A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 3

Afterwards in private Whitelocke asked Mr. Bloome if he had heard the Chancellor speak of deferring his business till the Prince were crowned.

Bloome confessed he heard the Chancellor say that he thought it would be more convenient to have Whitelocke's business resolved after the King should be crowned than at present. Whitelocke told him (which he supposed Bloome would again relate to the Chancellor) that all acts of such nature concluded by the Queen before her resignation would be held authentic by her successor. Bloome said he believed so, but, being the change would be so soon, he thought it might be better to have the business put into the hands of the new King. Whitelocke said it would require a long time to expect the new King's settlement, before which he believed his return home might be commanded. Bloome said the business would be soon done after the meeting of the Ricksdag, which did not use to sit long. By this and other discourses Whitelocke found that there was a purpose in some to defer the conclusion of his treaty to the King, which he therefore prepared to prevent.

La Belle Comtesse made a great entertainment and ball for Montecuculi and the rest of the gallants this night, though it were the Lord's Day; but Whitelocke nor none of his company were present at it.

_March 13, 1653._

[SN: Whitelocke confers with Count Eric Oxenstiern on the articles.]

Grave Eric came to Whitelocke to confer about his treaty, and said to him.

_Grave Eric._ The Queen hath commanded me to come to you and to have some conference with you about your proposals, wherein she is pleased to make use of my service, because at this time my father is very ill of an ague, and is not able himself to meet with you; and his former indisposition of health and extraordinary affairs hath been some occasion of hindrance of the despatch of your business, as have also the uncertainty of the issue of your treaty with Holland, and our great business of the Queen's intentions here.

_Whitelocke._ I have long expected some answer to be given in my business, the greatest part whereof hath no dependence upon the treaty with Holland, and the Queen's intentions here have been but lately made known. I have been three months in this place without any answer to my business, although I presume that the amity of England is grateful to this nation, and may merit the acceptance.

_Gr. Eric._ So is the friends.h.i.+p of Sweden.

_Wh._ My Lord Protector hath testified that by sending me hither.

_Gr. Eric._ The Queen hath likewise sent several public ministers to England, and Mr. Lagerfeldt was a long time there without effecting anything.

_Wh._ He had answers to his proposals very often, and it was on his part that a conclusion was not had with him. But if you please to proceed to a conference upon my proposals, I am ready to treat with you, as I have always been to treat with my Lord Chancellor, your father, for whose ill-health I am heartily sorry.

_Gr. Eric._ I am ready in the same way of secresy as it hath been carried with my father, so that Mr. Beningen in his letters to his superiors saith that the English Amba.s.sador did treat with none but the Queen alone, and sometimes alone with the Chancellor, whereby he could not possibly give any account of those transactions; for he thought that not one person in Sweden, except the Queen and the Chancellor, knew what they were.

_Wh._ The gentleman hath done me an honour in that expression.

_Gr. Eric._ My coming to your Excellence is to proceed in your business; and I desire a consideration may be had of the great losses which the Queen's subjects have sustained by the seizing and detaining of their s.h.i.+ps by the English.

_Wh._ This is a new objection, and I am neither empowered nor have ability to cast up such accounts or to take such examinations; but there is a court of justice in England, which I presume has done, and will do, right to any who have cause to complain; and I know that my Lord Protector will command that justice shall be done to all the Queen's subjects; and if any of them have received any injury, they ought to receive a just satisfaction from the parties that did them wrong; and, if you please, I shall mention these things in my letters to England, and when I come thither myself I will personally endeavour that the same may be had fully.

_Gr. Eric._ I hope a just satisfaction will be given herein, without which there can be no solid foundation of amity between the two nations and their people.

_Wh._ The same is reasonably and mutually to be expected; and I make no question but my Lord Protector will order right to be done therein.

_Gr. Eric._ The Queen's subjects have received great losses under colour of contraband goods, when the same hath not been proved.

_Wh._ And many of our allies have been found to colour our enemies' goods to the damage of England; but these matters will be proper for an examination elsewhere.

They proceeded to the particular articles.

1. This, Eric said, was equal.

2. He made the same objections as the Queen had done, and Whitelocke gave the same answers; and Eric said that this article depended upon our treaty with the Dutch.

3. Eric desired an explanation of the words "omnibus in locis quibus hactenus commercium exercebatur,"--whether that were not intended to include the English plantations in America, because traffic thither, without special license, was prohibited by our Commonwealth; and he said it would be unequal for the English to have the full traffic in the Queen's dominions, and her subjects not to have the like in our Commonwealth. Whitelocke answered, that the English desired no traffic in any of the Queen's dominions out of Europe, and therefore it was equal not to consent to their traffic in America; and that the opinion of the Council of State in England had been made known to Mr. Lagerfeldt in England, in this point; which paper Whitelocke then showed, and the Grave urged many other arguments, but Whitelocke kept himself to the paper of the Council.

Eric said, those transactions of Lagerfeldt were remitted to Whitelocke's Emba.s.sy. Whitelocke said, that whatever his instructions might warrant, yet it would not become him to do anything contrary to that wherein the Council of State had declared their judgement. The same answer Whitelocke gave him concerning the herring-fis.h.i.+ng, which Eric much insisted upon; and as to the pre-emption of the commodities of Sweden, mentioned in the Council's paper, which Whitelocke showed him, Eric said that could not be, because those commodities were of very great value, and belonged to several private persons; and he demanded of Whitelocke if he thought England would be contented to give a pre-emption of all their cloth.

