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Doc. 276.] 669
ATTEMPTS AT EXPLANATION.
which shewed that by his crotchets he had not gained many
adherents ....
"In the meantime I found an opportunity of speaking
with the late Queen Dowager about Swedenborg, when she
herself related to me the anecdote, mentioned above, respecting
herself and her brother, with a conviction which appeared
to me extraordinary. Every one who has been acquainted
with this really enlightened sister of the great Frederic, will
agree with me that she was the very reverse of fanatical,
and that the whole tenor of her mind was free from all such
weaknesses. Nevertheless she seemed so fully convinced of
the supernatural and spiritual conferences of Swedenborg,
that I scarcely dared to express any doubts or suspicion of
secret intrigues ; and a royal je ne suis pas facilement dupe
’
(I am not easily duped), put an end to all refutations.
"I was therefore compelled to keep silence, and to wait
for an opportunity. This occurred very soon, and indeed on
the very next day when I was on a visit to the aged and
venerable Chevalier Beylon,251 now dead, who had been reader
to the Queen Dowager, and in whose company I found one
of the noblest, most enlightened, and most honest Swedes ,
Count F ... The conversation turned on Swedenborg, and
I related what the Queen had told me on the previous day.
The old Chevalier looked at Count F .... , and both smiled
significantly, as if they were acquainted with the secret working
of the circumstances. My attention was now excited, and as
I was very anxious to know more about the matter, the
Chevalier gave me the following explanation:
"The Queen had been looked upon as one of the chief
causes of the revolution, which had been attempted in Sweden
in 1756, and which resulted in the execution of Count Brahe,137
and of Baron Horn,138 the court-marshal ; and the party of
the ’hats,’ which proved victorious, was nearly making her
accountable for the blood which was shed. In this critical
situation she wrote to her brother, the Crown-Prince of Prussia,
for help and advice. The Queen received no answer; and as
the Prince died soon afterwards, she was unable to find out
why he did not answer her letter ; wherefore she commissioned
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