historic girls-第27节

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thereby　closing　the　war！　His　son；　indeed！　Ferdinand　the　Craven！〃



〃And　yet；　Madam；〃　suggested　the　wise　Oxenstiern；　〃it　is　a　matter

that　should　not　lightly　be　cast　aside。　In　time　you　must　needs　be

married。　The　constitution　of　the　kingdom　doth　oblige　you　to。〃



〃Oblige！〃　and　the　young　girl　turned　upon　the　gray…headed

chancellor　almost　savagely。　〃Oblige！　and　who；　Sir　Chancellor；

upon　earth　shall　OBLIGE　me　to　do　so；　if　I　do　it　not　of　mine　own

will？　Say　not　OBLIGE　to　me。〃



This　was　vigorous　language　for　a　girl　of　scarce　fourteen；　but　it

was　〃Christina's　way；〃　one　with　which　both　the　Council　and　the

people　soon　grew　familiar。　It　was　the　Vasa＇1＇　nature　in　her；　and

it　was　always　prominent　in　this　spirited　young　girlthe　last

descendant　of　that　masterful　house。



＇1＇　Vasa　was　the　family　name　of　her　father　and　the　ancient　king

of　Sweden。





But　now　the　young　Prince　Karl　Gustavus　had　something　to　say。



〃Ah；　cousin　mine；〃　and　he　laid　a　strong　though　boyish　hand　upon

the　young　girl's　arm。　〃What　need　for　couriers　or　dispatches　that

speak　of　suitors　for　your　hand？　Am　not　I　to　be　your　husband？　From

babyhood　you　have　so　promised　me。〃



Christina　again　broke　into　a　loud　and　merry　laugh。



〃Hark　to　the　little　burgomaster；〃＇1＇　she　cried；　〃much　travel　hath

made　him；　I　do　fear　me；　soft　in　heart　and　head。　Childish

promises；　Karl。　Let　such　things　be　forgotten　now。　You　are　to　be　a

soldierI；　a　queen。〃



＇1＇　Prince　Charles　Gustavus；　afterward　Charles　XI。；　King　of

Sweden；　and　father　of　the　famous　Charles　XII。；　was　cousin　to

Christina。　He　was　short　and　thick…set；　and　so　like　a　little

Dutchman　that　Christina　often　called　him　〃the　little

burgomaster。〃　At　the　time　of　this　sketch　he　had　just　returned

from　a　year　of　travel　through　Europe。





〃And　yet；　Madam；〃　said　Mathias；　her　tutor；　〃all　Europe　hath　for

years　regarded　Prince　Karl　as　your　future　husband。〃



〃And　what　care　I　for　that？〃　demanded　the　girl；　hotly。　〃Have　done；

have　done；　sirs！　You　do　weary　me　with　all　this。　Let　us　to　the

hunt。　Axel　Dagg　did　tell　me　of　a　fine　roebuck　in　the　Maelar

woods。　See　you　to　the　courier　of　the　Emperor　and　to　his

dispatches；　Lord　Chancellor；　I　care　not　what　you　tell　him；　if　you

do　but　tell　him　no。　And；　stay；　where　is　that　round　little

Dutchman；　Van　Beunigen；　whom　you　did　complain　but　yesterday　was

sent　among　us　by　his　government　to　oppose　the　advices　of　our

English　friends。　He　is　a　greater　scholar　than　horseman；　or　I

mistake。　Let　us　take　him　in　our　hunting…party；　Karl；　and　see　to

it　that　he　doth　have　one　of　our　choicest　horses。〃



The　girl's　mischief　was　catching。　Her　cousin　dropped　his　serious

look；　and；　seeking　the　Dutch　envoy；　with　due　courtesy　invited　him

to　join　the　Queen's　hunt。



〃Give　him　black　Hannibal；　Jous；〃　Christina　had　said　to　her　groom；

and　when　the　Dutch　envoy；　Van　Beunigen；　came　out　to　join　the

hunting…party；　too　much　flattered　by　the　invitation　to　remember

that　he　was　a　poor　horseman；　Jous；　the　groom；　held　black　Hannibal

in　unsteady　check；　while　the　big　horse　champed　and　fretted；　and

the　hunting…party　awaited　the　new　member。



But　Jous；　the　groom；　noted　the　Dutchman's　somewhat　alarmed　look

at　the　big　black　animal。



〃Would　it　not　be　well；　good　sir；〃　he　said；　〃that　you　do　choose

some　steadier　animal　than　Hannibal　here？　I　pray　you　let　me　give

you　one　less　restive。　So；　Bror　Andersson；〃　he　called　to　one　of

the　under…grooms；　〃let　the　noble　envoy　have　your　cob；　and　take

you　back　Hannibal　to　the　stables。〃



But　no；　the　envoy　of　the　States　of　Holland　would　submit　to　no

such　change。　He　ride　a　servant's　horse；　indeed！



〃Why；　sirrah　groom；〃　he　said　to　good…hearted　Jous；　〃I　would　have

you　know　that　I　am　no　novice　in　the　equestrian　art。　Far　from　it；

man。　I　have　read　every　treatise　on　the　subject　from　Xenophon

downward；　and　what　horse　can　know　more　than　I？〃



So　friendly　Jous　had　nothing　more　to　say；　but　hoisted　the

puffed…up　Dutch　scholar　into　the　high　saddle；　and　away　galloped

the　hunt　toward　the　Maelar　woods。



As　if　blind　to　his　own　folly；　Van　Beunigen；　the　envoy；　placed

himself　near　to　the　young　Queen；　and　Christina；　full　of　her　own

mischief；　began　gravely　to　compliment　him　on　his　horsemanship；

and　suggested　a　gallop。



Alas；　fatal　moment。　For　while　he　yet　swayed　and　jolted　upon　the

back　of　the　restive　Hannibal；　and　even　endeavored　to　discuss　with

the　fair　young　scholar　who　rode　beside　him；　the　〃Melanippe〃　of

