A TRUE RELATION OF THE Severall Negotiations which have pass'd between his Majesty the King of SVVEDEN AND His Highness the Elector of BRANDENBVRGH Translated out of French LONDON Printed in the Year 1659. A TRUE RELATION OF SUCH Passages as hapned in the Iourney Undertaken by the Baron of SUERIN and the Honourable Mr WEYMAN Deputies on the behalf of the Prince Elector of Brandenburg to the King of Sweden In the Moneths of May and June 1658. IT is not without a great deal of regret that we are enforced to begin this Relation by complaints against those who are the causes of the desolation of our beloved and dear Countrey But it s the very last extremity which exacts them at our hands and which obligeth us to make a sad reflection on the pitifull estate wherein we have seen Germany ingaged by the Forces of those who under the cloak of Liberty and Religion have in such a lamentable manner extenuated that fair body as they have left it but a bare skeleton there is not so despicable a German who hath but one sole drop of bloud left in his veins that cannot be sensible hereof and who can cease from sighing at the rehersall of the calamities wherewithall his Countrey hath been afflicted We have dearly bought our Slavery at the expence of our Estates our Goods our Bloud our Honour and our reputations and we have forgot what we once our selves were to establish the Names of those who were scarce ever heard of less known in the Empire Nor have they onely setled the Seats of their Dominion on our Frontiers but even our fairest and most beautifull Provinces along the Elve the Weser and the Oder do groan under the intollerable captivity of their Government Strangers do triumph over our Liberties and they make a mockingstock of Religion whilest under the pretence thereof they have possessed themselves of all Pomerania and those other great Estates and Territories which they enjoy in the rest of the Empire It seemed that at length God would have pity on us and that by the Peace of Munster he would in some manner disburburden us of our miseries wherfore all men did generally return their thanks and acknowledgments to the Almighty thereon since all men beleeved they might have enjoyed their own in peace and might have reaped the fruit of their labours in quiet under their own vines and figg-trees and those who had overwatched and outlaboured themselves during the last commotions and disorders hoped now to carry their hoary heads in peace to their graves But the Swedish Seepter was no sooner departed the hands of a Woman whenas it became a burning torch in the hands of her Successor to kindle again the wars in Germany the first sparkles whereof appeared in the Swedish Forces before Bremen and the full flames not long after burst out throughout all Poland that famous Kingdom which so often and so gloriously stood in stead of a bulwark and defence to all Christendom being on all sides at once set upon by an infinite number of strangers craved the aid and assistance of all the world whenas this present King of Sweden took his time to fall upon its back whilst it was involved in a warre with all those other Barbarians and entring it by the way of its Protestant Provinces did menace it with no less then a totall destruction which it escaped by a meer miracle for as all the world must needs know had not the Almighty put to his helping hand we had not seen it in the condition it is in at this day His Elector all Highness of Brandenburg having born the greatest brunt of these disasters foreseeing that this fire was like to consume the best part of Christendom used his possible endeavours to stifle it in the embers and after it had blazed forth by his earnest and frequent beseeching the King of Sweden to reflect on the consequences of this business and the abominable scandall which would be given to all the world by so unjust an Invasion and even moved him to give ear to a reasonable and advantagious Peace but instead of gaining upon the said Kings minde his Electorall Highness found himself necessitated to leavy Forces as well for the defence of his own Territories which were assaulted by the Swedes as to comply with that obligation he stood engaged in unto the Crown of Poland True it is that the success was not answerable to his expectations nor to the justice of his Forces but an extream necessity and an overpowring Force constrained his Highness to treat with the Swedes and to agree with them in such a manner as they themselves would and tht fatall misfortune of Poland brought a generall revolution on the whole Kingdom in which it seemed that all the severall Estates and Orders thereof generally and unanimously conspired to the ruin of that Crown Now his Electorall Highness wanting the Power of a Protector in chief necessity did in some manner dispence with him in the duty of a vassall so that his waring against Poland may be in some way excused by the enforced necessity which plunged him therein however both Poland and Sweden do full well know that amidst the greatest successes of the Swedish Armies and even during those Triumphs in which his Electorall Highness might justly claim so great a part he had alwayes a heart bent to Peace and continually embraced the Proposals thereof with joy Insomuch that the Polonian affairs meeting with such a change by reason of the Denmark Warre