Vision of Charles XI
 

by

Prosper Merimee

It mocks the visions and supernatural occurrences, some of them, however, are so well
documented that if dy lon refused to believe one would have to be consistent, to dismiss en
masse all historical evidence.

Minutes in proper form, contains the signatures of four reliable witnesses, is what guarantees the
authenticity of the fact that I'm going to tell. Jajouterai the prediction contained in the minutes
was known and named long before the events of today have arrived laccomplir published.

Charles XI Charles XII's famous father was one of the most despotic monarch, but one of the
wisest had Quait Sweden. It restricted the monstrous privileges of the nobility, abolished the
power of the Senate, and made laws of his own authority, in a word, he changed the country's
constitution, which was oligarchic before him, and forced the States to entrust the absolute
authority. Cétait dailleurs an enlightened man, brave, strong commitment to the Lutheran
religion, dun inflexible, cold, positive, totally devoid dimagination.

He had just lost his wife Ulrica Eleonora. Although the hardness for the princess had, say,
hastened his end, the initial estimate, and seemed touched by his death more than one would
expected conciliators dun heart as dry as his. Since this event, it became even more grim and
taciturn quauparavant, and devoted himself to work with an application that showed a
compelling need to disapply painful thoughts.

At the end of an evening dautomne, he sat in his dressing gown and slippers before a large fire
burning in his office at the palace in Stockholm. He had with him his chamberlain, Count Brahe,
quil honored for his good graces, and the doctor Baumgarten, who, incidentally, contrasted of the
spirit strong, and wanted lon doubted everything, except medicine. That evening, he had done it
come to consult him on some sort of ailment.

The evening dragged on, and the king, against his custom, did not feel they had, giving them
good night, quil was time to retire. Head down and eyes fixed on the embers, he kept a profound
silence, weary of his company, but fearing, without knowing why, to be alone.

Count Brahe sapercevait although its presence wasn't very nice, and already several times he had
expressed the fear that His Majesty neut need of rest: a gesture of washing his chosen king in his
place.

In turn, the doctor spoke of the harm that the vigils are to health, but Charles replied between
clenched teeth:

"Stay, I havent even sleepy. "

So we tried different topics of conversation that sépuisaient every second or third sentence. It
seemed obvious that His Majesty was in one of his moods, and in such circumstances, the
position is very delicate dun courtier.

Count Brahe, suspecting that the sadness came from the king of his regret for the loss of his wife,
looked at some time the Queen's portrait hanging in the closet, then sécria with a sigh:

"That this portrait is like! Surely this expression at once so majestic and so sweet!

- Bah! bluntly replied the king, who thought he heard a reproach whenever quon pronounced
before him the name of the queen. This portrait was too flattered! The queen was ugly. "

Then, angry inside of his toughness, he got up and walked around the room to hide an emotion
which he blushed. Sarret it before the window overlooking the courtyard. The night was dark and
the moon in its first quarter.

The palace where the kings resident of Sweden today wasn't finished yet, and Charles XI, who
started washing, then living lancian palace situated at the tip of the lake that looks Ritterholm
Moeller. Its a big building in the shape of a horseshoe. The King's study was one of the ends, and
nearly opposite was the great hall where sassemblaient States when they were to receive any
communication from the crown.

The windows of this room now seemed bright light lit dune. This seemed strange to the king. He
supposed that light dabord was produced by the torch of a valet. Qualla but we do at this hour in
a room that had no rubella long been open? Dailleurs, the light was too bright to come dun single
torch. One would have to fire its award, but we saw no smoke, glass nétaient not broken, no
sound was heard, everything announced rather an illumination.

Charles looked at the windows for some time without speaking. However Count Brahe,
extending his hand towards the bell cord dune, was preparing to ring a page sends it to recognize
the cause of this singular clarity, but the king PARKED.

"I want to get myself in this room," he said.

With these words, they saw him turn pale, and his face expressed a kind of religious terror. Yet
he left no dun farm the Chamberlain and the doctor followed him, each holding a lighted candle.

The janitor, who was in charge of the keys, had already set. Baumgarten went to wake him and
ordered him from the king, Dover immediately on the doors of the Salle des Etats. The surprise
of this man was great on this unexpected order; shabilla it hastily and joined the king with his
keys. Dabord, he opened the door dune gallery that served as an antechamber or clearance at the
Salle des Etats. The king came in, but what was his astonishment at seeing the walls completely
draped in black!

"Who gave The fitted to tender and this room? he asked angrily dun.

- Sir, no, I know, "replied the janitor while troubled, and the last time that jai is sweeping the
gallery, it was paneled with oak like it's always been ... Certainly these hangings then do not
come from that storage of Your Majesty. "

And the king, not walking fast dun, had already reached more than two-thirds of the gallery. The
count and the concierge were close behind, the doctor Baumgarten was a little behind, torn
between fear of being alone and that of the follow Sexpos dune dune adventure sannonçait quite
strange.

"Nalle no further, sir! sécria the concierge. On my soul, there is witchcraft in it. At this time ...
and since the death of the queen, your gracious wife ... what they say is walking in this gallery ...
May God protect us!

- Stop! Sire! sécriait count on his side. Nentendez not you that noise from the hall of the States?
Who knows what dangers Sexpos Your Majesty!

- Sire, "said Baumgarten, one puff of wind had come off the candle, allow at least a score that
gives rise to seek your Drabants.

