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Chap. LV.
BORREBY.
371
first Protestant High Chancellor of Denmark, the friend
of Luther and Melancthon, who faithfully served his
country for fifty years under four successive sovereigns.
John died unmarried, and Borreby descended to his
nephew Christian,* who likewise filled the office of
Chancellor, and was minister plenipotentiary to the
Court of Queen Elizabeth. Now, in the southern wing
of the old mansion was a vaulted chamber called the
“ Letter-room,” formerly full of old chests and
manuscripts long since dispersed. From the ceiling hung
suspended an enchanted bell; and when the Chancellor
Christian Friis was at his last extremity, he told the
Lady Mette Hardenberg, his wife, that, when she should
hear the bell in the letter-chamber sound, she must
prepare to follow him to the grave. And thus it occurred
some years afterwards. One evening the lady was
sitting at cards when the bell in the letter-chamber was
heard to toll. Lady Mette laid down her cards, and
said to her friends, “ I have a good hand, but I shall
not live to play it out—I am about to die.” At the
same time she expired.
The Daa family next became lords of the manor.
Valdemar Daa laid waste a forest of oaks by cutting
down the largest trees to build a costly man-of-war, which
he expected the king, Frederic HL, to purchase at an
* The Friis have given two Chancellors of the name of Christian.
The other, great-nephew to the gallant old Bishop of Viborg, was one
of the first eleven knights of the Armed Hand, whose names arc
perpetuated in a distich :—
“ Friis, Lung, Skeel, Rantzau, Rantzau, tu Bildcquc, Rantzau,
Sinklar, Sparr, et Pens, Sandberg et Skeel, partis cqucstris.”
Charles I. esteemed 1dm so highly that, when Sir Thomas Roe was
sent ambassador to Denmark, Charles gave him an autograph letter to
Friis, recommending him to his especial notice.
2 b 2
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