Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Kristina's letter to Azzolino, dated August 25, 1666

Kristina wrote this letter to Cardinal Decio Azzolino on August 25, 1666.




Sources:



The letter, with Kristina's spellings:

23 lestre de Ambur 25 dAugost 1666 —
Jay enfin receu la resolution de Suede sur le point de lexercice de la religion et lon me la refuse tout plat, Ce qui ne me doit pas surprendre, Car iay eu tort si en quelque moment Je me suis flatte de Cette esperance. Ce qvi mafflige auec exces est qve ie peres entierement lesperence de Voir vne diette tan qve ie seray en Ce pays, et ie nose esperer quon la face mesme aqves que ie seray en Suede quon mesme ie my resouderay a y faire seiour durant vn Ciecle. Jl y a plusieurs raisons pour cela et si Vous povviez parler a Adamy Jl Vous en diroit vne partie car Jl en sayt tout ce qu'n estranger en peut savoir et ie Vous advoue qve ie ladmire mais enfin cela ne se peut Jl est en pomeranie et ie nattens que son retour, pour me disposer au Voyage de Suede Comme ie Vous ay escrit par ma presedente Jespere quil sera de retour pour la fin de stettembre et moy ie partiray pour le Commencement ov la motie doctobre. Je ie Vous ay dit que ie Voulois partir povr le fin dottobre, mais sestoit qualors iesperois enCore la diette la quelle ne se faisant pas ie mefforceray a retourner ycy devan lhyver et par Consequant Jl faut partir plus tost pour povvoir faire noel ycy Cependant, tout sadiustera pour les affermes et pour le payement de Thexeira Jl est ausi estably dvne maniere quil est tout a fait satisfait et ie suis en estat de faire plus qve ie ne luy ay promis et le feray Car Je n'aime rien tan qve satisfaire aux dettes, et de men decharger au plus tost.

Jay receu la reponse de Mons. de lionne sur laffaire que Vous savez. Je Vous envoyeray par le primier ordinaire la Copie de sa lesttre, qve ie Crois ne Vous desplaira pas. Je ne puis lenVoyer auiourdhuy Car Jl faut la mestre en Chiffre et ne pouvant me Confier a austre qua moy mesme pour faire ce travallie Je nay pas loisir pour cett ordinaire, Car se iour est Consacre a la devotion Car nous nous reglons icy sur le stile Julien pour le faittes pour nous Conformer aux austres Catoliques de cette Ville. Ansin lon a fait auJourdhuy la Communion generale dan ma Chappelle et cela moccupe tan que ie ne puis Vaquer a ce tavallie. en peu de mots prepare Vous a vne Conferance avec le duc de Jaune Sur le suiet et apres cela Vous pourrez mieux que moy travallier a la Cause Commune Car ie ne puis que Vous faire lovverture du theatre Cet a vous de Jouer le personage dausi bonne grace que Vous avez en toute vos accions.

la bloquade de bremen a est fort legere et Courte Car elle est dèsia cesse, et ie ne lavrois pas Creu si Vrangel mesme ne men eust asseure, le quel avroit grande envie de faire quelque Chose de plus mais le peu de force et les ordres qvon luy a donne lon empeche de passer outre.

les anglois ont brule deux Cens Vaissaux marchants dans le port de flye, en hollande, ce qvi achevera ruiner entierement tout le Commerce du Nort, Car Ce nestoit que des Vaissaux qui trafique Vers la mer baltique. Cette nouvelle a donne vn Consternation effroyable dans cette place et lon Verra plusieurs banquerouttes en touttes ses Villes maritimes. Vous soyez mon amy et sovvenez Vous de moy qui me souviendray etternellement de Vous adieu —

English translation (my own):

23rd letter from Hamburg, August 25, 1666 —
I finally received the resolution from Sweden on the point of the exercise of religion, and it was refused to me flatly, which shouldn't surprise me, because I was wrong if at any time I flattered myself with this hope. What grieves me excessively is that I completely lose the hope of seeing a Diet as long as I am in Sweden, even if I resolve to stay there for a century.

There are several reasons for this, and if you could talk to Adami, he would tell you part of it, because he knows everything a stranger can know, and I admit that I admire him. But still that cannot be: he is in Pomerania, and I am only waiting for his return to prepare for the trip to Sweden. As I wrote to you in my previous letter, I hope he will be back by the end of September, and I will be leaving at the beginning or in the middle of October. I told you that I wanted to leave at the end of October, but it was then that I was still hoping for the Diet, which isn't happening, I will try to return here before winter, and therefore you have to leave earlier to be able to make it back here by Christmas. However everything will adjust for the fees and for the payment of Texeira. He is also established in a way that he is completely satisfied, and I am in a position to do more than I promised him, and will do, for I love nothing so much as to satisfy debts and unload them as soon as possible.

I received the answer from Monsieur de Lionne on the matter which you know. I will send you by the first ordinary the copy of his letter which, I believe, will not displease you. I cannot send it today, because it must be encrypted, and, not being able to entrust myself to anyone but myself to do this work, I have no leisure for this ordinary, because this day is devoted to devotion, because we set ourselves here on the Julien style for the holidays, to conform with the other Catholics of this city. Thus, today we made general communion in my chapel, and that occupies me so much that I cannot go about this work. In a few words, prepare yourself for a conference with the Duke of Chaulnes on the subject, and after that you will be better able than I to work for the common cause; because I can only open the theater for you. It's up to you to play the character, as gracefully as you have in all of your actions.

The blockade of Bremen was very light and short, because it is already over, and I would not have believed it if even Wrangel had not assured me of it, which would have great desire to do something more, but the little strength and the orders he was given prevented him from overriding it.

The English burned two hundred merchant ships in the port of Flye in Holland, which will completely ruin all commerce in the North, because they were only ships that trafficked to the Baltic Sea. This news gave a terrible consternation in this place, and we will see several bankruptcies in all these maritime cities.

You are my friend, and remember me who will remember you forever. Farewell.


Above: Kristina.


Above: Cardinal Decio Azzolino.

No comments:

Post a Comment