In the year 1650, Christina was crowned with great pomp and splendour ; and as, at this Ariod, her king dom enjoyed a state of uninterrupted tranquillity, she felt herself at liberty to gratify her ruling passion for letters ; and declared herself the patroness of the learn ed, and the encourager of the fine arts throughout Eu rope. She invited to her court, and was anxious to have about her person, all the distinguished characters of her time. Among these we may reckon Grotius, Pascal, Bochart, Descartes, Gasscndi, Saumaise, Vossius, Hein sius, Meibornius, Menage, Bayle, Madame Racier, Fili caia, and many others. tier preference, however, seems to have been directed more by general fame, than by her own judgment, or discrimination of their several excel lencies; for Menage stood much higher in her esteem than Descartes, whom she disgusted, and at length wholly neglected. Iler want of a just sense of merit' was remarkably evinced, by the favour which she cd to an adventurer called Nlichon, but better known by the name of Bourdelot, who was brought to court by the learned Saumaise ; but had little to recommend him, ex- • cept his sprightliness and buffoonery. This unworthy minion, not only took place of true literary merit at the Swedish court, but was able to supplant, in the favour of the queen, Count Magnus de la Gardic, son of the constable of Sweden, who was a relation, a favourite, and a reputed lover of Christina. She was compelled, however, by the public indignation, to banish Bourdc lot ; and he was no sooner gone, than her regard for him seemed to cease. So lavish was Christina in her gifts to her literary favourites, and so profuse in her collec tion of books, manuscripts, medals, paintings, and an tiques, that she brought the finances of her kingdom in to considerable disorder.
At first Christina appeared attached to the duties of a sovereign ; but two years had scarcely elapsed from the period of her coronation, when, with a character istic fickleness, she became disgusted with the fatigues . and embarrassments of royalty ; and determined to abdi cate the crown, and, in private life, to enjoy independ ence and literary ease. In 1652, she communicated her resolution to the senate ; but was prevailed upon, by their remonstrances, in which her successor Gustavus joined, to relinquish her intention. Finding, however, her repugnance at reigning rather increase than diminish, she finally effected her purpose in 1654, when she was only in her twenty-eighth year ; although it appears by one of her letters to M. Caput, that she had meditated this project eight years before, and communicated it to him five years before it took place. The fickleness of Christina was still further evinced, by her abjuring her religion at the same time that she abdicated her crown. Her declaring herself a papist necessarily gave great dis gust to her Protestant subjects ; but was a mighty tri umph for the Romanists.
Immediately after her abdication, Christina quitted Sweden, exhibiting the greatest joy on being now the uncontrouled mistress of her actions. When she came to a little brook, which separates Sweden from Den mark, she got out of her carriage, and, leaping on the other side, exclaimed in a transport of delight, " At last I am free, and out of Sweden, whither, I hope, I shatl never return." She now dismissed her female at tendants, and even laid aside the habit of her sex. " I would become a man (said shc); yet I do not love men, because they are men, but because they are not women." The same inconsistency of temper, however, still conti nued to actuate Christina, and induced her to shift con tinually from place to place. She first took up her abode at Brussels ; thence she went to Rome ; from Rome to France ; and from France she went to Rome again.
She also visited Haniburgh ; and went twice to Sweden, where she was by nd means well received.
While in France she was treated with much respect by the court ; and had apartments assigned her by Louis XIV. at Fontainbleau. But she soon disgusted the Pa risians, by her violation of the manners of the country, which she affected to treat with great ridicule, and by the rudeness and indelicacy of her conversation. It was here, also, that she committed an action, which has af fixed an indelible stain upon her memory, the murder of her master of the horse, Monaldeschi, who, having on some account incurred her displeasure, was stabbed by her order, by two of her domestics, in an apartment ad ' joining that in which she herself was. After this, Chris tina became sensible that she was regarded with horror in France, and would gladly have visited England ; but received no encouragement for that purpose from Crom well, who was then in power.
It was on the death of Charles Gustavus in 1660, that she took her first journey to Sweden, being, with cha racteristic fickleness, inspired by the desire of recover ing her crown. Her ancient subjects, however, were altogether indisposed towards her and her new religion, and insisted on a second renunciation of the throne, be fore they agreed to confirm her revenues. In 1662, some differences with the Pope, and the ill payment of her appointments, induced her again to visit her native coun try ; but the conditions annexed by the senate to her re sidence there rendered her stay very short. She then went to Rome, where she resided with little interrup tion till her death in 1689. During this interval, she cultivated a correspondence with the learned men all over Europe ; but her restless disposition led her, at the same time, to intrigue in all the political cabals of the times. Though she had resigned the crown of Sweden, she can vassed for that of Poland. At the peace of Nimeguen, she sent a plenipotentiary to take care of her interests, who with difficulty procured the remittance of her ar rears. During the civil contest in France, called the Fronde, she officiously offered her mediation to both parties, conceiving herself capable of reconciling their interests, and calming their passions. On the revoca tion of the edict of Nantz in 1685, she wrote to the French ambassadors in Sweden, animadverting, with much freedom and good sense, on the folly of making converts by persecution, and the bad policy of banishing useful artizans for a difference in religious faith. Her letter was published by Bayle, at which Christina was greatly offended ; but afterwards appeased, on the sub mission of the philosopher.
Upon the whole, with some striking virtues, this prin cess had many faults. She had magnanimity, talents, and learning ; but she was fickle, violent, intriguing, and re vengeful. She says of herself, that she was " mistrust ful, ambitious, passionate, haughty, impatient, contemp tuous, satirical, incredulous, undevout, of an ardent and violent temper, and extremely amorous ;" a propensity to which, she would have us to understand, her virtue and her pride were always superior. In a letter written to Mademoiselle de Scudery, some time before her death, she expresses herself with great tranquillity on the prospect °flier approaching end ; and she passed the last scene with philosophical composure. She died at the age of sixty-three, leaving behind her many letters ; a " Col lection of Miscellaneous Thoughts or Maxims ;" and " Reflexions on the Life and Actions of Alexander the Great." See Coxe's Travels ; Univ. Hist ; and Gen. Biog. See also SWEnEN. (in)