tion of an antiquarian pedant, she offered 30,000 florins for a bronze medal of Otho; and she actually cut down some really valua ble Italian pictures to fit the panels of one of her galleries.

library and manuscripts, and presented them her of great part of her curiosities and splento the university of Upsal. Since his death, did library. Having little real taste, and no Salmasius, the antagonist of Milton-a man experience in art, she had been cheated to an whose learning, Johnson says, "exceeded all incredible extent in medals, pictures, and hope of human attainment," which he render- sculptures. A story runs that at the instiga ed vain by failing to apply it-and Vossius, the celebrated theologian and antiquary, were chiefly distinguished by Christina, and are considered to have exercised an evil influence on her, unsettling her religious opinions, and engaging her in vain metaphysical disputes. Both For intrepidity and presence of mind, when being men of bad lives, their moral influence was sudden danger assailed, she was remarkable. worse than the intellectual. Descartes, too, who Two instances in proof of this are recorded. had often boasted that he valued his liberty more Three years before her coronation, when atthan the smiles of the most powerful monarch, tending divine service one day in the palace was won by the flatteries of Christina to visit her church, at the close of the sermon, when all capital, where he died in four months-a bea- had knelt down to prayer, a man pressed con to all vain boasters to ponder the words, through the crowd, and entered the gallery "let him who thinketh he standeth take heed where the queen sat, unobserved by all but lest he fall." He had stipulated to be freed Count Brahe, who called to the guards; which from court ceremonial, but the queen required the queen hearing, she arose, and with the his attendance in her library every morning utmost composure, touched the chief guardsat five. This exertion, and the coldness of man, who was still on his knees. He sprang the climate threw him into a consumption. up and seized the man by the hair, when he The single consolation he enjoyed-that of was within two steps of Christina. He had quietly conversing with and looking on the one knife in his sleeve, ready to strike, and beauty of the Princess Palatine, the daughter another in his pocket; and turned out to be a of Elizabeth of Bohemia-was denied him; teacher in the Gymnasium, who had of late and so haughtily resented by the queen, that shown symptoms of unsoundness of mind.. the issue of his fatal malady was thereby has- The queen protected him from the popular tened. On the most unworthy of her literary rage, and desired him to be placed under profavorites, who embroiled her court with their per restraint. On another occasion, when on disputes, she lavished immense sums, in re- her way to visit her fleet in the harbor, and ward of their flattery, which degraded litera- passing along a plank from her barge to the ture in the eyes of her simple, rough Swedes. vessel, Admiral Flemming, on whose arm she To gratify her whims, she would make grave leaned, slipped and fell into the water, dragand profound scholars play with her at battle-ging his royal mistress after him by clinging door and shuttlecock; and once made two fa- to her dress. When extricated with difficulty mous Greek scholars perform a Greek dance by her equerry, she called out to them to save for her amusement. What most deeply offend- the admiral, who had sunk; and when he was ed her people, however, was the partiality she afterwards loudly blamed for endangering her showed for a French physician called Bourde- life, she excused him, on the plea of the strong lot, an ignorant, insolent quack, whose powers instinct of self-preservation; and added laughof pleasing consisted in singing little airs, and ingly: "You should rather praise than blame playing on the guitar, being knowing in the him, for he had certainly been drowned had cuisine and in all sorts of perfumes. Having he acted otherwise." She changed her dress, persuaded her that study would injure her and dined in public as if nothing had haphealth, she threw aside her books, and insult-pened. She was also the first to discover a fire ed the very men she had invited to her court. which broke out in her own palace, and which He ridiculed or slandered all who possessed her confidence, and was the cause of the disgrace of De la Gardie. Her mother remonstrated in vain, till at length the murmurs of her people could no longer be silenced, and she dismissed this creature, loaded with presents; but no sooner was he gone, than she Since the Count de la Gardie had fallen ridiculed him in turn; and threw from her his into disfavor, the Oxenstierns had regained first letter, saying: "Fy, it smells of rhu- their former influence, and Bourdelot had been barb!" and began now to call him her "agree- succeeded by the Spanish ambassador Pimenable ignorant." During his influence, which telli, a man as elegant and polished as the lasted little more than a year, the rest of her other was low and coarse. Being of insinuatformer so-called learned favorites amused and ing manners and matchless political skill, the revenged themselves by unmercifully pillaging Spanish interests supplanted those of France;

lasted from six at night till three in the morning, consuming her suite of drawing-rooms, among other damage. She remained amidst the tumult, and nearly choked with smoke, till papers and valuables were as far as possible saved.

