Chapter 6

The Queen was much delighted with these and other verses which Whitelocke showed her; read them over several times, and desired copies of them, which Whitelocke sent her; and in this good humour she wished Whitelocke to leave with her a copy of his articles as he had now revised them, and to come to her again the next day, when she would give him a further answer, and, she hoped, to his contentment.

[SN: Spain suspected of intriguing against the treaty.]

Woolfeldt visited Whitelocke, and excused his long absence by reason of the holidays. He informed Whitelocke with much freedom, that it was against the interest of Spain that England and Sweden should be in alliance together, and that Whitelocke's negotiation had been hindered by the Spanish Resident here, more than by any other. Whereunto Whitelocke said little positively, but compared his words with the late carriage of Piementelle,--especially since Whitelocke did not so heartily entertain the Queen's motion (which probably Piementelle put her upon) to have the Spaniard included in the league with England and Sweden, which Whitelocke was not empowered to treat upon, and Whitelocke also remembered the deferring of his audiences lately desired.[73] But these things he was to keep to himself, and to court Woolfeldt, which he did, and Piementelle likewise, who came to visit Whitelocke whilst Woolfeldt was with him, and made the same excuse as he had done for his long absence. They had much general discourse, but nothing (as usually before) touching Whitelocke's business. Piementelle said he purposed to depart from Upsal within seven or eight days; that yesterday he had taken his leave of the Queen, and came in the next place to take his leave of Whitelocke, who gave him thanks for this honour, and said he was sorry for the departure of Piementelle, whereby he should have a very great loss in being deprived of the acceptable conversation of so honourable a friend.

[SN: Despatches from England complaining of delay.]

Whitelocke received many letters from England; in those from Thurloe he saith:--

"I am sorry your last letters give us no greater hopes of that which we so much long for, to wit, your Excellence's speedy return home; it seeming by them that the treaty was not much advanced since your last before, notwithstanding the great care and diligence used by your Excellency for the promoting thereof, as also the great acceptance you have with the Queen and Court, as is acknowledged by other public ministers residing there. It is now more than probable they will expect the issue of the Dutch business before they will come to any conclusion; as also to see what terms we are like to be upon with France, that so the Queen may manage her treaty with England accordingly, which I suppose she may not be long ignorant of. In the meantime his Highness thinks he is somewhat delayed on her part."

Then Thurloe relates all the passages of the Dutch Ambassadors, and that, in effect, they had agreed to the articles; of the endeavours of the French to have a league with the Protector, and no less of the Spaniard. And he writes at large the news of the Archduke, as also that of Scotland and Ireland, and confutes the rumour of a discontent in the army of the Protector.

In another letter from Thurloe of a later date, received by the same post, he saith thus:--

"His Highness understands by your Excellence's last letters, that the treaty with the Queen of Sweden will much depend upon the treaty with the Dutch here, and until the issue of that be known no great matter is to be expected from your negotiation: concerning which, it being very probable that before the next ordinary it will be seen what issue the Dutch treaty will be brought unto, his Highness will refer his further directions to you till then; leaving it to your Excellence to proceed upon the former instructions as you shall find it convenient, and for his service according as affairs now stand."

The clause in this letter, of referring further directions till after the issue of the Dutch treaty, was some trouble to Whitelocke's thoughts, fearing it might delay his return home; but he laid hold upon the latter part of this letter, whereby it is left to Whitelocke to proceed upon the former instructions as he should find it convenient and for his Highness's service; which, as it reposed a great trust in Whitelocke, so it gave him warrant to conclude his treaty, and obliged him to the more care to perform that trust which they had so fully put in him.

[SN: Claim on behalf of the Swedish ships in England.]

Mr. Bonnele representing to the Protector the losses which the Swedes suffered by the ships of England, the Protector caused an answer thereunto to be returned, the copy whereof was sent by Thurloe to Whitelocke, and was thus:--

"Whereas Mr. Bonnele, Resident of the Queen of Sweden, hath, by a paper of the 4th of March, remonstrated to his Highness that several ships and goods belonging to the said Queen and her subjects are taken at sea by the ships of this State, and brought into these parts, contrary to the declaration of the Council of State, 1st April, 1653, whereby they did declare, that for preventing the present obstruction of trade, all ships truly belonging to the Queen or her subjects, of Sweden, that should bring with them certificates from her said Majesty, or the chief magistrate of the place from whence they come, grounded upon the respective oaths of the magistrates and loaders that the said ship and lading do belong _bonâ fide_ to the said Queen or her subjects, and to no stranger whatsoever, should and might freely pass without interruption or disturbance. His Highness hath commanded that it be returned in answer to the said Resident, that although the said declaration was to be in force for the space of three months, in which time a form of passport and certificates was to be thought of for preventing fraud and collusion, yet no provision of that nature having been yet agreed upon, and it being contrary to his intention that the goods and ships belonging to her said Majesty or subjects (with whom he desires to conserve all good correspondence) should in the meantime suffer inconvenience or prejudice by the ships of this State, hath renewed, as he doth hereby renew, the said declaration with respect to the present treaty now on foot between the two nations, wherein some course may be provided for preventing the said frauds.

