(_For The Mirror_.)
Christina was the only child of the great Gustavus Adolphus, who
succeeded to the throne of her father in 1632, when she was but five
years of age. The young queen, at an early age, discovered but little
taste for the society and occupations of her sex. When young, she was
capable of reading the Greek historians. At the age of eighteen she
assumed the reins of government. Several princes of Europe aspired
to her hand; but she rejected them all. To prevent a renewal of
applications on this subject, she solemnly appointed Gustavus her
successor, but without the smallest participation in the rights of
the crown during her own life. During her minority, Sweden enjoyed
internal repose, but was involved in a long war with the German
empire. She was crowned with great splendour in the year 1650. From
this time she entertained a philosophical contempt for pomp and
parade, and a kind of disgust for the affairs of state. She invited to
her court men of the first reputation in various studies. She was a
great collector of books, manuscripts, medals, paintings, &c. In 1654,
when she was only in her 28th year, Christina abdicated the crown,
in order that she might live a life of freedom. With her crown, she
renounced the Lutheran and embraced the Catholic religion. In quitting
the scene of her regal power, she proceeded to Rome, where she
intended to fix her abode. Some disgust which she received at Rome,
induced her, in the space of two years, to determine to visit France.
Here she was treated with respect by Louis XIV., but the ladies were
shocked with her masculine appearance and demeanour, and the unguarded
freedom of her conversation. Apartments were assigned her at
Fontainbleau, where she committed an action, which has indelibly
stained her memory, and for which, in other countries, (says her
biographer,) she would have paid the forfeit of her own life. This was
the murder of an Italian, Monaldeschi, her master of the horse, who
had betrayed some secret intrusted to him. He was summoned into a
gallery in the palace; letters were then shown to him, at the sight of
which he turned pale, and entreated for mercy; but he was instantly
stabbed by two of her own domestics in an apartment adjoining that in
which she herself was. The French court was justly offended at this
atrocious deed; yet it met with vindicators, among whom was Leibnitz,
whose name was disgraced by the cause which he attempted to justify.
Christina was sensible that she was now regarded with horror in
France, and would gladly have visited England, but she received no
encouragement for that purpose from Cromwell. She returned to Rome,
and resumed her amusements in the arts and sciences. In 1660, on the
death of Charles Gustavus, she took a journey to Sweden to recover her
crown; but her ancient subjects rejected her claims, and submitted to
a second renunciation of the throne; after which she returned to Rome.
Some differences with the pope made her resolve, in 1662, once more
to return to Sweden; but the conditions annexed by the senate to her
residence there were now so mortifying, that she proceeded no farther
than Hamburgh. She went back to Rome, and cultivated a correspondence
with the learned men there, and in other parts of Europe, and died in
1689, leaving behind her many letters, a "Collection of Miscellaneous
Thoughts or Maxims," and "Reflections on the Life and Actions of
Alexander the Great."