Sources:
Kristina wrote this letter to Cardinal Decio Azzolino on October 27, 1666.
The letter (with Kristina's spelling):
trente deuxiesme
lestre de Ambur 27. O.bre 1666 —
Vostre dix neuxuiesme lestre du 2 docttob. est remplie de termes si obligentes de Vostre amitie que iy reconois enCore la mesme affection qui faisoit autrefois ma satisfaction, et qui par le Changement que le temps y a apporte fait presantement ma douleur. Je Vous remercie des efforts que Vous Vous estes fait pour me Consoler et Vous prie de Croire que Vos inCommodites mont fort afflige, et que ie suis impaciente dapprendre que Vous soyes delivre heureusement de celle qui Vous restes prennent plus dinterest en Vostre sante quen la mienne propre et resentent Vos douleurs iusques icy ausi Vivement Comme si Je les suffrois moy mesme, Vous prient de ne Vous inquietter pas de ma sante qui a present est ny bonne ny mauvaise mais telle que Dieu Veut quelle soit dans Ce destable Climat
lestre de Ambur 27. O.bre 1666 —
Vostre dix neuxuiesme lestre du 2 docttob. est remplie de termes si obligentes de Vostre amitie que iy reconois enCore la mesme affection qui faisoit autrefois ma satisfaction, et qui par le Changement que le temps y a apporte fait presantement ma douleur. Je Vous remercie des efforts que Vous Vous estes fait pour me Consoler et Vous prie de Croire que Vos inCommodites mont fort afflige, et que ie suis impaciente dapprendre que Vous soyes delivre heureusement de celle qui Vous restes prennent plus dinterest en Vostre sante quen la mienne propre et resentent Vos douleurs iusques icy ausi Vivement Comme si Je les suffrois moy mesme, Vous prient de ne Vous inquietter pas de ma sante qui a present est ny bonne ny mauvaise mais telle que Dieu Veut quelle soit dans Ce destable Climat
pour mes affaires ie ne Vous en puis parler que fort inCertainement. Jattens des lestre dAdamy et les reponses de mes ordres de Suede et de pomeranie. la flegme ordinaire de ses pays ne permets pas que les Choses se facent avec la promtitude que Je souhaitte. outre Cela les post retardent fort Car Chemains en Ces pays sont desia impracticables. Cepandant ie Vous prie de ne Vous scandaliser pas de la negligence de mon Governeur Genl. et de nexiger pas de luy quil aye a rester a Stocholme puisqve la Coustume du pays est presentement en Suede que la regence et le senat se licencie quattere fois lanne generalement de touts les affaires et que cet vn Crime que doser y penser ou en parler durant deux mois que dure leur promenades a la Campange. Cela se fait a quattre diverse reprise et a Jaque reprise on prendt deux mois pour se reposer. Voyla Comme on gouverne Ce miserable royaume et Jauray tort de pretendre quon eust plus dasiduite pour mes affaires qve lon a pour Ceux du roy et du royaume. a present Jl ny a plus de promenade iusques a Noel, et duran ce temps la Jl faut tachere de se depecher Car autrement pour deux austre moys Jl ny aura rien a faire.
Jay par escrit tout ce qve Vous souhaittes signe de toutte la regence au nom du Roy present et iay beauCoup plus que Vous ne pouvez immaginer, et sil arrive iamais des occasions dans les quels Jl faudra prouver mon droit, Jl Jl Jl y aura de quoy. mes mon party est si fort en Svede quon nosera me le disputer si Jamais loccasion arrive, et Je Vous prie de Croyre quil ny pas un homme en Suede ny despee ny de suttane qui ne se declare pour moy et que mes plus grans ennemys, dont le nombre est petit mais presentement fort puisants seront alors les plus empresses pour me rendre des servises, quoy que ie sois persvade qua present il nesparngeront ny fer ny poyson pour moster du monde sil pouvoit. Voila en peu de parole lestat des Choses. Je Vous prie Cepandant destre persuade que la Crainte de la mort ne mempechera iamais daller en Suede et que Jasarderay tout si ie Croyois quil fust necessaire, mais si iay differe Jusques icy cest que les ConJontures sont telles que ie mes interest demandent plus tost ma presence en ce lieux quen Suede et si ie Vous parle iamais Je Vous le feray Conoistre Clairement et Vous me donneres raison
les affaires de Breme se disposent Comme ie Vous ay escrit par ma presedente a vne paix Alexandrine pour la Suede, ou a vne gere Alexandrine qui leur fera perdre leur Conquestes dAlemange. dans peu de iours nous en saurons ce qui arrivera, et ie ne manqueray de Vous en faire part dans la primiere lestre que ie Vous escriray
Saches que Vos oraisons mont sauve la vie Car par vn miracle Je suis este preserve destre brule Come la Ville de Londre. daustres Vous en diront les particularittes.
Jl ny a rien austre de nouveau si non qve le ministre de d'ollande part de Svede, otrage du mauvais traittement quil y a receu. on traitte de nouveau avec la france et Vous saurez tout ce qui se fera car iusques icy Jl ny a rien de fait, et soyez en asseure quoi que lon Vous puisse dire. Connismarque Abassadeur de Suede part ausi de france peu satisfait et lon traittera en Suede Je sauray tout et Vous le sauray ausi. —
Je vous envoye les Copies des lestres que lionne ma escrites et ma reponse. ie souhaitte quelle Vous satisface. Sil y a quelque Chose qui Vous deplaise pardonnes a mon ignorance —
P. S.
Je vous escris vne lestre a part sur laffaire du Carosse du Duc Conti ou Vous Verrez mes sentiments Comme il sont sen Compliment.