"And to the end there may be the better effect of this declaration, his Highness hath given order to the Judges of the Admiralty that if any ships or goods be brought into these parts belonging to her Majesty or subjects, that the producing of certificates according to the said declaration, in open Court and upon oath made by them that do produce such certificates, that they are good and authentic, and obtained without fraud or deceit, that the Judges shall thereupon (there being no proof before them to the contrary) discharge the said ships or goods without further delay. Provided that such ships were not bound with contraband goods to the ports or harbours of any of the United Provinces.

"For the herring-buss, there having been proceedings thereupon in the Court of Admiralty, and a sentence of condemnation given against her as belonging to the enemies of this State, his Highness does not conceive that it can be expected from him to interpose in matters belonging to the decision of that Court; besides, the law having in the ordinary course provided a remedy, by way of appeal, in case of wrong or injustice done by that Court.

"For the goods of Mr. Alexander Cecconi, supposed to be taken by a ship belonging to this State, orders have been given by the Council concerning them, and some return made upon those orders; and the said Commissary may rest assured that speedy and effectual justice will be done in that particular.

"JO. THURLOE. "_March 10th, 1653._"

These orders of the Council Whitelocke caused to be translated into Latin, that he might communicate them as he saw occasion.

_March 31, 1654._

[SN: Reports to England.]

Whitelocke despatched a great number of letters to his friends in England: in those to Secretary Thurloe he gave a full account of all transactions of his negotiations and passages here since his last letters.

This day, though the post-day, Woolfeldt again visited Whitelocke, to his no little interruption in his despatches; yet from him Whitelocke learned many things in relation to Denmark, for the advantage of England, and Woolfeldt testified great affection and respect to the Protector and Commonwealth. He was also interrupted by his attendance upon the Queen, according to her appointment. The Chancellor came forth from her as Whitelocke went in, and he told Whitelocke that the Queen, hearing of his being without, had sent to desire him to come in to her. Whitelocke read some of his news to the Queen, and the paper which the Protector had caused to be given to her Commissary Bonnele at London; upon which Whitelocke took the boldness a little to paraphrase, and her Majesty was well pleased with it. They fell into discourse of the treaty, much to the same effect as formerly; but Whitelocke staid the less time with her Majesty, because he presumed that the Chancellor and his son waited without to speak with her about his business. She promised Whitelocke to send him an answer of his business the next day, and that one of her ships should be ready at the Dollars (the mouth of the haven of Stockholm) to transport him to Lübeck when he should desire it; which was acceptable to Whitelocke to think on, and he thanked her Majesty for it.

Thus was March passed over, full of trouble, yet nothing effected in his business.

FOOTNOTES:

[41] [The Ambassador's verses I have ventured to omit, as alike destitute of elegance, point, or metre.]

[71] "_Ad Illustrissimum et Excellentissimum Dominum, Dominum Whitelocke, Legatum Angliæ Extraordinarium apud Serenissimam Sueciæ Reginam. Ode._

"Vitloce, Martis deliciæ, decus Gentis legatæ; te sine, languidum Moeret tribunal, et cubili In viduo Themis ingemiscit. Denso cientes agmine cursitant, Et sempiternas te sine consuunt Lites, neque hic discordiarum Finis erit, nisi tu revertas. Sed te nivosum per mare, per vias Septentrionum, per juga montium, Inhospitales per recessus Duxit amor patriæ decorus. Legatus oras jam Sueonum vides Bruma sepultas; mox quoque Galliam, Hispaniam mox cum Britannis Foedere perpetuo ligabis. Sic pacis author, sic pius arbiter Gentes per omnes qua sonuit tuba Dicere; cancellariusque Orbis eris simul universi. Christina, dulcis nympha, diutiùs Ne te moretur: qui merito clues Prudens Ulysses, sperne doctæ Popula deliciasque Circes. Te casta tentum Penelope vocat, Vocant amici, teque aliæ vocant Legationes, te requirunt Ardua multa domi forisque. Custos Sigilli tu dirimes cito Pugnas forenses, bellaque principum Legatus idem terminabis: Tu (sera candida) claude fanum."

[73] [This change was probably the consequence of the negotiations then going on between Louis XIV. and Cromwell in London, which had excited the jealousy of the Spanish Court, as is stated by Thurloe in the next page.]

APRIL.

_April 1, 1654._

[SN: A capital execution in Sweden.]

