Peder Juel's letter to Peder Charisius, dated September 3/13 (Old Style), 1653

Source:

Bidrag til Dronning Christinas, det svenske Hofs og Corfitz Ulfeldts Historie, i Aarene 1651-1655, af Peder Juul's utrykte Breve til Charisius, article by Christian Molbech in Historisk tidsskrift, volume 5, page 357, published by Den Danske Historiske Forening, 1844

https://books.google.com/books?id=hZBvHpda3WkC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Historisk+tidsskrift,+V&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Johan Ekeblad writes of the plague here in his letter of September 7/17 to his father Christoffer Ekeblad:

https://kingkristina.blogspot.com/2023/05/excerpt-from-johan-ekeblads-letter-to_46.html

The letter:

Den 3die Septbr. "Siden min sidste haver Alle her forundret sig at høre, at Pimentelli er igien kommen til Gothenborg, efterat han nogle Dage havde været udi Søen. Nogle sige, at hans Skib blev læk, og stødte paa en Klippe under Norge; Andre sige, at han frygtede, at Skibet var for meget lastet. Strax han var kommen i Land, tog han Posten, og red til Wadstena, hvor Dronningen var, og hvorfra de siden fulgtes sammen til Norrköping, hvor de forblive, indtil de faaer vis Efterretning om Pesten, som her i Byen siges at være kommen fra Dantzig. I et Huus ere vel To døde; men saa tvivles dog endnu derpaa, om det skal være Pesten. — Grev Magnus er igienkommen fra Øsel, hvor han haver ladet Hr. Ebbe Ulfeldt efter sig som sin Fuldmægtig."

With modernised spelling:

Den 3. september. "Siden min sidste haver alle her forundret sig at høre, at Pimentelli er igen kommen til Gothenborg, efterat han nogle dage havde været udi søen. Nogle sige, at hans skib blev læk, og stødte på en klippe under Norge; andre sige, at han frygtede, at skibet var for meget lastet. Straks han var kommen i land, tog han posten, og red til Vadstena, hvor dronningen var, og hvorfra de siden fulgtes sammen til Norrköping, hvor de forblive, indtil de får vis efterretning om pesten, som her i byen siges at være kommen fra Danzig. I et hus ere vel to døde; men så tvivles dog endnu derpå, om det skal være pesten. — Grev Magnus er igenkommen fra Øsel, hvor han haver ladet hr. Ebbe Ulfeldt efter sig som sin fuldmægtig."

English translation (my own):

September 3. "Since my last letter, everyone here has been surprised to hear that Pimentel has returned to Gothenburg after he had been out at sea for some days. Some say that his ship sprang a leak and came upon a rock under Norway; others say that he feared the ship was too heavily laden. As soon as he landed he took the post and rode to Vadstena, where the Queen was, and from whence they were afterwards accompanied to Norrköping, where they remained until they received some intelligence of the plague, which is said to have come here in town from Danzig. There are probably two dead in one house; but then there is still doubt as to whether it must be the plague. — Count Magnus has returned from Ösel, where he left Lord Ebbe Ulfeldt behind as his plenipotentiary."

Above: Kristina.

Above: Antonio Pimentel.

Above: Magnus de la Gardie.

Notes: Kristina and Pimentel actually stayed in Nyköping, not Norrköping, although it is easy and understandable for non-Swedes to confuse the two cities.

Danzig is the old German name for the city of Gdańsk in what is now Poland, in the historical region of Pomerania.

Ösel is the old German and Swedish name for the Estonian island of Saaremaa.