Kristina's letter to Azzolino, dated November 14/24 (New Style), 1666

Sources:

https://litteraturbanken.se/författare/BildtC/titlar/ChristineEtAzzolino/sida/269/faksimil

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Letters_by_Christina_of_Sweden_to_Cardinal_Decio_Azzolino_(1666–1668)

Kristina wrote this letter to Cardinal Decio Azzolino on November 24, 1666.

The letter:

trentesixsiesme lestre
du 24. 9e.b 1666 —
Je ne puis menpecher de tirer beaucoup de Vanite de lapropation que Vous donnes a ma lestre escritte au roy de Suede, par la Vostre du 30 du passe qui est Vostre vinte troisiesme lestre en nombre. Jespere dappendre par celle que ie attens par le Courier daiourdhuy que Vous aprouveres de mesme Ce que iy ay Change de puis, et quelle sera plus a Vostre gre de cette maniere pour plusieurs raisons. Je Vous enVoy la lestre dAdamy pour vous faire Voir quon sen est plaint asse inJustemant a mon gre. Vous verres ausi la reponse que ie luy ay fait.

Gotlande a este afferme Comme Vous Voyes, et ie me raporte au reste pour mes affaires a sa lestre et a ma reponse. pezza et Thexeira Vous diront se qui sest fait dans les affaires de pomeranie. avec le temps Jespere de regler le tout avec des avantages Considerables, et si Vous aves la pacience dattendre vne peu Jespere qve Vous seres Content.

Je suis ravye de lhoneur que le pape me fait et Vous prie den tesmoinger ma reConoissance.

la nouvelle dAngleterre sest bien change au Contrairie de ce que ie Vous ay mande par ma presedente, Car lon a Chasse tout les Catoliqves dAgleterre et touts les prestre et le roy a este force dy Consentir. lon reCommence a parler de paix avec lOllande et la france, et le retour de la reine mere d'Agleterre Confirme le gens dans cette opinion. quelque fierete que tesmoinge les Anglois par leur rodomantades les malheur de londre est si grandt quil ne peuvent Vainqure leur foiblesse, et lon Coroit qvelle les forcera cet hyver a la paix. le temps nous fera Voir Ce qui faut Croire la desus

Celle de Bremen se doit signer auJourdhuy, sil narrive quelque nouvell accident qui lempeche. Wrangell a este force de boir le Calix et lon a fait faire a la Suede vne ausi honteuse paix quon a Voulu. Jl ny a pas en vn petit pricipion d'Allemange qui naye envoies ses deputes a ce traitte pour avoir du moins vne fois en sa vie la ioye de faire le legislateur a la pauvre Suede. enfin elle est enCore bienheureuse destre eschappe ainsin. par le prochain ordinaire Je vous manedray a ce que iespere la finale Conclusion de cette malheureuse et honteuse entreprise, dont Jl me tarde de Voir la fin. Ce quil y a de bon est quil ny aura plus de gerre de longtemps et ie vous prie de le Croire sur ma parole.

Jauray soin de lavertissement que Vous me donnes sur les lestres qui parlent du roy de france et Vous en remercie iay eu occasion descrire au Nonce et Jespere quil sera Content

la diette de Suede ne se peut faire (si elle se fait) qua la fin de lanne prochaine, et lacommodement de Bremen les tire hor de la necssite de la faire, si Ce nest pour remedier a des maux qui nont plus de remede Car la Suede Va entrer en vne deCadanse qui est pitoiable

Je vous prie faittes moy le plaisir de menvoyer la traduxion Jtalienne que vous aves fait de ma lettre Je Vous permets de la monstrer a nos amys mais enpeche ie Vous Coniure quon nen tire pas des Copie ny quelle ne se publie, Car Jl nest pas enCore temps quoy que ie Croye quil faudra le faire vn iour. si la Suede estoit si heureuse quelle euste quattre homme dans son Conseil qui fussent Capables dentendre cette lestre elle ne seroit pas dans le deplorable estat ou elle est. Je vous demande pardon si ie parle avec trop de presontion.

