| Citation |
MS-B.772.057
6 Aug 1772:934 (2/77)
Extract of a letter from a Danish merchant to his
correspondent in London.
I do not blame you for defending the Queen Matilda, you
are an Englishman; but if you are in earnest, and really
believe she is innocent, then I must tell you, that had you
but known a tenth part of the heinous circumstances laid to
her charge, you would have condemned her yourself, . . . [14
lines] This young woman, who is called here the Messalina
of Denmark, if perchance she had not seen Struensee for
twenty-four hours, would be sending for him all over the
town of Copenhagen, messenger after messenger, and sometimes
twenty of them in a day. So great was her jealousy, that
she forbid many ladies of distinction the Court, upon the
most groundless suspicions of their being great with
Struensee. As an instance of her weakness, as well as want
of common prudence, I must tell you, that last Christmas-day
she made Struensee a present of a piece of new fashioned
English silk to make a bed-gown; but Struensee, who it seems
had a greater passion for a favourite Italian actress than
for the young Queen, made a present of this English-
manufactured silk to this actress; she, proud and vain of
her conquest, had it immediately made up, and appeared in
all the public walks. The Queen happening one day to see
her walking in the streets in this new acquired dress, stung
with rage and jealousy at her fair rival's superior charms,
instantly dispatched some of her domestics with orders to
tear the gown from off her back; the royal orders were
immediately carried into execution, and the lovely actress
was accordingly stripped stark naked in the public streets,
in the presence of a thousand spectators. I leave you, Sir,
to make your own comments on this true story, and am
persuaded you cannot but think the whole Danish nation are
happy in getting rid of her.
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