King's Chateau, the shady General Scholton, and Hamlet's Elsinor

Fredensborg Palace

Peter von Scholten

Again returning to our Carriage we took a drive outside the walls of the City to the King’s Chateau, with certainly very pretty grounds in a part of which [3] the English during the siege of Copenhagen, had their head-quarters.  The chateau, beautifully situated on an eminence commanding a fine view of the City on the plain beneath is now occupied by the queen Dowager (Christiana); the gardens & grounds attached are always open to the Public, and contain many small houses in the avenues frequented by the citizens for tea-drinking solely.  I found on enquiry that General Scholton who was governor of St. Croix when I was there has returned again to his command though since his visit to Denmark he has been accused of at least conniving at the introduction and sale of slaves, if not being actually a participator of the [facts].   His character generally has saved his reputation for the time being, or at least till he has had a fair investigation, though at one time the populace were so enraged at the charge, that the King [4] advised him to leave the City.  We finished our short view of the city by returning by the Pere la Chaise of Denmark, a very [long?] burial ground, and taking a short turn outside the Walls.  To view the city from without we would say that it were next to impossible to take it, yet History has proved to the contrary more than once.  On our passage to Copenhagen we passed by Elsinor, at which spot if I recollect me aright Shakespeare laid his scene of the Garden in Hamlet.

Elsinor

Assistens Cemetery