A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 16

Whitelocke also, by desire of a worthy friend in England, furnished himself with a direction how he might procure some hawks out of this country, and chiefly from the isle of Deulandt, where the best hawks are; and he had gained much acquaintance with Grave Gabriel Oxenstiern, Great Falconer and Master of the Queen's Hawks, who promised his furtherance of Whitelocke's desires herein, and to a.s.sist and direct any servant whom he should send hither for that purpose.

[SN: Mrs. Penn.]

One Catharine Penn, an Englishwoman, the widow of an officer of the Queen's army, entreated Whitelocke to present for her a sad pet.i.tion to the Queen for some arrears due to her husband, which matters Whitelocke was not forward to meddle with; but this being his countrywoman, and of the ancient family of Penn in Buckinghams.h.i.+re, to which he had an alliance, Whitelocke did undertake to present her pet.i.tion to the Queen.

He undertook the like for a decayed English merchant residing at Hamburg, who pet.i.tioned the Queen for moneys owing to him at Bremen, where he could have no justice from the Governor, Vice-Chancellor, and others in authority; and this he undertook to move to the Queen, upon the earnest request of Mr. Bradshaw, Resident for the Protector at Hamburg, by his letters this day received.

He was also presented with a Latin epistle from one Jonas Olaii, begging for some charity, and who, to be sure to go high enough, gave throughout his letter the style of "ill.u.s.trissime Comes and Celsitudo tua," for which his gift from Whitelocke was the less.

[SN: Trade with Muscovy.]

In this day's packet Whitelocke received letters from the Muscovia Company in England, signed by the Governor and Consuls, in which they set forth the decay and loss of their trade in Muscovia by supplantation of the Dutch, and the Great Duke's disfavour to them, which they hope may be altered upon the late change of government in England; that they understand there is now in this Court an Amba.s.sador from the Great Duke to the Queen; and they desire Whitelocke, that if this amba.s.sador do visit him, or if he think fit to visit the Russian Amba.s.sador, that he would intimate this matter to him, which they hope may much further their purpose of sending to the Great Duke for recovery of their trade.

By this post Whitelocke received these letters from the Secretary Thurloe:--

[SN: Despatch from Thurloe.]

"_For his Excellence my Lord Amba.s.sador Whitelocke, at Upsal, in Sweden. These._

"My Lord,

"Your letters of the 24th of February arrived here five or six days later than usual, and this day's post is not yet arrived. The peace with the Dutch hath been in such an uncertain condition, that it was very hard to make a judgement concerning the issue of it. In the end of the last and beginning of this week it was more probable that the war should continue than otherwise; and your Excellence will see by the enclosed papers, which pa.s.sed between the Commissioners of his Highness and the Amba.s.sadors (which I have sent to you because there is contained in them the true state of the treaty as it stood whilst the differences lasted); the last of those papers will let your Excellence see that they are now very near a closure; and the truth is, that there is now nothing wanting but the drawing up of things into form, and the signing on both sides, which I believe will be effected within three or four days at furthest. But because we cannot rely upon the peace as made until it be actually signed, his Highness will defer the sending instructions to you in reference either to your present negotiation or returning home until the next, when your Excellence may certainly except them; and in the meantime your Excellence may rest a.s.sured that there hath been no other cause in delaying instructions to you upon this subject but the desire that there is in everybody to give you clear directions in so doubtful a case as this. If your staying or returning did depend upon your own negotiation there, it were easy to leave you to your own guidance; but when it rests merely upon the conclusion of the present treaty here with the Dutch, it is not possible to give you any instructions which you may with safety act upon until the issue thereof be perfectly known; and after that, your Excellence shall not be an hour without the knowledge of his Highness's pleasure thereupon.

"It is certain this State hath moved upon Christian grounds only in making this peace: we have not been beaten or frightened into it; the Dutch have not yet any fleet at sea, nor can have this month, if the war should continue. In the meantime we have a hundred and forty sail at sea, and better s.h.i.+ps than we have had at any time heretofore, which gives occasion to all our neighbours to wonder at our intentions thereby.

"Since I began my letter I have been with the Dutch Amba.s.sador, and every article is agreed word for word, so that nothing now remains to be done but to write them over and sign, which will be done upon Monday next. It is not possible for me to send unto your Excellence a copy of the articles as they are now agreed; I hope to do it by the next, when you will be satisfied concerning the reports I hear there are in Sweden, concerning the honourable terms the Dutch have gotten by this treaty. I know not what men may expect in matters of honour; I am sure the true interest of the nation, both in point of trade and otherwise, is provided for more fully than ever hath been in any treaty made between these States.