In the morning, in the market-place, near Whitelocke's lodging, was an execution of one adjudged to die for a murder. The offender was brought into the midst of the market-place, which was open and spacious, and a great multitude of people spectators. The offender kneeled down upon the ground, a great deal of sand being laid under and about him to soak up his blood, and a linen cloth was bound about his eyes: he seemed not much terrified, but when the company sang a psalm, he sang with them, holding up his hands together, and his body upright, his doublet off. He prayed also with the company, but made no speech to them; nor did any other speak to the people. The executioner stood behind him, with a great naked sword in his hand and a linen apron before him, and while the offender was praying the headsman in an instant, at one back-blow, cut off his head, which fell down upon the sand; and some friends took it from the executioner, and carried it away with the body to be buried. Presently after this execution was past, two other offenders for smaller crimes were brought to the same place, to suffer the punishment of the law, which they call running the gauntlet,--a usual punishment among soldiers.

[SN: Running the gauntlet.]

The people stood in length in the market-place about a hundred yards, leaving an open space or lane between them of about five yards' distance; then the offender, being naked to the waist, was brought to one end of the lane or open place. The people had rods or switches of birch given to as many as would take them; the offender was to run or go, as he pleased (and one of them walked but a Spanish pace), from one end of the lane of people to the other, twice or thrice forward and backward; and all the way as he went, the people who had the switches lashed the offender as he passed by them, harder or softer, as they favoured him. These are the most usual ways of executions which they have for criminal offences, and they do not execute men by hanging, which they say is only fit for dogs; but in cases of great robberies and murders sometimes they execute justice by breaking the offenders upon the wheel, and leave the quarters of the body upon it; some whereof were in the way as Whitelocke passed in his journey by the great wilderness.

[SN: Vestiges of the Scandinavian mythology.]

In the afternoon Senator Schütt came to Whitelocke and invited him to take the air to see the town of old Upsal, about a mile off; and being there, Schütt showed him three great mounts of earth, cast up by the hands of men, for monuments in memory of their ancient famous kings, whose seat had been here, and the place of their coronation. These mounts had been dedicated to three of their Pagan gods: the one to the god whom they call Teuo, who was Mars, and from him they have the name of the day of the week _Teuosdag_, which we call Tuesday, and the Germans _Tuisconsdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Martis_; the second mount was dedicated to their god Woden, so they called Mercury, and from thence their day of the week is named _Wodensdag_, which we also call Wednesday, the Germans _Wodensdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Mercurii_; the third mount was dedicated to their goddess Freya, so they called Venus, and from thence comes the name of their _Friedsdag_, which we call Friday, the Germans _Frigdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Veneris_.

There were also other relics of decayed mounts, which Whitelocke guessed to have been dedicated to their other gods, from whom they gave the names of the other days of the week: as, to Thor, whom they called Jupiter, and, from whence the day _Thoresdag_, which we call Thursday, the Germans say _Thorsdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Jovis_; another mount dedicated to their god Setorn, from whence they call _Setornsdag_, as we say Saturday, the Germans _Sæternsdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Saturni_; another mount dedicated to Sunnan, as they call the Sun, and from thence that day _Sunnandag_{4}, as we say Sunday, the Germans _Sunnandæg_, and the Latins _Dies Solis_; the last mount dedicated to Monan, that is the Moon, and from thence the name of their _Monandag_, which we call Monday, the Germans _Monandæg_, and the Latins _Dies Lunæ_.

[SN: The war between Muscovy and Poland.]

In discourse upon the way, Schütt informed Whitelocke of the matter of the embassy from the Great Duke of Muscovia to the Queen of Sweden, which was to acquaint her Majesty that the Great Duke had begun a war against the King of Poland, because in a letter of his to the Great Duke he had omitted one of his great titles,--a heinous offence, and held by the Great Duke a sufficient ground of war, and of his resolution to sacrifice the blood of his fellow-Christians to satisfy his wicked pride. Another ground of the war was because a certain Governor of a province in Poland, in a writing, had placed the name of the father of the Great Duke before the name of the present Great Duke; which was so great an indignity, that for the same the now Great Duke demanded of the King of Poland to have the head of that Governor sent to him, and that not being done, was another cause of the begun war. To this the Queen answered, that it did not appertain to her to give her opinion in a matter of this nature, whether she did approve or disapprove of what was done by the Great Duke, but she did presume that the King of Poland would therein give fitting satisfaction to the Great Duke; and that she did wish that there might be peace between these two Princes and all the Princes of Christendom. And with this answer the Envoys of the Great Duke returned as wise as they came.

[SN: Denmark threatens Hamburg.]

