To those who bear not from mere trill

of tongue, Words of foft nothing, by foft nothing fung,

[Sings] But one dull chime in Solo, Duo, Trio,

Ah! Mio Bel, to-Ah, Bel Idol Mio. Who, by no forcery of fashion bound, Liften for fenfe, ere they applaud the found;

We offer fhelter in well-hearing feats, And our best promise of united treats. Next for friend John, this country's ftrength and pride,

Plain, frugal, competent, and fatisfied; Who flying alehoufe, ribaldry, and ftrife, Takes Sue in arm, for John ne'er flies his wife

And dedicates to an inviting play,

The extra gainings of a lucky day.

crowds,

So fits enthron'd in vegetable pride Imperial Kew by Thames' glittering fide;

Obedient fails from realms unfurrow'd bring

For her the unnam'd progeny of spring; Attendant nymphs her dulcet mandates hear,

And nurfe in foftering arms the tender year,

Plant the young bulb, inhume the living feed,

Prop the weak fem, the erring tendril lead;

Or fan in glass-built fanes the stranger flowers

With milder gales, and steep with warmer fhowers.

Delighted Thames through tropic umbrage glides,

And flowers antarctic, bending o'er his tides;

Drinks the new tints, the fweets unknown inhales,

And calls the fons of fcience to his vales. In one bright point admiring Nature eyes The fruits and foliage of difcordant skies, Twines the gay floret with the fragrant. bough,

And bends the wreath round George's royal brow.

Sometimes retiring, from the public weal

One tranquil hour the Royal Partners teal;

Through glades exotic pass with step sub

lime,

Stockholm, March 17th, ten at night. 'YE ESTERDAY, three quarters of an hour past eleven at night, the king being at a ball at the opera, a wretch, by favour of the crowd, paffed through the maks behind his majefty, and discharged a pistol-fhot upon him, which took place a little above the hip, on the left fide, near the backbone. Notwithstanding fo fevere a wound, the king had ftrength enough to walk to a cabinet near the hall: there he placed himself on a fofa, and converfed with feveral perfons of distinction who had followed him into the cabinet, till the furgeons, who were fent for, arrived, to examine and drefs his wound; after which his majefty was conveyed to the palace, and let blood at four in the morning. Soon after the fhot was fired, two piftols were found in the hall of the opera, one of which had been used by the affaffin, and the other was still loaded. In this latter was found a charge of two balls, feveral grains of small fhot, and fome fmall iron nails.

The affaffin was discovered, and apprehended next day (the 17th) about ten in the morning. He confeffed his crime, and depofed, that the piftol he made ufe of to effect it, was loaded with two balls, one round and another fquare, befide twelve grains of small shot, and feven little iron nails. He declared alfo, that he had in his hand a large two-edged dagger.'

The above account accords with a paper printed under the title of A Relation of the Affaffination attempted on the perfon of the King, in the night between the 16th and 17th of March, read on the 18th in the afternoon, at the Sitting of the Council.' The latter contains befides, That the fecond piftol found in the hall of the opera was loaded with two balls, a number of grains of small shot, and little nails, with a wadding of brown paper, and that the piftol fired was loaded in the fame manner; that the affaffin, John Jacob Anckerstroem, formerly an enfign in the guards, with the rank of captain, but difimiffed from the fervice, was difcovered and apprehended the next morning at ten o'clock; that the physicians and furgeons have relieved the affliction of the royal family, and the confternation of the people

of Stockholm, by an affurance that although all the fhot was not yet extracted from the wound, there was every reason to think that no part was hurt of which the cure was either dangerous or doubtful.'

The appointment of a regency was announced by the following edict, figned by the king's own hand, on the 17th, and read in all the churches of the capital:

'We, Gustavus, &c. make known by these presents, that, as according to the advice of phyficians we have need of repose, by reafon of a piftol-thot, which we received last night, so that we cannot give all our time and application to the affairs of government, as we have been always accustomed to do, we have entrusted the government, which will be continued on the ufual footing, to the following feigneurs, viz. to our dear brother, the duke of Sudermania, to the fenechal of the kingdom, count Wachtmeister, to the marshal of the kingdom, count Oxenftierna, to the chamberlain and lieutenantgeneral, baron Taube, to the chamberlain and major-general, baron d'Armfelt. It is our fupreme and gracious pleasure, that all our faithful subjects and officers execute with fubmiffion the orders of this regency. In teftimony of which, &c.'

