Memoirs of Denmark, containing the life and reign of the late K. of Denmark, Norway, &c., Christian V together with an exact account of the rise and progress of those differences now on foot betwixt the two houses of Denmark and Holstein Gottorp ... taken from authentick letters and records / by J.C., Med. D., Fellow of the Royal Society, and a Member of the College of Physicians.

CHAP. I. Of the Condition of the Kingdom of Den∣mark, at the Time of King Christian V. his Accession to the Throne.

KING Frederick III. had by Sophia Aemilia of the House of Lunenburgh, a Numerous Issue, to wit: Two Princes and four Princesses. The eldest was Christian, born in the year 1646, on the 15^th of April, in the Castle of Flensburgh,

whilst his Father was yet Arch-Bishop of Bremen, his Grandfather K. Christian IV. being his God∣father. The second Anna Sophia born in the year 1647, Married to the then Elector of Saxo∣ny, John George in the year 1666. The third Frederick Aemilia, was born in the year 1648. Married in the year 1667. to Christian Adolph the late Duke of Holstein Gottorp. The fourth Gulielmetta Ernestina, Born in the year 1650, given in Marriage to Charles the late Elector Palatine of the Rhine. The fifth was George, Born in the year 1653, and Married to the Lady Anna Stuart, second Daughter of James, then Duke of York and Albany. The youngest Ʋlrica Eleonora Sabi∣na, Born in the year 1654, Married to Charles XII. the late King of Sweden.

King Frederick III. after he saw himself delivered from his Foreign Enemies by the late Peace, and from the intestine Divisions by the late remarkable Revolution, applied all his Care in restoring the decayed State of the Kingdom, by new mo∣delling his Army, and putting his Frontier Pla∣ces in a State of Defence. The Education of his eldest Son Christian he committed to the Ma∣nagement of Otto Skade, his Governour, one of the Senators of the Kingdom; and to the Sieur Mathesius, his Tutor, afterwards Danish Resident in the City of Dantzick.

In the Year 1655, the said Prince was by the States of Denmark declared Successor to his Fa∣ther Frederick in that Kingdom; and soon after receiv'd Homage accordingly at Wiburgh in Jut∣land: The States of Norway following their Example, performed the same in the following Year 1656, at Christiania, the Capital City of that Kingdom; whither he was sent in the Year

1661 (the next after the Great Revolution) with a good Squadron of Men of War, under the Conduct of the then Lord Treasurer, Hani∣bal Seastede, the Lord Chancellor Reets, and the Archbishop Hans Swana, to receive Homage of the States, as Hereditary Prince.

But King Frederick having observed in this young Prince a most particular Inclination to Martial Exploits, during the last Siege of Co∣penhagen, where being animated by the un∣daunted Constancy and Bravery of his Father,* 1.1 he had given such singular Proofs of his active Spirit, as far surpassed his Age; and being de∣sirous to give all possible Encouragement to his Noble Designs, which were to improve himself by Travelling in foreign Countries, he sent him abroad in the Year 1662, under the Conduct of Christopher Parsberg, a Person, who had signa∣liz'd himself by his Great Experience in the Management of Matters of the highest Moment, in Consideration of which, he was afterwards dignified with the Title of an Earl, and that of Vice-Chancellor of Denmark. They took their Way by Land through the united Provinces, and the Spanish Netherlands, where after having taken a View of the Chief Cities of those Pro∣vinces, they arriv'd at Calais in France, towards the beginning of September, where being met by several Yatchs, sent by Charles II. then King of England, they took the first Opportunity of Tran∣sporting themselves into this Kingdom, and ar∣riv'd safely in a few days after at London. Here he receiv'd the Compliments of the Chiefest of the English Nobility (being lodg'd in Exeter-House, and defrayed at the King's Charge) and having visited both our Universities, and being

created a Knight Companion of the most Noble Order of the Garter, he return'd, after a Stay of two Months, by the Way of Dover into France. There was at that time residing in Paris, in the Quality of Danish Ambassadour Extraordinary, the beforementioned Hanibal Scastede, who, had made himself remarkable by his Conduct in Managing the late Revolution in Denmark. Prince Christian was lodged in the said Ambassadours Pallace, where he received the Visits of all the Princes of the Blood, and of the Duke of Orleans, the French Kings own Bro∣ther in particular; and before his departure from that City, was presented by the King with a Sword and Belt set with Diamonds. After a stay of twelve Months in France, he left Paris, in order to pursue his Journey to Italy, but by special Command from his Father King Frederick, was stop't at Grenoble, to return thro' Germany.

Among other Courts of the Princes of the Empire, he visited that of William Landgrave of Hessen Cassel, where he fell in Love with that incomparable Princess Charlotta Aemilia, the Daughter of the said Landgrave; so that after his return into Denmark, he would not rest satis∣fied till he had obtained his Royal Father's Con∣sent to Marry that Princess; which Match was consummated at the Royal Seat of Amalienburgh, on the tenth day of May in the year 1667.