the King of Sweden was forced to quit Prussia and in a manner to relinquish and renounce those Treaties which he made with his Electorall Highness whom the King himself counselled to heed his own affairs and to prevent those disasters which threatned the Ducall Prussia by the best means he could And accordingly by his said Majesties counsell his Electorall Highness took his resolution on the present conjuncture of affairs and did again reconcâ—le himself to the Crown of Poland with this Proviso however That both Parties should chiefly minde the Peace with Sweden and that in case either or both were so unfortunate as not to bring their good intentions to a desired effect as then his Electorall Highness should remain in a full and entire liberty to act in the Empire in relation to his own Interest and in conformity to the Peace of Munster And immediately notice was given hereof to the King of Sweden and it was represented unto him That by reason of the complying with the said Treaty his Electoral Highnesse could not any longer give the Swedish Troopes passage through his Territories nor permit that any prohibited Merchandises should be unloaden in his Ports And his Majesty was at the same time requested to think upon the Peace with Poland assuring him that it might be obtained on very advantagious Termes for the Swedes Whereupon the said King declared unto his Electoral Highnesse That he was very much inclined thereunto assured
the States of Vpper-Saxony who were assembled at Liepsig That he would no more march through the Empire into Poland and told Mounsier de Lombres the French Ambassadour who alwaies most vigorously seconded the King his Masters good intentions towards the procuring of a Peace betwixt the two Crownes That he would not only restore Prussia by reimbursing it in a manner for the charges of the War but that also he would immediately nominate his Plenipotentiaires to Treat on the Peace with Poland All which Declarations gave great hopes for a Peace in the North. But the King and Crown of Poland considering that the King of Sweden would obtain a great advantage from such a meeting to the above-said purpose by the jealousie which the Muscovites would harbour thereon and by the just cause which the other Allyes would have to complain of such a particular Treaty they thought it not fitting to engage themselves in such like Negotiations the event whereof was very uncertain and would ruine them in the opinion of all their Friends And indeed they perceived that the King of Sweden would not explain himself as to the summe which he demanded for recompence of Prussia And finally That since his successes in Denmark he required so immense a summe as was altogether unpossible for the Crown of Poland to procure or pay Moreover his Electoral Highnesse perceiving that the State of Affairs in Denmark had changed all the King of Sweden's resolutions and that he had proceeded to open threats against the said Elector he found himself obliged to his great grief to prepare against his violence whilest he used all the possible and imaginable good Offices toward the advancing and promoting of the Peace between the two Crowns And the posture into which the said Elector hath put himself as well by those Alliances which he hath made with his Neighbouring Princes as by the care which he hath taken to preserve his Army and to put his places in defence did not at all hinder him to apply his thoughts to devise a meanes to beget a Peace between Poland and Sweden with a resolution however That in case he met with too great difficulties therein at least to hinder the Swedish Forces from marching through the Territories of the Empire and getting that way into Poland thereby to prevent the ruine of the Vpper-Saxony Cerele and those iconveniencies which the Swedes would cause him to suffer to the prejudice of their verball assurances of the contrary given at the Assembly at Leipsig and at the Dyet at Franckford of their good and reall intentions And ilke manner by this meanes to endeavour to save and preserve all Germany from the devastations by Fire and Sword wherewithall the King of Sweden had threatned it Whereupon his Electoral Highnesse by his Letters of the 10th of March of this present year annexed and marked a Proof 1. requested his said Majestty to evidence his good intentions towards the Peace with Poland and to let him see the effects of the Promise which he made unto him thereon the said King answered him on the 10th of April next ensuing annexed b Proof 2. and told him That he had long since named his Commissioners for the said Treaty of Peace but that the Polander witnessed so small an inclination thereunto as that he durst not any longer promise himself any such thing Moreover the Earl of Slippenbach having at the same time invited the Baron of Suerin his Electoral Highnesse of Brandenburghs chief Minister of State to give him a meeting at Prentslou in the Marck of Brandenburgh he there shewed him a project or draft of an alliance which the King of Sweden pretended he would make with the King of Denmark and with some other Princes and States of Europe and pressed him on the behalf of the King his Master to move his Electoral Highnesse to send his Ambassadours thereon unto his Majesty and the said Count continuing his earnest pressing of the same by his Letters of