The anecdotes (the bolded parts my own):
1. Whitelocke's arrival at Uppsala Castle, December 20, 1653
In the great court of the castle, at the entrance on the bridge, was a guard of 100 musketeers with their officers, and these formed a lane across the court. Whitelocke alighted at the foot of the stairs, where the Grave Gabriel Oxenstierne stood with his silver baton of court-marshal, with many officers and servants in his rear. He was civil and well-fashioned, complimented the stranger, bade him welcome to court, and promised readily to do him service. All Whitelocke's suite preceded him up the two pair of stone stairs, excepting his secretary, chaplains, pages, and so on, in the graduated scale of order, who all followed in his rear. The Queen's lacqueys carried torches, and on reaching a large ante-room, Prince Adolphus, brother to the hereditary prince, as grand master or high steward was posted, and, after some mutual courtesies in French, both marched abreast into the room of reception, he being on the right and the prince upon the left. He perceived the Queen sitting at the upper end upon her chair of state, and saw it was of crimson velvet with a canopy over it of the same substance. The room was filled with lords and ladies, senators and courtiers, and all were bare-headed. As soon as he entered he "put" off his hat, and the Queen put off her cap, advancing two or three steps; this act revealed her rank, which otherwise it might have been difficult to detect, for she wore a habit of plain grey stuff, and over her petticoat, that reached to the ground, a man's jacket descending to her knees. On her left side, tied with crimson ribbon, descended the jewels of the Amaranth order; her cuffs were ruffled à la mode, but she had on no gorget or band, only a black ribbon such as common soldiers and seamen used; her hair was braided and hung loose; her cap was of black velvet lined with sable, it was turned up, and she used it as a hat. Her countenance was sprightly, but somewhat pale; her demeanour, he thought, possessed much majesty, and her carriage noble, small as her person was.
Whitelocke made her three "congees", came up to her and kissed her hand, that being a royal privilege to which all ambassadors were entitled, the grace of doing which he had learned in his youth, both at Whitehall and Saint Germains. Then she put on her cap, and he did the same with his hat; when calling to his secretary and taking his credentials he pulled off his hat again, at which the Queen pulled off her cap once more. He addressed her in English; M. de la March interpreted it into French, and the burthen of it was, that the Parliament had commanded him to present those letters to her Majesty. She received them civilly, looked at their superscription, and then laid them by unopened. After a pause he continued speaking as before, and the Queen was very attentive, came close up to him, and by her looks and gestures tried to daunt him. But, as he very truly says, those who had been looking at the stern scenes at home so long, were not to be easily appalled by the presence of a young lady and her servants. He made her a long speech, and whenever he bowed during its delivery, she dropped him a courtesy in return. Her answer was quite as delicate and complimentary as his address , and he made so good an impression that she excused her garb; she had been ill, she said, which caused her to put herself into the dress of her chamber, in which she chose to appear thus publicly, rather than disappoint him of his audience at the time appointed; she hoped she should have opportunity and time for further converse more at large. Upon this Whitelocke took his leave, returned to supper, and to be regaled with the Queen's band, without which the former, encumbered with senators and a most censorious master of the ceremonies, would have proved insufferably dull.
2. Whitelocke's second audience with Kristina
On the following day he procured a private audience through the medium of the Master of the Ceremonies. They spoke in French, and the chief points have been preserved:
WHITELOCKE: Madam, I desired this audience for an opportunity of returning my thanks to your Majesty for the honour you have been pleased to show me, and for the favours I have received from your Majesty on my journey, in my entertainment and public audience here.
QUEEN: Your accommodations on your journey and your entertainment here have not been such as I desired, nor could these places afford what was fit for you. I desire you to excuse it, and to be assured of a hearty welcome to my court.
WHITELOCKE: Madam, what I intimated at my public audience in a general way, I am ready to give your Majesty a particular account of, and I hope it will be for the good of both nations.
QUEEN: I believe the same, and am ready to entertain an alliance with the Commonwealth of England. The business is of very great weight and consequence, requiring good consideration and advice. I am at present in a condition of quiet and peace, and how far I should involve myself in troubles is of considerable moment.
