July 6, 1654.
Whitelocke give an account of his Embassy to the Council. Whitelocke went in the morning early to Whitehall. At Secretary Thurloe’s lodging he found most of his company, the gentlemen in their habits, the others in their liveries; and in a short time they were all come together, to attend their Ambassador to his last audience, who was put to the patience of staying an hour and a half at Master Secretary’s lodging before he was called in to his Highness; then, being sent for, he went, attended in the same manner as he used to go to his audiences in Sweden. Being come to the outward room, he was presently brought into the Council-chamber, where the Protector sat in his great chair at the upper end of the table, covered, and his Council sat bare on each side of the table. After ceremonies performed by Whitelocke, and great respect shown him by the Protector and his Council, Whitelocke spake to this effect:—
“May it please your Highness,
“I attend, by your command, to give an account of the discharge of that great trust and weighty burden which, through the assistance of God, I have undergone in my employment to Sweden, and with the success of that negotiation, wherein I shall not waste much of your time, for which you have other great affairs; but, in as few words as I can, I shall with clearness and truth acquaint your Highness and your Honourable Council with those matters which I apprehend most fit and worthy of your knowledge.
“After the receipt of my commission and instructions from the Parliament then sitting, to go Ambassador to Sweden, I neglected no time, how unseasonable soever, to transport myself to that country. Upon the 5th of November I embarked at the Hope, and after ten days’ voyage, through many storms, enemies, and dangers, it pleased God on the 15th of November to bring me in safety, with all my company, into the port of Gothenburg. The next day I despatched two of my servants to the Court with letters to Prince Adolphus, the Grand Master, and to the Ricks-Chancellor of Sweden, to advertise them of my arrival, and to desire their advice whither to direct my journey to attend the Queen.
“In this city I received many civilities and testimonies of respect to your Highness and this Commonwealth from the magistrates, officers, and others there; and a small contest I had with a Dutchman, a Vice-Admiral of her Majesty’s, about our war with his countrymen, and about some prizes brought in by me, wherein I took the liberty to justify the proceedings of this State, and ordered, upon submission, the release of a small Dutch prize taken by me.
“Having refreshed myself and company some days, I began my land journey the last day of November. The military officers accompanied me out of town; the citizens and garrison-soldiers stood to their arms, and with many volleys of great and small shot (the bullets passing somewhat too near for compliments) they gave me an honourable farewell.
“In our journey we met with extreme hardships, both in the weather and in want of necessary accommodations. The greater towns where we quartered showed much respect to your Highness and this Commonwealth; only in one town a little affront was given in words by a prætor, who acknowledged his fault, and it appeared to proceed more from drink than judgement. In all places the officers took great care, with what the country would afford, to furnish what I wanted; the ways were prepared, waggons and horses brought in, and all things requisite were done by the country, upon command of her Majesty.
“After twenty-one days in our land-journey, near four hundred miles from Gothenburg up into the country, in that climate in December, it pleased God through all our difficulties to bring us safe to Upsal the 20th of December. About half a league from the town, the Master of the Ceremonies, and after him two Senators with two coaches of the Queen’s, and those of the Spanish Resident and of divers grandees, met me, and with more than ordinary ceremony conducted me to a house in the town, by the Queen’s order taken up and furnished for me. Divers compliments passed from the Queen herself and many of her Court, expressing much respect to your Highness and this Commonwealth, in the person of your servant.
“By favour I obtained my first audience from the Queen the 23rd of December, the particular passages whereof (as of most other matters which I have to mention) were in my letters imparted, as they arose, to Mr. Secretary Thurloe, and by him, I presume, to your Highness and the Council. Two or three days after this I procured a private audience from her Majesty, when I showed her my commission, and took time to wait on her with my proposals.
“The Spanish Resident, Don Piementelle, now in this Court, expressed high respects for your Highness and this Commonwealth, and particular affection to me; and I, knowing his great favour with the Queen and his own worth, contracted an intimacy of friendship with him, as I had also with M. Woolfeldt, the King of Denmark’s brother-in-law, with Field-Marshal Wrangel, Grave Tott, the Queen’s favourite, and with divers senators and great men, but especially with the old Chancellor.
“I found very useful for your Highness’s service there Mr. Lagerfeldt, Secretary Canterstein, Mr. Ravius, and others; and I had good assistance from my countrymen, General-Major Fleetwood, a true friend to England, my Lord Douglas, Colonel Hamilton, and others.
“And having now given your Highness some account of persons, I come to the matter of my negotiation, which I laid the best I could.
