Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1775-09-25 00:00:00, page 2

New ANECDOTES of the unfortunate
Counts STRUENSEE and BRANDT.
The present unhappy fate of Denmark and the death
of the late ^een Matilda having made that king
dom a confiderab'c objeß ofpubiic attention, we
apprehend the following anecdotes, which were
cohered at Copenhagen, afew months face, by
Mr. Wraxall, who haft just pub ifoed a tour to
the northern parts of Europe, will not be d.f
greeable to our readers.
CO UN T Struenfee had not any noble blood
in his veins, or consequently any heredi
tary and prefcriptiv^ title to the immediate gui
dance of affairs of date. Fortune and a train of
peculiar circupiftances, coinciding with his own
talents and address, seem to have drawn him from
his original mediocrity of condition, and placed
him in an elevated rank. He criminally pra&ifed
physic at Altena, on the Elbe, and afterwards at
tended the present King of Denmark on his tra
vels into England, in quality of physician. On
his return he advanced by .rapid strides in the roy
al favour, and seems to have eminently possessed
the power of pleasing, since he was equally the fa
vourite of both the King and Queen. He was in
vested with the order of St. Matilda, instituted
in honour of the Qu„een ; created a Count, and
possessed unlimited ministerial power: His con
duct, in this sudden and uncommon eminence,
marks a bold and daring mind ; perhaps 1 might
add, an expanded and patriotic heart. Unawed
by the precarious tenure of Courtly greatness,
and more peculiarly of his own, he began a gene
ral reform. The state felt him through all her
members: Finances, chancery, army, navy, no
bles, peasants—all were fenfibleof his influence.
He not only dictated, but penned his replies to
every important question or dispatch ; and a peti
tion, or a Scheme of public import and utility,
rarely waited two hours for an answer. At pre
sent you may be two months without receiving
any.
The civil judicature of Copenhagen was then
vested in thirty Magistrates. Struenfee sent a
mefTage to this tribunal, demanding to know the
annual salary or pention annexed to each member:
Rather alarmed at this enquiry, they sent an an
swer, in which they diminished their emoluments
two thirds, and estimated them at 1500 instead
of 4000 rix dollars. The Count then informed
them that his Majesty had no further occasion for
their Services, but, in his royal munificence and
liberality, was graciously pleased to continue to
them the third part of their avowed incomes, as
a proof of his Satisfaction with their conduct. He
at the fame time constituted another court, com
posed only of fix persons of approved integrity,
to whom the fame power was delegated. He pro
ceeded to purge the chancery and other bodies of
ofthelaw. Then, entering on the military de
partment, he at one stroke broke all the horfe
guards, and afterwards the regiments of Norwe
gian foot guards, the fineft corps in the service,
and who were not disbanded without a bort but
very dangerous sedition.
Still proceeding in this salutary, but mod: cri
tical and perilous atchievment, he ultimately be
gan to attempt a diminution of the power of the
nobles, and to set the farmers and peasants at
perfect liberty. We must not therefore wonder
that he fell a victim to such measures, and that
all parties joined in his deftruftion. These were
his real crimes and not that he was too acceptable
to the Qneen; which only formed a pretext. It
was the Minister and not the man who had be
come obnoxious. Ido not pretend, in the latter
capacity, either to excuse or condemn him ; but
as a politician, I rank him with the Clarendons
and the Moores, whom tyranny, or public base
ness or want of virtue have brought in almofteve
ry age to an ignominous exit; but to whose me
mory impartial posterity has done ample justice.
Yet I must avow that, though I cannot think
Struenfee made a bad use, yet he certainly made
a violent and imprudent one of his extensive pow
er. He seems, if one may judge of his actions,
to have been in some measure intoxicated with
royal favour and such accumulated honours, and
not to have adverted fufficiently to the examples
which hrftory furnifhes of Wolsey's in former
days, and of Choifeul's in modern times; who,'
must Strikingly evince the slippery foundation of
political grandeur.
When he was even pref Ted a short time before
his seizure to withdraw from Court, and pass the
Betts, with the most ample security for his annual
remitment of forty, fifty, or a hundred thousand
dollars; an unhappy fafcination detained him in de
fiance of every warning, and reserved him for the
prison and the block.
