Source:
Mémoires concernant Christine, volume 1, page 93, Johan Arckenholtz, 1751
Above: King Kristina of Sweden, painted by Sébastien Bourdon.
Above: Johan Adler Salvius, by Pieter de Jode II.
The letter:
Herr Hof Canzler. Iag skulle icke hafwa bemödat Eder med denna min skrifwelse, där icke högsta nöden detta af mig hade fordrat. J wete Eder at påminna, at iag uti några Edre skrifwelser här förmält om de 100000 Riksdaler som Gref Magnus hafwer optagit uti Paris: och oansedt han det icke utan min speciale befallning giordt hafwer, likwäl medan summan wil falla något stor, så at några synas gluncka där om likasom den skulle wara sufficient at arrestera och förhindra de progresser, som Feltmarskalken Wrangel hade kunnat giöra sig hopp om, där han samma summa hade kunnat blifwa mächtig. Hwad detta nu kan til mit præjudicio af sig föda, kunne j lätteligen dömma, ty detta kan mig i många måtto lända til förfång. Iag will icke med många omständigheter Eder detta persuadera, ty iag är nogsamt försäkrad at j bättre min mening förstå, än iag sielf den exprimera kan. Exempla politica äro Eder alt för wäl bekandte, och dageliga förfarenheten har nogsamt utwist, huru giärna man arriperar de occasioner som kunna tiena i deras kram som altjd winlägga sig at kunna giöra nova imperia odiosa. Här finnes ock några som skulle intet manquera i detta fallet, där, det Gud förbiude, någon olycka skulle hända af denna orsaken, medan de alla weta at Gref Magnus hafwer haft min expresse order härom, och må j Eder wist försäkra, at han det utan den, och högsta nöden, icke hade giordt, där han på annat sätt hade kunnat salvera min reputation och respect. Detta alt har förorsakat mig at i denna extremitet leda til Eder, såsom til den som i alla tjder nogsamt har temoignerat huru högl: j hafwe åstundat at wara funnen ibland den som sig med skäl kunna kalla mine trognaste tienere, och efter jag Eder däribland skattar; altså hafwer jag ehuru wäl ogärna, nu denna gångon tänkt at taga om denna Eder trohet och affection det infallibleste och wissaste prof som j kunne gifwa mig, eller Iag begärar af Eder. Och på det Iag icke måtte hålla Eder med många ambages länge oppe, så är jag twungen at säja Eder, at min begäran däruti består, at j uti tjd willje hafwa Eder denna saken befallat, och ju så laga, at Arméen härigenom icke må ljda någon men, utan at j så många penmingar på Eder credit, wille uphandla, at denna summa til Arméens behof kunde suppleras.
Iag wet nogsamt huru swårt detta skal falla Eder: men jag är ock försäkrad, at j mig icke undfallande warde, utan at denna sakernes fast omöijelighet lär så mijcket mera stimulera den ambition som j hafwe at giöra Eder mera och mera om mig meriterad, hälst emedan detta är uti en så importante sak, på hwilken j icke lär mig undfalla. J måge se, at iag däremot intet allena söker Eder til min nytta at bruka, utan at jag ock söker Eder därhos skäligen at contentera; altså har jag redan tänkt på medel hwarmed jag Eder kunde satisfaciera, och ställer desse twänne i walet at utwälia hwilket Eder best kan til måtto och redast och wissast synas: och måge j hafwa walet antingen at låta Eder denna summa giöras god antingen af de penningar som frankriket gifwer för mina skepp, eller ock at låta Eder lefwerera utur swerige så många skeppund koppar som j finne skäligt at nämna mig igenom et bref, och försäkrar jag Eder wid alt det som högt och dyrbart hållas bör, och så högt som någon försäkring någonsin giöras kan, eller ock j af mig begarer, at Jag skal hålla Eder aldeles skadelös, och att J aldrig skole hafwa orsak at ångra den tienst J mig i detta fallet bewise. Jag wet wist at J nogsamt äre försäkrade om min affection för Eder: Men J måge wist tro, at Jag härigenom förorsakas at wara på alla medel betänkt, huru Jag i werket måtte Eder betyga icke allenast min affection, utan mycket mera min tacksamhet, hwilken Jag warder obligerad genom denna Eder action at betyga. Beder Eder fördenskuld at wara wist försäkrad, at intet kall i wårt fädernes land är så högt, där J icke i framtiden skulle kunna adspirera til, där Gud spar Eder hälsan och lifwet. Ställer fördenskull detta alt i Edert skiön, men recommenderar Eder denna sak, och hwilken J wist lär exequera efter min wilia, så framt J icke hafwe mist det upsåt som J altjd hafwe haft at giöra min willia tilfyllest, och befaller Eder härmed Gud, med försäkran at iag är och blifwer Eder altid wäl affectionerad
Christina.
