HORRIBLE ASSASSINATION OF THE MARQUIS MONALDESCHI,
BY COMMAND OF CHRISTINA, QUEEN OF SWEDEN.

CHRISTINA, queen of Sweden, it is well known, resigned her crown, and having retired to Rome, abjured Protestantism, and embraced the Catholic religion. From Rome she undertook various journeys, and twice paid a visit to France. During her last stay in that country, she caused her equerry and favourite, the Marquis Monaldeschi to be assassinated on the 10th Nov. 1657. The cause of this atrocious deed is still a mystery; and all we know of the transaction is contained in the following narrative of Father Le Bel, superior of the convent of Fontainbleau, who attended the unfortunate sufferer in his last moments.

"In the morning," says the abbot, "on my return to my lodging, I found at my door a domestic of the queen of Sweden, who at that time inhabited a part of the palace. He told me that the queen wished to speak to me; I immediately followed him to the anti-chamber, and, after waiting a few minutes, he introduced me into the apartment of the queen, who, before I had time to pay my respects to her, came up to me, and requested me to follow her to the gallery, where we should be more private. I listened with silent expectation; the queen continued standing at the end of the gallery, and, after some unimportant conversation, she said, with the utmost graceful dignity, the dress which you wear, my good father, justifies me in placing unbounded confidence in your secrecy; but what I am about to communicate to you is of so much importance, that you must give me a solemn promise that you will conceal it as conscientiously as if I had entrusted it to you in your confessor's chair.' I assured her in the most solemn manner that I would never reveal what she might be pleased to entrust to me. After a short pause, in which she appeared thoughtful, she produced a packet of papers, without any superscription and sealed in three places. Keep these in your custody,' said she, till I demand them of you.' I repeated my promise of obedience to her commands, and she then left me, after exhorting me to 67

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remember my promise, adding, and be sure to mark exactly the day, the hour, and the place, when and where I delivered to you this packet!'

"Three days after, the same domestic came to me again, and requested me to wait on the queen at one o'clock. I took the packet with me, and was again conducted to the gallery, where I found the queen, accompanied by some gentlemen of the household. As soon as I entered it, the servant shut the door so hastily after me, that I began to be under some apprehension, and remained standing at the end of the gallery, confused and full of expectation. "The queen was in conversation, as appeared with one of her principal attendants, whom I knew by sight, and under the name of The Marquis,' She beckoned to me, and on approaching her, three of the attendants stepped a few paces forward, but the marquis continued standing near her, in a careless posture, and with some appearance of uneasiness (at least as I thought) in his look and gesture. With a haughtiness in her manner and voice which I had never before observed, the queen, turning to me, said, I will once more read the letters which I lately gave you to keep, I desire therefore that you

will return them.'

"I handed them to her, and having viewed the packet round and round in silence, she at length opened it, and after unfolding the papers which it contained, she turned abruptly to the marquis, and said to him, with a terrible masculine voice and an awful haughtiness in her attitude and mien, do you know these papers?" The marquis changed colour, and seemed to be agitated by a sudden tremor; but recovering himself, and casting a cursory look at the packet, he replied in a weak, faultering tone, Most gracious queen, I have no remembrance of them.' Do you not know this writing?' said she, in a voice still more terrible, holding the papers nearer the marquis.-After a short pause, which she granted him, as it would appear, to collect himself, she drew other papers from her pocket, and displayed them before him; Traitor,' oried she, in the most violent agitation, do you not know these?' The marquis fell on his knees before the queen, and begged for mercy. The three attendants drew their daggers, and stood over him in an attitude ready to strike. The marquis then stood up, took the queen sometimes into one corner of the gallery, and sometimes into another; spoke to her with the violence of one in despair, again begged her to hear him, and not to reject his exculpation; asserted his innocence with the most horrid imprecations, and in the most affecting strain begged for mercy.

