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OCTOBER.

TH

October

I.

HE councell of state was moved by Cromwell, accord- 1653. ing to his promise to Whitelocke, for an addition to the allowance formerly voted by them for Whitelocke's expences in the ambaffy; and uppon Cromwell's motion, the councell voted 500 l. more to be added to their former vote for Whitelocke's allowance; who was troubled alfo att this finalle addition, knowing that Cromwell, if he had fo pleafed, might as well have procured 500l. per menfem, as one 500l. only, to have bin added: for what Cromwell, and his private iuncto thought fitt to be done, was generally confirmed without objection; fo great a power had he and his few private counfellors, which caufed murmuring in many att it.

Many fuitors were importunate with Whitelocke to goe with him into Sweden, whom he denyed, bicause of the fhortnes of his allowance. He was att the publique worship with his wife and family this Lord's day, and afterwards, att his private retirement and meditations.

Doctor Winston, a true, noble, and bountifull friend to Whitelocke and his family, among other good offices, was very follicitous to procure a good phyfitian to goe with Whitelocke in his journey, which he advised as neceffary in that countrey; and bicaufe he feared ficknes, and mifhapps might be in fo large a family, in fo great a journey, change of diet and climate; and protefted, that he would have gone himfelfe with Whitelocke, but that he was above

VOL. I.

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eighty

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1653. eighty years of age and he incouraged Whitelocke, from the firft, to undertake it.

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Octob. 3.

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He pitched uppon doctor Whistler, whom he recommended to Whitelocke to goe with him; himfelfe provided medicaments both for phyficke and furgery, wherin doctor Whistler was alfo experienced, being the phyfitian that tooke care of the wounded feamen, who were many in the war with the Dutch; and doctor Whistler had gained much reputation in feverall great cures on many of them. This imployment caused him, in discretion, to defire, that before he left it, he might have the ftates leave, and order for it; which Whitelocke procured from the councell by this order:

Monday, October 3d, 1653.

"That

Att the councell of state at Whitehall. Ordered, "doctor Whiftler be fent unto, and defired to accompany "the lord ambaffador Whitelocke, as his phyfitian in his ambaffy into Sweden.

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"Ex". Jo. THURLOE, fect."

Uppon this order he freely confented, and prepared to goe with Whitelocke in his voyage.

The councell having formerly ordered 3000l. to be paid to Whitelocke in part of his allowance; they now ordered Mr. Froft, fecretary affiftant to the councell, to pay the fame, which he did to one of Whitelocke's fervants; and Whitelocke gave an acquittance to Mr. Froft for that 3000 l. on the backfide of the councell's order.

Oct. 5.

Whitelocke removed himfelfe and wife, and fome of his 1653. children, to his kind friend and brother-in-law's houfe, Mr. Samuell Willfon, whofe wife and Whitelocke's wife were fifters; that being there in London, he might be the neerer to his buifnes, and fee his wife and part of his family fetled with fuch friends as might be a comfort to her in her hufband's abfence.

A petition was presented by Whitelocke to the councell, 6. defiring them to move the parlement, that the falary now behind and due to him as a commiffioner of the Great Seale, being 10501. might be ordered by the house to be paid unto him; and the councell undertooke it. Whitelocke held it the fitter to be preffed at this time before his going; left, if he did not receive it upon this occafion, he fhould never gett it.

Captain Bishop fent him a long letter of intelligence, touching the fwedish affayres, which he gathered to come from Sir John Cokeram, and returned thanks for it.

Captain Limrey fent him a letter, that he had procured a pilote for his voyage; whom Whitelocke trusted, being his friend, a man of much honefty and experience in sea

matters.

Monfieur de la Marche, a Guernsey man, was intertained by Whitelocke to be his other chapelin. As to other ordinary imployments and fervice under him in his voyage, there being many earnest fuitors, and divers particulars of feveral natures to be looked after in order to his journey, which Whitelocke had neither leifure nor liking to dispatch in his own perfon; he, by writing under his hand, defired fome of his friends well knowne att court, and fome of his owne officers H 2 and

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1653. and gentlemen, and his fon, or any three of them, to be as a committee for him and his affayres relating to his amoft. 7. baffay, to perufe the lift of his retinue, to examine the fittnes of perfons recommended to Whitelocke's fervice, to agree for wages, advance-money, &c. to take order for provifions, and preparations for the voyage: and to this committee Whitelocke referred all matters generally relating to this buifnes, and fuch as were most troublesome and leffe convenient for his own perfonall difpatch, and wherby envy and distaste were the more avoyded; many of the committee being better able to undergoe them, than himfelfe fingly. This committee made applications to the councell and to committees of parlement, and tooke very much care and paines in this buifnes, approving their affection and friendship unto Whitelocke.

8.

Having leifure, Whitelocke retired him felfe to difcourfe and reade french and latin; indeavouring to renew and improve his knowledge in thofe languages, wherof he was likely to have fo much use in his imployment.

Divers members of parlement, friends to Whitelocke, to do him a favour, fent him word, that they would come and dine with him; butt (as is ufuall) they caused preparation and attendance for them, and then fayled to come, alleadging the house long fitting for their apology.

Monfieur D'Espagne, minister of the french church, recommended to Whitelocke fome notes and advice from a rare phyfician in London, his countryman, to be obferved by Whitelocke in his journey; and sent them with magnificent titles to him.

The

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Oct. 9.

The Lord's day, Whitelocke went to the french church, 1653. which was neer unto his lodging; and there he heard very good preaching, and received civility from the members and officers of their congregation, who were pleafed to take notice of him: and by hearing their minifters, who fpake the best language, Whitelocke had the advantage the better to improve his own knowledge in the french tongue.

Lagerfeldt fent his fecretary to Whitelocke, to informe 10. him, that divers fwedifh fhips were heer detained as prizes against right; and he desired Whitelocke's affiftance to gett them difcharged; wherby he faid, Whitelocke would oblige that crown and nation, and give them further caufe of defiring and embracing an alliance with this common-wealth: heerof he sent a memoire in writing to Whitelocke, who promised to use his best indeavours in this or any other occafion, to teftify his refpects to that crown and nation.

He tooke all times of leifure to meditate and study the buifnes and duety of ambaffadors, which weighty charge he had undertaken; and from that text, Gen. xxiv. and the expofitions of it, he found much light on this argument.

Whitelocke indeavoured to gett a release of the fwedifl ships detained as prize, and gave a paper to the councell for that purpofe; but nothing effectuall was done by them.

The parlement ordered the payment of 1050 1. to Whitelocke, being the arreares of his falary as commiffioner of the feale.

He gott togither divers papers and bookes relating to his buifnes, as Conftitutio Regni Suecia, Fowler's booke of the treaty between Sweden and Poland, Refpub. Suecia, Daniæ,

Polonia,

II.

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