140 THE CITY AS IT WAS AND IS. 



OLIVER. Aye, I remember. It occurred in 1768. I was a young 

 man then, but my friend was old and full of honours. His trade 

 lay chiefly with the Baltic ; and one day two persons, who said they 

 were Danes, one of them calling himself Mr. Fredericsohn, presented 

 him with letters of credit to an unlimited extent from the chief mer- 

 cantile and banking-house of Copenhagen, and asked for the sum of 

 five thousand pounds, which, after due examination of the vouchers, 

 and no little surprise at the amount, my friend paid. A few days 

 after, while passing through the stable-yard at St. James's, he re- 

 cognized Mr. Fredericksohn entering the palace by a door which, as 

 he learnt from a centinel on duty, none were permitted to enter but 

 the attendants of the King of Denmark, then on a visit to England. 

 He therefore reasonably enough concluded that his customer was one 

 of the persons who supplied Christiern VII. with the means of satis- 

 fying his taste for profusion, extravagance, and dissipation; and, 

 consulting with his better half, it was agreed that the next time Mr. 

 Fredericsohn appeared, he should be invited to tea, the merchant 

 hoping to become a partner in the profits of the presumed money- 

 lender. The strangers soon renewed their visit; and Mr. Frede- 

 ricksohn demanded just double the sum he had previously required, 

 which was paid him, and the invitation given and accepted. The 

 gentlemen were punctual to their appointment, and the merchant 

 soon opened his battery, by inquiring " if Mr. F. were not in re- 

 lation with the King of Denmark." " I am, Sir," was the reply. 

 " May I presume to ask the nature of your employment at court?" 

 " Principally to dress and amuse his majesty," was the answer. " Ah ! 

 I understand, Mr. F. you minister to his majesty's pleasures." 

 " Exactly so." te Is it true," proceeded the merchant, placing his 

 forefinger on the seat of intellect, " that you understand me, Sir 

 his head is something like a waste book ?" " Between ourselves," 

 observed the respondent, " the king is a confounded ass/' " Exactly 

 what I meant a mere fool ; but how does he contrive to spend his 

 money, Mr Fredericksohn ?" " Principally in the purchase of 

 jewels for the ladies." " And whom does he employ in their pur- 

 chase, my good Mr. Fredericksohn?" "Myself." "Ah! pretty 

 pickings, I presume." " Little profit, I assure you." " Hum ! 

 Well, if I might just hint insinuate something that might tend to 

 our mutual advantage but I fear " " Go on, good Sir, speak 

 freely." " Allow me to suggest, then, that if you would confide 

 to me the charge of procuring jewels for the king, I could contrive 

 to realize one hundred and fifty per cent, net profit, which we might 

 share between us. What say you, Mr. Fredericksohn ?" The con- 

 versation was interrupted at this critical point by the servant an- 

 nouncing a gentleman, who wished to see Mr. Fredericksohn. A 

 page of George the Third immediately entered the room, and bending 

 his knee to Mr. Fredericksohn, presented a letter, which, he said, 

 " her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales had commanded him 

 to consign into the hands of his majesty, and to await his majesty's 

 reply." " We must be going, Count Hoi eke/' calmly observed the 

 king to his companion. " For you, mine host, we must arrange our 

 plans of pigeoning the Danish donkey at some other moment ; but I 



