A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654 Part 10

_Dane._ There are two places in Norway not far from Gothenburg which are easy to be taken, and are excellent harbours, wherein England might keep some ships constantly, and command all that pa.s.s by to the Baltic Sea.

_Wh._ What are the names of those places?

_Dane._ The one of those havens is called Marstrang; but that I do not like so well because of the Paternoster Rocks, which are very dangerous for coming out if the wind sit northerly, and the fort there is commanded by the hills near it. But the other place, called Flecker Town, is an island, and hath a going-in and coming-out two ways; it is an excellent harbour, and ships may ride in it at such a distance from the land (being a broad water) that none from the land can hurt them. There is a little fort in this island which may easily be taken, not having above forty or fifty men in it, and the works decayed. Those who a.s.sail it must land their men on the south-east side of the island, the fort being on the other side, and they may easily be masters of it; and from thence having some ships, they may go in and out at their pleasure, and command all pa.s.sing by; and none can come into the harbour to them if they make up the fort, which is soon done, and the pa.s.sage not above musket-shot to be commanded, and there are no guns there of any consideration at this time.

_Wh._ How shall they do for victuals there to get fresh from the land?

_Dane._ There is plenty of b.u.t.ter and cheese, sheep and hogs; and the poor country people will be no trouble to you, but be willing to be commanded by you.

_Wh._ What towns are there near it?

_Dane._ Higher in the country is Bergen, the chief town for trade there, and rich enough. Your ships may easily come into that harbour, and plunder the town and get a great booty, and return to Fleckeren Town again.

_Wh._ Is there anything to be done at Iceland?

_Dane._ I wonder you do not send, in August or September, four or five ships to Iceland, being men-of-war. They may have twenty or thirty Dutch ships, laden with fish, b.u.t.ter, and hides, which will make no resistance at all; and it would be a rich prize, and might be had without danger or difficulty.

_Wh._ Is the castle of Elsinore so strong a piece that it cannot be taken without much expense and danger?

_Dane._ This will not be the best design for England: it is a small, strong castle, and doth not signify much; though it be esteemed a piece of importance, it is not so.

_Wh._ It commands the pa.s.sage of the Sound.

_Dane._ Most men believe so, but it is mistaken. I have seen an experiment to the contrary, that a boat, being placed in the middle of that narrow pa.s.sage of the Sound, they shot at it from the castle of Elsinore, and likewise from the castle of Helsingborg on the other side, with the greatest guns they had, and yet they could not reach the boat from either side by two thousand paces; nor is it so narrow in the pa.s.sage but that a ship may, when she pleaseth, sail by those castles in despite of them.

_Wh._ What harbour is there at Elsinore?

_Dane._ There is no harbour for ships to ride in, and in foul weather they will be in danger to be all lost, because they must ride in the open sea, which there is extreme perilous; and therefore Elsinore is not worth the keeping, if England had it. But their best design would be to go directly to the town of Copenhagen with fifty or sixty good ships, with landsmen in them; and it is easy enough to take that town, for the works of it are not strong, nor is it well guarded, and it would be easier to take that town than Elsinore; and if England were masters of it, the castle would quickly come in to them; and at the town they should have a good haven for their ships, and a small matter would build a better fort near the town than Elsinore is, and would command the pa.s.sage more than the castles do, and make you masters of the Sound and of all the trade of the Baltic Sea.

_Wh._ What revenue would be gained thereby?

_Dane._ More than will maintain your ships and forces there, and will command all the island of Zealand.

_Wh._ I should be glad to meet you there.

_Dane._ If you summon me by your letters, I will give you a meeting at Copenhagen, or those whom the Protector will send thither; and if you will meet me there, I doubt not but to show you a way to get that town without much difficulty; and then you will have all the isle of Zealand, which is the best part of Denmark, and the rest will follow, being weary of the present tyranny and ill-usage of their King. And if you were masters of Zealand, you might thereby keep in awe the Swede, the Hollander, and all the world that have occasion for the commodities of the Baltic Sea.

_Wh._ Why then doth not the King of Denmark now keep them in such awe?

_Dane._ Because he hath neither the money nor ships nor men that England hath.

_Wh._ What is the ground and reason of payment of the tolls at Elsinore, if ships may pa.s.s by without the leave of the castles there?

_Dane._ Because that is known but to a very few; and what I have told you is under secresy, and I desire that none but the Protector may know it from you; and as for the grounds of paying the tolls at Elsinore, it is rather from the keeping of the lights in Jutland and upon that coast, than from any command that Elsinore hath of the ships that go that way.

_Wh._ I have heard those lights are very useful.

_Dane._ Unless they were kept, it would be impossible for ships to sail there in the long nights in winter; and the trade doth enforce them to come that way in October and November, when the nights are very long, because of bringing wine into those parts after the vintage, which is in September.

_Wh._ They are likewise to carry home corn, which is not inned till August and September. Did not the Hollanders refuse to pay the toll?