“By advice I made my applications to the Queen herself, and, as much as I could, put the business upon her personal determination, which she liked, and it proved advantageous. I presented to her at once all my articles, except three reserved. The articles proposed a league offensive and defensive; whereupon she objected the unsettledness of our Commonwealth, the present peace of her kingdoms, and our being involved in a war. To which I answered, that her kingdoms could not long continue in peace, and would have as much need of our assistance as we of theirs; and our war and successes against Holland were arguments that our friendship merited acceptance; that I hoped our Commonwealth was settled, and that leagues were between nations, not governments.
“This debate was very large with her Majesty, who seemed satisfied with my answers, and appointed her Chancellor to treat with me; who much more insisted upon the unsettledness of our Commonwealth and upon the same objections which the Queen had made, and received from me the same answers; which proved the more satisfactory after the news of your Highness’s accession to the Government, which made this treaty proceed more freely.
“I had often and long disputes with the Chancellor upon the article touching English rebels being harboured in Sweden; most of all, touching contraband goods, and about reparation of the losses of the Swedes by prizes taken from them in our Dutch war by us, besides many other objections, whereof I have given a former account by letters. The Chancellor being sick, his son Grave Eric was commissioned to treat with me in his father’s stead, and was much more averse to my business, and more earnest upon the objections, than the old man, whom, being recovered, I found more moderate, yet we could not agree one way or other. And when I pressed for a conclusion, both the Queen and her Chancellor did ingenuously acknowledge, that they desired first to see whether the peace would be made between us and Holland, before they came to a determination upon my treaty; wherein I could not but apprehend reason: and when the news came that the peace between your Highness and the Dutch was concluded, I urged a conclusion of my treaty; and what the Chancellor and I differed in, the Queen was pleased to reconcile, and so we came to the full agreement contained in this instrument, signed and sealed by the Queen’s Commissioners, which I humbly present to your Highness and this Honourable Board; and which I hope, through the goodness of God, may be of advantage to this Commonwealth, and to the Protestant interest.”
Here Whitelocke, making a little pause, delivered into the Protector’s hand the instrument of his treaty, fairly written in Latin, in a book of vellum, with the hands and seals to it of the Ricks-Chancellor and his son Grave Eric, which being done, Whitelocke went on in his speech.
“I cannot but acknowledge the great goodness of God to me in this employment, in my preservation from attempts against my person, raising me up such eminent friends, giving me so much favour in the eyes of strangers, inclining the Queen’s heart to an extraordinary affection and favour towards me, and giving this good success to my business, notwithstanding the designs and labours of many enemies to the contrary. The treaty with me being thus finished, the business came on of the Queen’s resignation of the Crown, wherein she was pleased to express a great confidence in a stranger, by imparting it to me many weeks before, whereof I took the boldness to certify your Highness.
“The Prince who was to succeed the Queen was sent for to Upsal, and their Ricksdag, or Parliament, was to meet there in the beginning of May. Your Highness will not expect many arguments of your servant’s longing desires of returning, when he had advice that your frigates sent for him were in the Elbe; yet, judging it might conduce to your service to salute the Prince, I staid till his entry (which was in great state) into Upsal, where I saluted him from your Highness, and acquainted him with my negotiation, which he well approved; and, to testify his great respect to your Highness and this Commonwealth, he came in person to visit me at my house, and used me with so much extraordinary favour and ceremony, that never the like had been done before to any ambassador. We had several conferences at large, much discourse of your Highness and of this Commonwealth, with the particulars whereof I shall acquaint you at your better leisure.
“The time of the Queen’s resignation being near, I thought it not convenient for me to be then upon the place, but removed to Stockholm; where I was when the resignation and new coronation were solemnized at Upsal. The magistrates of Stockholm expressed good respect to your Highness and this Commonwealth. From hence I embarked the 1st of June, in a good ship of the Queen’s, to cross the Baltic Sea. She sent one of her Vice-Admirals, Clerke, to attend me; and, after a dangerous voyage and bad weather, the Lord gave us a safe arrival at Lübeck, on the 7th of June. The magistrates, by their Syndic, here bid me welcome and expressed some respect, and made some requests by me to your Highness.
“From Lübeck I travelled over Holstein and Lüneburg, and came the 10th of June to Hamburg; where I was also very civilly saluted by some of the magistrates and Syndic; and most of the Lords came afterwards to me, and testified extraordinary respect and service to your Highness and this Commonwealth. My countrymen, the company of Merchant Adventurers there, showed very much kindness to me, and I endeavoured to do them service to the Lords of the town, making use of your Highness’s name therein.
