The Red Cloud chief., 1876-04-06
OF HISTORY.

ROMANCE OF HISTORY.
King Charles X. of "A Crowned
Donkey-HorribIe Fate % a Swedish Wit
"A Woman. Plot to Punish the King
It's Entire Success.
"Will your Majesty grant me n IA
vor2" asked an elegantly dressed gentle
man of King Charles the Tenth, of Swe-
den, at the ~iattcr's palace in Stockholm,
on the morning of the t4th of March,
1868.
"a favor, Giiderstrcene! Certainly
replied the young King. "What is itf
at is very little to your Majesty, and
yet to him whom it concerns a great
deal. In a word, 1 want you to pardon
S~i4tssbb1nassn
"Sixterblatt! cried the King. "The
blasIhemous rascal, who Is to be execu-
ted TO- morrow, for saying that Martin
Luther was an ignorant z~ealot."
"What If he did, He is a friend OF
NINE"
"Gilderstreene." said the King, "you
have saved my life, and / would gladly
do almost anything for you. But do not
ask me to stay the hand of the execu-
toner. The Swedish people are in a
bad way. The throne is assalled by un-
known psmphleteers. Religion is Wilt
fed everywhere. Thank God We have
caught that foul-mouthed Sixterblstt,
and his fate shall be a warning to all
other evil disposed persons"
Young Gilderstreene could not repress
an exclamation of contempt as the King
said this.
$50 your Majesty refuses 10 pardon
Sixterbla,t2" he asked, haughtiIy, as he
rose from his chair.
"Not only do 1 refuse to pardon him,
but i order you to be present at his ex-
ecution, which shall be accelerated, and
take place at two O'Clock this atternoon!'
Gilderstreene was about to say some.
thing very unpleasant to bis Majesty,
OUT HI CllCeT tltcItu liIC loctl, al lut
King said t. him:
"Stadler, go to the criminal prison,
and tell the Warden there that SixteI
blatt must be executed at two o'clock
this afternoon"
The officer looked somewhat sur.
prised upOn receiving this strange er.
rand; but he bowed, and departed to
perform the mission with which the
King had intrusted him.
A few minutes later he told the War
den of the criminal prison that the King
wanted Sixterblstt to he executed at two
o'clock that afternoon, and that his
Majesty would be present himself.
This is terrible" said the Warden,
tive expected all along that Sixterblat1
would be psrdoned."
"The King says he must die"
Every we'll. l will break the news to
the poor fellow"
"Sixterblatt had at one time been the
Wit of Stockholm.
An unusually handsome man, he had
had many love aff,irs with some of the
foremost ladies of the Swedish capital.
But, having refused to do homage to the
daughter of Bishop S~garrenaer, of Stock
holm, he had been arrested for the
49, -wMSIks he had made about
8Xftin Luther, who at mat time was
considered the patron saint of Sweden,
At first, after his arrest, Sixterblatt
had made light of his fate; but when
the King had declard that the offense
was an exceedingly grave one, and when
the Judges of the Criminal Court
ordered him to be subjected to the tor.
ture of the thumb-screws, he became
alarmed; and when he was informed that
he should die for his crime, his despair
knew no bodnds.
He bad but one friend, young Glider
s~treene, and he was generally believed
to be the Kings favorite.
Under ordinary circumstances, Glider
streene could have obtained almost any
favor from his Sovereign. But Charles
the Tenth had become apprehensive that
seditious subjects might dethrone him,
and imbued with the stupid notions of
the period, he thought that any one VINO
attacked the Lutheran Church was also
amoral enemy to the Crown.
So Sixterblatt, despite Gilderstreene's
f1sercession, was ordered TO suffer death.
* few minutes before two o'clock in
: the afternoon of<he day in question, tie
King, accompanied by Gilderstreene and
two assistants, arrived at the criminal
prison.
The Warden received him.
"Ycur Majesty" said that Official, II
lave served you faithfully -"