Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-10-21
Ckuite giterature,
From Dickens Household World.
A Queens Revenge.

a uueens Revenge.
The name of Gustavus Adolphus, the
faithful Protestant, the great General, and
the good King of Sweden, has been long
since rendered familiar to readers of histo-
ry We all know how this renowned war
rior and monarch was beloved by his SOL
diers and subjects, how successfully he
fought through a long and fearful war, and
how nobly he died on the field of battle
With his death, however, the interest Of the
English reader in Swedish affairs seems to
terminate. Those who have followed the
narrative Of his life carefully to the end may
remember that he left behind him an only
child-a daughter named Christina; but
Of the character of this child, and of her
extraordinary adventures after she grew to
w~omanhood, the public in England is for
the most part entirely ignorant. In the
popular historical and romantic literature
of France, Queen Christina is a prominent
and a notorious character. In the lltera-
ture Of this country, she has hitherto been
allowed but little chance of making her
way to the notice of the world at large.
And yet, the life of this woman is in it
self romance. At six years old, she was
Queen of Sweden, with the famous Oxen
stern for guardian. This great aud good
man governed the Kingdom in her name
until she had lived through her minority.
Four years after her coronation, she of her
own accord abdicated her rights in favor of
her cousin, Charles Gustavus. Young and
beautiful, the most learned and most -ac-
.--I..Ial roC.ou &c hos tiu,a aha roco
lutely turned her back on the throne of her
inheritance, andpublicly betraying her dis
Ike Of the empty pomp and irksome res
traint of royalty, set forth to wander
through civilized Europe in the character
of an independent traveller, who was re.
solved to see all Vi varieties of men and man.
ners, to collect all the knowledge which the
widest experience could give her, and tt
measure her mind boldly against the great
est minds Of the age wherever she went
So far, the interest excited by her charac
ter and her adventures, is Of the most pic
t~uresauely attractive kind. There is some
thing ~strlkingly new in the spectacle of
young Queen who prefers the pursuit O
knowledge to the possession of a throne
aud who barriers a royal birthright for tn
privilege Of being free. Unhappily, th
portrait Of Christina cannot be painte
throughout in bright colors only. 1t
not pleasant to record of her, that, whe
her travels brought her to Rome, she abar
doned the religion for which her fathC
fought and died. 1t is still less agreeabI
to add, that she freed herself from othe
restraints besides the restraint of royalt,
and that, if she was mentally distinguish
by her capacities, she was also morally di
graced by her vices and her crimes.
The events in the strange life Of Chri
tna-especially those which are connecte
with her actions aud adveutur res in tt
character of a Qucen-errant-present ii
freshest and the most ample materials Fl
a biography, which might be regarded
England as q new contribution to our hi
t~orical literature. Within the necessari
Hunted space at our command in the
columns, it is impossible to follow he
with sufficient attention to details, throuI
tue adventures which attended her travC
lug career. One, however, among 4
many strange and startling passages
her life, may probably be introduced
this place. The events of which the M
ra'iye is composed, throw light, in MAJ
ways, on the manners, habits, and opinion
OF a past age, and they can, moreover,
presented in this place in the very wor
OF an eyewitness, who beheld them t
centuries ago.
The scene is in Paris the time is
close OF the year sixteen hundred and fit
seven the persons are the wanderi
queen Christina, her grand equerry, t
Marquis Monaldesehi, and Father lie b
OF the Convent of Fontaine bleau, the W
ness whose testimony we are shortly abe
TO cite.
Monaldeschi, as his name implies, "
an Italian by birth. He was a handsou
accomplished man, refined In his mann
supple In his disposition, aud possessed
the art OF making himself emineutly ayr
able In the society of women. With tn
personal recommendations, he soon won
way to the favor Of Queen Christina.
Of the long list of her lovers, not one
the many whom she encouraged caught
long aud firm a hold of her capricious f
CIV as Moualdeschi. The intimacy betw
them probably took its rise, on her sid,
least, 10 as deep a sincerity of affection +;
was 10 Christmas nature to feel. On
side of the Italian, the connection
prompted solely by ambition AS 500
he had risen to the distinction and rea
all the advantages of the position Of c
~fayor.te 10 tue Queens Court, he wea
Of his royal mistress, and addressed hi
t%entions secretly to a young Roman !
whose youth and beauty powerfully at