Kristina wrote this letter to Cardinal Decio Azzolino on November 10, 1666.
The letter:
trentequatriesme lestre
d'Ambur le 10. 9br. 1666 —
Jay receu auec vne Joye excessive Vostre vint uniesme lestre du 16 du passe, et ie Vous prie de la iuger par linquietude de ma presedente, car lon ne peut sinteresser avec plus de passion en Vostre sante que ie les fais partan des Considerations que Vous nignores pas. pour la mienne elle est presentement ny bonne ny mauvaise et ie resiste Ce me semble mieux que ie ne mestois promis a ce Climat qui mest si Contraire. la seulle obligation que iay a lalemange est que ie my amaigris et Cest la seulle ioye dont je puis estre Capable en ce pays barbare.
d'Ambur le 10. 9br. 1666 —
Jay receu auec vne Joye excessive Vostre vint uniesme lestre du 16 du passe, et ie Vous prie de la iuger par linquietude de ma presedente, car lon ne peut sinteresser avec plus de passion en Vostre sante que ie les fais partan des Considerations que Vous nignores pas. pour la mienne elle est presentement ny bonne ny mauvaise et ie resiste Ce me semble mieux que ie ne mestois promis a ce Climat qui mest si Contraire. la seulle obligation que iay a lalemange est que ie my amaigris et Cest la seulle ioye dont je puis estre Capable en ce pays barbare.
pour ce qui est de loccupation que Vous minposes ie laccepte, mais auec protestation que ie ne feray rien de bon nayant lesprit remply que de Chagrains et de Contes, et pour rappeller dans ma memorie Ce que le temps a detruit Jl faudroit avoir lesprit libre Content, et Jl faudroit estre dans vn estat fort different de celluy ou Je suis. neamoins Je mefforceray de vous satisfaire mais ie masseure que Vous Vous repentiray de Vostre Curiosite puisque ma vie ne Contient rien qui soit digne de Uostre Conoissance ne maccusez donc pas si vous vous ennuyiez en lisant ce que ie Vous adresseray sur ce suiet.
pour ce qui est de mes affaires Je ne puis Vous en parler Juste. Jespere neamoins dans quinse Jour de pouvoir Vous parler avec Certitude, et de Vous donner plus desclaircissement sur toutte Choses. Cepandandt Jattens des lestres d'Adamy et fais Voir le Contes d'Appelman par pezza et Thexeira, et Je Vous proteste Quon ne lesparnegra pas. lhomme qui veut prendre toutte la pomeranie en ferme est resolu plus que iamais, et Jespere Quon Conclura bien tost avec luy. cest vn marchant for riche de cette Vile qui donnera bonne Caution a Thexeira et cest luy mesme qui me la propose. Voila tout ce que ie Vous puis dire pour cette fois.
lincendie de londre est plus gran quon ne la escrit au Commencement et Jay fait la mesme reflexion que Vous qui ma semble digne d'estre faitte, Car la barbarie de ces Anglois a ces pauvre Vaissaux Olandois et digne de ce Chastiment.
Ce que Vous dittes sur la vile de Bremen est digne de Vostre esprit et de Vostre [...] ie Vous advoue que tout ce qui sy passe est fort avantageux pour moy mais Jame trop la Suede pour ne souhaitter pas que cela fust dune austre maniere mais dittes moy de grace, a qui aves Vous attendu dire ce nest plus le temps de la reine Chistine. Car vous maves desia dit deux fois la mesme pansee. Je pense que Ce sont Vos propre panses, Car Vous ne pouves en avoir que de trop avantageuses pour moy. Cepandant les affaire de cette Uile sont enCor dans un mesme estat. wrangel a de la peine à boire le Calix mais Jl faut quil y Vienne. la paix nest pas enCore fait mais iespere quelle se fera si ce nest que des allemans soye resolu de ne perdre pas cette occasion de chasser les Suedois de lAllemange. si cela est Comme ien ay quelque supson la paix ne se fera pas. quoy quil arrive soit de payx ou de gerre la Svede a perdu en cette occasion toutte sa gloire et tout son avantage dans lempire et dans lEurope ce que le temps fera mieux Conoistre a ceux qui ny voye pas si Clair que moy.
On asseure de Suede quil on Conclue la paix de Moscovie. Je ne say sil auront de quoy se consoler dans cette paix de celle de Bremen.