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"The queen endured this for a long time with great patience, and heard him, according to all appearance, with the utmost composure and attention. In her answers no trace of harshness could be discovered, and the flame of anger had disappeared from her face. When an hour had elapsed in this manner, and the marquis's attempt to exculpate himself had not been attended with success, she again turned to me, and said, in a calm tone, Look, and be witness of my conduct to this man,' (pointing to the marquis, who, quite exhausted, was scarcely able to stand, and supported himself by a small ebony cane,) that I have granted to this traitor, this perfidious wretch, all the time he required to make his defence, and more perhaps than he could expect after such an injury as mine.' She then continued some time silent, approached nearer to me, and said, in a low voice, but in a serious and firm manner, 'I shall now retire, and leave him to these men; prepare him for death, and take charge of his soul.' On hearing this unexpected sentence of death, I was struck with the most violent terror, and I fell down immediately with the marquis at the queen's feet, and solicited mercy. But she answered with

mild, though unshaken firmness, I cannot grant your request; this traitor deserves death more than many who have been broken on the wheel. He knows what unbounded confidence I placed in his fidelity and attachment, and even, if I never reminded him of my kindness, his own conscience must tell him, that I have done more for him than I could do for a brother.' On these last words, the tears started into her eyes, but few of them fell; she quitted us abruptly, and left me almost petrified, along with the disconsolate marquis and the three attendants, who stood ready with their drawn daggers to strike in a moment.

The marquis now threw himself at my feet, and begged in the most earnest manner, that I would go to the queen, and endeavour, if possible, to save him. The assassins drew nearer to him, and applying the points of their daggers, but without touching him, desired him to pray and recommend his soul to God, while I, almost incapable of moving or speaking, gave vent to a flood of tears, and was just able in a faint tone to exhort him to supplicate pardon from God. In the meantime the person who appeared to be the chief of the assassins had retired in order, as he said, to speak to the queen. But he soon returned with the melancholy order not to spend any more time in vain. He then, seemingly much affected, spoke to the marquis and said, ⚫ recommend your soul to God; you must die.' At these words the marquis fell down at my feet in the most frantic despair, and conjured me to make one attempt more with his sovereign to try whether there was any hopes of mercy and forgiveness. I could not withstand this appeal, and repaired to the queen, whom I found alone in her apartment, according to every appearance, calm and composed. I threw myself at her feet, described to her, in as affecting manner as I could, the piteous situation of the unfortunate marquis; and begged her with tears and sighs, by the sufferings and wounds of Christ, to extend her compassion to the wretched offender. The queen remained inflexible. I am very sorry,' said she, that I cannot grant your request. Did you know the infidelity he has been guilty of, and the cruel manner in which he has behaved towards me, you would waste no words in interceding for him. Certainly,' added she, with some emotion, many a one has been hanged on a gallows as a criminal, who, if compared with this wretch, would be considered as a saint.'

"I now plainly saw that nothing was to be effected in this way, and as her speech had allowed me time to collect myself, I was desirous of trying another method. Will your majesty pardon my presumption,' continued I, rising up and retiring a few steps backwards, if I humbly beg leave to call your attention to one point, which is, that you are now in a palace of the king of France, and your conduct will, no doubt, be such as is consistent with your wisdom; but I hope you will consider whether this step will be altogether approved by his majesty.' The right of inflicting this punishment,' replied she with some sensibility, was given to me before the altar, and I call God to witness that I harbour no malice against the person of the marquis; I wish only to punish his unexampled treachery, which concerns all mankind. Besides, the king of France placed me in his palace not as an arrested fugitive. I am mistress of my own will, and authorized to exercise jurisdiction over my own court, in all places and at all times, and am accountable for my conduct towards them, to none but God.' This,' added she, in a more moderate tone, is not the first instance of the kind.' That may be,' answered I, but, most gracious princess, such a proceeding is not the same at all times, and under all circumstances. At that time perhaps you were in your own territories, at present you are in the territories of another.'

"Scarcely had I uttered these words when I repented what I had said, for I thought I could read in her countenance that she was more incensed than softened. I endeavoured therefore to sooth her, and at last to try the only method I thought likely to succeed. But most gracious queen,' continued I, even admitting that this conduct on the part of your majesty is perfectly justifiable and that the unfortunate marquis is more than deserving of punishment, I must still, on account of the high character and general respect which you have acquired during your residence in France, humbly and earnestly entreat you to consider what effect this step will produce in the public opinion. Will not, and must not, the public, who do not see into the secret connection of circumstances, consider this sudden execution as a rash and unjust action. But if you grant the marquis his life, or if his crime be of a heinous nature deliver him over into the hands of the king, and leave his fate to the decision of the proper tribunal; your magnanimity and humanity will then excite universal admiration.' What,' said she, interrupting me, am I reduced to such a state that I must appear before any other tribunal than my own, against one of my own servants, and wait for a favorable or unfavorable sentence?'-' But most gracious princess, you are in this case prosecutor; how can you unite in your own person the character of prosecutor and that of judge also.' You may save yourself any further trouble,' replied the queen;' I cannot change my resolution. Go back and perform the duties of your office.'

