170 VISIT TO DENMARK [1799. 



He said in a very sad way to him, that it would not 

 end there that a revolution dreadful to all Europe 

 was at hand and spoke as if he knew it otherwise 

 than by mere conjecture : he added, " I must hasten to 

 finish my revolution before this begins, and before it 

 becomes dangerous to call together the States/' 



The most extravagant accounts are given of his 

 eloquence of his uncommon powers of persuading 

 and talking people over, and his irresistible faculty of 

 producing tears in his audience. Yet he did not 

 understand Swedish as well as French, and used to 

 write his speeches in the latter, and then have them 

 translated. He contrived by his address and eloquence 

 to ingratiate himself wonderfully with the people, 

 whose power he wished to balance against that of the 

 nobles. 



"Whilst he was in Finland he was himself outwitted 

 by the Danes. General Mansback (whom we saw and 

 conversed a great deal with at Friedric's Hald) was 

 sent over on a message of compliment to him, and 

 stayed a week entire with him, but in fact to be a spy 

 on his intentions ; and the king's constant tone was, 

 " I am sure Denmark will do nothing against a peace 

 so necessary," &c. &c. But all of a sudden the General 

 (Mansback) and the Prince Eoyal broke into Sweden, 

 and had wellnigh taken Gottenborg, had not the 

 English minister (Elliot) threatened to bombard 

 Copenhagen. The present king is totally unlike him 

 both in person and character. He is wholly managed 

 by a junto, who direct everything, to the great dis- 



