A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 28

"Monseigneur,

"Je repute a grand bonheur l'opportunite qui m'est presentee de baiser les mains de votre Altesse Royale, et la saluer de la part de Monseigneur le Protecteur de la Republique d'Angleterre, d'ecosse, et d'Irelande, avant mon depart de ce royaume; ce que j'eusse fait plus tot et en autre lieu, sinon que la necessite d'attendre l'issue de ce qui m'a ete donne en charge m'en avait empeche: mais depuis sa conclusion, j'ai tarde expres pour ajouter a ma satisfaction celle d'avoir rendu mes devoirs a votre Altesse Royale, et lui temoigner l'amitie et les respects de sa Serenissime Altesse mon maitre."

After Whitelocke had done speaking the Prince staid a little time, and then in French answered him to this purpose:--

"Monseigneur l'Amba.s.sadeur,

"Ce m'aurait ete un grand trouble si, apres la conclusion de vos affaires en cette cour, vous aviez ete dans l'inconvenience d'attendre mon arrivee en cette place; je suis bien aise de me trouver ici devant votre depart de ce pays, qui m'a donne le contentement de vous connaitre, et l'occasion de temoigner le grand respect que j'ai a Monseigneur le Protecteur et a la Republique que vous servez, et je recois beaucoup de satisfaction qu'une amitie et alliance soit contractee entre ce royaume et votre Republique, de laquelle j'espere et crois qu'elle sera pour le bien des deux nations, et pour l'interet des Protestants.

"Il n'y a personne qui a plus d'estime de Monseigneur le Protecteur que moi, et de votre Republique; et j'ai tant entendu de votre honorable et prudent maniement des affaires que vous aviez ici, que ce m'a fait desirer de vous connaitre et d'avoir l'opportunite de converser avec vous, que vous m'avez presentement alloue, et je vous en remercie, et pour les respects de Monseigneur le Protecteur, qu'il vous a plu me presenter en son nom, et qui me sont fort agreables."

After the speeches were ended, the Prince spake to Whitelocke to go with him into his cabinet, which he did, and staid discoursing with him there above an hour together, all the company staying in the outer room. They soon fell into a freedom of discourse, but at this time chiefly concerning the affairs of England, the peace with the Dutch, and the English fleet now at sea; also somewhat in particular to the Protector, his management of affairs, and of their late troubles; in all which Whitelocke endeavoured to give the Prince satisfaction, without doing injury to any one. The Prince brought Whitelocke back again to the same place where he met him; and his servants went with him to his coach, and the Master of the Ceremonies brought him to his own house.

After Whitelocke was returned home, Lagerfeldt came to him, and told him that the Prince was very much pleased with the discourse between them, and with Whitelocke's deportment; and Lagerfeldt said he believed that the Prince would visit Whitelocke tomorrow; who said he could not expect such an honour, but was glad that anything of his discourse was grateful to his Royal Highness.

Lagerfeldt informed Whitelocke that Grave Eric and Lagerfeldt were to go to Stockholm upon some public occasions by command of the Ricksdag.

Whitelocke asked him what the business was; but Lagerfeldt was not forward to declare it, nor Whitelocke to press it; but he learned from another that the Ricksdag had deputed two of every State to go to Stockholm to extract out of the public records and acts the special privileges granted to the people at the coronation of any king, and of the present Queen, which they judged fit to be now considered and ratified before the coronation of their new King. They were also to bring hither the acts of the Ricksdag when the Prince was declared heir of the crown, and such other things as pertained to this business. Whitelocke desired Lagerfeldt to do somewhat for him at Stockholm touching the sending away of his copper from thence for England.

_May 18, 1654._

[SN: The Ladies' message to Whitelocke.]