Schütt also communicated unto Whitelocke an intelligence that the King of Denmark had levied some forces which he designed against Hamburg,--pretending injuries done to him by that city in relation to his pretensions of dominion there, which probably might occasion a war between Denmark and that free city, which had strength and riches and people and wisdom to defend themselves; and Schütt advised Whitelocke that if this should be so, that then he should take his voyage some other way, and that it would be a great disturbance and danger to him to go by Hamburg and those quarters, which would be infested with soldiers, and that then it would be his best way to return by Gothenburg; but he did persuade Whitelocke by all means to salute the Prince of Sweden by the way of his return. Whitelocke said he thought it not probable that the King of Denmark would at this time engage in a war against Hamburg, and that his levying of soldiers might breed a jealousy in the Crown of Sweden; that the certainty thereof could not be long undiscovered, and accordingly he should govern his own resolutions; that it would be difficult for him to stay in his journey to salute the Prince, but he much desired and intended it before his departure.

_April 2, 1654._

Although the Lord's Day, yet the English and Scots who were in the town, and not of Whitelocke's family, went abroad to take the air, and did not resort, as they used to do, to Whitelocke's house to the exercises of divine worship, which were duly performed in his private family; and after those _sacra peracta_, Whitelocke retired himself to his private studies and meditations upon the word of truth. This day likewise the Queen went abroad to take the air, and passed through the town in her coach, attended by many gentlemen and others in her train, to the ill example of her people, and after the bad custom of this place.

_April 3, 1654._

[SN: Whitelocke takes the air with the Queen.]

The Queen sent to Whitelocke to invite him to accompany her to take the air.

By the way Whitelocke visited Woolfeldt, who had much discourse with him about the English fleet then at sea. From him Whitelocke went to Court, and attended the Queen in her coach to take the air. They had not much discourse about his business, and he thought not fit to interrupt her Majesty's pleasures with serious discourses, but sought to delight her with matters of diversion and mirth. When they were come back to the castle, the Queen said to Whitelocke:--

_Queen._ Tomorrow my Chancellor will present you with the articles drawn up by him, with some alterations which I judge to be reasonable; and that shall be my final resolution about them.

_Wh._ Hath your Majesty commanded any mention in those new articles concerning contraband goods?

_Qu._ There is a specification of them.

_Wh._ Indeed, Madam, I can hardly consent to any alteration upon the subject of contraband goods, whilst the edict of the Hollanders is in force thereupon.

_Qu._ After you have considered these new articles, we will speak together again about them.

Then the Queen retired to her chamber, and Whitelocke being come home, the Secretary Canterstein came to him from the Chancellor to excuse his not coming to visit Whitelocke, and said that, by the Queen's command, the Chancellor had sent a new copy of articles to Whitelocke. He presently read them, and had much discourse with the secretary upon them, who said he did not doubt but that, after communication with the Chancellor, Whitelocke would receive satisfaction.

_April 4, 1654._

Whitelocke visited Piementelle, and they had this discourse:--

_Piementelle._ The Ambassador of Denmark did me the honour to visit me, and we had much discourse together about the English fleet now at sea; he told me that in it were ten thousand foot soldiers embarked for the North, which would occasion great trouble to the King his master, if it should be so, which I acknowledged.

_Whitelocke._ Your Excellence knows that I have not been at the Council of State in England for six months last past, so that I know not the secret designs of my Lord Protector; but I believe it is no very difficult matter to land men in Denmark.

_Piem._ What progress hath the French Ambassador made in the treaty between you and France?

_Wh._ If the Queen will be pleased to give my despatch, I hope to be upon the place before the treaty with the French be concluded. I have somewhat to communicate to the Protector touching a treaty with Spain, which your Lordship very well knows; and it would be to purpose that his Highness should know it before the conclusion of a treaty between England and France.[85]

_Piem._ I am assured that the Queen will despatch you in good time. But I advise your Excellence in your return not to pass by Denmark, for it is ill trusting of that King; but your better way will be to Lübeck, and from thence to Hamburg, and if you do not find ships ready there, you may travel by land to Cologne, and from thence to Dunkirk; which will be much better than to go by Holland, where they do exceedingly exact upon strangers, and your Commonwealth hath more enemies there than in any other place, besides the common people are rude and insolent.

_Wh._ I am engaged to you for your good advice, which I intend to follow.

After their discourse, Whitelocke presented Piementelle his medal in gold very like him, and it was received by Piementelle with much affection. Then Piementelle entreated Whitelocke to give him a passport for his servant, who had the charge of conducting his baggage by sea to Dunkirk, that he might freely pass the men-of-war of England; the which was willingly done by Whitelocke, under his hand and seal.[86]

_April 5, 1654._

[SN: Conference with the Chancellor.]

In the morning Whitelocke went to the Chancellor's lodging, and found his son Grave Eric with him. The Chancellor made a long apology to excuse the delay of the treaty, and said:--

_Chancellor._ My indisposition of health hath chiefly occasioned the delay, yet was I so solicitous of your business, that I entreated the Queen to appoint some other person in my stead, who might confer with your Excellence; and her Majesty was pleased to appoint my son for that service.