“I departed from Hamburg the 17th of June; Mr. Bradshaw, your Highness’s worthy Resident there, and others of my countrymen, showing much kindness to me, both whilst I was there and at my departure from this city. I embarked in your Highness’s frigate, near Glückstadt, but was detained for some days in the Elbe by cross winds, and in some danger, but in more when we came into the open sea. But above all, the Lord was pleased to appear for us on the 28th day of June, when our ship stuck upon the sands, above twelve leagues off from the coast of Yarmouth: and when there was no means or help of men for our escape, but we expected every moment to be drowned by the waves, then it pleased God to show his power and free mercy by his own hand to deliver us, and, after two hours’ expectation of death, to reprieve us, to set our ship on float again, and to bring us all in health and safety to your Highness’s presence, and to our dear country and relations.
“The Queen and the new King were pleased to honour me with jewels off their pictures, and a gift of copper, I having bestowed my horses (of more worth) on them and whom they appointed, and which I refused to sell, as a thing uncomely for my condition in your Highness’s service.
“Thus, Sir, I have given you a clear and full account of my transactions; and, as I may justify my own diligence and faithfulness therein, so I cannot but condemn my many weaknesses and failings; of which I can only say that they were not wilful, and make a humble demand to your Highness and this honourable Council, that I may obtain your pardon.”
When Whitelocke had ended his speech and a little pause made, the Protector, pulling off his hat and presently putting it on again, desired Whitelocke to withdraw, which he did, and within a quarter of an hour was called in again. The Protector, using the same ceremony as before, spake to him to this effect:—
Cromwell’s answer to his speech. “My Lord,
“The Council and myself have heard the report of your journey and negotiation with much contentment and satisfaction, and both we and you have cause to bless God for your return home with safety, honour, and good success, in the great trust committed to you; wherein this testimony is due to you, that you have discharged your trust with faithfulness, diligence, and prudence, as appears by the account you have given us, and the issue of the business. Truly, when persons to whom God hath given so good abilities, as He hath done to you, shall put them forth as you have done, for His glory and for the good of His people, they may expect a blessing from Him, as you have received in an ample measure.
“An acknowledgment is also due to them from their country, who have served their country faithfully and successfully, as you have done. I can assure your Lordship it is in my heart, really it is, and, I think, in the hearts of all here, that your services in this employment may turn to an account of advantage to you and yours; and it is just and honourable that it should be so.
“The Lord hath shown extraordinary mercy to you and to your company, in the great deliverances which he hath vouchsafed to you; and especially in that eminent one which you have related to us, when you were come near your own country, and the enjoyment of the comforts of your safe return. It was indeed a great testimony of God’s goodness to you all,—a very signal mercy, and such a one as ought to raise up your hearts and our hearts in thankfulness to God, who hath bestowed this mercy on you; and it is a mercy also to us as well as to you, though yours more personally, who were thus saved and delivered by the special hand of Providence.
“The goodness of God to you was also seen in the support of you, under those hardships and dangers which you have undergone in this service; let it be your comfort that your service was for God, and for his people, and for your country. And now that you have, through his goodness, passed them over, and he hath given you a safe return unto your country, the remembrance of those things will be pleasant to you, and an obligation for an honourable recompense of your services performed under all those hardships and dangers.
“For the treaty which you have presented to us, signed and sealed by the Queen’s Commissioners, I presume it is according to what you formerly gave advice to us from Sweden. We shall take time to peruse it, and the Council have appointed a committee to look into it, together with your instructions, and such other papers and things as you have further to offer to them: and I may say it, that this treaty hath the appearance of much good, not only to England, but to the Protestant interest throughout Christendom; and I hope it will be found so, and your service thereby have its due esteem and regard, being so much for public good, and so discreetly and successfully managed by you.
“My Lord, I shall detain you no longer, but to tell you that you are heartily welcome home; that we are very sensible of your good service, and shall be ready on all occasions to make a real acknowledgment thereof to you.”
When the Protector had done speaking, Whitelocke withdrew into the outward room, whither Mr. Scobell, Clerk of the Council, came to him with a message from the Protector, that Whitelocke would cause those of his retinue, then present, to go in to the Protector and Council, which they did; and the Protector spake to them with great courtesy and favour, bidding them welcome home, blessing God for their safe return to their friends and native country, and for the great deliverances which He had wrought for them. He commended their care of Whitelocke and their good deportment, by which they had testified much courage and civility, and had done honour to religion and to their country; he gave them thanks for it, and assurance of his affection to them when any occasion should be offered for their good or preferment. They withdrew, full of hopes, every one of them, to be made great men; but few of them attained any favour, though Whitelocke solicited for divers of them who were very worthy of it.
This audience being ended, and with it Whitelocke’s commission, he willingly parted with his company and greatness, and contentedly retired himself with his wife and children in his private family. After his return from the Council, Whitelocke dismissed his company and went to those gentlemen whom he had desired to act as a committee for him before his going out of England; these he desired to examine the state of his accounts with his officers, to satisfy what remained due to any, and to make up his account, to be given in tomorrow to the Council’s committee.