WHITELOCKE: Your Majesty is best able to judge whether an alliance with England will not add to your security, there being designs against your Majesty as well as others.
QUEEN: I believe there are, and that an alliance with England will be of advantage to me; but Sir, have you any other authority for such a business, besides the letters you brought to us?
WHITELOCKE: Madam, I have a commission under the Great Seal of
England, which I have brought with me to show to your Majesty.
England, which I have brought with me to show to your Majesty.
QUEEN: I pray let us read it together!
WHITELOCKE: I see your Majesty understands the Latin perfectly, and will find here sufficient authority given me for this business.
QUEEN: I have Latin enough to serve my turn, and the authority given to you is very full. Upon what particulars will the Parliament think fit to ground the alliance between the two nations?
WHITELOCKE: If your Majesty please, I shall present you with the particulars in writing, in French or Latin, as you shall command.
QUEEN: It will be best in Latin, because I shall take advice in it.
WHITELOCKE: I shall do it as your Majesty directs.
QUEEN: Your General is one of the gallantest men in the world; never were such things done as by the English in your late war. Your General has done the greatest things of any man in the world. The Prince of Condé is next to him, but short of him. I have as great a respect and honour for your General as for any man alive, and I pray let him know as much from me.
WHITELOCKE: My General is indeed a very brave man; his actions show it, and I shall not fail to signify to him the great honour of your Majesty's respects to him. I assure your Majesty he has as high honour for you as for any prince in Christendom.
QUEEN: I have been told that many officers of your army will themselves pray and preach to their soldiers; is that true?
WHITELOCKE: Yes, Madam, it is very true. When their enemies are swearing or debauching, or pillaging, the officers and soldiers of the Parliament's army use to be encouraging and exhorting one another out of the word of God, and praying together to the Lord of Hosts for His blessing, who has shown His approbation of this military preaching by the successes He has given them.
QUEEN: That's well. Do you use to do so too?
WHITELOCKE: Yes, upon some occasions, in my own family, and think it as proper for me, being the master of it, to admonish and speak to my people when there is cause, as to be beholden to another to do it for me, which sometimes brings the chaplain into more credit than his lord.
QUEEN: Does your General, and do other great officers do so?
WHITELOCKE: Yes, Madam, very often and very well. Nevertheless, they maintain chaplains and ministers in their houses and regiments. Such as are godly and worthy ministers have as much respect, and as good provision, in England, as in any place of Christendom. Yet it is the opinion of many good men with us, that a long cassock with a silk girdle and a great beard do not make a learned or good preacher, without gifts of God's spirit, and labouring in His vineyard. Whoever studies the holy scripture, and is enabled to do good to the souls of others, and endeavours the same, is nowhere forbidden by that word, nor is it blameable. The officers and soldiers of the Parliament held it not unlawful, when they carried their lives in their hands, and were going to adventure them in the high places of the field, to encourage one another out of His word, who commands over all. This had more weight and impression with it than any other word could have, and was never denied to be made use of but by Popish prelates, who by no means would admit lay people, as they call them, to gather from thence that instruction and comfort which can nowhere else be found.
QUEEN: Methinks you preach very well, and have now made a good sermon. I assure you I like it very well.
WHITELOCKE: Madam, I shall account it a great happiness, if any of my words may please you.
QUEEN: Indeed, Sir, these words of yours do very much please me, and I shall be glad to hear you oftener in this strain. But I pray tell me, where did your general, and you his officers, learn this way of praying and preaching yourselves?
WHITELOCKE: We learned it from a near friend of your Majesty, whose memory all the Protestant interest has cause to honour.
QUEEN: My friend! Who was that?
WHITELOCKE: It was your father, the great King Gustavus Adolphus, who, upon his first landing in Germany, as many then present have testified, did himself in person on the shore, on his knees, give thanks to God for his safe landing, and before his soldiers himself prayed to God for His blessing on that undertaking, and he would frequently exhort his people out of God's word, and God testified his good liking thereof by the wonderful successes He was pleased to vouchsafe to that gallant king.
