Part 57

"Je n'ai rien par voie de retour que mes humbles remercimens pour le grand honneur que vous m'avez fait, par vos tres-agreables visites, tant a Hambourg qu'en ce lieu, comme aussi en m'envoyant ce noble gentilhomme qui m'a apporte les lettres de votre Excellence. Je ne manquerai pas, quand il plaira a Dieu me ramener en Angleterre, de contribuer tout ce qui sera en mon pouvoir pour votre service, et j'espere que l'issue en sera a votre contentement, et que dans peu de temps je saurai vous rendre bon compte de ce dont vous me faites mention en vos lettres. Ce petit temoignage du respect que je porte a votre Excellence, que je rendis a votre depart de mon vaisseau, et qu'il vous plait honorer de votre estime, ne merite pas que vous en teniez aucun compte; je serai joyeux de vous temoigner par meilleurs effets que je suis

"De votre Excellence "Le tres-humble et tres-obeissant serviteur, "B. WHITELOCKE. "A bord le President, Rade de Glueckstadt, 20 Juin, 1654."

Many other letters passed between them, not necessary for a recital.

June 21, 1654.

The wind continued in the same quarter as before, very high, and contrary to Whitelocke's course. The English cloth-ships came down to him, desiring to be in his squadron homewards. Whitelocke knew no reason why his ships might not as well have fallen down lower in the river as these; about which he consulted with the officers and pilot of his ship, who agreed that this morning, the wind being come a little more moderate, the ships might have fallen down with the tide, but that the time was now neglected; which the officers excused because of the fog, which was so thick that they durst not adventure to go down the river. He resolved, upon this, to take the next opportunity, and went aboard the 'Elizabeth' to see his company there, who were well accommodated.

Here a petition was presented to Whitelocke from two mariners in hold for speaking desperate words,--that they would blow up the ship and all her company, and would cut the throat of the Protector, and of ten thousand of his party. One of them confessed, in his petition, that he was drunk when he spake these words, and had no intention of the least harm to the ship, or to the Protector, or any of the State; both of them acknowledged their fault, and humbly asked pardon. After Whitelocke had examined them severally, and could get from them no confession of any plot against the Protector or State, but earnest asseverations of their innocences; yet having news of a plot in England against the Protector and Government, he held it not fit for him absolutely to release them; but, because he thought it only a business and words of drunkenness, he ordered them to be had out of the hold, but their Captain to see that they should be forthcoming at their arrival in England, that the Council, being acquainted herewith, might direct their pleasure concerning them.

About noon the wind began again to blow with great tempestuousness, and flat contrary to Whitelocke's course. In the evening a gentleman came aboard Whitelocke's ship, with letters from Monsieur Schestedt from Glueckstadt to the same effect, and with compliments as formerly, to which Whitelocke returned a civil answer by the same messenger; and by him he also sent letters of compliment and thanks to the Resident Bradshaw, which likewise he prayed the Resident, in his name, to present to the English Company of Merchants at Hamburg, for their very great civilities and noble respects to Whitelocke while he was with them.

June 22, 1654.

The wind continued contrary and extraordinary violent all the last night and this morning; and Whitelocke had cause to acknowledge the favour of God to him, that during these rough storms he was in a good harbour and had not put out into the open sea.

Early in the morning a gentleman came from Glueckstadt on board to Whitelocke, and told him that Grave Ranzau, the Governor of the Province of Holstein, had sent him to salute Whitelocke on his part, and to know when he might conveniently come to Whitelocke; who answered that he should be always ready to entertain his Excellence, but in regard the time was now so dangerous, he desired the Governor would not expose himself to the hazard for his sake.

About an hour after came another, in the habit of a military officer, from the Grave to Whitelocke, to excuse the Grave's not coming by reason of the very ill weather, and that no boat was to be gotten fit to bring the Grave from shore to Whitelocke's ship; but he said, that if Whitelocke pleased to send his ship-boats and mariners for the Governor, the wind being somewhat fallen, he would come and kiss his hand. Whitelocke answered in French to the gentleman, who spake Dutch, and was interpreted in French, that he was glad his Excellence was not in danger of the violent storms in coming on board to him this morning, but he should esteem it great honour to see the Governor in his ship, and that not only the boats and mariners, but all in the ship was at the service of his Excellence. The gentleman desired that one of the ship-boats and the ship-mariners might carry him back to land, and so bring the Governor from thence to Whitelocke, who commanded the same to be done. And about an hour after came the Grave Ranzau, a proper, comely person, habited as a soldier, about forty years of age; with him was another lord, governor of another province, and three or four gentlemen, and other followers.

