Sources:
Histoire des intrigues galantes de la reine Christine de Suede: et de sa cour, pendant son sejour à Rome, pages 3 to 5, by Christian Gottfried Franckenstein, 1697
The history of the intrigues & gallantries of Christina, Queen of Sweden, and of her court whilst she was at Rome faithfully render'd into English from the French original, translated by Philip Hollingworth, 1697
Above: Kristina.
The description:
Christine Alexandre, a peut-être, été la Princesse de notre siecle qui a le plus imposé, & fait parler d'elle dans le monde: elle sçavoit si bien assortir un certain caractere de grandeur dans toute sa personne, que tout le monde en étoit charmé; son Esprit donnoit de l'admiration à ceux qui l'approfondissoient, mais certaines graces qui brilloient sur son visage, donnoient encore plus d'amour à ceux qui la consideroient. Il y avoit cependant plus d'agrément dans l'un que dans l'autre, mais toutes ses qualitez extraordinaires empéchoient de faire reflexion sur les defauts qu'il y avoit en sa personne. Elle étoit beaucoup voutée, pour ne pas dire presque bossuë, sa taille étoit mediocre & grossiere, cependant elle se regardoit comme dans un enbon point raisonnable, son teint étoit le plus beau du monde, elle avoit les yeux beaux & brillans, tous les traits delicats, les levres vermeilles, la bouche petite, les dents belles, le nez aquilin, la Gorge & les mains blanches quoiqu'elle ne se lavât jamais les mains, & le visage que dans de l'eau de fontaine. Outre tous ces agrémens de son sexe qui font une beauté dans son naturel, elle avoit encore plusieurs belles qualitez du nôtre, la hardiesse, & l'intrepidité, une parfaite connoissance de toutes choses, une grande dexterité à conduire les affaires importantes, & delicates, enfin elle avoit presque tout le merite des deux sexes; la beauté de son esprit, la facilité de son genie, la justesse de ses pensées, la delicatesse de ses expressions, en un mot cette memoire prodigieuse qui faisoit que le passé étoit devant ses yeux comme le present; tous ces rares talens dis-je, & toutes ces belles qualitez ebloüissoient tellement ceux qui l'approchoient, qu'ils étoient incapables de faire attention à autre chose quà celles qu'ils voyoient. Cependant ceux qui nese laissoient pas seduire si aisement, reconnoissoient que dans cet esprit tout transcendant & tout capable de grandes choses qu'il étoit, il y avoit des defauts considerables; elle aimoit les plaisirs, & ne gardoit gueres de mesures ni de bien seance en les prenant: on la Vuë s'abbaisser jusqu'à se familiariser avec plusieurs de ses Officiers; ses Domestiques qui la voyoient prendre toutes sortes de libertez avec tant de personnes de differens sexes, ont quelque fois douté du sien: ses favoris l'ont trouvée souvent legere, & inconstante, contrariante, & toujours pleine d'elle même, ce qui n'est pas supportable dans les Princes mêmes. ...
With modernised spelling:
Christine Alexandra a peut-être été la princesse de notre siècle qui a le plus imposé et fait parler d'elle dans le monde. Elle savait si bien assortir un certain caractère de grandeur dans toute sa personne que tout le monde en était charmé. Son esprit donnait de l'admiration à ceux qui l'approfondissaient, mais certaines grâces qui brillaient sur son visage donnaient encore plus d'amour à ceux qui la considéraient. Il y avait cependant plus d'agrément dans l'un que dans l'autre, mais toutes ses qualités extraordinaires empêchaient de faire réfléxion sur les défauts qu'il y avait en sa personne.
Elle était beaucoup voûtée, pour ne pas dire presque bossue. Sa taille était médiocre et grossière, cependant elle se regardait comme dans un en bon point raisonnable. Son teint était le plus beau du monde. Elle avait les yeux beaux et brillants, tous les traits délicats, les lèvres vermeilles, la bouche petite, les dents belles, le nez aquilin, la gorge et les mains blanches, quoiqu'elle ne se lavât jamais les mains; et le visage que dans de l'eau de fontaine.
Outre tous ces agréments de son sexe qui font une beauté dans son naturel, elle avait encore plusieurs belles qualités du nôtre: la hardiesse et l'intrépidité, une parfaite connaissance de toutes choses, une grande dextérité à conduire les affaires importantes et délicates. Enfin, elle avait presque tout le mérite des deux sexes. La beauté de son esprit, la facilité de son génie, la justesse de ses pensées, la délicatesse de ses expressions, en un mot, cette mémoire prodigieuse qui faisait que le passé était devant ses yeux comme le présent — tous ces rares talents, dis-je, et toutes ces belles qualités eblouissaient tellement ceux qui l'approchaient qu'ils étaient incapables de faire attention à autre chose qu'à celles qu'ils voyaient.
