Kristina's letter to Azzolino, dated August 11, 1666

Kristina wrote this letter to Cardinal Decio Azzolino on August 11, 1666.

Sources:

https://litteraturbanken.se/forfattare/BildtC/titlar/ChristineEtAzzolino/sida/198/faksimil

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

The letter (with Kristina's spellings):

21 lestre de Ambvr le 11 dAoust 1666 —
Jay receu Vostre huitiesme lestre auec toute la satisfaction que Vous pouuez Jmmaginer et Vous ren grasse du zelle et de la passion que Vous tesmoingez povr mes interest, des qvelles ie ne Vous puis dire rien de particulier qve ce que ie Vous ay dit dans mes presedentes, si non que iay renovelle le Contract pour six moys avec Thexeira, et que iay eu toutes les peines du monde pour ly disposer Comme Vous saurez de pezza le quel aura le soin de Vous en faire le raport.

Je suis au desespoir de la maladie du pape, Car Jay beauCoup de raysons a souhaitter de povvoir me trovver dan le temps dvn Conclave a Rome, mes si dieu en dispose austrement Jl faut avoir pacience et se Conformer a sa ste Volonte quoy qve ce me sera sensible douleur. ma Consolation est qve Vous y estes et qve cette occasion Vous servia pour accroistre Vostre gloire et Vostre estime, Car Comme Vous navez ny pouvez avoir daustre interest que le service de dieu et le bien et la grandeur de leglise, qvel quan soit lessve Vous aurez du moins la gloire davoir fait Vostre devoir. Jespere la mesme Chose de touts nos amys et qu'ils seconderont Vostre Zele du leur, et Je mapreste a recevoir la Consolation dapprendre que Vous serez tous plus unys qve iamais et plus Zeles pour le bien publique. Je suis presuade que Vous serez lesquadron triomfant dans ce Conclave. s'il arrive, souvenez Vous de nos Conversations familieres qu'Jmperial et Vous avez eu si souvent avec moy dans le temps heureux, ov Jl mestoit permis de Vous entretenir et de Vous animer dans le Zele qve Vous tesmoingez sans degisement a la gloire et au bien de leglise. si le Conclave arrive Jl est temps executer ce nobles et beau proiets, Car Je Vous proteste que si Vous ne trouvez le moyen de remedier en quelqve facon aux desordres et abus du nepotisme cette peste ne peut manquer destre en fin mortelle a leglise. Je Vous demande pardon si ientreprend de parler avec tan de liberte sur vne matiere si Chatoullieuse, et qui nest pas de mon fait. Je Conois fort bien Combien Cette Corde est dangereuse a toucher, mais ausi Je ne me promets rien de Commun de Vostre Zele et Courage. Vous savez qve ie parle sans interest et que si ie Considerois le mien, Je parleray dvne austre maniere, mais dieu mayant fait la grace de quitter tan pour son servise Je dois peu menager le reste et Je mestimeray bien heureuse si au depen de mon sang et de ma vie Je povvois servir Dieu et son eglise vn Jour. Vous qui Conoissez le fon de mon Coevr savez que cest le plus grand de mes souhaits et lunique interest que iay au monde. apres cela iugez si iauray de la ioye si Japprens que Vous faittes en cette occasion tout ce que ie me promets de Vostre Zele de Vostre Vertu et de Vostre Courage en cette occasion. Je prie dieu de touts mon Coeur quil Vous assiste touts pour la gloire de Son Services, et donne vn pape tel que son service et sa gloire le demande. et ie Commence a lesperer Car Je Voy de si admirables et avantagevses dispositions par tout que Jespere que dieu nous donnera vn pape qui en saura profiter et en tira la gloire de dieu et la sienne, et Vous Verrez qve cela ne peut manquer darriver tost ou tart.

Jcy nous avons novuelle de la battalie navale donne entre les deux flottes le succes de laquelle a este fort differamment Conte en cette Ville durant huit Jour. neamoins Jl est probable et Casi Certain que les Ollandois on remporte la Victoire. Je me reserve neamoins a Vous dire par ma suivante la Certitude et les particularites. si la victoire s'est declare pour les Ollandois Je Crois que la paix se fera infaliblement et ie tiens que quan mesme les Anglois lauroit obteneu la paix se fera de mesme par les raysons qve ie Vous ay dit dans mes presedentes.

la Ville de bremen sopiniatre et tout le monde est prest a se declarer pour elle en Cas qu'on lattaque mais lon na pas la pense ny lenvie.

Je Vous envoy vne Copie dune lestre du roy de france qui est Comme Vous Verrez extremement obligente. lon fait par tout des grandes demonstrations avec moy, mais a Vous dire la verite ie ne my fie pas et ie Vois bien que non ostant tout cela le roy de france me traversera en tout ce quil poura et mes desains et ma fortune. Car Jl ne me Caresse qve par la Crainte quil a de moy et en Suede et a Rome, et tache de me nuire Segrettement par tout, mais nimporte Je suis resolue a dissimuler tout. ausi bien ne me peut Jl nuire ny en Suede ny a Rome, et Je le serviray par tout avec honeur et sinserite autan que les interests de Rome et de Suede me le permetteront, et enfin Jl Conoistra ma vertu et sa foiblesse et se repentira peut estre de me persecuter inJustement et inutilement. Vous envoy le memoire dont Jl parle afin que Vous soyez informe de ce qui se passe Jay manque Vous envoyer la Copie de ma lestre a de lyonne Car D. Matteo ne la pas Copie pour laste que luy faisoit le Courrier de partir. cest vne faute qui ne se fera plus. Je me souvien pour tan qve ie dis sur ce quil mavoit dit que le roy avroit seu plus tost de Suede que de rome mon Voyage que Cela ne mavoit pas surpris puisque lon pouvoit mieux savoir en Suede qualieurs la necssite qui m'a oblige a Ce Voyage Car Jl savoit bien que leur prosedes my devoit forcer. Voila a plus prss le sens de la lettre, le estoit les Civilites ordinaires qui faisoit une bonne partie du la Contenu.

