preffion o f abfolute authority, in oppofition to a king who
“ had been proclaimed by the army, and was-already in pof-
“ feffion o f all the prerogatives enjoyed by his predeceflbr
Another I account informs us, “ that feveral o f the S-wediih
“ generals tendered the crown to the duke, upon the coritli-
“ tion of renouncing ablolute power; but that he refufed to
u be bound by any reftrithions.”
The conduct o f the prince o f Heffe was far more politick.
Having difpofed of the king’s body, he iffued immediate
orders to arreft baron Gortz as if already in poffeffion
o f fovereign authority ; and ■ difpatched Siquier to his con-
fort Ulrica Eleonora at Stockholm. That princefs.was no
fooner informed o f her brother’s death, than ihe fummoned
the fenate, with whom ihe had for fome time entertained a
fecret correfponderjce; and agreeing to renounce all right
» 'Mémoires de Baffevitz in Bufching,
H . M. IX. p . 32 r .
f S ch lo e tze r ’ s B riefewech fel, voL I. p .
1- ' .........
+ Th e arreftof Baron Gôrtz was attended
with many, .curious circumftances, which
are related by philgren, who accompanied
the officers that arrefted him ; but the account
is too long to 15© infer ted in this work.
See 'Gortzen’ s Gefa nge nemm un-g in Schld-
etzer, vol. I. p.-23 1 to. 243.
T h e real caufe o f the BijronVimprifon-
ment and execution was his attachment to
the duke o f Holftein, which neither Frederick
nor Ulriea Eleonora could forgive j to
their revenge, and to the cabals o f a. party, -
he fell a facrifice. ’ Polterity, however, has
clone juftice to the integrity o f this great,
but turbulent ftatelman ; and particularly
the préfent king o f Sweden has paid a tribute
o f praife to his memory, in the following
letter to his daughter Madame D ’Eyben.
See Schloetzer'Theil. XI. p. 109. 44 Madame
da-Baronne B ’Eÿben. La mémoire
de l’ illuitre et malheureux Baron de Gortz
44 eû trop refpectée de moi, pour que je
4 n ’aye été. très fenfiblement tou ch é d’ap-
- pren dre, q u ’il ex ifioit encore un de fes-
4‘ enïans, qu e la tirannie e t l ’injuilice-atroce.
4 de la princéfs Ü lr iq u e E leon o re, e t de ceux
‘ qfti prefidérent à la diète de 1 7 19 , rendi-
4 rent o rp h e lin s .. Son fan g innocent a trop
4 long -temps cr ié Vengeance. ' L à Suede a
4-pendant 5.0; ans de malheurs, de devafta-
4 tion s et de troubles paie chèrement le.
■4- t r ib u t ,-q u e la colère divine a e x ig é pour
4‘ le : ci ime,, commis contre un g ran d homme-
4 innocent, p o u f que je fôu h a ite ardem-
4 men t,.en qua lité de premier citoyen de ma
4-p atrie , répa rer ,au nom. de c e tte même
4 p a tr ie , T in jn ilice qu e nos ancêtres ont
4 commis. A c e t itre ,., que je regarde'
4 comme .le plus beau de tous ce u x , que la
4 Providence a bien voulu affembler fur ma
4 t ê t e ,■ s’ ajoute encore-celui de ma niaifon,
4- pou r la que lle il a été un facrifice. Vous
4 dévés donc bien ju g e r , Mad ame, combien
4 j e fuis p o r te de vous faire rendre la juftice,
4 que vous' réclamés en qua lité d ’heritiére
4- e t de fille de fe u Baron de G o r t f,.& c . &c.
4 ce 28 d . O tto b re ,
to
to thé crown by hereditary fucceffion, and to fubferibe to the CI^ P-
limitation of regal power, ihe was foon afterwards elected'— .—
queen ; but refigned, in 1 7 2 1 , the crown to hef huiband.
The account o f the king’s death, publifhed by order o f
the court foon after the“event, enters into no details, but attributes
it to a ball iliot from a falconet *. Motraye affirms t ,
that this relation was probably true, becaufe the wound was
large enough to admit four fingers ; and Voltaire, who received
his information from Siquier, aiierts, that it was made-
by a ball o f half a pound weight, and large enough to.contain
three fingers ; and they both agree, that from the violence
o f the ffiot the left eye was forced in, and the right dif-
Iodged from its focket. In contradiction, however, to thefe
authorities, two perfons who had feen the body, poiitively
affirm, that the wound was too fmall to have been otcafianed
by a ffiot from a falconet or half falconet.
Count Liewen, in a converfation with Mr. Wraxall,. thus;
expreffed himfelf upon the iubject :
“ There are now very few men alive who can- fpeak with fo much cer- -
“ tainty as myfelf. I was in the camp before F'rederickihall, and had the
“ honour to ferve the king in qualify of page on that night when he was
“ killed. I have no doubt that he was affaffinatèd. The night was ex-
“ tremely "dark, aud it was almoft.an impoffibility that a ball from the fort
“ could enter his head, at the diftance, and on the fpot where he flood. E
“ faw the king’s body, and am certain the wound in his temple was made by
1 a piftol bullet. Who gave it, is unknown : S-iker was fufpeited, becaufe
“ he was not with his majefty previous to the blow, but appeared a moment
“ after. Thole,” added he, “ who ate 11 fed. to military, affairs, know the
“ report and. noile which a cannon-ball makes but the report of the fhot
" which deftroyed the king was that of a piece clofe at hand, and totally dif-
- A ball o f a falconet ufually weighs one trois doigts. Voltaire..— Une balle l’ avoit
pound and i at ieaft. - atteint à'- la temple droite avec tant de v io -
f Large de quatre dbigts. Motraye.— . lencc, qu’elle étoit refiortie au deilus de 1 a
Un trou dans lequel ou pouvoir cnipncer temple gauche.. Nordberg.
“ ferent..
tÿ