Hambourg, where fhe continued a year, and then went again to Rome; from Rome fhe returned to Hambourg, and again to Sweden, where fhe was received ftill worse than before, upon which she went back to Hambourg, and from Hambourg again to Rome; fhe intended another journey to Sweden, but it did not take place, any more than an expedition to England, where Cromwell did not feem well difpofed to receive her; and after many wanderings, and many purpofes of wandering ftill more, fhe at laft died at Rome.

It must be acknowledged, that her journeys to Sweden had a motive of neceffity, for her appointments were very ill paid, though the states often confirmed them after her abdication, but to other places fhe was led merely by a roving difpofition, and what is more to her difcredit, fhe always difturbed the quiet of every place fhe came into, by exacting greater deference to her rank as queen, than fhe had a right to expect, by the total nonconformity to the cuftoms of the place, and by continually exciting and fomenting intrigues of state. She was indeed always too bufy, even when fhe was upon the throne, for there was no event in Europe in which the was not ambitious of acting a principal part. During the troubles in France by the faction called the Fronde, fhe wrote with great eagernefs to all the interested parties, officiously offering her mediation to reconcile their interefts, and calm their paffions, the fecret fprings of which it was impoffible the fhould know; this was firft thought a dangerous, and afterwards a ridiculous behaviour, Du

ring her refidence in France fhe gave univerfal disgust, not only by violating all the cuftoms of the country, but by practifing others directly oppofite; fhe treated the ladies of the court with the greatest rudeness and contempt; when they came to embrace her, the being in a man's habit, cried out, "What a ftrange eagerness have thefe women to kiss me, is it because I look like a man ?"

But though the ridiculed the manners of the French court, the was very folicitous to enter into its intrigues. Lewis the XIVth,

then very young, was enamoured of mademoiselle de Mancini, niece to cardinal Mazarine; Chriftina flattered their paffion, and offered her fervice: "I would fain be your confidante, faid fhe; if you love, you must marry.”

The murder of Monaldefchi is to this hour an infcrutable myftery; many particulars have been related from the Trinitarian fryer of Fontainbleau, who confeffed him in the gallery des Cerfs, and who faw him affafinated, but they do not remove the veil. Whatever was Monaldefchi's crime, whatever were the rights of Chriftina, and however fpecious the pretences by which flattery and cunning influenced the fupine, or corrupt jurifconfults to justify it, the fact was, without doubt, most flagitioufly wicked.

It is, however, of a piece with the expreffions conftantly used by Chriftina, in her letters, with refpect to thofe with whom she was offended, for the scarce ever fignified her difpleafure without threatening the life of the offender. "If you fail in your duty, faid the to her fecretary, (whom the fent

to

to Stockholm after her abdication) not all the power of the king of Sweden fhall fave your life, though you should take shelter in his arms."

In the affair of the Franchises, the pretended rights of which fhe afferted with great haughtiness, the wrote thus to the pope's officers: Take my word, that those whom you have condemned to die, fhall, if it please God, live fome time longer, and if it happens that they die a violent death, be affured they shall not die alone."

A musician having quitted her fervice for that of the duke of Savoy, she was so transported with rage as to difgrace herfelf by these words, in a letter written with her own hand: "He lives only for me; and if he does not fing for me, he fhall not fing long for any body. It is his duty to live only in my service; and if he does not, he fhall forely repent it."

Bayle was also threatened very feverely, for having faid that the letter which Christina wrote, upon the revocation of the edict of Nantes, was a remain of Proteftantism: but he made his peace by apologies and fubmiffion."

Upon the whole, fhe appears to have been an uncommon mixture of faults and great qualities, which, however it might excite fear and refpect, was by no means amiable, She had wit, tafte, parts, and learning; fhe was indefatigable upon the throne, great in private life, firm in misfortunes, impa. tient of contradiction; and, except in the love of letters, inconftant in her inclinations. The moft remarkable instance of this ficklenefs is, that after fhe had abdi sated the crown of Sweden, fhe

intrigued for that of Poland. She was, in every action and purfuit, violent and ardent in the highest degree; impetuous in her defires, dreadful in her refentment, and fickle in her conduct. She fays of herfelf, "That fhe was miftruftful, ambitious, paffionate, haughty, impatient, contemptuous, fatyrical, incredulous, undevout, of an ardent and violent temper, and extremely amorous;" a difpofition, however, to which, if the may be believed, her pride and her virtue were always fuperior. In general, her failings were thofe of her fex, and her virtues the virtues of ours.

