1653. ང Sept. 6. 7. Wife. Butt Wh. I fee it, and rejoyce in the addition of God's mercyes to us; and hope, if I doe goe, yett I fhall fee you firft fafely delivered. Wife. No, you muft goe presently. Heer againe abundance of teares interrupted their dif courfe, and was no weake argument against the journey. Some of Whitelocke's friends, whofe advife he afked in this buifhes, were more referved then ufuall; and not fo free to give their pofitive advice in it, for feare of inconveniency which might either way infue. Others of his friends declared their judgements and reafons freely to him, for his undertaking of it, as others did against it. Some whofe affections were not with the parlement, yett advifed him to undertake this imployment, to preferve his intereft in the prefent powers, and to be the better able to doe them and himfelfe good. Others, who were for the parlement, yett were against his going, that they might have him heer, and for his avoyding the daungers of the voyage. Thofe against his going objected, the daungers of the rough northerne feas, of the ennemies Dutch and Danes, of the defeat to our navy, which would fruftrate the Swedish buifnes, and leave him and his company miferable abroad, as every disaster to our new common-wealth would doe; alfo the extreame coldnes of that countrey in the winter, the great change of climate and dyett, want of accomodations and hardships, to one not ufed to them in his youth, and now in his crazy old age to be putt to more than ordinary extreamities. To To these it was anfwered, that the voyage by fea is not 1653. fo daungerous as was apprehended; and though they be rough feas, yett he would be in good fhips, and might Sept. 7. take his owne time, and feldome would be farre from fome port to friend him. That the Dutch would be moft in harbour in the winter; and if any of their men of war fhould be abroad, they would not rafhly fett uppon our frigotts, fuch as would be fent with Whitelocke, and which they knew would fight; nor was it ufuall to affault an Ambaffador: and as for the Danifh fhips, they were not confiderable. Every day Whitelocke advised with his friends about this great buifnes, heard and weighed their objections and anfwers, fome whereof were thefe : The daunger of the land journey, and of affacination ; his want of experience in state affayres, and in trade; a fubtle people to deale with, whose interest was their profit, and agreements not kept on other grounds; the inconveniencies which might befall him in his abfence, and his not being then minded and fupplyed. To which was anfwered, that the countrey was indeed extreame cold, butt against that he must provide warme clothing; that he would there find warme houses, and abundance of fuell; that though the journey was very long, yett the wayes were exceeding good, and order would be given for the repayre of them, and for all accomodations for his journey: that strict care would be taken to prevent force uppon him or affacination, and the people there were in perfect obedience, and none would dare to commit fuch a fact, either of the natives or ftrangers; and he would have 8. 1653. have a better guard then thofe had who were murdered in Sept. 8. Spayn, and Holland. 9. That there was not much trade betwixt us and Sweden ; nor was much of skill in those matters expected in an extraordinary ambaffador, who agreed fuch things in the generall; and afterwards particular points were brought to a determination by merchants or others appointed to be commiffioners for that purpose. That Whitelocke was not unexperienced in forrein affayres, and matters of ftate, wherein he had bin constantly imployed heer by the parlement and councells; that the Swedes were very juft in performing their agreements, and regarded their advantage not more then all other princes and states doe; and as they were a wife and fubtile people, fo they would find thofe no children with whom they were to deale; and that the Swedes were butt men. That no inconvenience could befall him by reason of his abfence, butt the fame, if not more, would lye uppon him if prefent; except the fayler of fupplyes, for which a full provision might be made beforehand: and that his journey would be an honorable difmiffion from any fuch inconveniences, if they fhould happen, and from the clamours which usually follow thofe imployments in which he had bin ingaged. It was requifite for Whitelocke to goe into the countrey about his affayres there; fome difcourfe a little retarded him. It was objected, that the authority under whose commiffion he was to act in this great buifnes, was not juftifyable by by the law of God, or of this nation; and he the more 1653. lyable to punishment, if a change fhould come. To this was anfweard, by fome minifters and other friends that to matter of confcience, the buifnes about which he went was for the good of the nation, and of the proteftant interest and religion; and heer being no other prefent visible power butt those who fent him, he might with good confcience submit to them, according to that of the Apostle, I Pet: ii. 13. "Submit yourselves to every "ordinance of man ;" and Rom. xiii. 1. "Lett every foul be "fubject to the higher powers, for there is no power butt of God, the powers that be are ordained of God;" that Christ yielded obedience to Cæfar, though an ufurper, and Paul did the like. 66 As to the matter of law, it was faid by thofe of his own profeffion (of whom none diffwaded him from this journey) and by other friends, that matters judiciall, civill, or criminall, raysing of money, or forces, fighting, killing, &c. are of a nature much different from an ambaffy, and have more confideration as to legality or illegality of the powers ordering them; butt the carrying of a meilage, and being an ambaffador, may be undertaken on the behalfe of any that will fend it, and can defray the charge of it, fo as the matter of it be not bad; and though the authority itself be not fo gratefull to the people, yett they fubmit to it, and univerfally obey it, and none can have protection butt under it. That the buifnes was in itselfe good and gratefull to the people, being to make a league of amity with a neighbour nation, to increase our trade, to ftrengthen ourfelves against a forein ennemy, the Dutch, or to produce Vol. I. a peace D Sept. 9. 1653. a peace with them; which things would be gratefull and advantageous to all forts of people, and opinions in the Sept. 9. nation, both now and in any future change. IO. As to matter of prudence, he was faid to be fo farre ingaged already with the parlement party, that he could not go back; that if any change fhould be made with force, it would be fafer to be from among them than in the midft of them; if it were made uppon termes, he (though abfent) fhould be comprised in them. Some of those who diffwaded him, yett when he would goe, they freely adventured their lives with him. He got this day to his houfe in Bucks. Early in the morning he went abroade to take the fresh aier, and looke into his grounds with him was his tenant William Cooke, an antient, fober, difcreet, and faithfull fervant to Whitelocke and his father above forty years; part of the difcourfe between them was to this effect. Co. Sir I am glad to fee you heer before you goe your great journey. Wh. I defired to see you once againe before I be fent bejond fea. Co. If you be sent over sea, I pray God blesse you, and fend you well home againe. Wh. There will be fome daunger of comming well home againe. Co. |