that they had order to motion a Peace as if that Sacred and Pious name of Peace ought to have been accounted as an abomination and ad horror and must needs render those odious who interposed therein However they professed that there should not be any thing in their Proposals which might displease the King but that they desired to be excused if before their being admitted to audience they discovered not their Embassy any further Notwithstanding instead of advancing their audience they soon discovered that the said Embassy was not acceptable and that the King of Sweden because he could not expect or hope to engage his Electoral Highnesse in a particular Treaty made use of all the meanes he possibly could to save himself from the reproach which might be cast upon him That he would not give ear to the Proposals of a Peace So likewise they only endeavoured to prolong the businesse and to elude the good intentions of his Electoral Highness and publiquely began to laugh at and deride the said Embassy begetting daily new difficulties and alledging that it would be requisite to nominate Commissioners who should enter upon a conference with his Electoral Highness Ambassadours in the presence of the Duke of Lunenbourg and Hesses Ambassadours before they were admitted to an audience by the King To propound unto them and to know several things of them before which they could not enter upon any Treaty with them which was only done a purpose indirectly to dismisse the said Ambassadours by so unjust a Proposal or in case they should have been so weak as to have condescended to such a Conference of that nature and to have acknowledged so unlawfull a power To have obtained those advantages thereby which they might have hoped from those Tales and Stories which they would have divulged throughout the whole world to the prejudice of the reputation and interest of his Electoral Highnesse And the Swedes did apparently the rather desire the Intervention of the Lunenbourg and Hessian Ambassadours at this pretended conference that they might thence gain this advantage to embroile his Electoral Highnesse with those said Princes in case their Deputies and Commissioners should not be satisfied with the said Ambassadours proceedings or that they themselves might take a pretence and occasion to break with them in case their Testimonies should condemn the King of Sweden's Proceedings The Lords Mevius Kley and Erenstein who were nominated Commissioners in the behalf of the King of Sweden for the said conference accordingly signified the Kings resolution unto the said Ambassadours on the 22th of June Whereunto the said Ambassadours made Answer and alledged That they were very much surprized at the advice they had received not believing that in the present conjuncture of affairs when as they might have hoped and promised themselves an audience from the King such a Proposition could be made unto them wherefore they desired time to resolve upon a definitive Answer thereon and the which they would send to the Lord Mevius But before they took their said Resolution what to answer they visited the Lunenbourg and Hessian Ambassadours who were as much surprized as themselves and could not imagine nor comprehend why the Swedes would oblige them to be present at a conference at which they neither would nor could intervene either as Judges Parties or Witnesses Insomuch that the said Ambassadours sent back word in writing to the Lord Mevius marked and annexed d Proof 4. That their Instructions commanding them in express termes to address themselves unto the King of Sweden's own Person to demand audience of him and that the proposing of a conference before the audience being an extraordinary and unusual a thing they could not in any wise assent thereunto whereon they desired him to excuse them to the King and to obtain from his Majesty that audience which they had so often and so earnestly desired The said Commissioners made answer to the foregoing Note in somewhat brisk termes annexed and marked e Proof 5. That his Majesty having deemed it necessary in reference to the advice he had received of the said Electoral Highnesse Engagements with his Enemies to cause certain Propositions to be made unto them that the Ambassadours might dispose themselves to hear them if they pleased as well as the other Orders which they had received from his Majesty which they would declare in the presence of the Ambassadours of Lunenbourg and Hesse Which said Proceeding being quite and clean contrary to the accustomed Formes on the like Cases constrained the Hessian Ambassadours to repair to the King and the Lunenburgers to see the Commissioners and of their own accords to tell them That they could not consent to nor approve of the same and that they should think themselves very unfortunate to be made use of in such a ticklish conjuncture to engage his Electoral Highnesse of Brandenbourg's Ambassadours in so ill a contrived conference and meeting But all their Offices and the Endeavours which they used proved useless And the last Answer which was returned to them specified very particularly That it must and should be so and that his Majesty used not these kind of Proceedings without just cause Whereupon the Ambassadours wrote unto the Count of Slippenbach annexed and marked f Proof 6. and told him That since his Majesty did continue to refuse them an audience and that the dignity and reputation of their Master did not permit their longer stay in a place where they were treated with so much scorn they desired him once more to know of his Majesty whether he would command them any thing back to the Prince Elector their Master and for the last time to supplicate the King to vouchsafe them that audience which they had so earnestly and often intreated The Count returned them an answer the same day at night being the 23th and sent them word annexed and marked g Proof 7. That having shewn the King their Letter his Majesty witnessed That he made difficulty to admit them to an audience untill such time as they had power to reconcile and settle the former amity without which he could not admit of the said Embassie nor make a distinction between a declared Enemy and a Prince who was entred into a league with his Enemies Whereupon The Ambassadours perceiving that there was nothing more to be expected for them they took their leaves of the Ambassadors of the Electorall Colledge and of the Ambassadours of Lunenburg and Hesse and telling them That they should be guilty and responsible for all those things which might happen to the prejudice and dishonour of the dignity of his Electorall Highness their Master in case they should any longer stay waiting upon the King they therefore departed from Flensburg on the 24th of June betimes in the morning and at their departure they left a Letter with their Host annexed and marked h Proof 8. by which the Baron of Suerin sent word to the Earl of
