A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 6

_Wh._ I shall desire a copy of your particulars.

_Gr. Eric._ You shall have them; and I desire you to read this paper, which is an order of the Council of State in England, delivered to Mr.

Lagerfeldt when he was there, whereby these particulars are remitted to your negotiation.

_Wh._ This paper bears date after my departure from England, and I never saw it before, nor received any particular instructions on this subject.

_Gr. Eric._ If you are not satisfied touching the point of damages sustained by her Majesty's subjects in the taking of their s.h.i.+ps and goods by the English, there may be witnesses examined here for proof thereof.

_Wh._ I cannot erect a Court or Commissioners, or consent to examination of witnesses, in this place and upon this occasion; nor can I take accounts of merchants; I confess my ignorance.

_Gr. Eric._ It may be contained in the treaty that justice shall be done, and satisfaction given to my countrymen for the wrongs done to them.

_Wh._ That cannot be so expressed without accusing our Commonwealth, and at least confessing wrongs done, and implying that justice hath not been done; but I can a.s.sure you that the Commonwealth hath done, and will do, justice to their friends and to all persons, and I shall do all that lies in my power for that end.

_Gr. Eric._ I shall inform the Queen what hath pa.s.sed in our conference, and know her Majesty's pleasure therein.

_March 22, 1653._

Monsieur Lyllicrone informed Whitelocke that Prince Adolphus had taken a solemn leave of the Queen, and was gone into the country. Whitelocke asked if it was upon any discontent; Lyllicrone said he knew not.

Whitelocke asked if he would not be at the Ricksdag; Lyllicrone said he believed the Prince did not intend to be at it, but to travel _incognito_ with a few servants into France and Italy.

[SN: The French advances resumed.]

The French Resident visited Whitelocke in the afternoon, and seeing his coaches and horses ready to go abroad to take the air, offered, with many compliments, to bear Whitelocke company, which he could not refuse. The Resident acquainted Whitelocke that Monsieur Bordeaux, now in London, had received a commission from the King of France to be his Amba.s.sador to the Protector, and that Bordeaux had written to this gentleman here, to salute Whitelocke on his part, and to signify to him that Bordeaux would be willing to entertain a correspondence with Whitelocke, and had expressed much affection to his person. Whitelocke answered that he should be ready to testify all respect and service to Monsieur Bordeaux, and desired the Resident to testify the same to him at his next opportunity. Lagerfeldt came to Whitelocke, who had some trouble in discourse with them both together,--the Resident speaking only French, and Lagerfeldt only Latin, and he must answer them in their respective languages.

After the Resident was gone, Lagerfeldt discoursed with Whitelocke about the treaty, particularly of the new proposals showed him by Grave Eric.

Whitelocke gave the same answers to Lagerfeldt as he had done to Eric: then Lagerfeldt said, that by command of the Queen, he was to tender to Whitelocke a copy of articles. Whitelocke asked if they were the same that Grave Eric yesterday imparted to him, and whether Lagerfeldt had any speech with the Queen this day about them. Lagerfeldt said they were altered in some part, so as to make them the more acceptable to Whitelocke, and that he had a few words with the Queen about them.

This caused Whitelocke to marvel that the Queen should pretend to him that she was sick, and therefore put off the audience which he desired this day, and yet her Majesty found herself well enough to peruse and debate with Lagerfeldt these articles; but he said nothing thereof to others, only made thereof his own observations and use, as he saw occasion. Lagerfeldt and he perused these new articles, and had much discourse upon them, and in effect the same as with Grave Eric.

[SN: Whitelocke's amus.e.m.e.nts in his household.]

In the long winter-nights here, Whitelocke thought fit to give way to some pa.s.sages of diversion to please his people, and to keep them together in his house, and from temptations to disorder and debauchery in going abroad, besides the danger of the streets in being late out. He therefore had music, both instrumental and vocal, in concert, performed by those of his own family, who were some of them excellent in that art, and himself sometimes bore his part with them. He also gave way to their exercise and pleasure of dancing in his great chamber, that he might be present at it, and admitted no undecent postures, but seemly properties of habits in their shows. He encouraged public disputations in Latin among the young men who were scholars, himself present in the great chamber, and appointing a moderator; and this exercise they found useful and pleasant, and improving their language. To this end likewise they had public declamations in Latin, himself giving them the question, as "an quodcunque evenerit sit optimum," etc., so that his house was like an academy.

