My dear brother, I have not forgotten what you
wrote me : that I should inscribe all your victories in
the blue book that Erik Falkenberg gave me. I have
done so faithfully, and there is already a long row which
I cannot count up by memory. When Eva comes to
see me, she is always very curious to know if anything
has happened. I tell her that everything is done on
her account, yes, that actually the kings of Sweden and
Poland and the czar would make peace with each other
if Eva did not set herself against it and spur you, dear
Gustaf, on to such ambition that there never can be
peace, unless Eva Falkenberg's blue eyes wink their
consent to it.
" The blue, the blue, have all deserved," says Gyl-
lenborg in his new song of 'Daphnis and Chloe.' To
that Eva answers with another color, one that is not
found on Sweden's banner, namely, the red. Yes, dear
Gustaf, it is now more than four years and a half since
you went away, and yet Eva blushes deeply every time
we speak of you. But I cannot promise that she will
blush always, impossible, my wandering knight. Eva
will be nineteen years old in March, and I in April,
children of Eve that we are. One year, at most two,
can the war last yet, otherwise ....
Ah, no ! A Smaland girl sung for me a few days
ago one of their old songs :
"For fifteen years slow-rolling, will I thy coming wait,
And after if thou comest not will I wait on
Mid the roses. "
Cher Gusfave, I congratulate you and the king no,
the king and you for all your great bravery, the fame
of which quite fills the whole of Europe. But in your
private ear I would whisper : There are many who
THE BLUE. 87
regard peace as far better than all of Bellona's man-
dates, and that many sorrowing girls think as I do I
mean as all the rest do ; you must not take that amiss.
It is said here in Stockholm that the king's absence is
more to the glory of the kingdom than to its good, and
the council begins to do obeisance to my most gracious
Princess Ulrika, who has grown tall since you were
here, and resembles somewhat her saintly mother ; but
is not so good at heart as the blessed queen. It is true
that she is sometimes so friendly to us that we see
nothing to show that she is not one of us ; particularly
when we feed the canary birds together ; but at other
times she is haughty, and regards us countesses as so
many chamber-maids, which is almost insufferable ; but
I should add this, that she is for the most part quite
amiable, and that I know her four (!) chief inclina-
tions to a dot; but dearGustaf, you certainly would not
wish me to ...
Yesterday, which was the 24th of January, her royal
highness's birthday was celebrated. Her majesty, the
queen dowager, through the housekeeper . and her own
servants, invited only high officials, foreign ministers,
countesses, and every other lady who is accustomed to
come to court. At five o'clock there were cards and
dancing in her majesty's apartments, the dancing was
in the rotunda. At the usual table sat as many of the
most illustrious as could find room, and up in the ladies'
hall a table was spread for eighteen persons, with four
courses and pyramids. In the rotunda was set an oval
table with seventeen baskets of confections, but they
did not dance after supper, because it was Saturday
evening.
It cannot be very interesting to you, dear Gosta, to
learn the court gossip ; but the bird twitters most about
its nest. I cannot keep it secret that Catherine Lillje
was betrothed last Friday to the page Palmfelt, the
same one who for a half a year burned in a bright flame
for Eva Falkenberg ; be calm, my best brother, he is as
TIMES OF CHARLES XII.
certainly bound in bonds and fetters as I am not so,
but ... I enclose herein a letter from our dear
mother, who, God be praised, is in good health, as is
also Torsten. He was last summer at the baths in
Piermont. Adieu, a thousand adieux, cher frtre. I can
go no further. I write this early in the morning, by can-
dle-light, and deshabilte, but the princess expects us to
be on duty at eight o'clock, and I must not neglect
that. Adieu, Adieu.
Your always faithful little sister,
EBBA.
P. S. 2 o'clock, p. m. I can not seal this without
telling you what the princess said to me this morning.
I came to her a quarter after eight. Her highness made
a little mouth, and I made my excuse that I had been
writing to you. "How does your handsome brother
prosper ?" said she, tout apropos. " In his majesty's pres-
ence," I replied, "every one prospers." " That is good,"
she then said; "I wonder if his pretty blue eyes have
become black with powder-smoke ?" Again the blue !
del, Gustave, can you actually have been princess
Ulrika's first flame ? and never a word have you told
me about it. Now, for the first time, I recall what you
asked about in your letter. The ring Gosta, can I
depend upon your silence and upon the courier ? They
say that letters from Stockholm are sometimes broken
open by Piper.
