A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 21

_Wh._ Will you leave the writing with me?

_Gr. Eric._ I shall send you a copy of it.

_Wh._ The complaints of the English have been proved by depositions of witnesses.

_Gr. Eric._ Those depositions were taken in the absence of the other party; and, if you please, witnesses may be produced here on the part of the Swedes.

_Wh._ Witnesses produced here will be also in the absence of the other party, though I had leisure and commission to examine them on oath.

_Gr. Eric._ You may see in this map of Guinea how the plantations of the Swedes, English, and Hollanders do lie, and are mingled and near to one another.

_Wh._ The King of that place made a grant to the English, for them only to dwell and traffic in that country; and the Swedes afterwards drove the English, by force, out of their fortifications.

_Gr. Eric._ The English had no fortifications there; all the fort they had was a little lodge with two rooms only in it, out of which the Swedes did not force them; and both the Hollanders and Swedes were planted in this place before any grant made to the English, and the Swedes had a grant from the same King, whereof this is a copy.

_Wh._ It will be material to compare the dates of these two grants: if that to the English was first, then the other to the Swedes was of no validity; and the like of the contrary. If you will favour me with a copy of the grant made to the Swedes, I will compare it with that made to the English, and return it to you.

_Gr. Eric._ You shall command it.

Mr. Woolfeldt, being visited by Whitelocke, told him that the Queen was extremely pleased with his treatment of her. Whitelocke excused the meanness of it for her Majesty. Woolfeldt replied, that both the Queen and all the company esteemed it as the handsomest and n.o.blest that they ever saw; and the Queen, after that, would drink no other wine but Whitelocke's, and kindly accepted the neats' tongues, potted venison, and other cates which, upon her commendation of them, Whitelocke sent unto her Majesty. Woolfeldt showed a paper of consequence written by himself in Spanish, and he read it in French to Whitelocke, being perfect in those and other languages. He said, that whatsoever he wrote he did it in a foreign language, to continue the exercise of them. The paper showed how the English might be freed from paying tolls at the Sound. Whitelocke entreated a copy of this paper in French, which Woolfeldt promised.

A great quant.i.ty of snow fell and covered the houses and fields, and was hard frozen: a matter at this time strange to the English, but ordinary here.

_May 4, 1654._

Mr. Boteler, a Scotsman, confidently reported great news to the disparagement of the affairs of England, that the Highlanders of Scotland had given a great defeat to the English and killed five hundred of them, which news was soon confuted by Whitelocke.

[SN: A literary dinner party.]

The Senator Vanderlin, and his brother the master of the ceremonies; Dr.

Loccenius, a civilian, Keeper of the Library in this University; another gentleman, Professor of Eloquence here; Mr. Ravius, Professor of the Eastern tongues; and a French gentleman, captain of one of the companies of Guards, doing Whitelocke the honour to dine with him, had very learned discourse, particularly of languages and of the affinity between the Swedish, English, Danish, and High Dutch tongues, whereof they gave many instances, and Whitelocke was able to add to them. The professors discoursed only in Latin, as most proper for them; the others in French; and they hold it a discourtesy if a man be not answered in the same language which he speaks. They also extolled the Prince and the Protector; and the Senator said that there was not any person who came so near to the eminency and grandeur of the Protector as the Prince of Sweden did.

[SN: The Dutch Resident salutes Whitelocke on the peace.]

The company being gone, Whitelocke went to the accustomed place, the great wood, to take the air; and as he was walking in the broad way there, he perceived the coach of the Dutch Resident coming towards him; and perceiving the English Amba.s.sador to be walking there, the Resident alighted out of his coach and came on foot towards Whitelocke. Whether he came after Whitelocke in a handsome design or contrivance for their first salutation, or that it was by accident, Whitelocke did not examine, but thought fit to answer the civility of the Resident by walking back towards him to meet him.

They saluted each other and their company with great respect. The Resident began the compliment to Whitelocke in French, telling him that he was very glad of the opportunity to have the happiness to salute Whitelocke, which he would not neglect to do, perceiving him in this place; and that he would take the first occasion to do himself the honour to visit Whitelocke at his house. Whitelocke answered, that the Resident should be very welcome when he pleased to do that honour to Whitelocke as to bestow a visit on him; and that he was also very glad of the opportunity which had now presented itself, whereby he had the contentment of being acquainted with the Resident. They fell into general discourses, and, among the rest, of the conclusion and ratification of the treaty between the two Commonwealths, and of the advantage which thereby would arise to both of them, and to the Protestant party.[193]

As they were walking together the Queen pa.s.sed by them, being in that wood also to take the air. When she came near, she saluted them with great respect, and spake to them aloud, "Je suis ravie de vous voir ensemble, je vois que la paix est faite." And so the Queen went on her way, and Whitelocke took leave of the Resident.

[SN: A despatch from Thurloe.]

