Kristina's letter to Cardinal Giacomo Rospigliosi, year 1667

Source:

Mémoires concernant Christine, reine de Suède, volume 3, page 289, compiled and edited by Johan Arckenholtz, 1759

https://books.google.com/books?id=K4jbZ_vZt5wC&printsec=frontcover&dq=mémoires+concernant+christine+reine+de+suède&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwihy5i5htjmAhXaJzQIHVI2CuwQuwUwA3oECAQQBA#v=onepage&q=mémoires%20concernant%20christine%20reine%20de%20suède&f=false

The letter:

A l'Abbé Rospigliosi,

Mon Cousin, j'avois déjà appris, par les Nouvelles publiques, l'exaltation au Pontificat du Seigneur Cardinal Rospigliosi, & j'attendois d'apprendre par un Courier de la part du Cardinal Azzolino une nouvelle aussi importante & agréable pour moi que celle-là, lorsque votre Lettre m'a confirmé dans ma joye, en me donnant la plus agréable nouvelle du monde. Et quoique j'aye été assez heureuse pour être peut-être la premiére à vous donner cette même nouvelle, vous m'avez récompensé sur le champ, en m'assurant que ce que j'ai tant desiré étoit déjà arrivé. Je vous en rends mille graces, aussi bien que des obligeantes expressions dont vous vous servez à mon égard; & puisque vous connoissez en partie ce que vous devez aux services du Seigneur Cardinal Azzolino, j'ose vous demander pour lui toute la reconnoissance qu'il a méritée par le service si signalé qu'il vient de vous rendre, dont sans vanité je puis dire que peu de personnes en savent plus de particularités que moi, qui suis témoin qu'il y a plus de deux ans qu'il a travaillé à cela avec toute l'habileté & la fidélité que le tems & les conjonctures pouvoient permettre de faire à un aussi honnête & habile homme qu'il est. Je suis ravie que vous le savez, & je m'assure que vous rendrez justice à son mérite; pour moi je vous proteste que je vous serai obligée & redevable de tout ce que vous ferez pour lui & pour ses amis qui l'ont si généreusement secondé, comme vous le savez. Après cela il ne me reste plus rien à faire, que des vœux pour la longue conservation de Sa Sainteté & pour la gloire & la félicité de son régne, auquel je donnerois volontiers une partie de mon sang, s'il pouvoit y contribuer utilement. Je prie Dieu cependant qu'il vous tienne, Mon Cousin, en sa sainte & digne garde &c.

English translation (my own):

To the Abbot Rospigliosi,

My cousin, I had already learned, through the public news, of the exaltation at the Pontificate of Lord Cardinal Rospigliosi, and I was waiting to learn by courier from Cardinal Azzolino such important and pleasant news for me as that there, when your letter confirmed me in my joy, giving me the most pleasant news in the world. And although I was happy enough to perhaps be the first to give you this same news, you rewarded me on the spot, making sure that what I so longed for had already happened. I thank you a thousand thanks, as well as the obliging expressions which you use towards me; and since you know in part what you owe to the services of Cardinal Azzolino, I dare to ask you for him all the gratitude he deserved by the service so signaled which he has just rendered you, of which, without vanity, I can say that few people know more about it than I, who has witnessed that more than two years ago that he worked on this with all the skill and fidelity that time and circumstances could allow to do to such an honest and skillful man as he is. I am glad that you know it, and I make sure you do justice to its merit; as for me, I protest to you that I will be obliged and indebted to you for all that you will do for him and for his friends who have so generously supported him, as you know. After that there is nothing left for me to make but wishes for the long preservation of His Holiness and for the glory and happiness of his reign, to which I would gladly give part of my blood, if it could usefully contribute. I pray to God, in the meantime, that He will keep you, my cousin, in His holy and worthy protection, etc.

Above: Kristina.

Above: Giacomo Rospigliosi.

Notes: 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.

This letter is addressed to an Abbot Rospigliosi; I have assumed this is Giacomo Rospigliosi, although he did not have the title of Abbot until 1671, but I do not know of any member of the family who had that title in 1667. If anyone knows about this better than I do, please comment below.