A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 17

The Resident and Whitelocke took also a view of the castle and city of Upsal. The castle is near the town, seated upon the point of a hill; it is built of brick, plastered over, strong and beautiful. If it had been finished, the design was to have had it four-square; but two sides of it only are built. It had been very large and n.o.ble if it had been perfected. As it is, it contains many rooms, and sufficient for the Court; some of them are great and stately, but up two stories, after the fas.h.i.+on of that country. If it had been finished, it would have equalled any other, if not the castle of Stockholm itself.

[SN: Environs of Upsal.]

The prospect from the castle is very beautiful; the country round about it pleasant and fruitful, and distinguished into meadows, pastures, and arable fields, and the river Sale pa.s.sing through them, which loseth itself about half a league from thence into a great lake. The river is navigable with boats of about twenty or thirty tons, many leagues together, going through the lake also; it is not muddy, nor unfurnished with the fish of those parts, and is about half as broad as the Thames at Henley. It runs at the foot of the hill on which the castle stands, and the town is built upon it; and it waters most part of the streets, to their great commodity. It is for this reason called Upsal, because Ubbo--who, they say, was the son of Gomer, the son of j.a.phet, the son of Noah--this Ubbo built this town upon the river Sale, and therefore called it, after his own name, Ubbo Sale, by contraction of speech now called Upsal. All agree it to be one of the most ancient of their cities, the metropolitan see of their archbishop, and in old time the residence of their kings, and where they were invested with the regal dignity. The country about it seemed one of the most pleasant and fruitful of these parts. The town itself is not much beautified with stately buildings, not above nine or ten houses being built with brick; the rest of them, after the fas.h.i.+on of their country, built with great bodies of fir-trees, and covered with turf; the fairest of their brick houses was that where the English Amba.s.sador lodged.

This city hath not much trade, and therefore not much wealth. The government of it is according to the munic.i.p.al law of the country, and as other cities are; their head officer is a Burgomaster, who hath for his a.s.sistants a council, in the nature of the common councils in our corporations in England, consisting of the princ.i.p.al burgesses and inhabitants of the city, who have power, with the Burgomaster, as to making of ordinances, and in the government.

In their journey to take the air the Resident and Whitelocke had much discourse touching the images in their church, and about the observation of their Sabbath; wherein the Resident was furnished with the usual arguments of the Papists, and was answered by Whitelocke, and was not so positive as most of his persuasion use to be. He discoursed also about the Dutch treaty in England, to get from Whitelocke what he could to report to the Danish Amba.s.sador and Dutch Resident; for which he was fitted by Whitelocke's answers to him.

_April 23, 1654._

[SN: Whitelocke punishes two of his retinue for neglect of the Lord's Day.]

This being the Lord's Day, many gentlemen of the English and Scots nation then in town came to Whitelocke's house to the morning sermon, and most of them staid the afternoon sermon also. And so many strangers being there attentive in the holy duties, it gave the greater cause of scandal and offence to Whitelocke that divers of his own family were absent, whereas, by his orders, they were all enjoined to a constant attendance, especially at those religious exercises; nevertheless some of them (particularly Mr. Castle and Andrew Potley) were therein more in fault than others, and, after many admonitions, would not reform, but made it their common practice almost every Lord's Day in the afternoon to be absent, and to go abroad and take the air. Whitelocke considering the reproach and scandal, and the ill example hereby to his family, and the doing of that by some of them against which he had spoken so much here to the people of this place, upon which it would be collected that either he had not the power over his own people to order them as he judged fit, or else that he and the rest of his company were dissemblers, and found fault with that in others which they either acted or tolerated in themselves;--Whitelocke finding two absent on this day, he gave order to his steward to see their trunks and goods carried out of his house, and themselves dismissed of further attendance on him, and removed from his family. Yet afterwards, upon the interceding of others for them, and their own submission, the punishment was suspended; and when they perceived that Whitelocke was in earnest, it caused a reformation, both in those two and in others, as to this duty and in other particulars.

[SN: The Queen returns to Upsal.]

About nine o'clock this evening the Queen came to town. She had in her train but one coach with six horses, and three hors.e.m.e.n; so little ceremony did she observe as to her own port, but would rather make this sudden and private return than break her word with Whitelocke, whom in a compliment she had promised to be here again within a few days; and she kept her word honourably and constantly. But Whitelocke was sorry that she continued her old custom, too frequent here, of travelling upon the Lord's Day.