Chide me not, my best friend; I am dreadfully sorry
for my childishness, but remember that I was only four-
teen years old ; her royal highness the duchess is to
blame for it all. You know how she loves King Charles,
and he her. When he was about to go to the war
she had me called to her one day, caressed me fondly,
and gave me a big bag of candy. Then she said to me :
" Tell me, little miss, is it true that your brother Tor-
sten owns a ring that was worn by the sainted King
Gustaf Adolf, and which makes a man invulnerable in
war ?"
THE BLUE. 89
" I have heard so, your royal highness," said I,
"but I do not know it for certain."
"If you will get me that ring," said she, "I will
give Count Torsten in its stead a ring of much greater
value. He is no warrior and does not need such
things."
" I will ask Torsten for the ring," I said.
" No, not at all," said the duchess, " do not by any
means do that, little friend ; this must not be talked
about to any one; his majesty has a terrible dislike for
all charms. But you exchange the two rings without
Torsten's knowing it, and afterward give me the one I
want, and I promise that you shall be present at the
great fete before the king's departure."
Ah, dear Gosta, I am so sorry ! I never can be sorry
enough for having done her royal highness's will. I
never should have done it if, that very evening, when
Torsten swore and protested to old Miss Posse that
he was madly in love with her (which was mere show,
for I found out afterward that he had laid a wager
with his comrades about it), just then he drew off his
glove and dropped it, and when I took up the glove
the ring was in it, although it generally fitted so tight
that no one could get it off.
In a little while Torsten enquired for his glove, ask-
ing mockingly, as is his wont, if I had found a better
glove than my own. We had that afternoon had a
controversy and disputed like little children, he was
always so annoying. So I answered : '' Here is your
miserable glove. I would not put it on my little fin-
ger." Then I gave him back his glove, but not the
ring, keeping it for the purpose of annoying him when
he missed it. He did not notice that evening that the
ring was gone.
I can not tell certainly, mon cceur, whether her royal
highness noticed my quarrel with Torsten, and drew
her conclusion from that, but very soon afterwards she
came upon me suddenly and asked for the ring, saying
4*
90 TIMES OF CHARLES XII.
that I most surely had it. Whereupon I became very
red, and did not dare to refuse, but gave her the ring;
I have bitterly repented it since. Torsten was very sad
when he missed the ring, and had a careful search made
in every room we were in that evening ; mon coeur, you
can imagine with what success it was done. He for-
bade my ever telling you; you would find fault enough
with him for other things, he said. So he was obliged
to go away without the ring, and with a chagrin that
really pained me ; but could I help it ? I gave him
the duchess's ring instead, telling him it was a farewell
gift from her royal highness, which he believed without
suspecting anything.
I did* not afterwards dare to ask her royal highness
her intentions regaiding the ring, but when I think of
her great love for his majesty, and her asking before if
a person with that ling would not go safe and sound
through every encounter, I am almost certain that she
gave the ring to the king (in case she did not give it to
the blessed duke, her husband). So I will tell you that
the king has it, but does not himself know it ; I can
never believe that he would make use of any charm if
he knew it. I have also heard that he wears a medal-
lion with his blessed mother's portrait; but I can not say
this for certain. If you can form any clear opinion
about this secret, I shall be glad. I am extremely sorry
for my foolishness ; forgive me, cher Gustave, and I
will never do so again.
Your foolish and repentant sister,
EBBA.
THE BLUE. 91
CHAPTER VII.
THE CHASE AT LIEBEVERDA.
KING CHARLES XII now stood at the height
of his victorious career. What brilliant triumphs!
What irresistible progress ! Warsaw taken, re-taken,
and again conquered ; Lemberg stormed with a hand-
ful of cavalry ; the Saxons slaughtered at Punits, the
Poles at Jacobstadt, the Russians at Gemauerchof ;
Lithanen, Vohhynten conquered ; the net of intrigues
hewn asunder with the sword ; the crown of Poland
snatched from the head of August, and pressed upon
the brow of Stanislaus ; the conqueror entering Saxony
like a heavy sea ; all Germany in a tremor ; all Europe
in astonishment ; the Roman Emperor trembling on
his throne, and ready to grant the oppressed Protest-
ants everything they demanded of his kingdom !
