Source:
Some Historic Women; or, Biographical Studies of Women Who Have Made History, pages 278 to 280, by William Henry Davenport Adams, 1890-1899; original at the University of Toronto - Robarts Library
Above: Kristina.
The biography:
At Stockholm, on her fifteenth birthday [sic], December 8th, 1644, the States formally invested Christina with the royal authority, consulting her own preference and following ancient custom in addressing her as Rex Suediæ, "King of Sweden." Surrounded by her great officers of State and the members of the Senate, she took her seat on a throne of silver, and addressed the assembled deputies in dignified and well-chosen words. After receiving their oaths of allegiance, she promised that she would always show due consideration for the Council, would not govern without consulting them, nor resent any advice they might deem it their duty to offer. It is but just to admit that the young sovereign assumed her solemn duties with a sincere desire to discharge them faithfully, and for the welfare of her subjects; and that she laboured early and late in their conscientious performance. Almost her first important act was to take steps to bring about peace in the northern countries. She entered into negotiations with Christian of Denmark, and insisted upon modifying the severe terms which her Ministers wished to exact. It was mainly through this wise moderation on her part that the treaty of Bromsdero [sic] was signed in August, 1645; which, if it did not concede all that Oxenstiern would have asked, was exceedingly favourable to Sweden, and made a large addition to her territories. This action on the part of a girl of sixteen [sic] is interesting in many ways, and illustrates the soundness of her judgment as well as the force of her character.
She was still pursuing her studies with assiduity and success. Her command of languages was not inferior to our own Elizabeth's. She spoke Latin, French, German, Dutch, and was able to read Greek. Her acquaintance with patristic literature was extensive and sound; she had read and reflected upon the writings of Augustine, Ambrose, Cyprian, Tertullian, and Gregory Nazienzen. She encouraged the scholars of France, Italy, and Holland to visit her court; entertained them hospitably; and listened to them with charming deference. Every Thursday she held a kind of conversazione, or "at home", at which she heartily welcomed everybody who had any pretension to wit or learning. Fools or bores found no encouragement from the intelligent and vivacious Queen. To gain time for her scholastic pursuits[,] she rose at four in the morning, and devoted to them the first hours of day. She was then free to attend to affairs of State. Over the deliberations of the Council she presided with easy dignity, listening carefully to everything that was advanced, discussing the most difficult questions with wonderful quickness of comprehension, and bringing ministers round to her own opinion by sheer force of argument. With all her respect for her great Chancellor, she refused to yield her judgment to his authority, when she considered him ill-advised.
It is politic, perhaps, in sovereigns to treat men of letters with courtesy, as the compliments they receive in return are of a more permanent character than the panegyrics of courtiers or the acclamations of crowds. Posterity can hardly help to regard with favour the young Queen whom the great astronomer Gassendi praised as having fulfilled Plato's wish that kings should philosophise or that philosophers should reign ("Votum celebre fuit Platonis, ut ad regni felicitatem, aut reges philosopharentur, hoc est sapientiæ studiosi forent, aut philosophi, seu qui forent sapientiæ studiosi, regnarent"). Vossius declared that she began to understand Greek in a shorter time than most people took to learn the alphabet. Heinsius professed to think that the first happiness of his life arose from the accident that he had been born in the same age with this queen of queens; the second was that he had known her; and the third that he had enjoyed some portion of her favour. As for Bochart, he compared her to Solomon's Queen of Sheba, much to the latter's disadvantage; for, while the southern queen went in search of wisdom, wise men went to the northern queen to find it embodied in her.
"Illa docenda suis Salomonem invisit ab oris,
Undique ad hanc docti, quo doceantur, eunt."
And, lastly, even the illustrious Pascal ranked himself among her admirers: — "Your genius, incomparable sovereign, captivates all those who have not submitted to your arms. For my part, not having had the felicity to be born under the first of your empires, I would have the whole world know that I esteem it my glory to live under the second."
No comments:
Post a Comment