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
_Gr. Eric._ I am ready in the same way of secresy as it hath been carried
with my father, so that Mr. Beningen in his letters to his superiors
saith that the English Ambassador did treat with none but the Queen
alone, and sometimes alone with the Chancellor, whereby he could not
possibly give any account of those transactions; for he thought that not
one person in Sweden, except the Queen and the Chancellor, knew what they
were.
_Wh._ The gentleman hath done me an honour in that expression.
_Gr. Eric._ My coming to your Excellence is to proceed in your business;
and I desire a consideration may be had of the great losses which the
Queen's subjects have sustained by the seizing and detaining of their
ships by the English.
_Wh._ This is a new objection, and I am neither empowered nor have
ability to cast up such accounts or to take such examinations; but there
is a court of justice in England, which I presume has done, and will do,
right to any who have cause to complain; and I know that my Lord
Protector will command that justice shall be done to all the Queen's
subjects; and if any of them have received any injury, they ought to
receive a just satisfaction from the parties that did them wrong; and, if
you please, I shall mention these things in my letters to England, and
when I come thither myself I will personally endeavour that the same may
be had fully.
_Gr. Eric._ I hope a just satisfaction will be given herein, without
which there can be no solid foundation of amity between the two nations
and their people.
_Wh._ The same is reasonably and mutually to be expected; and I make no
question but my Lord Protector will order right to be done therein.
_Gr. Eric._ The Queen's subjects have received great losses under colour
of contraband goods, when the same hath not been proved.
_Wh._ And many of our allies have been found to colour our enemies' goods
to the damage of England; but these matters will be proper for an
examination elsewhere.
They proceeded to the particular articles.
1. This, Eric said, was equal.
2. He made the same objections as the Queen had done, and Whitelocke gave
the same answers; and Eric said that this article depended upon our
treaty with the Dutch.