JOURNAL
OF
THE SWEDISH EMBASSY
IN THE YEARS 1653 AND 1654.

OF

THE SWEDISH EMBASSY

IN THE YEARS 1653 AND 1654.

Whitelocke continues the negotiation. Now was the heat of Whitelocke’s business, and many cross endeavours used to render all his labours fruitless, and to bring his treaty to no effect. But it pleased God, in whom his confidence was placed, to carry him through all his difficulties, and to give his blessing and success to this negotiation.

Whitelocke gave a visit to the Count de Montecuculi, to give him the welcome home from his journey with the Queen; who said he had commands to kiss the hand of the Prince of Sweden, and took the opportunity of accompanying her Majesty when she went to meet the Prince. He communicated nothing of the business to Whitelocke, nor did he think to inquire it of him.

March 2, 1653.

Senator Schütt explains the delay in the negotiation. Notwithstanding his great words against the Commonwealth and present treaty, yet Monsieur Schütt was pleased to afford a visit to Whitelocke, and they fell (amongst many other things) upon the following discourse:—

Schütt. My father was formerly ambassador from this Crown in England, where I was with him, which occasioned my desire to be known to you.

Whitelocke. Your father did honour to this country and to ours in that employment, and your Excellence honours me in this visit.

Sch. England is the noblest country and people that ever I saw: a more pleasant, fruitful, and healthful country, and a more gallant, stout, and rich people, are not in the world.

Wh. I perceive you have taken a true measure, both of the country and her inhabitants.

Sch. This is my judgement of it, as well as my affection to it.

Sch. Truly her Majesty’s purpose of resignation is strange to foreigners, and much more to us, who are her subjects, most affectionate to her.

Wh. It is reported that she hath consulted in this business with the Senators, whereof you are one.

Sch. Three Senators are deputed to confer with the Prince of Sweden, upon certain particulars to be observed in the resignation; and I hope that your Excellence will consider the importance of that affair, and will therefore attend with the more patience the issue thereof, being necessary that the advice of the Prince be had in it.

Wh. Have the three deputed Senators any order to confer with the Prince about my business?

Sch. I believe they have.

Wh. I had been here two months before the Queen mentioned this design of hers to the Council, and have staid here all this time with patience, and shall so continue as my Lord Protector shall command me; and as soon as he requires my return I shall obey him.

Sch. The occasion of the delay hitherto was the uncertainty of the issue of your Dutch treaty; and at this season of the year it was impossible for you to return, till the passage be open.

Wh. I believe the alliance with England meriteth an acceptance, whether we have peace or war with Holland; and for my return, it is at the pleasure of the Protector.

Treacherous reports to England. Whitelocke received his packet of two weeks from England. In a letter from his wife he was advertised that the Protector had spoken of his voyage to Sweden as if Whitelocke had not merited much by it, though he so earnestly persuaded it; and his wife wrote that she believed one of Whitelocke’s family was false to him; and upon inquiry she suspected it to be ——, who gave intelligence to the Protector of all Whitelocke’s words and actions in Sweden, to his prejudice, and very unbeseeming one of his family. This Whitelocke, comparing with some passages told him by his secretary of the same person, found there was cause enough to suspect him; yet to have one such among a hundred he thought no strange thing, nor for the Protector to alter his phrase when his turn was served. And though this gave ground enough of discontent to Whitelocke, yet he thought not fit to discover it, nor what other friends had written to him, doubting whether he should be honourably dealt with at his return home; but he was more troubled to hear of his wife’s sickness, for whose health and his family’s he made his supplication to the great Physician; and that he might be as well pleased with a private retirement, if God saw it good for him, at his return home, as the Queen seemed to be with her design of abdication from the heights and glories of a crown.

March 3, 1653.

