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tions : which form a general mass of testimonials, that may beconsidered as a solid basis of reputation. Christina, however, maybe justly censured with want of taste, in not properly distinguish-ing merit; particularly the superiority of Descartes, whom shedisgusted, and at last wholly neglected. The rapid fort mu whichthe adventurer Million, known by the name Bourdelot, acquiredby her countenance and liberality, was also a great scandal to lile-rature. l ie had no pretentions to learning ; and though sprightly,was yet indecent, lie was brought to court by the learned Fau-maise ; and, for a time, drove literary merit out of it, makinglearning the object of his ridicule, and exacting from Christina anexorbitant tribute to the weakness and inconstancy of her sex;tor with respect to this man, she shewed herself to be weak andinconstant. At last she was compelled, by the public indignation,to banish this unworthy minion ; and he was no sooner gone, thanher regard lor him was at an end. She was ashamed of the favoursiie had shown him ; and, in a short time, thought of him with ha-tred and contempt. This Bourdelot, during his ascendancy overthe queen, had supplanted count Magnus de la Gardie, son of theconstable oi Sweden, who was a relation, a favourite, and perhaps'he lover of Christina. M. de Motteville, who had seen him am-bassador in France, says, in his memoirs, that he spoke of hisqueen in terms so passionate and respectful, that every one con-cluded his attaclunent to her to be more ardent and tender, thana mere sense of duty can produce. This nobleman fell into dis-grace because lie shewed an inclination to govern ; while M.Bourdelot seemed to aim at nothing more than to amuse ; andconcealed, under the unsuspected character of a droll, the realascendancy which he exercised over the queen’s mind. Aboutthis time, an accident happened to Christina, which brought herinto still greater danger, than that which has already been related.Having ordered some ships of war to be built at the port ofStockholm, she went to see them w hen finished ; and as she wasgoing on board, across a narrow plank, with admiral Fleeming,his foot slipping, he fell, and drew the queen with him into thesea, which in that place was near 90 feet deep. Anthony Stern-berg, the queen’s first equerry, instantly threw himself into thewater, laid hold of her robe, and, with such assistance as wasgiven him, got the queen ashore: during the time of this accident,her recollection was such, that the moment her lips were abovewater, she cried, “ Take care of the admiral.” vVlien she wasgot out of the water, she discovered no emotion either by hergesture or countenance ; and she dined the same day in public,where she gave a humorous account of her adventure. But,though at first she was fond of the power and splendor ofroyalty, yet she began at length to feel that it embarrassedher; and the same love of independence, which had determinedher against marriage, at length made her weary of her crown. Atlast she resolved to abdicate ; and, in 1652, communicated herresolution to the senate. The senate zealously remonstratedagainst it, and were joined by the people; and even by CharlesGustavus himself, who was to succeed her : she yielded to theirimportunities, and continued to sacrifice her own pleasure to thewill of the public, till 1654, when she carried her design into exe-cution. It appears by one of her letters to M. Canut, in whomshe put great confidence, that she had meditated tins project formore than eight years; and that she had communicated it to himlive years before it took place. The ceremony of her abdicationwas a mournful solemnity, a mixture of pomp and sadness, inwhich scarce any eyes but her own were dry. Sin- continuedfirm and composed through the whole ; and as soon as it was over,prepared to remove into the country more favourable to sciencethan Sweden was. Concerning the merit of this action, the worldlias always been divided in opinion ; it lias been condemned alikeboth by the ignorant and the learned, the triller and the sage. Itwas admired, however, bv the great Comic: “Ilow great wastlie magnanimity of this princess (said he,) who could so < asilygive up that for which the rest of mankind are continually destroy-ing each other, and which so many throughout their wliole livespursue without attaining !” . It appears, by the works of St. F.vre-mom!, that the abdication of Christina was at that time the uni-yejs>al topic of speculation ami debate in France. Christina, lie-sides abdicating her crown, abjured her religion ; an act univer-sally approved by .one party and censured by another: the Pa-pists triumphed, and the Protestants were offended. No prince,after a long imprisonment, ever shewed so much joy upon being