The ladies who were at Whitelocke's house to see the entry of the Prince, sent thanks to Whitelocke for his n.o.ble treatment of them, which was done by Woolfeldt and the master of the ceremonies, whom Whitelocke desired to make his excuse to the ladies, and to intercede with them to pardon the affront which Whitelocke had put upon them by entertaining such n.o.ble ladies with so mean a collation. The master said he durst not deliver any such message to them, who were so well pleased with Whitelocke's treatment of them; which appeared the more, in that the Lady Woolfeldt sent to him to bestow upon her, being great with child, some of his English cheese. Whitelocke sent her all he had left, and to other ladies what they desired, his English sweetmeats and other cakes, which with them were of great esteem.

[SN: The Prince visits Whitelocke.]

Whitelocke having this forenoon visited several Senators and great Lords, and being returned home, a servant of the Prince, a Baron of great esteem, came to him from the Prince, to know if Whitelocke's leisure would permit to receive a visit from his Royal Highness in the afternoon.

Whereunto Whitelocke answered, that if the Prince had any service to command him, he would wait upon his Royal Highness at his Court; the Baron replied, that the Prince intended a visit to Whitelocke at Whitelocke's house, who said he could not expect nor admit of such a condescension in the Prince and high favour to him, but that he would wait upon the Prince in the afternoon. The Baron said that must not be, but that it was the resolution of the Prince to testify that extraordinary respect to the Protector and to Whitelocke, as to come in person to visit Whitelocke at his own house; who said, that if it were the pleasure of the Prince to have it so, he should attend the receiving of that great honour at such a time as his Royal Highness should think fit to afford it to him.

Woolfeldt, and Douglas, and several others, being with Whitelocke at dinner, they discoursed of this extraordinary high respect of the Prince to the Protector and to Whitelocke, and said that it was partly occasioned by the exceptions taken by the public Ministers in this Court at the reception which the Prince gave unto Whitelocke yesterday beyond what he used to afford them of respect and honour; and this coming to the Prince's ear, he said that if they were offended with him for that, he would yet give them further cause of being displeased, and thereupon sent to Whitelocke that he would this afternoon visit him; they also informed Whitelocke, as Lagerfeldt had done, that the Prince was much satisfied with the discourse of Whitelocke, and his demeanour.

About three o'clock in the afternoon the Prince came to Whitelocke's house, attended with a very great train. He was in one of the Queen's coaches, which was followed by several of his own coaches, all with six horses apiece, and sundry gentlemen on horseback, with the princ.i.p.al officers of the Court and of the army, besides his own gentlemen, officers, servants, pages, and lacqueys to a great number, waiting on him. It fell out to be on the day of a fair, kept in the open place before Whitelocke's house, so that, with the people coming to the fair, and the Prince's train, the streets were exceedingly crowded.

As the Prince alighted out of his coach, Whitelocke was there to receive him, all the gentlemen of Whitelocke's train attending on him, and his servants in livery making a lane, about twenty on each hand, from the Prince's coach to Whitelocke's house, through which the Prince and he pa.s.sed, Whitelocke giving the Prince the right hand, which he scrupled not to take in that place. They went together covered into Whitelocke's house, sat down in his bedchamber, and fell into much freedom of discourse for above two hours together. In the meantime the lords and gentlemen of the Prince's train being in several other rooms, according to their respective qualities, Whitelocke had taken order to be entertained by his officers and servants, not only with discourse, but with good wine brought from England, and such collation as was then to be had and was pleasing to them.

The Prince and Whitelocke had variety of discourses; and Whitelocke looking upon this as an opportunity whereby he might speak in such things as might tend to the honour of G.o.d, and which his own subjects perhaps would not so plainly make known to him, Whitelocke used the more freedom, and part of their discourse was--

_Prince._ I am very glad that your affairs have permitted you a stay in this place so long as to give me the opportunity of your company, wherein I take much contentment.

_Whitelocke._ Your Royal Highness doth very much honour me in esteeming my company worth your notice, and herein you are pleased to testify great respect to the Protector, my master, and to the Commonwealth whom I serve.

_Pr._ I have a very true honour for the Protector, and for England, where I have been, and account it one of the best countries in the world.

