A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 5

_March 20, 1653._

[SN: Peace signed between England and the United Provinces.]

Whitelocke visited Piementelle, who communicated to him the news of the Duke of Lorraine, and that the United Provinces of the Netherlands had ratified the articles with England. Whitelocke asked if Groningen had consented. He said yes, but with this restriction, that the Prince of Orange should be comprised in the treaty, which might yet cause some obstruction in it. Whitelocke imparted to him some of his news, and imparted such pa.s.sages of his conferences and business as he desired might by him be related to the Queen.

[SN: Senator Schutt affects to be favourable to the treaty.]

Senator Schutt visited Whitelocke, and staid with him above two hours.

They discoursed of many things unnecessary to be remembered; some was thus:--

_Schutt._ I am sorry that the business of your treaty goes on so slowly; but I hope you will excuse it, in regard the Chancellor is not quick in despatches, and affects long deliberations in great matters.

_Whitelocke._ That is an argument of his prudence and well weighing of things before he come to a resolution; and certainly he hath had sufficient time of deliberation in my business.

_Sch._ The Chancellor sometimes may take more time than is necessary for one business, and borrow it for another; he knows the advantages of times and seasons, and how to improve them.

_Wh._ I have found it so; but methinks my business should have been so acceptable as to have prevented such great delays.

_Sch._ Your negotiation as to the amity with England was in consideration with the Council here before your arrival; and all of us agreed that it was more desirable than any other.

_Wh._ I believe it would be agreeable to you, who are persons of great experience, knowing the interest of your own country, and how considerable the English nation is; and this caused a belief in me that I might promise myself an answer to my proposals before my departure from hence.

_Sch._ The great affairs of this kingdom, and the change likely to happen, have put a stop to all other business; and in case your negotiation cannot be brought to a conclusion during your stay here, yet it may be agreed upon afterwards by an amba.s.sador to be sent from hence to England.

_Wh._ My Lord Protector having testified so much respect to the Queen, as he hath done in sending me Amba.s.sador hither, for me, after four or five months' residence and negotiation in this place, to be sent home again without any conclusion of my business, but the same to be remitted to the sending of an amba.s.sador from hence to England, would be no answer to the respect of the Protector in sending me hither.

_Sch._ The Parliament sent your Excellence hither, as I understood, and not the Protector.

_Wh._ My coming hither was at first by my Lord Protector's desire, he being then General, and without his earnest request to me I had not undertaken it; and since his access to the Government I have received new credentials from him, by virtue whereof only I have negotiated, and am the first public Minister employed by his Highness.

_Sch._ It is a very great respect which the Protector hath manifested to you, and by you to our Queen and nation, and that which you say carries reason with it. I shall do all that possibly may lie in my power to testify my respects and service to his Highness and Commonwealth of England, and to your Excellence their honourable Amba.s.sador.

_Wh._ You are pleased to express a great honour and esteem for my Lord Protector and for his servant, whereof I shall not fail, by any service in my power, to make acknowledgment to your Excellence.

There were many other compliments and discourses between them; and the Senator fell into a relation of Russia, where he had been, and of the Great Duke's bringing at one time into the field an army of 200,000 men, divided into three parties, whereof one part fell upon Poland, and had lately taken divers considerable places in that kingdom; and much more he spake of this exploit, which is omitted.

_March 21, 1653._

[SN: Senator Schutt's duplicity.]

Whitelocke was somewhat surprised by the carriage of Senator Schutt to him yesterday, and with his freedom of discourse, which showed him either to be a courtier and versed in the art of simulation, or the reports made of him to Whitelocke to be untrue. Now he seemed clearly for the league with England; before, he expressed himself against it; now he showed civility and respect to Whitelocke and to his superiors; before, he spake disdainfully of them and their affairs.

But an amba.s.sador must hear and see many things, and yet take no notice of them; must court an enemy to become a friend, as he believed he had done to Schutt, who, after acquaintance between him and Whitelocke, became very friendly. But Whitelocke held it requisite to keep at somewhat more distance with him than with others, because he had been informed that there was not much of kindness between the Chancellor and this gentleman, which was confirmed by discourse this day with Lagerfeldt.

_Lagerfeldt._ I entreat your Excellence's excuse for my long absence, which hath been occasioned by an employment lately bestowed on me by her Majesty, which takes up my time in the discharge of it.

