March 19, 1653.
Intrigues of the Dutch Resident against Whitelocke. Whitelocke sent to inquire of the Queen’s health; and it being the Lord’s Day, she was in her chapel. Divers English and Scots of the town came to Whitelocke’s house to hear sermons there; and among them was Monsieur Ravius, who acquainted Whitelocke that one of the Queen’s chaplains asked Ravius how long Whitelocke intended to stay in Sweden. Ravius said he would shortly return to his own country. The chaplain replied, he did not believe that, but he thought Whitelocke would stay here a long time, and that he durst not return to England because of the displeasure of the Protector against him. And when he was answered that Whitelocke came hither not in the posture of a man out of favour, and that the Protector since his accession to the Government had sent him new credentials, and expressed much favour to him, and sent to be certified what respect the Queen gave him, the chaplain replied that Whitelocke was sent hither purposely to be removed out of England, and because he had been of the former Parliament; to which Ravius said, that many who were of the former Parliament were now in public offices, as Whitelocke was.
There was cause to believe that this and many the like stories were feigned by the Holland Resident and other enemies of the Commonwealth, to asperse Whitelocke and his business, and to give some obstruction to it; but Whitelocke took little notice of such things, only he thanked Monsieur Ravius for his defence of Whitelocke and of the truth.
It was also related to Whitelocke that the inauguration of his Royal Highness could not probably be performed till the feast of St. John the Baptist, and that then nothing could be concluded in his business till the feast (as they expressed it) of the Holy Archangel St. Michael next following, because it was fit to be remitted to the Prince for his final agreement thereunto; and so the treaty must necessarily receive a deferring till that time, which, they said, would be best for Whitelocke’s affairs. Whitelocke told them that it would be somewhat difficult to persuade him that such a delay of his business would be best; he was sufficiently convinced of the contrary, and that such an obstruction would render his treaty wholly fruitless both to England and Sweden, and that he hoped to be himself in England long before the time which they prefixed for the beginning of his treaty with the new King; and that he daily expected the commands of the Protector touching his return home, which he should readily and willingly obey, whether his treaty here should be concluded or not. He spake the more to this effect, and the oftener, that the same might come to the ear of the Chancellor and other senators.