"The French Amba.s.sador had a public audience on Monday last. There is joined with him in commission one Monsieur le Baas, in quality of a Commissary, who is a great confidant of the Cardinal's, and a very crafty man. The French doth certainly intend by all means to make a league with his Highness, and offers very frankly and considerably as to our present interest. The Spaniard thinks he saith more to invite the Protector to look that way and embrace an alliance with him; and sure he is the steadier friend, and hath the better and more considerable trade.[142]

"The news I have either from France or Holland this week your Excellence will receive enclosed. The affairs in Scotland do not much alter: Middleton is very active to get an army, but keeps in the most northerly parts. We never met with any of their forces but we beat them--the last letters being that we fell upon a party and took forty prisoners and sixty horse, which is all we have from thence.

"I have done my utmost to get the Swedish s.h.i.+ps released; but to say the truth, although some of the Swedes are innocent, yet many of them appear to be deceivers, which makes the rest fare the worse. I endeavoured to get a resolution of the case your Excellence wrote about by your former letters, so as to have sent it by this post, but could not; the orders which have been made about it since my last I have sent, whereof your Excellence may see the care that is had to do justice therein.

"What your Excellence is informed concerning the preferring of the Agent of the Swiss to Lagerfeldt in their farewell, is a great mistake. I know no honour done to him at his going away, but the sending the answer of his letter to him by the master of the ceremony; he had neither gift nor entertainment that I know of.

"I hope the copy of the articles of the Dutch treaty, which I formerly sent, your Excellence hath received before now. I am sorry to hear that your entertainment in Sweden begins to be like my Lord St. John's in Holland; but I trust the Lord will continue his protection to yourself and family, which is the prayer of

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

"_March 31, 1654._

"Monsieur Bonnele, the Queen of Sweden's Commissary, hath desired audience to deliver a letter congratulatory to his Highness from the Queen. The superscription is not very right; besides, your Excellency having writ nothing about it, some difficulty hath been in the delivery of it; but yet at last resolved to receive it as it is."

This letter is inserted to show by it the constant way and course of intelligence, and the generality and clearness of it, between Thurloe and Whitelocke, whereby his business and reputation in this Court was very much advanced, and Whitelocke made great use and advantage by it.

The papers usually enclosed in Thurloe's letters were many, and contained all particulars of moment touching the Dutch treaty, as also relating to the affairs of England and of most parts of Christendom. One clause in this letter of Thurloe's, that, after the Dutch treaty had concluded, his Highness would send new instructions to Whitelocke, for his direction to proceed in the treaty in Sweden,--this gave much trouble and perplexity of thoughts to Whitelocke. He could not imagine what those new instructions should be. If they should be contrary to what he had already agreed, it would be not only to the dishonour of Whitelocke, but of the Protector likewise and of the English nation, for him to go back from what he had before a.s.sented to, and to go out here with a snuff, retracting his former agreement, or else he must proceed contrary to his instructions, which would not be ratified; and both of these mischiefs great enough. He was in suspense whether he should seal the articles here beforehand, or expect the receipt of these instructions before he signed them. He considered that if he should defer the signing of the articles till after the receipt of those new instructions, that then they could not at all be signed by the present Queen, who intended to continue but one week in the government, and if she did not sign in that time she could not sign at all; but the whole must be remitted to a new treaty with the new King, upon new credentials, commission, and instructions, which would require much time and trouble.

He thought not fit to communicate his doubts, but resolved with himself to proceed to the finis.h.i.+ng of the treaty without staying for new instructions from England, because otherwise all his negotiation would become fruitless; and he held himself obliged, in honour and conscience, to make good what he had already a.s.sented unto before any mention of new instructions came to him, and what he had done being pursuant to his former instructions, and in his judgement for the advantage and good of England.

He was also willing to persuade himself that the new instructions would extend only to the order of his return, and was so to be taken by Thurloe's letter, and to the close of his whole negotiation; wherein he had done nothing, and resolved not to do anything, but what he believed to be just and honest. He was also troubled lest the Queen should put off the treaty upon some distaste about the secret article, and yet pretend only the absence of her Chancellor; but Whitelocke left all to the providence of G.o.d, and His blessing upon honest and diligent means, wherein he resolved not willingly to be wanting. And whether to put it off or to proceed to the despatch of it seemed the more difficult, because of a letter from his wife, wherein she wrote that Thurloe said to her, that it was fit her husband should receive certain instructions what to do before his coming away, because, if he should do anything too suddenly, without good warrant, it might cost him his life. This indeed were a worthy and meet recompense for all the hards.h.i.+ps, perils, and faithful services undergone and performed for those who were then in power; but his hope and expectation of reward was from above the highest of them.

_April 21, 1654._

[SN: Despatches to Thurloe.]

Whitelocke made his despatches for England, and part of his letters to Thurloe was this:--

"The Queen and Court being out of town, this is a solitary place.

The Danish Amba.s.sador and the Dutch Resident are still here. The Spanish, German, and Muscovite Envoys are gone away. My business remains in a readiness to be signed, which is appointed upon the Queen's return; and she is looked for every day. If they be not signed within these few days, it cannot be done by her at all, because she intends to resign the Government the beginning of May, and perhaps the Prince may be crowned in June; and two or three months after that will pa.s.s before new credentials can be sent from his Highness, and it may be two or three months in ceremony and despatch of the business, by which time another winter will be here.

