There was one thing, however, that prevented him from acting as he wished, namely, the High Royal Council, which was composed of respectable men, most of whom were children of the country, and all, from youth up, educated and instructed in state science, and knew the constitution, the laws, and the nation. This college must consequently be abolished; and it was done under the excuse that his Majesty was impeded by it, and could not exercise his sovereign power with perfect liberty. But the meaning of this and other things was speedily detected when the maître des requêtes presented himself as privy cabinet minister, and the man whom all the king's subjects, high or low, or whosoever they might be, must obey as the king's representative, and whose orders, with his signature, must be as much respected as the king's. Thus this ambitious man, through greed for gain and that he might fully satisfy his pleasures, dared to undertake the affairs of two kingdoms, and, though inexperienced in the language and laws of the country, alone do that which so many worthy men had divided among them, and had found plenty to do in managing the business of their respective departments. Under the pretext that the council impeded the king, he had the audacity to abolish it, but to assume greater authority than the council ever possessed, as I shall more fully prove.
This daring measure taken by him was regarded as the second which would, some day, break his neck, and, by his ruin, put an end to that of the country. A privy cabinet minister was seen to choose people as his advisers from whom not much good could be expected,—partly because they had been educated like him, and understood nothing about what they undertook as statesmen, or in other qualities; partly, because they were selfish projectors and persons who wished to be fattened like him, though not to so great a degree. He regarded himself as the person who was summoned to promote the prosperity of Denmark and Norway and the welfare of the king; but everything must be altered, no matter whether the changes were useful or not, so long as they were made. He and his adherents tried to turn everything topsy-turvy. The official, when he rose in the morning, did not know whether he would not lose bread and office before evening. A proof of his foolhardiness, but also of his intention to strengthen his position, is, that he proposed his brother, who was "Professor Matheseos" at Liegnitz, in Silesia, as a deputy of finances in Denmark and Sweden, a man who may be good enough as a mathematician, though there is no want of natives possessed of the science, but must be as experienced in the management of the finances as a blind man in astronomy. Hence his summons here could have had no other object but, with united strength, to attack and conquer the royal exchequer, in which Struensee made various large and important grasps for himself and his adherents. He did not forget himself and his companions. Many thousand rix-dollars, even whole sums of 60,000 dollars, were, with false cunning and impudence, stolen from the royal exchequer against his Majesty's will and pleasure, solely to enrich himself and his adherents, so that they might be in a good humour with him. On the other hand, he never hesitated to rob other people of their income; and, in order to make it the more painful, it was generally done in a jeering manner. With the cabinet orders he behaved dishonestly; he issued them without the king's permission; and he did not bring them forward in the order that his duty commanded, as I shall most submissively prove. As he showed by his acts, his resolution was to treat the nation with harshness, with contempt, and as a people that had no "sentiments." His own words, in the answer to Count Brandt's warnings, are as follow: "Vous me reprochez que j'inspire la peur à tout le monde, et vous m'en deviez faire compliment parce que c'est la seule ressource pour un état énervé, affaibli, avec une cour et tout un public intriguant et un maître faible par respect et qui a le même penchant pour le changement que son peuple;" and in another passage: "Le conte et la complaisance ont été la source du malheur de Danemarc." But is it surprising that he should treat the people with contempt, when he ventured to do the same to its head, as I shall prove?