_Dane._ Once they did, and thereupon the last King of Denmark, by advice, commanded that the lights upon the coast should not be kept; and the Hollanders in that autumn lost above thirty ships upon the Danish coast, and came and entreated the King that the lights might be kept again, and promised to pay the tolls as formerly, and have done so ever since.

_Wh._ Let me say to you, in freedom, how can you, being a native of Denmark, satisfy yourself to discover these things to me, whereby prejudice may come to your country?

_Dane._ I do not think I betray my country in this, though, my country having left me to be an exile, I might justly leave them; and wheresoever I breathe and am maintained is more my country than that where I was born, and which will not let me breathe there; yet in this I think I may do good service to Denmark, to free them from the tyranny they are under, and to bring them into the free government of the Protector, to whom I shall do any service in my power. But for the King of Denmark, he is governed by his Queen and a few of her party, men of no honour nor wisdom nor experience in public affairs, but proud and haughty, according to the way of these parts of the world.

_Wh._ I shall not fail to make known to the Protector your great affections to him.

_April 6, 1654._

[SN: Effects of the English fleet in the North.]

Monsieur Miller, who had been Resident at Hamburg for her Majesty, came to visit Whitelocke, and after dinner discoursed much of the English fleet now at sea, which, he said, did amuse all the northern parts of the world, what the design thereof might be. Whitelocke did not lessen the wonder, especially in relation to Denmark; yet affirmed nothing positively, as indeed he could not. He inquired of Monsieur Miller if the King of Denmark were making any preparations at sea, or of land forces, or had any design towards Hamburg. Miller said he knew of none, and in his discourse gave Whitelocke good information of the government, strength, and trade of that Hanse Town.

The Secretary Canterstein came to Whitelocke from the Chancellor, and brought to him the articles upon which they had last treated, now altered according to Whitelocke's desire, except that which concerned the forbidding of our enemies to buy arms in the countries of our confederates. He also delivered to Whitelocke the draft of a preamble for the articles, and another article for the ratifying of all the rest; whereunto Whitelocke consented, and thanked G.o.d that his business was brought so near to a good conclusion. Whitelocke received his packet from England, and Thurloe wrote that the Protector was sensible of the Queen's delaying of Whitelocke, but approved his proceedings. He sent this enclosed order:--

"AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, WHITEHALL: "_Friday, 17 Martii, 1653._

[SN: Order in Council in the matter of a Swedish prize.]

"On consideration of a letter, this day read in Council, sent from the Lord Amba.s.sador Extraordinary with her Majesty of Sweden, mentioning, among other things, the taking of the ship 'Charity,'

Paul Paulsen, master, by a private man-of-war, and the carrying of her into Dover, and the hard usage of the master and mariners, which ship is claimed by some citizens of Gothenburg, subjects of the said Queen:

"_Ordered_, That it be referred to the Commissioners of the Admiralty speedily to put this matter in a way of examination; and, for their information in the premises, to send for the commander of the said man-of-war, and to receive a particular account and satisfaction concerning the disposal of the ship and goods, and the usage of the master and mariners, and thereupon to state the whole case and report it to the Council, to the intent speedy justice may be done therein; and the said Commissioners are likewise to take order that all further proceedings touching the said ship, or her lading or disposal of any part thereof, be stayed and forborne till their report made and further order thereupon shall be given by the Council.

"W. JESSOP, Clerk of the Council."

Thurloe wrote that in case the information given to Whitelocke were found to be true, that the parties offending would be severely punished and right done to those who were injured; and that the Council were very sensible hereof, as a hindrance to Whitelocke's proceedings and a dishonour to the Protector. He also wrote unto Whitelocke that there was little scruple now of an agreement upon the Dutch treaty, which was as good as concluded; and he sent the news of France and of Scotland and Ireland, as well as that of England, as he constantly used to do.

Whitelocke caused this order to be translated into Latin, and made use of it for the advantage of his business.

A description was given to Whitelocke, in writing, of the manner of making gunpowder in these parts, and of their mills and vessels for it, not unlike in many things to their way in England.

_April 7, 1654._

[SN: The Queen's plans after abdication.]

Whitelocke waited on the Queen, and she was pleased to discourse with him to this effect:--

_Queen._ I am resolved to retire into Pomerland, and this summer to go to the Spa to drink the waters for my health.

_Whitelocke._ Give me leave, Madam, to put you in mind of two things to be specially taken care of: one is the security of your own person, the other is the settling of your revenue. Your Majesty, being of a royal and bountiful spirit, cannot look into such matters so much beneath you as expenses or accounts; and if care be not taken therein, and good officers, your Majesty may be disappointed and deceived.

_Qu._ I thank you for this counsel. I intend to have Mr. Flemming with me, to take charge of my revenue; he is a discreet, wise man, and fit for that employment, and to order the expenses of my house; I believe he will neither deceive me himself nor permit others to do it, for he is faithful to me.

_Wh._ Such a servant is a jewel. I hope care is taken that your Majesty's revenue be secured in such a manner that you shall not depend upon the pleasure of any other for the receipt of it, but to be in your power as mistress of it, not as a pensioner.