Whitelocke said, the cloth of England was likewise of very great value, and there would hardly be found one stock to buy it all, and there were several staples in other countries to vent it at; and he said he thought the best way would be, first to agree upon the general amity and commerce between the two nations, and afterwards, if Sweden held it fit, when they sent an amba.s.sador to England, or otherwise, to propound anything concerning the fis.h.i.+ng for herrings or the traffic in America, or touching a staple at Narva, Revel, or Gothenburg (which Eric likewise discoursed of at large), that the Protector would give a fair and just answer.

4. Eric made the same objections that the Queen had done, and had the same answers.

5. The like discourse was upon this article.

6. The sixth, Eric said, was the same in effect with the fourth article, and might be adjoined to it. Whitelocke showed him the difference, chiefly in the beginning of this article; and so they pa.s.sed on.

7. They had many arguments touching contraband goods, wherein Whitelocke held himself to the paper given by the Council to Lagerfeldt; and Eric pa.s.sed it over, as depending upon the success of the treaty with Holland, especially in the words "bona a suis cujusque inimicis direpta."

8. This, Eric thought, would need explanation of the words "in quolibet suorum marium." Whitelocke told him that was intended in Europe only.

9. Eric said the words "armatis vel inermibus" were not necessary, because by the law of Sweden any might carry their arms with them.

Whitelocke told him that it was not permitted in England for so many together without license.

10. Eric made no objection to this article.

11. Nor any to this article.

12. Nor was anything objected to this article.

13. Eric said the proviso needed explanation as to the point of breaking bulk, as the Queen had objected; and Whitelocke gave the same answer.

14. The like objections and answers as before, and consent to the like amendment.

Eric and much other good company dined with Whitelocke, and after dinner they had further discourse on the same subject. And Eric promised to give his objections to Whitelocke in writing, and to let him know the Queen's pleasure upon their conference; which Whitelocke intended to know also from the Queen herself.

The company being gone, Whitelocke visited Piementelle, who discoursed much touching the Duke of Lorraine, and of the insolencies of his soldiers, for which the Duke would give no right; but if a poor countryman complained to him, that his wife had been ravished by his soldiers, and his goods taken away, the Duke would laugh at the poor man, and say to him, "It is my condition: the King of France hath ravished my wife and my estate, and I have got another wife, and maintain myself with the goods of others; and I advise thee to do the same as I have done."

Piementelle informed Whitelocke of a carriage of Beningen of much more incivility towards the Queen than that which he attributed to Whitelocke towards Prince Adolphus; and Whitelocke imparted to Piementelle some pa.s.sages between Grave Eric and Whitelocke, supposing he would tell it to the Queen.

_March 14, 1653._

[SN: Interview with General Wrangel.]

Four of the Queen's servants did Whitelocke the honour to dine with him; and after they were gone, Whitelocke visited the Field-Marshal Wrangel, a gentleman of an ancient n.o.ble family in this country, son to General Wrangel, of whom so often and so honourable mention is made in the German wars under Gustavus Adolphus, the Queen's father.

This Field-Marshal was about thirty-five years of age; his person proper and burly, his countenance martial and ingenuous, and his discourse answerable; his behaviour courteous, and full of cheerfulness in his words and actions. His education was liberal; some time he had spent in foreign parts, and had attained languages and the military part of learning. He was full of knowledge of the mathematics, and well read in story. His genius led him most to warfare, and the sea affairs seemed most suitable to his affections; whereof he would much discourse with Whitelocke, and admired his relations of the English fleets and havens.

His valour and conduct had commonly the best a.s.sociate, good success, which he used to improve, not parting with the least advantage. This brought him to the favour of his Queen and honour of his country, wherein he was a Ricks-Senator, and as a Field-Marshal commanded the army, and was Ricks-Vice-Admiral, which charge he attained in the late war with Denmark; and he it was that took the King of Denmark's s.h.i.+ps in the late fight with them. Whitelocke gave him thanks for his favours to Whitelocke's son at Stockholm; they discoursed of the English navy, whereof Wrangel knew many of the s.h.i.+ps by name. He told Whitelocke that Middleton was arrived in Scotland with two hundred officers and six thousand arms, which he brought from the Low Countries.

From Wrangel Whitelocke went to visit Woolfeldt, to congratulate his recovery of health. He told Whitelocke that, by letters which he received from one of his servants in the Low Countries, he was advertised that the States had sold above twenty of their s.h.i.+ps of war, and that his servant heard the Admiral de Witt speak of it. He also told Whitelocke that he had spoken with many officers of the army, and found all of them wish that the war between England and Holland might continue; by which they hoped they should join with the English, and gain advantage by it, and themselves good employment and plunder. But he said that the Chancellor and his sons, and their party, desired that a peace might be between the two Commonwealths, because they were rich enough, and had an interest in trade, and were no soldiers; and that the Queen desired peace among all her neighbours, and although she was very courageous, yet she loved not the wars.

_March 15, 1653._

[SN: Further conference with the Queen.]

Whitelocke waited on the Queen, and gave her an account of the conference between Grave Eric and him. The Queen said that Grave Eric had told her the same things. Whitelocke replied, that her Majesty should never find other than truth from him. Upon the point of damages she seemed satisfied, though she were informed that those matters were remitted to Whitelocke's negotiation. To which he answered as he had done before to Eric; and she was contented, and said she would send an amba.s.sador to England, by whom the affairs touching the herring-fis.h.i.+ng and the erection of a staple and the trade in America might be concluded; and she told Whitelocke that she had ordered those things which she judged fit to be added to his articles, to be written down and given to him.

She asked Whitelocke by what way he purposed to return to England. He said he was doubtful of going by land, and thought the pa.s.sage from Stockholm to Lubeck would be the shortest and most convenient for him.