X. CHA P. year 1772 was an æra of usurpation; by Gustavus in his own kingdom, and by his neighbours in the kingdom of another. 1772. State of Incapacity and conduct of the queen. A CHANGE this year took place in Denmark, which, by affecting a British princess, strongly agitated and deeply interested the loyal and generous hearts of Britons. Christian, king of Denmark, was the son of Frederic V., by Louisa, daughter of George II. The queen died in early youth, and king Frederic afterwards married a German princess, by whom he had a son, named Frederic. This queen was a woman of great artifice and ambition. As her son was heir in default of his brother, the queen dowager had been averse from the marriage of the young king. Christian was a prince of very weak understanding, of the king. and sunk by habits of debauchery below his natural Character insignificance. Matilda, though not sixteen years of age when she arrived in Denmark, immediately manifested to Julia Maria, the queen dowager, an intelligence and sensibility, which, she did not doubt, must discern the incapacity, and feel the misconduct, Artifices of of her husband. She therefore formed a project of sowing discord between the new-married couple, which she trusted would end in a separation, and promote her views in favour of her son. For this purpose she played a double game; she employed her minions to ingratiate themselves with the king, and to encourage him in his vices; while she informed the queen of his defects, and professing a great friendship, declared that every thing in her power should be done for his reformation. Meanwhile, the silly monarch persisted in his usual course; the queen dowager contrived to have a mistress thrown in his way, whom he kept openly in the palace. Matilda, possessing great sagacity, easily discovered both the designs and motives of the treacherous dowager. Anxious for the welfare of her infant prince, she, for the sake of theson, overlooked the folly of the father; and soon procured the queen dowager. such 1772. such influence, as to attain the chief direction of c H A P. affairs, before possessed by the elder queen. The X. ambition of Julia was now stimulated by revenge, the gratification of which she at last accomplished. There was at the court of Copenhagen, a German, Struensee. named Struensee, of some abilities, with that wide extent of superficial knowledge and those petty attainments which are so common in continental adventurers. He possessed also an insinuating address, and an agreeable person; but was profligate in his manners, and abandoned in his principles. Having studied some branches of medicine, he professed himself a physician; and having attended the king when he was experiencing the effects of vice, he acquired great favour with the sovereign, and in a short time made so rapid a progress, that, from being an itinerant empiric, he became minister of state. He also elevated Brandt, a fellow-adventurer, and several others of his friends. Both Struensee and Brandt were raised to be earls; many of the chief grandees were disgraced; and most of them were disgusted with the upstart insolence of these ignoble favourites. The demeanour of Struensee also excited many and powerful enemies. As Matilda had then the superior power, Struensee joined her politics in opposition to those of the queen dowager; and thus added her to the number of his foes. Julia secretly insinuated that not a political connection only subsisted between Struensee and the queen: and in 1771, when Matilda was delivered of a daughter, she, seeing the new-born princess, said, with a malicious smile, that the child had all the features of Struensee. The evil report was industriously propagated; and it was farther asserted, that the ruling party had formed a design to supersede the king, to appoint Matilda regent during the minority of her son, and Struensee supreme director of affairs. The report of the intended deposition was never substantiated by any proof; and the other rumour, which was never E 2 seconded X. CHA P. Seconded either by testimony or circumstantial evidence, must stand in history as a FALSE AND MALI1772. CIOUS SLANDER against the sister of the British sovereign. The queen, finding herself an object of unjust suspicion, took a part very natural to conscious innocence, but often injurious to female reputation : she disregarded the rumours, and did not abstain from the company of the suspected party. This conduct, neither prudent nor judicious, greatly accelerated the success of her enemies. It was not difficult to spread scandal against the friend of a man so deservedly unpopular; and the charge was very generally believed. The king was easily impressed with the prevailing opinion, being a mere tool in the hands of any party that happened to predominate. Accusation Matilda. On the 17th of January, the queen dowager and and arrest of her son, coming at four in the morning to the king's bed-chamber, asserted to him, that the queen and Struensee were at that very hour framing an act of renunciation of the crown, which they would compel him immediately to sign; and therefore that his only means of escaping this danger, was to sign orders which they had drawn up for the arrest of the queen and her accomplices. The king, though reluctant, at length complied, and the orders were immediately executed; but the queen being found in her own apartment, and Struensee and Brandt in bed in their respective houses, manifested the falsehood of Julia's charge. Having before secured the army and people, the dowager reigned without, control. Struensee and Brandt were tried; but culpable as they both might be, there was no evidence that they had perpetrated any capital crime; they were, however, sentenced to death, and executed. Respecting queen Matilda, the ruling party did not attempt to establish their charges. The dowager was unwilling to establish a precedent for trying a queen by subjects; and be X. 1772. sides, though by subornation and iniquity she might c HA P. easily have crushed an unprotected individual however innocent, yet to put to an undeserved death the sister of the king of England, would be a very dangerous act of tyranny. His Britannic majesty, His Britan-knowing that it would be in vain to attempt the nic majesty vindication of his sister's character in a country and rescues. governed by her inveterate enemies, resolved to his suffering. rescue her from those malignant calumniators, and sent a SQUADRON to demand the unfortunate prin cess. demands sister, The court of Denmark, not chusing to refuse a requisition so seconded, delivered her to commodore Macbride, who conveyed her from the and affords. scene of her persecution to Zell, a city in the domi- her an nions of Hanover, where her royal brother had pro- his German: vided her an asylum, in which she resided during the dominions. remainder of her short life.m She died May 10th, 1775, of a malignant fever, in her 24th year. asylum in E 3 CHAP. XI. America, tranquil in the south, is turbulent in the north.Massachusets disavows the authorities of the British constitution.-Britain, - Mercantile failures of 1772.-Alexander Fordyce.-Change of mercantile character.-Influ ence of accumulation in India. - Stock-jobbing —fictitious credit-extravagant adventure without capital.- High estimation of lord North for financial skill.-Affairs of the India company-its pecuniary embarrassments-conduct of its servants, and distresses of the natives—reported to the house of commons by a committee.- The company propose a scheme for correcting and restraining its servants.- Parliament undertakes the task. - Company's petition for a loan-granted on certain conditions.- Company allowed to export tea from Britain duty free.-Lord North's plan for the government of India-discussed in parliamentpasses into a law.—Inquiry into the conduct of lord Clive. -Distinguished abilities of Messrs. Thurlow and Wedderburne shewn against and for lord Clive.- The war with the Caribs. Increase of half-pay to naval captains.- Petition of the dissenters is rejected. - Supplies. - Reduction of the national debt, - Continental affairs. Completion of the dismemberment of Poland, -Violent attacks of Roman catholic powers on their clergy.-America-tranquillity, and flourishing commerce. - Britain - discontent and licentiousness subside. -Increasing trade and prospe rity imputed to the policy of lord North.-The minister now at the zenith of his fame, - CHA P. TRANQUILLITY continued to prevail in the XI. 1772. middle and southern colonies of America; but in the northern, the democratical spirit was daily gaining ground. The salaries of the provincial judges, and the attorney and solicitor general, paid by the assemblies, were very scanty. To render men in such important situations more independent in their circumstances, government had this year assigned |