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
After this discourse Whitelocke inquired of Lagerfeldt how the
Chancellor's health was, and what physicians were about him. Lagerfeldt
said he was still sick of his ague, and had no physician attending him
but one who had been a chirurgeon in the army, and now constantly lived
in the house with the Chancellor as a humble friend, sat at his table,
and had a pension from him of four hundred rix-dollars a year; who had
some good receipts, especially for the stone, which agreed with the
Chancellor's constitution, which this chirurgeon only studied and
attended. And so it was generally in this great and large country.
Whitelocke met with no doctor of physic or professed physician in any
town or country, not any attending the person of the Queen herself; but
there are many good women, and some private persons, who use to help
people that are diseased by some ordinary known medicines; and their
diseases are but few, their remedies generally communicated, and they
live many of them to a great age.
[SN: Letters and despatches from England.]
Whitelocke received letters from England, which were always welcome,
especially bringing the good news of the welfare of his relations. He
received very respectful letters from the Earl of Clare, Sir Charles
Woolsey, Colonel Sydenham, the Master of the Rolls, Mr. Reynolds, Lord
Commissioner Lisle, and divers others, besides his usual letters from his
wife, Mr. Hall, Mr. Cokaine, his brothers-in-law, and divers other
friends. In those from Thurloe he had the particular passages of the
Dutch treaty, and that he believed the peace with them would be
concluded; and in those letters Thurloe also writes thus:--
"Your Excellence's of the 27th of January I communicated to his
Highness and to the Council, who, although they do not by this
transaction of the Queen very well understand her intentions as to
the peace, yet they are very much satisfied with the management
thereof on your part, and commit the issue thereof unto the Lord,
who will either bless your endeavours by bringing things to a
desired issue, or otherwise dispose of this affair to the glory of
God, the good of the Commonwealth, and the comfort of yourself who
are employed in it.
"The Council, upon consideration of the whole matter, did not find
it necessary to give you any further directions, nor did his
Highness, especially seeing his last letters but one did express his
sense upon that treaty, and nothing hath occurred since which hath
given any cause of alteration.