To this the Queen made no further reply, but as her manner was, fell out of one subject into another, "full of variety and pleasant intermixt discourses." Having satisfied her curiosity about the state of the war between England and Holland, the history of the civil war, the business at Worcester, where her narrator did justice to the personal gallantry and conduct of Charles, the King of Scots; and after two hours of walking up and down the room, which made him very weary, and his sick leg lame afterwards, he took his leave. ...
To relate the various interviews he had with subordinate personages would be idle, and therefore let us hasten on to his next interview with royalty. On this occasion two stools were brought in, as the Queen had heard by this time of his lameness. He showed her a list of the Parliament's fleet; explained to her the number of men, the several officers, the burthen of the ships, how many pieces of ordnance each of them carried; the pay, diet, stores and ammunition, -- not of his own mooting, but in answer to her questions, for she was very inquisitive:
QUEEN: Do these ships belong to the Commonwealth, or to private persons, made use of by the State when they have occasions, as at this time?
WHITELOCKE: They are all the State's own ships, built and furnished at the public charge, and are set out for this winter guard only. The state has many more and still larger ships belonging to their navy, which are reserved and are to be fitted for the summer guard, besides many others, that are repairing and now building.
QUEEN: This is a gallant navy indeed; I am exceedingly taken with the description of it. I thought no prince or state in the world had so good a fleet, except the Hollanders, who, I believe, have more ships than England.
WHITELOCKE: The Hollanders may have more ships and vessels than England, especially if fisher-boats are to be reckoned; but for ships of war England is not inferior to any other nation. The Hollanders, till their present sea-war with England, had not much occasion for ships of war, being at peace with their neighbours, and the less, being on the Continent. But for carriage ships, their principal interest being trade, they had as much occasion, and for a greater number than any other people. As the dominions of our Commonwealth consist of islands, our chief defence is in our navy, so as to meet with an enemy before he lands, and our best bulwarks are these wooden walls.
QUEEN: You have reason for what you say; some of these ships of yours would do good service to open the Sound. What do you think fit to be taken for opening and making free that passage?
WHITELOCKE: That must needs be better known to your Majesty, who are a neighbour to the place, and much concerned in it, than to me who am a stranger.
QUEEN: But I desire your opinion in it.
WHITELOCKE: I do not think it convenient to permit the Dane and the Dutch to lay what exactions they please upon all the people of the world, who have occasion to pass that way.
QUEEN: It cannot be taken out of their hands but by force.
At this word the Queen drew her stool nearer to Whitelocke's, and said:
QUEEN: Do you think that the Commonwealth of England will give assistance in that business?
WHITELOCKE: Madam, I think they will, upon such just and honourable terms as may be agreed.
QUEEN: Do you think they will send any ships for that purpose?
WHITELOCKE: I believe upon fit terms they would.
QUEEN: What would you propose as fit to be done in the business?
WHITELOCKE: I suppose your Majesty does not expect any proposal from me in the first place. But if you will be pleased to consider of some proposals to that effect, that I may have them in writing, I will send them to my superiors, from whom I shall speedily receive instructions, agreeable to the interest of both nations, a conclusion may be had here in this business.
QUEEN: Par Dieu! This is worthy the consideration of both nations, and not only concerns them, but all the world besides. But what do you think of the Emperor's taking part with the King of Denmark?
WHITELOCKE: The business will be chiefly at sea, where the Emperor has no strength. I believe his Imperial Majesty will have no opportunity of molesting your Majesty's territories in Germany; in regard to his own affairs with the princes and his neighbours.
QUEEN: But he may assist the Dane with money.
WHITELOCKE: I don't think he has much to spare.
QUEEN: The King of Spain may lend him money.
WHITELOCKE: Not against England or Sweden, especially if to advance the interest of Holland, though he should have money enough besides for his own many occasions, which I believe he has not.
QUEEN: I presume the Dutch will come with all their power to assist the Dane, chiefly against England, and to hinder their having an interest in the Sound.
WHITELOCKE: It concerns them so to do, the rather now, being in hostility against us, and in alliance with the Dane; but this is to be expected and provided for, and the business will come the sooner and the more certainly to an issue.
QUEEN: Do you think your Commonwealth will send ships enough, sufficient to encounter the Dutch?