Jay Communique en france les novvelles que Vous savez avec la precaution necessaires et iay envoye vne Copie a lionne n'ayan pas trovve icy des minestres Capables dvne telle Confience, et iay vne si estroitte Correspondence avec lionne que iay iuge plus appropos den vser ainsie. Ie Vous renderay vn Conte exact de tout ce qui se passera sur ce suiet.

Je pense Vous avoir dit tout ce que iay a vous dire. Je me porte bien mais ie menuye fort, et rien ne me peut Consoler du malheur qui mesloinge de rome Continuez a me Consoler Comme Vous faites, de Vostre souvenir et soyez fortement persuade de la fidele et inviolable amitie que ie Vous professeray iusques a la mort adieu

English translation (my own):

21st letter from Hamburg, August 11, 1666 —
I have received your eighth letter with all the satisfaction you can imagine and thank you for the zeal and passion you show for my interests, of which I cannot say anything particular to you other than what I have told you in my previous ones, except that I have renewed the contract for six months with Texeira, and that I have had all the trouble in the world to dispose of it, as you will know from Pezza, who will take care to report it to you.

I am in despair for the Pope's illness, for I have many reasons to wish to be able to find myself in the time of a conclave in Rome; but, if God disposes otherwise, we must have patience and conform to His holy will, though it will be painful to me. My consolation is that you are there, and that this occasion will serve you to increase your glory and your esteem; for, as you have no other interest than the service of God, and the good and greatness of the Church, whatever may be the outcome, you will at least have the glory of having done your duty. I hope the same of all our friends and that they will support your zeal for theirs, and I am about to receive the consolation of learning that you will all be more united than ever and more zealous for the public good. I am confident that you will be the triumphant Squadron in this conclave. If it happens, remember our familiar conversations that Imperiali and you had so often with me, in the happy time that I was allowed to talk to you and to animate you in the zeal that you show without disguise to glory and the good of the Church. If the conclave arrives, it is time to execute these noble and beautiful projects, for I protest you that if you do not find a way to remedy in some way the disorders and abuses of nepotism, this plague cannot fail to be finally fatal to the Church.

I apologise if I undertake to speak with so much freedom on such a touchy subject, and that is not my fault. I know very well how dangerous this rope is to touch, but I do not promise myself anything of your zeal and courage. You know that I speak without interest, and if I considered mine, I would speak in another way; but God having given me the grace to leave so much for His service, I must spare the rest, and I would consider myself very happy if, at the expense of my blood and my life, I could serve God and His Church one day. You, who know the bottom of my heart, know that it is the greatest of my wishes and the only interest that I have in the world. After that, judge whether I will have joy if I learn that you are doing on this occasion all that I promise myself of your zeal, your virtue and your courage on this occasion. I pray to God with all my heart that He will assist you all for the glory of His service, and give a Pope as His service and glory require. And I begin to hope for it, for I see so admirable and advantageous dispositions everywhere, that I hope that God will give us a Pope who will know how to profit from it, and draws from it the glory of God and his own; and you will see that this cannot fail to happen sooner or later.

Here we have news of the naval battle given between the two fleets, the success of which was very differently told in this city during eight days. Nevertheless, it is likely and almost certain that the Dutch won. I reserve nevertheless to tell you by my following the certainty and the peculiarities. If victory has been declared for the Dutch, I believe that peace will be inevitable, and I wish that the English would have obtained it, peace will be the same for the reasons I have told you in my previous letters.

The city of Bremen is on the edge, and everyone is ready to declare for it in case it is attacked, but there is no thought or envy.

I send you a copy of a letter from the King of France, which is, as you will see, extremely obliging. Everywhere great demonstrations are made with me; but, to tell you the truth, I do not trust it, and I see that, notwithstanding all this, the King of France will cross me, in all he can, and my designs and my fortune. For he caresses me only by his fear of me and in Sweden and Rome, and tries to harm me secretly everywhere. But no matter, I am determined to conceal everything. He will not hurt me either in Sweden or in Rome, and I will serve him everywhere with honour and sincerity, as far as the interests of Rome and Sweden permit. And finally he will know my virtue and his weakness, and may repent of persecuting me unjustly and needlessly. I'm sending you the brief he's talking about, so that you're aware of what's going on. I failed to send you a copy of my letter to de Lionne, because Don Matteo did not copy it, for the haste of the mail to leave. It's a mistake that will not happen anymore. I remember, however, that I said, on what he had told me that the King would have known earlier of my journey to Sweden than to Rome, that it did not surprise me, since one could better know in Sweden than elsewhere the necessity which obliged me to this journey, for they knew well that their processes forced me to do so. Here, more closely was the meaning of the letter, the rest were ordinary civilities, which made up a good part of the contents.

I communicated to France the news you know, with the necessary precautions, and I sent a copy to Lionne, having not found here ministers capable of such confidence; and I have such a close correspondence with Lionne that I thought it more appropriate to use it in this way. I will give you an exact account of everything that happens on this subject.

I think I told you all I have to say to you. I am doing well, but I am very much bored, and nothing can console me for the misfortune which keeps me away from Rome. Continue to console me, as you do, with your remembrance, and be strongly persuaded of the faithful and inviolable friendship that I will profess to you until death. Farewell.

Above: Kristina.

Above: Cardinal Decio Azzolino.