The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-09
THE PRESS
FRIDAY MORNING, FEB. 8, 1872.
A W0man's Story.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN PRISON.


A publishing house in Vienna has just is
sued curiously interesting volume-the story
OF Leonora Christina, Countess Uleldt, who
endured Imprisonment for twenty-five years.
Inc Countess gives her own narrative in the
form of diary, and it is now published for
the first time, with an introduction by Herr
Ziegler, the editor OF the volume. The
events described took place nearly two CEN
turies ago, but they have never been fully
known till now The long captivity of the
Countess, it appears, was owing to the per-
sonal spite of Sophia Amelia, the wife of
Frederick the Third, King of Denmark.
Whether it be that this Queen envied the
beauty and accomplishments of the Countess
Ulfeldt, and her husbands influence with the
King, or that the Countess Ulfeldt, as Dan
ish historian states, had offended the Queen
by trying on the crown that was being made
for her, and letting it fall upon the floor so
that one Of the large jewels was broken, the
conduct of the Queen can bear but one in
depreciation. The Danish historian who re-
cords the anecdote about the crown, says
that it shows the Queen was not so bitter
against the Countess without a cause, al
though it must be admitted that her anger
was carried too far. The rage of the Queen
when she found that her son had promised to
set the countess free after only eight years
imprisonment, and the exercise of her influ-
ence, by which she was able TO prolong the
Imprisonment till her own death, betray the
existence of some personal motive.
The Countess Leonora was one of the
daughters of Christian the Fourth, King of
Denmark, by morgaltic marriage. She be-
came the wife of Corfitz Ulfeldt, son of
Chancellor Ulfeldt, who after stormy youth,
passed in various countries and services, had
taken high position at the Danish Court.
The prosperity of Ulfeldt and his wife was /
not disturbed for some time after the access
ion of Frederick the Third. But though the
new King had full confidence in the former
fav0rite, the new Queen began from the first |
to intrigue against him. The Athen9um |
sums up the narrative thus: A plot was Or
ganized by her means in order 70 accuse Cor
titz and his wife of intending to poison the |
King and though the accusation recoied on |
the heads of the subordinate instruments,
some suspicion remained. The King was
gradually estranged from Corfitz Ulfeldt one |
difference led to another, and at length Ul-
feldt resigned his offices and left the country.
His estates were at once confiscated, and he
was deprived of all his dignities; while in
revenge for such treatment he went to Stock
holm, where his services were gladly accept
ed by queen CHRISTINA.
For some time after this Corfitz Ulfeldt
proved a dangerous enemy to Denmark. At |
his instigation the successor of Queen Chris |
tina made war on Denmark, and the daring
march of the Swedes on the ice across the
Great Belt, which lead to the Peace of Roes-
kilde, was entirely suggested by Ulfeldt. By
this peace the Danes had to surrender twelve
ships of war, besides several pieces of terri
tory, and one of the articles of the treaty was,
that all Count Ulfeldt's estates were to be re-
stored. The victory, however, bore no last
ing fruits. The Danes were naturally in
censed with Ulfeldt, and Queen Sophia Anne |
liza managed to instill suspicion into the mind |
of the King of Sweden.
Some time afterward charges of treachery
were brought against him by the Swedes, he
was confined in fortress, and tried for high |
treason. Acquitted of this, he was secretly |
by his Danish enemies that the YER |
dict was adverse to him, and under this i'm
preston he fled from Sweden to Denmark,
were he and his wife were instantly imprison-
ed. The amnesty granted them at Roeskilde |
was set at naught, and it was not until six |
months of cruel and brutal treatment that |
they regained their liberty by an absolute
submission. Released from prison with the
loss of most of his estates, and with enfeebled
health, Count Ulfeldt received permission to
travel in Germany, where he died. ..
Leonora Christina in the meanwhile had
been sent by her husband to England to seek
for aid from Charles the Second. During his
own exile the restored King had been under
great obligations to Count Ulfeldt, and was
still indebted to him in a large sum of money.
But it was not easy enough to get at Charles;
and although when the Countess Ulfeldt had
an interview with him he was very friendly,
and promised to ray his debt, he did not
keep his word. After waiting long time
without any result, the Countess started for
the Continent, but before this the Danish Gov |
had heard of her being in England,
and had made application to Charles for her |
arrest
As this seemed the most convenient way of |
paying his debt, and as, moreover, he had
given the Countess safe conduct, Charles
got rid at once of his obligation and his prom
Use, and allowed the Danish Ambassador to
take her in custody. She was sent to Copen-
hagen, and confined in the blue tower of the.
royal palace, where she remained for twenty |
two years. With this her diary begins, and
is continued through her captivity. 1t is re-
for the minute detail in which all
the events of daily life are narrated, and for
the extreme frankness with which a Coun-
tess and daughter of a King enters into mat
tiers which are generally kept secret. The
insults to which Countess Ulfeldt was expos
ed, the occupation she devised for herself, her
relations with those who waited ON her, her
occasional peeps from the window, and her
vague impressions of what was passing in the
nufar world oooypu almoct tho xvbola raonrd