It might have been supposed that the affairs of the kingdom would have given him enough to do: but he still thought proper to play the doctor, by his own explanation, through affection for the royal family. His Royal Highness the Prince Royal was to be educated in accordance with his (here the right expression fails me) sentiments. I shall return to this presently, for which reason I will mention it now as shortly as possible, but no man of sense could understand how this could go on well for any time, for it seemed as if the doctor first wished to deprive the prince of his health, in order to show that he was capable of restoring it,—an attempt by which the two kingdoms could not be benefited. The other amiable royal personages, whom his craft and power could not prevent from being an obstruction to him in his undertakings, he was seen to treat with a certain degree of indifference. The exalted commissioners know as well as I that I am speaking the language of truth: for I could prove by many thousands of witnesses, the universal sorrow which was felt at seeing the king's brother, who was certainly the king's best friend, separated from him in a very marked way. The king's servants trembled at Struensee; he was so harsh to his own servants, that he threatened them with the "Blue Tower:" he reproved them because they were not used to wait on great people, by which he alluded to himself, which he could do the more safely, as these people either were not aware of his former servitude, or did not dare remind him of it, and which had been a service with honest men, it is true, but not with great persons. From these facts, however, his audacity and extraordinary foolhardiness can be seen, for he was not only harsh to his servants, (who, according to his principles, could not expect a government post, but must live on the means which they had saved up after years of extraordinary roguery,) but was even so impudent as to reprimand the servants in the presence of the exalted person whose subject and fellow-servant of servants he was. He not only interfered in things which he did not understand, but also appointed persons to offices in colleges of whose duties they were ignorant, from which many people concluded that he wished to convert everything into a chaos, or perform some extraordinary feat as a physician—as, for instance, prove that land animals were best fitted to the sea; as otherwise, this man's enterprises cannot be comprehended, and as they are mad things, I can only represent them in this ridiculous manner, in which I employ his own expression which he used against his king: "that is ridiculous." He despised the language and laws of the country. Everything must be translated for him into German, by which the work was doubled for others, and affairs could not be expedited so quickly, although it seemed in other respects as if he wished everything to be done at the double.
He overturned the laws which served to maintain honesty and respectability, but after his fall they regained their old validity, which is a sufficient proof for me in this respect.
In addition to the exalted ministers, other persons of noble birth and rank were treated by him with contumely, whence they could not remain at court, but retired to their estates and retrenched their expenses, by which the city of Copenhagen lost considerably through the reduced value of house property, and the inhabitants through the loss of the custom of the nobles. He did not like Copenhagen: it seemed to him too large for a city in Denmark. Consequently, he wished to weaken its power and prestige, and he was so daring as to take away the privileges accorded to its citizens, which they gained by risking their life and blood for their king, the royal family, and the Fatherland. On the other hand, he sought to amuse the mob by various displays of fireworks, free night toping and other jollities and carnal pleasures, which, however, he wished so contrived that they could be carried on without infection.[87]
It would surely lead too far to reckon up all the follies which were set in work by this foolhardy person. And in the midst of all this he believed he had de Daniâ bené meritus, so it was no excessive honour for him to become a Danish count.
Foolhardiness is seen in all his undertakings. He considers himself worthy of so great an honour, because he has had for two years an opportunity of leading a horrible life in Denmark. To be raised to this height has always been reckoned a proof of worthiness, and services rendered to the king and the kingdoms. In this instance, however, it is quite the contrary. Count Struensee regarded all that which is called rank or title as something which must not be sought after, but be bestowed on specially distinguished men, who have rendered themselves worthy of it through their services,—Exempli gratiâ, his brother, who was made Councillor of Justice, on account of his knowledge of finances. If he became a count, therefore, it must be assumed how great his services had been. The only humility he displayed in the receipt of this dignity was, that he procured his friend, Chamberlain Brandt, the same honour, although the latter had not taken such interest in the prosperity of the country as Count Struensee. But as we may say of him and Struensee, vivimus ex rapto, they must be equal in the honours as in the plunder. Though the Order (of Matilda) was so innocent when received from the exalted hand which founded it, Count Struensee entertained the daring design of being honoured immediately after with the Order of the Elephant.
All this impudence, in the midst of his most brilliant and powerful position, lowered him in the eyes of all people: his recipes for the state were regarded as quacksalvery; his services as dead flies in an apothecary's gallipot. Both himself and his adherents could not hold their tongues; partly, because they wished to know beforehand what people would say about this or the other design which was going to be carried out; partly, because in case of need they wished to be able to place themselves in a position of defence, or fly to Kronborg; for in Copenhagen they had nothing good to expect. But the discontent increased so greatly, that as many "one thousand million execrations" were heaped upon him, as there were brilliants in the golden shield which his running footman wears in his cap. This discontent with his conduct could not remain hidden from him. Count Brandt, who is to some extent to be pitied, on account of the friendship which he formed with Count Struensee, but cannot be excused, warned him: the daily pasquinades published about the count and his band, and of which he was informed every morning, at length disquieted him. The Horse Guards were abolished, and no longer stood in his way. The Foot Guards must also be got rid of. This was effected; but in a way which proves that Count Struensee in this affair also behaved like a villain to his king and benefactor.