"Upon which considerations I humbly conceive it much more for the service of my Lord to despatch my business here out of hand, and the rather because of the conclusion of the Dutch treaty, which I hope will prove very prosperous to our nation.

"My articles had been signed before the Queen's going away but that she was willing to communicate them to the Prince before her Commissioners signed them, which I likewise thought very fit to be done, in regard he is so near the succession; and I likewise intend to salute him from my Lord Protector before my going out of this country.

"I am now only in expectation of his Highness's further commands and instructions concerning my return, which I hope for by the next post.

"I give you most hearty thanks for the papers, which are not only a comfort but very useful to me here. I received formerly from you a copy of the Dutch articles, and if I did not return you thanks for them, I confess I forgot myself, and likewise if in one of my letters I did not acquaint you that the Queen had an intention (as she told me) of sending a congratulatory letter to my Lord the Protector; but how the direction of it was I know not, because I never saw it; but I take it as a particular favour to me, that his Highness was pleased to receive it, though it were not as it ought to have been, wherein he hath answered the respect of the Queen, who excepted against my credentials, but yet received them.

"I am exceeding glad of your good conclusion of the Dutch business, which, I am persuaded, will be of great advantage to our nation; and I look upon the issue of my business here being agreed before the issue of our treaty with the Dutch was known, to be both a particular respect to the Protector and Government, and less difficult than it would have been if transacted after our agreement with the Dutch.

"They are much amused in these parts at our gallant fleet, and so early at sea; and I permit them all their conjectures, neither have they gained much allay of them from me by their inquisitiveness.

"I had a compliment sent me the last night from the Dutch Resident, that he hoped ere long to have an opportunity to come and visit me; I answered, that I should not be wanting in that civility which became me.

"I was entreated by the citizens of Stockholm to receive this suit of theirs in the enclosed paper.

"B. W.

"_April 21, 1654. Upsal._"

_April 22, 1654._

[SN: University Library at Upsal.]

The French Resident visited Whitelocke, and, seeing him ready to go take the air, offered him his company, which Whitelocke could not refuse. They went together to the Library of this University, where there are many good books, for the most part brought out of Germany; but it is not extraordinary, nor exceeding the public libraries in England and elsewhere. One of Whitelocke's gentlemen held it not exceeding his lord's private library at his own house in England, as he affirmed to some of the scholars here, who were not pleased therewith, nor would easily believe that the English Amba.s.sador's library in his private house was to be compared to that of their University.

The keeper of this library is one Doctor Lovenius, there present, a learned and civil person, who hath published several books in print, touching the laws and government and antiquities of his country, in good Latin; and both himself and his works are worthy of esteem. He was attending upon Whitelocke all the time of his being in the library and in the public places of the University, and informed him of such things as he inquired touching the same; and, to gratify their civility, Whitelocke sent them twenty of his own books which he had in his house, all of them English authors, as the Primate of Armagh's works, Sir Henry Spelman, Selden, and others; which was a present very acceptable, and kindly received by the University from him.

[SN: University of Upsal.]

They affirm this University to be very ancient; but there are no colleges or public houses for the maintenance of the scholars, or public revenue belonging to them; so that they do not live together in bodies or companies by themselves, but every one severally as he can agree or find for his convenience. But here are divers public rooms or schools where the professors and scholars use to meet and perform their exercises openly; and the rooms of their library are three, about twenty foot square apiece.

There are all sorts of professors for the arts and sciences, who are promised good salaries, but they complain that they are not well paid; and though some of them be very learned, yet they take not much pains; it may be according to the proverb, "mal paye mal servi"--he that is ill paid doth but ill service. Some counted the number of scholars to be about three hundred, which is not more than may be found in one college in England. They make great preparation by printing their theses and publis.h.i.+ng them, and inviting the grandees to their disputations, where the Queen in person is sometimes present, though the exercise is only the art of well disputing, except in some of their professors and eminent persons.

Their University is a kind of corporation, like others, their want of supplies not affording them so much perfection, and their defect of government giving them liberty and temptation to disorder, to which they are much addicted; but in their sermons, whilst the English were among them, they would propose them as a pattern of civility and pious conversation. Their government is by a Chancellor, who at present is the Ricks-Chancellor; and it hath constantly been in the hands of some eminent and great person.

[SN: Cathedral of Upsal.]

Whitelocke and the Resident visited the Cathedral Church, which is fair and large, built with brick, and covered with copper. They affirm it to be one of the most ancient churches of Europe, and that the Gospel was here early planted, but earlier in the church of old Upsal, which is of a quadrangular form, and formerly dedicated to their heathen G.o.ds. Their cathedral, they say, was the seat of an arch-flamen; and in the places of arch-flamens and flamens, upon their conversion to Christianity (as in England, so here), bishops and archbishops were inst.i.tuted; and now their cathedral, as other churches, is full of images, crucifixes, and such other furniture as the Lutheran churches tolerate, and is little different therein from the Popish churches.