Some letters published at Amfterdam in 1759, and at Geneva in 1761, faid to be private letters of Chriftina, and dedicated to the king of Pruffia, are wholly fpurious.

been fo highly extolled; and often cenfured with more juftice. But to be born and called to contribute to the happiness and even the inftruction of a whole nation, and yet decline it, is, in my opinion, refufing to do that good which you wish to do. Your philofophy is founded in a love to mankind: permit me then to tell you, that to refuse to serve mankind, whilst it is in your power, is to mifs your aim. I know you too well to be a good man, to afcribe your refufal to vanity. I know that the fole motive of it is the love of eafe, and leifure to cultivate letters and the friendship of thofe you efteem. But what is there in this objection? Come, with all your friends; I promife both them and you, every conveniency and advantage that depends upon me; and perhaps you will find more liberty and eafe here, than in your native country. You refused the invitation of the king of Pruffia, notwithstanding your obligations to him; but that prince has no fon. I own to you, that I have the education of my fon fo much at heart, and I think you so neceffary to it, that perhaps I prefs you with too much earneftnefs. Excufe my indifcretion for the fake of the occafion of it; and be affured that it is my esteem for you that makes me fo urgent. Moscow, Nov. 13, 1762.

CATHERINE.

In this whole letter I have argued only from what I have found in your writings: you would not contradict yourself,

An authentic and literal tranflation

of the Dey of Tunis's letter to his majesty King George III, on his acceffion to the throne.

THE greatest of the princes of

the nations of the Meffiah, and the greateft of the governors of the affairs of the Nazarenes, the most mighty, noble, and our high and great friend, the new George the Third, whofe end may be in blifs, and after our beft wishes and prayers for his health and felicity, I am to acquaint my dear friend, that your majefty's English conful of the city of Tunis, by name Charles Gordon, received from the kingdom of London a letter, the contents of which was, that his majefty George the Second's appointed time being finished, he is paffed into life eternal; that in his place, your majefty George the Third had afcended the throne; this news being difpatched on purpofe to be communicated to the governor of Tunis. His excellency Ally Basha, which we was acquainted with in this year seventyfour, in the latter end of the month of Gimadit (June) fo that ancient friendship fubfifts the fame from your majesty, may the God of the world prolong your majesty's life with joy, felicity, and strength for ever, and maintain the friendfhip, with the greateft ftrength, Amen. And on confideration of the ancient friendship this friendly letter is wrote, and fent, I hope, by the will of God, on the receipt, that in every form, the friendfhip articles, and former promifes, will not be changed nor altered, but that the advantageous harmony and friendship will be

aug

May it please my king and mafter, Ouchfafe to ftayne thy royal couch with the poor inklings of thy fervant and handmaide, whome, nathleffe, thou haft moft graciously daygned to raife unto thy royal couche, as Abraham did his handmaide Hagar; though I wifh not to fhare her misfortune, and to be driven from my mafter's prefence. Could my unworthy pen give a decent colouring to thy Jane's affection, then might words, whiche be the painting of thoughtes in the true hearte, do juftice to the loyal love the beareth unto thy worthy perfonne.

But how can the black rivulet, which my pen is eager to drinke, be worthily enabled to exprefs, in becomynge tefrmes, the ocean of love, that aboundythe in my true hearte! Woulde to my Savioure, that this ocean of love were not troubled with winds, which blow therein and rayfe the waves of affliction within my moody foul.-I am encompaffed by three potent enemyes; albeit, not the flesh, the worlde, and the devil, unless lord Haftings be resembled to the firft, for he worketh to withdraw my love from thee, and in thy abfence to difplace thee from the throne

whereon the king is eftablished in my hearte.