One of the first acts of this

regency was to order public prayers for the prefervation and recovery of the king, by a circular letter to all the confiftories of the kingdom, which contains the following admonition: We expect of the zeal and fidelity which you owe to us, and to your profeffion, that you give an example to your auditors, both by practice and by exhortation, and that you preach to them good and ufeful precepts, fuch as the Chriftian religion, and the laws of civil fociety prescribe.'

His majefty expired, as already men-, tioned (See page 312) on the 29th of March; fince which the following account of the proceedings against the confpirators has appeared by authority:

THE royal Swedish court of Justice commenced immediately the trial both of Anckerftroem and others, who have been drawn in as participators in the murderous 3 B

con

d

the laft war, and at every other time, had difplayed the fureft proofs and moft infallible tokens; beside which count Ribbing communicated to count Horn and Anckertroem, that major-general baron Charles Frederic Pechlin had been informed of their undertaking, and would provide for the revolution, which was to be after the affaffination of the king; for which reafon it appeared much more neceffary that the murder should be executed next mafquerade, as they were otherwise in danger of being difcovered, fince the plot was difclofed to fo many; it was alfo refolved that they fhould all three meet at count Ribbing's, who was to get a number of people to the mafquerade. After Ribbing had on Friday, according to his confelfion, been with major-general Pechlin, and informed him of the plot, and defired him to get as many people as he could to the masquerade, which Pechlin promised to do, without informing them why they were to go there; Horn, Anckerftroem, and Ribbing, met at the japartments of the latter, where Ribbing informed the others how he should be dreffed, that he might be known by Anckerftroem and Horn at the masquerade, both of whom went thither after Anckerítroem had loaded his piftols with bails, hot, and nails; befide which he took with him a large knife ground sharp on both fides, and to which a barb was made; when the king presently after came into the room, Anckerstroem in the crowd approached him, took the piftol from his fide pocket and fhot the king, who food with his back toward him, fo near that the mouth of the pistol touched his clothes. Anckerftroen, who, when the king did not fall, was about to complete the murder with the knife, was fo agitated and confufed, that he dropt it on the floor, and let the piftols alfo fall gently at the fame time; as he drew himself back among the people, to create a general confufion, he cried out, Fire! which was repeated by many others.

Befide what has in the above appeared against lieutenant-colonel Liljehorn, he has himself acknowledged, that he, from diffatisfaction at the form of government, had, on certain terms, promited to make

ufe of the blue and yellow guards, which, during the diet, were under his command, to hinder the king's views, which the lieutenant-colonel of himself, without the leaft knowledge of any other person, had bound himself to do; befide which, he had been in confultation with major-general Pechlin about it; he alfo acknowledges not only that count Ribbing had confided to him the cruel affaffination which was refolved on, at the intended masquerade of 9th March, but that the late baron Thure Bjelke had disclosed to him the danger which threatened the king on Friday 16th March: alfo that he was informed of it the fame day at dinner by major-general Pechlin. Lieut. Charles Frederic Ehrenfward, who is also a party in the affair, has made a voluntary con feffion, that he was feduced by his attachment to lieutenant-colonel Liljehorn and major-general Pechlin to participate in the knowledge of this atrocious crime ; that he had been informed by count Ribbing when the murder was to be executed, but not by whom; and that he, who was alfo to go to the mafquerade, was enjoined by Liljehorn to bring him the first account of it, as Liljehorn did not wish to hear it from any one else.

Against the councellor of chancery, Jacob von Engerftrom, it appears from the confeffion of others, that he received information from Thure Stenffon *, late baron Bjelke, of what was intended againt the king's facred perfon; but he has only himself acknowledged, that he, two days before, had heard from Liljehorn of the danger which threatened the king; and the fame day the horrid murder was to be committed, he, together with Liljehorn, dined at major-general Pechlin's, where he heard, and took part in, a converfation with Pechlin and Liljehorn about it; alfo that difcourfe and opinions were given concerning the form of government after the king's death.

Major Chriftian von Hertmansdorff, of the artillery, who is alfo drawn in by the confeffions of the criminals, has in his narration acknowledged, that he, before the commencement of the diet, was defired by major-general Pechlin, in cafe the king at the dict fhould ufe force, to