restored to his kingdom, as Christina did in quitting hers. VV henshe came to a little brook, which separates Sweden from Den-mark, she got out of her carriage; and leaping to the other side,cried out in a transport oi joy, “ At last 1 am free, and out ofSweden, whither, 1 hope, I shall never return.” She dismissedher women, and laid aside the habit of.her sex : “ I would be-come a man (said she,) vet 1 do not love men, because they aremen, but because they are not women.” The inconstancy ofChristina’s temper appeared in her going continually from placeto place: from Brussels she went to Home : from Rome toFrance, and from France she returned to Rome again ; after this shew ent to Sw eden, where she was not very well received ; from Swe-den she went to Hamburgh, where she continued a year, and thenwent again to Rome; from Rome she returned to Hamburgh ;and again to Sweden, where she was still worse received than be-fore; upon whicn she went back to Hamburgh, and from Ham-burgh again to Rome. She intended another journey to Sweden;but it did not take place, any more than an expedition to Eng-land, where Cromwell did not seem vvell disposed to receive her ;and after many wanderings, and many purposes of wandering stillmore, she at last died at Rome, in 1.689. During her residencein France she gave universal disgust, not only by violating all thecustoms of the country, but by practising others directly opposite.She treated the ladies of the court with the greatest rudeness :when they came to embrace her, she, being in man’s habit, criedout, “ VI hat a strange eagerness have these women to kiss me IIs it because I look like a man?” But though she ridiculed themanners of the French court, she was very solicitous to enter intoits intrigues. Louis XIV. then very young, was enamoured ofMademoiselle de Maucini niece to cardinal Mazarine. Christinaflattered their passion, and offered her service.. “ I would fain beyour confident; (said she,) if you love, you must marry.” Themurder of Monaldeschi is, to this hour, an inscrutable mystery.It is, however, of a piece with the expressions constantly used byChristina in her letters, with respect to those with whom she wasoffended ; for she scarce ever signified her displeasure withoutthreatening the life of the offender. “If you fail in vour duty,(said she to her secretary, whom she sent to’ Stockholm, after herabdication,) not all the power of the king of Sweden shall saveyour life, though you should take shelter in his arms.” Uponthe whole, she appears to have been an uncommon mixture offaults and great qualities; which, however they might excite fearand respect, were by no means amiable. She had wit, taste,parts, and learning: she was indefatigable upon the throne ; greatin private life ; firm in misfortunes ; impatient of contradiction;anti, except in her love letters, inconstant in her inclinations. Themost remarkable of this fickleness is, that after she had abdicatedthe crown of Sweden, she intrigued for that of Poland. She was,in every action and pursuit, violent and ardent in the highest de-gree; impetuous in her desires, dreadful in her resentment, andtickle in her conduct. She says of herself, that “ she was mis-trustful, ambitious, passionate, haughty, impatient, contemptuous,satyrical, incredulous, undevout, of an ardent and violent temper,and extremely amorous;” a disposition, however, to which, ifshe may be believed, her pride and her virtue were alwayssuperior. In general, her failings were those of her own sex, andher virtues those of the other sex.

Christina, St. one of the Marquesas Islands in the SouthSea. Eon. 132. 9. VV. I.at. 9. 56. S

CI1 R1STMAS, [from Christ and mass,'] the day on which thenativity of our blessed Saviour is celebrated, by the particularservice of the church.

Christmas is observed on the 25th of December. As to theantiquity oi this festival, the first footsteps we find of it are in the2d century, about the time of the emperor Commodus.

Christmas Island, an island nearly in the centre of the Pa-cific Ocean, so named by Captain Cook, on account of his firstlanding there on Christmas day. It is frequented by several sortsof birds, and plenty of fish and turtles are found on its coast.Lon. 157. 30. VV. hat. I. 59- N.

Christmas Rusk. See Huixkiiohus.

CHRISTOPHER, Herb. See Act® a.

Christopher, St. a river on the E. coast of Africa, whichfalls into the Eastern Ocean, at Terra de Natal.

Christopher's, St. or St. Kit’s, on« of the C.’arihhee Islands.

CHRIST, Order or. 1. A military order, founded by9 Dionysius