and he is said to have fixed the wavering and services to her people, she tendered her mind of the queen in favor of Roman Catholicism. At this period, all her duties seem to have become irksome to her. She who had formerly outwearied all by her devotion to business, could now scarcely be got to sign necessary State-papers. She would turn away from her secretary, and say to Prince Charles: "Will you never deliver me from these people? Ce sont pour moi le diable?"

resignation, commending her successor to their loyalty and affection. The president of the senate, in the name of the nobles, the archbishop of Upsal, in that of the clergy, and the chief burgher, in the name of the citizens, severally made speeches of remonstrance. There then followed a scene which is thus described in Whitelocke's Journal: "In the last place stepped forth the marshal of the boors, a plain During her short reign the country had country fellow, in his clouted shoon, and all gained much in taste, and many luxuries had other habits answerable, as all the rest of the been introduced and improvements effected. company were accoutred; this boor, without Several of the towns had been increased, and any congees or ceremonies at all, spake to her palaces had arisen in place of hovels; great majesty, and his address was after this phrase: additions had been made to the royal palace, O Lord God, madam, what do you mean to which was formerly of the most simple de- do? It humbles us to hear you speak of forscription, and the apartments provided with saking those who love you as well as we do; costly furniture; services of silver were not can you be better than you are? You are only used in the palace, where tin had former-queen of all these countries, and if you leave ly sufficed at the wedding-feast of Gustavus, this large kingdom, where will you get such but Oxenstiern gave a banquet to Whitelocke, another? If you should do it as I hope you at which flourished a whole service of silver. won't for all this-both you and we shall have While advances in taste and luxury told of cause, when it is too late, to be sorry for it; outward improvement, the queen had suffered therefore, my fellows and I pray you to think abuses to creep into the administration, and better on't, and keep your crown on your all her affairs were entangled; her revenues head, then you will keep your own honor and were exhausted, and the crown-lands alienated our peace; but if you lay it down, in my conby her profusion. Remonstrance was met by science, you will endanger all. Continue in impatience; she was at once jealous of her your gears, good madam, and be the fore-horse authority, and weary of the restraints it im- as long as you live, and we will help you the posed. She would plunge into a round of best we can to bear your burden. Your father amusements, invent masques and ballets, in was an honest gentleman and a good king, and which she performed a principal part. Once very shining in the world, and we obeyed him she performed the part of Amarantha, in a and loved him as long as he lived, and you are pastoral, and then instituted the order of the his child, and have governed us very well, and Amarantha," which she bestowed on persons we love you with all our hearts; and the of both sexes in her court and on some of the prince is an honest gentleman, and when the foreign ambassadors. When not excited by time comes, we shall be ready to do our duties such pastimes, she was moody and fretful-she sighed for the independence of a private station; in southern climes she might dream out an existence such as her beloved classic poets knew how to invest with every charm; and having found that, to enact for a night, the written drama only brought satiety after it, she resolved to treat the world to a real drama, which would not only dazzle and confound the present, but all future generations.

to him as we do to you. But as long as you live we are unwilling to part with you; and, therefore, I pray, madam, do not part with us." When the boor had ended his speech, he waddled up to the queen without any ceremony, took her by the hand and shaked it heartily, and kissed it two or three times; then, turning his back to her, he pulled out of his pocket a foul handkerchief, and wiped the tears from his eyes; and, in the same posture as he came When, in 1654, Christina first declared her up, he returned back to his place again." intention of abdicating, it seemed so unlikely Christina was equally unmoved by homely as a step for a young woman of twenty-eight, by studied eloquence. On the 6th of June fond of power and glory, her people were fain following she appeared in the hall of assembly to regard it as a whim-a sort of threat to for the last time as a sovereign. Clad in the excite wonder, but which she would never put royal mantle of blue velvet and ermine, emin execution. When she persisted in her dec-broidered all over with little gold crowns, the laration, the whole senate, with Oxenstiern at sceptre in her hand, and the crown on her their head, remonstrated, but in vain. Prince head, she mounted her high silver throne, and Charles added his entreaties in a seemingly having read the act of renunciation, she reearnest and honest manner. All doubt was at leased her subjects from their oath of allegian end when, in an assemblage of the States ance, and made a sign to Count Brahé to at Upsal, on the 21st of May, in an eloquent advance and remove the crown from her head. speech, in which she vaunted her own virtues On his hesitating to do so she took it off her

self, and presented it to her successor, who favored face, and a mild countenance." This received it kneeling, never wore it in her from the sister of Charles, who, besides other presence, and caused a medal to be struck reasons, could not be expected to judge favorrepresenting this scene, with the inscription, ably of the devoted admirer of Cromwell. "I hold it from God and from Christina." Here, also, she met with her favorite hero When she threw aside the royal mantle it was Condé, of which interview Elizabeth writes: seized and torn in pieces by the multitude," The meeting betwixt the queen of Sweden each being anxious to obtain a portion as a relic.

