$78 Original Account of the Affaffnation of the King of Sweden. { Nov. 
he jocofely faid, ‘‘ Let us fee, whether 
they will dare to aflafinate me.” : 
‘Fhe court happened to be m mourn- 
ing. The king, according to the cuttom 
of the country,was dreffed ina fhort bleck 
weft, with a robe of the fame colour. 
This robe exaétly refembled that worn 
by the abbés in France. -A long icarf 
of black taffety was folded feveral times 
round his body. 
The ball had already commenced. 
His mafk could not prevent him from 
being known by the infignia which he 
wore, as well as by the hurried and quick 
fiep characteriftic of his late Swedith 
majefty. ; (ot i 
‘The king no focner made his appear- 
ance, than the cry, ‘‘ The king! the 
king !’\ was repeated in a kind of whif- 
per from every partofthe aflembly. A 
crowd immediately precipitated itlelf to- 
wards him from the bottom of the hall; 
another group, advancing from the oppo- 
fite quarter, endeavoured to force Its way 
through. Thefe two partics meeting, 
probably by preconcerted defign, caufed 
a temporary and inftantaneous ftoppage. 
The king found himfelf completely fur- 
rounded. In this critical moment the 
report of a piftol was heard, the ex- 
plofhon of which feemed to be {mothered. 
‘The. monarch inftantly fell, and was 
caught in the arms of baron Von Effen, 
who had never quitted his mafter’s fide. 
«<J am wounded (faid the king) by a 
tall* mafk in black.” 
The king was conveyed, with all pef- 
fible expedition, to his apartment. On 
the firff examination it appeared, that he 
had received a very deep wound in the 
fide. He had perceived the piftol levelled 
at his breaft, and, by a rapid motion of 
his hand, had warded off the blow from 
that mortal part to hisfide. The numer- 
ons folds of his {carf had deadened tie 
force of the ball, otherwife he muft have 
been killed upon the fpot. Tne fearf 
itfelf had caught fire from the explofion, 
the fames communicated to his rebe, but 
were extinguifhed in the bal]! room. 
In the f{cene of confufion, which im- 
mediately took place, the young baron 
de Pollet, fon to the governor of Stral- 
fund, had the prefence of mind to fetch 
the troops in garrifon at Stockholm, on 
whofe fidelity the friends of the king 
esuld fully rely. Every-avenue of the 
honte was immediately befet, and nota 
* The affaftin was not tall of fiatute, bet 
Frobably appeared { at this moment to the king, 
® 
fingle perfon fufered to leaye.the place, 
freth numbers of the military arriving 
every moment. 3 
In the midft of this tumult, fome per- 
fons, moft undoubtedly in the intereft of 
the malcontents, endeavoured to increafe 
the diforder, by giving the alarm of 
fire. The ftair-cafes throughout the 
whole building were unprovided with 
bannifters, having only a kind of pedef- 
tal at ftated diftances. Thefe pedefials 
were taken poffetfion of by fome of the 
malcontents, who kept their pofts with 
furprifing pertinacity ; and fuch was the 
general eagernefs to efcare the threaten- 
ed ravages of the Hames, that many of 
them were the viciims cf their own 
contrivance, being thrown headlong te 
the bottom ef the ftair-cafe. 
In a litle time M. de Lilienfpeare, 
Heutenant of the police, entered the hall 
with a numerous efcort. The building 
was con:pletely inveited with troops, 
who debarred all perfons whatever from 
either entering in or leaving the place. 
The number of perfons affembled was be- 
tween feven and eight hundred. The 
lieutenant pofted himfelf at a tablé in 
the hall, with his fecretary by his fide, 
Every perfon was individually fummon- 
ed to give an account of his mame, age, 
profefiion, and refidence. 
After feveral had, in this manner, paff, 
ed mufter, the turn’ came to Anckar- 
ftroem, an enfign in the regiment of Blue 
Guards. He affeéted an air of affurance, 
but fufpicion was already directed againft 
him. One of the muficians belonging to 
the orcheftra_ had remarked that he had 
forced himfelf very clofe to the perfon of 
the king, at the time of his bemg fur- 
rounded. The mufician having openly 
made this remark before the whole 
company, it eafily reached the ears of 
Anckarftroem. In the interval, between 
conveying the king to his @partments 
and the arrival of the troops, he had 
thrown himfelf in the way of this mu- 
fician, whom he invited te partake of 
fome refrefhment with him, drank to 
his good heaith, and very cordially thook 
hands with him at parting. Thefe falfe 
carefies produced an effeét diametrically 
contrary to what. Anckarftroem ine 
tended. The:mulician not only conti- 
nued te promulgate his fufpicions, bur 
relared the additional circumftances of 
-Anckarfiroem’s fudden generofity. Thefe 
particulars were quickly reported to the. 
lieutenant of police. . 
Anckarfiroem was aétually habited ia 
a black 


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