And during all this time, while victory, like a con-
quering Norn, followed the Swedish banner in the
South, destruction, like a lurking thunderbolt, crept
behind the conqueror's back, and took silently but
surely territory after territory, strand after strand in
exchange for victories without gain, and honor with-
out wisdom. Noteborg conquered ; Nyenskans thrice
stormed and taken with capitulation ; Dorpot besieged
and taken ; Narva stormed and conquered ; Ingerman-
land and Esthonia overrun and taken ; Livonia and
Courland threatened ; Petersburg founded ; Ankarstj-
erna's attack upon Kronstadt repelled, nothing of all
this was able to withdraw the Swedish hero from his
glorious but unfortunate game for Poland's crown. He
did not 'see what every prudent man about him saw,
that these armies which during his absence had planted
92 TIMES OF CHARLES XII.
the aggressive Russian standard in the west, were no
longer the same that he had overthrown at Narva.
War had bred them ; Czar Peter knew how to learn
lasting wisdom from defeat, while King Charles gath-
ered ruin from victory itself.
The treaty of peace made at Altranstadt, where the
Polish crown fell for a moment from the head of the
"humiliated August, was yet a diplomatic secret, when
Menschikoff at Kalisch slew the Swedes under Marder-
felt. Nothing was able to disturb King Charles's firm
faith in his fortune, that same faith of which Dahl-
berg formerly said: "King Charles thinks fortune is
four-cornered!"
King Charles was a great man; he fought for what
he considered just and right, without looking to the
right or left. He could not bend; therefore, he fell.
The Czar Peter was a great ruler; he fought for his
country's regeneration; he could bend before adversity
without breaking; therefore, he did not fall until he had
reached his goal.
At Altranstadt, near the renowned battle field of
Liitzen, the Swedish army encamped. Charles XII
was shown the spot where Gustaf Adolf fell. The king
was heard to say: "I have sought to live like him;
perhaps God will one day grant me an equally glorious
death!''
Yet the death of Charles XII was not like that of
Gustaf Adolf, nor was his life like his.
King Charles and King August had for the first
time met personally at Giinthersdorf near Leipsic.
Nordberg describes this notable event in four long col-
umns. To see these two kings, cousins by birth, whose
feuds had for six years covered extensive and fruitful
lands with blood and desolation to see them with open
arms fall upon each other's bosom, this was something
so moving that tears trickled down the cheeks of the
assembled warriors. The meeting was so hearty, so
brotherly; King Charles was, contrary to his custom,
THE BLUE. 93
so polite, so attentive; he always gave King August
precedence; they ate side by side, they slept under the
same roof, they conversed together long and confiden-
tially in private. The scoffer, Voltaire, whose admira-
tion never once induced him to lay aside his vile habit
of grinning at everything, describes King Charles at this
meeting as dressed in great cavalry boots, black neck-
cloth, coarse blue coat with its gilded copper buttons,
and the long sword which he carried at Narva and
upon the hilt of which he often leaned. And then he
says that King Charles told his guest that for six
years he had not taken off his boots excepting when
he went to bed, and not even then if the enemy was in
the neighborhood, and that the conversation was of this
character, a libel which greatly offends the honest
Nordberg. But of King August it is said that he was
the most finished courtier of his time, and knew how
to preserve the most cheerful countenance and the
most unaffected courtesy, even when his heart was filled
with sorrow, anxiety, and suppressed rage.
In commemoration of this meeting a medal was
struck having on it the busts of the two kings, and
the inscription: "The heroes whose military renown
mounted to the stars, agree to the desired peace, and
meet at Altranstadt December i 7th, 1 706." The medal
as well as the meeting was something for the world to
look at ; nothing more. Anger continued to seethe in
the breast of August; Charles's inflexible will did not
give a hair's breath; the humiliation and the victory
both alike remained, and the peace at Altranstadt
was an armistice, during which the two adversaries
prepared for new contests.
This winter in Saxony, 1706-7, was the culminating
point in the brilliant military career of the Swedish
hero. Two kings whose crowns he had taken or given
away did him homage ; twenty princes, future mon-
archs and foreign ambassadors, thronged about this
feared youth who had been victorious in six successive
94 TIMES OF CHARLES XII.
campaigns. Marlborough, the contemporary hero of
the great Eugene, came to learn of Charles " what he
had not yet gathered of the art of war." Many noble
Swedish ladies had journeyed thither from Stockholm
to meet their husbands. The splendor of the court
mingled its shimmer with the gleam of arms. The
Swedish army, in which many Finns also fought, num-
bered 16,000 cavalry and more than 19,000 infantry;
no army in Europe could compete with it in military
experience, bravery, discipline, and confidence of vic-
tory.
