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.Ti4
Her chaiactL-r and manners
described HISTORY OF THE SWEDES. by Chanut, the French
ambassador. [1644-
nized after tlie interval of a moment; but for the
most part she appears thouj^litful, and whatsoever
change takes place in her, she preserves con-
tinually something clear and agreeable. If she
disapprove any remark made, her face is covered
for a moment as with a cloud, vk-hich inspires terror.
Her voice is usually mild as a maiden’s, yet she can
give it a strength that is beyond her sex. Her
stature is under the middle size, which would
strike less if she wore ladies’ shoes; but in order
to walk and ride more conveniently, she uses only
slioes without heels, like those of men. If we may
conclude from outward appearances of her internal
thoughts, she has a deep religious feehng, and is
sincerely devoted to Christianity ; yet she seems
to tr(juble herself less as to the mutual disputes
of the Christians, than the objections of the Jews,
heathens, and philosophers against Christian doc-
trine. What is not accordant with the gospel she
looks upon as triviality, and shows no bitterness in
the controversies between the evangelicals and
i;atholics ’’. For the rest, she is not scrupulous,
and affects no ceremonious devotion ’. Her spirit
is filled with an incredible love for high virtue, and
she is passionately fond of honom*. She speaks of
virtue like a stoical philosopher; among her con-
fidents she is wonderfully strong in this humour;
when she discusses the true value which should be
set upon human dignity *, it is a pleasure to see
lier lay the crown beneath her feet", and declare
that virtue is the only good, to which all men,
without glorifying themselves on their rank, should
hold fast ’
;
but during such a confession she does
not long forget that she is a queen ^. She has an
admirable gift of comprehension, and a memory
so faithful that it
may be said she abuses it. She
loves the society of learned men, in order to con-
verse with them in her leisure hours upon all that
is most remarkable in the domain of the sciences ^.
Her desire of learning would be instructed on all
subjects. No day passes that she does not read a
page of the history of Tacitus, which she calls a
chess-game*. It gives her incredible content to
hear problematical subjects discussed by learned
persons, and listen to their different opinions,
whereat she never expresses her own til! all the
’ She was never a Lutheran. Christina’s note.
"
She was never infected by this disease. Christina.
s She hath never made much matter tliereof. Christina.
" This is lier real disposition. Christina.
’
She held it an honour to place under her feet what other
kings set upon their heads. Christina.
’ She never forgot it. Christina.
^
This is true. Christina.
’
This is not true. She never hid any particular prefer-
ence for this author, since she reads with pleasure all good
writers. Christina.
’
Quite true. Cliristina.
’ She never rued tliis failing. Christina.
’’
Nonsense ! But how laughably ill-informed lie is.
Cliristina.
e The contrary rather might excite surprise. Christina.
9 The (lualities of women are not adapted to procure
themselves obedience. Christina.
’
He is right. Raillery procured her many enemies.
Christina.
" Three hours. Christina.
^
False. Christina.
•<
Stie combs her hair but once a week, says Peter Man-
nerschildt, Pimentelli’s confessor, in a letter from Stock-
holm, dated 10th Dec, 1653, and I have seen her with coarse
others have spoken, aird then shortly and well.
Her reserve shows itself rather in the treatment
of public affairs than in scientific colloquies. In
council, her ministers find it difficult to discover
to what side she inclines; she knows how to keep
a secret ’,
and as she does not let herself be taken
in by any stories, she appears mistrustful and hard
to persuade*". It can hardly be conceived how
great her power is in the senate ’. The lords of
the council are astonished at the power which she
has over them, when they are assembled ’. Some
ascribe to her quality of woman the great attach-
ment which her ministers show to her 8; but to
say truth, her power rests on her personal viorth.
Nature has denied her none of those qualities
whereby a young knight would acquire honour.
She is indefatigable in rural pastimes ;
I have
seen her hunting for ten hours on horseback.
No hunter in Sweden hits the springing hare more
surely, no rider manages his horse better, and yet
she makes no boast of it. Her table is
highly
simple and without dainties ;
she speaks seldom
with her court-daiues. When these are present
on any occasion of public attendance, she quits
them after the first passages of courtesy, and
turns to the men. She is aftable to her train, and
bounteous beyond the resources of her kingdom.
She is fond of a jest; it were perhaps better that
she should refrain from this habit’. She is
sparing
of her time, and sleeps but five hours 2; in summer
she sleeps an hour in the afternoon ^. She takes
little trouble with her toilet, is dressed in a quarter
of an hour, and, except on great festivals, a comb
and a bit of ribbon make all her head-dress. Yet
the hair falling negligently sets oft’ her face well,
which she protects neither from the sun nor the
wind and rain. No one has seen her with a hood,
and when she is on horseback, her head is
merely
covered by a hat with feathers. Undoubtedly she
carries this neglect of her person to an extreme *.
But she sets value on nothing so much as an ardent
love of virtue and honour; and it is only by her own
extraordinary merit, not by conquests, that she
will make her name illustrious. For her renown
she will have to thank herself, more than the
bravery of her subjects.
—So far tliis extract. It
and ragged linen, covered with stains. Palmsk. MSS. t. 40.
Mademoiselle de Montpensier describes Christina, on her
first visit to Paris, in 1656, in the following terms: "I had
heard so much said of her odd manner of dressing, that I
was dying from fear of laughing when I should see her. As
they called out ’mind,’ and to make room for me, I per-
ceived her; she surprised me, and it was not in a way to
make me laugh. She had a gray petticoat, with clasps of
gold and silver; a jerkin of camlet, fire-coloured, with clasps
the same as on the petticoat ; on the neck a kerchief of
Genoa lace, pierced with fire-coloured ribbon, alight peruke,
and at the back a round, such as women wear, and a hat
with black feathers, which she held. She is fair, has blue
eyes, the mouth agreeable enough, though large, fine teeth,
the nose large and aquiline; she is very small, her jerkin
hides her bad figure ; to sum up all, she appeared to me a
pretty little boy. After the ballet, we went to the comedy.
There she surprised me ; to praise the passages Avhlch
pleased her, she swore by God, lay down in her chair,
threw her legs on one side and the other, and assumed
postures not very decent. She spoke of many matters, and
what she said, she said very agreeably; she fell into pro-
found reveries, breathed deep sighs, then all of a sudden
came to herself, like a person that wakes in a start ; she is
quite extraordinary." Arckenholtz, i. 531.
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