Marie Horn's letter to Sophie Amalie Rosenkrantz, dated April 26, 1773 (FICTIONAL)

A letter from my work-in-progress original historical fiction story, Evening Star, written as half-autobiography, half-epistolary novel format from the point of view of Marie Horn.

The letter:

Min kjære Sophie,

De kand goedt forestille Dem den store Glæde, der fyldte mig, da De kaldte mig Deres Ven. Det er virkelig vigtigt for mig, De er saa interessant og saa aimabel — tilgiv mig, hvis jeg siger saadanne Ting for tiidligt.

Igjen siger jeg, at Deres Ord smigrer mig, og jeg takker Dem for Tilbudet. Jeg troer, ​​at Diderot er den klogeste Philosoph i vores Tiid, han har altiid et Ord af Viisdom eller goede Raad om noget. Men Descartes er efter min Meening den bedste Philosoph i det forrige Siècle. Nu er Spørgsmaalet kommet i mit Sind: har De lært Tysk og Italiensk, som vi har? Johan og jeg skriver paa disse Sprog for det meste ikkun med hinanden, og jeg ſkulde være uudtrykkeligt glad, hvis jeg kunne skrive til nogen meere paa disse Sprog.

De har min utøvende Accept af Deres Tilbud, Madame, men vi bør arrangere det, saa han bliver surpreneret. Han har fortalt mig, at De helt sikkert vil blive hans bedste Ven ved Siiden af ​​mig, og De kan forestille Dem den Glæde, ſom denne Erklæring gav mig!

Vil De gjerne besøge os igjen efter mit Svar paa Deres næste Brev? Er Alt i Deres Huus paa Plads? I saa Fald kunde jeg maaskee besøge Dem til Gjengjæld. Jeg vil gjerne see Dem igjen, jeg vil gjerne viise Dem meere af vores Huus (jeg skriver dette Brev, mens jeg sidder ved Vinduet i mit Sovekammer).

Nu farvel, min goede Ven! Jeg seer frem til Deres Besøg med stor Utaalmodighed!

Deres glade Ven

Marie.

Stockholm den 26. April 1773.

English translation:

My dear Sophie,

You can well imagine the great joy that filled me when you referred to me as your friend. It is indeed important to me, you are so interesting and so amiable — forgive me if I am saying such things too soon.

Again I say that your words flatter me, and I thank you for the offer. I believe that Diderot is the wisest philosopher of our time, he always has a word of wisdom or good advice about something. But Descartes is, in my opinion, the best philosopher from the past century. Now the question has come into my mind: have you learned German and Italian like we have? Johan and I write in those languages mostly only with each other, and I would be inexpressibly happy if I could write to someone more in those languages.

You have my unhesitating acceptance of your offer, Madame, but we should arrange it so that he will be surprised. He has told me that you will most certainly be his best friend next to me, and you can imagine the joy that this statement gave me!

Would you like to visit us again after my reply to your next letter? Is everything in your house in place? If so, perhaps I could visit you afterwards in return. I would like to see you again, I want to show you more of our house (I'm writing this letter while I sit by the window in my bedroom).

Now, goodbye, my good friend! I look forward to your visit with great impatience!

Your happy friend

Marie.

Stockholm, April 26, 1773.