WHITELOCKE: In all our affairs hitherto the blessing of God has been with our Commonwealth; so that I doubt not our ships joining with your Majesty's will suffice to bring to reason the Dane or Dutch, in these or any other seas.
QUEEN: I believe the King of France will assist them.
WHITELOCKE: His navy is not very formidable, nor frequent in the Baltic, and for land-forces, they will have a long march, after they have made an end with the Prince of Condé and their old enemy; nor has that king much spare money.
QUEEN: You speak very fully and truly of the interest of the several princes and states of Europe. I like the affair extremely, and will prepare a memoir of some proposals concerning it, and give it to you to send to England. But speed, vigour and secrecy are requisite herein. I must enjoin you to acquaint nobody with this discourse, but only your General, Cromwell, whose word I shall rely upon; but I would not have this matter made known to any other whomsoever. I desire you not to speak of it to any of my own ministers, nor of anything else relating to your negotiation but what I shall give way unto.
WHITELOCKE: Madam, I shall faithfully obey your Majesty's commands, and not reveal one tittle of these matters without your permission.
QUEEN: Have you not heard in England that I was to marry the King of Scots?
WHITELOCKE: It has been so reported in England, that letters have passed between him and your Majesty for that purpose, and that your Majesty had a good affection for the King of Scots.
QUEEN: I confess that letters have passed between us, but this I will assure you, that I will not marry that king: he is a young man, and in a condition sad enough. Though I respect him very much, I shall never marry him, you may be well assured. But I shall tell you under secrecy, he lately sent a letter to the prince palatine, my cousin, and with it the order of a knight of the garter to the prince; the messenger had the wit to bring it first to me. When I saw it, and had read the letter, I threw it into the fire, and would not suffer the George to be delivered to my cousin.
WHITELOCKE: Your Majesty did very judiciously, testifying great prudence in yourself, and great honour and respect to the Commonwealth of England. I met in your court one of my countrymen, no friend of our Commonwealth, who, as I suspect, might be the messenger.
QUEEN: Who was that?
WHITELOCKE: Sir William Balendine.
QUEEN: He was indeed the messenger; but do not communicate this passage to any save your General.
WHITELOCKE: I shall fully perform your Majesty's commands; and, Madam, I hope you will not trouble yourself to receive any public minister or message from the King of Scots or any of his party. Or if any should come, that your servant may have the honour to know of it.
QUEEN: What would you do in case any such thing should be?
WHITELOCKE: I hope that, in reason and in right of friendship with our Commonwealth, I may prevail with your Majesty not to entertain any such minister or message. It behoves me in that duty and service which I owe to my superiors, to make my protest against any such message or messengers.
QUEEN: That would be an act of stoutness in you, and I believe you may be commanded to do so; but I suppose there will be no occasion for it. There is no such messenger in my court; and as for Balendine, he is one of my servants.
WHITELOCKE: I hope there will be no occasion for it.
QUEEN: What are the particulars which you have to propose to me of this treaty?
WHITELOCKE: Madam, I have them here in writing.
Having resolved on the best way of dealing with a princess of honour, he presented her with all the articles at once, reserving only three, the discussion of which could not take place, till a decision on the others had been previously obtained. Perhaps he would have acted differently with the Dutch or others, and have proceeded by degrees; but with this Queen, the frank method he thought would be the best. And so it proved, for she said later to some that were around her; "The English ambassador had dealt with her, not as a merchant, but as a gentleman and man of honour, and that he should fare all the better for it."
Above: Kristina painted by David Beck, year 1650.
Above: Bulstrode Whitelocke, year 1650. Image courtesy of National Portrait Gallery via Wikimedia Commons.
Above: Uppsala Castle, where Kristina formally received Whitelocke. Photo taken by Per Enström at Wikimedia Commons.
Above: Prince Adolphus, Kristina's cousin, year 1657.
Above: Prince Palatine Karl Gustav, Kristina's cousin who became King of Sweden upon Kristina's abdication in 1654.
Above: King Charles.
Above: King Frederick III of Denmark.
Above: King Louis XIII of France.
Above: King Phillip IV of Spain.
Above: The Battle of Scheveningen, 10 August, 1653. It was the final battle of the First Anglo-Dutch War.
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