Whitelocke received them at the ship's side, and at his entry gave him nine guns. The Grave seemed doubtful to whom to make his application, Whitelocke being in a plain sea-gown of English grey baize; but (as the Governor said afterwards) he knew him to be the Ambassador by seeing him with his hat on, and so many brave fellows about him bareheaded. After salutations, the Governor spake to Whitelocke to this effect:--

"Monseigneur,

"Le Roi de Danemarck, mon maitre, m'a commande de venir trouver votre Excellence, et de la saluer de sa part, et la faire la bienvenue en ses havres, et lui faire savoir que s'il y a quelque chose dans ce pays-la dont le gouvernement m'est confie par sa Majeste, qu'il est a son commandement. Sa Majeste aussi a un extreme desir de voir votre Excellence, et de vous entretenir en sa cour, desirant d'embrasser toutes les occasions par lesquelles il pourrait temoigner le respect qu'il porte a son Altesse Monseigneur le Protecteur."

Whitelocke answered in French to this purpose:--

"Monseigneur,

"Je rends graces a sa Majeste le Roi de Danemarck, du respect qu'il lui a plu temoigner a sa Serenissime Altesse mon maitre, et de l'honneur qu'il lui a plu faire a moi son serviteur, de quoi je ne manquerai pas d'informer son Altesse. Je suis aussi beaucoup oblige a votre Excellence pour l'honneur de votre visite, qu'il vous plait me donner en ce lieu, et principalement en un temps si facheux. J'eusse aussi grande envie de baiser les mains de sa Majeste et de voir sa cour, n'eut ete que son Altesse a envoye des navires expres pour m'emporter d'ici en Angleterre, et que j'ai oui dire que le Roi a remue sa cour de Copenhague ailleurs, a cause de la peste. Je suis tres-joyeux d'entendre de la sante de sa Majeste, auquel je souhaite toute sorte de bonheur."

After many compliments, Whitelocke gave, him precedence into his cabin; and after some discourse there, a servant of the Agent of Holland was brought in to Whitelocke, who said his master desired Whitelocke to appoint a time when the Agent might come on board him to salute Whitelocke and to kiss his hand. He answered that, at any hour when his master pleased to do Whitelocke that honour, he should be welcome, and that some noble persons being now with him, who, he hoped, would do him the favour to take part of a sea-dinner with him, that if it would please the Agent to do him the same favour, and to keep these honourable persons company, it would be the greater obligation unto Whitelocke. The Grave, hearing this, began to excuse himself, that he could not stay dinner with Whitelocke, but, upon entreaty, he was prevailed with to stay.

About noon the Dutch Agent came in one of Whitelocke's boats on board his ship, whom he received at the ship's side, and saluted with seven guns at his entry. The Agent spake to Whitelocke to this purpose:--"That, passing by Glueckstadt towards Hamburg, he was informed of Whitelocke's being in this place, and thereupon held it his duty, and agreeable to the will of his Lords, not to proceed in his journey without first giving a visit to Whitelocke to testify the respect of his superiors to the Protector and Commonwealth of England, as also to Whitelocke in particular." Whitelocke returned thanks to the Agent for the respect which he testified to the Protector, and for the honour done to Whitelocke, and that it would be acceptable so the Protector to hear of this respect from my Lords the States to him, whereof he should not fail to inform his Highness when he should have the opportunity to be near him.

The Grave went first into Whitelocke's cabin, after him the Agent, and then Whitelocke, who gave these guests a plentiful dinner on ship-board. The Grave desired that Whitelocke's sons might be called in to dine with them, which was done, and Whitelocke asked the Grave if he would have any of his company to dine with him. He desired one of the gentlemen, who was admitted accordingly.