The Queen Dowager and Prince Frederick were
only the feeble instruments to produce this cata
ftropbe, as being by their rank immediately about
the person of the Sovereign ; though common re
port has talked loudly of the former's intrigue,
and attributed it to her imaginary abilities. The
only mark of capacity or address they exhibited
was in preserving a secrecy, which deluded Stru
enfee and the Queen Matilda till the time of their
being arrested. I have been assured that on the
last levee day preceding this event, the Count was
habited with uncommon magnificence, and never
received greater homage or court servility from
the crowd, than when on the verge of ruin. On
the night fixed for his seizure, there was a Bal
Pere in the palace ; the Queen, after dancing, as
usual, one country dance with the King, gave her
hand to Struenfee, during the rest of the evening;
she retired about two is the morning and was fol
lowed by him and Count Brandt.
The moment was now come: The Queen
Dowager and her son Prince Frederick hastened
to the King's private chamber, where he was al
ready in bed. They kneeled down beside it, and
implored him with tears and expostulations to
save himfelf and Denmark from impending de
ftruaion, by arresting those whom they called
the authors of it. Tis said the King was not ea
fify induced to sign the order, but did it with re
ludlance and hesitation. At length their intrea
ties prevailed, and he affixed his sign manual to
By Struenfee's mediation the quarrel was im
mediately made up, and the King promised never
more to remember or resent the circumstance of
striking him. Yet was this blow given to pre
serve himfelffrom imminent destruction, and from
the fury of an enraged man, made the pretence
for his condemnation. They said he had lifted
his hand against the King's sacred person, which
was death by the laws of Denmark.—His lawyer,
I am assured, made an excellent defence for him,
and very forcibly remarked the essential difference
between assaulting the Sovereign, and only defend
ing himfelf from aprivate attack. One of our former
Monarchs, said he, (Christian V.) was used fre
quently to unbend himfelf among his nobles: On
Jthofe occasions, it was his custom to fay, ‘ The
King is not at home.' All the courtiers then be
haved with the utmost freedom and familiarity,
unrestrained by the royal presence.—When he
chose to resume his kingly dignity, he said, ' The
King is again at home.' But what, added he,
must we do now, when the King is never at
home?—This seems more like the speech of an
Englishman than a Dane, and breathes a manly
and unfettered Spirit.
I have been assured that Struenfee resigned him
felf to his own Sentence without murmuring, or
attempting to deprecate the blow ; but that he
expressed the utmost pity and abhorrence, at the
flagrant injustice committed in sentencing Count
Brandt to the fame death.
The Ikulls and bones of these unhappy men
are yet exposed on wheels about a mile and a half
out of town: I have viewed them with mingled
commiseration and horror. They hold up an aw
ful and affeding lesson for future statesmen.
C'o>*^**^-^^4- 9# >#*4>#o
LOND O N, 7^15.
IF the late affair at Lexington was rebellion,
as set forth in the Gazette, a correspondent
afl<s, Why did not Lord B army halt and
quell that rebellion? It certainly was th@ir du
ty; and if regulars, continues he, are so sure of
beating, as Lord Sandwich fays they are, why
does not General Gage march out of Boston
and disperse the cowardly poltroons that are be
fore his lines?
th^ paper. Colonel Koller Banner instantly re
paired to Struenfee's apartment, which, as well
as Brandt's, was in the palace ; they were both
Seized nearly at the fame infant, and, as all de
fence was vain, huiried away immediately to the
citadel.
Mean while, Struenfee and Brandt were de
tained in the most rigorous imprisonment. They
loaded the former with very heavy chains about
his arms and legs, and he was at the fame time
fixed to the wall by an iron bar. The room is
above ten or twelve feet square, with a I ttle bed
in it, and a miserable iron llove. Yet here, in
this abode of misery, did he, though chained,
complete with a pencil, an account of his life and
conduit as a minister, which is penned, as I have
been assured, with uncommon genius.
Count Brandt rose chiefly under Struenfee's
auspices, though he was originally of an honour
able defeent. During a residence which the
court made at one of the royal palaces, that of
Herefholm, it happened that his Majesty quarrel
led with Brandt, and, which was singular enough,
challenged him: This the Count, you may imagine,
declined. When they met soon after, the King
repeated his defiance, and called him coward ;
and Brandt still behaved with temper as became
a lubjeCt; he thrust his hand into his mouth, seiz
ed his tongue, and had nearly choaked him. In
this situation can it be wondered at, thathe bon'd
bite the King's finger, or strike him, or both ?
Self-prefervation must necessarily supersede every
other feeling at such a moment, and plead his
pardon.
