Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A60030
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A short account how the kingdom of Denmark became hereditary and absolute, by a difference betwixt the Lords and Commons Published as a warning to other nations.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing S3531A; ESTC R203712
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9,732
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8
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Pomp his Body had lain some Months in State and according to the Custom was to be accompanied to its Interment by all the Nobility then in Town this being a Parliament time was chosen for the Ceremony because the Nobles were all together and a magnificent Dinner was prepared as is usual on the like occasions In the height of their Entertainment an Officer comes into the room and whispers some of the principal men that the City Gates were shut and the Keys carried to Court For the King having been informed by the Governour that two or three had privily slipt out of Town the Night before and being resolved that no more should escape out of the Net till he had done his business had ordered the Governour that Morning to lock the Gates and to let no Person in or out without special Order The Governour sent one Bill the Town Major to put this in Execution who as soon as he had done it came to the House where they were met and sat down at Table among the Senators This dismal News of the Officer was presently whispered round the Company who immediately applied themselves to him to know what the meaning was of such an unusual Proceeding at the time of a General Convention They asked him what destiny was appointed them whether they were there to be Massacred or what else was to be done with them The Town-Major calmly answered That he believed there was no Danger towards them that such violent Measures would not be taken by so gracious a King tho he had indeed given the Orders himself for the shutting of the Gates and that no Body was to stir put of Town without leave but that this needed not disturb or hinder them from finishing the Work of the Day and pursuing the Publick as well as their Private Occasions There wanted no more than this Confirmation from the Officer to overthrow all the Resolutions and Confutations of the Nobles the dread of losing their Lives took away all thoughts of their Liberty They immediately dispatched Messengers both to the Court and the Commons to give notice of their disposition to comply with what was formerly proposed assuring them likewise that they were ready to agree to all that should be asked of them But the King who had began and played his Game so well hitherto determined to pursue it to the utmost and would not suffer the Gates to be opened till the whole Ceremony of the Inauguration was concluded and the Homage done in due form and therefore ordered they should stay till in the Face of the People and the Army they had sworn Fealty and devested themselves of all Right as well as Power to cause any Disturbance or Alteration for the future Three days time was requisite to prepare Matters for that fatal hour wherein they were to make a formal Surrender of their Liberty the Scaffolds were raised in the place before the Castle and adorned with Tapestry Orders were given for the Soldiery and Burgers to appear in Arms under their respective Officers And when all things were ready on the 27th of October in the Morning the King Queen and Royal Family mounted on a Theatre erected for that purpose and being placed in Chairs of State under Canopies of Velvet received publickly the Homage of all the Senators Nobility Clergy and Commons which was performed kneeling The Oath which they were obliged to take was in these words I A. B. do Promise and Declare that I will be True and Faithful to your Majesty as my most Gracious King and Lord as also to Your Royal Family that I will Endeavour and promote Your Majesties Interest in all things and to the best of my Power defend you from all Danger and Harm and that I will faithfully serve Your Majesty as a Man of Honour and an Hereditary Subject ought to do So help me God c. This Oath they were all obliged to pronounce aloud and some Men of Quality that were sick or pretended to be so were brought in Chairs Among others one Gersdorf a principal Senator who was the only man that opened his Mouth in the behalf of their Expiring Liberties saying That he hoped and trusted that his Majesty designed nothing but the Good of his People and not to govern them after the Turkish manner but wished his Majesties Successors might follow the Example which his Majesty would undoubtedly set them and make use of that unlimited Power for the good and not the harm of his Subjects Not one of the rest spoke a word or seemed to murmur in the least at what was done and it is observable that among so many Great Men who a few days before seemed to have Spirits suitable to their Birth and Qualities none had the Courage during those three last days either by Remonstrance or any other way to oppose in any manner what was doing And I have heard very intelligent Persons who were at that time near the King affirm That had the Nobles shewed ever so little Courage in asserting their Privileges the King would not have pursued his Point so far as to desire an Arbitrary Dominion For he was in continual doubt and dread of the Event and began to waver very much in his Resolutions so that their Liberties seem purely lost for want of some to appear for them From the Theatre those that had done Homage went to the Council-House where the Nobles were called over by Name and ordered to subscribe the above-mentioned Declaration which they all did Thus this great Affair was finished and the Kingdom of Denmark in Four Days time changed from an Estate little differing from Aristocracy to as absolute a Monarchy as any is at present in the World The Commons have since experienced that the little Finger of an Absolute Prince can be heavier than the Loins of many Nobles The only comfort they have left them being to see their former Oppressors in almost as miserable a Condition as themselves whilst all the Citizens of Copenhagen have by it obtained the insignificant Privilege of wearing Swords So that at this day not a Cobler or Barber stirs abroad without a Tilter at his side let his Purse be never so empty The Clergy who always make sure Bargains were the only Gainers in this Point and are still much encouraged by the Court as the Instruments that first promoted and now keep the People in a due Temper of Slavery the Passive-Obedience Principle riding Triumphant in this unhappy Kingdom It was but Justice that the Court should pay well the principal Contrivers of this great Revolution and therefore notwithstanding the general want of Money Hannibal Seestede had a Present of 200000 Crowns Swan the Superintendent or Bishop was made Archbishop and had 30000 Crowns The President or Speaker Nanson 20000 Crowns And to the People remained the Glory of having forged their own Chains and the Advantage of Obeying without reserve A happiness which I suppose no English Man will ever envy them LONDON Printed for A. Baldwin in Warwicklane 1700.
