A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II. — John Locke — John Shaqi
A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II.
John Locke · en
_Schuett._ The Queen is busy in despatching three senators to the Prince,
Grave Eric Oxenstiern, Monsieur Fleming, and Monsieur Vanderlin, who are
deputed for the business of the Queen's resignation; and I, in a few
days, shall be sent to the Prince.
_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.
[SN: 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.
He inquired much of the Commonwealth and affairs of England, and
government of it, and seemed well pleased by Whitelocke's relation of it.
He informed Whitelocke of the Swedish Government, and particularly of
his own office. He discoursed much of the Prince of Sweden, which
Whitelocke judged the fitter for him to approve, because Prince
Adolphus's lady was this Grave's daughter. He told Whitelocke that he had
been Governor of Finland ten years together, which province he affirmed
to be greater than France, and that the Queen's dominions were larger
than France, Spain, Italy, all together. Whitelocke asked him if those
countries were well peopled, and flourished with corn and good towns. He
answered that Finland was well peopled, and had store of corn, and good
towns; but that it was not so with Lapland and other countries further
off. But he said that no part of Sweden had such towns as were in
England, where he had been when he was a young man, which country he much
praised; and Whitelocke had no cause to gainsay it.
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._