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he received an anonymous letter, purporting to come from
the Queen of Denmark, Louisa, daughter of George II., or
from the English Minister at Copenhagen, in which it was
vaguely hinted that the queen would supply ;£ 100,000
to the Court of Sweden if the king would adopt a more
friendly attitude towards England and Denmark. On
the next morning after the receipt of this letter Blackwell
requested an audience of the king and told him of its
contents. According to the king’s statement, he also
at this interview dropped some words about altering the
succession ; but this Blackwell stoutly denied. At first his
Majesty seemed to take the matter lightly, but on the
following day he opened his mind to Tessin and requested
him to bring the matter before the Privy Council. Here
quite a different opinion prevailed : the case was treated as
most serious from the first. A Committee of eight members
was appointed, with Tessin, Blackwell’s only accuser, as
President. It was at once resolved to arrest Blackwell,
but secretly, and without causing a sensation. For this
purpose a deputation, headed by one Löwenhielm, was to
wait on him on pretext of wishing to hear his opinion on
certain agricultural matters. Having thus gained access
to his house and rooms, he caused the unfortunate man to
be removed by the guards and brought before the
Committee, whilst a strict search was made among the letters
and papers left at his house. At the same time a message
was sent to the Swedish Ambassador at Copenhagen
explaining that Blackwell had been arrested on account of
“ knavery, unfulfilled promises, and improper behaviour.”
At the first trial the accused denied having touched the
question of succession at all; but on the strength of the
king’s statement—who, however, only said that there had
been some utterances on the u possible or eventual change
of the succession to the Swedish throne ”—and other
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