Matilda's family, he was accustomed to seal those private or confidential communications that he often, from the nature of his office, had occasion to make to her. He assured Mr. Wraxall that, so soon as her Majesty should see it, she would have no doubt of his coming from the baron, and would have faith in what he was empowered to impart. This seal was to be produced in the event of Caroline Matilda assenting to the plan.
The plan was, that a numerous and powerful party was disposed to restore her to the throne, and that they had invested Mr. Wraxall, as their agent and representative, with powers to treat with her. They were ready and willing to incur all the dangers or hazard annexed to such an enterprise, provided she, on her part, agreed to three conditions:--
_First._ That she assured them of her willingness to return to Denmark, and to assume the reins of government, which the king was incapacitated to direct in person.
_Secondly._ That she engaged to co-operate with, and to assist her adherents in every way and by every mode in her power.
_Thirdly._ That she would endeavour to induce the King of Great Britain, her brother, to extend his protection and assistance toward the success of the enterprise.
As for obvious reasons it would have been imprudent and hazardous to commit these propositions to paper, it was left to Mr. Wraxall to draw up a letter to the queen as soon as he arrived at Celle. It was likewise settled that, in order more effectually to evade suspicion or enquiry, he should, on leaving Celle, proceed to Hanover, as if on his way to Holland, and thence return by cross-roads to Hamburg. In case her Majesty assented to the three propositions made her, Mr. Wraxall was authorized to name Baron von Bülow, and young Baron von Schimmelmann, as the two avowed chiefs of the proposed counter-revolution. No other names were entrusted to him, as these two were judged sufficient in this early stage of the business; eight days were calculated as adequate for the purposes of the mission, and a spot was fixed on in the city of Hamburg where Mr. Wraxall, on his return, should meet Baron von Bülow at a certain hour.
Thus authorized and instructed, the agent set out from Hamburg on the evening of October 8, 1774, travelled all night, and reached Celle on the ensuing evening. He learned immediately, to his great regret, that the Hereditary Princess of Brunswick was then in the castle, on a visit to her sister, the queen. Her presence augmented the difficulties of his errand, and the Danish nobility had warned him to be on his guard with respect to her. They dreaded lest the queen, from motives of affection and confidence, might communicate to her the nature or purpose of his errand. They were equally afraid of her suspecting or discovering it. These apprehensions were founded on the circumstance that the queen dowager of Denmark, Juliana Maria, was sister to the then reigning Duke of Brunswick, and aunt to the hereditary prince.
One great and important arrangement yet remained to be made ere Mr. Wraxall could advance further,--the mode of delivering his despatches to the queen. It was hardly practicable to present a letter to her, except in public; and even to do that, a pretext was necessary, which might have, at least, an air of plausibility. Mr. Wraxall, while at Hamburg, had accidentally heard Mr. Mathias, the British minister, say that he might have occasion to write to her Majesty at Celle on the subject of a company of comedians, who were accustomed to repair thither annually in the autumn, to play for the amusement of the queen. Mr. Wraxall, therefore, determined to say that he was the bearer of such a letter from Mr. Mathias, of which he had taken charge on his way back to England, through Hanover and Holland. He was well aware that he should have the honour of an invitation to dine at her Majesty's table, and as no better mode of communicating his errand to her offered itself, he resolved to give the letter into the queen's hand in the drawing-room, when he should be presented to her before dinner.
Having formed this resolution, Mr. Wraxall sat down on the night of his arrival in Celle and drew up a despatch, addressed to her Majesty, in which he stated every circumstance relating to his mission. He entered into the requisite detail, only reserving the names of the noblemen who had sent him, until he should have the honour of being admitted to a private interview with the queen. He stated the conditions demanded of her, and concluded by entreating her to favour him with as quick and explicit an answer as the nature of the subject would admit. He especially requested her Majesty to take some occasion of re-delivering his letter to him, for two reasons: one, that it might be unsafe for such a document to remain in her hands; the other, that the contents of it would be the best testimony to the persons for whom he was acting that he had accurately conceived and faithfully executed the purpose for which he was sent.
