ploying him to collect for her in France, of which he was a native, and to which he retired, the most valuable productions as they successively appeared. During the ascendancy of Bourdelot over the queen, he supplanted in her favour count Magnus de la Gardie (son of the constable of Sweden), her relation, favourite, and reputed lover.

Madame de Motteville, who conversed with the count when on an embassy to France, speaks in her Memoirs of his attachment to the queen, of whom (says she) he talked in a manner so respectful and passionate, that every person who heard him suspected his eulogiums were excited by a sentiment more ardent than duty. His disgrace is said to have arisen from his ambition of usurping too much power in the state; while Bourdelot, without awakening the jealousy of the queen, knew how to flatter and amuse the woman: his humorous sallies, and flights of imagination, by affording to his patroness a careless relaxation from the burthen of state affairs, secured his ascendancy over her mind.

Scudery, having obtained permission to dedicate to Christina his Alaric, she required him to erase from the poem a compliment inserted to her fallen favourite, the count de Gardie. The poet, with a becoming spirit, that implied a reproach on

1

the little magnanimity displayed by the queen in
this request, generously replied, 'That he would
never destroy the altar upon which he had sa-
crificed.*

An accident happened about this time which reflects upon Christina greater credit. Some ships of war had been built at Stockholm by the orders of the queen, which she was desirous of inspecting. As, for this purpose, she crossed a narrow plank, led by admiral Herring, his foot slipped, and, drawing the queen with him, he fell into water ninety feet in depth. Anthony Stein-. berg, first cquerry to Christina, plunged instantly into the sea, caught hold of the queen's robe, and with such assistance as the by-standers could afford, drew her to the shore. Christina preserved through the whole of this transaction her recollection and presence of mind. Take care of the admiral, cried she, the moment her head was raised above water. When brought on shore, she neither expressed fear nor betrayed any emotion but, dining in public on the same day, gave a humorous turn to the adventure.

The rank, which by its splendor and power had at first flattered her imagination, she at length began to feel as a burthen: she sighed for freedom and leisure, and, after mature deliberation, deter-mined on abdicating the throne. In 1652, she

Σ

communicated her resolution to the senate, who remonstrated against its execution; in which remonstrance the people unanimously, and even Charles Gustavus, nominated by her to the succession, warmly joined. Yielding to their importunities, she sustained the weight of the crown two years longer, when she resumed her purpose of abdication, which she carried into effect.

It appears by a letter from Christina, addressed to M. Canut, the French embassador, in whom she placed confidence, that she had meditated this design for more than eight years, and had five years previous to its execution communicated it to him. The ceremony of the abdication afforded a solemn and affecting spectacle: in the tears of the people Christina read at once their attachment and regret: while every heart was moved, and every eye overflowed, she alone appeared firm and tranquil.

Having thus discharged the debt due to the public, and transferred to Charles Gustavus its future welfare, she hastened in pursuit of science to a country more favourable to its cultivation. Whether, in resigning the cares of state, and. claiming freedom, the birth-right of every human being, Christina merited censure or applause, must be left to casuists to determine. The voluntary abdication of power affords a phenomenon in the history of sovereigns that has rarely been ex

hibited. How great,' exclaimed the prince of Condé, and many perhaps will sympathise with him- How great was the magnanimity of this princess, who could so readily yield that for which mankind are perpetually practising mutual destruction; and which so many make, though with little prospect of its attainment, the pursuit of their lives!'

The abdication of Christina gave to Europe a new subject of speculation. In quitting the scene of her regal power, she appeared as if escaped from imprisonment: having arrived at a small brook which separates the countries of Sweden and Denmark, she alighted from her carriage, and leaped over the stream: 'At length,' cried she, I am free, and out of Sweden, whither I hope never to return.' Dismissing with her women the habit of her sex, she assumed that of the other. I would become a man,' said she; 'but it is not that I love men because they are men, but merely that they are not women.' Masculine in her habits no less than in her endowments, she affected on all occasions a contempt for her sex: she seems not to have been aware, that the tenderness, the sensibility, and the gentleness of woman, combined with the reason and fortitude of man, affords the perfection of human character.

With the sovereign authority, Christina also

abjured the faith in which she had been educated. On the evening of the day on which this ceremony took place, a comedy was acted. Is it not just,' said the protestants, who doubted of the sincerity of this conversion, 'that a comedy should be given by the catholics in the evening, to her who exhibited to them a farce in the morning?" Some time previous to the abdication of Christina, Anthony Macedo, a jesuit, was chosen by John IV. king of Portugal to accompany his embassador into Sweden. In some conversation between the queen and the jesuit, with whose talents and address she was greatly pleased, she imparted to him her design of entering the Romish church. Macedo was dispatched to Rome with letters from the queen to the jesuits, in which she requested that two of their society might be dispatched to her, Italians and learned men, with whom she might confer on religious subjects. This request was instantly and gladly complied with. Francis Maline, professor of divinity at Turin, and Paul Casatus, professor of mathematics at Rome, were accordingly commissioned to the queen, whose predilection for their tenets being thus confirmed, she embraced the faith of the Roman church; that grand and affecting superstition, the study and the labour of ages, so fitted to allure the senses, to captivate the