"to fuch perfons as fhall be appointed by his lordship to 1653.

"receive the fame.

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"That the judges of the admiralty be fent unto, to cer

tefy to the councell, what proceedings have bin in the "buifnes of the fhip, which pretends to belong to Sweden, "and to certefy to the councell the whole ftate therof.

"That a letter be written to Mr. Ingelo to goe along "with the lord ambaffador, as chaplain, in his ambassy "into Sweden.

"That Mr. John Duery be approved of by the coun"cell, to goe as one of the chapleins to the lord commif"fioner Whitelocke in his ambaffy into Sweden, if his "lordship fhall likewife approve of him.

"Ex". Jo. THURLOE, fec"."

Both Whitelocke and his friend had too much caufe to dislike the narrownefs and illiberality of the allowance voted by the councell for him, which was judged too low and meane to defray his neceflary and great expences; butt the seeming thrift for the commonwealth did now overweigh with fome of the councell, the honor of the nation, and fafety of their fervant.

i Sept. 24.

This ftraightnes of the councell rayfed many ferious thoughts in Whitelocke, how he might extricate himfelfe from the prefent difficulties under which he lay; how he might quit the fervice impofed on him, and not fall into greater daungers and perplexities, then the imployment would bring uppon him. He confidered the improbability of advantaging his own fortunes, .by ferving under fuch

narrowe

1653. narrowe-hearted masters, and the desperate perill of fayling of fufficient fupplyes in a foreign countrey. Sept. 24.

25.

On the other fide, he faw the bitternes of the spirit of many of those in power, who, if they were disappointed of their purposes, and fhould apprehend a neglect of them, and their authority, would not sticke furiously and haughtily to ftraine it, to the ruine of him whom they judged a contemner of it.

He, therfore, as farre as he thought in difcretion he could, made fome overtures and tryalls how to gett dif charged of the imployment; butt the hearts of the present governors were fo fett upon it to have him goe, that they would not heare of any thing from himselfe, or his friends, tending to the excufe of him from going.

Finding it thus, he contented himselfe in his affurance of God's love and protection, and in hopes to have an opportunity to serve him, and his countrey, and the interest of his people.

The Lord's day. Whitelocke was with his wife and family att the parish church, and had more than ordinary ceremony from his brother in office, whofe meaning therin he understood.

After publique exercises of devotion, he retired himselfe, from the continuall difcourfes of his Swedish buifnes, unto his private meditations uppon the holy fcriptures.

26.

In a letter to Whitelocke from the councell was inclofed the fame order which they fent to him the other day; fuch was the forgettfullness of their affayres.

Mr.

Mr. Bonele, an English marchant, who went to the 1653. queen of Sweden, had fo farre gained her favour, that the honored him with the imployment of her publique minister, Sept. 26. her commiffioner for trade to England.

He came to Whitelocke this day, attended with two gentlemen, and two lacquayes in liveryes, and demeaned himselfe in the part of a publique minister. He difcourfed of Whitelocke's journey, and that his best way would be by Gothenburg; and he magnifyed the civility and courtefy of the queen, his miftris, to all gentlemen and strangers that came into her countrey, especially to publique minifters; and (as it was due) of her great respects to those who were extraordinary ambaffadors; which character, he said, he heard was defervedly intended for Whitelocke.

He was full of the buifnes of trade between the two nations, and of commerce in generall, and the honor of marchants.

Whitelocke went to the councell and had some discourse 27. with them touching the fmallenes of the allowance ordered for him, and that it might be increased; he gave his reafons freely to them, butt they gravely acquainted him, that the judgement of the councell held that allowance to be competent; and they having refolved it, that it was not in the committee's power to alter it; butt they promifed to report to the councell his defires, and the reafons he had offered to them.

Whitelocke alfo acquainted the committee, that Mr. Duery, whom the councell had recommended to be one of his chapleins, had, by letters, excufed himselfe for want VOL. I.

G

of

1653. of health; butt Mr. Ingelo had confented to goe with him: they feemed pleased therwith, butt Whitelocke was not so, att their backwardnes to increase his allowance; and fo they parted.

Sept. 27.

Captain Bishop, fecretary to the clofe committee, gave Whitelocke a paper of intelligence, which he had received from fome of the king's party, his pentioners, which was thus:

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September 17th, 1653.

Att a meeting of fome of the king's chiefe agents, part of their difcourfe was this. One faid, "what will be your advantage when you have taken off Cromwell and Lam"bert, feeing the prefent men in power are butt a company of giddy headed men; fome of the old men, as "Bradeshawe, St. John, Whitelocke, Rolles, Vane, would "take the opportunity to bring themselves in power againe, "and if one of thofe gett it into their hands, we fhall never gett it out againe, they being the men that turned "the wheele of the nation formerly; and what Cromwell "did was by force to take it out of their hands, left he "fhould be turned out himselfe.

"For Bradefhawe (faid one) I heare he is going for "Wiltshire, I warrant you we fhall take a courfe with him; you need not feare his returne: he is left to himselfe now, and out of his army guard; he will not be walk"ing on his battlements att Whitehall.

"For Whitelocke (faid another) it was the wifest act that "ever thofe men did to fend him to Sweden; for he hath

a

tr

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a long journey to goe, and before he comes to his jour- 1653. neys end, he may meet with divers good friends."

They were all of them of the opinion, that those men must be taken off, as well as Cromwell, for the reafons aforefaid; and that it was fo concluded, without which, they faid, their ends could not be effected.

From other hands Whitelocke heard, that the king, being offered by fome their fervice to murder Whitelocke, he forbad them to doe fo unworthy and finfull an act, to which, he fayd, he would give no countenance, nor be party to , it by the leaft connivance.

The intelligence from Bishop did not fo much affect or disturbe Whitelocke, as to kindle any apprehenfions in him of daunger; butt he looked upon it only as taverne talke of fome giddy people.

Mr. Lagerfeldt fent his fecretary to Whitelocke, to know what time he would be within, that Lagerfeldt might come to vifit him: Whitelocke anfwered, that he had fome extraordinary occafions for a few days; butt if Lagerfeldt pleased to come to him on Thursday next, in the afternoon, he would be then att home to receive the honor of his vifite; at which the fecretary went away, not seeming pleased that the receiving of his lord's vifit fhould be fo long deferred.

Sept. 27.

This order of the councell was brought to Whitelocke by 28. one of their meffengers.