Conscious, nevertheless, that such a communication, made to the queen at a moment when she was totally unprepared for it, before witnesses and in the presence of the Hereditary Princess of Brunswick, might disconcert and agitate her, Mr. Wraxall felt the necessity of guarding against so dangerous an accident as far as possible. Hence he wrote on the first page of the letter the following words:--
"As the contents of the subsequent letter are of a nature which involve in them your Majesty's dearest interests, and even your crown and dignity, it is my duty earnestly to supplicate you, that you will be pleased on no consideration to peruse them at the present moment; but to read them when alone. I am likewise bound to entreat you that, as you regard the safety and welfare of those who are most devoted to your service, you will endeavour not to betray any agitation or emotion in your countenance or manner; and, above all, that you will observe the strictest precaution to prevent her Royal Highness the Princess of Brunswick from entertaining any suspicion."
These necessary and preparatory precautions having been taken, Mr. Wraxall called next morning on Baron von Seckendorf, the queen's chamberlain. Having mentioned that he had a letter for her Majesty from the English minister at Hamburg relative, as he understood, to the comedians who were accustomed to visit Celle in that season, the baron waited on the queen to inform her of the fact. Mr. Wraxall received an invitation to dine at court in consequence, and went at two o'clock to the castle. When the queen and the Princess of Brunswick came together out of their own apartments into the drawing-room, where the few persons who composed the court were assembled, her Majesty, advancing toward Mr. Wraxall, said:
"I am glad to see you here again: I understand that you have a letter for me from Mr. Mathias?"
Mr. Wraxall presented it, and the queen withdrew a few steps to a window to read it. At the same moment the princess addressed Mr. Wraxall, and he contrived to detain her in conversation while the queen was employed with the letter. He noticed her Majesty hastily put it in her pocket, while her face betrayed the agitation of her mind in the most visible manner. Fortunately, about that minute dinner was announced, and the company followed the queen into the eating-room.
At table, Caroline Matilda recovered herself, and conversed with her usual freedom and gaiety. The queen and princess were seated in two state chairs, separated nearly five feet from each other. When the dessert was brought, the queen, unable any longer to restrain her curiosity and impatience, took the letter from her pocket, and, placing it in her lap, perused it from the beginning to the end. From time to time she raised her eyes, and took part in the conversation. The distance at which she was from the Princess of Brunswick rendered it impossible for the letter to be overlooked. After taking coffee, the two princesses withdrew, and Mr. Wraxall returned to the inn where he lodged.
In about three hours Baron von Seckendorf waited on him, and informed him that her Majesty had sent him in the quality of her confidential agent: that she had perused with great attention the letter, the contents of which she had communicated to him, and had chosen him from among the persons composing her court to conduct the business on her part. He added, that the queen would, with the utmost readiness, grant Mr. Wraxall that same night the audience he desired, if the presence of the princess her sister, who never quitted her for a moment, did not render it dangerous and impossible. She fully felt the necessity of caution, and the suspicions which even Mr. Wraxall's stay at Celle might occasion. Under these circumstances, she wished and enjoined Mr. Wraxall to deliver his credentials to Baron von Seckendorf, and confide to him the names of the noblemen from whom he came, as well as every other particular not contained in the letter.
Thus authorized, and after receiving from Baron von Seckendorf his most solemn promises of fidelity and secrecy, Mr. Wraxall delivered to him Baron von Bülow's ring, and acquainted him with everything necessary to be laid before the queen. On the following morning the baron returned with the queen's answer, which Mr. Wraxall at once committed to paper in his presence. It was to the following effect:--
That her Majesty, being under the immediate protection, and depending on the king her brother, could not consent to any proposition involving her future destiny and interests, without obtaining his consent and approbation. That, if she only consulted her own tranquillity and happiness, she would never desire to revisit Copenhagen, where she had been so unworthily treated. But that the duties of a mother, and a queen, being superior to every other sentiment, impelled her not only to forgive these outrages, but to resume her station in Denmark. That, as far, therefore, as depended on herself, she agreed to the propositions made by the Danish nobility, provided it should appear to her, on further information, that they were sufficiently powerful to effect the intended counter-revolution. That she desired to be more fully informed at Mr. Wraxall's next visit of the names of the principal persons concerned, and the means. Lastly, that she would write in the most pressing and strenuous manner to his Britannic Majesty, whenever it should be judged proper so to do, requesting of him to lend his aid and assistance toward effecting her restoration.