King Frederick III. happening to die towards the latter end of the year 1669. was succeeded by his eldest Son Christian V. who found the Kingdom involved in great Troubles, by reason of the ill State of the Kingdom, quite exhaust∣ed by the late unsuccessful Wars, and the hea∣vy Taxes which were of Necessity to be laid

upon the People to Maintain a sufficient Force against the Danger that threatned them from an Enemy, whose Power being encreased of late, by their losses, they had all the rea∣son to Fear would for the future Improve the Antient Hatred betwixt those two Northern Nations, to his Advantage. For, after the Swedes had once found Means to untie the Knot of that Union which was in former Ages made betwixt these Northern Crowns,* 1.2 they made such Encroachments upon their Neigh∣bours, as (by degrees) to render themselves formidable to all Europe; whereas some Ages before, they were scarce in a Condition to Cope with Denmark alone. For they Wrested Carelia out of the Hands of the Muscovites which serves them for a Bulwark on the side of Finland; the like they did with the Pro∣vinces of Ingermanland, Esthen and Liefland, all very Fertile Countries, the last being the Gra∣nary of Swedeland. The City of Riga, the Ca∣pital of Liefland, Situate upon the River Duina, being of the utmost Consequence to the Swedish Crown, by reason of its Commerce with Mus∣covy, Lithuania and Courland. But what is to be look'd upon as the most Considerable of all, were their late Conquests on the side of Nor∣way and Denmark; in the first they had extend∣ed their Limits to the Mountains that divide that Kingdom from Sweden, by making them∣selves Masters of the two Provinces of Jempter∣land and Hchrendahlen; in the last they had Guarded their Frontiers by the Conquest of the Provinces of Halland, Bleckingen, Shonen, and Bahus; the three first of which being Si∣tuate on the other side of the Sound, and the

last just above it, and consequently Opposite to the Danish Shoar. The Kingdom of Sweden, which formerly lay Exposed to the Danes for above fifty Leagues together, has, by making the Sound the common Foundary of their Do∣minions on that side, secured it self against any Attempt of the Danes, which, as the Case now stands, cannot be undertaken thereabouts without a vast Charge and great Hazard.

The Acquisitions of the Swedes in Germany, have been look'd upon by some as of no great Conse∣quence to them, by reason of their great distance, they being not to be succoured by that Crown, but by the Baltick; which occasioned a warm Debate among the Swedish Senators, at the time of the West phalian Treaty; some among them being of Opinion, that because they could scarce be maintain'd without a great deal of Trouble, they would rather be a Burthen, than an Advantage to them; and advised therefore, that another equivalent would turn to a much better Account, than those remote Provinces, which, in time, by the Jealousy of its Neigh∣bouring Princes, might entangle them in a fo∣reign War, at a great distance from Home. But those who were of another Sentiment, urg'd, that they ought not to let slip so favourable an Opportunity to get a firm footing in the Em∣pire, by annexing those Provinces with the Kingdom of Sweden, which would entitle them to a considerable Share in the Management of the Affairs of Europe; that by being possess'd of the strong City, and Port of Wismar, and the Maritim Cities of Pomerania, they had a fair op∣portunity to encrease their Naval Strength, and to keep a Communication in the Baltick.

But what most of all turn'd the Ballance on the side of the last, was, that from the Dukedom of Bremen, they might attack Denmark in its most sensible and best Part on the German side, where the Territories of both the Northern Crowns are divided only by the River Elbe.

The Danes had been made sensible of the Truth of this Maxim to their Cost, in the late War of 1657, 1658, the Smart of which was so fresh in their Memory, that King Christian V. immediately after his Accession to the Throne, made it his Chiefest care to put his Military Af∣fairs into such a Posture, as to be able to Cope with so potent a Neighbour, whenever occasion should offer; for which purpose, he ommitted no∣thing which he thought might contribute to the Defence of the Kingdom, by raising and re∣pairing Fortifications in all such Places as were most exposed to the Attacks of an Enemy, and introducing a good Martial Discipline among his Troops, under the Command of experien∣ced and faithful Officers, being for the most part Germans. But there was another Obstacle, which, as it was near home, so it was the more Dangerous; This was the Jealousy conceiv'd at the Proceedings of the Duke of Holstein Got∣torp, who owing his Soveraignty over the Duke∣dom of Sleswick, obtained by the Treaty of Roshilt, to the Swedes, was supposed to stand in a good Correspondence with that Crown, the better to maintain himself in the Possession of it. 'Tis true, the Danes endeavoured by giving one of their Princesses in Marriage to the said Duke, to link him again to their Interest; but as the Ties of Matrimony very seldom stand in competition with Interest (especially

among Princes) so this Alliance was so far from answering the desired Effect, that the Danes found every day new Matter of Jealousy at the Duke's Proceedings, which at last broke out into a Rupture, which is not composed to this day; And these Domestick Divisions have∣ing been in agitation for above these twenty Years last past, and are at this time the Chief Entertainment of Europe, we will trace its O∣rigin in the following Chapter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  K. Chri∣stian V. Tra∣vels.
• * 1.2

  The State of Denmark after the death of King Frederick.