Je vous escris vne lestre a part sur laffaire du Carosse du Duc Conti ou Vous Verrez mes sentiments Comme il sont sen Compliment.
Je vous envoy ausi une Copie de la lestre de lempereur au roy de Svede. ie Vous pourois Communiquer beaucoup des Chosse for segrettes sur se suiet et sur des semblables mais Comme tout cela est en allement Je noseray pas le fier a daustres pour le traduire, et Je nay pas loisir de le faire moy mesme et la fatigue seroit trop grande pour moy tout ce qui me Viendra entre les mains de langage intelligible ie Vous en feray part, sil me sera possible Car qvelquefois lon ne me laisse pas le loisir de le Copier. lon a declare lElecteur de Bandebur genl. du Cercle de la basse Saxe Contre la Svede.
English translation (my own):
32nd letter from Hamburg, October 27, 1666 —
Your nineteenth letter, of October 2, is filled with such obliging terms of your friendship that I still recognise in it the same affection which once made me happy and which, by the change that time has brought, currently gives me pain. I thank you for the efforts you have made to console me, and ask you to believe that your inconveniences have greatly distressed me, and that I am impatient to learn that you are delivered happily from the one that you have left, taking more interest in your health as in my own and feeling your pains so far as keenly as if I suffered them myself, begging you not to worry about my health, which at present is neither good nor bad, but as God wills it to be in this detestable climate.
Your nineteenth letter, of October 2, is filled with such obliging terms of your friendship that I still recognise in it the same affection which once made me happy and which, by the change that time has brought, currently gives me pain. I thank you for the efforts you have made to console me, and ask you to believe that your inconveniences have greatly distressed me, and that I am impatient to learn that you are delivered happily from the one that you have left, taking more interest in your health as in my own and feeling your pains so far as keenly as if I suffered them myself, begging you not to worry about my health, which at present is neither good nor bad, but as God wills it to be in this detestable climate.
As for my affairs, I can only speak to you about them with great doubt. I await letters from Adami and responses to my orders from Sweden and Pomerania. The ordinary phlegm of these countries does not allow things to be done with the promptitude that I wish. Besides that, the messengers are lagging behind, because the roads in these countries are already impracticable. However, please do not be scandalised by the negligence of my Governor General, and do not require him to stay in Stockholm, since the current custom in Sweden is that the regency and the Senate are dismissed four times a year, generally in all cases, and that it is a crime to dare to think about it or talk about it for two months during their outing in the countryside. This is done on four different occasions, and each time it takes two months to rest. This is how this miserable kingdom is governed, and I would be wrong to claim that there was more diligence for my affairs than we have for those of the King and the kingdom. Now there are no more outings until Christmas, and during this time one must try to hurry, because otherwise for two more months there will be nothing to do.
I have in writing everything you wish, signed by all the regency in the name of the present King, and I have much more than you can imagine, and if there ever occur occasions in which it will be necessary to prove my right, there will be enough. But support for me is so strong in Sweden that no one will dare to dispute it, if the opportunity ever arrives, and I beg you to believe that there is not a man in Sweden, neither of sword nor of cassock, which does not declare himself in support of me, and that my greatest enemies, of which the number is small but presently very powerful, will then be the most eager to render me services, although I am persuaded that now they will spare neither iron nor poison to take me from the world, if they could. Here in a few words is the state of things. I beg you, however, to be persuaded that the fear of death will never prevent me from going to Sweden and that I would risk everything if I thought it necessary; but if I have differed so far, it is because the conjunctures are such that I believe that my interests require rather my presence in here than in Sweden, and if I never speak to you, I will make it known to you clearly, and you will prove me right.
The affairs of Bremen are preparing, as I wrote to you in my previous letter, for either an Alexandrine peace for Sweden or for an Alexandrine war which will cause them to lose their conquests from Germany. In a few days we will know what will happen, and I will not fail to let you know in the first letter I write to you.
Know that your prayers saved my life, because by a miracle I was saved from being burned like the city of London. Others will tell you the details.*
There is nothing new, except that the minister of Holland is leaving Sweden, outraged by the ill treatment he has received there. We are dealing with France again, and you will know everything that will be done, because so far there is nothing done, and rest assured whatever you may be told. Königsmark, ambassador of Sweden, also leaves France dissatisfied at how he's been treated in Sweden. I will know everything and you will know it too.
I am sending you copies of the letters that de Lionne wrote to me and my response. I hope it satisfies you. If there is anything that displeases you, forgive my ignorance.
P. S. — I am writing a separate letter to you on the case of the Duke of Conti's coach, where you will see my feelings as they are, without compliment.*
I also send you a copy of the Emperor's letter to the King of Sweden. I could communicate to you many very secret things on this subject and on similar ones, but as all this is in German I would not dare to trust others to translate it, and I do not have the leisure to do it myself, and the fatigue would be too much for me. Anything that comes to me in the hands of an intelligible language I will share with you, if it will be possible for me, because sometimes I am not allowed to copy it.
The Elector of Brandenburg has been declared general of the Circle of Lower Saxony against Sweden.
Above: Kristina.
Above: Cardinal Decio Azzolino.
Notes: On the night of October 21, 1666, a fire broke out in Kristina's house. She/he/they was the first to raise the alarm. The fire burned for two hours, but does not appear to have caused great damage.
Kristina left it to Azzolino to decide whether the Duke of Poli (Conti) should continue, while he was away, to enjoy a horse-drawn carriage from her/his/their stables. The Cardinal declared himself in support of maintaining this favour.
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