"I returned with a heavy heart, embraced the marquis, and earnestly requested, with tears, that he would resolve to meet death with composure, and to disburden his conscience. There is no sure hope in this world,' added I; but if you will submit to become a sacrifice to justice you will again experience it from God. To God alone then let all your hopes be directed, and from him only expect consolation.'

"The marquis screamed out two or three times with great violence when I spoke to him of this consolation. He at length fell down at my feet, for I had now seated myself at a bench in a recess of the gallery and began to confess. He spoke alternately in Latin, French, and Italian, started up sometimes in the midst of his discourse, emitted cries of despair, but at my earnest request, though in the most dreadful agitation continued his confession. "In the mean time the queen's confessor had entered the gallery; scarcely had the marquis seen him, when he started up and, without waiting for absolution, approached him and took him into a corner. While he conversed

with him in a soft but vehement manner, he held both his hands with a convulsive grasp, knocking them from time to time against his breast with great violence. At length the confessor retired, and one of the armed men who seemed to direct the execution accompanied him, in order, as he said, to convey the marquis's request to the queen.

"The confessor did not return; and the assassin, on again entering the gallery, called out to the marquis, recommend your soul to God, for you must infallibly die. Have you confessed? With these words he pushed him against the wall, and before I could turn aside my face from this scene of horror, I saw him give the marquis a violent thrust on the left side of the belly. The marquis, in great trepidation, endeavoured to avert the blow by seizing the dagger in his right hand, but the assassin drawing back the weapon cut three of his fingers. The dagger being thus bent he called out to his companions," His whole body is covered by armour!" and then made thrust at the marquis's face. Father! father!' exclaimed the marquis, on which I approached while the assassins drew back, and he now fell down

before me on one knee and stammered out the remainder of his confession. I then gave him absolution, requested him once more to resign himself calmly to death, and to forgive those who were charged with his execution.

"On this he threw himself on the floor, and in falling received a thrust in the head, which carried away a part of his skull. Stretched out with his face downward, he made a sign with his hand that the assassin might cut his throat. The assassin gave him two or three strokes on the neck, which produced no effect, owing to the coat of mail which rose too high behind. Being almost struck dumb with this cruel scene, I spoke to him, but without knowing what I said.

"In the mean time the marquis's hopes began to be revived on hearing the door of the gallery open; he collected some strength, and perceiving the confessor crept towards him, assisting himself by the wall. He then requested leave to speak to him. Supported by me he turned to the confessor, folding his hands together, and moved his lips as if praying, but without being able to utter a single word that could be understood. Pray to God for forgiveness,' said the confessor, much affected. He then gave him absolution, and tore himself from him, bidding me remain with the marquis as he was obliged to wait upon the queen.

"At this moment the assassin who had cut off part of his skull thrust a long dagger into his throat, and the marquis fell down senseless on the floor, where he lay breathing for about a quarter of an hour, and then expired! One of the assassins then shook him by the arms and legs, and having examined his clothes, all the three quitted the gallery, and I followed them to the queen, who heard the account of the marquis's death with evident satisfaction. She then expatiated on the importance and heinousness of the crime he had been guilty of, and the necessity she was under of acting as she did. She added that she would pray to God to forgive him as she had forgiven him, and requested him to take charge of his funeral.

I returned to my abode in a state of great dejection, and the impression which this cruel scene made upon my mind will, in all probability, never be eradicated but by death."

Such is the account which father Le Bel gives of this truly horrible affaira deed of blood which we think the reader cannot peruse without shuddering. For ourselves, we are not aware that upon a reference to any of our pages there will be found a more terrific detail. What the crime of the marquis might have been, that could call down on his devoted head so dreadful a death, or induce Christina to be guilty of so blood-thirsty an action, is not positively known; but it is supposed that Monaldeschi had been so imprudent as to divulge some secrets respecting her amours, either with himself or some other person. Let the cause, however, be what it may, the deed will ever reflect a bloody stain on the memory of the queen, while a tear of pity cannot be restrained for the Sufferings of the victim of such a sanguinary punishment.

DEATHS BY FALLS FROM THE MONUMENT OF LONDON.

June 25, 1750, about four o'clock in the afternoon, a man, supposed to be a weaver, fell from the top of the monument; he struck the pedestal, and pitched on a post which laid open his skull, and he was otherwise most terribly shattered.