the first of May annexed and marked c Proof 3. his said Electoral Highnesse who was the rather induced to incline unto a Peace by how much he knew that the preservation of his own Estates and Territories did partly depend thereon gave ear unto the counsel which was given him by the publick Ministers of France England and also by his Neighbouring Princes by his nearest Allyes and Kindred the Dukes of Brunswick and Lunenburgh and the Landtgrave of Hesse and nominated for this Embassy the Baron of Suerin and the Honourable Mr. Weyman one of his Privy Counsellors of State which Ambassadours departed from Berlin on the 13th day of the Moneth of May last past and being arrived at Kiel they were very well received in that place the Prince of Sulsbach and the Earl of Slippenbach coming thither to complement them on the behalf of the King treated them end entertained them with a great deal of civility and in that place they heard the King was at Flensbourg So that being arrived at Gottorp where they had order to negotiate several things with that Duke being a Prince of the Empire they gave notice thereof to the King who having sent them word by the Count Palatin of Sultsbach That it was his desire they should come to Flensbourg they immediately repaired thither At their arrival they were lodged by the Kings order and as soon as they had sent their Letters of Credence unto the Court a Person of quality came to complement them on the Kings behalf which good beginnings caused as great joy in all those who desired passionately the setling of a Peace as the Ambassadours themselves who flattered themselves but with over-slender hopes which vanished in a moment after They demanded audience but they were put off and delayed by several pretentions whilest divers persons were imployed to penetrate into the secret of their Instructions And the Swedes would needs know whether they were ordered to mention a Peace with Poland and the restitution of Prussia and they were given to understand That it being unlikely his Majesty could not hear such Propositions without being displeased might make a difficulty to give them audience which they demanded because it would tend only to exasperate the mindes of both Parties But that in case the said Ambassadours had the least power to treat on a particular agreement and to renew the former Amity between his Majesty and his Electoral Highness To renounce and forego the alliance which he had made with Poland and the other Confederates and to promise that his said Highness would joyn his Forces to the Swedes thereby to constrain their common Enemies to make a Peace as then his Majesty would receive the said Ambassadours and hear them with joy Which unacustomed and irregular way of proceeding did so much surprize the said Ambassadours as that they could not choose but complain thereof and did declare That they could not be admitted unto audience because it was known
alledged against the greatest Enemies those Allyes had and it was resolved not only to set upon those places which his Majesty had in Poland but also to take and share amongst the said Allyes those Provinces which do belong unto him in the Empire Nor did his Electoral Highnesse remain satisfied to permit these particulars to be set down in writing but did also pass on to commit acts of hostility as followeth He gave passage and Provisions to the Polanders and suffered them to over-run pillage and burn Pomerania he hindered those Leagues which his Majesty caused to be made in the Empire although the same are permitted unto all Princes indifferently seeing they were not burdensome to any one and that they were only to be imployed in the defence of his Territories He commanded his Subjects to quit his Majesties service against the Liberties which the Lawes of the Empire give them he caused to be stopt in the Haven of Pillou those Powders and other Munitions of War and Provisions which the King had sent to his Places in Prussia contrary to the Treaty of alliance and against the Law of Nations and he opposed himself in the Assembly of the Lower Circle of Saxony unto that security which the Estates of that Circle were obliged to give him against the invasion of the King of Denmark crying down his Majesties actions and testifying his hatred and malice by animating and stirring up all the world against him as against the common enemy at such a time when as his Electoral Highness had not any occasion to complain of his said Majesty but when the King did give him the greatest proof of his Friendship and good will All men do know and it is most assured that his Electoral Highnesse hath promised the King of Denmark relief that he hath sollicited the conjunction of the Austrian Armies and that to this end the Forces of the Allies did often shew themselves in Germany when as there did not any enemy at all appear and when as there was not any thing at all to be apprehended That he hath desired asistance from all parts as against a declared enemy and that he had endeavoured to render the Kings best actions odious Insomuch as it is void of all doubt but that he would absolutely have declared himself had it not been for the Justice and Prosperity of his Majesties Armies And although these undeniable Proofs which have been but too much confirmed by the publick report of them did manifest his Electoral