At this time, in February, 1707, a little Swedish
company of ten dragoons and as many grooms leading
extra horses, and, besides these, twelve or fifteen hun-
ters with their packs of hounds, marched slowly towards
the draw-bridge of the castle of Liebeverda on the
banks of the Elster. It was twilight when they arrived,
and their coming seemed not to be unexpected, for a
part of the attendants at the castle immediately came
to meet them, and conducted the frozen huntsmen into
warm rooms, where tables were spread with smoking
roasts, and provided with great goblets of both ale and
wine.
The officer who led the expedition brushed the
wood-lichens from his blue riding-dress, and was con-
ducted into a brilliantly lighted hall, where a consider-
able company were still assembled after the long-con-
tinued dinner. Coming in hungry and cold, it did not
escape his attention that the company had been drink-
ing, but there was also still left the trace of a ceremoni-
ous respect, with which the assembled drinking cham-
pions held themselves at a distance from one particular
person, whose handsome and knightly figure showed
at the first glance that he was of noble birth and ac-
customed to command.
This man, who was the center of the gay company,
was no other than the elector of Saxony, now ex-king
of Poland, and the dark man at his side, with the inqui-
THE BLUE. 95
sitive look, was his renowned field-marshal, the con-
queror of Diinamiide, General Fleming.
The Swedish officer stepped forward with 'a res-
pectful salute, gave his name and delivered his message:
that his master King Charles would not fail to come to
the castle the next morning, to take part in the great
chase to which his majesty was invited, and also that
the king's hunters and hounds under the care of the
messenger had been sent thither beforehand.
The Swedish messenger was a young man, little
more than twenty years old, but tall and broad-should-
ered. The ex-king scrutinized him a moment with the
eye of a connoiseur, frowned as he noticed the skill
with which the Swede, with all respect otherwise,
avoided giving him the title of " majesty," but quickly
resumed his obliging and complaisant mien; was glad
that King Charles would honor his hunt, and finally
asked the newly-arrived guest to take a place at the
table. " I have been told," added the elector, with
ready memory, " I have been told that Count Bertel-
skold was a valiant participant in my royal friend's
bear-hunts. It will be an honor to the wild boars of
Saxony to be laid low by so experienced an adversary.''
Gustaf Bertelskold it was he who bore the king's
message was too little experienced as a talker to reply
to this civility. Therefore, with a silent bow, he took
the appointed place.
After the short interruption occasioned by the mes-
sage from King Charles, the carousal proceeded with
a zeal and after a fashion which in our day would be
little suited to the presence of a sovereign prince. But
the chivalric August knew equally well how to conduct
carousals and love affairs, the coarsest raillery and the
most exquisite gallantry. How two crowned heads had
several years before rioted at Birsen! And here at
Liebeverda the wild boar's funeral banquet was cele-
brated in advance with an energy which in no slight
degree reminded one of the natural disposition of the
96 TIMES OF CHARLES XII.
animal for whose destruction they now prepared them-
selves. There was no deception in the beakers emptied
by that circle of hunters, and it was a lawful and loyal
custom that as soon as the elector raised the bowl to
his lips, all the guests were bound to do the same, and
between times freely to remember the sparkling grape
as often as they pleased.
By degrees the wine cup's evening red rose higher
on the cheeks of those assembled, and the conversation
became louder, and there were not wanting travesties
of the dubious stories from the court chronicles of that
time, which are found collected in that remarkable book
"La Saxe Galante"* which was published in Amsterdam
in 1736, in four hundred and sixteen large octavo
pages, with a shameless vignette and a motto that suited
it : Vis inita major. There were not wanting, either,
strange stories of the elector's youth, not forgetting
among them the bull-fight at Madrid, where he, then
prince of Saxony, made his dtbtit with a success which
was dangerous to the hearts of the Spanish beauties.
On King August why deny him a title that he
afterwards regained ? these memories did not fail to
have an enlivening influence. Smiling, he took a silver
plate from the table, and quite easily, without apparent
effort, bent it to a roll between his hand, and then tossed
it as drink-money to a servant.
