A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 27

_Wh._ Madam, there is nothing of my merit to be alleged; but your Majesty hath testified much honour to the Protector and Commonwealth whom I serve.

_Qu._ England is a n.o.ble country, and your master is a gallant man. I desire you to a.s.sure him, on my part, of all affection and respect towards him.

_Wh._ Your Majesty may be confident of the like from his Highness; and your humble servant will heartily pray for your Majesty's prosperity, wherever you are.

_Qu._ I wish you a happy voyage and return to your own country.

After he came from the Queen, Whitelocke met with the Baron Steinberg, Master of her Horse, whom he acquainted with what he had moved to her Majesty, and he was very forward to accommodate Whitelocke.

[SN: Discourse with Grave Eric on the customs of Swedish nuptials.]

From hence he went and visited Grave Eric Oxenstiern, who discoursed with him about the solemnity of the nuptials at Court, and asked him how he liked it.

_Wh._ They were very n.o.ble; but I pray, my n.o.ble brother, instruct me what the meaning was of the dowry given by the bridegroom to the bride the next morning; and what do you call that dowry?

_Gr. Eric._ By the ancient custom of this country, the next morning after the wedding-night the husband bestows upon his wife a gift of money according to his estate, to show how he is pleased with the cohabitation, and to make some provision, in case of his death before her, for the wife, and children which he shall have by her; and this we call a _morgen-gaven_--a morning's gift.

_Wh._ The same word _morgen-gaven_ is in the old terms of our English laws, and expounded to signify a second dowry, and hath much affinity with this of yours and in that of your twelve witnesses who testified the contract of marriage and the _morgen-gaven_; to which our trials by twelve men, whom we call juries because they are sworn, are somewhat like, and they are so many witnesses as well as judges of the fact.

_Gr. Eric._ I believe your customs and ours had the same original.

_Wh._ I find much resemblance between them and yours. What do you call the twelve that laid their hands on the spear?

_Gr. Eric._ We call them the twelve witnesses (_les douze temoins_).

_Wh._ What do you call the spear or pike which the gentleman held?

_Gr. Eric._ We call it _weppun_.

_Wh._ We have the same word, weapon, for all manner of arms and warlike instruments. What do you call the laying of their hands upon the spear?

_Gr. Eric._ We call it _tack_,--_weppun-tack_, to touch the spear.

_Wh._ We have also the word _tack_, for touching; and we have, in the northern parts of England, a particular precinct or territory which we call a Wapentake, and a territorial court of justice there which we call a Wapentake Court; and a very learned gentleman from whom I received letters in my last packet, Selden, derives the name of Wapentake from _weapon_ and _tack_; and saith they used to come to that court with their weapons, and to touch one another's weapons, from whence came the appellation of Wapentake.

_Gr. Eric._ Tacitus observes that at the public a.s.semblies and councils of the Germans, they used to meet with their weapons, and when anything was said that pleased them they would touch one another's spears or weapons, and thereby make a noise, to testify their consent and approbation.

_Wh._ Your ceremony of laying down the spear at the feet of the bride puts me in mind of another pa.s.sage in Tacitus, 'De Moribus Germanorum;'

that when a man was married, he used to bring his arms and lay them at the feet of his bride, to signify that he would not take them up nor go forth to war, being newly married, without the leave of his wife, to whom he had now given the command of himself and of his arms.

_Gr. Eric._ Our customs and those of the ancient Germans have much resemblance; but I never heard so good observations upon the ceremonies of a wedding as your Excellence hath made.

_Wh._ I am delighted with these antiquities; but your Excellence shows your opinion to be that of a brother.

From Grave Eric, Whitelocke went to visit the Senator Schutt, and Lynde, who lodged in one house, and met him at the door; and this day he made seven visits, besides his attendance upon the Queen, hastening to get over these matters of compliment and ceremony, that he might be upon his journey to Stockholm.

_May 16, 1654._

[SN: Whitelocke entertains a party of ladies.]

Whitelocke visited General Douglas, who had been to visit him before, and now showed great respect unto him, and gave him many thanks for the English horse which Whitelocke had bestowed on him. After this, Whitelocke visited the Ricks-Admiral and the Senators Rosenhau and Bundt.

In the afternoon he visited Woolfeldt, who brought Whitelocke into the room where his lady and other ladies of great quality were with her.

Whitelocke imagined some design to be herein, because it was a thing so unusual to bring gentlemen and strangers into the company of their ladies; and it fell out to be so, for Whitelocke, discoursing with the Lady Woolfeldt, who spake perfect French, she complained that she knew not where to have a place to see the entry of the Prince into Upsal.

Whitelocke knowing his house to be conveniently situate for that purpose, and understanding the lady's complaint, he, to free her from the danger of not seeing that solemnity, offered to her and to the rest of the ladies in her company, to command his house, which if they pleased to honour with their presence to see the entry of the Prince, he should take it as a great favour from their Excellencies; and the ladies readily accepted of his offer.