The queen, at the same time, returned Mr. Wraxall Baron Bülow's seal, which she had recognised, and the letter which he had addressed to herself. In conformity with a request Mr. Wraxall had made, the queen had subscribed on the first page of the letter the initials of her name C. M. She likewise inclosed it in a cover, addressed in her own handwriting to Baron von Bülow, and sealed with one of her private seals.
Baron von Seckendorf enjoined Mr. Wraxall from the queen to return as soon as possible to Celle, where she hoped to be able to admit him to an audience. She likewise desired that he would then give, on being stopped at the gates, a French name, which she suggested, as by that means, on seeing the report of all strangers who arrived at Celle, which was brought to her every morning, she should be apprised of his return. It was settled that on Mr. Wraxall's next visit to Celle he should take care to arrive in the night, go round the city, and lodge at a little obscure inn, called the "Sandkrug," in one of the suburbs.
Having received this satisfactory answer from her Majesty, Mr. Wraxall left Celle immediately and proceeded to Hanover, where he remained two days. He then crossed a large portion of the Electorate to Harburg, and reached Hamburg on the evening of October 15, 1774. On the morning of the 17th he repaired to the place when Baron von Bülow had arranged to meet him. The latter affected not to notice him, and turning, Mr. Wraxall followed him through a number of streets, till they arrived on the ramparts of the city. There, upon a retired bastion, Mr. Wraxall delivered the baron the letter, whose seal and address he immediately recognised as those of the queen, saying, "Oui, bon, je reconnais bien cette écriture." Mr. Wraxall then related to him all the circumstances of his journey, the mode he employed to deliver his letter to the queen, and the subsequent interview with Baron von Seckendorf. The baron approved highly of all that had been done; promised to communicate the particulars, and the queen's reply to his associates; and requested Mr. Wraxall to hold himself in readiness to return to Celle.
During the next six days the couple contrived to meet several times, though in the meanwhile the baron made excursions into Holstein, in order to lay before his friends the state of the business, and to concert the most judicious means for carrying it on to the desired completion. On October 23, Mr. Wraxall received from him his instructions for his second journey to Celle. They were, as before, only verbal, and the agent was empowered to commit them to paper when he should arrive there, observing the same precautions in receiving them back. They were to the following effect:--
"That the Danish nobility were grateful for, and perfectly satisfied with, the answer made by her Majesty to their proposals, and that they should proceed, in consequence, to concert measures for executing at a proper time the intended revolution in her favour. That Baron von Bülow, in addition to his own name, and that of young Baron von Schimmelmann, was empowered to vouch for Count von Laurvig, his father-in-law, the viceroy of Norway, who was to secure that kingdom and its capital, Christiania, for the queen. That old Baron von Schimmelmann, though he refused to take any active part in the enterprise, or to risk by any overt act his safety and fortune, was sincerely attached to the cause. That the governor of Glückstadt, one of the most important places and fortresses in Holstein, was disposed to aid the queen. That Rendsburg, the key of the duchy of Schleswig, would open its gates, as the party had secret adherents in the garrison, who would declare themselves, when it should prove necessary.
"That their friends were numerous and powerful in the army, the navy, the guards, in the metropolis, and even about the person of the king himself. But, that they besought her Majesty to repose on the honour and assurances given by Baron von Bülow, as representing the party, and entreated her not to insist on the disclosure of their names--a disclosure which could be of little or no advantage or gratification to her, and which might be fatal to them. That they unanimously and earnestly requested her to write to the King of England immediately, and confide the letter to their agent, urging the indispensable necessity of his sending a minister to the court of Copenhagen, where there was then only a resident, and authorizing such minister to declare, at the time when the counter-revolution was being effected, that the King of Great Britain was acquainted with it, approved of it, and would maintain it with all his power.
"That, as considerable expenses must necessarily be incurred in conducting and executing a project of such magnitude and importance, they hoped that the King of Great Britain, if he approved of the attempt to restore his sister, would be graciously pleased to assist the persons engaged in her cause with some immediate pecuniary assistance. They besought the queen to recommend this object to her brother. That during the winter they would perform everything for striking the blow, and would, if the answer from England were favourable, proceed to execute it as soon in the ensuing spring as the two Belts should be free from ice, and the communication open between the island of Seeland and the mainland of Jütland.