Highness ill intentions yet his Majesty never changed his good will which he ever bore towards one who threatned him although he least deserved it having declared whilest he was yet at Gottenbourg that in case his Electoral Highnesse would depute any of his Ministers towards him accompanied with sufficient Power to cement and settle the former Friendship again his Majesty would alwaies be found willing to embrace the same But his Electoral Highness was so farre from answering these Testimonies of Friendship that notwithstanding the foregoing Declarations and as soon as his Ambassadours were departed Berlin he did ratifie that Treaty which was made with the most serene King of Hungary against his Majesty as against a common enemy did again cause to be arrested in the Pillau those Powders and Amunitions which were sent to the Royal Prussia and did put a Garrison in Frawenberg which the Austrians had abandoned although he had no title to the same and that according to the Treaties between the King and the Elector and according to the Military Lawes that place ought to have remained in the Kings possession however he refused to admit the Swedish Troops into the same caused the Officers to be pursued filled the Assemblies with complaints without cause of Justice sent to demand aide from all Parts as against a declared enemy and did all he could to manifest his disaffection and ill will and the small inclination he bore to the Peace Insomuch as that the King finding himself obliged to assure himself of his Electoral Higness intentions and to know whether he was to Treat with the Ambassadours of a Prince in Peace or at enmity since by what we have before alledged it could not otherwise be conceived he thought that by vertue of the Law of Nations and the Customes admitted by all Kings and people to name Commissioners who might Penetrate into the Princes intentions who might know the subject of the Embassy and who might see the Ambassadours power before he resolved during this uncertainty whether he should admit them or no. True it is that his Majesty permitted the Ambassadours to come to this Town but not with an intent thereby to tye up his own hands and to forego that freedom which he hath to cause the necessary Precautions to take place To the contrary without their coming hither how could we have learn't of them those things which we desired to know And we could not have told how to have regulated those things which were requisite before we proceeded to a Negotiation to the end we might judge by the nature of those affairs wherewith they were intrusted in what manner we should Treat them and thereon to resolve whether or no in the audience which should afterwards be granted unto them they should be considered either as Friends or Enemies As also to resolve whether the Dignity of the King and the Present state of affairs would permit to receive them at all And forasmuch as the Ambassadours of Brunswick Lunenberg and of Hesse were come in the behalf of their Superiours to proffer their Mediations it was thought good to invite tdem to be present at the Conference to the end they might be Witnesses of the Justice Sincerity and Integrity whereon we should have proceeded on his Majesties behalf We cannon imagine why the Electors Ambassadours would not condescend thereunto They alledge indeed that it is a thing without a President contrary to the usuall Formes and Customes and prejudicial to the Dignity of his Electoral Highnesse But as the Execution of a thing which is just and reasonable in its self ought not to be hindered because no example can be alledged thereof so likewise ought it to have been considered that in all this there is nothing contrary to what Princes are accustomed to do by profferring their Mediation and good Offices unto two Parties and that there is nothing in it which doth repugne the equity or dignity of his Electoral Highness since the King hath done all what in reason could be desired of him without the prejudicing of his Interests But the refusall which the Ambassadours made to enter into a Conference in the presence of a third Party doth render their Embassy to be suspected and the rather when the Ambassadours of Lunenburg having desired to be excused because they foresaw the Ambassadours of Brandenbourg would not give way thereunto the King would willingly have so much complyance for both Parties as to exempt them that so
misfortunes As if it were as easie to us not to bear down whatsoever we should meet withall in our fall after you shall have ingaged and forced us on the Precipice as it hath been easie for us to hinder our selves from falling Undeceive therefore your selves and learn of us That never a Victorious party granted a Newtrality to a declared Enemy And that it was by a secret disposall and decree of God we were forced to take part with the Poles and that otherwaies your pretended Newtrality could not save us And hereon it is that you so mainly fly out and endeavour to cry down our proceedings with a great deal of animosity and wherein the Polanders themselves have been farre more reasonable then you who had exclaimed against us before we ever had assisted the Enemy in the least And although it may seem we have preferred warre before Peace yet however we not any waies alter the resolution which we have taken incessantly to labour