and the Prince of Condé was to neither of their content, for he desired to be received as With this strange outburst ended the popu- she received the archduke (Leopold, stadtlarity of the queen. The people at once be- holder of the Netherlands), which she refused, gan to discover in her abdication an abandon- saying she had done too much in that and ment of her duties; in her love of foreigners would do so no more; yet he came to see her and foreign countries a want of patriotism. brusquement à l'improvist, and did nothing but Seeing the immense property she was carrying railler her in his talk, which put her so out as out of the kingdom in jewels, gold and silver, she said almost not one word. This was the and other articles of value to the amount of morning: after dinner she sent to know if he some millions of crowns, their indignation was would see the play at night; he said he would so great that serious thoughts were entertained obey her, but desired to know whether he of arresting her, and forcing her either to re- should come known or as unknown; for if side in the kingdom, or to give up the pension he came as Prince of Condé, he looked to assigned to her, and the rich treasures she was have a chaise-a-bras as the archduke had. She carrying off. Rumors of this intention having said he had better come unknown; so he reached her, she changed her route in great came; and she stood all the play raillant with alarm; refused the escort of armed vessels de- Monsieur Quito, the prince's favorite. The signed by Charles to convey her from the next day the prince went to Brussels, neither shores of Sweden, and set out so secretly that of them well satisfied with the other." When her departure resembled a flight, her princi- the queen herself repaired to Brussels, she pal attendants, even, not knowing whither was received in great state by the archduke, they were going. She scarcely breathed free- although she seems to have been very distastely till she reached the frontiers, when she ful to him, for Elizabeth says: "I believe the threw off all restraint, dismissed her women, archduke wishes her at Antwerp, for she perretaining in her service only four gentlemen, secutes him very close with her company, and two of whom were Count Dohna, her cham- you know he is a very modest man.' He berlain, and Count Steinberg, her equerry, seems to have lodged her for a time, for the and a few inferior servants. She travelled on queen of Bohemia, in her letters to Secretary horseback, under a feigned name, and quitted Nicholas, from which we have quoted-to be her kingdom with childish delight, glorying in seen in Evelyn's Correspondence-thus cona freedom she was certain to find more irk- cludes: "As for the archduke, he may thank some than the restraints from which she had God to be rid of the queen of Sweden, who escaped; for, from the grave defects in her is lodged at the Count of Egmont's house in character and education, she was still less Brussels, where she stays all the winter." The fitted for private life than for wielding a scep- day after her formal entrance into Brussels, tre. She had shown no feeling on her depar- on Christmas-eve, 1654, she made a private ture, and no one regretted her. From Ebba recantation of the Lutheran faith, and proSparre, now the wife of Count Jacob de la fessed herself a convert to the Romish Church, Gardie, and whom she seems to have loved as in the presence of the archduke, the Spanish well as she could love, she parted without a ambassador, the Count Montecuculi, and a few tear; as also fiom her mother, who was, we others. She afterwards heard mass, and reare told, "sick with grief, mortification and ceived the communion. This act, though priincessant weeping." Old Chancellor Oxens- vate, was celebrated publicly by balls, mastiern feigned illness, shut himself up, and querades, and hunting-parties. Cardinal Mazwould not assist at any of the ceremonies at- arin sent a company of comedians from Paris, tending the abdication or coronation. whose performances in French and Italian Christina, on her way to the Netherlands, operas and plays greatly delighted Christina took the route of Hamburg, where she resided-rather a rare and novel way for a priest to some days in the house of her banker, a rich do honor to such a solemnity, but more than Jew. The first considerable stay she made solemn enough to match with the levity and was in Antwerp, where she met the unfortu- impiety of her who is said, after receiving abnate Elizabeth, ex-queen of Bohemia, who solution from a Dominican father, to have thus writes of her: "I saw the queen of Swe- uttered the words: "If there is a God, I shall den at the play; she is extravagant in her be well caught." In a letter to Ebba Sparre, fashion and apparel, but she has a good, well-written at this time, she describes her occu