"That they hoped her Majesty would be pleased to communicate to Baron von Bülow the tenor of her letter to the King of England, as on his reply, in a great measure, depended the progress and success of the enterprise. Baron von Bülow particularly enjoined Mr. Wraxall to ask the queen whether she would consent to quit Celle and repair to Altona in disguise, if such a step should at a future time be thought expedient or necessary."
Previous to Mr. Wraxall's departure from Hamburg, he agreed on a meeting with Baron von Bülow, on October 28, at a posthouse in the wood of Zährendorf, a solitary hamlet nearly equi-distant from Celle and Altona. It was settled, that on leaving Celle, Mr. Wraxall should repair to Zährendorf, _en route_ to Holland, and that the baron, disguised as a dealer in goods, should go to the same posthouse, without any attendant. As two travellers, it would be easy to meet and to pass some hours together, in so unfrequented a place, during the night.
This matter adjusted, Mr. Wraxall set out on October 23rd, but, in order to elude suspicion from passing the same road so frequently, he took the Lüneburg road. Between three and four o'clock in the morning of the 26th he reached the gates of Celle, and, after making use of the name suggested by the queen, drove round to the little inn in the suburbs. Baron von Seckendorf having set out on that very morning to pay a visit to Hanover, Mr. Wraxall was obliged to send an express to him, acquainting him with his arrival, and requesting his immediate return. After which, Mr. Wraxall remained concealed in the inn the whole day, and employed himself in drawing up his despatch to her Majesty.
Early on the following morning the baron entered Mr. Wraxall's room, and informed him, to his no small satisfaction, that the Princess of Brunswick was not then in Celle. Mr. Wraxall delivered his letters for the queen, which the baron went immediately to the castle to deliver. About four hours after he returned, and desired Mr. Wraxall to go without the loss of a moment to the Jardin François, a large garden without the city belonging to the Elector of Hanover, where her Majesty would go to meet him. He had not arrived there more than ten minutes when the queen drove up in her coach. She sent away the carriage and all her attendants, except one lady, who remained the whole time. The interview lasted about an hour, during the greater part of which they walked in one of the private vistas of the garden. Toward the end of it, the queen took Mr. Wraxall into a pavilion where a dessert of fruit was laid, and he then withdrew by her Majesty's permission.[50] The substance of the conversation was of so important a nature that I feel bound to quote it _in extenso_.
* * * * *
Having attentively perused the letter which I had written to her in the name and by order of the Danish nobility, she was perfectly satisfied with it in every particular. That the persons named as engaged in the cause were sufficient to inspire confidence, and that, relying in a special manner on the attachment, zeal, and talents of Baron von Bülow, she would dispense with his divulging the names of any more of his associates. That in compliance equally with their desire and with her own wishes, she would, without loss of time, write to her brother. That, if the time permitted, she would readily give in a copy of her intended letter to be shown Baron von Bülow for his satisfaction, and that of his friends; but that, as my interview with him in the wood of Zährendorf was to take place on the following day, and could not be postponed, she must of necessity delay writing the letter. That she would, therefore, send it by the royal Hanoverian courier, who would set out for London in two days, a conveyance, the expedition and safety of which might be relied on.
That, by so doing, his Britannic Majesty would not only be apprised of my intended arrival, but also of my errand, and, as she hoped, be disposed to give me a prompt and favourable reply. That Baron von Bülow might trust to her for writing with energy and earnestness. That she would press her brother to send a minister to Copenhagen without delay, and would, in a peculiar manner, urge the necessity of advancing to the party engaged in her restoration a sum of money. That she thought Baron von Bülow must know her well enough to be convinced that she was ready to repair to her friends in any disguise that could be pointed out; but she was persuaded the king her brother would never permit it. Still, she added, could I come, or did I come disguised, nobody would know me, as I am much altered since I was in Denmark.
Her Majesty entered on the state of her own finances, and lamented to me that the limited nature of her income, as well as some debts which she had contracted in Holland, rendered it impossible for her to contribute herself toward a cause in which she was so deeply interested. That she had not any jewels, the Danes having taken from her everything of that kind on her quitting Denmark. She was pleased to express her regret at not having it in her power to give me any testimony of her approbation, but she assured me of her future protection and recommendation to the King of Great Britain. "You must," she said, "go very quietly to work with my brother; if we manage with address, he will favour the attempt; but it will be tacitly, not openly."
