1654. by he had the contentment of being acquainted with the ➡refident.

May 4.

They fell into generall discourses, and, among the rest, of the conclufion and ratification of the treaty between the two common-wealths, and of the advantage which therby would arife to both of them, and to the proteftant party.

As they were walking togither the queen passed by them, being in that wood also to take the aier: when the came neer, she faluted them with great respect, and spake to them alowde, Je fuis ravie de vous voir enfemble, Je voi que la paix eft faite; I am ravished to fee you two togither, I see the peace is made. And fo the queen went on her way, and Whitelocke tooke leave of the resident.

A

Att his returne to his houfe, Whitelocke found his pacquet from England ready to intertaine him, and Thurloe's letter was this:

"MY LORD,

"Your letter of the 10th of March arrived heer this morning, wherby you are pleased to give a very perti"cular and exact account of all proceedings in this treaty you are uppon; I prefently communicated the contents "therof to his highnes and the councell, with whom he

66

was willing to advise, and theruppon he was pleafed to "fend you the inftructions which your excellence will re"ceive heerwith, which are fully agreeable to your own "defire in that behalfe: the former inftructions had come "fooner, if the iffue of the dutch treaty had bin fooner "knowne; now, through the bleffing of God, it is fully "concluded, and your excellence will receive heerwith the articles,

4

66

'

May 4.

"articles, as they are figned by the commiffioners of his 1654. highnes, and the lords ambaffadors of the united pro"vinces. They figned them uppon Wednesday att night, "and the next morning the ambaffadors fent them away "to be ratifyed by their fuperiors, which they will doe "without difficulty or fcruple, as we believe.

"Your excellence will fee, by those articles made with "the Dutch, that the fecond and fifth article is omitted out of your instructions; that these two treatyes will very "well stand togither, and for the notice to be given to the "Dutch, it is cleer to me, that it will not be neceffary, in respect that this treaty was not only begun, butt as good 66 as finished before the conclufion with the Dutch.

"And, for the fourth article, and the provifo your ex"cellence is pleased to fend, that being fo cleerly within "the fubftance of your former inftructions, I thought it "needles to adde any inftruction about it now.

"His highnes, in the beginning of this week, was pleaf"ed to fend for the great feale, and kept it in his own custody two dayes, and now hath disposed it unto your "excellence, Sir Thomas Widdrington, and your confra"ter my lord L'Ifle. His highnes is very much refolved uppon a good and folid reformation of the law, and proceedings in the courts of equity and lawes: the matter "of law he hath committed unto Mr. Juftice Hale, and "Mr. John Vaughan; the reformation of the chancery to my lord Widdrington, Mr. Atturney Generall, and Mr. "Chute; being refolved to give the learned of the robe "the honor of reforming their own profeflion, and hopes "that God will give them hearts to doe it; and, that no time may be loft, the next terme is adjourned.

66

"The

16.54. "The french ambaffador defires very much to gett a "difpatch of his buifnes: his highnes hath att length apMay 4. « pointed him commiffioners to treate, butt no progreffe

"hath bin yett made theruppon; the speech, that he made "att his first audience, your excellence will receive by 66 this.

"The Portugall preffeth much now to come to an agreement also, and to close the treaty which hath hanged so long; and fo doth the Spanyard.

"I pray for your excellency's fafe returne home, and ... reft

"Your excellency's humble fervant,

Additionall inftructions to my lord Whitelocke, our ambasfador extraordinary to her majesty the queen of Sweden.

Having confidered the perticular account you have given by your letters weekly of your negotiation in Sweden, and the delay which hath bin on the part of that court in the treaty you are uppon; we might well have given you pofitive orders for your speedy returne.

"Butt obferving, that the letters and dispatches between this and Sweden are a moneth in their way, and not knowing how affayres may alter in that time with you; and the pretence of their delay, to witt, the incertainty of the iffue

of

May 4.

of the treaty between us and the united provinces, being 1654. removed, as you will fee by these letters, which will affure you of the full conclufion therof; we have thought it more convenient to leave you a latitude in that perticular, and to give you liberty (as we doe heerby) to returne home att fuch time, as you fhall find it for the fervice of the commonwealth.

"2. Wheras, by your letter of the 10th of March 1654, you have represented the perticular debates which you have had uppon all the articles of the treaty, and the exceptions taken by the queen uppon the fecond, fifth, and feventh articles, you are heerby authorised to omit the fecond and fifth articles out of the treaty, as also the words bona a fuis cujufq; inimicis direpta out of the seventh article, if the queen shall still infift theruppon; and as for the comprehending the Dutch in this treaty with the queen of Sweden, notice fhall be given from hence, if it shall be found neceffary.

3. You have heerby power to agree with the queen of Sweden, that she and her fubjects may fifh freely for herrings in the feas of this common-wealth, paying the recognition of the tenth herring, or for a leffer recognition, fo as it be not leffe then the twentieth herring, or the value therof in money.

Whitehall, 7th Aprill, 1654."

The order of the councell touching the great feale, fent by Thurloe, was this.

The title of the order was thus:

Order

1654. Order of the councell approving of the commissioners of the

May 4.

great feale.

Tuesday, 4th of Aprill, 1654.

"Att the councell att Whitehall.

"Refolved, That the councell doth approve of the lord ambaffador Whitelocke to be one of the lords commiffioners of the great feale.

Resolved, That the councell doth approve of Sir Thomas Widdrington, knight, fergeant att law, to be one of the lords commiffioners of the great feale.

"Refolved, That the councell doth approve of John L'Ifle, efquire, to be one of the lords commiflioners of the great feale.

"By the commaund of his highnes, Mr. Sergeant Widdrington and Mr. L'Ifle were called in, and being come to the table, his highnes declared, that the lord ambaffador Whitelocke, and themselves, had bin nominated by his highnes, and approved by the councell, to be commiffioners for the great seale; and his highnes did deliver unto the faid Mr. Sergeant Widdrington, and Mr. L'Ifle, the faid great feale and then the oath, appointed by the ordinance, was read by the clerke of the councell, and was taken by each of them.

Ex'. Wm. Jeffop, clerk of the councell."

The Guinee company fent by this pacquet a letter to Whitelocke of thankes for his care of their buifnes, and

that