Whitelocke waited upon the Queen, and acquainted her with his news from England, and of the consummation of the treaty of peace between England and the Dutch, whereof she said she was very glad, and thanked Whitelocke for his news. He then entreated her Majesty to appoint a day for his audience to take his leave of her Majesty, which she told him should be shortly done; then she desired his company with her in her coach, to take the air. He waited on her, and besides there was in the coach Grave Tott, Grave Vandone, and the Countess Christina Oxenstiern. The Queen was not very pleasant, but entertained some little discourses, not much of business; and after a short tour, returning to the castle, retired into her chamber, and Whitelocke to his lodging.
May 6, 1654.
Lagerfeldt returned answer to Whitelocke, of his motion to insert the words “Serenissimi ac Celsissimi Domini” into the Protector’s title, that he had acquainted the Chancellor with it, who also had communicated it to her Majesty, and she willingly assented thereunto; and it was inserted accordingly. He brought with him Monsieur Carloe, Governor of the Swedish Company for Guinea, with whom Whitelocke had much discourse upon the same points as he had before with Grave Eric; and Carloe denied all that the English merchants had affirmed, and he continued before and after dinner very obstinate in it.
Secretary Canterstein brought to Whitelocke the Queen’s letters of the grant of two hundred ship-pound of copper for a present to him, which letters were thus.[200]
In the afternoon the master of the ceremonies came to Whitelocke’s house, and presented to him, from the Queen, a handsome jewel, which was a case of gold, fairly enamelled, and having in the midst of it the picture of the Queen, done to the life, and very like her. It was set round about with twelve large diamonds, and several small diamonds between the great ones. He told Whitelocke that, by command of her Majesty, he presented her picture to him; that she was sorry it was not made up so as might have been worthy of his reception; but she desired, if he pleased, that he would do her the honour to wear it for her sake, and to accept the picture in memory of the friend that sent it. Whitelocke answered that the Queen was pleased to bestow a great honour upon him in this noble testimony of her favour to him, of which he acknowledged himself altogether unworthy; but her Majesty’s opinion was otherwise, as appeared by such a present as this. He did with all thankfulness accept it, and should with great contentment give himself occasion, by the honour of wearing it, to remember the more often her Majesty and her favours to him, her servant, for which he desired the master to present his humble thanks unto her Majesty.
After he had been with Whitelocke, the master went to Whitelocke’s two sons, and in the Queen’s name presented to each of them a chain of gold of five links, and at the end of the chain a medal of gold of the Queen’s picture; the chains and medals were valued at four hundred ducats apiece. Then he presented, in the Queen’s name, to Colonel Potley, to Dr. Whistler, to Captain Beake, and Mr. Earle, to each of them a chain of gold of four links, and at the end of each chain a medal of gold of the Queen’s picture; these chains and medals were valued at two hundred ducats apiece, or thereabouts.
Then he presented, in the Queen’s name, to Mr. Stapleton, Mr. Ingelo, and Mr. De la Marche, to each of them a chain of gold of three links, with a medal of gold of the Queen’s picture at the end of each chain; the chains and medals were valued at about a hundred and sixty ducats apiece. To Mr. Walker he presented a chain and medal of gold of three links, shorter than the rest, of about the value of a hundred and thirty ducats; to Captain Crispe and to Mr. Swift, to each of them a chain of gold of two links, with a medal of gold to each of them, of about the value of a hundred ducats apiece.
Disputes caused by the Queen’s presents. Walker the steward, and Stapleton, gentleman of the horse to Whitelocke, were discontented, because their chains were not of four links apiece; and they and others took exceptions because their chains were not so good and valuable as those given to Potley and Beake,—so seditious a thing is gold. But Whitelocke endeavoured to satisfy them by the reasons why the chains of Potley and Beake were better than theirs: the one having been an ancient servant of this Crown, and the other being commander of the guards of the Protector; and nothing was due to them, but only the Queen’s free gift and bounty was in all of them, and therefore not to be excepted against by any of them. Notwithstanding this admonition, they met and discoursed together in discontent about this business, and gave thereby occasion of displeasure to Whitelocke.
Whitelocke being in the mood to take the air, the Holland Resident came thither, where they walked and discoursed together; and in their return the Resident and two of his gentlemen, Vorstius and another, went in Whitelocke’s coach, who brought the Resident to his lodging, and there had a civil treatment, and found by discourse that the Resident was not well satisfied with his being in this Court. Whitelocke did not hitherto make a visit to any person since he had received his presents from the Queen, after which, in ceremony, he must first visit her Majesty to give her thanks, and then he is at liberty to visit others.