Her Majesty gave me very minute instructions for my conduct, in case I should have the honour to be admitted by the king to an audience in London. She moreover charged me with some private and confidential things relative to her sister, the Princess of Brunswick, which she enjoined me, on no consideration, to impart to any one, except to the king himself, and not even to him, unless I should see an opening to do it with a prospect of good.
On the mode and channel by which I should approach his Britannic Majesty, she told me she had reflected seriously, and, after mature deliberation, had determined on the following course:--That by the Hanoverian courier she would write to Lord Suffolk, then secretary of state for the northern department, and whose conduct toward her at the time of the revolution in Denmark, she said, merited her utmost regard. That she would only say in her letter to him, that "a gentleman, Mr. Wraxall, would shortly wait on him, charged, on her part, with a very secret and important commission. That she requested him to give credit to everything communicated to him by Mr. Wraxall, and, above all, to aid and accelerate by every means in his power the object of that commission."
As, however, it might be, she conceived, more grateful to the king, her brother, that a negotiation so delicate and so peculiar should be transacted through a private, rather than through a public, channel; she likewise determined to write, by the Hanoverian courier, to the Baron von Lichtenstein. That nobleman, who occupied the post of marshal of the court of Hanover, was, she said, then on a visit to England. He had the honour to be much distinguished by the king, and he had given many proofs of his devotion to her interests; she, therefore, would write to him to the same effect as to Lord Suffolk, leaving me at liberty, according to my discretion, to apply to either on my arrival in London, but preferring, as far as regarded her own predilection, the medium of Lord Suffolk. She enjoined me, further, to write to her after I had met Baron von Bülow, and likewise from England, only observing, in both cases, the precaution of enclosing my letters, under cover, to Baron von Seckendorf.
* * * * *
During the evening, Mr. Wraxall called on Baron von Seckendorf, from whom be received a minute of the proposed letter to the King of England, sent by the queen, which he would communicate to Baron von Bülow. At ten o'clock at night, Mr. Wraxall started for Zährendorf, which place he reached in the ensuing afternoon. A short time before nightfall, the baron arrived, dressed as a tradesman, in an open post-waggon. The couple passed more than eight hours together. Mr. Wraxall gave the baron the documents; the latter approved of every measure taken, and authorized Mr. Wraxall to assure the queen so by letter, as well as to renew to her, in the name of the party, every possible protestation of zeal and adherence. He also begged Mr. Wraxall to hasten back from England as soon as he could, and to be assured of the gratitude of those persons in whose service he was engaged.[51]
About one in the morning the baron and Mr. Wraxall parted. Previous to the separation, the latter received a cypher for the future correspondence, which it was agreed should be carried on under cover to Mr. le Texier, as less likely to excite suspicion, and that all Mr. Wraxall's letters should be addressed to Mr. Matthiesen, at Hamburg. The baron then returned to Altona, by the same conveyance which had brought him, and the next morning Mr. Wraxall started for England _viâ_ Osnabrück. In the latter city he had a trifling adventure, which seems extracted from Casanova's Memoirs. I will give it in his own words:--
"I walked over the town, and returned to dinner at four. At about six my servant announced a "gentleman," who would do himself the honour of speaking to me. He came in, sat down, and stayed an hour. He requested me to sup with him and Monsieur le Comte de Marazzani and his lady. I excused myself on account of fatigue. He spoke English, French, Russian, Italian, Latin: he was young, apparently of my own age. Finding I would not accept his invitation, he took leave, first telling me he was the Baron de Stampe, a German nobleman. I was, I must own, a little surprised at his visit and manner of introducing himself--'twas odd!
