ried in, the First of his Subjects! It was but fifteen Days fince this young Prince was proclaimed King, and he could not receive Intelligencs from the Couriers whom he had fent after his Father, till he had the News of his . Return, which gave to this tender and respectful Son, a Pleasure not to be conceived. He flew to meet him with the Wings of a moft ardent and fincere Affection; and made no other Ufe of his new Authority, than to command those who had fworn Allegiance to him, to return to that they more juftly owed his Father.

As the Example of the Sovereign has always an Influence over the Actions of the Subjects, the Magnanimity of this great Prince infufed the moft generous Inclinations in the Minds of the Portuguefe.-All admired! all loved! all praifed the Affection and Duty of the Son, and returned with joyful Obedience to the Government of their first Mafter. But it would be very difficult to fet forth the pleafed Emotions of Don Antonio's Soul, to find a Difpofition fo truly heroic in a Son whom he bad always tenderly loved. To fee a Prince formed for Ambition, educated in all the Accomplishments neceffary for Power, and of an Age which generally infpires Men with a Defire of obtaining, relinquith all the Charms of Empire, lay down the Honours he had but just tasted, and become again a Subject, a Dependant, meerly thro' the Dictates of his Piety, and filial Affection, was such a Tranfport, as nothing but a Parent can conceive. His Alacrity to refign Dominion, made him appear moft worthy of it: And never was there fo tender and fo generous a Difpute as that between these two Monarchs.. The Singularity of it drew Tears from the whole Affembly. The Son conjured his Father in the most ardent Terms to remount the Throne; the Father with the fame Zeal intreated him not to defcend from it.Each gave his Reasons again ft reigning with fo much Eloquence and Vivacity, that none who heard could believe them not fincere; whichever got the better in the generous Conteft, both the Vanquished and the Vanquisher deferv'd an equal Share of Glory; but which of them would first recede from his Argument, was for a long

time in doubt. At laft Don Antonio found himself obliged to yield to the Remonftrances of his now more than ever beloved Son. He refumed the Sovereignty, and immediately purfued his Way to Lisbon, accompanied by the Prince, who had that Day gained greater Honour than a whole Life of Reigning could have yielded him.

BEHOLD! continued Florinda, the Subject of my Attachment! I found fomething in this little Hiftory fo touching, and fo lively, that I could not put the Book out of my Hand, till I had made myself Mistress of the Conclufion.I doubt not but you have read it; but thefe are Things which will bear Repetition.

THE amiable Florinda is in the right, faid Thelamont, and tho' I am perfectly acquainted with the Story fhe has been reciting, I had not the lefs Pleasure in liftening to her. It is difficult, added Urania, to entertain one's felf, or Company, always with Subjects that are new; and when one cannot, the moft agreeable will doubtless be those which are moft worthy to be remembred, and afford the greateft Matter for Reflection. None can more juftly take up the Mind, faid Orophanes, than fuch an Inftance as this of the Prince of Portugal, who was queftionless one of the greateft Heroes of his Time: I cannot, however, applaud the Behaviour of Don Antonio; for it does not appear to me, that a Monarch ought on any Terms to refign the fovereign Power. Kings are. regarded as the Fathers of their People, and in my Opinion cannot abandon their Children without offending that Divinity whofe Representatives they are on Earth.

'Tis true, interrupted Orfames, and these Sort of Abdications find but a fmall Number of Admirers. But Corneille fays, If Princes forfake Empire on a juft Motive, they are not to be condemned. Kings may desire to tafte the Sweets of Retirement and Repofe, as well as other Men: And if weary with the Toils of State, they refign. the Sceptre into Hands worthy of it, I think the People ought not to complain.

A MONARCH who leaves his Subjects in a profound Peace, his Exchequers well furnished, and his Alliances

confirmed,

confirmed, may certainly prevent the Work of Fate, and yield his Power to another. Charles the Fifth attracted more Admiration in his Abdication, than in all his Exploits. I agree that he did fo, refumed Orophanes, but yet it is fufpected that he repented it. One must not believe all Sorts of Evidences, faid Thelamont. The Queen of Sweden is an Example: If one fhould judge of her, according to the Report of Mareri, how greatly muft the Character of that Princess fuffer? 'Tis certain, indeed, rejoined Urania, that he has fpoke disadvantageously of that Chriftian Heroine; and as I am charmed with her Glory, would very fain have fome Proofs which might contradict those Afperfions he has thrown on her.

I CAN, in fome Measure, fatisfy you, answered Thelamont, and it will be a fenfible Pleasure to me, to give you fome Light into the Truth of her History, if it will not be too tedious in the Recital to the reft of the Company.