believe that the Elector was the Enemy since he laboured in Prussia towards the procuring of an Agreement even with your consents and that he rather endeavoured Peace then Warre and how can you convince him of the least hostilities in the Empire unless you conceit you build them upon imaginary apprehensions or upon the uncertain reports which are spread abroade against which there are other remedies then force and violence Time would have taught you the one and the divine providence accompanied by an innocent precaution would have cured you of the other But suppose the Elector had declared himself against you that could not justifie you neither For the example of severall Pagans would have taught you that there is nothing ought to hinder the hearing of an Ambassadour no not from declared Enemies were it but to let the world see that you only wage Warre to obtaine Peace The first Christians would have made a scruple of conscience to have done otherwise But to desire a Prince to send his Ambassadours to make much of them to receive them at Court and afterwards to send them away again refusing them audience is a thing not only unheard of but against all piety against the publick faith and against the Law of Nations We marvell that you endeavour to excuse this reproach by the Maxime That the Law of Nations and former customes permit the receiving of Ambassadours according unto the dignity of the Prince which sends them and in relation unto the nature of the buisness whereon they are to Treat all which is just as much as nothing For that is only to be understood as to the ceremonies and exterior honours which are usually done to the persons of Ambassadours which is not our dispute we are agreed as to the ceremonies insomuch as that if you would deliberate whether you should receive the Embassie or no whether the Elector should be considered as a declared Enemy or as a suspected Prince who was ready to Arme against you that you might have done at least if you could have conceived us to have been such before your having approved of our Embassie by your receiving of us We do not deny but that sometimes Ambassadours may be refused to be received but to deny those Ambassadours audience who have been received this we deny expresly and do judg it the more extravagant since in things of so high an importance Sovereigns cannot proceed with too much circumspection We likewise say that it is an unheard of thing to go about to oblige an Ambassadour who hath been received and acknowledged as such to declare the subject of his Embassie and his secret Instructions before he hath spoken with the party unto whom he is sent and likewise to endeavour to force him to undergo a kinde of Interrogatory before Commissioners this is very impertinent All men know that the Character of an Ambassadour is most holy and inviolable between Princes and Soveraignes and that from all ages and amongst all people they have been received with honour and respect and that their persons are held in the more veneration by reason they represent those Kings and Princes by whom they are sent Now whether this be performed or no by those manner of proceedings which you use we desire you your selves Gentlemen to judge Truly we believe that there is not one amongst you who would not be offended if a friend having appointed you an houre to come and visit him should let you stay in the Hall and should send to know of you by a Foot-boy or some other of his donestick Servants that thing which you would not disclose save unto himself But there is great deale of difference between Princes and particuler Persons wherefore we beseech you to consider whether the most barborous Nations in the world would not be laughed at should they undertake to examine those Ambassadours which are sent unto them and require of them the subject of their Embassie and consequently whether this kind of proceeding be not impertinent and insusportable especially among such as profess civillity and whether it be a thing to be endured that the secret which an Ambassadour hath express Order to communicate to none save the Prince unto whom he is sent should be extorted from him We should have derogated from that Character wherewithall our Prince had honoured us had we been so ill advised as not to have made a distinction betwixt the Prince and his Ministers Truely Gentlemen you shall hardly be able to perswade it us and therefore we beseech you not to build too much upon the Maxime which you so often use and which makes you swerve so farre from the mark thâ— the dignity of the Commonwealth permits not to hear Enemy Ambassadours in the Senate This is no generall rule nor caâ— you make use of that which was heretofore said only up on the accounts of those who came as Spies and who would be heard without having asked audience against us who came upon the publick Faith who were invited received and honoured as Friends and therefore ought not nor could be gainsaid nor put by unless you did it purposely to offend us wilfully to faile in the point of civillity and moâ—â— cruelly to outrage us But we have said too much hereon the thing being so clear and manifest The Lacedemonians the Florentines the Dukâ— of Nevers and the Lord of Langey have by their example shewn us what is to be done on the like occasions to wit rather to withdraw then to be affronted Wherefore we shall only adde one word that at the same time you treated 〈◊〉 so ill your Resident who was with the Electors person a Berlin was there lodged and defrayed was admitted to audience as often as he pleased to demand the same and received all the other civilities which could be conferred upon a publick person We confesse we could not imagine what their designe should be by these your two different manner of actings and we had rather remit our selves thereon unto others then to become too importunate by an overcurious searching thereinto We desire not to penetrate into your reasons and we will leave it to the discretion and liberty of others to give your proceedings the blame or praise they may deserve But our Prince Elector who doth nothing but what he would have all the world know troubles himself not at all hereat or in case he had remained there to hinder his Electorall Highness from the declaring of himself our Prince who only aspires after Peace desired nothing so much as that even during the midst of the Wars We may easily believe that you did it purposely to entertain and amuse us till such time as the affairs of Denmark being regulated the King might have proceeded in another manner with us But our generous Prince vallues this not a straw for having not at all offended the King he needed not to apprehend any thing upon that account neither And if it be not in regard
