The district or territory belonging to the town is in some places two, in others three, in some more, German miles distant from the city, in which precinct they have the jurisdiction and revenue; and near the town are many pleasant little houses and seats, with gardens and accommodations, belonging to the citizens, to refresh themselves and their wives and children in the summer-time, to take the fresh country air, and to have a diversion for their health and pleasure. It may be said of this town, that God hath withheld nothing from them for their good. They have plenty of provisions, health, profit, and pleasure, to their full contentment, in a peaceable and just government, with freedom, strength in their magazines, fortifications, and bodies of men for their defence and protection, conveniences for their habitation and commerce, and, which is above all, a liberty to know the will of and to worship God, for the health of their own souls.
June 13, 1654.
The Diet of Germany. This morning Whitelocke returned a visit to the Swedes’ Ambassador, Bernelow, at his lodging, where he learnt of him the manner of the sitting of the General Diet of Germany, at which he was present:—That they have three colleges or chambers: the first is the College of the Electors, where they only assemble; the second is the College of the Princes, where the Archbishops, Bishops, Dukes, Graves, and Barons meet, to the number of about one hundred and forty; the third is the College of the Free Cities, where their Deputies, about two hundred, do meet. When they consult, the Chancellor of the Empire, the Archbishop of Mentz, sends the proposal in writing to each college severally. When they are respectively agreed, then all the colleges meet together in the great hall, at the upper end whereof is a chair of state for the Emperor. On the right-hand of the chair the Electors sit, on the left-hand the principal officers of the Emperor’s court; on the right side of the hall, upon seats, are the Ecclesiastic Princes, Bishops, and Abbots; on the left-hand are the Temporal Princes, upon their seats; and on the seats below, one before another, are the Deputies of the towns.
The Archbishop of Mentz, as Marshal of the College of the Electors, begins and reads the proposal, and the resolution thereupon in writing of that college; after him, the Marshal of the College of the Princes doth the like; and lastly, the Marshal of the College of the Free Towns, who is always the chief magistrate of the place where the Diet sits. If the resolution of the three colleges agrees, or of the College of the Electors and one other of the colleges, the business is determined accordingly; if the colleges do not thus agree, then they meet all together and debate the matter; whereupon, if they come not to an accord, the business is remitted to another day, or the suffrage of the Emperor decides it.
Whitelocke asked him, whether the advice of the Diet, being the supreme public council, were binding to the Emperor. He said, that the Emperor seldom did anything contrary to that advice, but held himself bound in prudence, if not in duty, to conform thereunto. Whitelocke asked him what opinion they had in the Emperor’s court of the present King of Sweden. He answered, as was expected, and most true, that they have a great opinion of the King, especially for military affairs. Upon Whitelocke’s invitation, he did him the honour to dine with him, and they had much and good discourse together.
Visit of M. Woolfeldt’s brother-in-law. In the afternoon Whitelocke received a visit from Monsieur Hannibal Schestedt, whose wife was sister to Woolfeldt’s lady, one of the daughters of the late King of Denmark by his second wife,—as they term it, his left-handed wife; this relation, and his own good parts, brought him in high esteem with the King, his brother-in-law, till by jealousies (particularly, as was said, in some matters of mistresses), distaste and disfavour was against him, and he was put out of his office of Viceroy of Norway, and other advantages; upon which he retired himself into these parts, and lived upon a pension of six thousand dollars yearly, allowed by the King unto his lady. Whitelocke found him a gentleman of excellent behaviour and abilities, which he had improved by his travels in most countries of Europe, and had gained perfectly the French, Italian, Dutch, English, and Latin tongues. His discourse was full of ingenuity and cheerfulness, and very free touching his own country and King, on whom he would somewhat reflect; and he spoke much of the Queen of Sweden’s resignation, which he much condemned, and as much extolled the assuming of the Government by the Protector of England, and said he had a design shortly to see England, and desired Whitelocke, that when he came into England he would move to the Protector to give him leave to come into England to serve the Protector, which he would willingly do, being forbid his own country; but he prayed Whitelocke, that none might know of this his purpose but the Protector only. He told Whitelocke, that Williamson, the King of Denmark’s Ambassador now in England, had been his servant, etc.
When Monsieur Schestedt was gone, Whitelocke wrote to Secretary Thurloe, and to his other friends in England, to give them an account of his being come thus far in his voyage homewards, and of the two frigates being arrived in the Elbe, that as soon as the wind would serve he would hasten for England.
A banquet to Whitelocke. The Resident invited Whitelocke and several Senators to a collation this evening, whither came the four Burgomasters, and five other Senators; a thing unusual for so many of them to meet a foreign public minister, the custom being in such case to depute two or three of their body, and no more; but they were willing to do more than ordinary honour to Whitelocke. And of these nine Senators every one spoke French or Latin, and some both, a thing rare enough for aldermen of a town; but the reason of it was given, because here, for the most part, they choose into those places doctors and licentiates of the laws, which employments they willingly accept, being for life, attended with great authority, and a salary of a thousand crowns yearly, besides other profits. They had a banquet and store of wine; and the Senators discoursed much with Whitelocke touching England, and the successes of the Parliament party, and the many thanksgivings for them; of which they had heard with admiration, and commended the return of thanks to God.
Upon this occasion, Whitelocke gave them an account of many particulars, and of God’s goodness to them, and exhorted these gentlemen, in all their affairs, to put their trust in God, to be thankful for his mercies, and not to do anything contrary to his will. They asked how the Parliament could get money enough to pay their forces. Whitelocke told them that the people afforded money sufficient to defray the public charges both by sea and land; and that no soldiers were paid and disciplined, nor officers better rewarded, than those who have served the Parliament.
Whitelocke asked them concerning the religion professed among them, and of their government and trade, wherein they gave him good information; and he told them he hoped that the agreement made by this city with the merchants, his countrymen, would be carefully observed, and the privileges accorded to them be continued, which would be acceptable to the Protector. They answered, that they had been very careful, and should be so still, that on their part the agreement should be exactly observed. They desired Whitelocke to speak to the Protector in favour of a ship belonging to this town, in which were some moneys belonging to Hollanders, and taken by the English two years since. Whitelocke promised to move the Protector in it, and assured them that his Highness would cause right to be done to them.