Euripides；　the　same　fair　scholarwho；　in　spite　of　all　her　Greek

learning　was　only　a　mischievous　and　sometimes　very　rude　young

girlfaced　him　with　a　sober　countenance。



〃Good　Herr　Van　Beunigen；〃　she　said；　〃your　Greek　is　truly　as

smooth　as　your　face。　But　it　seems　to　me　you　do　not　sufficiently

catch　the　spirit　of　the　poet's　lines　commmencing



　　　　　。＇1＇



I　should　rather　say　that　　should　be〃



＇1＇　The　commencement　of　an　extract　from　the　〃Melanippe〃　of

Euripides；　meaning；　〃To　raise　vain　laughter；　many　exercise　the

arts　of　satire。〃





Just　what　　should　be　she　never　declared；　for；　as

the　envoy　of　Holland　turned　upon　her　a　face　on　which　Greek

learning　and　anxious　horsemanship　struggled　with　one　another；

Christina　slyly　touched　black　Hannibal　lightly　with　her

riding…whip。



Light　as　the　touch　was；　however；　it　was　enough。　The　unruly　horse

reared　and　plunged。　The　startled　scholar；　with　a　cry　of　terror；

flung　up　his　hands；　and　then　clutched　black　Hannibal　around　the

neck。　Thus；　in　the　manner　of　John　Gilpin；



　〃His　horse；　who　never　in　that　way

　　　　　　Had　handled　been　before；

　　What　thing　upon　his　back　had　got

　　　　　　Did　wonder　more　and　more。



　　　　　〃Away　went　Gilpin；　neck　or　nought；

　　　　　　Away　went　hat　and　wig；

　　He　never　dreamt　when　he　set　out；

　　　　　　Of　running　such　a　rig。〃





Minus　hat　and　wig；　too；　the　poor　envoy　dashed　up　the　Maelar

highway；　while　Christina；　laughing　loudly；　galloped　after　him　in

a　mad　race；　followed　by　all　her　hunting…party。



The　catastrophe　was　not　far　away。　The　black　horse；　like　the

ill…tempered　〃bronchos〃　of　our　western　plains；　〃bucked〃　suddenly；

and　over　his　head　like　a　flash　went　the　discomfited　Dutchman。　In

an　instant；　Greek　learning　and　Dutch　diplomacy　lay　sprawling　in　a

Swedish　roadway；　from　which　Jous；　the　groom；　speedily　lifted　the

groaning　would…be　horseman。



Even　in　her　zeal　for　study；　really　remarkable　in　so　young　a　girl；

Christina　could　not　forego　her　misguided　love　of　power　and　her

tendency　to　practical　joking；　and　one　day　she　even　made　two　grave

philosophers；　who　were　holding　a　profound　discussion　in　her

presence　over　some　deep　philosophic　subject；　suddenly　cease　their

arguments　to　play　with　her　at　battledore　and　shuttlecock。



A　girlhood　of　uncontrolled　power；　such　as　hers；　could　lead　but　to

one　result。　Self…gratification　is　the　worst　form　of　selfishness；

and　never　can　work　good　to　any　one。　Although　she　was　a　girl　of

wonderful　capabilities；　of　the　blood　of　famous　kings　and

conquerors；　giving　such　promises　of　greatness　that　scholars　and

statesmen　alike　prophesied　for　her　a　splendid　future；　Christina；

Queen　of　Sweden；　made　only　a　failure　of　her　life。



At　eighteen　she　had　herself　formally　crowned　as　KING　of　Sweden。

But　at　twenty…five　she　declared　herself　sick　and　tired　of　her

duties　as　queen；　and　at　twenty…eight；　at　the　height　of　her　power

and　fame；　she　actually　did　resign　her　throne　in　favor　of　her

cousin；　Prince　Karl；publicly　abdicated；　and　at　once　left　her

native　land　to　lead　the　life　of　a　disappointed　wanderer。



The　story　of　this　remarkable　woman　is　one　that　holds　a　lesson　for

all。　Eccentric；　careless；　and　fearless；　handsome；　witty；　and

learned；　ambitious；　shrewd；　and　visionary；she　was　one　of　the

strangest　compounds　of　〃unlikes〃　to　be　met　with　in　history。



She　deliberately　threw　away　a　crown；　wasted　a　life　that　might

have　been　helpful　to　her　subjects；　regarded　only　her　own　selfish

and　personal　desires；　and　died　a　prematurely　old　woman　at

sixty…five；　unloved　and　unhonored。



Her　story；　if　it　teaches　any　thing；　assures　us　that　it　is　always

best　to　have　in　youth；　whether　as　girl　or　boy；　the　guidance　and

direction　of　some　will　that　is　acknowledged　and　respected。

Natures　unformed　or　over…indulged；　with　none　to　counsel　or

command；　generally　go　wrong。　A　mother's　love；　a　father's　care；

thesethough　young　people　may　not　always　read　them　arightare

needed　for　the　moulding　of　character；　while　to　every　bright　young

girl；　historic　or　unhistoric；　princess　or　peasant；　Swedish　queen

or　modern　American　maiden；　will　it　at　last　be　apparent　that　the

right　way　is　always　the　way　of　modesty　and　gentleness；　of　high

ambitions；　perhaps；　but；　always　and　everywhere；　of　thoughtfulness

for　others　and　kindliness　to　all。







MA…TA…OKA　OF　POW…HA…TAN：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　VIRGINIA　FORESTS。



＇Generally　known　as　〃The　Princess　Pocahontas。〃＇　A。D。　1607。



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