_Whitelocke._ I do congratulate the honour and favour of the Queen towards you, in this part of a reward for your good service in England, whereof I was a witness and have affirmed it to her Majesty. What is the office she hath given you?

_Lag._ It is the Vice-President of the College of Trade.

_Wh._ I suppose the office is profitable as well as honourable.

_Lag._ A competent salary is annexed to the office, and with us no person doth serve in any office or public employment, but he hath a salary for it from the State.

_Wh._ That is honourable, and for the advantage of the State. One of your Ricks-Senators was here with me yesterday, and I had much discourse with him about my business.

_Lag._ Which of them was with your Excellence?

_Wh._ The Senator Schutt, whom I saw not before.

_Lag._ I wonder at his visit; did he express much respect to your Commonwealth?

_Wh._ As much as any I have met with.

_Lag._ I much wonder at it; but shall advise your Excellence not to depend much upon this gentleman, nor to be over-free in your discourse with him; for he hath been under a cloud, and is very intimate with the Holland Resident.

_Wh._ I thank you for your caution; but I have communicated nothing to him but what might be published.

_Lag._ My Lord Eric Oxenstiern hath, by the Queen's command, some papers touching your business to be imparted to you.

_Wh._ Do you remember the effect of them?

_Lag._ They contain some explanation of the articles given in by your Excellence, and some additions offered to them, but not much differing from those exhibited by you.

They had much discourse about these additions and explanations, whereof Whitelocke endeavoured to get as much knowledge from Lagerfeldt as he could beforehand, that he might be the better prepared to debate upon them when they should be produced; and he declared his sense positively against some of them to Lagerfeldt, which proved an advantage. Some of those additions mentioned by Lagerfeldt, being upon his report to Grave Eric of Whitelocke's judgement upon them, were left out of Grave Eric's paper.

[SN: Further conference with Grave Eric Oxenstiern.]

In the afternoon Grave Eric came to Whitelocke, and they had this discourse together:--

_Gr. Eric._ Here is a paper, which I shall read unto you, containing some matters wherein I desire your consideration, being they relate to the treaty, as touching contraband goods; that there may be such a liberty, that trade be not impeached, that prizes may not be brought into the ports of friends, nor enemies admitted into the havens of the friends and allies of either nations; that the fis.h.i.+ng for herrings and the trade in America may be free for the Swedes, and that they may have satisfaction for the wrongs done to them by the English at sea.

_Whitelocke._ Here is very much in these particulars to which I have formerly given my answer, and can give no other. England hath had no reason to give a liberty of contraband goods when their enemies deny it, and it were hard to forbid friends to bring prizes into the ports of friends, being no prejudice to the owner of the port, but a discourtesy to the friend; neither is it reason to deny a friend to enter into my harbour because he is an enemy to another that is my friend also, whose quarrel I am not bound to wed. For the liberty of herring-fis.h.i.+ng, it may be had from our Commonwealth upon reasonable conditions; and for the trade in America, I am not instructed to a.s.sent to anything therein, but I supposed it had been intended to send from hence to the Protector about it. And for satisfaction of wrongs, I know none done by the English to the Queen's subjects, and imagined that her Majesty had been satisfied in these points.

_Gr. Eric._ I have order to acquaint you with these particulars, and to confer with you about them, being esteemed by us just and reasonable.

_Wh._ After my attendance here three or four months without any answer to my proposals, I did not expect to receive new ones from you so different from those which I gave in with equal respect to the good of both nations; and I having offered the friends.h.i.+p of England to you in general, you answer that it will be accepted, but upon particular and hard conditions.

_Gr. Eric._ I confess there hath been too much delay in your business, but it hath been occasioned by the uncertainty of the issue of your treaty with Holland.

_Wh._ The issue of that treaty is not yet known, and the articles given in by me had no relation thereunto, and were proposed three months since.

_Gr. Eric._ At present we take it for granted that the peace is concluded between you and Holland, and that now you are good friends.

_Wh._ I wish we may be so; and if that peace be concluded, there is the less need of your proposals touching prizes, contraband{3} goods, etc.

_Gr. Eric._ Though the peace be concluded between you, yet it is prudent to make those provisions, in case of a new war with them or others.