A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II.

by Bulstrode Whitelocke

March 30, 1654.

An interview with the Queen. One of the Queen’s lacqueys came to Whitelocke’s house in dinner-time, to desire him, from the Queen, to come to her at two o’clock. Whitelocke was a little sensible of the quality of the messenger, and therefore himself would not speak with him, but sent his answer by one of his servants, and accordingly waited on the Queen.

He was met at the guard-chamber by Grave Tott and divers of the Queen’s servants, with more solemnity than ordinary, and presently brought to the Queen. After her excuse of his not having had audiences she fell into discourse of his business. Whitelocke presented to her a form of articles, according to his own observations upon those articles he had formerly given in, and upon those he received from Grave Eric. Thereupon the Queen said to him, “You will not consent to any one of my articles, but insist upon all your own.” Whitelocke showed her wherein he had consented to divers of her articles, and for what reasons he could not agree to the rest. They had discourse upon the whole, to the same effect as hath been before remembered.

The Queen told Whitelocke, that if those articles should not be concluded, that nevertheless the amity between the two nations might be continued. Whitelocke answered, that it would be no great testimony of amity, nor proof of respect to the Protector and Commonwealth, to send back their servant after so long attendance, without effecting anything. The Queen said she would despatch his business within a few days, and, she hoped, to his contentment. Whitelocke told her it was in her Majesty’s power to do it; that he could not stay until the change whereof people discoursed, and that he had her Majesty’s promise for his despatch, which he knew she would not break.

Then the Queen fell into other discourses, and in particular of poetry; which occasion Whitelocke took to show her a copy of Latin verses made by an English gentleman, a friend of Whitelocke’s, and sent over to him hither, and which he had now about him, and knew that such diversions were pleasing to the Queen.[71]

At his leisure hours, Whitelocke turned these verses into English, which ran thus:—

“To the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lord, the Lord Whitelocke, Ambassador Extraordinary to the Most Serene Queen of Sweden. An Ode.

Whitelocke, delight of Mars, the ornament
Of gownmen, from thy country being sent,
Tribunals languish; Themis sad is led,
Sighing under her mourning widow’s bed.
Without thee suitors in thick crowds do run,
Sowing perpetual strife, which once begun,
Till happy fate thee home again shall send,
Those sharp contentions will have no end.
But through the snowy seas and northern ways,
When the remoter sun made shortest days,
O’er tops of craggy mountains, paths untrod,
Where untamed creatures only make abode,
Thy love to thy dear country hath thee brought,
Ambassador from England. Thou hast sought
The Swedish confines buried in frost,
Straight wilt thou see the French and Spanish coast;
And them fast bind to thy loved Britany
In a perpetual league of amity.
So wilt thou arbitrator be of Peace,
Her pious author; thou wilt cause to cease
The sound of war, our ears it shall not pierce;
Thou wilt be Chancellor of the universe.
Christina, that sweet nymph, no longer shall
Detain thee; be thou careful not to fall,
Prudent Ulysses, under those delights
To which the learned Circe thee invites.
Thy chaste Penelope doth call thee slow;
Thy friends call for thee home; and they do know
New embassies, affairs abroad, at home,
Require thy service,—stay till thou dost come.
Thou, Keeper of the Seal, dost take away
Foreign contentions; thou dost cause to stay
The wars of princes. Shut thou Janus’ gate,
Ambassador of peace to every state.”

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.

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.

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.

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.