"_Tuesday_, _November_ 1.--I went, at about nine, to visit the count, countess, and baron. 'Twas a miserable apartment I was shown into. Madame la Comtesse was a little woman, very young, pretty in face, and her complexion fair. I kissed her hand, and must avow she had a very fine hand. They pressed me to stay dinner, or at least to remain in Osnabrück till two or three o'clock, after which time they would, if necessary, submit to losing me. I saw at once the deception. She squeezed my hand, and added a thousand pressing instances to induce me to stay. I pleaded urgent business. The count insisted on accompanying me to the inn, and would not be refused. When we arrived, he walked in, told me in a few words that he just then was in need of a little money, that his letters of credit were not arrived, that his servant had stolen seventy guineas and his lady's gold watch; that, therefore, he must request me to lend him a few ducats. I pitied him, and, had my fortunes been sufficient, would not have hesitated an instant to have _given_ him what he asked. But I could not, for I had not even enough to permit me diminishing my stock, and most frankly told him so. He reasoned the point, pressed, requested, but 'twas impossible to comply, so he very politely took leave, promising to visit me in England. I might, I am convinced, have received the payment from Madame la Comtesse--_there_ was the temptation, but with such adventurers was too dangerous. They might have served me a worse trick than Don Raphael and Lamela did by poor Gil Blas, and I might have had more reason to remember the Countess Marazzani than he had Doña Camilla. 'Twas a droll adventure: doubtless their intention was to have won my money by cards or love."
On November 13, Mr. Wraxall embarked from Helvoetsluys, and arrived at Harwich on the following day. To quote his own words: "This day shall ever be sacred in my calendar. I had now finished my tour through the northern kingdoms, and was once more in my native country, after being absent seven months and three days, from the 10th of April last. I returned thanks to the protecting gods who had carried me, unhurt, through so many barbarous nations and Polar regions."
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 47: Eldest sister of H.R.H. Caroline, Princess of Wales.]
[Footnote 48: I found this anecdote carefully preserved among my grandfather's papers. The person who wrote it down for him, added, "Tout cœur capable de sentiment, pourra imaginer combien dans la situation de la jeune Reine, si digne d'un meilleur sort, des scènes pareilles devoient être attendrissantes, et à quel point on devoit être touché et pénétré d'admiration, en voyant que ce n'étoit pas le Faste, les grandeurs, ce trône, l'objet de l'ambition, même des plus grands heros: mais l'éloignement de sa famille royale, et ses retours sur la situation de celle ci, qui étoient la source de cette douleur et de ces larmes d'autant plus amères qu'elle les cachait avec le plus grand soin." This opinion my readers will assuredly endorse.]
[Footnote 49: My narrative is made up from the "Private Journal" already mentioned, and a MS. entitled an "Historical Narrative of the Attempt to Restore the Queen." In the former, my grandfather gives the following account of the proposition:--"A momentary astonishment covered me, but it neither altered my cheek nor faltered on my tongue. I felt in the most unbounded degree where it might lead. I was conscious where it must lead. I felt myself born for the achievement, and I ardently embraced it. 'Yes,' _I_ said in reply, 'I am the man you seek; give me the commission; I am ready in a day, an hour, a minute. My life, my labour,--dispose of them as your own. Enthusiasm I shall not want in such a cause so noble, so honourable to me.' 'It is well,' he said. 'I am satisfied; wait till this evening, or, at latest, to-morrow. You shall see and talk with this person. At the Comédie Française we meet this night. Adieu.'"]
[Footnote 50: In the "Private Journal" I find: "We conversed most closely, most familiarly, most unreservedly, more than an hour. Her graciousness and goodness knew no bounds. She described (as to an equal) the king, and her sister, the Princess of Brunswick, especially the last. Her dress was very simple and plain. It could scarce be more so." From the minutes of this conversation, I also find that the queen told my grandfather that three emissaries had reached her from Copenhagen. The first was a Dane of the name of Guldenstern, about a year and a half previously; the second mentioned the name of Count Holstein; he was a musician, and named some of the bourgeoisie, whom she had never heard of. The third came about a year before, but his communication was nothing.]
[Footnote 51: The "Private Journal" adds:--"Toward eleven at night, as we had finished business, our discourse took another turn, and fell on the Danish affairs. The baron gave me a most interesting and masterly account of Struensee's administration, his character, and his history. He explained the manner in which he acquired his Majesty's graces, and how he kept possession of them. He gave me the relation of the plot for massacring them all at the "_Bœuf roti_," and how they escaped it. He passed to the fatal night when the two counts were arrested, and the wonderful incident of the tea-party, which Madame de Schimmelmann broke off by her refusal. He ended with his own arrest and honorary exile. 'Twas a relation to listen to; and I devoured his words. They are inerasable from my memory."]