neutrality, still she had no fears of her husband succumbing to his
entreaties. For was not Count Bruhl, the bitter, irreconcilable
enemy of Prussia, at his side?--and had not the king said to her, in
a solemn manner, before leaving: "Better that every misfortune come
upon us than to take the part of our enemies!" The queen, therefore,
felt perfectly safe upon this point. She remained in Dresden for two
reasons: first, to watch the King of Prussia, and then to guard the
archives--those archives which contained the most precious treasures
of Saxon diplomacy--the most important secrets of their allies.
These papers were prized more highly by the queen than all the crown
jewels now lying in their silver casket; and though the keeping of
the latter was given over to some one else, no one seemed brave
enough to shield the former. No one but herself should guard these
rich treasures. The state archives were placed in those rooms of the
palace which had but one outlet, and that leading into one of the
queen's apartments. In this room she remained--she took her meals,
worked, and slept there--there she received the princes and the
foreign ambassadors--always guarding the secret door, of which she
carried the key fastened to a gold chain around her neck. But still
the queen was continually in fear her treasure would be torn from
her, and the King of Prussia's seeming friendliness was not
calculated to drive away this anxiety. It is true the king had sent
her his compliments by Marshal Keith, with the most friendly
assurances of his affection, but notwithstanding this, the chancery,
the college, and the mint department had been closed; all the
artillery and ammunition had been taken from the Dresden arsenal and
carried to Magdeburg; some of the oldest and worthiest officers of
the crown had been dismissed; and the Swiss guard, intended for
service in the palace, had been disarmed. All this agreed but badly
with the king's quieting assurances, and was calculated to increase