“Dolore etiam afficitur Senatus, se tam sero de Excellentiæ vestræ adventu certiorem esse factum, ut rationes unde tantus hospes, et qui in ipsius comitatu sunt, pro merito exciperentur; melius inire non potuerit, se tamen sperare à clementia vestra ipsis id crimini non datum iri. Per nos rogant hujus urbis magistratus, Excellentiæ vestræ placeat, cervisiæ Lubicensis vinique Rhenani (quod officiariis Excellentiæ vestræ tradi curaverant) parvulum utut munus boni consulere.
“Excellentissime Domine, candore vestro freti speramus, non nobis id vitio datum iri, si etiam hoc temporis articulo paucula ex rebus nostris vestræ Excellentiæ consideranda proponamus: intempestivè fatemur importuni sumus, sed certiores facti, non diuturnam fore vestram in civitate nostra moram, id solliciti timemus, ne aliquando nobis similis offeratur opportunitas; ideo à dominis nostris jubemur Excellentiam vestram certiorem facere, quam plures hujus urbis naves inter navigandum negotii causâ, occurrentes navibus præliaribus Anglis, ab iisdem examen subiisse, liberatas tamen extemplò et dimissas, quod nihil suppetiarum hostibus vestris contulisse deprehendebantur; nihilominus easdem naves à quibusdam privatis vestris captoribus, capers dictis, non multò post apprehensas fuisse, et hucusque detentas esse, magno dominorum detrimento.
“Sperat amplissimus Senatus, intercedente Excellentia vestra, ex justitia et favore Domini Protectoris, restitutionem earundem secundum jus et æquum suo populo futuram, quem in finem, tam magistratus, quem hujusce civitatis populus suppliciter rogat favorem et amicitiam Celsitudinis suæ Domini Protectoris, et illustrissimæ reipublicæ Angliæ, in iis, quæ vel commercia vel etiam alia spectant, posse sibi continuari.”
After a little pause Whitelocke made answer in Latin to the Syndic’s speech, to the effect following:—
“Spectatissimi viri,
“Rectè à vobis observatum est, antiquam fuisse inter populum Anglicanum civesque Lubicenses amicitiam et mutuam officiorum benevolentiam; nec defuisse unquam nobis, data occasione, Domini mei Domini Protectoris reipublicæ Angliæ, Scotiæ, et Hiberniæ, animum benevolentissimum, quem integrum adhuc à Serenissima sua Celsitudine erga vos conservari nullus dubito. Nec suspicio mihi est, quin amplissimus Senatus, hujusque celeberrimæ urbis liberi cives, Dominum meum Dominum Protectorem honore omni debito prosequentur, et benevolo affectu quotquot Anglorum, commercii aut conversationis causâ, apud vos appellere voluerint.
“Referte, quæso, meo nomine, amplissimo hujus civitatis Senatui, gratias ob respectum erga Dominum meum Dominum Protectorem rempublicamque Anglicanam, in honorificâ mei eorum ministri receptione significatum, tam in appulsu meo ad suum portum, quam ad civitatem suam aditu, necnon in munere quod mihi offerre ipsis placuit: honori duco quod per me, in suis negotiis, Dominum Protectorem compellare ipsis visum est, quod munus in me libenter recipio præstandum, quamprimum Deo placuerit ad Serenissimam suam Celsitudinem mihi reditum indulgere, cui id curæ est, ut unicuique quod est juris uniuscujusque tribuatur. Non equidem dubito, quin particularia favoris et respectûs erga hanc celeberrimam civitatem specimina reipsa effecta comperiamini.”
The Syndic replied in French, that they did give many thanks to Whitelocke, in that he was pleased to take in so good part the respect of this City to him, and desired that if there were anything here which might do him service, that he would command it. Whitelocke said he came by this City in a desire to see it and the fortifications of it, which, if they pleased to give him leave to do, he should take it as a favour. They said, that even now the Senate had ordered Monsieur Bilderbeck and the commander of their forces to wait upon Whitelocke at such time as he should appoint, to view the city, with their fortifications and magazines, and whatsoever here should be thought by him worthy of his sight. Whitelocke thanked them, and discoursed touching the government of the City, and what laws they used, to which the Syndic answered, that their government was chiefly and generally by the municipal laws and customs of the city.
The franchises of Lübeck. Of these gentlemen and others Whitelocke learned this city is the chief and most ancient of the Hanse Towns of Germany, and a kind of free State; that they have power to send Commissioners as public ministers to any foreign prince or State, to treat and conclude with them about any matters relating to their city, and that without the leave or knowledge of the Emperor.
The people of the city chiefly are the merchants and artificers, most of them tradesmen; and both they who are masters, and their servants, being constantly employed in trades and personal businesses, they are the less troublesome in the government of them; as to the criminal part, idleness, being the mother of mischief, causeth quarrels and debaucheries, from whence pilferings, robberies, fightings, and murders do arise; but where people are kept to occupations, traffic, and employments, as they are here, it breeds civility, peaceableness of disposition, desire of rest and quiet, and a plentiful subsistence, and gives less occasion of proceedings in criminal offences. But as to suits upon bargains and contracts, they are the more, because there be so many contracts as merchants and tradesmen must make; yet those suits are here brought to a speedy determination within themselves by their ordinary judges, which are three, and usually assisted with a doctor or licentiate in the laws, who are in great esteem in this country. These judges commonly sit thrice a week, to determine civil controversies, which they do by their own laws and customs, which also have much affinity to the civil law, especially as to the forms and manners of their proceedings; and where the matter contended for exceeds the value of a thousand rix-dollars, there the party grieved may, if he please, appeal from the sentence of these judges to the Imperial Chamber at Spires, as they also do in capital causes; but civil causes under the value of a thousand dollars are finally determined within themselves, and no appeal lies from them.