Oct. 11. 1653. Poloniæ, the Succeffion of their kings, Exigefis Sueciæ, and others. His noble friend Sir Thomas Cotton, out of his rare treasury of antiquities, monuments, and manuscripts, lent him feverall volumes in MS. of treatyes between England and Sweden, and between England and Denmarke, and between Sweden and Denmarke, and Polands, and divers other MS. concerning matters of trade, more particularly in the northerne parts; all which were carefully made use of by Whitelocke, in the perufall of them: and he had them with him in his being abroade; and he thankfully returned them to the owner, att his coming agayne to his own I 2. countrey. By invitation Whitelocke mett at Mr. Croon's, at Cambdenhoufe, with generall Blake, generall Monke, and divers other land and fea officers, with whom he had much difcourse about his voyage, and many complements and ceremonies from them; and heer he had opportunity of speaking with them about fhips for his tranfportation, wherin they promised and performed all courtesy. The councell made this order. "Thefe are to will and require you, to permit and fuffer "the lord ambaffador Whitelocke to fhip and transport his "neceffaries and horfes, without any lett or moleftation, "in order to his going ambaffador from this common-wealth to the queen of Sweden; of which you are not to fayle. "Given at the councell of state at Whitehall, this 12th "of October, 1653. To the Commiffioners of the Customs. 4 66 Signed in the name, and by order "of the councell of State. " WILLIAM SYDENHAM, Prefident." Oct. 12. They made another order, figned by the prefident and five 1653. members of the councell, for payment of 500 l. to White-m locke, uppon account, directed to Mr. Froft; and another to the commiffioners of Haberdashers Hall, for 1000 1. more uppon account to Whitelocke, towards defraying of the charges of his ambaffy. On the backside of the councells order, Whitelocke fubfcribed an acquittance for 500 l. Lagerfeldt's fecretary brought newes from his lordship to Whitelocke, that the queen of Sweden was refolved to refide this winter at Gothenbergh, which newes Whitelocke had caufe to wish might be true; and it would fave him his land journey. Lagerfeldt's fecretary defired Whitelocke to appoint a time and place for his lordship and Whitelocke to meet the next day and although Lagerfeldt, in ceremony, fhould have come to Whitelocke, if he defired to speak with him yett Whitelocke appointed a meeting att a friends chamber in Whitehall att the time defired. ; The commiffioners for compounding gave their warrant to the treasurers, for the payment of the 1000 1. last ordered to Whitelocke. He mett this afternoon with Lagerfeldt, who fhowed him a letter under the queen of Sweden's hand, that she intended to be at Gothenbergh this winter, for the better dispatch of the holland and english affayres; and wifhed Lagerfeldt, that if the refolution held of fending an ambassador to her from England, that he fhould councell the ambaffador to come directly to Gothenbergh, where he fhould find the queen. Whitelocke doubted whether this purpose of her majesty 13. 14. 1653. majesty would hold; butt Lagerfeldt was confident it would. Oct. 14. 15. They had much discourse what provisions Whitelocke fhould make, and about the fwedish prizes; and Lagerfeldt faid, this was no good beginning of amity; that Whitelocke's negociation would be furthered by the release of them, and perhaps obftructed by the detention of them. Whitelocke infifted uppon the point of juftice, whether thofe things were lawfull prize or not; yet was very fenfible of the confequence thereof, as to his buifnes; and therefore laboured with the councell (though in vayne) for the release of them. Sir Charles Oulfey, and divers other members of the parlement, dined with Whitelocke at his brother Willfon's house, and had much difcourfe with him touching his journey; and the deferring of it till the fpring, before which time, he was perfwaded, and (by these and fome others in power, as farre as they could ingage) promifed, that he fhould not be putt uppon it: the reafons given by themfelves were the daunger, and almost impaffablenes of the northern feas in winter; that the spring was more feaíonable for the journey; and it would be no prejudice to the affayres of England to putt it off till then. Whitelocke had the more caufe to hope it might be fo; because the councell of ftate had very much delayed the buifnes; and in two months togither had not prepared any commission, inftructions, or credentialls; and att this time of the year, though the wind had bin feverall times fayre, had deferred the buifnes. Sir Charles Oulfey and Mr. Moyer, being members of the councell, faid they would move the councell this afternoon for Oct. 15. for an order to putt of his going till the spring; butt White- 1653. locke defired them to confider, whether fuch a motion might not revive the buifnes, which now lay quiet, and being flirred, might putt the councell in mind to order his speedy departure, rather than his longer ftay: butt these gentlemen were confident to gett the councell's order for deferring his journey; and he must leave it to them, who were mafters of their own motions, and councellors themselves. They made this motion to the councell in the afternoon, butt with contrary fucceffe to what they undertooke; and what Whitelocke and his friends expected. Mr. Bushell an ingenious gentleman, who had bin a fervant to the lord chancellor Bacon, fent a civill letter to Whitelocke, with a noble present; a curious rich cabinet of green velvet, with filver lace; in it were two dozen of quart glaffes of the most rare and best distilled spirits of hott waters, after the direction of his lord; and every glaffe had its screwes and cover of welch filver, chiefly found out by himselfe: it was fuitable to the time, and journey. The councell made feveral orders for hangings, houfhold ftuffe, coaches, and other things for Whitelocke's journey. In the evening, Sir Charles Oulfey, Mr. Strickland, and alderman Tichborne came to Whitelocke, as a committee of the councell, and acquainted him, that the councell had this day taken into confideration the buifnes of his journey into Sweden; and had fent them to him, to lett him know, that uppon serious debate, as affayres now ftand, the councell found it neceffary that Whitelocke should transport himfelfe with all expedition into Sweden; and defired him to prepare himselfe accordingly. VOL. I. I Whitelocke 1653. Whitelocke told them, he was much furprized with this unexpected meffage and commaund, especially having bin 09. 15. affured by fome (and of no fmalle capacity to make it good) that he fhould not be putt uppon this journey till the fpring; and that fome of this committee were perfwaded that they could procure an order of the councell for his stay till that time; and now to bring fuch a pofitive order to the contrary, and the allowance yett voted was fo fhort, this time of the year fo unfeafonable, his wife's condition fo unfitt to be left, and the publique affayres not requiring his speedy departure, feemed frange to him, and was the leffe expected by him. The committee replyed, that the councell had weighed all confiderations, and found it requifite that he should goe as foon as poffibly he could. Whitelocke then defired them as private friends, to acquaint him how it came to paffe, that uppon the motion of fome of them for his stay till spring, it should be ordered that fpeedily he must take his voyage. They answered; that when the motion was made, it brought matters to the confideration of the councell, which otherwife perhaps would not have bin stirred or thought uppon; and as (they confeft) himfelfe had faid before, the moving of the buifnes occafioned the order, which otherwife probably had not bin yett made; and what his friends defigned by moving it, to have bin a service to him, proved an inconvenience; for which they were forry, butt could not now help it: and fo the committee left him. This putt Whitelocke to fome perplexity, and his wife into great paflion; butt the ingagement was too farre 7 past, |