They presently came to Whitelocke's house. With the Lady Woolfeldt was the Countess John Oxenstiern, the Countess Eric Oxenstiern, the Countess Tott, the Baroness Gildenstiern, and seven or eight other ladies of great quality. Before the Prince came into the town, Whitelocke caused a collation to be set on the table for the ladies, all after the English fas.h.i.+on, creams, tarts, b.u.t.ter, cheese, neats' tongues, potted venison, apples, pears, sweetmeats, and excellent wine. They ate heartily, and seemed to be much pleased with it and with the Amba.s.sador's discourse, who strove to be cheerful with the ladies, and found it not unacceptable to them.

[SN: The entry of the Prince.]

The Prince's entry and reception into Upsal this evening was thus:--The day before, by the Queen's command, notice was given to all the senators, the n.o.bility, gentry, and persons of quality about the Court and in town, to come in their best equipage on horseback, at one o'clock this afternoon to the castle, to attend the Queen on her going out to meet the Prince. They accordingly resorted to the Court, a very great number, and attended the Queen forth in this order, all pa.s.sing and returning by Whitelocke's window. First, Major-General Wrangel marched in the head of four troops of horse of Upland, proper men and well armed, their horses not tall but strong; every horseman carried ready in his hand one of his pistols, and his sword by his side, and most of them were well habited.

Then marched Colonel Bengt Horne in the head of the gentlemen and servants of the senators and other volunteers, marching three and three abreast. After these rode about six of the Queen's kettle-drums and twelve trumpets. Then came Mr. Eric Flemming, Governor of Copperberg, Marshal of the n.o.bility, followed by the heads of the families of the n.o.bles in the same order as they are matriculated in the Ricksdag. They were generally very rich in clothes and well horsed, lords and gentlemen of princ.i.p.al note and consideration in their country, and members of the Ricksdag; they also rode three and three abreast. After them rode Mr.

Gabriel Gabrielson, Marshal of the Court, and was followed by all the senators then in town, being about thirty, riding two and two abreast, grave in their habits for the most part, and well horsed. Then came the Ricks-Stallmaster and the Hof-Stallmaster--that is, the Master of the Horse of the Kingdom, and the Master of the Horse of the Court--riding bareheaded. After them came the Queen, gallantly mounted, habited in her usual fas.h.i.+on in grey stuff, her hat on her head, her pistols at her saddle-bow, and twenty-four of the Gardes-du-Corps about her person.

After the Queen followed the Great Chamberlain, Grave Jacob de la Gardie, and Grave Tott, Captain of the Guards, both bareheaded. After them the Grave Donae, Gustavus Oxenstiern, and Gustavus Jean Banier, riding bareheaded. Then rode all the gentlemen of the Queen's chamber, then the pages of her chamber. After them, in the last place, marched Colonel Line, in the head of four companies of the Guards, well armed, and indifferently well habited.

In this order they marched about half a league out of town, to the place appointed to meet the Prince, who was there attending. When they came thither, Major-General Wrangel marched to the left, leaving sufficient room that the Guards might pa.s.s to the right hand, the volunteers and Queen's servants likewise turned to the left hand, and the Marshal of the n.o.bility to the right, with the Hof-Marshals; and all this train kept excellent order and discipline, as did the Prince's train, which was also very great.

The Prince was alighted from his horse before the Queen came very near to him. When the Queen alighted, all the senators likewise alighted from their horses, but the n.o.bility did not alight from horseback. After his Royal Highness had kissed the Queen's hand, she discoursed a little with him, he being bareheaded all the time, and showing great respect to her as to his Queen. Then the Queen mounted again on horseback, the Prince waiting on her. The troops marched back to the town in the same order as they came forth, with great addition to their numbers. The Prince's gentlemen and servants, who were a great number, fell into the troop where those of the Queen were, betwixt her gentlemen and the senators'

gentlemen,--his pages after the Queen's. Himself rode after the Queen, and sometimes she would call him (as she did in the street) to speak with him, and then he rode even with her, but all the way bareheaded whilst he rode by the Queen and she talked with him.

The Prince was in a plain grey cloth suit of a light colour, mounted upon a very brave grey horse, with pistols at his saddle and his sword by his side. The Queen's lacqueys were in rich yellow liveries; the Prince's lacqueys in blue liveries, near twenty, walking by them. There were many led horses of the Queen's and of the Prince's, and seven or eight sumpter-horses of the Prince's; the sumpter-clothes all of blue velvet, with the Prince's arms embroidered on them, and rich silver fringe about them; the grooms and sumpter-men in the same livery, about twenty of them.

In this equipage they marched through the streets of Upsal, mult.i.tudes of people being spectators of their entry in the ways and windows. When they came to the Castle court, the n.o.bility and volunteers alighted, and walked two and two before the Queen up into the great hall and to the antechamber; and the Queen being come into her withdrawing-room, after some little discourse there with the Prince and compliments pa.s.sed, he went to the lodgings prepared for him, with not a few waiting on him who was the rising sun.

