246 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



which must operate in some mea- 

 sure in favour of Bernaclotte ; 

 while at the same time, tliat the 

 offer of the Dane to reside at Co- 

 penhagen, would tend to render 

 him an object of suspicion, and 

 to weaken the loyalty and attach- 

 ment of his own subjects. The 

 king of Swe'dcn, on the day above 

 mentioned, with the advice of 

 his council, proposed to the 

 states, as a successor to the 

 Crown, John Bernadotte. A letter 

 from Buonaparte had been re- 

 ceived by the king and committee 

 for preparing a list of the candi- 

 dates, in which he professed the 

 strongest attachment to the inte- 

 rests of Sweden, and a resolution 

 to defend and promote them. He 

 hoped, that in chusing a successor 

 to the reigning sovereign, the 

 states would select one of similar 

 sentiments; but said he should 

 not interfere in the election. 



On the 21st of August, Berna- 

 dotte was chosen Crown Prince 

 of Sweden by the general voice of 

 all the orders composing the states, 

 and an ambassador was sent to 

 Paris, to announce their decision 

 to the Emperor and the prince 

 elect. The world began now to 

 combine this event with the mur- 

 der of count Fersen, and some 

 even with the death of the prince 

 of Augustenburg. 



Count Fersen, the representa- 

 tive of one of the most ancient 

 and opulent families in Sweden, 

 like so many other young men of 

 rank in that countr}', had entered 

 into the military service of France. 

 He served as a volunteer in the 

 American war with England, with 

 great distinction : and at the peace, 

 by which it was terminated, was 

 decoratpt|yyi^thqofderptJ\Iili|ary 



Merit. In the flight of the royal 

 family of France from the castle of 

 the Thuillcries to Varennes, he 

 acted as coachman. When the 

 royal cause became quite forlorn, 

 he returned to his native country. 

 He was a handsome man, of po- 

 lished, as well as frank and engag- 

 ing manners, intelligent, hospita- 

 ble, and generous, and of intrepid 

 courage. He was considered by 

 those who knew him as the pride 

 of chivalry. Gustavus HI. raised 

 him to the office of grand marshall, 

 the second under the Crown ; and 

 for some years he was minister of 

 state for foreign affairs. Many 

 places of high honour were also 

 conferred on his relations. He was 

 in high favour not only with Gus- 

 tavus HI. but with his son Gusta- 

 vus IV. and justly considered as 

 hostile, in proportion, to the revo- 

 lution in France, and the usurpa- 

 tion of the throne by Buonaparte. 

 He had no share whatever in the 

 confederation for dethroning Gus- 

 tavus Adolphus. He was still be- 

 lieved to entertain a cordial attach- 

 ment to that prince; andsuspected 

 of being ready to improve, if not to 

 form, a conjuncture ibr hisrestora- 

 tion. Hence the plausibility of the 

 charge, though utterly ground- 

 less, of having cut off the prince 

 of Augustenburg by poison. That 

 such a person as count Fersen 

 should be out of the way, on the 

 occasion of an election, whereby 

 Bernadotte was to be raised to the 

 Swedish throne, was mighty con- 

 venient for the interests of Buona- 

 parte, and that means should have 

 been used by him for putting him 

 out of the way. not incongruous 

 with his policy. 



In all the great capitals of Eu- 

 rope, Buonaparte h^d jp his pay 