English translation (my own, from Johan Arckenholtz's French translation):
Sir Chancellor of the Court,
I would not inconvenience you by this present letter if the most pressing need did not compel me to do so. You will remember that I mentioned to you in some of my previous letters the 100,000 Riksdalers which Count Magnus negotiated in Paris. And although he did not do this without a special order from me, however, since this sum seems too large, and some want to make it understood that this money was sufficient to prevent and stop the progress of the enemies, and that Field Marshal Wrangel could have hoped to do it if he had had this money. You can easily judge the prejudice that this could bring to me in the present conjunctures in more than one way. I do not want to convince you of this by many circumstances, for I am sure that you understand my feelings better than I can express them to you. Political examples are too well known to you, and everyday experience has shown enough how much people love to seize the opportunities which accommodate them, and to try to make new reigns odious. There are also some who, in the event that some misfortune of the aforesaid happens, (God forbid), take advantage of these reasons, for you know that Count Magnus had my orders on purpose and you may be very persuaded that he would not have done it without my positive orders and without extreme necessity if he had been able to save my honour and my reputation in another way. All this puts me in such an extremity that I address myself to you as to a man who has witnessed enough at all times, how much he wishes to be among those who can rightly call themselves my faithful servants. So that I put you in this number, I think now, although in spite of myself, to receive from this same fidelity and affection the most certain and the most infallible marks that you can ever give me, or that I can demand of you. But in order not to amuse you by many detours, I must tell you what I want. It is, that without wasting the time you have in recommendation of this business, that you do so that the army does not suffer any damage, and that for this effect you negotiate on your own credit as much money as it will be necessary to supply the said sum for the needs of the army.
I know well enough how much trouble this commission will give you. But I am also certain that I will not miss you, and that, as it almost seems to be impossible to help me in such an important matter, your ambition will push you even more strongly, in order to surrender more and more recommendable to me by your services. Besides that, consider, that I am not trying to use you in this case only for my interest, but that I am also thinking of rewarding you duly. This is why I have imagined means of being able to satisfy you, and I offer you two different ones, so that you can choose the one of the two which will appear to you the most promising and the most sure; it is because I will give you an assignment out of the money which France will pay me for my vessels, or else that I will have you delivered to Sweden as many quintals of copper as you will see fit to mention me with a letter. I protest to you by all that is dearest and most precious, and as strongly as any assurance can ever be given, or that you may require one from me, that I will compensate you entirely, and that you you will never have cause to repent for having done me service on this present occasion. I certainly know that you are sufficiently assured of my affection. But you can also believe in all truth, that I will be led by there to think of all kinds of means, how I will be able to show you not only with my real affection, but even much more the gratitude, to which this action will oblige me. This is why I beg you to count firmly that, if God preserves your life and health, there will be no burden in the country, however considerable it may be, to which you cannot aspire with time. I therefore leave this whole matter to your care, and I recommend it to you as something which is extremely important to me, and which you will carry out as usual with the intention which you have hitherto had to satisfy it entirely. I recommend you to God, and I assure you that I am and remain your always well-affectionate
Kristina.
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