DENMARK 
with offering him an hereditary and abfolnte dominion. 
The king returned his thanks; but obferved, that the 
concurrence of the nobles was neceffary ; he affured them 
of his protection, and promifed to eafe their grievances. 
The nobles, divided among themfelves, but abhorrent 
of the meafure which they were required to fanftion, 
prepared to quit the capital, and feveral had actually 
withdrawn. As fuch a feceflion would have diffolved 
the diet, and nullified the whole proceedings, orders 
were iffued, in the king’s name, for the gates to be unit, 
which procured an immediate and implicit acquiefcence. 
On the 16th of October the eflates abfolved the king of 
all the obligations he had entered into on his receiving 
the crown, and two days after, fcaffolds covered with 
tapeftry were erected in the fquare before the cattle, and 
orders were given for the burghers and the foldiers to 
appear in arms, under their refpeftive officers. In the 
morning, the king and queen, being feated in chairs un- 
tinder velvet .canopies, received publicly the homage of 
all the fenators, nobility, clergy, and commons: which 
was performed on the knee, each taking an oath to pro¬ 
mote the intereft of the Sovereign in all things, and 
to ferve him faithfully as became hereditary fubjedts. 
Gerfdorf, a principal fenator, was the only perfon who 
had the courage to utter a (ingle (entence in behalf 
of their expiring liberties; who faid, that he hoped 
and trufted his majefty defigned nothing but the good of 
his people, and not to govern them after the Turkiffi 
manner; but wiffied his fucceffors would follow the ex¬ 
ample his majefty would undoubtedly fet them, and 
make ufe of this unlimited power for the good, and not 
for the prejudice, of his fubje&s. No one elfe feemed 
in the lead to murmur at what was done. Thofe who 
had paid their homage, retired, to the council-houfe, 
where the nobility were called over by name, and re¬ 
quired to fubfcribe the oath they had taken, which they 
complied with. Thus, in the fpace cf four days, the 
kingdom of Denmark was changed from a date but little 
different from an ariftocracy, to that of an unlimited mo¬ 
narchy. 
The revolution being thus accomplifhed, a new con- 
ftitution was eftablifiled, by an edict confiding of forty 
articles, and entitled the royal law of Denmark ,, by which 
the fucceffion was fettled on the king’s elded fon, and on 
failure of male iffue, in the female line. The kings of 
Denmark and Norway are therein declared to be above 
all human law's, acknowledging in all ecclefiaftical and 
civil affairs no fuperior power but God alone. They 
may make, interpret, abrogate, and difpenfe with, laws, 
except the royal law, which mud remain irrevocable, 
and be confidered as the fundamental law of the date. 
The kings of Denmark have likewife the power of de¬ 
claring war, making peace, impofing taxes, and levying 
contributions of all kinds. The kings who have reigned 
fince this revolution have been, ChriftianV. Frederic IV. 
ChriftianVI. and Frederic V. The latter was fucceeded, 
in 1766, by his fon Chriftian VII. The only one of thefe 
monarchs who has in any degree afpired to the military 
fame of their early anceftors, is Frederick IV. who main¬ 
tained for fome time a defultory war with that celebrated 
modern hero, Charles XII. of Sweden, for the circum- 
ftances of which fee the article Sweden. Chriftian VII. 
married the princefs Carolina Matilda, of England, fifter 
of George III. who, young and inexperienced in court 
intrigues, at only twenty-three years of age unhappily 
fell a facrifice to the political views of the queen dowager, 
aided by the wicked machinations of an interefted and 
jealous party. 
