Source:
Christina, Queen of Sweden, pages 191 to 195, by Francis William Bain, 1890; original at the University of Connecticut Library
The account:
... Christina was at no time more closely allied with Pimentelli than other ambassadors whom she thought it necessary to conciliate for political reasons. The insinuations against him are due to his country and his religion, and were never directed against another ambassador to whom she showed equal if not greater favour, Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke, who was sent by Cromwell to Sweden in 1653 to negotiate a commercial treaty with England and establish friendly relations between the two countries. His first interview with Christina took place on December 23, 1653:
"He perceived the Queen sitting, at the upper end of the room, upon her chair of state of crimson velvet... he put off his cap, and then the Queen put off her cap, after the fashion of men, and came two or three steps forward upon the foot carpet. This, and her being covered and rising from her seat, caused Whitelocke to know her to be the Queen, which otherwise had not been easy to be discerned, her habit being of plain grey stuff, her petticoat reaching to the ground, over that a jacket such as men wear, of the same stuff, reaching to her knees; on her left side, tied with crimson ribbons, she wore the jewel of the order of Amaranta; her cuffs ruffled à la mode, no gorget or band, but a black scarf about her neck, tied before with a black ribbon as soldiers and mariners sometimes use to wear; her hair was braided and hung loose upon her head: she wore a black velvet cap lined with sables and turned up after the fashion of the country, which she used to put on and off as men do their hats. Her countenance was sprightly, but somewhat pale; she has much of majesty in her demeanour, and though her person were of the smaller size, yet her mien and carriage were very noble."
Christina took great delight in Whitelocke's company and humour; she would frequently have him to her palace, and after "calling for stools" in deference to his lameness, she would sit hours at a time discussing English and foreign affairs, not unmixed with what he calls "drollery." The accounts he has left us show what tact she would bring to bear on her negotiations with foreign powers. To oblige him, she ceased to hold balls on Sunday, as was customary in Sweden, which he considered a profanation of the Sabbath. She always expressed a great admiration of Cromwell, whom she compared to Gustavus Vasa. She would sometimes ride with him, and on one such occasion tried his pistols and her own to see which were the best. On February 20th, Valentine's Eve according to the old style, she gave him leave to be her Valentine, and wear her name in his hat; he sent her as a present "a great looking-glass." It was just such instances of graceful humour that in cases other than Whitelocke's were twisted into scandals by malevolent calumniators.
He describes for us the balls and festivals given by the Queen: "The Queen and her ladies would first dance the brawls, then French dances; ... she took great delight in English country dances, and herself danced with more life and spirit than the rest of the ladies, or any he had seen;" as well as masquerades and ballets, such as that in January, 1651, called the "triumphant Parnassus;" sometimes the national costumes of Europe, past and present, would be represented, Christina appearing now as a Dutch maidservant, now a Moorish lady, or citizen's wife. At a "Banquet of the Gods" in 1651 [sic], in which Ulfeld, Radziejowski, Pimentelli, and Count Magnus appeared as Jupiter, Bacchus, Mars, and Apollo, she instituted her "Order of Amaranta." The origin of the name is obscure; perhaps from the Greek "never fading;" or a pastoral in which Christina was a shepherdess, Amarantha. The badge was a gold medal on which was engraved a double A, interlaced, with the motto "Dolce nella memoria." There were thirty members in addition to the Queen; they swore to follow Virtue and Honour, and had the privilege of feasting with her on Saturdays at a country house near Stockholm. One condition was that the candidate must be unmarried; this must have been abrogated in the case of Whitelocke, who was made a member; he had been married three times. "Pardieu, vous êtes incorrigible!" said the Queen, when he told her.
Her enemies fastened on this "Order", trying to connect it scandalously with Pimentelli, whose Christian name was Antonio; a thing refuted by the date, when he had not as yet come to Sweden [sic]. They saw further evidence in the diamond ring she gave him, at one of these masques, to hold for her till she asked for it, when she went to change her dress; when he offered it back to her, she said she had not asked for it yet, nor would; he was to keep it in memory of her. But Whitelocke, who relates it, speaks of the whole thing as taking place "genteelly, and without the least offence or scandal."
Not only are charges of this pitiful kind absolutely without foundation, but neither is there anything in the assertion that at this time she abandoned politics for frivolous amusements. A typical illustration is furnished by the innumerable discussions between Whitelocke and herself respecting his mission, in which her careful consideration of all details is obvious. Certainly, there was considerable delay in settling and concluding it, of which Whitelocke complains. But he does not notice the reason for this delay; his own pages furnish continual evidence that Christina and the Chancellor were waiting to see whether Cromwell could establish his power on a sure basis. In the meantime Balandine, Charles II.'s envoy, came to Sweden to ask assistance. Christina wrote an answer with her own hand, "regretting her inability to provide any remedy for the incurable evils of the age, and[,] hoping that time[,] which cures all things[,] might put an end to his evil fortune, and furnish her with opportunities to assist him without detriment to her own interests and obligations." But after Cromwell became Protector, in December, 1653, the treaty of commerce progressed better: it was finally signed in April, 1654. On his departure, Christina made Whitelocke a present of raw copper worth £2500.
Above: Kristina.
Above: Bulstrode Whitelocke.
No comments:
Post a Comment