Loud cries of bravo followed this princely achieve-
ment, and the example challenged imitation. A heavy-
limbed Saxon cavalry captain took out a copper coin,
turned the table-cloth aside, laid the piece upon the
bare table, and with a single blow of his clenched fist
drove it so deep into the oaken board that it stuck fast.
New shouts of applause immediately interpreted the
general admiration.
The king, more and more animated, had several
* This book was a rich mine for Prof. Palmblad in writing his historical
romance "Aurora Konigsmark," certain parts of which are composed with
great talent, while other parts, not without reason, are classed as "file litera-
ture.
THE BLUE. 97
horse-shoes brought in. He inspected them carefully,
laid some of them aside, and finally selected one, which
he passed around the company, that everyone might
be convinced that the shoe was whole and strong, and
had not the least flaw. Then he stood up, took the iron
shoe in his hands and opened it slowly two or three
times. The third time the shoe broke just in the mid-
dle of the curve in two equal pieces, which the king
triumphantly held out, one in each hand, as a proof
that neither wine nor love had softened his muscles
harder yet than the iron itself.
Enthusiasm was now at its height. All the goblets
were filled and emptied, and filled and emptied again, in
honor of "the modern Hercules, the flower of the chiv-
alry of his time, the invincible, in strength and grace
alike the irresistible prince and lord elector of Saxony
and king of Poland (all honor to the peace), who breaks
iron and hearts . . . ."
"And shall one day break all his enemies' weapons
as he breaks this horse-shoe, in spite of twenty snow-
kings," interrupted the Saxon cavalry captain, moved
thereto by the wine and the acclaiming shout, and giv-
ing no heed to the king's frowning glances.
Gosta Bertelskold arose to go ; the only answer he
considered appropriate to the occasion.
But the captain stationed himself in his way.
" Upon my honor," said he, " I believe the little
Swedish dount is afraid of us. Gently, gently, my
young friend ; your delicate virgin-fingers would cer-
tainly never break a horse-shoe in two. Drink,
drink I say, to the health of his majesty, the King
of Poland ! Mart de ma vie, the Swedish boy has not
emptied a single honest beaker yet ! "
Young- Gosta's hand went to his sword-hilt ; it was
Seldom far from the hand to the sword in those days.
But at the right moment he checked himself, seized the
goblet, and draining it to Ui'e last drop, said, with a
G 5
->"<* 4
98 TIMES OF CHARLES XII.
ready comprehension befitting a more experienced
soldier :
"At the request of this gentleman, I drink to the
prosperity of his majesty, King Stanislaus. May he live
long and reign happily."
Scarcely was this said, before one of the Polish
noblemen present drew his sword and placed himself
defiantly before the bold Carolin.
" Draw! " shouted he, " or by the walls of Cracow,
I will write this toast, letter for letter, in red upon your
blue coat!"
"Calm yourself, Wielopolski," interrupted King
August in a commanding tone ; probably he considered
it high time to end a scene which might lead to dan-
gerous results. " Lobenstein, remember that the count
is our guest. Gentlemen, why waste time in needless
quarreling ? If Count Bertelskold drank to Stanislaus
Leczinski, that is his own affair, as it was yours to drink
to me. Let us rather ask him if in the Swedish camp
they do not amuse themselves with any interesting ex-
periments of the kind that we have just been having.
The Swedes are hard-handed as well as brave. I wager
that the young count will not refuse you an answer, my
dear Lobenstein."
" If my honored host will permit, I will attempt
something that is customary with us, "answered Bertel-
skold, as his hand for the second time slipped from his
sword.
" Yes, do so, my dear count ; you will thus do me
a great favor," replied the king, glad to turn the quar-
rel into a pleasant jest.
"Yes, by all means, show us what your fashion is !"
joined in the bystanders, with a rather palpable irony,
convinced as they were that after an August II and a
Lobenstein, the young man would make a failure.
Bertelskold looked about him a moment without re-
plying. Then he suddenly seized Lobenstein with his
right hand and Wielopolski with his left, raised them
THE BLUE. 99
both up at once, held the sprawling gentlemen at arm's
length, and bore them thus, in spite of their opposition,
twice around the table, and with perfect solemnity sat
them down at the feet of the astonished king.
Not a single bravo was heard this time from the
lips of the amazed champions, but their silence gave
better evidence than their previous shouts had done, of