The Sun.
London, England, 1825-10-21 00:00:00

CRONIVVELL'S EMBASSLES.

When Cittiklit ELL had determined to send Lard
Commissioner WaticLoci as Ambassador to
Queen Queen CIiaISTTNA of SWEDEN, the Commissioner:
used every means to avoid the office, sad, ac-
cording to the fashion of the tin4es various ati-
peals were Made to prayers to guide the restart;
live parties in their determination, when, as was
to be eipected, the auguries of CromweiPS de-
`notion prevailed ; for, according to the Apostle
Peter, it was a maxim to" submit 'ourselves to
every. ordinance of man," and Rom. xiii: I," Let
every soul be s,uhject to the higbo.r powers, fot7
there is no power but of ,God : die pOweris that
be, are ordained of 'God."

•.
It was the Custom in these days, for 'the State
to furnish the personal necessaries of foreign Am-
bassadors, as appears from an Order in Conned,
dated at Whitehall;the 4th of September,l663.
" That such plate, table bonen, hangings,
houshold-stUffe, and bedding, as are in the Slate's
warderobe, and which are fits for the Lord Cora-
missioner's use in his embassy to Sweden, be fur-
nished unto his Lordship," Sze. And it waa also
the custom for private friends to contribute in
making up the outfit, as appears from the follow
ing entry in Whitelocke's Diary :
" Mr. pushell, an ingenious gentleman, who
had bin a servant to the Lord Caancellor Bacon,
sent a civil! letter, with a noble present ; a ca-
rious rich cabinet of green velvet, with silver lac 6
in it were two dozen of quart glasses of the most
rare and best distilled spirits of bolt waters,
after the direction of his lord ; and every glass
had its screwes and cover of Welch silver, chief-
ly found out by himselfe ; it Wes suitable to the
time and journey."
Whitelocke gives a glowing account of the
splendour of his suite in state coaches, &c. in tra-
velling through Sweden, to which the road fare.
presents a sad and mortifying contrast. Legs and
arms of the servants are broken by -falls on the
rough and snow-covered roads.
6 4 This day we travelled three Swedish miles,
the countrey being somewhat plainer than before,
yett full of great stones and firr trees,-bittt little .
corne lande, being entered Into the great forest.
We came before night to a dorpe called 'Bine-
bergh, where the longing and dyett were ex-
treant hadd, and most of the provision Cow leave
beefe, cult out in pieces, and dryed, roasted,•
and boyled ; and as it was beer agayne whis-
pered, the col* was rotten, and dYed in'
field." . .

Upon his arrival at Stockholm, -after encoun-
tering great hardships on his journey, he found
dispatches with the comfortable assurance '4 that
he must have great forte ne if he iiscape Doe:.
rislau's and Ayscham's fate ; for there are three.
in Sweden already (two of then) have bin used_
to such sport) that will attempt bin), and have
designed to kill him ; and if they misse; theta
are those that will goe over in the ships with.
!limo that may doe him that friendly office."
Whitelocke appears to • have held the: social
custom of drinking healths in great abhorrence,
and not even the courtesy due to the liabits of a
foreign nation, to which he was sent? to court ami-
cable relations, could induce him to allow ern( .
his suite to profane the festive board, by submit, ,
ting to such a pr'etice, as the following account
will show of a dinner given to the Embassy, by
some of the Swedish Officers of State,.by order
of the Queen : • •

" Whitelocke had bin informed of the custom, of the-north-
erne eountryes, of being too much addicted terexeessive drink-
ing, and using by many and great draughts of strong drinks
and wine, to drinke (as they miscall it) healths, the then
which nothing tends more to sickness and drunkenness, and
sinning against God ; to prevent which Whitelocke bad
strictly warned his own family against drunkenness, and that
none of them should Jut any time begin or pledge any health,
butt to execute themselves by his example and command, irbo
was resolved not to adrnitt that wickedness in his henzhOld-
" This night about the midst of supper, the master of the
ceremonies rose from his seate, and came to Whiteloeke with •
'a great glass of wine in his hand, and began to him a- health to
the commonwealth of tngland. Whttelocke with civility
desired to be excused from pledging of it, alledging it to be
against his own judgment, and the manner and fashion Of "
those whom he served, to drinke or pledge healths, and tiler,.
fore desired his liberty. The master of the ceremonies (as its
his own verge) imperiously urged Whitelocke to pledge the
health, and told him that he could not refuse it, being to his
masters the commonwealth; Whitelocke answered, that, ad
commonwealth would not be offended att his refusall to pledge
their health ; and that his masters, if they werevresent,
would.alao refuse it ; that he had gained his liberty With much
hazard att horns, and should be unwilling to part with it
abroade.
" The more earnestly it *as pressed uppon him, the more
eftmestly be denyed it, keeping to the rule, principii4
and Nies resolved (as he did) to elayme and make good this
liberty in the beginning and first assaults uppon it.
" After this, the master of the ceremonies began the health: '
'of General Crcimielt, which was refused h Whitelocke as the
former was ; at which (in great disdaine) the masterof the sere,
monies asked if they. thought it anlawfull, and said, he could
not sufficiently wonder to see one refuse to pledge the health of
his own General].

" Whitelocke answered, that as he condemned no man for
drinking a health, so they ought not to condemn him for Iv-
fitsing it, and that the master's admiration was altogither un-
necessary ; that General Cromwell had other manner of work!:
for his soldiers than to drinke heidths : that his performance of
his Generall's ,commaunds in more important mattets would
please hint better than pledging of his health : there were many
returnesof the like nature in words and gestures, full of heate
and discontent.

- .
" Whitelocker son, and Doctor Whistler, likewise refusing
pledge the health, the master of the ceremonies; in great
scorne, asked, why not drinke a health ? and vianattswered,
why not eate a health? The Toaster sayd, they might-observe
their country fashions 'then they were 'att home, butt now
should observe the customs, of the coLiptrey where they were.f
" Whitelocke replyed, that he understood no such lawe ef
ceremonies or of nations, for such as himselfe and hie company;
his quality giving him the privilege to keep the customs of hi
own countrey, wheresoever he was ;.and this freedotne'*e
ex-
peeted beer, and was resolved to preserve. -After divers t) ateakes'
of this nat9re, the dispute concluded in a sileint• dale,ontent
during the rest of supper-time," ' 4. •
Poor Whitelocke, upou 'his return,, complains-
bitterly of being ill requited for his paiAs and
risk by his pious frietid Cromwell'.