Part 30 (1/2)

”We desire to know,” said he, ”whether the people of Sweden will take the daughter of our dead king, Gustavus Adolphus, to be their Queen.”

When the Chancellor had spoken, an old man with white hair, and in coa.r.s.e apparel, stood up in the midst of the a.s.sembly. He was a peasant, Lars Larrson by name, and had spent most of his life in laboring on a farm.

”Who is this daughter of Gustavus?” asked the old man. ”We do not know her. Let her be shown to us.”

Then Christina was brought into the hall, and placed before the old peasant. It was strange, no doubt, to see a child-a little girl of six years old-offered to the Swedes as their ruler, instead of the brave king, her father, who had led them to victory so many times. Could her baby fingers wield a sword in war? Could her childish mind govern the nation wisely in peace?

But the Swedes do not appear to have asked themselves these questions. Old Lars Larrson took Christina up in his arms, and gazed earnestly into her face. He had known the great Gustavus well; and his heart was touched, when he saw the likeness which the little girl bore to that heroic monarch.

”Yes,” cried he, with the tears gus.h.i.+ng down his furrowed cheeks, ”this is truly the daughter of our Gustavus! Here is her father's brow!-here is his piercing eye! She is his very picture. This child shall be our queen!”

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Then all the proud n.o.bles of Sweden, and the reverend clergy, and the burghers, and the peasants, knelt down at the child's feet, and kissed her hand.

”Long live Christina, queen of Sweden!” shouted they.

Even after she was a woman grown, Christina remembered the pleasure which she felt in seeing all these men at her feet, and hearing them acknowledge her as their supreme ruler. Poor child! she was yet to learn that power does not insure happiness. As yet, however, she had not any real power.

All the public business, it is true, was transacted in her name; but the kingdom was governed by a number of the most experienced statesmen, who were called a Regency.

But it was considered necessary that the little queen should be present at the public ceremonies, and should behave just as if she were in reality the ruler of the nation. When she was seven years of age, some amba.s.sadors from the Czar of Muscovy came to the Swedish court. They wore long beards, and were clad in a strange fas.h.i.+on, with furs, and other outlandish ornaments; and as they were inhabitants of a half-civilized country, they did not behave like other people. The Chancellor Oxenstiern was afraid that the young queen would burst out a-laughing, at the first sight of these queer amba.s.sadors; or else that she would be frightened by their unusual aspect.

”Why should I be frightened?” said the little queen;-”and do you suppose that I have no better manners than to laugh? Only tell me how I must behave; and I will do it.”

Accordingly, the Muscovite amba.s.sadors were introduced; and Christina received them, and answered their speeches, with as much dignity and propriety as if she had been a grown woman.

All this time, though Christina was now a queen, you must not suppose that she was left to act as she pleased. She had a preceptor, named John Mathias, who was a very learned man, and capable of instructing her in all the branches of science. But there was n.o.body to teach her the delicate graces and gentle virtues of a woman. She was surrounded almost entirely by men; and had learned to despise the society of her own s.e.x. At the age of nine years, she was separated from her mother, whom the Swedes did not consider a proper person to be entrusted with the charge of her. No little girl, who sits by a New England fireside, has cause to envy Christina, in the royal palace at Stockholm.

Yet she made great progress in her studies. She learned to read the cla.s.sical authors of Greece and Rome, and became a great admirer of the heroes and poets of old times. Then, as for active exercises, she could ride on horseback as well as any man in her kingdom. She was fond of hunting, and could shoot at a mark with wonderful skill. But dancing was the only feminine accomplishment with which she had any acquaintance.

She was so restless in her disposition, that none of her attendants were sure of a moment's quiet, neither day nor night. She grew up, I am sorry to say, a very unamiable person, ill-tempered, proud, stubborn, and, in short, unfit to make those around her happy, or to be happy herself. Let every little girl, who has been taught self-control, and a due regard for the rights of others, thank heaven that she has had better instruction than this poor little queen of Sweden.

At the age of eighteen, Christina was declared free to govern the kingdom by herself, without the aid of a regency. At this period of her life, she was a young woman of striking aspect, a good figure and intelligent face, but very strangely dressed. She wore a short habit of gray cloth, with a man's vest over it, and a black scarf around her neck, but no jewels, nor ornaments of any kind.