Cependant ceux qui ne se laissaient pas séduire si aisément reconnaissaient que dans cet esprit tout transcendant et tout capable de grandes choses qu'il était, il y avait des défauts considérables.
Elle aimait les plaisirs et ne gardait guère de mesures ni de bienséance en les prenant. On l'a vue s'abaisser jusqu'à se familiariser avec plusieurs de ses officiers. Ses domestiques, qui la voyaient prendre toutes sortes de libertés avec tant de personnes de différents sexes, ont quelquefois douté du sien. Ses favoris l'ont trouvée souvent légère et inconstante, contrariante et toujours pleine d'elle-même, ce qui n'est pas supportable dans les princes-mêmes. ...
Swedish translation (my own):
Kristina Alexandra var kanske vår sekels prinsessa som har påtvingat mest och fått folk att prata om henne över hela världen. Hon visste så väl hur hon skulle assortera en viss karaktär av storhet i hela sin person att alla charmerades av henne. Hennes espri gav beundran till dem som lärde sig förstå henne, men vissa gracer som lyste i hennes ansikte gav ännu mer kärlek till dem som såg på henne. Det fanns dock mer charm i den ena än i den andra, men alla hennes extraordinära egenskaper hindrade reflektion över de fel som fanns i hennes person.
Hon var väldigt krokig, för att inte säga nästan puckelryggig. Hennes figur var medioker och tjock, men hon såg sig själv som ganska rimlig. Hennes hy var den vackraste i världen. Hon hade vackra, glänsande ögon, alla drag ömtåliga, rubinröda läppar, en liten mun, vackra tänder, en kroknäsa och en vit hals och händer, fastän hon aldrig tvättade händerna; och hon tvättade bara sitt ansikte i fontänvatten.
Förutom alla de tjusningar av hennes kön, som gör en skönhet i hennes natur, hade hon fortfarande flera fina egenskaper hos vårt kön: djärvhet och orädsla, en fullkomlig kunskap om alla ting och en stor skicklighet i att sköta viktiga och ömtåliga affärer. Enfin, hon hade nästan alla förtjänster av båda könen. Skönheten i hennes sinne, faciliteten i hennes ingenium, noggrannheten i hennes tankar, ömheten i hennes uttryck, med ett ord, det vidunderliga minnet som fick det förflutna att verka som nuet framför hennes ögon — alla dessa sällsynta talanger, säger jag, och alla dessa vackra egenskaper bländade dem som närmade sig henne så mycket att de inte kunde uppmärksamma något annat än vad de såg.
Men de som inte lät sig förföra insåg så lätt att det i denna anda, så fullkomligt transcendent och kapabel till stora ting som den var, fanns avsevärda fel.
Hon älskade nöjen och iakttog lite återhållsamhet eller anständighet när hon tog dem. Hon sågs böja sig för att bekanta sig med flera av sina officerare. Hennes tjänare, som såg henne ta alla möjliga friheter med så många människor av olika kön, tvivlade ibland på hennes eget kön. Hennes favoriter fann henne ofta lättsinnad och inkonstant, störig och alltid full av sig själv, vilket inte är uthärdligt hos furstar själva. ...
English translation (by Hollingworth):
Christina Alexandra has perhaps been the Princess, who has most of all imposed on us, and made her self most talk'd of in the World. She knew so well to assert a certain Character of Greatness in her whole Personage that she charmed all Mankind. Her Wit caused Admiration in all who were able to comprehend it; and certain Graces sparkled in her Face, which caused Love in all that view'd them: Nevertheless she had more agreeableness in the one than the other; and her extraordinary Qualities hindred People from reflecting upon the real Defects of her Person. She was a little bent, not to say crooked: Her Stature was middle-sized, inclining to be fat; and yet she was at a reasonable stand as to that Point: Her Complexion was the finest in the World: Her Eyes were beautiful and sparkling; her Lips red; she had good Teeth, and an Aquiline Nose; her Neck and Hands white, tho' she never wash'd them in any thing but cold Water. Besides these Excellencies of her Sex, which made her a Beauty in her own Nature, she had some of the best Qualities of ours, such as Courage and Undauntedness, with an admirable knowledge of most things; a great dexterity in the Conduct of the weightiest Affairs, as also of the most curious. And in a word, she had almost all the choicest Qualifications of both Sexes. The greatness of her Wit, the facility of her Genius, the exactness of her Thoughts, the delicacy of her Expressions, and last of all a prodigious Memory, which made past things appear as present: All these rare Talents should I say, or rather all these extraordinary Qualities did so astonish all that approach'd her, that they were not capable of attending any other thing. And yet those who would not suffer themselves to be so easily led away without a nicer Inspection, could find considerable Faults in her, how great and transcendent soever her Wit were. She so much loved her Pleasure, that she observed no Measures in the taking of it, and would Debase her self so far as to be Familiar with many of her Officers. Her Domesticks, who would take all sorts of Liberty with both Sexes, were sometimes Doubtful of their own, and her greatest Favourites have oftentimes found her Light, Inconstant, Contradictory, and always full of her self; things scarce Supportable even in Princes themselves. ...
