Kristina's letter to Per Brahe, dated September 1660

Source:

Mémoires concernant Christine, volume 2, page 39, Johan Arckenholtz, 1751

https://books.google.com/books?id=Fef0dKNmyggC&dq=reine%20christine%20de%20suède%20ferrario%20savant%20d%27italie%201653%20lettre&source=gbs_book_other_versions

The letter:

Mon Cousin. J'ai commandé à Silfwercron de vous parler pour mes intérêts & de vous communiquer une partie de mes intentions. J'ai tant de confiance en votre amitié, que je ne doute pas de votre appui, & j'espère un bon succès de la seule autorité que vous avez & qui vous est justement dûë: je me reserve à vous communiquer de bouche mes sentimens, & cependant je vous prie de croire, que j'ai seule plus d'affection pour le bien de l'Etat, que tout le reste des hommes, & que je suis avec une passion inviolable
Mon Cousin
Votre plus affectionnée &

véritable Amie
CHRISTINE ALESSANDRA.
Hambourg ce —

Sept. 1660.

English translation (my own):

My Cousin,
I have ordered Silfvercrona to speak to you for my interests and to communicate some of my intentions to you. I have so much confidence in your friendship that I have no doubts about your support, and I hope good success from the only authority you have and which is rightly due to you. I reserve myself to communicate my feelings to you by mouth, and in the meantime I beg you to believe that I alone have more affection for the good of the State than for all other men, and that I am with an inviolable passion,
My Cousin,
Your most affectionate and true friend
Kristina Alessandra.
Hamburg, September —, 1660

Above: Kristina.

Above: Per Brahe.

Note: In accordance with the nobility's ideals in the early modern era, kings and queens considered themselves siblings; when talking to someone of a lower rank than their own, they would refer to that person as "my cousin", regardless of whether or not they were related.