The nobles of Denmark are diftinguidied by the appel¬ 
lation of the higher and lower nobility. There never were 
any dukes in Denmark befide the king’s fons, except one 
nobleman named Knut Pors,who was created duke of Hal- 
land by Chriftopher II. fo that the rank of higher nobles 
includes only counts and barons. The rights and privi¬ 
leges of the barons are much the fame with thofe of the 
2 
counts. The privileges of the lower nobility, like thofe of 
tire former, confift in their being cited only before the king’s 
fuprente court, in all affairs that affedt their life and ho¬ 
nour, except they have a pod in the militia by land or by 
fea; in which cafe this privilege extends only to the fu¬ 
perior officers. No inferior judge can execute a fentence 
paffed upon them, for that mud be done only by the 
judge or his commiffary. The burghers poffcfs greater 
or Icfs privileges, according to the cities of which they 
are members. Hence thofe of Copenhagen poffefs the 
pre-eminence, and have advantages enjoyed by none of 
the reft. The Danifh peafants are of different claffes. 
Some are poffeffors of a fpot of land, which may be con¬ 
fidered as their own property, fince they only make the 
lord of the manor an inconfiderable acknowledgment. 
Others have only a farm, for which they pay a certain 
rent in money, cattle, or corn, to the proprietors of their 
farms, and do inferior fervices, as vaftals, at the manor of 
their lord ; but a date of vaffalage to the crown was en¬ 
tirely abolilhed in Denmark by Frederic IV. in the year 
1702. 
The king of Denmark, as hath been already obferved , 
is an abfolute prince, and confequently his prerogative 
is unbounded. He is, however, guided by the laws 
framed by his anceftors, or by his council ; though he 
lias the power of repealing and altering them as he thinks 
fit. He is the guardian of all the noble orphans, and 
none can fell or alienate their lands without leave of the 
crown, the king being entitled to a third part of the pur- 
chafe money upon every fale, He has, however, few en- 
figns of majefty, except fuch as are military ; as horfe and 
foot guards, yeomen, and the found of drums and trum¬ 
pets ; for the badges of peace, as heralds, maces, the 
chancellor’s purfe, and the fword of (late, are there un¬ 
known. The officers of the houfiiold are the marffial, 
who regulates the affairs of the family, and gives notice 
when dinner or fupper is ready to be ferved ; the comp¬ 
troller of the kitchen, who places the difhes upon the 
table ; and the mafter of the horfe, who looks after the 
king’s (tables and duds of mares. The king fits down 
to, dinner with his queen, children, relations, and general 
officers of the army, till the round table be filled; tlte 
court-marftial inviting fometimes one, and fometimes 
another to eat with his majefty, till all have taken their 
turn in that honour. A page in livery fays grace before 
and after meat; for no chaplain appears but in the pul¬ 
pit. The attendants are one or two gentlemen ; and the 
reft,- livery-fervants. The kettle drums and trumpets, 
which are ranged before the palace, proclaim aloud the 
very minute when his majefty fits down to table ; but the 
ceremony of the knee is not ufed to the king. 
Every winter, the fnow is no fooner firm enough to bear, 
than the Danes take great delight in going in (ledges, the 
king and court firft giving the example, and making fe¬ 
veral tours about the capital in great pomp, attended by 
kettle-drums and trumpets ; their hedges are drawn by 
horfes adorned with rich trappings, and the harnefs full 
of fmall bells. After the court has thus opened the 
way, the burghers and others ride about the ftreets all 
night, wrapped in fur gowns, with each his female in the 
(ledge. 
His Danifti majefty’s titles are, Chriftian VII. by the 
grace of God, king-of Denmark and Norway, and of the 
Goths and Vandals ; duke of Slefwick, Holftein, Stor- 
man, and Ditmarfch. The principal order of knight¬ 
hood in Denmark is that of the elephant, or the blue 
ribbon, which fome authors fuppofe to be founded in 
the twelfth century, by Canute IV. while others fay, 
that it was inftituted by Chriftian I. at his fon’s wedding. 
Its enfign, or badge, is a white enamelled elephant, with 
a caftle on its back, appendant to a blue ribbon, w'orn 
over the left (boulder to the right fide. Thefe knights 
wear on the left bread a filver ftar of eight rays, with 
the Daneborg crofs in the middle of it. The fecond or¬ 
der of knighthood is called the Daneborg order, or the 
white 
