After several interviews with this nobleman, it was finally arranged that Mr. Wraxall should set out for Celle with all practicable despatch. But points of material consequence must previously be adopted. Among them, the most important were the agent's credentials and despatches. It was dangerous to commit anything to paper, as he might be stopped, searched, and discovered on the road, which, in more than one place, ran through the dominions of Denmark. On the other hand, it was indispensable to convince the queen that he was invested with powers to treat with her, on the part of the noblemen exiled to Altona, as well as other persons in various parts of the Danish territories. To obviate these difficulties, the following expedients were determined on:—
Baron von Bülow delivered to Mr. Wraxall in lieu of credentials a seal, with which, when in Queen Matilda's family, he was accustomed to seal those private or confidential communications that he often, from the nature of his office, had occasion to make to her. He assured Mr. Wraxall that, so soon as her Majesty should see it, she would have no doubt of his coming from the baron, and would have faith in what he was empowered to impart. This seal was to be produced in the event of Caroline Matilda assenting to the plan.
The plan was, that a numerous and powerful party was disposed to restore her to the throne, and that they had invested Mr. Wraxall, as their agent and representative, with powers to treat with her. They were ready and willing to incur all the dangers or hazard annexed to such an enterprise, provided she, on her part, agreed to three conditions:—
First. That she assured them of her willingness to return to Denmark, and to assume the reins of government, which the king was incapacitated to direct in person.
Secondly. That she engaged to co-operate with, and to assist her adherents in every way and by every mode in her power.
Thirdly. That she would endeavour to induce the King of Great Britain, her brother, to extend his protection and assistance toward the success of the enterprise.
As for obvious reasons it would have been imprudent and hazardous to commit these propositions to paper, it was left to Mr. Wraxall to draw up a letter to the queen as soon as he arrived at Celle. It was likewise settled that, in order more effectually to evade suspicion or enquiry, he should, on leaving Celle, proceed to Hanover, as if on his way to Holland, and thence return by cross-roads to Hamburg. In case her Majesty assented to the three propositions made her, Mr. Wraxall was authorized to name Baron von Bülow, and young Baron von Schimmelmann, as the two avowed chiefs of the proposed counter-revolution. No other names were entrusted to him, as these two were judged sufficient in this early stage of the business; eight days were calculated as adequate for the purposes of the mission, and a spot was fixed on in the city of Hamburg where Mr. Wraxall, on his return, should meet Baron von Bülow at a certain hour.
Thus authorized and instructed, the agent set out from Hamburg on the evening of October 8, 1774, travelled all night, and reached Celle on the ensuing evening. He learned immediately, to his great regret, that the Hereditary Princess of Brunswick was then in the castle, on a visit to her sister, the queen. Her presence augmented the difficulties of his errand, and the Danish nobility had warned him to be on his guard with respect to her. They dreaded lest the queen, from motives of affection and confidence, might communicate to her the nature or purpose of his errand. They were equally afraid of her suspecting or discovering it. These apprehensions were founded on the circumstance that the queen dowager of Denmark, Juliana Maria, was sister to the then reigning Duke of Brunswick, and aunt to the hereditary prince.
One great and important arrangement yet remained to be made ere Mr. Wraxall could advance further,—the mode of delivering his despatches to the queen. It was hardly practicable to present a letter to her, except in public; and even to do that, a pretext was necessary, which might have, at least, an air of plausibility. Mr. Wraxall, while at Hamburg, had accidentally heard Mr. Mathias, the British minister, say that he might have occasion to write to her Majesty at Celle on the subject of a company of comedians, who were accustomed to repair thither annually in the autumn, to play for the amusement of the queen. Mr. Wraxall, therefore, determined to say that he was the bearer of such a letter from Mr. Mathias, of which he had taken charge on his way back to England, through Hanover and Holland. He was well aware that he should have the honour of an invitation to dine at her Majesty's table, and as no better mode of communicating his errand to her offered itself, he resolved to give the letter into the queen's hand in the drawing-room, when he should be presented to her before dinner.
Having formed this resolution, Mr. Wraxall sat down on the night of his arrival in Celle and drew up a despatch, addressed to her Majesty, in which he stated every circumstance relating to his mission. He entered into the requisite detail, only reserving the names of the noblemen who had sent him, until he should have the honour of being admitted to a private interview with the queen. He stated the conditions demanded of her, and concluded by entreating her to favour him with as quick and explicit an answer as the nature of the subject would admit. He especially requested her Majesty to take some occasion of re-delivering his letter to him, for two reasons: one, that it might be unsafe for such a document to remain in her hands; the other, that the contents of it would be the best testimony to the persons for whom he was acting that he had accurately conceived and faithfully executed the purpose for which he was sent.