At his return to his house Whitelocke found his packet from England ready to entertain him, and Thurloe's letter was this:--

"My Lord,

"Your letter of the 10th of March arrived here this morning, whereby you are pleased to give a very particular and exact account of all proceedings in this treaty you are upon; I presently communicated the contents thereof to his Highness and the Council, with whom he was willing to advise, and thereupon he was pleased to send you the instructions which your Excellence will receive herewith, which are fully agreeable to your own desire in that behalf. The former instructions had come sooner, if the issue of the Dutch treaty had been sooner known; now, through the blessing of G.o.d, it is fully concluded, and your Excellence will receive herewith the articles, as they are signed by the Commissioners of his Highness and the Lords Amba.s.sadors of the United Provinces. They signed them upon Wednesday, at night, and the next morning the amba.s.sadors sent them away to be ratified by their superiors, which they will do without difficulty or scruple, as we believe.

"Your Excellence will see by those articles made with the Dutch, that the second and fifth article is omitted out of your instructions; that these two treaties will very well stand together; and for the notice to be given to the Dutch, it is clear to me that it will not be necessary, in respect that this treaty was not only begun, but as good as finished, before the conclusion with the Dutch.

"And for the fourth article, and the proviso your Excellence is pleased to send, that being so clearly within the substance of your former instructions, I thought it needless to add any instruction about it now.

"His Highness in the beginning of this week was pleased to send for the Great Seal, and kept it in his own custody two days, and now hath disposed it unto your Excellence, Sir Thomas Widdrington, and your confrater my Lord Lisle. His Highness is very much resolved upon a good and solid reformation of the law, and proceedings in the Courts of Equity and Laws: the matter of law he hath committed unto Mr. Justice Hale and Mr. John Vaughan; the reformation of the Chancery to my Lord Widdrington, Mr. Attorney-General, and Mr.

Chute,--being resolved to give the learned of the robe the honour of reforming their own profession, and hopes that G.o.d will give them hearts to do it; and, that no time may be lost, the next term is adjourned.

"The French Amba.s.sador desires very much to get a despatch of his business. His Highness hath at length appointed him commissioners to treat, but no progress hath been yet made thereupon. The speech that he made at his first audience your Excellence will receive by this.

"The Portugal presseth much now to come to an agreement also, and to close the treaty which hath hanged so long; and so doth the Spaniard.

"I pray for your Excellence's safe return home and rest.

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

"_April 7th, 1654._"

Whitelocke's new instructions from the Protector:

"O. P.

"_Additional Instructions to my Lord Whitelocke, our Amba.s.sador Extraordinary to her Majesty the Queen of Sweden._

"Having considered the particular account you have given by your letters weekly of your negotiation in Sweden, and the delay which hath been on the part of that Court in the treaty you are upon, we might well have given you positive orders for your speedy return.

"But observing that the letters and despatches between this and Sweden are a month in their way, and not knowing how affairs may alter in that time with you, and the pretence of their delay--to wit, the uncertainty of the issue of the treaty between us and the United Provinces--being removed, as you will see by these letters, which will a.s.sure you of the full conclusion thereof, we have thought it more convenient to leave you a lat.i.tude in that particular, and to give you liberty (as we do hereby) to return home at such time as you shall find it for the service of the Commonwealth.

"2. Whereas, by your letter of the 10th of March, 1654, you have represented the particular debates which you have had upon all the articles of the treaty, and the exceptions taken by the Queen upon the second, fifth, and seventh articles, you are hereby authorized to omit the second and fifth articles out of the treaty, as also the words 'bona a suis cujusque inimicis direpta' out of the seventh article, if the Queen shall still insist thereupon; and as for the comprehending the Dutch in this treaty with the Queen of Sweden, notice shall be given from hence, if it shall be found necessary.

"3. You have hereby power to agree with the Queen of Sweden that she and her subjects may fish freely for herrings in the seas of this Commonwealth, paying the recognition of the tenth herring, or for a lesser recognition, so as it be not less than the twentieth herring, or the value thereof in money.

"_Whitehall, 7th April, 1654._"

The Order of the Council touching the Great Seal sent by Thurloe was this. The t.i.tle of the order was thus:--

[SN: Whitelocke, Widdrington, and Lisle reappointed of the Great Seal.]

"_Order of the Council approving of the Commissioners of the Great Seal._

"_Tuesday, 4th April, 1654._

"AT THE COUNCIL AT WHITEHALL:

"_Resolved_, That the Council doth approve of the Lord Amba.s.sador Whitelocke to be one of the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal.

"_Resolved_, That the Council doth approve of Sir Thomas Widdrington, Knight, Serjeant-at-Law, to be one of the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal.

"_Resolved_, That the Council doth approve of John Lisle, Esquire, to be one of the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal.

"By the command of his Highness Mr. Serjeant Widdrington and Mr.