A short Account how the Kingdom of Denmark became Hereditary and Absolute by a Difference betwixt the Lords and Commons Published as a Warning to other Nations Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum AFTER the Conclusion of the Peace between the two Northern Crowns Anno 1660. some considerable care and time was necessary to redress the Disorders occasioned by so terrible a War Denmark had been most violently shaken and altho the Fury of the Tempest was over the Agitation caused by it still continued The Army was not yet disbanded nor could be for want of Mony to discharge its Arrears this caused frequent Insolencies in the Soldiers with a further Oppression of the Burgers and poor Country People who had been in a manner already ruined by the Miseries attending the War The Nobility tho Lords and Masters were full of Discontents and the Clergy not in the condition they wished To redress all which Grievances and reduce Affairs into some Order by procuring Money for the Payment and Disbanding of the Army the King thought fit to appoint a Meeting of the Three Estates at Copenhagen viz. the Nobility Commonalty and Clergy which accordingly followed about the beginning of October After some few days Session during which the Nobility according to their usual practice debated how the Sums of Money requisite might with the greatest ease and conveniency be levied upon the Commons without the least intention of bearing any proportionable share themselves several Disputes arose and many sharp Expressions passed between them and the Commons on the one hand the Nobility were for maintaining their antient Prerogative of paying nothing by way of Tax but only by voluntary Contribution and shewed themselves too stiff at a time when the Country was exhausted and most of the remaining Riches lodged in their hands They seemed to make use of this occasion not only to vindicate but even to widen and enlarge their Privileges above the other two Estates by laying Impositions on them at pleasure which Weight they themselves would not touch with one of their Fingers any further than as they thought fitting On the other hand the Clergy for their late adherence to the Interest of their Country and the Burgers for the vigorous Defence of their City thought they might justly pretend to new Merit and be considered at least as good Subjects in a State which they themselves had so valiantly defended They remembred the great Promises made them when dangerous Enterprises were to be taken in hand and how successfully they had executed them thereby saving from a Foreign Yoke not only the City of Copenhagen but the whole Kingdom the Royal Family nay those very Nobles that now dealt so hardly with them They judg'd it therefore reasonable that the Sums of Money necessary should be levied proportionably and that the Nobility who enjoy'd all the Lands should at least pay their share of the Taxes since they had suffered less in the common Calamity as well as done less so prevent the progress of it This manner of arguing was very displeasing to the Nobles and begat much Heat and many bitter Replies on both sides At length a principal Senator called Otto Craeg stood up and in great Anger told the President of the City That the Commons neither understood nor considered the Privileges of the Nobility who at all times had been exempted from Taxes nor the true Condition of themselves who were no other than Slaves the word in the Danish is unfree so that their best way was to keep within their own Bounds and acquiesce in such Measures as antient Practice had warranted and which they were resolved to maintain This word Slaves put all the Burgers and Clergy in disorder causing a loud Murmur in the Hall which Nanson the President of the City of Copenhagen and Speaker of the House of Commons perceiving and finding a fit occasion of putting in practice a Design before concerted tho but weakly between him and the Bishop in great Choler rose out of his Seat and swore an Oath That the Commons were no Slaves nor would from thenceforth be called so by the Nobility which they should soon prove to their cost And thereupon breaking up the Assembly in disorder and departing out of the Hall was followed by all the Clergy and Burgers The Nobles being left alone to consult among themselves at their leisure after a little while adjourned to a private House near the Court. In the mean time the Commons being provoked to the highest degree and resolving to put their Threats in Execution marched processionally by Couples a Clergyman and a Commoner from the great Hall or Parliament-House to the Brewers-Hall which was the convenientest place they could pitch upon to sit apart from the Nobles the Bishop of Copenhagen and the President of the City leading them It was there thought necessary to consider speedily of the most effectual Means to suppress the intolerable Pride of the Nobility and how to mend their own Condition After many Debates they concluded That they should immediately wait upon the King and offer him their Votes and Assistance to be absolute Monarch of the Realm as also that the Crown should descend by Inheritance to his Family which hitherto had gone by Election They promised themselves the King would have so grease Obligations to them for this piece of Service that he would grant and confirm such Privileges as should put them above the degree of Slaves They knew he had hitherto been curbed by the Nobility to a great measure and now saw their own force being able since they had Arms in their Hands and the concurrence of the Souldiers to perform what they undertook At the worst they supposed they should only change many Masters for one and could better bear hardships from a King than from inferior Persons Or if their Case were not better'd at least they thought it some comfort to have more Company in it besides the satisfaction of Revenge on those that had hitherto not only used them ill but insulted over them so lately They knew the King and had seen him bear with an admirable Patience and Constancy all his Calamities were perswaded that he was a Valiant Prince who had often exposed his Person for the sake of the Publick and therefore thought they could never do enough to shew their Gratitude which is the usual Temper of the People upon any benefit receiv'd from their Prince Scarce was this proposed but it was agreed to and nothing but the unseasonableness of the time it being now near Night deferred the immediate Execution of it but all the necessary Measures were taken against next Morning The Clergy had a further drift in this Change of Government for having been hitherto kept under by the Nobility they forecasted to have no other Superior but the King whose new Authority they engaged to maintain by the influence they had on the Consciences of the People expecting with reason the like Favour