Whitelocke had spoken to the master of the ceremonies touching the saluting of the Prince and the manner of his reception, whereof he wished to know somewhat beforehand, to govern himself accordingly, and to avoid any indignity or dishonour to be put upon the Protector and Commonwealth by his person. The master having spoken to the Prince about it, brought word now to Whitelocke, that when he moved his Royal Highness touching Whitelocke's reception, the Prince said that the English Amba.s.sador should have no cause to complain of any want of respect in his reception.

The more to manifest this, about ten o'clock this evening, the Prince sent one of the gentlemen of his bedchamber, who came attended with three lacqueys, and spake to Whitelocke in French, that the Prince, his master, commanded him to salute Whitelocke in his name, and to inform him of the Prince's arrival in this place, and that it was a great satisfaction to him to hope that he should have the contentment to see the English Amba.s.sador, and to entertain him before his departure from Sweden.

Whitelocke desired that his thanks might be returned to his Royal Highness for this honour, and that he hoped to obtain from him the favour to give him leave to salute him and to kiss his hand; that to do this on the part of the Protector, his master, was at present the only occasion of Whitelocke's continuance in this place; and for this end he had moved the master of the ceremonies to know the pleasure of his Royal Highness, and to inform Whitelocke what time might be convenient to wait upon the Prince. The gentleman replied, that Whitelocke's company would be very acceptable to the Prince his master, and he doubted not but an account would be given thereof to Whitelocke to his full contentment.

Whitelocke had sent this day to Grave John Oxenstiern, to know what time he might give him a visit; and the Grave returned a proud answer, that it would not yet be convenient.

_May 17, 1654._

The Resident of Holland came to visit Whitelocke near dinner-time, which gave him occasion to invite his stay; and he and Sir G. Fleetwood, Mr.

Bloome, Colonel Hambleton, Monsieur Lyllicrone, and two Dutch gentlemen, did Whitelocke the favour to be at his table. Whitelocke gave the Resident the respect of the upper end of the table, as he had formerly done to the French and Spanish Residents; and the Dutch gentleman was well pleased with it, and with the English entertainment.

[SN: Whitelocke's audience of the Prince.]

Whitelocke, having received so great a respect from the Prince, did again desire the master of the ceremonies to know what time might suit with the Prince's leisure to give Whitelocke leave to wait on him. This afternoon the master came to Whitelocke, and informed him that the Prince had appointed four o'clock this afternoon to give Whitelocke audience, and the master said that he would come with the Queen's coaches to bring Whitelocke to the castle when it was time; and accordingly he came between five and six o'clock this evening. Whitelocke and his company went with the master to the castle, and as soon as he was alighted out of his coach, he was received by the Marshal and gentlemen of the Prince, a great number of them, at the foot of the stairs; some of them were very richly habited. They walked first up the stairs, and those of Whitelocke's train followed them; the master of the ceremonies was on Whitelocke's left hand. When they came to the guard-chamber, the Prince in person came thither to receive Whitelocke at the door thereof, the same place where the Captain of the Queen's Guard used to meet and receive Whitelocke, who was a little surprised, not expecting such a high favour as to be met by the Prince so far from the room of audience.

The Prince was plain, in his habit of black silk, accompanied by a great number of the senators, officers, and n.o.bility, which caused Whitelocke to know him, and with due respect to salute him, as he did Whitelocke; and after a few compliments between them, the Prince desired Whitelocke to advance, who excused himself, but the Prince pressed it; the contest was almost half an hour who should go first, till the master of the ceremonies, by command of the Prince, whispered to Whitelocke to give way to the pleasure of the Prince, who was resolved to give Whitelocke the precedence, thereby to testify the great respect and honour which he had for the Protector, and for Whitelocke his servant. Thereupon Whitelocke said to the Prince, that since he understood it to be the pleasure of his Royal Highness, he would obey his commands; and so they went on together, the Prince giving Whitelocke the right hand; and there was no occasion (by reason of the largeness of the doors) for one to go before the other.

In the third room from the place where the Prince met Whitelocke was the audience chamber; there were set two rich chairs upon foot-carpets one against the other under a canopy of state; here was also much ceremony between the Prince and Whitelocke, who should take the right-hand chair; but the Prince would have Whitelocke to sit there; and the room was full of senators, officers, n.o.blemen, courtiers, and others of quality.

Whitelocke had advised in what language to speak to the Prince. He held it not fit to speak in English, because he came not to him as amba.s.sador, nor in Latin, there being nothing of treaty between them; but being a matter of ceremony, he was advised and informed that it was the Prince's desire that Whitelocke should speak to him in French, the which he understood very well: and accordingly, being both set, and their hats on, after a little pause Whitelocke put off his hat, and then the Prince did so likewise; then both putting on their hats again, Whitelocke spake to the Prince to this effect:--