Source:
Mémoires concernant Christine, reine de Suède, volume 4, page 114, compiled and edited by Johan Arckenholtz, 1760
The letter:
Li 29. Settembre 1683.
Signor Vice Rè Marchese del Carpio, mio Padrone. Non s'inganna chi mi crede interessatissima nelle glorie, ed avantaggi dell'Imperial Casa d'Austria, alla quale io professo tanta parzialità, quanto ogn'uno sà, ed essa mi fà giustizia d'esserne persuasa in particolare; ma confesso che nell'occasione del sommo pericolo di Vienna, io hò considerato con tanto horrore l'universal naufraggio della Christianità, quello della nostra libertà, e quello, ch'è più, della nostra santa Cattolica Religione, ch'io non hò saputo riflettere all'interesse particolare di questa gran Casa, se non in quanto le sue disgrazie sono inseparabili dall'interesse commune della Religione Cattolica, della quale tutti quei Principi sono, doppo Dio, l'unico sostegno. Io confesso a lei che hò temuto, hò tremato quando hò visto Vienna assediata, ne' me ne vergogno; Io hò creduto Vienna perduta senza un miracolo, ed hora godo altretanto più, quanto hò creduto impossibile il salvarla. Ma sia lodato e benedetto Dio che l'hà salvata da par suo, e con mezzi si gloriosi alla Chiesa Cattolica, ed all'Imperio Romano, ch'io ne resto col maggior giubilo ed ammiratione di cui io son capace. Intanto io la ringrazio affettuosamente delle cortesi espressioni che mi hà fatto in una si importante occasione. Prego Dio che quell'istesso valore de' Principi confederati per la Causa commune, liberi da nostra Europa d'ogn'altra schiavitù, come siamo liberati da quella de' Turchi; a questo bisogna ch'ella cooperi col suo zelo, e con tutta quella autorità e talenti che Dio le hà dati, per esser impiegati in servizio, e gloria sua. Doppo Dio, siamo tutti obligati al sommo zelo, e generosità di Papa Innocenzio, che merita un'applauso immortale in questa gloriosa occasione, nella quale si hà immortalizzato; Dio sia quello che lo rimuneri in questo mondo, e nell'altro, e ringraziandola di nuovo, le auguro vere prosperità.
La Regina.
French translation (by Arckenholtz):
Li 29. Settembre 1683.
Signor Vice Rè Marchese del Carpio, mio Padrone. On ne se trompe pas, quand on me croit très-intéressée à la gloire & aux avantages de la Maison Impériale d'Autriche, à laquelle je suis si intimement dévouée, comme chacun le fait; & vous, en particulier, me rendez le justice d'en être persuadé. J'avoue que dans le grand péril de Vienne, j'ai considéré avec tant d'horreur le naufrage universel de la Chrétienté, celui de notre Liberté, & qui plus est celui de notre Sainte Religion Catholique, que je n'ai pu réfléchir autrement sur l'intérêt particulier de cette grande Maison, qu'autant que ses infortunes sont inséparables de l'intérêt commun de la Religion Catholique, dont tous ces Princes sont, après Dieu, l'unique soutien. Je vous confesse que j'ai craint, que j'ai tremblé, quand j'ai appris que Vienne a été assiégée, & je n'en rougis pas. J'ai estimé Vienne perdue à moins d'un miracle. A-présent je m'en réjouis d'autant plus, que j'ai cru impossible de la sauver. Dieu soit béni qui l'a sauvée par des moyens aussi glorieux à l'Eglise Catholique & à l'Empire Romain. J'en suis ravie de joye & d'admiration, & cependant je vous remercie affectueusement des termes polis dont vous vous servez dans une occasion si importante. Je prie Dieu, que par la même valeur des Princes Confédérés pour la Cause commune, il veuille délivrer notre Europe de tout autre esclavage, comme nous sommes délivrés de celui des Turcs. Il faut pour cela qu'ils coopérent avec tout le zéle, toute l'autorité, & tous les talens que Dieu leur a donnés pour être employés à son service & à sa gloire. Après Dieu, nous sommes tous obligés au grand zéle & à la générosité du Pape Innocent, qui mérite un applaidissement immortel dans cette glorieuse occasion, où il s'est immortalisé. Que Dieu soit sa récompense en ce Monde & dans l'autre; & en vous réitérant mes remercimens, je vous souhaite toute sorte de prospérités.
La Reine.
Swedish translation (my own):
Den 29 september 1683.