for accommodation and farre from repenting our selves of that agreement which we have made with the Polanders we are fully perswaded that it is the only meanes to preserve each other and to beget an honourable and reasonable Peace between the two Crownes Moreover those Injuries and Aspersions which you cast upon us do so much the less concern us as by them you manifest That you only have regard to your own Interests and that all those who will go about to make themselves sure of the Swedish friendship must resolve to labour in the establishing of their Dominion even at the expences of their Goods and Liberties We are ashamed to represent unto you in a large discourse all those things which you know we have done for you neither are we disposed to reproach you with the proofes of the friendship and good will which our Prince hath testified unto you in such a manner as well as those Obligations you are indebted to him for what he did at the execution of the first Treaty you your selves do know it full well and your Letters which do so often promise an external acknowledgment thereon to his Electorall Highness will alwaies testifie the same unto posterity It sufficeth us That the Plaines of Warsawe that all Massow and Poland to boot doth publish it Nor can your warlike Exploits be mentioned without the specifying of our shares at the same time and that it is very well known It was our Money and our Forces which supported your drooping Fortune And which is more then all this By un unheard of prodigality we have set you up again even with the perill of our life and the forfeiture of our reputation However we do not deny that we ever undertook any Warre save with a resolution to let slip no occasions to make Peace and to re-establish the publique tranquility to which end we often stopped your extravagancies by propositions of an accommodation which we did not only promote but also urged them most pressingly even in the midst of our Victories For we represented unto our selves warre with all its sequell of evils we conceived that the advantages of our Armes were to be made use of to smother the said fire as also to disperse the very ashes of it And we deemed That it was only the part of Thieves and Murderers 〈◊〉 wage Warre for the love of Wirre it self And that it is a sad disaster to declare against God and against all men by boasting and glorying in the sacrifysing of the life the honour and the souls of an infinite number of Christians to our ambition True it is that your King hath often given ear to these and the like overtures and hath ever desired the Elector to make up a Peace upon tollerable Conditions Now if he who was the cause of the warre both would and could do it Why do you Gentlemen find fault that we have done it We who had only taken up Armes in his behalf Why would you not have us rid our selves of a warre which we did not begin And why will you not have us make such a Peace which makes us hope to obtain that other which we are engaged through our Interest to procure and establish a Peace betwixt two Kings who are our Neighbours This very consideration and this very necessity constrained us to side with the Polanders purposely to procure a Peace for you and to restore quietness to the others VVherefore we beseech you to spare us and not to abuse and slander our Prince who is the best of your Friends VVe have sided with the Polanders that 's true but it was through constraint nor can the Treaty which we have made be prejudicial unto you in case you be capable of reason and therefore you cannot reproach us for having Treated an alliance at Bromberg the conditions whereof cannot displease you at all unless that you are displeased to see thereby that we have undertaken to re-establish Peace and quietness in our Territories VVe protest before God that we have no other intention and we ought to believe That an honourable Peace would not be undispleasing unto you And this hope was chiefly confirmed unto us by the French Ambassadours who did not only assure all the world of the inclination you bore to Peace but h◠hath also declared in writing That you were ready to restore Prussia for a summe of Money wherein also we proffered our asistance from the very time we were at Bromberg For being obliged to give you notice that we were entred upon an alliance with Poland we could not any more give you entrance into our Ports nor passage through our Territories to which we were glad to adde That Poland only desired a Peace That according to all appearance the agreement might be made in few daies and that if it pleased the King to make known his Intentions to the Elector and to Intrust him with the Conditions there should be no Treaty capable to engage him to take up Arms against him in case the King would submit to any thing that was reason The Count of Slippenbach your own Ambassadour could not choose but praise his Electoral Highness good Intentions and approved of the Treaty which was made with Poland of which he said His King had no great reason to complain and himself confessed That those things might be excepted without offence which you could not with equity have hoped to have possessed one day VVherefore you are the more unjust and not willing to remember all those passages you change your opinion and likewise altring your Tenents After several sad reproaches you have the impudence to alledge That his Electoral Highness hath promised to succour the Polanders in the Empire But this you shall never be able to prove The Treaty speakes quite contrary And had you but the least friendship for the Elector and for the Truth it self you will easily perceive That the sole refusall which he made to give passage to the Polish Troops through