- Let's go, "said the king dune Sarrett firm voice in the front door of the hall, and you, concierge,
opens the door quickly. "

He kicked, and noise, repeated by Lecho arches, echoed through the gallery like a cannon.
The concierge was shaking so much, that her beat the key lock without quil could achieve to
enter.

"An old soldier who trembles! Charles said with a shrug. - Come, count, we open this door.

- Sire, "replied the count backwards dun no, your majesty commands me to walk to the mouth
dun gun Danish or German, jobéirai without hesitation, but cest lenfant you want me to defy . "

The king snatched the key from the hands of caretaker.

"I see," he said dun contemptuous tone, that this concern me alone ", and before that his train had
been slowly stop, he opened lépaisse oak door, and entered the great room with these words:
"With Gods help! "

His three accomplices, driven by curiosity stronger than fear, shame and perhaps drop-out their
king, came with him.

The large room was lit by an infinite number of torches. A black curtain was replaced with state
of transatlantic tapestry characters. Along the walls, seemed disposed, in order, as in lordinaire,
German flags, Danish and Moscow, trophies soldiers of Gustavus Adolphus. Could be
distinguished among the banners Swedish pancakes covered funeral.

An immense meeting covered benches. The four orders of the state One seat each in his place. All
were dressed in black, and the multitude of human faces, which appeared bright on a dark
background, so dazzled the eyes, that of the four witnesses to this extraordinary scene, none
could find in that crowd a familiar face. Thus an actor vis-à-vis an audience does not see many
quune confused mass, where his eyes can not distinguish a single individual.

Doù high on the throne the king was wont to harangue Assembly decides they saw a bloody
corpse, wearing the insignia of royalty. To his right, a child, standing head and crown, holding a
scepter in his hand to his left, an elderly man, or rather another ghost, LEAN on the throne. It
was the cloak worn by the ceremonial former directors of Sweden, before Wasa would have
made a kingdom. Opposite the throne, several characters dun grave and austere, wearing long
black robes, and appeared to be judges who were sitting at a table which showed the large folio,
and some scrolls. Between the throne and the benches of the IOC Assembly, there was a log
covered dun black crape, and resting with an ax.

No one in this assembly superhuman neut sapercevoir lair of the presence of Charles and the
accompaniment of people. Upon entry, they nentendirent dabord quune confused murmur among
whom Loreille could enter words articulated, then the oldest black-robed judges, who seemed to
serve as chairman, will rose, and struck three times in the hand on a folio open before him.
Immediately there was a profound silence. Some young men of good appearance, richly dressed,
and hands tied behind their backs, entered the room through a door opposite the one that came
douvrir Charles XI. They walk tall and confident look. Behind them, a strong man, dressed in
dun brown leather jerkin, held the end of ropes that bound their hands. Whoever went first, and
seemed to be the most important prisoners, Sarret the middle of the room, before the block,
looked with disdain quil superb. At the same time, the corpse seemed dun tremble convulsively,
and sank crimson and fresh blood from his wound. The young man sagenouilla, extended his
head the hatchet gleamed in the air, and soon fell with a thud. A stream of blood spurted on
Lestrade and mingled with that of the corpse and head, bouncing several times on the keypad
lights turn jusquaux feet of Charles, which tinged with blood.

Up to now, the surprise was washing muted, but at this horrible sight, his tongue was loosened
and he stepped towards Lestrade and sadress to this figure, bearing the mantle OF
ADMINISTRATION, he boldly pronounced the well-known formula:

"If you are of God speak, if you're of the other, leave us in peace. "

The ghost replied slowly and solemnly dun:

"CHARLES KING! this blood will not flow under your reign ... (Here his voice became less
distinct) but after five kingdoms. Woe, woe, woe to the blood of Wasa! "

While the shapes of many characters in this amazing assembly began to become less clear and
seemed already more than colored shadows, and soon they disappeared entirely; fantastic Lights
should turn off the torches, and those of Charles and his retinue néclairèrent more than the old
tapestries, slightly agitated by the wind.

Was heard again for some time, a sound quite melodic quune witnesses likened to the murmur of
wind in the leaves, and another that makes the sound of harp strings breaking at the time the
grant lon instrument.

All agreed on the duration of visiting, have been judged quila of approx ten minutes.

The black drapes, the severed head, the waves of blood that stained the floor, everything had
disappeared with the ghosts, only the slipper Charles kept a red spot, which alone would have
sufficed to remind him of the scenes of that night, if n had not been too well engraved in his
memory.

Returning to his office, the king write the relation of what he had seen the sign made by his
companions, and crossed himself. Lon took some precautions to conceal the contents of this
room to the public, she did not dêtre soon known, even during the life of Charles XI, and it still
exists, and, until now, nobody sest advised délèves doubts about its authenticity. The end is
remarkable:

"And if what I have described," said the king, is not lexacte truth, I give up all hope dune better
life, which I may have deserved a few good deeds, and especially for my zeal to work for the
happiness of my people, and defend the religion of my ancestors. "

Now if lon remembers the death of Gustav III, and trial dAnkarstroem, her killer will be found
more dun relationship between these events and circumstances of this singular prophecy.
The young man beheaded in the presence of states have designated Ankarstroem.

The corpse would be crowned King Gustav III.

Lenfant, his son and successor, Gustavus Adolphus IV.

The old man, finally, would be the Duke of Sudermania, uncle of Gustav IV, who was regent of
the kingdom, and finally king after the deposition of his nephew.

1. Nobility, clergy, burghers and peasants.

Prosper Merimee, Colomba,

The monitoring of Mosaic, and Other Stories, 1862.

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