[142] In the margin is noted: ‘At my desire the prison governor gave me a rat whose tail he had cut off; this I placed in a parrot’s cage, and gave it food, so that it grew very tame. The woman grudged me this amusement; and as the cage hung in the outer apartment, and had a wire grating underneath, so that the dirt might fall out, she burned the rat with a candle from below. It was easy to perceive it, but she denied it.’
[143] In the margin stood originally the following note, which has afterwards been struck out: ‘In this year, 1676, the prison governor married for the third time; he married a woman who herself had had two husbands. Anno 1677, Aug. 9, died my sister Elisabeth Augusta.’
[144] On a piece of paper which is fastened to the MS. by a pin is the following note referring to the same matter: ‘On March 4, in the same year 1678, a woman named Lucia, who had been in the service of Lady Rigitze Grubbe, became my neighbour. She was accused by Agneta Sophia Budde, as the person who at the instigation of her mistress had persuaded her to poison Countess F. Birrete Skeel, and that Lucia had brought her the poison. There was evidence as to the person from whom Lucia had bought the poison. This woman was a steady faithful servant. She received everything that was imposed upon her with the greatest patience, and held out courageously in the Dark Cell. She had two men as companions, both of whom cried, moaned and wept. From the Countess Skeel (who had to supply her with food) meat was sent her which was full of maggots and mouldy bread. I took pity on her (not for the sake of her mistress, for she had rendered me little good service, and had rewarded me evil for the benefits of former times, but out of sympathy). And I sent her meat and drink and money that she might soften Gert, who was too hard to her. She was tortured, but would not confess any thing of what she was accused, and always defended her mistress. She remained a long time in prison.[E58]
[145] In the margin is added: ‘Ole the tower-warder was cudgelled on his back by the prison governor when Margrete was gone, and he was charged with having said what Margrete had informed him respecting her size.’
[146] In the margin is added: ‘Other natural matter was evacuated, but the stone stuck fast in the duct, and seemed to be round, for I could not gain hold of it with an instrument I had procured for the purpose.’
[147] In the margin is added: ‘The prison governor told me afterwards that the King laughed when he had told his Majesty my answer about the clavicordium, and had said, “Yes, yes.”’
[148] In the margin is added: ‘The woman who attended on me received eight rix-dollars monthly.’
[149] In the margin: ‘She had him learn wood-carving.’
ENDNOTES
[E1] This journey really took place in November and December, 1656.