Conserve moy lamitie et le souvenir de nos amis, et soyes persuade que les escrits quon a publie durant la maladie du pape ne minquiette point. si lon dit la Verite elle ne doit pas offencer et si lon dit le mensonge on le doit mepriser ce que Vous maves Veu faire au Casin ne tire pas a Consequance a Ce propos, Car ie say dieu mercy ce que Vaut lausne de tell marchandise. ie my estois prepare en Cas que ieuse este a Rome, mais ce qui mestonne est quon se souveint de moy durant mon absence et en vn temps ou 5303205679975533561062504362334030935154250646334336. Cest Commencer de Bon heure. quoy qve lon dise de moy lon en dira tousiour moins quon na dit de tous les austre personnes de ma Condition qui sont dans le monde et tout ce que Santinelli et ses semblables diront de moy iestime leur Calonmies de panegiriques. faittes de mesme adieu

English translation (my own):

36th letter [from Hamburg], November 24, 1666 —
I cannot help drawing much vanity from the approval you give to my letter written to the King of Sweden by yours of the 30th of last month, which is your twenty-third letter in number. I hope to learn from the one I am waiting for by mail today that you will also approve of what I have changed since then, and that it will be more at your will in this way for several reasons. I am sending you Adami's letter, to let you see that it has been complained about, quite unjustly to my liking. You will also see the reply I gave him.

Gotland has been leased, as you can see, and I refer to the rest of my business for his letter and my response. Pezza and Texeira will tell you what has been done in the Pomeranian affairs. Over time, I hope to settle it with considerable benefits, and if you have the patience to wait a bit, I hope you will be happy.

I am delighted with the honour that the Pope bestows on me and beg you to express my gratitude for it.

The news of England has changed a lot, contrary to what I told you in my previous letter, because all the Catholics of England and all the priests were driven out, and the King was forced to consent to this. People are once again talking about peace between Holland and France, and the return of the Queen Mother of England confirms people in this opinion. Whatever pride the English show by their ranting, London's misfortune is so great that they cannot overcome their weakness, and it is believed that they will be forced to make peace this winter. Time will show what to believe on this.

That of Bremen must be signed today, if there is not any new accident that prevents it. Wrangel was forced to accept it, and Sweden was made to make as shameful a peace as was wanted. There is not one small principality in Germany which has not sent its deputies to this treaty to have at least once in her life the joy of making the legislator for poor Sweden. Finally, she is still blessed to have escaped like this. By the next ordinary, I hope you will receive the final conclusion from this unhappy and shameful enterprise, the end of which I long to see. The good thing is that there will be no more war for a long time, and please take my word for it.

I will take care of the warning you give me on the letters which speak of the King of France and I thank you for it. I had the opportunity to write to the Nuncio and I hope he will be happy.

The Swedish Riksdag cannot be convened (if it is convened) until the end of next year, and the accommodation in Bremen draws them out of the need to do it, if not to remedy evils which have no remedy, for Sweden will enter into a decay which is pitiful.

Please give me the pleasure of sending me the Italian translation you made of my letter. I allow you to show it to our friends, but ensure, I conjure you, that no copies are made of it, nor that it is published, because it is not yet time, although I believe that it will have to be done one day. If Sweden were so happy that it had four men on its Council who were able to hear this letter, it would not be in the deplorable state it is in. I beg your pardon if I speak with too much presumption.

Keep me in the friendship and the memory of our friends, and be persuaded that the writings that were published during the Pope's illness do not worry me. If you tell the truth, it should not offend, and if you tell the lie, you must despise it. What you saw me do at Casino does not have any consequence in this regard, because I know, thank God, what the yardstick of such goods is worth. I had prepared myself for it in case I had been in Rome, but what surprises me is that people remember me during my absence and at a time when you are not yet papable. It is to start early. Whatever is said about me, there will always be said less than we say about all the other people of my condition who are in the world, and everything that Santinelli and his fellows will say about me, I value their calumnies of the panegyrics. — Do the same! Farewell.

Above: Kristina.

Above: Cardinal Decio Azzolino.

Above: Carl Gustav Wrangel.

Above: King Karl XI of Sweden.

Note: 5303205679975533561062504362334030935154250646334336 = vous n'êtes pas encore papable