Celon toutte apparences Jl ne se fera pas de diette en Suede, mais quandt elle se feroit on ma declare quon ne my Veut pas suffrir et ie ny puis plus aller sen mexposer a quelque Chose de fort estrange si ce n'est que les estats mouvre la porte dautorite, et si on faisoit une diette Cela pouroit arriver. mais dans peu de iour Je vous diray quelque Chose de plus. tout ce que ie Vous pui dire est qu'une diette est vne Chose si terrible aux regens, quil ny peuvent penser sen trembler, et ma demeure icy est pour eux le terrible des terribles, mais sur tout en temps dune diette. Je vousdrois pouvoir Vous parler Je Vous diray des Choses estonnentes a ce propos mais on est mal Conseillie Car il devroit me souhaitter a la diette car y estant, Jay trop dhoneur pour ne les servir pas utilement, et si je ny suis ie laisseray faire aux estats qui asseurement feront de Choses qui ne leur seront pas agreables, et ie puis dire quil ny a que moy qui puisse lempecher, mais Jl me semble quil y a vne fatalite qui entraine la Suede a quelque grandt Changement dont ie ne sauray prevoir la fin Je souhaitte quelle soit heureuse. adieu
English translation (my own):
34th letter from Hamburg, November 10, 1666 —
I received with excessive joy your twenty-first letter, from the 16th of last month, and I beg you to judge it by the concern of my previous one, for one cannot be more passionately interested in your health than I am, based on considerations that you are not unaware of. As for mine, it is presently neither good nor bad, and I resist, it seems to me, better than I had promised myself, this climate which is so contrary to me. The only obligation I have in Germany is that I'm losing weight, and that is the only joy that I can be capable of in this barbaric country.
I received with excessive joy your twenty-first letter, from the 16th of last month, and I beg you to judge it by the concern of my previous one, for one cannot be more passionately interested in your health than I am, based on considerations that you are not unaware of. As for mine, it is presently neither good nor bad, and I resist, it seems to me, better than I had promised myself, this climate which is so contrary to me. The only obligation I have in Germany is that I'm losing weight, and that is the only joy that I can be capable of in this barbaric country.
As for the occupation that you impose on me, I accept it, but with protest that I will not do anything good, having my mind filled only with sorrows and accounts, and to remember in my memory what time has destroyed, one should have a free and happy mind, and one should be in a very different state from that in which I am. Nevertheless, I will endeavour to satisfy you, but I make sure that you will repent of your curiosity, since my life has nothing worthy of your knowledge. So don't accuse me if you are bored reading what I will write to you on this subject.*
As far as my business is concerned, I cannot speak to you about it. However, I hope in a fortnight to be able to speak to you with certainty and to give you more clarification on all things. However, I am waiting for letters from Adami and let Pezza and Texeira see the accounts of Appelman, and I protest that we will not spare him. The man who wants to take all of Pomerania on an estate is more resolved than ever, and I hope that we will soon conclude with him. It is a very rich merchant of this city, who will give good guarantee to Texeira, and it is he himself who proposed it to me. That's all I can tell you this time.
The fire in London is bigger than was written at the beginning, and I made the same reflection as you, which seemed worthy to me, because the barbarity of these English to those poor Dutch vessels is worthy of this punishment.
What you say about the city of Bremen is worthy of your spirit and your friendship. I admit that everything that's happening there is very advantageous for me, but I love Sweden too much not to wish it to be any other way. But, please tell me, to whom did you hear it be said: "It is no longer the time of Queen Kristina"? for you have already told me the same thought twice. I think these are your own thoughts, because you can only have too many beneficial to me. However, the affairs of this city are still in the same state. Wrangel has trouble accepting it, but he has to come. Peace has not yet been made, but I hope it will be achieved, if only the Germans are resolved not to lose this opportunity to drive the Swedes out of Germany. If it is, as I have some suspicion, peace will not be made. Whatever happens, be it peace or war, Sweden lost on this occasion all its glory and all its advantage in the Empire and in Europe, which time will make better known to those who do not not see as clearly as me.
We are assured from Sweden that the peace of Muscovy has been concluded. I do not know if he will have anything to console himself in this peace of that of Bremen.
We are assured from Sweden that the peace of Muscovy has been concluded. I do not know if he will have anything to console himself in this peace of that of Bremen.
Apparently, there will not be a Riksdag in Sweden, but when it is done, I have been told that I do not want to suffer there and I can no longer go without exposing myself to some very strange thing, except that the Estates open the door of authority to me, and if we had a Riksdag, it could happen. But, in a few days, I will tell you something more. All I can tell you is that a Diet is such a terrible thing to the Regents, that they cannot think of it without trembling, and my home here is for them the terrible of the terrible, but especially in times of a Riksdag. I wish I could talk to you; I would tell you some amazing things about it, but we are badly advised, because they should wish me on the Riksdag, because, being there, I have too much honor not to serve them usefully, and if I don't I will leave it to the Estates which, surely, will do things which will not please them, and I can say that it is only I who can prevent it; but it seems to me that there is a fatality which leads Sweden to some great change, the end of which I cannot predict. I wish it was happy. Farewell.
Above: Kristina.
Above: Cardinal Decio Azzolino.
Notes: Azzolino had asked Kristina to write her/his/their memoirs.
The regents, in fact, had thought for a moment of having Kristina arrested.
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