They were served with the States' plate, which Whitelocke had caused to be taken forth on this occasion; and the strangers would often take up the plates and dishes to look on them, wondering to see so many great and massy pieces of silver plate as there were. They drank no healths, the Grave telling Whitelocke he had heard it was against his judgement, and therefore he did forbear to begin any healths, for which civility Whitelocke thanked him; and they had no want of good wine and meat, and such as scarce had been seen before on ship-board. They discoursed of the affairs in Sweden, and of the happy peace between England and Denmark, and the like. Monsieur De la Marche gave thanks in French, because they all understood it.

After dinner Whitelocke took out his tobacco-box, which the Grave looked upon, being gold, and his arms, the three falcons, engraven on it; whereupon he asked Whitelocke if he loved hawks, who said he was a falconer by inheritance, as his coat of arms testified. The Grave said that he would send him some hawks the next winter out of his master's dominions of Iceland, where the best in the world were bred, which he nobly performed afterwards.

The Grave earnestly invited Whitelocke to go on shore with him to his house, which was within two leagues of Glueckstadt, where he should meet Monsieur Schestedt and his lady, and the next day he would bring Whitelocke to the King, who much desired to see him; and the Grave offered to bring Whitelocke back again in his coach to Glueckstadt. Whitelocke desired to be excused by reason of his voyage, and an order of his country that those who had the command of any of the State's ships were not to lie out of them until they brought them home again; otherwise Whitelocke said he had a great desire to kiss his Majesty's hand and to wait upon his Excellence and the noble company at his house; and he desired that his humble thanks and excuse might be made to the King. The Grave replied that Whitelocke, being an Extraordinary Ambassador, was not within the order concerning commanders of the State's ships, but he might be absent and leave the charge of the ships to the inferior officers. Whitelocke said that as Ambassador he had the honour to command those ships, and so was within the order, and was commanded by his Highness to return forthwith to England; that if, in his absence, the wind and weather should come fair, or any harm should come to any of the ships, he should be answerable for neglecting of his trust. Whitelocke also was unwilling, though he must not express the same, to put himself under the trouble and temptations which he might meet with in such a journey, and to neglect the least opportunity of proceeding in his voyage homewards.

The Grave, seeing Whitelocke not to be persuaded, hasted away; and after compliments and ceremonies passed with great civility, he and the Agent and their company went into one of Whitelocke's ship-boats, with a crew of his men and his Lieutenant to attend them. At their going off, by Whitelocke's order only one gun was fired, and a good while after the 'President' fired all her guns round, the 'Elizabeth,' according to custom, did the like; so that there was a continual firing of great guns during the whole time of their passage from the ship unto the shore--almost a hundred guns, and the fort answered them with all the guns they had.

At the Lieutenant's return he told Whitelocke that the Grave, when he heard but one gun fired for a good while together, began to be highly offended, saying that his master, the King, was slighted and himself dishonoured, to be sent away with one gun only fired, and he wondered the Ambassador carried it in such a manner; but afterwards, when the rest of the guns went off, the Grave said he would tell the King how highly the English Ambassador had honoured his Majesty and his servant by the most magnificent entertainment that ever was made on ship-board, and by the number of guns at his going away, and that this was the greatest honour he ever received, with much to the like purpose; and he gave to the Lieutenant for his pains two pieces of plate of silver gilt, and ten rix-dollars to the boat's company, and twenty rix-dollars more to the ship's company.

June 23, 1654.

This was the seventh day that Whitelocke had lain on the Elbe, which was tedious to him; and now, fresh provisions failing, he sent Captain Crispe to Glueckstadt to buy more, whose diligence and discretion carried him through his employments to the contentment of his master. He brought good provisions at cheap rates.

The four captains of the English cloth-ships came on board Whitelocke to visit him; they were sober, experienced sea commanders; their ships lay at anchor close to Whitelocke. After dinner they told Whitelocke that if their ships had been three leagues lower down the river, they could not have anchored in this bad weather without extreme danger, the sea being there much higher, and the tide so strong that their cables would not have held their ships; and that if they had been at sea in this weather, they had been in imminent peril of shipwreck, and could not have returned into the river, nor have put into the Weser nor any other harbour. Whitelocke said that they and he were the more bound to God, who had so ordered their affairs as to keep them, during all the storms wherein they had been, in a safe and good harbour; he wished them, in this and all their voyages, to place their confidence in God, who would be the same God to them as now, and in all their affairs of this life.