We hear that a difTehting minister not many
miles from London, preached a thanksgiving ser
mon on Sunday last, for the victory obtained by
the Saints over the troops commanded by General
Gage.
June 27. It is said that most of the Officers of
the Cufloms and Excise at present wear swords, as
they have private orders to quarrel (when they
can do it fafely) with all those who assert that Ge
neral Gage's troops ran away dn a late occasion.
It is likewise added, that the Kennedys, Base,
M'^uirk*, and Captain Jones, will be quartered
in different coffee-boules to prevent the Spreading
of a like report to the advantage of our victorious
Colonists. The arguments employed by these
friends to the King will undoubtedly be of the most
convincing kind; those of Captain Jones will be
urged particularly home— a Posteriori.
* M'^utrk. died in Nro-Jerfej in December !af.
When Count Struenfee stepped out of the coach
he said with a ffaile to the Commandant who re
ceived him into custody, 'I believe you are not a
6 little furprized at feeing me brought here a pri
' foner.' 'No, and please your Excellency, re
' plied the 61d officer bluntly, I am not at all fur
' prized, but, on the contrary, have long expected
'y ?u '
It was five o'clock in the morning, when the
Count Rantzau came to the door of her Majesty's
anti-chamber, and knocked for admittance. One
of the women about the Queen's person was or
dered to wake her, arid give her information that
she was arretted. They then put her into one of
the King's coaches, drove her down to Elfinoor,
and ihut her up in the castle of Cronfberg.
Mean while as they dreaded an infurredion in
Copenhagen, every military precaution was taken
to preventit; the moil infamous and filly reports
were circulated among the populace, to render the
state prisoners odious : That they had put poison
into the King's coffee, to destroy him : That they
intended to declare him incapable of governing;
to fend the Dowager Queen Juliana, out of the
kingdom, as well as herfon Prince Frederick; and
to proclaim Matilda Regent. To confirm these
extraordinary and contradictory reports, the King
himfelf and his brother appeared in a state coach,
and paraded through the streets of the city to
shew himfelf unhurt, and as if efeaped from the
most horrid corifpiracy.
lantry of the officers, there being at that time very
well-grounded suspicions that the Ministry would
not at all have been displeased if it had fallen into
the hands of the enemy.
The intentions of administration to hire, and fend
foreign mercenaries to America, in order to re
dace that country, shews pretty plainly the syste
matic designs of those men, and the perfect cor
respondence there is between the plan laid down,
and the mode of execution intended. Englishmen
will be tender of Englishmen. They secretly ab
hor any thing which wears the most distant appear
ance of slavery or arbitrary power. They never
will be brought to aCt with alacrity, nor fight with
zeal in a cause, which is as contrary to their cur
rent opinions, as it is reluctant to their nature.
It is from this invincible propensity to liberty, and
this abhorrence of measures directly or indirectly
subversive of it, that England has for almost a
century preserved her liberties, in the m ; dft of a
standing army, because that army has been com
posed ofnatives alone; and by the fame mode of
reasoning we may well presume, that all the other
nations of Europe have for the greatest part loft
theirs, because they have been compelled to sur
render them, by armies of foreign mercenaries,
hired on the occasion, or kept in constant pay.
A Gentleman reading a paragraph in the morn
ing paper, that the several Britifli artificers now
in France, and employed in the different manufac
tures of that kingdom, will be immediately order
ed home on pain of being declared out-laws and
traitors to their country: Says the reader, will this
intimidate them, when numbers who are declared
so by the nation at large are received into the bo
lorn of the favourite Thane?
July i. A Remonstrance has been received this
week from the States General, said to be on ac
count of two Dutch merchantmen being detained
at New-York by one of our men of war. It seems
they had firelocks and ammunition on board, lup
pofed for the Americans.
The bricklayers at the weft end of the town
have quitted the service of their employers, far re
fufing them fix-pence a day addition to their wa
ges ; it is said 200 of them are about flipping
themlelves oft for North-America.
Capt. Cook has lent home from the Cape of
Good Hope his Journals, &c. which are lent to
the King.
Extraß of a Letter from a Lieut, of the Resolution,
dated Cape of Good Hope, March 14, 1775.
" After a tedious, but* a fuccefsful healthy voy
age, we are Safe arrived here, being among Savages
many months. Our people have been amazingly
healthful, having loft only fix, five by accident,
and one died of a decline. The feurvy never
touched us, which we attribute to four-crout,
cyder and other things carried out for that pur
pole.
