Anonymous biography of Kristina in "Eccentric Biography; or, Memoirs of Remarkable Female Characters, Ancient and Modern", year 1803, part 7

Source:

Eccentric Biography; or, Memoirs of Remarkable Female Characters, Ancient and Modern, page 93, by anonymous author, 1803; original at The British Library

https://books.google.com/books?id=znNZAAAAcAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=Eccentric+Biography%3B+or,+Memoirs+of+Remarkable+Female+Characters,+Ancient+and+Modern+1803&source=gbs_navlinks_s

The biography:

... This Bourdelot, during his ascendancy over the queen, had supplanted count Magnus de la Gardie, son of the constable of Sweden, who was a relation, a favourite, and perhaps the lover of Christina. Madam de Motteville, who had seen him ambassador in France, says, in her memoirs, that he spoke of his queen in terms so passionate and respectful, that every one concluded his attachment to her to be more ardent and tender, than a mere sense of duty can produce. This nobleman fell into disgrace, because he shewed an inclination to govern [sic], while Bourdelot seemed to aim at nothing more than to amuse, and concealed, under the unsuspected character of a droll, the real ascendancy which he exercised over the queen's mind. Scudery having obtained permission to dedicate his Alaric to her, she was so weak as to require him to strike out of the poem some verses, in which he had complimented the count de [la] Gardie, who was then quite out of favour; and Scudery had the noble fortitude to reply, 'That he would never destroy the altar upon which he had sacrificed.' ...

Above: Kristina.

Above: Pierre Bourdelot.

Above: Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie.

Above: Georges de Scudéry.

Note: droll = a funny person; a buffoon; a wag.