_March 23, 1653._

[SN: Whitelocke again negotiates with the Queen.]

Whitelocke attended the Queen; and after some discourses of pleasantries, they fell upon the treaty, and Whitelocke said to her:--

_Whitelocke._ My business, Madam, is now brought to a conclusion.

_Queen._ Is it to your liking?

_Wh._ Pardon me, Madam, if I say it is not at all to my liking; for in the articles which Grave Eric sent me there were many particulars to which I could not agree, and I much wondered to receive such articles from him, being persuaded that your Majesty was before satisfied by me in most of the particulars in them.

_Qu._ What are those particulars?

The articles Whitelocke had in readiness with him, and his observations upon them, having taken pains this morning to compare their articles with his own, and to frame his objections upon them. The Queen wrote down the objections with her own hand, and then entered into a debate with Whitelocke upon the whole, and seemed to be satisfied in most of the points insisted on by Whitelocke; but was stiff upon the law relating to s.h.i.+ps of war which is mentioned in her eleventh article, and upon some other particulars. After the debate, she desired that Whitelocke would the next morning bring to her his objections in writing; and then she said, "We will not be long before we come to a conclusion of this business."

Whitelocke thought it convenient to make his addresses to the Queen herself, and, as much as he could, to decline conferences with her Commissioner Grave Eric, whom he found more than others averse and cross to him in his treaty. And the Queen was pleased to admit Whitelocke to this way, and was not displeased to have applications in this and other affairs of the like nature to be made upon her person; whereof Whitelocke had private information before from Piementelle, Woolfeldt, and others, whose advice he pursued herein with good success.

Her Majesty also permitted Whitelocke to have a free debate with her upon the points controverted, and would return answers to every argument with as much reason and ingenuity as any of her Ministers of State, and be sooner than they satisfied with what was reason. She told Whitelocke that she marvelled that he, having received those long articles but late the last night, should be able to make objections, and to enter into a debate upon all of them this day, when her people had much longer time to frame these articles. Whitelocke answered, "Yes, by two or three months." After some other discourse, Whitelocke left her in a pleasant humour.

Being returned home, Lagerfeldt came again to him to sift him, and to know what answer the Queen had given to his objections upon the new articles. But Whitelocke fitted his inquiry, and thought not convenient to communicate to him more than what might advantage his business to be reported to Grave Eric; and because, in all conferences with the Queen, no person was admitted to be present with them, not her own Commissioners for the treaty, or any of the Senators, for the secresy of the business, which was much to the liking of Whitelocke, and furtherance of the treaty. They had much discourse upon the new articles, to the same effect as formerly; and Lagerfeldt said he doubted not but the Queen would in a short time conclude it to Whitelocke's satisfaction.

After this discourse Whitelocke inquired of Lagerfeldt how the Chancellor's health was, and what physicians were about him. Lagerfeldt said he was still sick of his ague, and had no physician attending him but one who had been a chirurgeon in the army, and now constantly lived in the house with the Chancellor as a humble friend, sat at his table, and had a pension from him of four hundred rix-dollars a year; who had some good receipts, especially for the stone, which agreed with the Chancellor's const.i.tution, which this chirurgeon only studied and attended. And so it was generally in this great and large country.

Whitelocke met with no doctor of physic or professed physician in any town or country, not any attending the person of the Queen herself; but there are many good women, and some private persons, who use to help people that are diseased by some ordinary known medicines; and their diseases are but few, their remedies generally communicated, and they live many of them to a great age.

[SN: Letters and despatches from England.]