_April 24, 1654._

[SN: Whitelocke pays his court to the Queen.]

Whitelocke waited on the Queen to give her the welcome home, and found her lodgings changed, leaving the better rooms for the Prince. She excused her long stay out of town, and said she would now have no more delay in his business, but it should be forthwith despatched. Whitelocke told her that the Chancellor and his son were not yet come to town, but he humbly thanked her Majesty for the speed of her return. She a.s.sured him that her Chancellor and his son would be in town the next day, and that she should not have come to town so soon but for his business; that the day after her Chancellor's coming the articles might be signed. She likewise discoursed with him about the secret article, that in case those here should not perform justly with her, that then the Protector should not be bound by this treaty. Whitelocke told her that Woolfeldt and he had conference about it, and had fully considered it, and were both of opinion that it would be unfit for her Majesty to make such an article, and it might turn to her prejudice; but Whitelocke said, that if she pleased to write to the Protector, and to leave her letters with Whitelocke to procure an answer from his Highness to her Majesty, whereby his care for her good and a.s.sistance to her might appear, and the letter to be fit to be shown, it might be of more advantage to her than such a secret article, to which he was not empowered to a.s.sent, but it must be remitted to the Protector; and whether he would consent to it in that way or not, was doubtful; and when it should be known to those here, it would be distasteful. Upon this the Queen seemed fully satisfied as to the secret article to be laid aside and not more thought on.

Whitelocke advised her as formerly touching her liberty, and not long continuing here after her resignation; and she thanked him for his advice, and said, that in case those here should not deal justly with her, she hoped she should find the Protector a friend to her, and that she did put herself upon his n.o.bleness and friends.h.i.+p. Whitelocke told her, that the Protector was a great lover and maintainer of justice and honour, and had a particular affection to her Majesty, which he believed she would find him ready to manifest upon this or any other occasion, and find him a true friend to her; wherewith (poor lady!) she seemed much comforted, having brought her affairs to so low an ebb as this was, and thus high was the Protector's reputation here. As to the general business of the treaty with Whitelocke, she said it would be fit to have the articles signed tomorrow, and that Whitelocke soon after should have his audience, and she would give order to have it done accordingly.

She asked Whitelocke if he would bear her company to take the air, which he did; and she riding a horse managed to the great saddle, who was troublesome, she came into her coach, and caused Whitelocke to sit in the same boot with her, that they might discourse the more privately. There were also in her coach the Senator Rosenhau, Grave Tott, and Steinberg.

[SN: Whitelocke presents his black horses to the Queen,]

The Queen freely told Whitelocke that if he would not sell his horses, as she understood he would not, that yet she should take it for a favour if he would let her have one of his sets of coach-horses, which would do her great service in her intended journey, they being fitter for travel than any she had. Whitelocke told her they were all at her Majesty's service; that he thought it not becoming him to sell them, but if she pleased to accept them, she should freely have them; that he thought his black horses fittest for her and best, and there were eight of them, and the other set he intended to present unto the Prince{6}; that, she said, would be very well, and she kindly thanked him and accepted of his compliment.

[SN: some distilled waters,]

Whitelocke also told the Queen that he had a small cabinet of gla.s.ses of spirits of waters, essences of excellent kinds, extracted; but he believed that her Majesty did not much esteem such things, and they were too inconsiderable to make a present of them to the Queen-mother, if she had any liking of them. The Queen said her mother was much pleased with such essences, and that she would send them to her from Whitelocke. He asked when he should bring them, and an English Bible which he promised to the Queen. She said, tomorrow if he pleased, and that at all times he should be welcome to her.

_April 25, 1654._

Grave Eric sent his secretary to Whitelocke to inform him of his being come to town purposely for the despatch of his business, and for the signing of the articles; and he desired to know what time this afternoon he might have the liberty to come and visit Whitelocke, after he had been with the Queen. Whitelocke told the secretary that he should be glad to see his lord after Whitelocke had likewise been at the Court; and there they met.

Whitelocke went in to the Queen and presented her with the cabinet of essences, which was of green velvet, lined with silver lace very richly; within it were about twenty gla.s.ses of spirits of the rarest kinds, each gla.s.s stopped with a silver head of English silver, to screw off and on, and a lock and key of the same; and opening the cabinet the Queen smelt of most of the gla.s.ses, but tasted none of them; she highly commended them and the cabinet, especially the English silver, whereof she had some discourse, and said she would send them to her mother, who would be very glad of them.