“ We have difeovered many islands to the
southward of those found out by other navi
gators. We have been twice at Otaheite, and re
landed a native that we took from thence, a fel-
low of no ability, even so stupid as not to be in
formed of any common things. When, we left
the land of I erra del Fuego, we stretched as far
to the Southward as 71 deg. 11 min. and a great
many deg. W. lon. we met with many iftaods of
ice, and landed upon a rock in that parallel of lat.
discovered no continent, but the ice is a plain in
dication of more land, though not seen by us.
" We fend home by this conveyence many cu
rious and valuable rarities, with plans, landscapes,
plants, &c. After we have refitted, and recrui ed
our spirits, we shall fail for St. Helena, from
thence home, where I flatter myfelfwe shall ar
rive about the middle of July."
July 4. It is said, that Dr. Johnson himfelf is
the re publisher of his own Jacobitidal Pamphlet
which originally came out in abuse of the present
family on the throne in 1739. The re Ton given
for this its second appearance is,+that he is feck
What a triumphant clamour (fays a correspon
dent) was made in the course of the late war
when we took Ticonderoga ? But how quiet is the
present heGor'd Minifry about the loss of it ? Poor
Lord North ! well might he appear at the regatta
with dishevelled hair, and his wife in a clouded
silk.—but hold !—Pray Gentlemen of the Excise
and Cuflom-Houfe, are we at liberty to fay that
we have loft this place or not ?—The news has
not yet reached your department, has it, ye mighty
puffers of his Lordihip's administration ?
The last time the Spaniards attacked Gibraltar
was in the year 1727, when they were repulsed,
purely by the bravery of the troops and the gal-
When the woman whom we adored as a virgin,
is reduced to a state of prostitution, it is hardly
possible not to feel more than common concern at
so humiliating a change: Thus when the truly ele
gant and distinguished author of The Rambler funk
down into a political writer, his friends were as
much affected for him, and with no less reason.
In vain does he now strive to charm and conquer
as before. In vain does he labour to convert the
straws with which Lord North Can arm him, into
thunderbolts against our ColonieL In vain does
he point bis once luccefsful ridicule at their at
tempts to defend their own property. The firft
news, alas ! that arrives, demonstrates the futility
of all his projects for their reduction; and proves
that it is equally dangerous for a General or a
Writer to undervalue the force and courage of his
opponents. While Dr. Johnson defended the
cause of religion and morality, his armour was im
penetrable, and every stroke of his sword was mor
tal. Engaged as he is on the fide of a venal Par
liament and corrupt Administration, he appears
almost on a level with other mercenaries; for tho'
his uniform may be still more splendid than that of
his affbeiates in the fame cause, his weapon, like
that of General Gage, has but a leaden point.
fine 28. They write from Algiers that near
800 Haves are daily employed there in making a
bafon, to be flanked with nine batteries of can
non, wherein the whole Algerine fleet may lie in
fafety, in case of any bombardment.
June 29. It was currently said yesterday at
the weft end of the town, that General Gage and
the troops at Boston would immediately receive
orders to return home.
It is now univerfaily agreed that General Gage
and the troops under, his command, stand in a pro
digious critical and dangerous situation; for if be
should keep himfelf and his men cooped up in the
town, and continue to aft on the defenfive the
whole Summer, they will both fall a Sacrifice in
the winter to the attacks of their enemies, and
the rigour of the climate, as they will be deprived
of all fuccour, and cut off frem all communication
with Europe during that period.
Z)8. That the family upon the throne Should
Sooth the Tories and Jacobites, and coax them into
good humour, is a piece of policy not at all un
reasonable or unjuftifiable, but that the old and
determined enemies of the family of Brunswick
should be taken into favour, should be cherished,
promoted, advanced, and carefled, to an almost
utter exclusion of the great families who main
tained, Supported, and eftablilhed the Hanover
succession, is a myttery that none but the Thane,
Lord Mansfield, Jenkinfon, and the rest of the
Junto, can reveal.
ing fonie pretext to throw up li^fcnfcn, that be
may escape the i/fawy of being compelled to cerite
any more on rhe fide of the prelent qveak and cruel
administration.
At the conclusion of the late war Great Britain
had a greater naval force fit for a&ual fervice,h?n
all Europe besides, by its utmost efforts, could be
able to fit out and man properly in the space of
two years.
