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
Being the Lord's Day, divers Scotch merchants, inhabitants of this city,
and some English, came to Whitelocke's lodging to hear the sermon in the
morning, and many of them did him the honour to dine with him; he had
conference with them, and good advice from them, about his voyage to
England and other matters. Lagerfeldt came also to salute Whitelocke,
and to know what service he had for him, before his going from hence
this evening. Whitelocke desired him to speak to the master of the
customs, touching the shipping of his copper and other goods, custom
free; and Whitelocke prayed Lagerfeldt also to speak to Vice-Admiral
Wrangel, that the ship appointed for his transportation (which was now in
the road in view of Whitelocke's lodging) might, with as much speed as
could be, fall down to the Dollars; which he promised to do.
Wrangel sent to invite Whitelocke to go this afternoon to see the ships,
but Whitelocke excused it by reason of the day, and sent word that
tomorrow, if he pleased, he would wait upon him; and desired his advice
touching his voyage. In the evening Lagerfeldt came again to Whitelocke,
to give him an account what he had done by his appointment, and told
Whitelocke that he should have all contentment. With Lagerfeldt came
Monsieur de Geeres to visit Whitelocke, who gave him thanks for a vessel
of claret wine which De Geeres had sent to Whitelocke, who said he hoped
he should not stay long enough to drink it out in this place.
[SN: The Queen's garden at Stockholm.]
At Upsal Whitelocke was carried to see the Queen's garden, which scarce
deserved that name, being only a piece of ground of about four or five
acres, paled in according to the manner of their paling, and had in it a
few hedges which, in the latter end of May, upon the thaw, began to
appear a little green; but for flowers or fruit-trees there were none,
except a few ordinary tulips. This put Whitelocke in mind to inquire if
the Queen had a better garden here at Stockholm, where her residence
usually was. The Swedes excused the meanness of the garden at Upsal
because the Court was seldom there, but here they commended the garden,
and offered Whitelocke the favour to see it. He went about seven o'clock
this evening to view it, and to walk in the Queen's garden here. It was
near unto his lodging, but at a distance from the castle; it is about six
or seven acres of ground, encompassed with a pale, on which they bestow
timber enough in the posts and rails, and the pales are not set upright
one by another, but crosswise one upon another, between two great posts,
with rivets for the pales to be put into, and so to fall down one upon
the other; and the pales are two inches thick or more, made of fir
timber, and the posts and rails of oak.