The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-06-08
Charles the. Eleventh's ExtraOr-
binary Vision.

den. He put check on the man.
privileges usurped by the mobiles, dim
inishod the power of the senate, an
promulgated on his own authorit,
several important laws; in word h
altered the form ofgovernment, which
until now lad been oligarchical. anC
forced the State to acknowledge hin
as absolute ruler The Lutheran reli
gion found in this monarch n SINGER,
adherent. He was brave and enligh
tened, but cold and precise in charac
ter, holding the imaginative power,
under constant check and control
The death Of his wife, Ulrica Eleanor
whom he treated harshly during hel
lifetime, made, however, a greater i'm.
preston than could have been sup.
posed on so rough and demonstrative
a nature.
Becoming more and more morost
after this event, Charles ri. gave him.
self up wholly to the management and
affairs of his kingdom, thus betrayina
mind i'll at ease, which sought dis
traction from its depressing thoughts
/
One autumn evening he sat, in Com
pany with Count Brahe and DR. Baum
garten, opposite a bright fire, his head
resting on his breast and his eyes fixed
on the CRATE, in profound silence
The Count Brahe, finding that his
presence was unheeded by the King,
tried to make some excuse for with
drawing from the apartment, and sug-
gested that his Majesty stood in need
of repose; but sign from the latter
held HIM to his seat. The doctor in
his turn spoke OF the injurious effects
of late hours upon the health The
King then replied, in suppressed
tone, Il have no wish to sleep at pres
emit" They attempted various sub
jects of conversation, but after SEN
tence or two their efforts fell to the
ground His Majesty was passing
through phase of profound melan-
choly, which rendered the position of
the two courtiers somewhat delicate.
One of them, looking toward the por-
trait of the late Queen, said, with a
deep sigh; How striking is the re-
semblance what sweet and dignified
expression. The King. who seemed
to consider every allusion to the Queen
as Il personal reproach, replied that
the artist had fiattered her, ana rising
from his char, took one or two turns
up and down the room to calm the
agitation of his feelings. He stood for
a moment at window that looked
upon the courtyard; the night was
very dark.
The place inhabited by the present
Kings of Sweden was then in an untin-
ished state, and Charles NJ, who had
commenced its construction, occupied
the old palace, which lay open 10 the
sea. The Kings private cabinet was
situated at one of the eXtremities of the
building, most facing the large hall
where the States met. The windows
of this saloon appeared on sudden 10
be brilliantly illuminated, phenome-
non which excited the greatest aston
ishment III the KING. At first he mad e
various conjectures US to the cause,
but finally rejected them, one by one.
After remaining for some minutes gaz-
ing on the windows, and just as the
Count was about to call page, the
KING held HIM back, and announced
his intention to go himself and inquire
into the singular circumstances.
The attendant, III whose charge
were the several keys of the apart
ments, was Immediately aroused from
his bed, and the King entered the gal
lery which served as u sort of vestibule
to the above mentioned hall. What
was his astonishment at finding the
walls completely draped with black !.
He inquired by whose order this alter
alton had been made. The seneschal
answered that this gallery had always
been paneled with oak, and that he
had never seen it otherwise. The
King was advancing to enter the large
saloon, when the old man exclaimed:
''Sire, do not go further; there is
some magic influence at work here.
Since her death, your august spouse
visits the place every night, and walks
in the large saloon.
Heaven preserve us |" rejoined the
Count; Ego no further; you know not
to what danger you may be exposing
yourself,
"At all events, added Baumgarten,
whose light had been extinguished by
a gust of wind, "wait until | call u
score of halberdiers.
After much opposition on the part
of his attendants, the King himself
took the key, and before he could be
prevented, entered the large hall, and
this is the spectacle that presented it.
self to the wondering eyes of the mon
arch.
The saloon was illuminated with in
Vulnerable wax lights; black hangings
replaced the figured tapestry; along
the walls were placed methodically
German, Danish and Muscovite flags,
trophies of the army of Gustavus
Adolphus. In the centre were Swe-
dish banners, wrapt in black Grape.
The various sections of the states were
arranged according to precedence.
Every individual was in mourning;
and among them all, not one was per-
sonally known to the witnesses of this
extraordinary scene. On the throne