Signor viceré, Marchese del Carpio, min kusin,
Man misstar sig inte när man tror mig vara mycket intresserad av kejsarhusets i Österrikes ära och fördelar, till vilka jag är så intimt hängiven, som alla är; och Ni i synnerhet gör mig rättvisa att bli övertygad om det. Jag erkänner att jag, i den stora faran för Wien, med sådan fasa har betraktat kristendomens universella skeppsbrott, vår frihets, och vad mer är, vår heliga katolska religions, att jag inte kunde reflektera på annat sätt över det särskilda intresset av detta stora hus, såvitt dess olyckor är oskiljaktiga från den katolska religionens gemensamma intresse, av vilken alla dessa furstar är, näst Gud, det enda stödet. Jag bekänner för Er att jag var rädd, att jag darrade, när jag fick veta att Wien var belägrad, och jag rodnar inte över detta. Jag ansåg att Wien var förlorat utan ett mirakel. Nu gläds jag desto mer för att jag trodde att det var omöjligt att rädda henne. Må Gud vara välsignad, som har räddat henne med så härliga medel till den katolska kyrkan och det romerska riket. Jag är förtjust i glädje och beundran, och emellertid tackar jag Er kärleksfullt för de artiga ord Ni använder vid ett så viktigt tillfälle. Jag ber Gud att han, med samma tapperhet som de konfedererade furstarna för den gemensamma saken, kommer att befria vårt Europa från allt annat slaveri, som vi är befriade från turkarnas. Detta kräver att de samarbetar med all den iver, all auktoritet och alla talanger som Gud har givit dem för att användas i hans tjänst och härlighet. Näst Gud står vi alla i tacksamhet till påven Innocentius' stora iver och generositet, som förtjänar odödliga applåder vid detta härliga tillfälle, vid vilket han förevigat sig. Gud vare hans belöning i denna värld och i den nästa; och samtidigt som jag upprepar min tacksägelse till Er, önskar jag Er all slags välstånd.
Drottningen.
English translation (my own):
September 29, 1683.
Signor viceré, Marchese del Carpio, my cousin,
One is not mistaken when one thinks me very interested in the glory and advantages of the Imperial House of Austria, to which I am so intimately devoted, as everyone is; and you, in particular, do me the justice to be persuaded of it. I confess that in the great danger of Vienna, I have considered with such horror the universal shipwreck of Christianity, that of our freedom, and what is more, that of our holy Catholic religion, that I could not reflect otherwise on the particular interest of this great House, as far as its misfortunes are inseparable from the common interest of the Catholic religion, of which all these princes are, after God, the only support. I confess to you that I was afraid, that I trembled, when I learned that Vienna was besieged, and I do not blush at this. I considered Vienna lost without a miracle. Now I rejoice all the more because I believed it was impossible to save her. May God be blessed, who has saved her by such glorious means to the Catholic Church and the Roman Empire. I am delighted with joy and admiration, and in the meantime I thank you affectionately for the polite terms you use on such an important occasion. I pray God that, by the same valour of the Confederate Princes for the common cause, He will deliver our Europe from all other slavery, as we are delivered from that of the Turks. This requires that they cooperate with all the zeal, all the authority, and all the talents that God has given them to be employed in His service and glory. After God, we are all indebted to the great zeal and generosity of Pope Innocent, who deserves immortal applause on this glorious occasion, on which he has immortalised himself. May God be his reward in this world and in the next; and while reiterating my thanks to you, I wish you every kind of prosperity.
The Queen.
Above: Kristina.
Above: Gaspar Méndez de Haro, Viceroy of Naples and Marquis of Carpio.
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.
The Battle of Vienna took place at Kahlenberg Mountain near Vienna, Austria on September 12, 1683 after the city had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire. The battle was fought by the combined forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, under the command of King Jan III Sobieski of Poland, and the opposing military forces of the Ottoman Empire and its vassal states (the Crimean Khanate, Moldavia, Transylvania, Upper Hungary and Wallachia), under the command of Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa. The Ottoman army numbered approximately 90,000 to 300,000 men.
The siege had begun on July 14. Among other units, the Ottoman forces consisted of 60 ortas of 12,000 janissaries — an elite infantry unit whose members were taken as children from Christian families in Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Serbia and the Ukraine through the devşirme (child levy or blood tax) system — with an observation army of some 70,000 men watching the countryside, hence Kristina's terror that Vienna might as well have already been lost.
The Christian Coalition won the battle, the siege was lifted, the Ottomans of course failed to take Vienna, suffered heavy losses and were severely weakened, and the Coalition established the Holy League under Pope Innocent XI to further push back the Ottomans. The Coalition forces also invaded the Ottoman-occupied territories of Morea (the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece), Dalmatia (a historical region of Croatia) and Danubia in Hungary and the Balkans.
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