_Wh._ It is indeed, Sir, a very good country, and honoured by your knowledge of it and having been upon it.

_Pr._ But I doubt that by your late troubles it may be much damaged.

_Wh._ Truly, Sir, G.o.d hath so ordered it that those desolations which usually attend on war, especially a civil war, have not been so much in our country as others have felt who have been plunged in those miseries.

_Pr._ It is a great blessing to you, especially considering your change hath been so great and your troubles so lasting.

_Wh._ Our troubles endured a long time, but, blessed be G.o.d, at present we enjoy peace and settlement after our changes. The discourse here is now altogether of the voluntary change like to be in your Highness's country.

_Pr._ Her Majesty is pleased to take a resolution to resign her government, and I am commanded hither upon that occasion, though altogether unsought for by me.

_Wh._ You are, Sir, every way worthy of it, and the more for not seeking it; and being the will of G.o.d is to bring you to such an increase of power as to the royal dignity, it will turn most to your own and your people's good, to employ your power to the honour of Him that gives it, and to prefer His service by whom kings reign before any other concernments.

_Pr._ I must acknowledge that throughout the whole course of my life G.o.d hath been very good to me, and I am the more engaged to honour Him and to do Him service in any station wherein he shall be pleased to set me.

_Wh._ Your Royal Highness will be pleased to pardon my freedom of speaking to you what I understand may be most for the honour of G.o.d and your service.

_Pr._ Such discourse is most pleasing to me, especially from a person of such piety and honour as I esteem you to be, and who can have no private ends thereby.

_Wh._ We have observed in England, and it is so everywhere, that the blessing of G.o.d follows those that serve Him.

_Pr._ That is a true rule; but our service must be in heart, and not in profession or outward show only.

_Wh._ It is true that the enemies of the Parliament use to reproach them with hypocrisy in their profession of religion and with their preaching to their soldiers; yet that our profession is real doth appear somewhat in this, that the blessing of G.o.d hath accompanied our profession and our practice; and when our enemies are in debauchery and injuring the people, our officers and soldiers meet together, exhorting one another out of the Scripture and praying together, and G.o.d hath given His blessing thereupon.

_Pr._ I do very well approve that course, and your profession and practice in matters of religion; but we hear of too much difference of opinion among you in those matters.

_Wh._ We have indeed too much difference of opinion among us in matters of religion; but yet the public peace is not broken, but carefully preserved.

_Pr._ But if there be not a uniformity among you in those matters, your peace will be endangered.

_Wh._ We do not yet find that danger; and we look upon it as a liberty due to all Christians to take what way of wors.h.i.+p they think best for the good of their own souls.

_Pr._ Suppose the way they take be not agreeable to the Word of G.o.d?

_Wh._ The consequence thereof will be their own misery.

_Pr._ But should not the magistrate lead them and constrain them in the right way?

_Wh._ We hold the better way to be, by meek exhortations and instructions to endeavour to reclaim them from any error, and not by force to compel men's consciences, as is used in these parts.

_Pr._ What if mild means will not work upon them?

_Wh._ They will have the worst of it; but as long as they do not break the public peace, it is hard for the magistrate imperiously to command and force his brethren to wors.h.i.+p G.o.d after his opinion; and it is not imaginable that he should take more care of men's souls than they themselves, whose consciences ought to be free.

_Pr._ We are somewhat strict in this point in our country.

_Wh._ But I have heard that your Royal Highness hath shown moderation, and indulged this liberty, in other countries where you commanded.

_Pr._ I did not think fit to be so severe in this point in Germany as we are in Sweden.

_Wh._ I think your Highness did therein according to the mind of G.o.d, who will not have a restraint upon His children in the wors.h.i.+p of Him; and I hope you will in time take off the severity of your laws here in this particular.

_Pr._ I am no friend to severity of laws upon men's consciences; but reformation among us is not soon to be brought about, where there hath been a long usage of the contrary.