I DARE answer, faid Julia, for all here, that they will be able to find nothing which can fo agreeably entertain them, as what they fhall hear from Thelamont. This obliging Compliment was anfwered by him"twas made to, only with a refpectful Bow; and feeing a kind of an impatient Attention in the Faces of every one of this amiable Society, he began to perform the Promife he had made in thefe Words.

IT is furprising, faid he, that Moreri fhould be fo ill informed of the Character and Manners of this Queen, to speak of her with fo little Respect, and to draw a Picture of her fo far different from the Likeness. He muft doubtless have had no Knowledge of the Regularity of that Life fhe led at Rome, or had fome fecret Reafons for blackening her against the Teftimony of a thoufand Witneffes, all Admirers of her exemplary Manner in practifing that Religion to which she was a Convert.If her Departure from Paris, in a precipitate Manner, gave fome occafion to condemn her Conduct, those will find fufficient Reasons for her Juftification, who confider that she went but to punish a Domestic who had thrown the moft impudent Afperfions on her Honour, and who fhe made be put to Death at Fontainbleau, without any

Court

Court of Judicature or Authority but her own to condemn him. If this Action, I fay, had the Appearance of blameable, the Motive will ftill render it excufable. The Actions of Princes are more expofed to View than those of common People; their Glory is infinitely more illuftrious, or their Infamy more confpicuous; and whoever attempts, without a Cause, to obfcure the Brightness of fuch a Perfon's Character, is doubtlefs worthy of immediate Death, efpecially when the Crime is found in a menial Servant, whofe Breach of Duty exaggerates the Crime.

Ir is certain, that fome Perfons who went to Rome, and tarried there no longer than to enquire into the Intrigues and Cabals of that great City, which is full of People of different Nations and Opinions, have not fcrupled to affirm, that they heard enough to countenance all that Moreri had faid to the Prejudice of this Queen. There were also several who made Profeffion of the Proteftant Religion, who writ her Life, and fet her Actions in a very different Light from that which they appear to me to merit.

BUT thefe Memoirs were afterwards refuted by fome others of the fame religion, who tho' they blamed her for forfaking the Faith in which she had been educated, fpoke highly in Commendation of her Virtue. But the chief Particulars of her Character and Behaviour were written by Father Palavicini, a Jefuit, and now kept as a Treasure in one of the best Libraries in Italy. It is in Manufcript, and I am furprized, that for the Honour of the Perfon who wrote it, as well as for that of this Queen, it has not been long ago made public to the World. It is full of fingular and furprising Accidents relating to her Life, of which moft People are ignorant, particularly the Motives of her Converfion to the Roman Catholic Religion, and voluntary Abdication of her Kingdom of Swedeland.

It was from this excellent Manufcript that I have taken moft of the Things that I am about to recite, as well as from a fecret Hiftory written of her by a Man of an uncommon Share of Wit, and who declares himself a Lover of Truth.

No

No body, I prefume, is ignorant that the Princefs Chriftina was Daughter to the Great Guftavus, and that after the Deccafe of that Hero, fhe took the Reins of Government into her own Hands; his Teftament bequeathing the Crown between her and Charles Guftavus, his Nephew, whom he commanded her immediately to marry on her Acceffion to the Throne.

BUT this Prince having always demonftrated a greater Affection to the Dignity than Perfon of the Queen, who indeed, if we may credit thofe Pictures which are pretended to be Originals, had a Form much lefs beautiful than her Mind; it is not to be thought strange, that she felt not for him those Emotions which excite People to a Defire of Marriage. Instead of giving way to any amorous Inclinations, fhe bent her whole Study on Literature, gave the nobleft Encouragement to all Lovers of the Sciences, and was a confiderable Proficient in them herself.

A

As fhe was always incompafs'd with a great Number of learned Men, who had particular Days for debating all Sorts of Matters, it was impoffible but that Religion should sometimes have a Place in their Difcourfes. mong the many Men of Letters, there were feveral who made Profeffion of the Roman Catholic Faith: Having heard them fometimes answer the Objections made by the oppofite Party, the Queen began to entertain fome Doubts which of the two was orthodox; but this was an Affair which the judged not fafe for her to speak openly upon, and therefore contented herself with filently liftening to the Controverfies between the Antagonists, without declaring any Part of her own Sentiments to either, till in a little time an Accident happen'd, which gave her full Opportunity to do it with Freedom.

AN Ambaffador arriving from the King of Portugal, who not understanding the Latin 'Tongue, was obliged always to make ufe of an Interpreter when he spoke to the Queen; his Secretary, who had been accustomed to ferve for that Purpose the Ambaffador, had recourfe to his Confeffor, who was a Jefuit, but who following the Custom of the Proteftant Courts, had on the Habit of a Secular Prieft, and appeared only as a Gentleman of his Train.

THE