The son of Oxenstiern formerly sent to England. Grave John Oxenstiern, eldest son of the Chancellor, came to visit Whitelocke; a Ricks-Senator, and had been Ricks-Schatz-master, or High Treasurer, a place next in honour to that of his father. He had been formerly ambassador from this Crown to England; but because he was sent by the Chancellor his father, and the other Directors of the affairs of Sweden in the Queen’s minority, which King Charles and his Council took not to be from a sovereign prince; and because his business touching the Prince Elect’s settlement, and the affairs of Germany relating to Sweden, did not please our King; therefore this gentleman was not treated here with that respect and solemnity as he challenged to be due to him as an ambassador; which bred a distaste in him and his father against the King and Council here, as neglecting the father and the good offices which he tendered to King Charles and this nation, by slighting the son and his quality.

Whitelocke had occasion to look into his new credentials and instructions from the Protector, which were thus.

The following instructions were under the hand and private seal of the Protector:—

Whitelocke made many despatches this day to England.

March 4, 1653.

The Queen talks of visiting the Protector. Whitelocke waited on the Queen and showed her part of the letters which he received from England, whereupon she again asked him if the Protector were sacré? Whitelocke said, No, and that his letters mentioned only a solemnity of entertaining the Protector by the City of London. Whitelocke also communicated to her Majesty the Protector’s letter to him, and the expression that Whitelocke should assure her Majesty of the Protector’s constant and real intentions to settle a firm alliance with the Queen; which, she said, she was also most ready to make with the Protector.

Reports of the Dutch Resident adverse to Whitelocke. From the Queen Whitelocke went and visited Piementelle, who showed him a letter he received from a great person in Flanders, mentioning that Beningen had written to his superiors that the English Ambassador and the Spanish Resident were often together, and had showed great respect to each other, which his Highness the Archduke liked very well, and gave Piementelle thanks for it; and though Monsieur Beningen did not like of their being so friendly, yet his superiors endeavoured all they could to have amity with England. When Whitelocke told him of the English fleet at sea, he said it was great pity the same was not employed. He then showed Whitelocke a letter from Beningen to his superiors, wherein he taxed Whitelocke with omitting the ceremony of meeting Prince Adolphus at his door. Whitelocke repeated to Piementelle the carriage of that business as before; and Piementelle said, that neither the Queen nor himself had ever heard the Prince express any dislike of Whitelocke’s carriage; and that the Queen, seeing Beningen’s letter, said there were many things in it concerning Whitelocke which upon her knowledge were not true. It was also said in the letter that the English Ambassador had many long audiences with her Majesty, and conferences with the Chancellor, but that he could not in the least learn what passed between them; with which Whitelocke had no cause to be displeased.

The Lord’s Day.—Whitelocke had two good sermons in his house, at which divers English and Scots, besides those of his family, were present. In the evening the Queen passed through the streets in her coach, with divers other coaches and her servants waiting on her, to take the air, though upon this day; and in the night, many disorderly drunkards were committing debaucheries and insolences in the town, and at Whitelocke’s door.

March 6, 1653.

Further excuses for delay. Whitelocke visited Senator Schütt, who spake in excuse of the delay of his business. Whitelocke said—

Whitelocke. I have already staid long in this place, and nothing is yet done in my business.

Schütt. Your stay here hath been of more advantage to England than if they had sent 10,000 men into Holland, who, by your stay here, will be brought on with the greater desire of making peace with you.

Wh. They know nothing of my negotiation.

Sch. That makes them the more jealous; the slowness of one person is the cause that hitherto you have received no satisfaction, and I doubt not but ere long you will have answers to your contentment.

Whilst Whitelocke was with him the Queen sent one of her gentlemen thither to him, to desire him to put off his visit of her Majesty till the next day, by reason she had then extraordinary business; and the messenger being gone, Schütt said,—

Whitelocke. I pray do me the favour to present my service to his Royal Highness, whom I am very desirous to salute as soon as I can gain an opportunity; and do hope that his resort to this place will be before I shall be necessitated to return, that I may give myself the honour to kiss his hand.

Whitelocke visits the Chief Justice of Sweden. Whitelocke visited the Ricks-Droitset Grave Brahe, who is of the noble family of Tycho Brahe. He was President of the College of Justice, and the First Minister of State of the kingdom: the name of his office is as much as Viceroy, and his jurisdiction is a sovereign court for the administration of justice, and he hath power both civil and military. The office is in effect the same with that ancient officer with us called the Chief Justice of England. The habit of this Chief Justice of Sweden was a coat, and a furred cap of black, a sword and belt, and no cloak; two soldiers sentry at his chamber-door, which Whitelocke had not observed elsewhere but at the Court. They had much discourse of Whitelocke’s business, wherein he testified affections to the Commonwealth of England, though Whitelocke had been informed that he was not their friend; but he the rather chose to visit him first, and found him very civil: he spake Latin very readily, and no French, although Whitelocke was told he could speak it well.

Piementelle sent to Whitelocke an atlas, in four great volumes, in acknowledgment of a vessel of Spanish wine which Whitelocke had before sent to him for a present.

March 7, 1653.

The Governor of Upsal, Monsieur Bannier, presented to Whitelocke three Latin books:—1. The Story of Sweden; 2. Of the Laws of Sweden; 3. Of Sea Affairs; which were not ordinarily to be had.

The Chancellor falls ill. Lagerfeldt came to Whitelocke in the Court, and told him that the Chancellor intended to have had a meeting with him this day, but was hindered by falling sick of an ague; but in case his health would not permit him to meet, that then his son Eric Oxenstiern, by the Queen’s appointment, would meet and confer with Whitelocke about the treaty in place of his father. But Whitelocke was not glad of this deputation, wishing much rather to confer with the old man upon this subject, who was good-natured, civil, and affectionate to Whitelocke, than with the son, Grave Eric, who was of a more rugged and self-conceited humour, and not so soon gained by reason and convinced by arguments as the good old man his father used to be.

March 8, 1653.

Discourse with the Chief Justice. Whilst Eric was with Whitelocke, the Chief Justice came in. And after Grave Eric was gone the Chief Justice discoursed much concerning the Protector and his family, his extraction and pedigree, his former quality and condition, and his present state and manner of living: to which Whitelocke answered truly, and with honour to the Protector; and as to his present post, attendants, and ceremonies of his Court, he could not give so punctual an account, it being altered since his coming from England. He also inquired particularly concerning the Parliament, the forms of their summons, sitting, debating, voting, power, and authority; in all which Whitelocke was the better able to satisfy him, having been a Member of Parliament for almost thirty years together: and then the Chief Justice inquired further:—

Chief Justice. What opinions of Calvin are most in estimation in England? and what is the state of your religion there?

Whitelocke. Neither Calvin’s opinion nor Luther’s are esteemed in England further than they are agreeable to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which are the rules and contain the state of religion professed in England. But by what state of religion is the profanation of the Lord’s Day, and of images and crucifixes in churches, permitted?

Wh. Herein both the opinion of Calvin and that of Luther are expressly contrary to the Holy Scripture, and therefore not esteemed in these points in England.

The Chief Justice eagerly asserted these opinions not to be contrary to the Scripture, but alleged no proof, either from thence or out of human authors, to make good his assertion. After much argumentation hereupon, the Chief Justice offered to Whitelocke that he would move the Queen for a speedy despatch of his business; and said, he did not doubt but that satisfaction would be given him therein.

Whitelocke was the more desirous to get a conclusion of his business while Piementelle was here, because of his great favour with the Queen; which, with her respects to Montecuculi, both great Papists, caused Whitelocke to have the more doubt of her inclinations.

Prince Adolphus made a great entertainment for Montecuculi, Piementelle, and most of the grandees in town; but Whitelocke was omitted, his humour and principles as to their jollities and drinking of healths not being agreeable to theirs; and he held this neglect no affliction to him.

March 9, 1653.

Whitelocke visits the Chancellor’s eldest son. He also visited Grave John Oxenstiern, the Chancellor’s eldest son, whose carriage was elated. Two of his pages were sons of Earls, and had the title of Earls; his servants were some of them set at his outer door to receive Whitelocke; himself vouchsafed to meet him at the inner door, and, with supercilious reservedness of state, descended to say to Whitelocke that he was welcome. They discoursed of England, where this Grave had been, as is before remembered, and the distaste he there received, which possibly might cause his greater neglect of Whitelocke, who took little notice of it. He took upon him to be fully instructed in the affairs of England, and of the laws and government there; wherein Whitelocke presumed to rectify some of his mistakes.

When he offered to move the Queen for despatch of Whitelocke’s business, he answered, that he had done it himself already, and there would be no need to trouble any other. This occasioned some discourse about the treaty, to which, with great gravity, this General declared his judgement concerning contraband goods, that great care was to be taken therein, not to give any interruption to trade. Whitelocke said, that concerned England much more than Sweden. Then he took care that the English rebels and traitors might have favour in his country; but Whitelocke, knowing that he was neither employed nor versed in the business of his treaty, spent the fewer words in answer to his immaterial objections.

She took out a paper of notes, written with her own hand in Latin, her observations upon the articles.

1. After Whitelocke had read the first article, she said there was nothing therein which needed explanation.

2. The second, she said, would require consideration, and read out of her notes the words “communis interesse,” which she desired Whitelocke to explain what was meant by them. He told her those words included matter of safety and matter of traffic. She then demanded why the Baltic Sea was named as to free navigation, and not other seas likewise. Whitelocke said the reason was, because at present navigation was not free in the Baltic Sea; but if she pleased to have other seas also named, he would consent to it. She asked if he would consent to freedom of navigation in America. Whitelocke told her he could not, and that the treaties of the Commonwealth were comprehended within the bounds of Europe. She asked him what he thought the Protector would do in case she demanded that liberty. He said, his Highness would give such an answer as should consist with the interest of England, and show a due regard to her Majesty.

4. She said she thought there would be no need of this article, and read another which she herself had drawn in Latin to this effect—“That if any hereafter should commit treason, or be rebels in one country, they should not be harboured in the other.” Whitelocke said, the article was already to that purpose, and he thought it necessary for the good of both nations. She said, it would be too sharp against divers officers who had served her father and herself, and were now settled in Sweden. Whitelocke offered that amendment which he before tendered to the Chancellor, which when she read, she told Whitelocke, that might include all those men whom she mentioned before. Whitelocke said, that, upon inquiry into it, he found not one excepted by name from pardon. She said, for anything to be done hereafter, it was reasonable, and she would consent to it. Whitelocke said, that if any hereafter should come into her country, who were excepted from pardon, it was also reasonable to include them in this article.

5. She said that this and the second article would require further consideration; because if she should consent thereunto, it would declare her breach of the neutrality which she had hitherto kept. Whitelocke told her, if the peace were concluded with the Dutch, that neutrality would be gone; and if the war continued, he presumed she would not stick to declare otherwise then that neutrality. She said that was true, but she desired that this and the second article might be let alone until the issue of the Dutch treaty.

6. The sixth article, she said, was reasonable.

8. The eighth article she said was equal.

9. There was no difference upon it.

10. She judged fit to be agreed upon.

11. She made some short observations, which by explanation Whitelocke cleared, and she agreed.

12. The like as upon the eleventh article.

13. To this article she read in Latin an objection to the proviso, and said it was reasonable that, if they did break bulk, they should pay custom for so much only as they sold. Whitelocke told her that objection showed that there were great men merchants in Sweden, and that the objection was more in favour of the merchants than of herself. She said the merchants were crafty indeed; and she did not much insist upon it.

14. The last article which Whitelocke had given in. To this she said it was fit that the men-of-war that should come into the other ports should be to a number ascertained, to avoid suspicion. Whitelocke said he would agree thereunto, with a caution, as in the first article, to be added: if they should be driven by tempest, force, or necessity, then to be dispensed with.

March 10, 1653.

Whitelocke’s despatches to England. Upon yesterday’s conference with the Queen, Whitelocke wrote the passages thereof at large to Thurloe, to be communicated to the Council in England, and to pray their direction in some points which are set down thus in his letters:—

Many despatches were made by Whitelocke to his friends in England, as his constant course was.

March 11, 1653.

Admiral Oxenstiern visits Whitelocke. The Ricks-Admiral visited Whitelocke. He discoursed of the treaty here, and said that the Queen had not yet informed the Council of it in particular. He much inquired of the nobility of England, of the Earls and Barons, and of their privileges, and what rank their children had, and of the several orders of knights, and of their original; in which matters Whitelocke was able to give him some satisfaction. He told Whitelocke that the Duke of Lorraine was imprisoned for conspiring with the Count de Bassigni to betray three strong towns to the King of France.

The Prince also discoursed of the late King of England, and of the proceedings between him and the Parliament, with great dislike thereof; to which Whitelocke gave him an account, and a modest answer declining that argument with the Prince, and telling him that every nation had their particular rights and laws, according to which they were governed. He testified great respect to Whitelocke; and when he took his leave the Prince conducted him as far as the great court, which he used not to do to others of Whitelocke’s quality.

March 12, 1653.

Afterwards in private Whitelocke asked Mr. Bloome if he had heard the Chancellor speak of deferring his business till the Prince were crowned. Bloome confessed he heard the Chancellor say that he thought it would be more convenient to have Whitelocke’s business resolved after the King should be crowned than at present. Whitelocke told him (which he supposed Bloome would again relate to the Chancellor) that all acts of such nature concluded by the Queen before her resignation would be held authentic by her successor. Bloome said he believed so, but, being the change would be so soon, he thought it might be better to have the business put into the hands of the new King. Whitelocke said it would require a long time to expect the new King’s settlement, before which he believed his return home might be commanded. Bloome said the business would be soon done after the meeting of the Ricksdag, which did not use to sit long. By this and other discourses Whitelocke found that there was a purpose in some to defer the conclusion of his treaty to the King, which he therefore prepared to prevent.

La Belle Comtesse made a great entertainment and ball for Montecuculi and the rest of the gallants this night, though it were the Lord’s Day; but Whitelocke nor none of his company were present at it.

Whitelocke confers with Count Eric Oxenstiern on the articles. Grave Eric came to Whitelocke to confer about his treaty, and said to him.

Grave Eric. The Queen hath commanded me to come to you and to have some conference with you about your proposals, wherein she is pleased to make use of my service, because at this time my father is very ill of an ague, and is not able himself to meet with you; and his former indisposition of health and extraordinary affairs hath been some occasion of hindrance of the despatch of your business, as have also the uncertainty of the issue of your treaty with Holland, and our great business of the Queen’s intentions here.

Whitelocke. I have long expected some answer to be given in my business, the greatest part whereof hath no dependence upon the treaty with Holland, and the Queen’s intentions here have been but lately made known. I have been three months in this place without any answer to my business, although I presume that the amity of England is grateful to this nation, and may merit the acceptance.

Gr. Eric. So is the friendship of Sweden.

Wh. My Lord Protector hath testified that by sending me hither.

Gr. Eric. The Queen hath likewise sent several public ministers to England, and Mr. Lagerfeldt was a long time there without effecting anything.

Gr. Eric. I am ready in the same way of secresy as it hath been carried with my father, so that Mr. Beningen in his letters to his superiors saith that the English Ambassador did treat with none but the Queen alone, and sometimes alone with the Chancellor, whereby he could not possibly give any account of those transactions; for he thought that not one person in Sweden, except the Queen and the Chancellor, knew what they were.

Wh. The gentleman hath done me an honour in that expression.

Gr. Eric. My coming to your Excellence is to proceed in your business; and I desire a consideration may be had of the great losses which the Queen’s subjects have sustained by the seizing and detaining of their ships by the English.

Wh. This is a new objection, and I am neither empowered nor have ability to cast up such accounts or to take such examinations; but there is a court of justice in England, which I presume has done, and will do, right to any who have cause to complain; and I know that my Lord Protector will command that justice shall be done to all the Queen’s subjects; and if any of them have received any injury, they ought to receive a just satisfaction from the parties that did them wrong; and, if you please, I shall mention these things in my letters to England, and when I come thither myself I will personally endeavour that the same may be had fully.

Wh. The same is reasonably and mutually to be expected; and I make no question but my Lord Protector will order right to be done therein.

Gr. Eric. The Queen’s subjects have received great losses under colour of contraband goods, when the same hath not been proved.

Wh. And many of our allies have been found to colour our enemies’ goods to the damage of England; but these matters will be proper for an examination elsewhere.

They proceeded to the particular articles.

1. This, Eric said, was equal.

2. He made the same objections as the Queen had done, and Whitelocke gave the same answers; and Eric said that this article depended upon our treaty with the Dutch.

Eric said, those transactions of Lagerfeldt were remitted to Whitelocke’s Embassy. Whitelocke said, that whatever his instructions might warrant, yet it would not become him to do anything contrary to that wherein the Council of State had declared their judgement. The same answer Whitelocke gave him concerning the herring-fishing, which Eric much insisted upon; and as to the pre-emption of the commodities of Sweden, mentioned in the Council’s paper, which Whitelocke showed him, Eric said that could not be, because those commodities were of very great value, and belonged to several private persons; and he demanded of Whitelocke if he thought England would be contented to give a pre-emption of all their cloth.

Whitelocke said, the cloth of England was likewise of very great value, and there would hardly be found one stock to buy it all, and there were several staples in other countries to vent it at; and he said he thought the best way would be, first to agree upon the general amity and commerce between the two nations, and afterwards, if Sweden held it fit, when they sent an ambassador to England, or otherwise, to propound anything concerning the fishing for herrings or the traffic in America, or touching a staple at Narva, Revel, or Gothenburg (which Eric likewise discoursed of at large), that the Protector would give a fair and just answer.

4. Eric made the same objections that the Queen had done, and had the same answers.

5. The like discourse was upon this article.

7. They had many arguments touching contraband goods, wherein Whitelocke held himself to the paper given by the Council to Lagerfeldt; and Eric passed it over, as depending upon the success of the treaty with Holland, especially in the words “bona à suis cujusque inimicis direpta.”

8. This, Eric thought, would need explanation of the words “in quolibet suorum marium.” Whitelocke told him that was intended in Europe only.

9. Eric said the words “armatis vel inermibus” were not necessary, because by the law of Sweden any might carry their arms with them. Whitelocke told him that it was not permitted in England for so many together without license.

10. Eric made no objection to this article.

11. Nor any to this article.

12. Nor was anything objected to this article.

13. Eric said the proviso needed explanation as to the point of breaking bulk, as the Queen had objected; and Whitelocke gave the same answer.

14. The like objections and answers as before, and consent to the like amendment.

Eric and much other good company dined with Whitelocke, and after dinner they had further discourse on the same subject. And Eric promised to give his objections to Whitelocke in writing, and to let him know the Queen’s pleasure upon their conference; which Whitelocke intended to know also from the Queen herself.

March 14, 1653.

Interview with General Wrangel. Four of the Queen’s servants did Whitelocke the honour to dine with him; and after they were gone, Whitelocke visited the Field-Marshal Wrangel, a gentleman of an ancient noble family in this country, son to General Wrangel, of whom so often and so honourable mention is made in the German wars under Gustavus Adolphus, the Queen’s father.

March 15, 1653.

Further conference with the Queen. Whitelocke waited on the Queen, and gave her an account of the conference between Grave Eric and him. The Queen said that Grave Eric had told her the same things. Whitelocke replied, that her Majesty should never find other than truth from him. Upon the point of damages she seemed satisfied, though she were informed that those matters were remitted to Whitelocke’s negotiation. To which he answered as he had done before to Eric; and she was contented, and said she would send an ambassador to England, by whom the affairs touching the herring-fishing and the erection of a staple and the trade in America might be concluded; and she told Whitelocke that she had ordered those things which she judged fit to be added to his articles, to be written down and given to him.

She asked Whitelocke by what way he purposed to return to England. He said he was doubtful of going by land, and thought the passage from Stockholm to Lübeck would be the shortest and most convenient for him. She replied, that would be his best way, and that she would give order for some of her ships to be ready to transport him; for which Whitelocke thanked her Majesty.

March 16, 1653.

Despatches from England. Whitelocke received his letters from England, and in those from Thurloe he writes thus:—