of what is before said at least be pleased to tell us why did the Lord Wolfsberg continue to remaine by your orders in our Court and to be admitted to audience at all times whilst you refused it unto us at yours Why do you go about to make the world believe that the Elector hath declared himself against you by treating with Poland since even after the said Treaty you have had your Ministers near to the Elector and have lived in good amity with us Our innocence will not suffer us to suspect the faith of so great a King But if we be not deceived in the good opinion we had harboured of him the ill treatment which we have newly received will not alarm his Electorall Highness but only serve to confirme those advices which have been given us from all sides that it is not from this day you have a minde to quarrell us That you have long since harboured that design which you do now disclose and that the spoiles of Denmarke will help you to bring forth that which you have been a hammering and hatching ever since the beginning of the War That all your protestations of friendship and acknowledgments have been but so many complements and flatterings which your refined wits and shallow braines make use of to hide their unlimitted ambition by untill such time as you shall be in a capacity to manifest it without shame or feare as it is usuall to those who seek glory otherwise then through the footsteps of virtue to endeavour to render those guilty whose Estates they could not possibly assaile unless they made them profest Enemies You know how often you have spoken to us concerning Prussia the Pillauw and Pomerania you know how great a trouble it was to you to disguise and cloake your insatiable covetuousness even during our greatest friendship as well as the troubles and cares which you have caused his Electorall Highness by your unjust and violent demands After all which we cannot doubt but you must judg Gentlemen that by your treating of us as you have done you have not done any good either for your selves or for us and that your King had done more prudently for the common good of affairs If after his inviting of us receiving and honouring of us as friends he had not turned us off as Criminals and sent us back as Enemies You may easily judge in case you have the least inclination for Peace that we ought to have been heard although you had taken us for common declared Enemies and that since we were not so as yet you ought thereby to have testified that you had some respect at least to our friendship By giving audience to the Ambassadors of an Elector you would have manifested that you had not any designe against the Empire and by admitting the Prince of Brandenburgs Ambassadours that you had not yet stifled the resentments of an Allye by him that you had not renounced the duties of Neighbourhood and that you were still mindefull of what he hath done for you some years since But since it seems it was not consistent with your pleasure The Elector findes himself forced to say that he is sorry to meet with so great an obstinacy whether it proceeds from an animosity from a neglect or by reason of the passing prosperous successes of your forces and the flattering though beguiling hopes which you have thence received This his Electorall Highness hath commanded us to send you back in answer to your troublesome and uncivill Letters which you wrote unto us from Flensburg and with so much the more quietness of mind as he hopes to be able to rectifie yours protesting that he is so little moved at the injustice of your proceedings as that he despiseth all whatsoever you shall be able to undertake against the confidence which he reposeth in the justice of his Cause and to the prejudice of the repose of his conscience But to the end you may know his true intentions he doth declare unto you that having only taken up Armes with a regret or against his will and that having sided with your Party only when your violence and the very last necessity enforced him to joyn with you His resolution is most punctually and religiously to performe the promise he hath made to his Allies and to imploy without any reservation at all whatsoever God hath given him in the procuring of the preservation of the Peace of the Empire That he wisheth you all prosperity in those things which you shall undertake with justice insomuch as that in case your King can resolve to come to a Peace the Elector will labourtherein with all his might and will even give way that it may be compassed in a manner at his charges But and if the King will not hearken to an accommodation his Electorall Highness doth protest that he will make use of all the meanes which God nature the justice of his Cause and the bublick faith will permit him to employ for to endeavour to withstand and repell the violence which shall be offered him Signed thus Gentlemen Your humble Servants O. Barron of Suerin D. Weiman Dated from Collen on the Spreè the 14th of Aug. 1658. FINIS