Co. Why, fir, many honest gentlemen before now have 1653. bin fent over feas, and yett have returned well home againe ; and fo I hope will you. Wh. But this is a journey of more daunger then ordinary. Co. Sir, you have bin in great daungers ere now, and God has kept you; and fo I hope he will still.. Wh. I perceive you are not fo much against my going as others are. Co. I fee no cause to be much against it, that's the trueth on't; bicause I hope it may be for the good of you and yours, which I wish with all my heart, and ever did. Wh. Butt doe not you thinke it would be more for our good for me to stay at home? Co. That you know beft; butt this I thinke, that if by going abroade you may gaine a good advantage to your state, and by staying att home you will only spend of it, then it will be more for your good to goe abroade, than to stay att home. Butt these things are above me. Wh. You fpeake reafon, William. Co. I have no ends in what I fpeake butt my love to you and yours; and I am fure I fhall gaine nothing by your going, nor lofe nothing by your stay. Wh. Butt my wife much feares the daunger. Co. Sept. 10. 1653. Co. Our lady and miftris will be fatisfyed in what you think beft, and knowes that God is the fame God every Sept. 10. where I pray God keep you out of daungers if you goe, you ftay; there will be daungers every where. or if : Wh. Butt more apparent in this journey. Co. I cannot tell that; for I have heard that our great man, I meane my lord generall, would have you to goe: and if it be fo, and yett you will stay att home, I doubt there may be as much daunger for you to flay as to goe. Wh. Its true the generall would have me goe; butt I am not bound to obey him in all things. Co. I am deceived if he will not be obeyed in what he hath a mind to. Wh. I am not under his command; what can he doe to me? Co. What can he doe! what can he not doe? Don't we all fee he does what he lift. We poor countrymen are forced to obey him to our coft; and if he have a mind to punish us or you, its an old proverbe, that it is an easy thing to find a ftaffe to beate a dogge: and I would not have you to anger him, left you bring daunger and trouble too uppon you and your family and ftate; that's the trueth on't. Wh. I fully agree with you in this; and I hope you will agree to me to be carefull of my buifnes in cafe I fhall goe, and to obey my wife's commands in my absence. Co. Co. I fhall, by the help of God, be faithfull to you; and 1653. carefully obferve the commands of my lady and miftris. The Lord's day. After publique duetyes Whitelocke had much difcourfe about his voyage to Sweden; and more particularly uppon the point, whether, by his undertaking of it, he might be inftrumentall to promote the proteftant intereft, and to doe fervice to good people both heer and abroade; against which these objections were made. That the people of those parts whither he was to goe differ wholly from our perfwafion in matters of religion; and though they are proteftants after the doctrine of Luther, yett they are not eafily to be. reconciled to thofe of other tenents, nor to be brought to joyne with them; and they have a sharpe averfenes to the opinions of Calvin, and looke uppon us as most favouring them, and more than thofe of their great author Luther. On the other part it was faid, that though the fwedish and german profeffors are generally lutherans; yett they are proteftants, and agree with us in fundamentalls, and against the roman church. That the queen of Sweden, butt chiefly her father, and many of his great men, yett living, have teflifyed much affection to the proteftant caufe, and are forward to pro mote it; that fuch a perfon as Whitelocke being with them uppon the place, and difcourfing with them about these matters, (wherin he is able to give them fo much fatisfaction, and fuch as they have not had any opportunity fo fully to receive before) and the example of Whitelocke and his company to worke uppon them to a greater liking of our wayes and profeffion, accompanyed with fuch practice, would Sept. 10. 1653. would gaine a better acceptation with them, than any they have formerly given to those from whom att present they Sept. 11. doe differ; and will much perfwade towards a firm amity and union with this common-wealth. 12. That there is no other nation in Chriftendome from whom the Swedes can rationally expect fuch a friendship and union butt only England; especially in matter of religion, and for strength against the popifh party, who love not them nor us. The proteftant princes of Germany are not att this day fo confiderable, nor fo free of differences and jealoufies among themselves and against the crown of Sweden, nor fo fecure of neerer ennemies as to be much affiftant to the Swedes, who will hardly be reconciled and united to the Danes, to joyne with them against the papifts: the french proteftants are overpowred att home, the Switzers are too farre of, the Netherlanders too much in league with the Dane, and in love with trade; fo that the English only are the people with whom the Swedes may hope for a firm amity and union for the proteftant interest, against the common ennemy therof, the popifh party; and, uppon this ground, that Whitelocke might receive incouragement to undertake this ambaffy, and being fo hopefull to promote the protestant interest, that God will give a blefling to it. The pleasant healthfull countrey aier must be left, and Whitelocke must haften to attend the general; and for that end he returnes to London, where difcourfe againe arifeth touching his fwedish journey, between him and his wife and friends, and the fame reafons, objections, and answers as formerly were reiterated. Att length fhe came to this conclufion 1 conclufion and refult with herfelfe, which fhe declared to 1653. her husband, as her advice and judgement; that he was n not able to give her confent to his undertaking of the jourSept. 12.. ney, bicause of that heavy affliction which would lye uppon her by it; neither durft she abfolutely to deny it, least any inconvenience might befall him or his family by his refufall of it, or any hindrance to their good: butt that she thought he must be guided in his refolutions as he should find the generall's, in his next conference with him. And fo fhe left it to her husband (wherin their friends concurred) and she, with many teares, defired him to confider his own fafety in the firft place, and to doe what would tend moft therunto, and to the honor of God, and the intereft of his family and countrey. Her advice was without any by-ends; her concernement and good the fame with his, the fame interest to both; her advice (though a woman) not to be rejected, butt found, faithfull, and affectionate. Early in the morning Whitelocke had acceffe to the ge- 13.. neral, and this difcourfe with him. Wh. I was to attend your excellence, butt mift of you.. Crom. I knew not of it; you are alwayes wellcome to me. I hope you have confidered the propofall I made to you, and are willing to ferve the common-wealth.. Wh. I have fully confidered it; and with humble thankes: acknowledge the honor intended me, and am most willing to ferve your excellence and the common-wealth; butt in this particular I humbly begge your excufe. I have indea-voured to fatisfy my owne judgement, and my neerest re-lations, 7 2 |