"Thus did he in our land journey, where the extreame 1654. "hardships we were putt unto are fufficiently knowne to all July 5. "of us, and will to our life's end be felt by fome of us.

"My perticular preservation was wonderfull from an in"tended affaffination by one, who thrust himfelfe into my company to have the better opportunity to execute it; butt, overcome with kindnes, his heart relented, and he "forfooke his purpose and my company.

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"If the fnow had fallen (as in other years) in the time "of our travayle, we could not have paffed our journey; "butt he, who rules the heavens and the earth, restrained it, "till we came within halfe a day of our journey's end, and "in fafety he conducted us to Ubfale.

"The fame providence kept us there, and, when fome of our company were fick and hurt, reftored health againe.

"It was marvailous and unexpected, that, in a forein "countrey, att such a distance from friends and acquaint-ance, God thould rayfe us up friends out of ftrangers, namely, the queen, forein ministers, and great officers; in "whofe fight we found wonderfull favour, to our prefer"vation under God, and a great means of effecting what we

"came

came about, maugre the labours and defigns of our "enemies against it, and their plotts and attempts for our destruction, had not our rock of defence fecured us.

"I should detaine you very long, though I hope it would not be thought too long, to recite all our remarkable mercyes; and it is an excellent thing that they are fo numerous. We are now comming homewards. How dids our God preserve us, over the Baltick fea, from innu

6.

"merable.

1654.

"merable daungers of the rockes, fandes, coafts, iflands, "fierce lightenings, ftormes, and thofe high fwelling waters!

July 5. 66

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"Such was our preservation, in the Elbe, when our countrymen leaped into the water, to bring us off from daunger, and when the tempefts hurryed us up and downe, by Halygo ifland, then towards Holland, then to the northward, then to the fouthward, in the open breaking rough feas, when we had loft our course, and knew "not where we were.

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"Above all other, was that most eminent deliverance neer "our own coaft, when our ship was ftucke uppon the fande "twelve leagues from any fhoare, when no helpe nor humane means were left to fave us, when pale death "faced us fo long togither, when no hopes remained to escape his fury or the rage of the waves, which we ex-* pected every inftant to fwallow us; even then, to fhow "where our dependance ought to be, our God would make "it his owne worke to deliver us: he it was that rayfed "the wind, and brought it from the higher part of the banke "to flake our fastened fhip and crumble the loofe fandes ; "and no fooner had we taken a refolution of praying and "refigning our fouls to God, butt he gave us our lives agayne, moving our fhip by his powerful arme, making "it to floate againe, none knowing how or by what means, "butt by the free act of his mercy, and not a returne of ours, butt of the prayers of fome heer present, and divers others our chriftian friends, who, att that very time, "were mett togither to seek the Lord for us, and for our "fafe returne.

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"Methinks

July 5.

"Methinks the hearts of us, who were partakers of these 1654. mercyes, should rejoice in the repetition of them; and those, that heare them, cannot butt fay they heare ex"cellent things; and certainly never had any men more "caufe, then we have, of returning humble and hearty "thankes to God, who hath thus faved us.

"And, having received these mercyes, and bin delivered out of these diftreffes, I may fay to you, as Jacob fayd to "his houfhold, Gen. xxxv. Lettus arife and go to Bethel; lett us ferve God and prayfe his name, who answeared us in "the day of our diftreffe, and was with us in the way which

€4 we went..

"Lett us alfo keep Jacob's vow; the Lord hath bin with us, and kept us in our way, and brought us againe to our father's houfe in peace; lett the Lord be our God.

"Lett not any of our former vanities or lufts, or love "of the world, be any more our God; butt lett the Lord be "our God, lett our thanksgiving appear in owning the Lord "for our God, and in walking anfwearable to our mercyes; "lett our prayers be according to the councell of the Apostle, Eph. v. See then that you walke circumspectly, giving thankes alwayes for all things: how much more are we bound to doe it from our speciall mercyes!

t

"Gentlemen, give me leave to conclude with my per"ticular thankes to you, who accompanyed me in my journey, and have manifefted very much refpect, care, diligence, courage, and discretion. You have, by your demeanour, done honor to our profeffion of religion, to "our countrey, to yourfelves, to your ambaffador; who "will be ready to teftify the fame on all occafions, and to

1654.

July 5.

"do you all good offices, chiefly in bearing you company "to returne prayfes to our God, whofe mercyes indure for ever.

After these exercises performed, wherin Whitelocke was the more large in manifefting the abounding of his fenfe of the goodnes of God towards him, and was willing also to recollect his thoughts for another occafion, the company retired themselves; and Whitelocke complimented his perticular friends, giving them many thankes, who had fhowed kindnes to his wife and family, and had taken care of his affayres in his absence.

He bid them all wellcome, and defired them to accompany him the next day to his audience before the protector and councell; then he ledde them into a great roome, where the table was spread, and all things in the fame state and manner as he used to have them in Sweden; that his friends might fee the fashion of his being ferved when he was in that condition, and as his farwell to thofe pompes and vanities.

The trumpetts founding, meate was brought in, and the miftris of the house made it appeare, that England had as good and as much plenty of provifions as Sweden, Denmarke, or Germany.

His friends and company fate downe to meate as they ufed to doe in Sweden; the attendants, pages, lacquays, and others, in their liveryes, did their fervice as they were accustomed abroade.

Their difcourfe was full of chearfulness, and recounting of God's goodnes; and both the time of the meate, and

the

і

the afternoone, was spent in rejoycing togither for the pre- 1654. fent mercy, and for the whole feries of God's goodnes to them; and in the evening they parted, every one to his own quarters.

July 5.

Whitelocke went in the morning early to Whitehall. Att 6. fecretary Thurloe's lodging he found most of his company, the gentlemen in their habits, the others in their liveries, and in a short time they were all come togither to attend their ambaffador to his laft audience, who was putt to the patience of staying an hower and a halfe att mafter Secretary's lodging, before he was called in to his highnes; then, being fent for, he went attended in the fame manner as he ufed to goe to his audiences in Sweden.

A

Being come to the outward roome, he was presently' brought in to the councell chamber, where the protector fate in his great chayre, att the upper end of the table, covered, and his councell fate bare on each fide of the table. After ceremonies performed by Whitelocke, and great refpect showed him by the Protector and his councell Whitelocke spake to this effect.

"May it please your highnes,

"I attend, by your commaund, to give an account of "the discharge of that great truft and weighty burden, "which (through the affiftance of God) I have undergone "in my imployment to Sweden, and with the fucceffe of that

negotiation; wherin I fhall not wafte much of your time, for "which you have other great affayres; butt, in as few "words as I can, I fhall, with cleernes and trueth, acquaint your highnes and your honorable councell with "thofe matters, which I apprehend most fitt and worthy of your knowledge.

VOL. II.

Eee

"After