[SN: and an English Bible;]

Then according to his promise he presented her Majesty with an English Bible, of a very fair print and richly bound; and upon that they had this discourse:--

_Whitelocke._ If your Majesty would be pleased to spend some time in reading this Bible, and comparing it with those in other languages, it would be a great help to your understanding of the English, if your Majesty have any further thoughts thereof.

_Queen._ My desire still is to gain the English tongue, and I think this which you mention will be a good way to learn it. I ask your pardon that you staid so long before you came in to me; n.o.body told me of your being without, and I am ashamed of this incivility.

_Wh._ The incivility, Madam, is on my side, by interrupting your greater affairs; but I come not now as an amba.s.sador, but as a particular servant to bring this Bible to your Majesty.

_Qu._ It is a n.o.ble present, and there was the less reason to make you stay for admittance with it.

[SN: and exhorts her Majesty to read it.]

_Wh._ This book was presented to me by an English doctor, with a letter mentioning the text that the Beraeans were accounted the more n.o.ble because they received the word with gladness, as I hope your Majesty will.

_Qu._ I receive it from you with much thankfulness, and shall gladly make use of it as the best of books.

_Wh._ Your Majesty, by often reading it, and comparing it with other Bibles, will not only thereby gain advantage as to the language, but the highest comfort to your soul.

_Qu._ I have used to read much in the Bible, and take great contentment in it.

_Wh._ Your Majesty will find more contentment and comfort in the study of this book than of all other books whatsoever, and therefore I do humbly recommend the often reading of it to your Majesty.

_Qu._ I doubt you have an ill opinion of me that you so earnestly persuade me to this, as if you thought me too backward in it.

_Wh._ I only give my humble advice to your Majesty, out of my own experience, of the great comfort, wisdom, and true pleasure which is to be met with in this book, and nowhere else, and that all things out of it are of no value.

_Qu._ I am full of the same opinion; but there are too many who have not so venerable an opinion of it as they ought to have.

_Wh._ There are indeed, Madam, too many who mock at this book, and at G.o.d himself, whose book it is; but these poor worms will one day know that G.o.d will not be mocked, and that they and their reproaches will sadly perish together; and I am glad to hear your Majesty's distaste of such wicked ones.

_Qu._ Surely every good Christian ought to distaste such men and such opinions.

They had much more discourse upon the same subject, wherein Whitelocke spake the more, because he found the Queen more inclined to it now than he had perceived her to be at other times.

Being come from the Queen, he spake with Grave Eric in another room, whose opinion was that it would be fit to sign the articles on the morrow, and said that his father would be returned time enough to do it.

Whitelocke doubted that, by reason of his weariness after his journey, it might not be then convenient. Eric replied, that there would be nothing to be done that would occasion trouble, the signing and putting the seals to the articles already prepared and agreed on was all that was to be done. Whitelocke demanded if the power given by the Queen to her Commissioners were sealed. Eric said it was not, but that Canterstein would be in town this evening, and would see all done.

_April 26, 1654._

[SN: Whitelocke complains of further delays.]

Grave Eric came to Whitelocke's house, and this discourse pa.s.sed between them:--

_Whitelocke._ It seems to me somewhat strange that after all things agreed between her Majesty's Commissioners and me, I should yet attend three weeks to obtain one half-hour for the signing of the articles.

_Grave Eric._ The Queen's going out of town hath occasioned it, and the great business touching her resignation, which hath so taken up all men's thoughts and counsels, that there hath been hardly room left for any other matter; and when the Queen goes away, those of the Council also take the liberty to go into the country; and upon such extraordinary changes as these are, it is no strange thing for public ministers to be r.e.t.a.r.ded; and the same thing hath been practised upon your changes in England.

_Wh._ I have not observed, either in England or elsewhere, that after an agreement upon a treaty, and nothing remaining but to sign and seal, that they have used afterwards to delay it three weeks together; yet I am willing to promise myself that the servant of the Protector may expect from this Crown as much respect as any other public minister.

_Gr. Eric._ There hath been more respect showed to you than hath been accustomed to any other. I believe your business may be despatched in half an hour; and if my father return this evening time enough to do it, it may be done this night; if not, then without fail tomorrow morning.