A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II.
John Locke · en
In the afternoon Whitelocke received a visit from Monsieur Hannibal
Schestedt, whose wife was sister to Woolfeldt's lady, one of the
daughters of the late King of Denmark by his second wife,--as they term
it, his left-handed wife; this relation, and his own good parts, brought
him in high esteem with the King, his brother-in-law, till by jealousies
(particularly, as was said, in some matters of mistresses), distaste and
disfavour was against him, and he was put out of his office of Viceroy of
Norway, and other advantages; upon which he retired himself into these
parts, and lived upon a pension of six thousand dollars yearly, allowed
by the King unto his lady. Whitelocke found him a gentleman of excellent
behaviour and abilities, which he had improved by his travels in most
countries of Europe, and had gained perfectly the French, Italian, Dutch,
English, and Latin tongues. His discourse was full of ingenuity and
cheerfulness, and very free touching his own country and King, on whom he
would somewhat reflect; and he spoke much of the Queen of Sweden's
resignation, which he much condemned, and as much extolled the assuming
of the Government by the Protector of England, and said he had a design
shortly to see England, and desired Whitelocke, that when he came into
England he would move to the Protector to give him leave to come into
England to serve the Protector, which he would willingly do, being forbid
his own country; but he prayed Whitelocke, that none might know of this
his purpose but the Protector only. He told Whitelocke, that Williamson,
the King of Denmark's Ambassador now in England, had been his servant,
etc.
When Monsieur Schestedt was gone, Whitelocke wrote to Secretary Thurloe,
and to his other friends in England, to give them an account of his being
come thus far in his voyage homewards, and of the two frigates being
arrived in the Elbe, that as soon as the wind would serve he would hasten
for England.
[SN: A banquet to Whitelocke.]