“ boafted,. that he would unite the three crowns o f Sweden,
—v~ ,■> Denmark, and Norway, in his own perfon ; and would then
march, like another Alaric, info Italy at the head of.the Go-
thick nations. The internal weaknefs and civil commotion
o f Denmark feemed almoft to juftify.thefe. proud vaunts: the
fate o f the whole kingdom depended on the fafety jof Copenhagen;
and yet, inch was the'deplorable condition o f thkt
capital, that Frederick was .advifed to retire from a place
which feemed abfolutely untenable,, and: to make his efcape
either to Holland or Norway. For the fortifications, had
been long negledted ; it contained a garrifon o f only a thou-
fand regular troops;, had not fufficient provifians to ftand a
fiege,; was almoft deftitute of every means o f reiiftancej and
erouded with inhabitants and fugitives o f all ranks. ¡ But
that monarch, o f whofe military capacity no expeitation
could be formed, roufed by this dangerous crifis of affairs,
difcovered at once the moft undaunted courage .: he declared
his refolution o f defending his capital to the laft extremity;
and, rather than be a witnefs to its fiirrender, o f burying
himfolf under its ruins. His conduit during the fiege an-
fwered thefe profeffionS'; he gave his orders with-calmnefs
and intrepidity; he was among the firft in alL places o f dang
e r; and among the laft who retreated, His zeal was fe-
conded by the undaunted fpirit of his queen Sophia Amelia,
princefs o f Brunfwick Lunenburgh*, who, during the whole
conteft, was indefatigable in; animating the befieged; fhe
partook o f their fatigues; rode night and day round the
ramparts, and obferved every occurrence with the vigilance
o f a centinel, and the coolnefs of a veteran. The prefence
and adtivity o f both their fovereigns gave frelh vigour to the
garrifon and citizens o f Copenhagen ; they braved every
* Memotres de T e r lo n , p . 533.
danger,
; R‘ E!V '0 L u T i !o n : O P k D c b i .
dinger, and even bound’ themfelves, by art oath, to periili
rather than furrehder the capital. Their zeal Was ftill further
raifed by the policy o f Frederick, who extorted from
the nobles an increafe o f the citizens immunities ; and pa fie cl
an ediit, figned by himfelf and the principal fenators, permitting
them to poflefs lands, and to enjoy all the rights o f
nobility. Thus animated and encouraged, the burghers
formed themfelves into companies, and vied with the regular
foldiers in fubmitting to the rigour o f military difcipline. In
a word, by their invincible fpirit Copenhagen held out from
the 8th o f Auguft, 1658, to the conclufion o f the peace,
on the 27th of May, 1660, when the Swedifh army evacuated
Zealand.
Upon the fignature o f this treaty a diet was fummoned at
Copenhagen to take into confideration the ftate o f the kingdom,
exhaufted with debts, and defolated by the miferies o f
war. The imminent danger which had threatened the ruin
o f Denmark had no fooner fubfided, than Frederick relapfed
into his conftitutional indolence; and feems, i f we may
judge from the molt authentick accounts, to have had but
a fimall iliare in the fubfequent revolution : it appears, indeed,
to have been as cafual as it was fudden, the effeit only
o f the imperious conduit o f the nobles, o f the jealoufies
and refentments o f the other orders, and o f the high opinion
which the people had conceived o f their king, to Whom they
juftly imputed the prefervation o f Copenhagen, and the fafety
o f the kingdom ; while they attributed to the violence and'
fait ions o f the nobles all the evils which they had lately experienced.
The diet, which was the lait ever convened in Denmark,
afFembled at Copenhagen on the 8 th o f September, 1660.
The nobles, inftead o f endeavouring to conciliate the,other
Y y y 2 orders