pations as consisting in "eating and sleeping Gustavus, the embodiment of the nation's well, studying a little, conversing, laughing, glory, a glory she had now so tarnished! and witnessing French, Italian, and Spanish When news of the queen's conversion arrived comedies." She then makes a strange per- in Stockholm, the first burst of the national version of the language of Solomon, adding: indignation was vented on her old preceptor "Every one ought to live content, eating, Mathias, who was accused of not having guarddrinking, and singing." When the archduke ed the queen's mind against error. The acinquired what confessor or chaplain she had cusation was unjust, but men are never just at brought in her train, she carelessly replied such times; vain was every attempt at defence; that in travelling from Sweden she had got rid he was disgraced and deprived of his bishopof all useless lumber. The Jesuits, several of ric. Had it not been for the king to whom whom had come to Stockholm after the peace she wrote, appealing to his gratitude, the senof Westphalia, and during the last two years ate would have withdrawn the revenues grantwere said to have conversed much with her, ed her. She had by this time lavished all and fixed to their faith the mind that had been her ready money on players, parasites, and set a-wandering by Bourdelot and Salmasius, priests, and it was now time to quit Brussels wishing to believe in her sincerity, were will- and proceed to Rome, agreeably to the most ing now to make a saint of this illustrious pros- pressing invitations from the pope to take up elyte, if she would have been dishonest enough her abode in that city. In her suite, amountto permit of it. One of them in preaching ing to nearly two hundred persons, were now before her said: "Your majesty shall hereafter two ladies of honor, merely ornamental, howbe placed among the saints." With a sarcastic ever, for she never made use of their services, smile, she said: "I should like better to be nor even noticed them. The men were chiefly placed among the sages!" This anecdote is Spaniards and Austrians, and there were only curious as showing that, although she delighted four Swedes of quality, two Jesuits, and a in the éclat of playing a part before mankind, Dominican. At Augsburg she is said to have she had no taste for others assisting her in it, shed tears when shown the table at which her which we would call a strange mixture of hon- father dined after the victory which completed esty and dishonesty, were it not that even the conquest of Bavaria. At Innsprück, in while acting she made no secret that it was all presence of a number of the German nobility a trick, by which she was neither tricking and some of the imperial archdukes, she made mankind nor herself. Indeed, her conduct at a grand public renunciation of the Protestant this time, and for two years before her abdi- faith, and was received with great pomp and cation, shows such mad levity and gratuitous solemnity into the bosom of the Catholic church recklessness, with such sudden changes of hu--followed, as at Brussels, by banquets, balls, mor, spirits, and purpose, as, coming from a and comedies, and a general magnificence so woman of undoubted talent, that we cannot dazzling that she was constantly exclaiming, but feel forced to the conclusion that her intellect had become disordered.

in childish glee: "O che bella! che bella!" On the evening of the day in which she made The festivities at Brussels were scarcely end- her solemn profession in the cathedral, she ed when news arrived of the death of the was present at a comedy arranged expressly widow of the great Gustavus, and also that of for her, which drew from her the remark: the celebrated Oxenstiern, both, it is said, of a "'Tis but fair that you should treat me to a broken heart, in consequence of the queen's comedy after I have treated you to a farce!" conduct; but we are disposed to receive most After a stay of eight days at Innsprück, she of such statements with reservation, seeing proceeded on her journey, and began to be how much the human heart can endure with- received with greater honors the nearer she out breaking, often destined to die many living approached the Eternal City. On the 19th deaths, and yet still to live on. The queen- of December, 1655, at seven in the evening, dowager had been, it is said, "cut to the heart she entered Rome incognito, by the light of by the indifference with which her daughter many torches, and with an escort of Swiss had parted from her, and refusing all comfort, guards. She was conducted by two cardinals fell into a languishing distemper and expired." into the presence of his holiness, and after Some of the laudatory lives of Christina re- three low obeisances, she kissed his foot, and count that she was much affected on hearing then his hand, after which she was seated in a of her mother's death. Oxenstiern is said to have died with the name of Christina on his lips, saying: “Tell her she will repent of what she has done;" a message she received with a smile. She had repaid his services with ingratitude, had often vexatiously opposed to him men without talents and without character; but she was the daughter of the great

chair of red velvet and gold. They then held a long and animated conversation together, and she was conducted to splendid apartments prepared for her in the Vatican, the library of which she visited next day; and after a few days spent in private felicitations, concerts, and visits exchanged with the pope, when all things were in readiness, she made a grand