The royal partner of thy bofom, the queen, may indeed be likened unto the world, for the encompaffeth me round with fpies, who watche out for my thoughts.-And though I will not be fo harfhe in my thought or deed, to say thy noble brother Gloucester be, in any shape, like unto the devil, yet I do verily believe he be more dangeroufe than the other twain, though he beareth him towardly. There be fome, and divers fome, who fay he wifheth not well unto thy government, nay unto thy children. Among the reft, the noble lord Haftings doubted very much, and wifheth thee long to reign, in order that thou mayeft the better furvive to establish thy royal iffue. Believe what I write cometh from my true heart's affection, and with comfort to the wounded spirit of thy loyal fervant, JANE SHORE.

The laft will and teftament of the famous George Pfalmanazar, a reputed native of the island of Formofa, in the East-Indies.

THE laft will and teftament of

me a poor finful and worthlefs creature, commonly known by the affumed name of George Pfamanazar.

Thy ever bleffed and unerring will, oh! moft gracious, though offended God, be done by me and all the world, whether for life or death,

Into thy all merciful hands I commit my foul, as unto a most gracious Father, who, though juftly provoked by my paft vain and wicked life, but more efpecially fo during the wild fallies of a rash and

unthinking part of it, has yet been graciously pleased, by thy undeferved grace and mercy, to preferve me from the reigning errors and herefies, and the more deplorable apoftacy and infidelity of the prefent age, and enabled me to take a conftant and stedfast hold on the holy author of our falvation, thy ever adorable and divine Son Jefus Chrift, our powerful and meritorious redeemer, from whofe alone, and all-powerful interceffion and merits, (and not from any the least inherent righteoufnefs of my own, which I heartily abhor as filthy rags in thine all purer eyes) I hope and beg for pardon and reconciliation, and for a happy refurrection unto that bleffed immortality to which we are redeemed by his most precious and ineftimable blood. I likewife blefs and adore thy infinite goodness for preferving me from innumerable dangers of body and foul, to which this wretched life, but more particularly by my own youthful rafhness and inconfideration might have expofed me, had not thy divine Providence interpofed in fuch a wonderful manner, as justly challenges my deepest admiration and acknowledgment: particularly I am bound to bless thee for fo timely nipping that ambition and vain-glory, which had hurried me through fuch fcenes of impiety and hypocrify, and as the moft effectual antidote againft it, next to thy divine grace, haft brought me not only to prefer, but to delight in a state of obfcurity and lowness of circumftances, as the fureft harbour of peace and fafety; by which, though the little I have left in my poffeffion, be dwindled to fo little value as to be but a poor acknowledgment for the fer

vices which I have received from my friend hereafter named, to whom I can do no lefs than bequeath it all, yet I hope the will may be accepted for the deed, and that the divine Providence will fupply to her what is wanting in me. And now, O Father of mercies, I beseech thee for thy dear Son's fake, so to direct me by thy grace through all these future concerns of this life, that, when, where, or in what manner foever it fhall please thee to call me out of it, I may be found ready and willing to refign my foul, worthlefs as it is of itself, to thee who gaveft it; and my death, as well as my latter end may be fuch as may tend all poffible ways to thy glory, the edification of thy church, and my own eternal comfort. And in hopes there is nothing in this my last will that is not agreeable to thine, I leave it to be executed after my death by my worthy and pious friend Sarah Rewalling, of this parish of St. Luke, in Middlefex, in the manner hereafter mentioned, viz.

I defire that my body, when or wherever I die, may be kept fo long above ground, as decency or conveniency will permit, and afterwards conveyed to the common burying ground, and there interred in fome obfcure corner of it without any further ceremony or formality than is used to the bodies of the deceased penfioners where I happen to die, and about the fame time of the day, and that the whole may be performed in the loweft and cheapest manner. And it is my earnest request that my body be not inclofed in any kind of coffin, but only decently laid in what is called a fhell, of the loweft value, and without lid or

other