JET. 22.] AND SCANDINAVIA. 129 



and entered by it ! In short, he is humoured in every- 

 thing, and appears to be in truth an idiot. 



In the mean time the Queen-Dowager and Crown 

 Prince manage everything. Count Schonneny, the 

 Finance Minister, is said to be the most powerful of 

 the Ministry ; but Selby (at Stockholm) told me that 

 BernstofF (the son of the great Minister), who is only 

 thirty, and a very able man, is in great influence. I 

 rather believe, however, that he is only the organ of 

 the Council. Indeed it matters not what he is at 

 present, as the Crown Prince is to all intents and pur- 

 poses Prime Minister. The King signs his name and 

 appears at Court ; he is, however, a mere puppet. The 

 Prince's brother is not in favour, and, I understand, 

 does not appear at Court. 



The ambassador Grouvelle (who read the sentence 

 to Louis XVI.) lives very retired."* I see, however, 

 that he is popular among the prevailing powers, the 

 merchants. I have heard young Selby excuse him 

 by making him say that "if people knew all the 

 circumstances they would not blame him so much." 

 The Dutch Minister also is popular. Lord Eobert 

 Fitzgerald is violent against both, and withdrew his 

 name from the society at Kouch's. "When Grouvelle 

 came he handsomely retired ; but as the others did not, 

 the matter remains. Both the French and Dutch 

 Ministers were received at the society with open arms. 



* Grouvelle, frequently mentioned in the ' Moniteur* as " litterateur 

 et diplomate," was sent as ambassador from the Eepublic to Denmark 

 in 1713. 



VOL. I. I 



