New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-26

TIE MIDNIGHT VISION OF CHARLES OF
SWEDEN.
LEGEND or A ROYAL cAsTLE-A STRANGE AND
SOLEMN SCENE.

LEGEND OF A ROYAL cAsTLE-A STRANGE AND
SOLEMN SCENE.
There is legend attached to the royal castle OF
stockholm which is very weird in its way, ana
which is often told by Scandnavians around the
fire on winter evenings 1t Is tho tale Oh Il VISION
seen by King Charles Ma vision which Is sup
nosed to have presaged the assassination OF Gus
tavus ILL., and the consequent decapitauoh oi
Count Ankerstrom. the assassin, and his associates
Thus runs the story: King Charles in deep sriel
ut the loss of his Queen whom he had passion
ately loved was sitting in his apartment one night
| In attendance were Count Brahe his aide-de-cahp
| and the Kings physician. The bereaved monarch
! had given no encouragement TO conversation al"
| silence had rcgned for some time when the castc
| clock struck the hour of midnight. The KING rose
and expressed his wish to retire for the night. ne
asked what kind of a night II was ana 'he Nou''
went to the window and withdrew the CURTAINS
and Immediately stepped back in emazement the
royal castle in Stockholm is an immense pie OF
buildings surrounding vast courtyard Inc o"eu
sh Diet tParliamonD is domiciled WITHIN 'he pre-
cincts of the castle and when in session occu-
Dies now as In King Charless day, a great nan
opposite TO the royal apartments From the long
ROY, OF windows streamel blaze of light. Parma
rnent was not I'm session. and the Illumination al
this midnight hour was wholly unaccouh'aoi'
The King commanded Count Brahe TO summon 'he
marshal of the castle his presence. The OLD
|
ton. and could. of course. give no explanation oi
| the mystery The King determined to ascertain
the cause for himself. and bidding the senescnai
precedc him with his lantern and Keys. ne
crossed the deserted courtyard with MS TWO at
tendants Entering the vestbule of the Diet nan
they became aware that the walls were hung Win
black cloth entirely covering the faded tapestries
| ,wea and IMPRESSED the party stood silent and
undecided for n while murmuring OF many
| voices evidently proceeding from the great man,
being family, but distinctly, audible Decidlhs 10
solve the mystery at all hazards. the king COM
manded the senescha to open the door forthwith
In mortal terror the old servant fell on MS Knees
and ,1olored His Majesty forego his determine
ton declaring his own inability TO obey his King =
command. Turning to the Count, the NihS oaoe
him open the door. "Your Majesty can pear fie
witness" said Brahe. that have always done my
duty in defence Of my King ana country iea'
no mortal Zoe. but confess have no courage 10
| ,.o .hose NJ another world in whose awful pres
ence We evidently stand.
| The physician likewise showed his timidity or
| unwillngness, whereupon the King snatched '"e
| key from the hand OF the seneschal eXciaimine
| II perceive that these things concern i"ySe'i
oloper' Without further hesitation. he opened the
| Ioor onl crossed the threshold. his attendants
| following In fear and trembling. but ashamed 10
desert their master.
A Parliament in fun session ana the vast
| hall was crowded with people. None looked at or
! seemed to be aware of the King ana MS party az
| they entered A noticeable thing the unfamiliar
garb of the members Of the midnight farhame"''
il was not that OF the period nor that oil the past
The Swedish Rigslag or Diet OF that day consisted
of n supreme council and President ana the MEM
bers of the four estates Of the realin-the hooies
clergy burghers and the peasants As us"ai .he
bench.s in the lover part OF the hall were occupied
| bv the peasant members above them sat the bursh-
| crs the clergy and the members of the NOBILITY
| according 10 their degree. At the extreme upper
end of the great apartment was Il raised udis -
pied by supreme council or court am .,t h,S
| dent: in the centre appeared magniilcehI per
upon which rested corpse, parity eovrpsu MN ib
| House OF Nasa a large open space intetVehsu oe
tween the raised platform and me frst S
the nobility In the midst stood biocK' anu the
headsman leaning on ms axe -, .. ,.,o o,
The murmuring had gradually died away into 81
lenc. An eager and horrible suspense Was nppn az .
ent In the faces of the assembly presently tne
President arose. gigantic hsuIe ou. Ue" nro m
SION OF men. bareheaded and with manacled hands
and ATTENDED r by suaIds aor anl approachng the
scarfold Another sign from the pressie. ana ths
first man knelt down and was dlsp3tch'u py lhe
heaisrnan one after another came up ana SUFFERED
his DOOM deuging the floor win ni0on' ne ,an,
u man In middle life. was evidently the cuei GRIM
NAL He lifted his hand in menace at the judges
and laid it thu block /, was asa SeTerh al
Immediately and rolled in strange manner up 10
where the King stood, seemingly nespatterins ms
feet with blood In amazement ana horror the
king exclaimed in a loud voice "Merciful Lord
is this to be in my reign, or does IL ioroode the
The response came from the aged chief and was
repea,ed by the multitude: Woe. woe! woe to the
blood OF Vasa," The words, though faint ana dls,
tant were distinctly heard As the sounds died
away the light faded and the figures grew dim ana
shadowy and soon the whole vision vanished Inc
guest hall was empty and dark. save where ne
seneschal's lantern made the gloom visible In the
antechamber the worm-eaten hanginSs appeareu
as usual When the King reached his apartments
having sworn his attendants to secrecy; he com
handed the physician to place on record the por-
tnnto,s scene which they had all witnessed that
night He then affixed his sgnatnre ana seal sc me s
ntte likewise signed the uo'uleul, "Hitu Us
said still to exist among the secret archives OF the