The investigation gradually assumed such immense proportions, that the sittings to examine the prisoners and witnesses could not be closed till the end of March, or for nearly two months and a half.
CHAPTER IX.
THE QUEEN'S TRIAL.
THE QUEEN'S LETTERS—AN EXTORTED CONFESSION—THE HIGH COURT OF INQUIRY—THE INDICTMENT—STATEMENT OF WITNESSES—REVOLTING DETAILS—AMATEUR DETECTIVES—THE MAIDS-IN-WAITING—FRAULEIN VON EYBEN—SENTIMENTS—PRESENTS—THE VERDICT DEMANDED.
When the new power was established in Copenhagen, a species of suite was appointed to wait on the unhappy Caroline Matilda, less in the quality of attendants than of spies and gaolers. The persons selected were Fräuleins von Sperling and Von Schmettau, Count Holstein zu Ledreborg, and Gentleman of the Bedchamber Von Raben, all persons who were disagreeable to her. Juliana Maria, who was nothing if not bigoted, at once set to work to provide spiritual assistance for her prisoner, and one Chemnitz, garrison preacher at Elsinore, with incredible ferocity insulted, in the name of Heaven, a princess who was already so unhappy. He chose as his text the following verses from Isaiah, chapter xiv.:—
"And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
"And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve.