Part 14

The people stood in length in the market-place about a hundred yards, leaving an open space or lane between them of about five yards' distance; then the offender, being naked to the waist, was brought to one end of the lane or open place. The people had rods or switches of birch given to as many as would take them; the offender was to run or go, as he pleased (and one of them walked but a Spanish pace), from one end of the lane of people to the other, twice or thrice forward and backward; and all the way as he went, the people who had the switches lashed the offender as he passed by them, harder or softer, as they favoured him. These are the most usual ways of executions which they have for criminal offences, and they do not execute men by hanging, which they say is only fit for dogs; but in cases of great robberies and murders sometimes they execute justice by breaking the offenders upon the wheel, and leave the quarters of the body upon it; some whereof were in the way as Whitelocke passed in his journey by the great wilderness.

In the afternoon Senator Schuett came to Whitelocke and invited him to take the air to see the town of old Upsal, about a mile off; and being there, Schuett showed him three great mounts of earth, cast up by the hands of men, for monuments in memory of their ancient famous kings, whose seat had been here, and the place of their coronation. These mounts had been dedicated to three of their Pagan gods: the one to the god whom they call Teuo, who was Mars, and from him they have the name of the day of the week Teuosdag, which we call Tuesday, and the Germans Tuisconsdaeg, and the Latins Dies Martis; the second mount was dedicated to their god Woden, so they called Mercury, and from thence their day of the week is named Wodensdag, which we also call Wednesday, the Germans Wodensdaeg, and the Latins Dies Mercurii; the third mount was dedicated to their goddess Freya, so they called Venus, and from thence comes the name of their Friedsdag, which we call Friday, the Germans Frigdaeg, and the Latins Dies Veneris.

There were also other relics of decayed mounts, which Whitelocke guessed to have been dedicated to their other gods, from whom they gave the names of the other days of the week: as, to Thor, whom they called Jupiter, and, from whence the day Thoresdag, which we call Thursday, the Germans say Thorsdaeg, and the Latins Dies Jovis; another mount dedicated to their god Setorn, from whence they call Setornsdag, as we say Saturday, the Germans Saeternsdaeg, and the Latins Dies Saturni; another mount dedicated to Sunnan, as they call the Sun, and from thence that day Sunnandag{4}, as we say Sunday, the Germans Sunnandaeg, and the Latins Dies Solis; the last mount dedicated to Monan, that is the Moon, and from thence the name of their Monandag, which we call Monday, the Germans Monandaeg, and the Latins Dies Lunae.

In discourse upon the way, Schuett informed Whitelocke of the matter of the embassy from the Great Duke of Muscovia to the Queen of Sweden, which was to acquaint her Majesty that the Great Duke had begun a war against the King of Poland, because in a letter of his to the Great Duke he had omitted one of his great titles,--a heinous offence, and held by the Great Duke a sufficient ground of war, and of his resolution to sacrifice the blood of his fellow-Christians to satisfy his wicked pride. Another ground of the war was because a certain Governor of a province in Poland, in a writing, had placed the name of the father of the Great Duke before the name of the present Great Duke; which was so great an indignity, that for the same the now Great Duke demanded of the King of Poland to have the head of that Governor sent to him, and that not being done, was another cause of the begun war. To this the Queen answered, that it did not appertain to her to give her opinion in a matter of this nature, whether she did approve or disapprove of what was done by the Great Duke, but she did presume that the King of Poland would therein give fitting satisfaction to the Great Duke; and that she did wish that there might be peace between these two Princes and all the Princes of Christendom. And with this answer the Envoys of the Great Duke returned as wise as they came.

Schuett also communicated unto Whitelocke an intelligence that the King of Denmark had levied some forces which he designed against Hamburg,--pretending injuries done to him by that city in relation to his pretensions of dominion there, which probably might occasion a war between Denmark and that free city, which had strength and riches and people and wisdom to defend themselves; and Schuett advised Whitelocke that if this should be so, that then he should take his voyage some other way, and that it would be a great disturbance and danger to him to go by Hamburg and those quarters, which would be infested with soldiers, and that then it would be his best way to return by Gothenburg; but he did persuade Whitelocke by all means to salute the Prince of Sweden by the way of his return. Whitelocke said he thought it not probable that the King of Denmark would at this time engage in a war against Hamburg, and that his levying of soldiers might breed a jealousy in the Crown of Sweden; that the certainty thereof could not be long undiscovered, and accordingly he should govern his own resolutions; that it would be difficult for him to stay in his journey to salute the Prince, but he much desired and intended it before his departure.

April 2, 1654.

Although the Lord's Day, yet the English and Scots who were in the town, and not of Whitelocke's family, went abroad to take the air, and did not resort, as they used to do, to Whitelocke's house to the exercises of divine worship, which were duly performed in his private family; and after those sacra peracta, Whitelocke retired himself to his private studies and meditations upon the word of truth. This day likewise the Queen went abroad to take the air, and passed through the town in her coach, attended by many gentlemen and others in her train, to the ill example of her people, and after the bad custom of this place.

April 3, 1654.

The Queen sent to Whitelocke to invite him to accompany her to take the air.

By the way Whitelocke visited Woolfeldt, who had much discourse with him about the English fleet then at sea. From him Whitelocke went to Court, and attended the Queen in her coach to take the air. They had not much discourse about his business, and he thought not fit to interrupt her Majesty's pleasures with serious discourses, but sought to delight her with matters of diversion and mirth. When they were come back to the castle, the Queen said to Whitelocke:--

Queen. Tomorrow my Chancellor will present you with the articles drawn up by him, with some alterations which I judge to be reasonable; and that shall be my final resolution about them.

Wh. Hath your Majesty commanded any mention in those new articles concerning contraband goods?

Qu. There is a specification of them.

Wh. Indeed, Madam, I can hardly consent to any alteration upon the subject of contraband goods, whilst the edict of the Hollanders is in force thereupon.

Qu. After you have considered these new articles, we will speak together again about them.

Then the Queen retired to her chamber, and Whitelocke being come home, the Secretary Canterstein came to him from the Chancellor to excuse his not coming to visit Whitelocke, and said that, by the Queen's command, the Chancellor had sent a new copy of articles to Whitelocke. He presently read them, and had much discourse with the secretary upon them, who said he did not doubt but that, after communication with the Chancellor, Whitelocke would receive satisfaction.

April 4, 1654.

Whitelocke visited Piementelle, and they had this discourse:--

Piementelle. The Ambassador of Denmark did me the honour to visit me, and we had much discourse together about the English fleet now at sea; he told me that in it were ten thousand foot soldiers embarked for the North, which would occasion great trouble to the King his master, if it should be so, which I acknowledged.

Whitelocke. Your Excellence knows that I have not been at the Council of State in England for six months last past, so that I know not the secret designs of my Lord Protector; but I believe it is no very difficult matter to land men in Denmark.

Piem. What progress hath the French Ambassador made in the treaty between you and France?

Wh. If the Queen will be pleased to give my despatch, I hope to be upon the place before the treaty with the French be concluded. I have somewhat to communicate to the Protector touching a treaty with Spain, which your Lordship very well knows; and it would be to purpose that his Highness should know it before the conclusion of a treaty between England and France.

Piem. I am assured that the Queen will despatch you in good time. But I advise your Excellence in your return not to pass by Denmark, for it is ill trusting of that King; but your better way will be to Luebeck, and from thence to Hamburg, and if you do not find ships ready there, you may travel by land to Cologne, and from thence to Dunkirk; which will be much better than to go by Holland, where they do exceedingly exact upon strangers, and your Commonwealth hath more enemies there than in any other place, besides the common people are rude and insolent.

Wh. I am engaged to you for your good advice, which I intend to follow.

After their discourse, Whitelocke presented Piementelle his medal in gold very like him, and it was received by Piementelle with much affection. Then Piementelle entreated Whitelocke to give him a passport for his servant, who had the charge of conducting his baggage by sea to Dunkirk, that he might freely pass the men-of-war of England; the which was willingly done by Whitelocke, under his hand and seal.

April 5, 1654.

In the morning Whitelocke went to the Chancellor's lodging, and found his son Grave Eric with him. The Chancellor made a long apology to excuse the delay of the treaty, and said:--

Chancellor. My indisposition of health hath chiefly occasioned the delay, yet was I so solicitous of your business, that I entreated the Queen to appoint some other person in my stead, who might confer with your Excellence; and her Majesty was pleased to appoint my son for that service.