Monday, May 25, 2020

Excerpt from letter of intelligence from Colonel Bampfylde, dated September 3/13 (New Style), 1656

Source:

A Collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe, Esq;, volume 5, pages 381 to 382, published by Fletcher Gyles, 1742


https://www.british-history.ac.uk/thurloe-papers/vol5/pp368-383#h3-0016

The letter:

SIR,
... The queen of Swede goes hence to Chantillie upon friday next, where she will be met by the cardinall, and conducted the next day to the court. Hir witt is as much cryed up here, as hir extravagant comportement is decryed. You are like (as I am informed from a very good hand) to have a visit from hir. She tolde 906 [q. of E.] upon sunday laste, that peradventure she would goe into Scotland, but was not certayne of hir passing through England. She appears very devout, and confers alltogether with men, moste and moste privately with the clergye. Here are many animadversions upon her carriage and designes, some believing them of great concernment, others not soe; and a third think them not of any weight at all, but to be meere fancye and pageantrye. ...
Your moste humble and moste obedient servant,
DE CHAUSSE.
Paris, Sept. 13, [1656. N. S.]

With modernised spelling:

Sir,
... The Queen of Swede goes hence to Chantilly upon Friday next, where she will be met by the Cardinal and conducted the next day to the court. Her wit is as much cried up here as her extravagant comportement is decried. You are like (as I am informed from a very good hand) to have a visit from her. She told 906 [[the] Queen of England] upon Sunday last that peradventure she would go into Scotland, but was not certain of her passing through England. She appears very devout and confers altogether with men, most and most privately with the clergy. Here are many animadversions upon her carriage and designs, some believing them of great concernment, others not so; and a third think them not of any weight at all, but to be mere fancy and pageantry. ...
Your most humble and most obedient servant,
De Chausse.
Paris, September 13, [1656. N. S.]

French translation (my own):

Monsieur,
... La reine de Suède se rend donc vendredi prochain à Chantilly, où elle sera accueillie par le cardinal et conduite le lendemain à la Cour. Son esprit est ici autant loué que son comportement extravagant est décrié. Vous êtes susceptible (comme je l'ai appris d'une très bonne main) de recevoir sa visite. Elle a dit à 906 [la reine d'Angleterre] dimanche dernier que peut-être elle se rendrait en Écosse, mais n'était pas certaine de son passage par l'Angleterre. Elle paraît très dévouée et s'entretient entièrement avec les hommes, le plus souvent et en privé avec le clergé. Voici de nombreuses critiques sur sa conduite et ses desseins, certains les jugeant très préoccupants, d'autres non; et un troisième les considère comme n'ayant aucun poids du tout, mais comme étant simplement fantaisistes et pompeux. ...
Votre très humble et très obéissant serviteur
De Chausse.
Paris, le 13 septembre [1656. Nouveau style.]

Swedish translation (my own):

Min herre,
... Sveriges drottning reser därifrån till Chantilly nästa fredag, där hon kommer att mötas av kardinalen och dagen därpå föras till hovet. Hennes kvickhet prisas lika mycket här som hennes extravaganta uppförande fördöms. Ni kommer sannolikt (som jag fått veta från en mycket god hand) att få besök av henne. Hon berättade för 906 [drottningen av England] förra söndagen att hon kanske skulle resa till Skottland, men var inte säker på att hon skulle gå igenom England. Hon framstår som mycket devot och konfererar helt och hållet med män, mest och mest privat med prästerskapet. Här finns många kritik mot hennes uppförande och dessänger, en del anser dem vara av stor oro, andra tror inte så; och en tredjedel tror att de inte är av någon vikt alls, utan att de bara är nyckfulla och uppseendeväckande. ...
Er ödmjukaste och mest lydiga tjänare
De Chausse.
Paris, den 13 september [1656. Nya stilen.]


Above: Kristina.

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