It was pretty remarkable, that whenever Mal
colm, who was tarred and feathered at Boston,
was questioned by any of the cab net ministers,
there were two things they could never pre
vail on him to fay: The firft was, that the inha
bitants of Massachusetts would not fight; the
other, that none of the other"colonies, particular
ly that of New-York, would join their Boftsn
brethren in case of extremities, for he always con
tinued to affirm the contrary.
A° certain celebrated speech in the Upper Assem
bly, relative to the native cowardice of the Ame
ricans, is, it is reported, totally disclaimed by the
noble person to whom this spurious production is
imputed. It is however, not unworthy of obser
vation, that Lord Suffolk, in reply to what he
heard, or what he dreamed he heard, said, he
would never wish to have it asserted, much less
endeavoured to be propagated, that there were
any of his Majesty's fubjeds who wanted personal
coirage. Besides, fays his Lordship, no such fep
pofition is at all necessary to be brought in sup
port of the propriety of the present measures. We
may suppose any thing else. We may suppose they
will return to a proper sense of their duty. We
may suppose they want discipline ; but we can ne
ver bring ourselves to believe that any of his Ma
jesty's fubjeds, much less Englishmen, or the des
cendants of Englishmen, will be found deficient in
personal prowess.
Advices of a very disagreeable nature have
been received within a day or two, but whether
from the continent of Europe or the continent es
America, continues a profound secret.
July 6. It is said the Minister, out of compli
ment to Lord Chatham, is making an experiment
to confirm the publick opinion about his political
judgment. That great politician declared the
little finger of Great-Britain was fufficient to cruft
the whole power of America ; the ministry hate
sent this little finger, under the conduct of Gene
ral Gage. If the Americans are cowards, this
little finger will crush them; but if they behave
like men, the minister, to follow the metaphor,
will make a bad hand of this bufinels.
The following lifts of the persons now in Bofion pea!
and who have died there, for no other crime than
that of beingfriends to their country, las brought
out of Boflon a few days ago.
Prisoners taken at Bunker's-Hill, June 17..
Lieut. Col. Parker, of Clemsford, dead. Capt.
Benjamin Walker, of Clemsford, dead. Lieut.
Amaziah Foffet, of Groton, dead Lieut. William
Scott, of Peterborough, alive. Serj.Rob. Phelps,
of Lancaster, dead. Phineas Nevers, of Windsor,
dead. Oliver Stevens, Townsend, dead. Daniel
M'Grath, unknown, dead. John Perkins, New-
Rutland, alive. Amafa Fib, Pepperrel, dead.
Daniel Seflions, Andover, alive. Jonathan Norton,
Newberry Port, alive. Philip Johnson Peek, Bol
ton-Mansfield, alive. Benjamin Bigelow, Pecker
field,alive. Benjamin Wilson, Billerica; alive.
Archibald M'lntofh, Townsend, dead. David
Kemp, Groton, dead. John Deland, Charleftown,
alive. Lawrence Sullivan, Weathersfield, alive.
Thomas Kettel, (a lad, dismissed) Charleftown,
alive. William Robinson, unknown, dead. Ben
jamin Ross, Afhford, Connecticut, dead. Joha
Dillon, Jerfey,Old-England; dead. Oneunknown.
dead. William Kench, Pecketfield, dead. James
Lodge, Edinburg, Scotland, dead. William Rol
linfon, Connecticut, dead. John Lord, unknown,
th ad. James Milliken, Boston, dead. Stephen
Foster, Grotton, dead.
Dead 20. Alive 10. Dismissed 1.
Rife-Men, Prisoners.
Walter Cruse, taken, Yoik County, Pennsyl
vania. John Brown, ditto, ditto.
Master Lovell, imprisoned 65 days, charged wth
being a spy, and giving intelligence ro the re' 's.
Mr. Leach, 65 days, charged withbeing afyy,
and fufpe&ed of taking plans.
Mr. Peter Edes, and Mr. William Star, ,-
days, each, for having fire arms concealed in their
houses.
Mr. John Gill, Printer, 29 days, for printing
treason, feditiori and rebellion.
Cornelius I'unifon, deserted from the American
Camp, and confined for attempting to gm back..
Prisoners, inhabitants of Beflon, Sept. 2.
We hear that Capt. Malbone arrived at New
port last Tuesday, in about 6weeks from Ireland,
and brings advice that the Parliament of Ireland
have resolved that no more troops Ihould be sent
to America ; and also that no more proviheq
should be whipped from thence -Several recruiting
parties in attempting to inlift men had been killed
WATERTO W N, September it.
C A MBRID G E, Sept. 14.