Whitelocke received letters from England, which were always welcome, especially bringing the good news of the welfare of his relations. He received very respectful letters from the Earl of Clare, Sir Charles Woolsey, Colonel Sydenham, the Master of the Rolls, Mr. Reynolds, Lord Commissioner Lisle, and divers others, besides his usual letters from his wife, Mr. Hall, Mr. c.o.kaine, his brothers-in-law, and divers other friends. In those from Thurloe he had the particular pa.s.sages of the Dutch treaty, and that he believed the peace with them would be concluded; and in those letters Thurloe also writes thus:--

"Your Excellence's of the 27th of January I communicated to his Highness and to the Council, who, although they do not by this transaction of the Queen very well understand her intentions as to the peace, yet they are very much satisfied with the management thereof on your part, and commit the issue thereof unto the Lord, who will either bless your endeavours by bringing things to a desired issue, or otherwise dispose of this affair to the glory of G.o.d, the good of the Commonwealth, and the comfort of yourself who are employed in it.

"The Council, upon consideration of the whole matter, did not find it necessary to give you any further directions, nor did his Highness, especially seeing his last letters but one did express his sense upon that treaty, and nothing hath occurred since which hath given any cause of alteration.

"The French King and Cardinal, seeing themselves disappointed at the Hague as to their inclusion in that treaty, endeavour to effect it here; and to that purpose the Cardinal sent hither one Monsieur Le Baas to congratulate his Highness, and to a.s.sure him of the friends.h.i.+p of the King; and that, if he pleased, the King would banish Charles Stuart and his family out of his dominions, and proclaim the Protector in France; and hath since sent a Commissioner to Monsieur Bordeaux to be Amba.s.sador.

"The Spanish Amba.s.sador doth also very much court his Highness and the present Government. Don Francisco Romero, Captain of the Guard to the Archduke, arrived here the last night, to congratulate his Highness in the Duke's name.

"I have moved the Council in the two papers your Excellence trusted to my care. What order the Council hath been pleased to make thereupon you will see by their enclosed order, and my care shall not be wanting to see an effectual execution thereof.

"Your Excellence's humble and faithful servant, "JO. THURLOE.

"_24th February, 1653._"

The Council's Order was this:--

"AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, WHITEHALL.

"_Friday, 24th of February, 1653._

[SN: Order in Council on the Swedish prizes.]

"On consideration of several papers which came enclosed in a letter from the Lord Amba.s.sador Whitelocke, and were this day presented to the Council, containing some complaints made by divers of the subjects of her Majesty of Sweden, viz. concerning a Swedish galliot called the 'Land of Promise,' and a s.h.i.+p called the 'Castle of Stockholm,' and certain goods taken out of the 'Gold Star' of Hamburg, and claimed as belonging to Alexander Ceccony, gentleman, princ.i.p.al officer of the Queen's wardrobe: _Ordered_, That several copies of the said papers be forthwith sent to the Judges of the Court of Admiralty and to the Commissioners for Prize Goods, to whom it is respectively referred, diligently to inform themselves of the true state of the said s.h.i.+p and goods, and what proceedings have been had in the Court of Admiralty or Prize Office touching the same or any of them, and thereof to make report to the Council. And it is especially recommended and given in charge to the said Judges that both in these and in all matters concerning the said Queen or her subjects, which do or shall depend before them, all right and fair respect be given upon all occasions; and that whatsoever of the said goods belonging to her Majesty's servant they shall discover, be by them ordered to be forthwith delivered.

"Ex^r W. JESSOP, "Clerk of the Council."

This Order Whitelocke caused to be translated into Latin, and sent copies of it to the Chancellor, to Grave Eric, to Mr. Ceccony, and to others; and he showed it to the Queen, and all were pleased with it, hoping for further fruit of it, and esteeming Whitelocke to be in good credit with his superiors.

_March 24, 1653._

[SN: Reports of the negotiation to England.]

Whitelocke made his despatches for England, and wrote above twenty letters to several of his friends there, finding it grateful to them to receive letters from him at such a distance; and that answers to letters are expected, and ill taken if neglected; that they cost little, and please much. He was hindered by Woolfeldt, who made a long visit to him, though upon the post day; at which he wondered, in regard Woolfeldt had been himself often employed as a public minister, and knew so well what belonged to the making of despatches.