Excerpt from Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia's letter to Sir Edward Nicholas, dated December 11/21 (New Style), 1654

Source:

Memoirs of John Evelyn, volume 2, pages 208 to 210, published by William Bray, 1827

https://archive.org/details/memoirsofjohneve05evel/page/208/mode/2up?q=Sweden

The letter excerpt:

Hagh De: 21. (1654.)
Mr Secretarie, ... The French Ambassadour beleeues the treatie with Cromwell as good as broken; he is much ioyed that the meeting betwixt the Queene of Sueden and P. of Condé was to neither of theire content, for he desired to be receaued as the Queene receaued the Arcdduc, which she refused, saying that she had done too much for in that and woulde doe so no more, yet he came to see her brusquement a l'improuist, and did nothing but railler her in his talke, which putt her so out as she said almost not one worde. This was in the morning; after dinner she sent to know if he woulde see the play at night, he said he would obey her, but desired to know whither he shoulde come knowen or as vnknowen, for if he came as Prince of Condé he looked tohaue a chaise a bras as the Archduc had — she saide he had better come unknowen, so he came, and she stood all the play, railling with Monr Quito the Princes favourit. the next day the P. went to Bruxelles, and neither of them well satisfied with the other. ... I thank you for your congratulation of Apollos returne, you know how great a favorit he is to
Your most affectionat frend. ...

With modernised spelling:

Haag, December 21 [1654].
Mr. Secretary,
... The French ambassador believes the treaty with Cromwell as good as broken; he is much joyed that the meeting betwixt the Queen of Sweden and Prince of Condé was to neither of their content, for he desired to be received as the Queen received the Archduke, which she refused, saying that she had done too much for in that and would do so no more, yet he came to see her brusquement à l'improviste and did nothing but railler her in his talk, which put her so out as she said almost not one word.

This was in the morning; after dinner she sent to know if he would see the play at night, he said he would obey her, but desired to know whether he should come known or as unknown, for if he came as Prince of Condé he looked to have a chaise à bras as the Archduke had — she said he had better come unknown, so he came, and she stood all the play, railing with Monsieur Quito, the Prince's favourite. The next day the Prince went to Brussels, and neither of them well satisfied with the other. ... I thank you for your congratulation of Apollo's return, you know how great a favourite he is to
your most affectionate friend. ...

French translation (my own):

La Haye, le 21 décembre [1654].
Monsieur le secrétaire,
... L'ambassadeur de France estime que le traité avec Cromwell est pour ainsi dire rompu; il est très heureux que la rencontre entre la reine de Suède et le prince de Condé n'ait été ni à leur contentement, car il désirait être reçu comme la reine recevait l'archiduc, ce qu'elle refusa, disant qu'elle en avait trop fait pour cela et il ne voulait plus le faire, mais il venait la voir brusquement à l'improviste et ne faisait que la railler dans son discours, qui l'offensait tellement qu'elle ne disait presque pas un mot.

C'était le matin; après le dîner, elle fit savoir s'il voulait voir la pièce le soir, il dit qu'il lui obéirait, mais il désirait savoir s'il devait se montrer connu ou inconnu, car s'il venait en prince de Condé, il demanderait à avoir une chaise à bras comme l'archiduc en avait — elle dit qu'il valait mieux qu'il vienne inconnu, alors il vint, et elle resta debout pendant toute la pièce, raillant avec M. Quito, le favori du prince. Le lendemain, le prince se rendit à Bruxelles, et aucun d'eux n'était très satisfait de l'autre. ... Je vous remercie pour vos félicitations pour le retour d'Apollon, vous savez bien à quel point il est le favori de
votre très affectionnée amie. ...

Czech translation (my own):

Haag, 21. prosince [1654].
Pane sekretáři,
... Francouzský velvyslanec věří, že smlouva s Cromwellem je stejně dobrá jako porušená; je velmi rád, že setkání mezi švédskou královnou a princem z Condé nebylo k jejich spokojenosti, protože si přál být přijat, jako královna přijala arcivévodu, což odmítla s tím, že pro to udělala příliš mnoho a už to nechtěl udělat, ale přišel ji vidět brusquement à l'improviste a nedělal nic jiného, ​​než že ji raillait ve svých řečech, což ji tak urazilo, že neřekla skoro ani slovo.

Bylo to ráno; po večeři poslala, aby věděla, jestli chce vidět hru v noci, řekl, že ji poslechne, ale chtěl vědět, jestli by měl být známý nebo neznámý, protože kdyby přišel jako princ z Condé, požádal by o chaise à bras jako měl arcivévoda — řekla, že by měl přijít neznámý, a tak přišel, a ona stála po celou dobu hry a zábradlí s monsieur Quito, princův oblíbenec. Druhý den princ odjel do Bruselu a ani jedno z nich nebylo s tím druhým příliš spokojeno. ... Děkuji vám za vaše blahopřání k Apollónovu návratu, víte, jak velký oblíbenec je u vaší nejmilovanější přítelkyně. ...

Swedish translation (my own):

Haag, den 21 december [1654].
Min herr sekreterare,
... Den franske ambassadören anser att fördraget med Cromwell är så gott som brutet; han är mycket glad över att mötet mellan drottningen av Sverige och prinsen av Condé inte var till något av deras belåtenhet, ty han önskade att bli mottagen som drottningen tog emot ärkehertigen, vilket hon vägrade och sade att hon hade gjort för mycket för i det och ville inte göra det mer, men ändå kom han för att se henne brusquement à l'improviste och gjorde inget annat än railler henne i sitt tal, vilket kränkte henne så mycket att hon nästan inte sade ett ord.

Detta var på morgonen; efter middagen skickade hon för att veta om han ville se pjäsen på natten, han sade att han skulle lyda henne, men han ville veta om han skulle bli känd eller okänd, för om han kom som prinsen av Condé skulle han be om att få ha en chaise à bras som ärkehertigen hade — hon sade att det var bäst att han hade kommit okänd, så han kom, och hon stod under hela pjäsen och raljerade med monsieur Quito, prinsens favorit. Dagen efter reste prinsen till Bryssel, och ingen av dem var väl tillfreds med den andra. ... Jag tackar Er gratulation till Apollos återkomst, Ni vet väl hur stor favorit han är för
Er tillgivnaste vän. ...

Above: Kristina.

Above: The Prince de Condé.

Above: Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia.

Above: Sir Edward Nicholas.

Notes: "Yet the Prince de Condé was a great admirer of Christina, and observed upon one occasion — 'How great is the magnanimity of this Princess, who could so easily give up that for which mankind are continually destroying each other, and which so many throughout their whole lives pursue without attaining!' Condé, at the period here recorded, was in exile at Brussells; and though he felt offended upon the score of etiquette, her abdicated Majesty seems to have treated him with great familiarity, exclaiming 'Cousin! who would have thought ten years ago that we should have met at this distance from our countries?' The Prince might have thanked her for his exile, as it arose partly from her intermeddling in the affairs of the Fronde in France, a few years previous."

Apollo = Elizabeth's lapdog.