crown hereditary, and to inveft him with abfolute authority %
1— .— 'adding, that they were ready to- facrifice their lives in defence
o f an eftabliihment fo falutary to their country. The
king, in his anfwer,thanked them for their favourable intentions
; but mentioned the approbation o f the nobles as a ne-
ceifary condition, though he had no doubt o f their concurrence
when they ihould have had time to. accompany the
declaration with all the neceflary formalities;, he affined them
of his protection, promifed a redrefs o f all grievances, and
difmiffed them with an exhortation to continue their fittings,
until they ihould have brought their defign to perfection,
and he could receive their voluntary fubmiffion with alL due
folemnity.
The reader will obferve, with much furprize,. that in all
the publick occurrences previous to this audience, the only
affair apparently in agitation, was to change the form o f government
from an elective to an hereditary monarchy; no
mention had been made of enlarging the powers o f the-crown,
or of the ftiil more extraordinary fcheme o f making the king
abfolute. Is it probable,, if the nobles had immediately consented
to the declaration,, that this ceffion might not have
taken place ? Was there not a medium between hereditary
right and arbitrary poWer ! or can we fuppofe, that, according
to the fyftem o f the Daniih law, the latter was neeeffa-
rily implied in the former ? Something like this, probably,
muft have been the cafe, as it is hardly peffible to conceive,
that when the deputies o f the commons and clergy had voted
only for the declaration, the biihop o f his own accord-, Ihould
have added the gift o f unlimited authority.; It often happens
that people are more affeCted by appearances- than realities.
The bare mention of arbitrary power would have revolted
the deputies, while the fubftance, being included in the popular
pular expreffion o f hereditary right, was adopted and paffed
without referve.
But to return to the nobles; when the deputies had abruptly
quitted the afferably, they could not agree amongft
themfelves what plan was to be purfued in this alarming crifis.
They were not, indeed, unanimous in their motives o f oppo-
fition, being divided into three principal p a r t i e s t h e firft
confifted of thofe who were devoted to the court, and favoured
the declaration o f the commons ; the fecond, o f thofe who
were confcious that fome change in the conftitutian was re-
quifite, but uncertain how far they Ihould proceed; the -third,
by far the moft confiderable in number, was compofed o f
thofe who feemed determined to affert their own privileges
to the laft extremity, and who ftrenuoufly oppofed the leaft
alteration. It was no wonder, therefore, that they broke up
.without coming to any refolution, but put off their final determination
to their next meeting in the afternoon.
While they were thus wavering and irrefolute, the court
and popular party took the neceflary precautions in order
to force them to a concurrence. It was feared that the
enterprize might fail o f fuccefs, i f the nobles ihould refolve
to quit Copenhagen, and to break up the diet, from the
juft pretence that it was held in a fortified town under awe
o f a garrifon devoted to the court; and indeed feveral had
already made their efcape; and others feemed inclined to
follow them.
In confequence o f thefe apprehenfions the king iffued
orders to fliut the gates of the town ; and this fpirited mea-
fure had fuch an inftant effecft upon the nobles, that they
abandoned all thoughts o f further refiftance, and difpatched
deputies to the court, that they were ready to concur with
* H o i berg .