With modernised spelling and punctuation for easier reading:
Kristina Alexandra has perhaps been the princess who has most of all imposed on us and made herself most talked of in the world. She knew so well to assert a certain character of greatness in her whole personage that she charmed all mankind. Her wit caused admiration in all who were able to comprehend it; and certain graces sparkled in her face, which caused love in all that viewed them. Nevertheless, she had more agreeableness in the one than the other; and her extraordinary qualities hindered people from reflecting upon the real defects of her person.
She was a little bent, not to say crooked. Her stature was middle-sized, inclining to be fat; and yet she was at a reasonable stand as to that point. Her complexion was the finest in the world. Her eyes were beautiful and sparkling, her lips red, she had good teeth and an aquiline nose, her neck and hands white, though she never washed them in anything but cold water.
Besides these excellencies of her sex, which made her a beauty in her own nature, she had some of the best qualities of ours, such as courage and undauntedness, with an admirable knowledge of most things; a great dexterity in the conduct of the weightiest affairs, as also of the most curious. And, in a word, she had almost all the choicest qualifications of both sexes.
The greatness of her wit, the facility of her genius, the exactness of her thoughts, the delicacy of her expressions, and, last of all, a prodigious memory, which made past things appear as present — all these rare talents, should I say, or rather all these extraordinary qualities, did so astonish all that approached her that they were not capable of attending any other thing. And yet, those who would not suffer themselves to be so easily led away without a nicer inspection could find considerable faults in her, how great and transcendent soever her wit were.
She so much loved her pleasure that she observed no measures in the taking of it, and would debase herself so far as to be familiar with many of her officers. Her domestics, who would take all sorts of liberty with both sexes, were sometimes doubtful of their own; and her greatest favourites have oftentimes found her light, inconstant, contradictory, and always full of herself — things scarce supportable even in princes themselves. ...
English translation (my own; this is more accurate):
Kristina Alexandra was perhaps the princess of our century who has imposed the most and made people talk about her all the world over. She knew so well how to match a certain character of grandeur in her whole person that everyone was charmed by her. Her spirit gave admiration to those who learned to understand her, but certain graces that shone on her face gave even more love to those who looked at her. There was, however, more charm in one than in the other, but all her extraordinary qualities prevented reflection on the faults there were in her person.
She was very stooped, not to say almost hunchbacked. Her figure was mediocre and chubby, yet she saw herself as fairly reasonable. Her complexion was the most beautiful in the world. She had beautiful, shining eyes, all the features delicate, ruby red lips, a small mouth, beautiful teeth, an aquiline nose, and a white throat and hands, although she never washed her hands; and she only ever washed her face in fountain water.
Besides all those charms of her sex which make a beauty in her nature, she still had several fine qualities of ours: boldness and intrepidity, a perfect knowledge of all things, and a great dexterity in conducting important and delicate affairs. Enfin, she had almost all the merit of both sexes. The beauty of her mind, the facility of her genius, the accuracy of her thoughts, the delicacy of her expressions, in a word, that prodigious memory which made the past seem like the present before her eyes — all these rare talents, I say, and all these beautiful qualities dazzled those who approached her so much that they were unable to pay attention to anything other than what they saw.
However, those who did not allow themselves to be seduced so easily recognised that in this spirit, as completely transcendent and capable of great things as it was, there were considerable faults.
She loved pleasures and observed little restraint or propriety in taking them. She was seen stooping to familiarise herself with several of her officers. Her domestics, who saw her taking all sorts of liberties with so many people of different sexes, sometimes doubted her own. Her favourites often found her light and inconstant, irritating and always full of herself, which is not bearable in princes themselves. ...
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