Pomerania into Holstein was that which saved you True it is that the said Polanders made one irruption into the Swedish Pomerania but it is also true that this hapned whilest the Elector was with his Army in Prussia and the loss which we sustained thereby doth sufficiently denote our innocence Thus you see Gentlemen how you thrive by your Accusations for all your following discourse even to the end is in the like style â—ndeed you talk much of the intelligence we should have held with the King of Denmark and what a design we had to joyn our Forces to Warre upon you But this you must prove You do accuse without proofes and do slander without fear of being punished In the conjuncture of affairs at the time we were threatned we were sought unto designes were fomented against us and proffers were made unto us as unto a Prince who had not as yet declared himself and to my thinking that we had the civility to hearken to those Proposals it cannot be misinterpreted since it is neither in our power not to hear or not to suffer another to speak Why would you not have it left to the Electors choice to give ear to those Propositions which were made to answer them and to treat upon them since you were not prejudiced neither his Electorall Highness engaged thereby We cannot beleeve that your King intends to debarre a free Prince from his liberty especially such a one as doth not acknowledg him in the least But because we cannot imagin that a Prince who professeth generosity should possibly be capable to harbour such a conceit we shall rest satisfied by urging you to prove not that we never began but that we ever ended those Negotiations not that we have not only begun but also that we have concluded signed and ratified the said Treaties as then we shall willingly beleeve your allegations although otherwise there is but little faith to be given to you That which you alledg concerning the House of Austria is most abominably false But patience we can dispell these Illusions as well as the others All men know at what a vallue the said House is in Germany wherefore we shall not need to answer your allegation which we account meerly as a thing which partly is not at all or if there be any thing of it it is so remote from truth as that we shall only say Had you not threatned us we had not needed to have troubled our selves with alliances and that we beleeve the Elector might have made an alliance with as great a Prince of Germany without asking you leave unless you already perswade your selves to be Masters of the liberties of all the Princes of the Empire But we have just reason to complain whenas this said alliance having not passed the tearms and limits of a just and lawfull defence you take occasion thereby to cry us down as if we had conspired against you because you hope to draw this advantake thence That your Calumnies though never so false will alwayes leave some impressions in mens mindes capable to make us odious all the world knows we alwayes abhorred Warre neither did we ever enter into any Negotiation whatsoever no not with your selves but our ends were for Peace We endeavoured to make Friends on all sides that we might the better compass the aforesaid ends and we confess that we were not sorry sometimes to see the great prosperities of the victorious checked by small adversities to render them the more capeable of reason Nor can we forbear to tell you that you are besides your wits when you alledg That we shared the Estates and Provinceâ— of your King and that we have treated him as a common Enemy You may say what you please but you are so farre from proving of it that to the contrary we will give whatsoever you please That in case you undertake nothing against your Neighbours that your Armies enter not into the Empire that you leave the Prince Elector and his Estates in tranquillity we will not only never pretend any thing of Sweden nor upon your other Estates in Germany but that also we shall alwayes retain that respect and consideration for the Kings Person which we owe to his deserts and to the advantage of his birth which he hath had in one of the most Illustrious Families of all Germany wherefore we can hardly resolve to adde hereunto That this Alliance of which you so much talk which hath been negotiated with so much circumspection and the conclusion whereof hath for a great while together been delayed even by the consent of the House of Austria purposely to debarre you from all evasions of refusing the Peace was not concluded and ratified till such time as it was known that you declared your selves publikely against the Peace and after they began openly to disclaim that security which was promised us against their threatnings and violences The same reason hinders us from answering those things which you alledg concerning succours leavies garrisons rendezvous of Armies ceising of Gunpowder c. for we can very wel justifie our selves by one word denying what you say That 〈◊〉 have not hindred your leavies That we demanded no succours against you That we disturbed not your assembling of your Troops As to the other things you reproach us with they are such indifferent and free voluntary ones as that we might do by them as we pleased our selves without the offring you any injury at all And as concerning your Gunpowder you may thank your selves we had given your King notice thereof long time before and we had so deeply engaged our selves to the Polanders that we would not permit any ammunitions of warre â—o pass as that we could not break our word unless we were minded to have exposed our selves again to those hostilities which we chose to avoid by the said alliance which we made with them Which being so and that there is not any thing to be replied thereunto it doth of necessity hence arise That we have not committed any act of hostility against you in the Empire and that we sided not with the Polanders save upon constraint Insomuch as that without all doubt in case you had been as much inclined unto Peace as we alwayes were it would be an easie matter to preserve it amongst us and that on both sides we might enjoy a profound tranquility and by a happy succession leave to our Posterities the Estates which the Almighty hath entrusted under our Government The very name of Warre ought to be terrible nor truly can it be pleasing save only unto such ears as bear no respect to those things which are above them nor fear of those which are below them But we of all men abhor it the more by how much we cannot endure it amongst those whose proximity of Neighbourhood or the bond of Amity ought to contain within the streighter limits and tyes of conjunction Would to God you had harboured the same thoughts