642 
STRUENSEE. 
an early age he manifested very promising talents, and de¬ 
voted himself to the study of medicine ; and having taken 
Jris degree of doctor in 1757, he removed to Altona ; and 
there obtained extensive medical practice. Besides the 
acquaintance he formed with two persons, viz., count Von 
Ranzau Aschberg, and count Brandt, connected with his 
subsequent fate, he acquired also, in the course of his prac¬ 
tice, the friendship of the widow of the chief marshal of 
the court of Denmark ; and thus was honoured with an 
appointment, in 1768, to be one of the physicians of the 
king, whom he accompanied in his tour to Germany, France, 
and England. Soon after the marriage of Christian VII. 
with Matilda, the English princess, an open rupture suc¬ 
ceeded a coldness that was observed to subsist between this 
prince and the queen. The queen-dowager availed herself 
of this circumstance, with a view of recovering her lost 
influence. The misunderstanding between the two queens 
was increased on the birth of the crown-prince; nor did 
the king’s tour contribute to lessen his indifference towards 
his consort. On his return, the discontent was manifested 
more openly and decisively; and divided the nation into 
two parties. The most numerous party was supported by 
the minister and the principal officers of state; and at the 
head of it was count Hoik, the king’s favourite. The 
queen-dowager had her partizans at Friedensburg ; and some 
young persons, who had neither influence nor property, 
took part with Matilda, and entertained hopes that, on ac¬ 
count of her youth, beauty, and engaging manners, a recon¬ 
ciliation might be effected between her and the king. The 
young queen, however, well knowing that these friends had 
no experience in court-intrigues, formed her own plan ; and 
determined to make every possible effort for depriving count 
Hoik of the royal favour, and thus of regaining the confi¬ 
dence of the king. Hoik, for his own security, endeavoured 
to widen the breach between the royal pair; and conceiving 
that Sti'uensee hated the queen as much as he himself did, he 
persuaded his royal master to take Struensee with him, 
whenever he visited the queen. But, contrary to Hoik’s 
expectations, the king became attached to Struensee; and 
the queen, remarking this change, became gradually fami¬ 
liarized to his company; and her aversiou to him was suc¬ 
ceeded by an admiration of his talents, his wit, and his ex¬ 
tensive knowledge. The crown-prince being at this time 
inoculated for the small-pox, under the superintendance of 
Struensee, the queen informed him, that, in recompence of 
his services, he should be intrusted with the prince’s educa¬ 
tion. Struensee having succeeded in the operation, was 
made a counsellor of conference, with a salary of 1500 dol¬ 
lars, and appointed reader to the king and queen. This 
new favourite succeeded in his endeavours for producing a 
complete reconciliation between the king and his royal con¬ 
sort ; which was followed by an indifference, on the part of 
the former, towards Ilolk. Bernstorf, the minister, became 
jealous of Struensee, and attempted, though unsuccessfully, 
to undermine the confidence reposed in him by the king and 
queen. Soon after, the court made a tour to Schleswic; and 
the heads of the different parties composed the royal suite. 
The queen behaved to both parties in the same courteous 
manner. Brandt succeeded Ilolk in the king’s favour and 
confidence ; but Bernstorf, though mortified by the loss of 
his influence over the king, declined making a voluntary 
resignation. His fate, however, was soon determined, and 
intimation was given him that his services were no longer 
necessary. The remaining members of government were 
dismissed, and the administration was formed by the friends 
of the queen and of Struensee. During these events the 
queen-dowager remained at Friedensburg, watching their 
progress, and condoling with the discarded ministers. The 
queen at length obtained a complete triumph. The king 
behaved to her with the affectionate tenderness which her 
amiable qualities deserved ; and Struensee possessed her con¬ 
fidence, and employed all possible means to retain it. The 
king, naturally of a weak mind, was secluded from society 
by Struensee; and Brandt was commissioned to keep him 
constantly occupied with amusements. The king was gra¬ 
tified by this mode of life; the influence of Struensee was 
augmented ; and he at length accomplished his main object, 
which was that of preventing his majesty from personally 
transacting any business with his ministers. In process of 
time, or towards the close of the year 1770, Struensee, in 
order to retain his power more securely, prevailed on the queen 
to commit to his management the whole business of the cabi 
net. In consequence of this measure, the whole form of the 
government was new-modelled; and public business was 
transacted in the king’s name, by those immediately around 
him. But Struensee's paramount power was of no long du¬ 
ration. His boldness, approaching to the highest degree of 
insolence, degenerated into timidity, when any of his mea¬ 
sures were opposed ; and though he conducted foreign affairs 
according to the principles of sound policy, his internal ad¬ 
ministration, perverted by avarice or ambition, did not an¬ 
swer the purpose intended The various measures which he 
projected for the improvement of the government and coun¬ 
try, and which our limits will not allow us to detail, excited 
dissatisfaction amongst persons of every rank. Struensee, 
however, was indefatigable in the complicated duties of his 
office, and sedulously attentive to the education of the crown- 
prince. Two of his brothers were advanced to stations of 
importance; one in the new college of finance, and the 
other in the department of war. Brandt, Berger the phy¬ 
sician, and other confidential persons, remained constantly 
near the king’s person, nor were any others, suspected to be 
adverse to the existing order of things, permitted to have 
any intercourse with him; so that his indifference to public 
business gradually increased, and his capacity for conduct¬ 
ing it diminished. In July 1771, the queen was delivered 
of a princess; and as she knew the surmises, originating at 
Friedensburg, that were circulated on this occasion, she was 
not unapprehensive that they might serve as pretences to 
wrest from her the power which she had acquired. She was 
unfortunately dependent on Struensee, who, by the abuse of 
his power, had become an object of detestation. Not con¬ 
tent with being inrolled in the list of the Swedish nobility, 
and being created Count, he invented a new title, or that of 
private counsellor of the cabinet, and with this he acquired 
a degree of- power which hyl never been enjoyed before by 
any minister of Denmark. In fact, it was this ambitious 
minister’s aim to annihilate the royal authority ; and in the 
circumstances then existing, and under the protection of the 
queen, if he had conducted himself with more prudence, he 
would have defeated the machinations of those who were 
meditating his ruin. His friends, probably foreseeing his 
fall, became cool and indifferent; and the people in gene¬ 
ral, while they despised his power, execrated his name. A 
spirit of discontent pervaded all ranks; the sailors and the 
soldiers complained of his conduct; and the populace joined 
the malcontents in their opposition and murmurs. The dis¬ 
satisfaction and tumult that prevailed increased Struensee’s 
timidity: his measures were indecisive, and his situation 
became every day more dangerous. The British minister, 
actuated by a respect for the young queen, endeavoured to 
hasten his removal from power, and he himself wished for 
a release. Accordingly, he offered him a sum of money to 
enable him to quit the country. The queen, apprehending 
that her enemies would get the king into their hands, and 
obtain possession of all the royal power, opposed this mea¬ 
sure. A crisis, however, was approaching; and Struensee 
could no longer resist or controul the counsels and opera¬ 
tions of those who were hastening his downfall. Notwith¬ 
standing the measures which he adopted for insuring his own 
personal safety, and which were interpreted by the people 
into a kind of avow'al of his political misconduct, every 
thing conspired, not only to accelerate his own ruin, but to 
favour the plan which had been formed against the young 
queen. On the morning of the 17th of January, 1772, the 
inhabitants of Copenhagen heard, not without astonishment 
and terror, that this princess, count Struensee, his brother, 
count Brandt, and all their friends and adherents, had been 
arrested 