public entrance into Rome, seated on a white | to receive her, and her route seemed a triumhorse presented to her by the pope, clad like phal procession, the honors due to a crowned an Amazon, having a cardinal on each side, head being accorded her. In the amusing and surrounded by all the principal nobility Memoirs of Mademoiselle de Montpensier, we and clergy. Amidst discharges of artillery have the following account of Christina, now and to sound of trumpet, as if she had been in her thirtieth year: "I had heard so much a victorious empress, she traversed the streets of her bizarreries that I was afraid lest I should and entered St. Peter's, which had been adorn- have laughed in her face, but though she ased with her arms and emblazoned with her tonished me beyond measure, it was not so as deeds, where she was received by the pope, to provoke a smile. She was of a small, slight who testified his joy at her conversion; adding, figure, a little deformed, with light eyes, an that in heaven there would be still greater re- aquiline nose, a large mouth, fine teeth, and a joicing. The Roman ladies seem to have very expressive countenance. Her dress was been somewhat scandalized at her masculine a short gray petticoat, laced with gold and attitude and attire; but on being told she had silver, a flame-colored doublet, also laced with fought against the king of Denmark, they gold; a lace cravat, and a black hat, with a thought her Amazonian appearance quite suit- plume of feathers." She astonished this lady able. After a second round of festivities, she by throwing her legs over the arm of her took up her abode in the Palazzo Farnese, chair, swearing and laughing loud, and even and spent many months in inspecting the an- putting men out of countenance by her eccentiquities of Rome, becoming acquainted with tric and audacious talk, in the midst of which the learned men, and visiting the various she would have strange fits of absence, reacademies. One day, when loudly admiring covering as if from a dream. She made a a statue of Truth by the sculptor Fernini, one public entrance into Paris, preceded by a of the cardinals said to her: "God be praised body of one thousand cavalry, mounted, in that your majesty loves the truth, which is male attire, on a superb white charger, with · often distasteful to persons of your rank." "I pistols at her saddle-bow, the Duke de Guise do not doubt it," replied she; "but all truths are not made of marble."

riding by her side. The people, who looked on her Amazonian appearance with wonder Her letters to Ebba Sparre about this time and admiration, rent the air with their shouts. exhibit a marked change of tone, indicating She was conducted to Notre Dame, where Te that in the midst of daily concerts, masquer- Deum was performed, and thence to the Louades, and plays, she was beginning to feel that vre, where she was splendidly lodged and enall was vanity, and to sigh, as the roughest tertained. This was the last time regal honors and least loving and lovable of mankind will were publicly awarded her. At Chantilly she sometime sigh, for quiet sympathy. She was met by Cardinal Mazarin, and here she writes: "Am I still as dear to you as I form- gave an instance of her great penetration by erly was? or have I deceived myself in fan- addressing Louis XIV., then only nineteen, cying I was dearer to you than any one else? who had mingled with the crowd, and been Oh! if it be so, do not undeceive me, but presented to her under a feigned name, as leave me in the happy delusion, that I am be- mon frère, but with no other designation of loved by the most amiable being in the world." his quality. He was then timid in female soPoor Christina! We know not what was the ciety, but she exercised her powers of fascinareply, but the fact seems to be that Ebba tion, and they conversed with mutual pleasure. Sparre had never either loved or professed to The court was then at Compeigne, and at her love her, and had found her departure a re- first interview with Anne of Austria, she is lief. Christina soon began to be viewed with described as wearing a black wig, much disorsuspicion at Rome, caused by her levity of dered by the wind, and all awry on her head; manner and freedom of language, also the her complexion was coarse and sun-burned; contempt she showed for the nobles and for she had no gloves, and her hands were so dirty women even of the highest rank. She em- that the original color could not be discerned; broiled herself with the pope by openly join- she wore a shirt and vest, and the same short ing the Spanish party;, a dangerous sickness gray petticoat, and held a riding-whip in her also seizing her, she made use of this as an hand. The budding Grand Monarque actuexcuse for quitting Rome, and when the time ally took one of those dirty hands in his, and of the malaria was approaching, she set out on led her to table; and whatever may have been a visit to Paris, in August, 1656, having been the amazement of the court at such a strange invited thither by the French court. So low visitant, not only was there no expression of was she both in purse and credit, her pension it, but all honors were paid, and the general from Sweden being as unpunctually as it was opinion agreed with that of Madame Mottegrudgingly paid, she was obliged to pawn her ville, that after the first half hour she "could jewels to defray the necessary expenses of not help considering Christina with interest, the journey. The Duke de Guise was sent and even with admiration." On witnessing

.