Master of the Ceremonies came aboord our Ship to signify to the Ambassador from their Majesties the King and Queen Mother the satisfaction they received at his arrival But before he could deliver his Complement we escaped â—ery narrowly from being cast away For having weighed our anchors in the morning to take advantage of the wind that was something favourable the Pilot doubling a point to gain the greater benefit by it the Vessel on a sudden ran so near the Rocks the Pilot in a great fright was forced to tack immediately with all the dexterity he was able which was not so great but the Ship struck with her Poop as she was turning about But by the Grace of God it was done without any other mischief than a concussion that waked and affrighted too all that were then asleep in the Ship After this our Vessel was managed so well that at length we gained the point that was so near destroying us and came to anchor within a League of Stockholm At this time the Master of the Horse who was arrived the day before came aboord the Man of war â—o give an accompt to the Ambassador of his Voiage and amongst the rest of an accident â—efel one of his Coach-horses at Sea which â—e had ordered to be thrown over board beâ—ng fallen ill beyond any hopes of recovery â—n the mean time my Lord Ambassadors Lady â—eing big with child thought convenient to get a-shore assoon as she could The 8. of September the Ambassador made his Entry where he received all possible expressions of an Amity extraordinary True â—t is there was not that Bravery and Ceremony as at his Entry at Mosco but I dare affirm there was much more Sincerity Frankness and Decorum And whereas in that the Moscovites made demonstration only of their Grandeur and Vanity The Swedes in this made no other expression but of Kindness Civility Their Artillery which is so dreadful in the wars was become here the grateful Proclaimer of Peace and Affection nothing being to be heard about the Town for an hour together but the noise of their Cannon and great Guns For assoon as the Ambassador had left the ship and was entered with his Train into the Boats that were sent him by the King the Fregat gave us a whole round with his Cannon and whilst we were making for the shore they saluted him with many from land so that they made a very strange clattering amongst the Rocks As we past along we had the sight of a Diver that came up out of a place twenty fathoms deep into which they let him down out of a shallop with a Cord to look for the Guns of a Man of War that had been cast away there He was clad all in leather and sate under a certain Engine something like a bell in which he said himself he had space enough to breathe the water comming no higher than his breast After this we came to a Bridg covered over with Carpets of Tapestry at which place his Excellence was complemented from their Majesties by one of the principal Senators And from thence he was conveyed in the Kings Coach to a House set a part for Ambassadors Their Majesties having joyned several of their Gentlemen Pages and Footmen to his Train The Liveries my Lord Ambassador had in this place were new Liveries brought him with several other goods by Mr. Watson to Riga They were like those which they wore at Mosco of Scarlet cloth the King of Englands Colour but trimed up after another fashion according to the Mode at that time and in all points very rich and handsom Of the Ambassadors Residence at Stockholm HIs Excellence having spent but five weeks in this Town I shall not have many â—hings to speak upon occasion of this Embassy â—he principal end whereof was to declare in â—he behalf of the King of great Britain the â—incere desire his Majesty had to enter into a â—ricter correspondence with the King of Swedeâ—and But before we enter upon this subject â—t will not be inproper to premise a word or â—wo concerning this Court. The word Stockholm is properly the name of the Isle in which the City is built which â—sland is called Stockholm which signifies the â—sle of the Tronk or body of a Tree Holme â—ignifying an Iland and Stock the trunck of a Tree For the Capital City being burned of â—ld they which layd the foundation of this did it as they relate it in this manner They â—hrew the Trunck of a tree into the water and â—esolved that at what Island soever the same Trunck first rested in that place they would â—uild their Town and the Trunck resting in â—his place the Town was accordingly built â—here and called Stockholm as the Island also â—s The Town is very compact but even with â—he suburbs is not altogether so big as Roven â—n France The buildings are most of stone yet some also of wood Of the first sort there are several very magnificent and amongst them that of General Wrangel and the Chancellors There are some parts of the Town which being built off from the Island stand like parts of Venice upon piles so that the Sea flows under them The Palace hath nothing in it very remarkeable saving that it stands on the bank of the Sea and has a faire prospect of several Ships that ride hard by and the Kings Men of Warr amongst the rest But that which is most considerable in Stockholm is that in so cragged and unpleasant a place the people should be so courteous and friendly and that amongst so many Rocks and uninhabited Islands which are as so many fortresses to the Town we should find a Court so civil and benigne In Moscovie we had experience of the contrary where in a Country pleasant beautiful we found a people whose manner of living is very rude and austere Whereas here in a place that seems to be the very refuse of nature we found all manner of humanity and politeness Besides the peculiar language of the Country the nobility do with great industry addict themselves to the French and indeed they speak it as freely as if it were their own Their humor and manner of living has great affinity with the French also they are free and open hearted and no less affectors of Gallantry As for their Religion they follow as they do in Denmark the doctrine of Luther His Excellence being arrived at this Court â—e was for three days entertained at the â—harges of the Swedish King and on the third which was a Sunday he had Audience from his Majesty I shall not delay my self so much as to make any discription of their Ceremonies they being the same that are ordinarily used in other Courts of Europe This only 〈◊〉 shall say in relation to the person of the King that at that time he was not fully arrived at the ninth year of his age and yet was at that age indued with all the
was that the Vice-Admiral was dispatched to his Excellence to excuse this delay On Thursday the 27. of October my Lord Ambassador made his solemn Entry with great Magnificence And if from thence a judgment might be made of their Friendship to his Majesty of great Britain we might without all scruple conclude that the Amity of this Court in that respect exceeded the affection of the Swedes In the first place two noble Gallies and a Galliot came to receive his Excellence and his Train for the wind was come about so cross that it was impossible to get our Ship up into the Harbour Assoon as my Lord and his Attendants were entered into the Gallies our Ship gave us twenty Guns and in an hour and an halfs time we arrived in the Harbour where we â—aw his Majesties Men of War with all the glory of their Flags and Streamers displayed There were twenty pleasure Boats also very â—ell furnished to receive his Excellence and â—is Train in the Harbour and in these Boats â—e made our Entry to the Town The Footmen first then the Pages and Gentlemen â—fter them my Lord Morpeth and next my â—ord Ambassador accompanied by the Vice-Admiral and the Master of the Ceremonies â—n this manner our Boats following one anoâ—her in a File cross the whole Harbour we â—ad the opportunity as we past to survey a â—reat number of the Kings Ships very nobly â—quiped and to hear the noise of the Cannon â—aluting his Excellence as he went by every â—ne of them being laden with bullet At last we landed at a place which they had covered with Tapestry and in which his Excellence was complemented from his Majesty That done he went into the Kings Coach which was there ready to attend him and was conducted to the House of Ambassadors where we continued during our Residence in this Court Of my Lord Ambassador's Residence aâ— Copenhagen COpenhagen stands upon the Sea and though it be not naturally so strong noâ— of that circumference as Stockholm yet it iâ— artificially well fortified and the Country being plain of a much better Scituation There is a Canal that hath no more stream than there is before Stockholm yet it is deep enough for some Merchants ships to ride therein safely The Pallace hath nothing worth the Description only there is a Tower which is very considerable for its height but especially for its ascent which being paved so broad that a Coach might easily be drawn up and turned at the top riseth insensibly without stairs This Tower was built for the use of the Astronomers out of which there is a fair Library erected by the side of it From hence are several marks of the last Swedish Leagure to be seen especially on a Steeple hard by which was so battered by their Cannon that the King to perpetuate the Memory of that Siege hath ordered the holes of the several shot to be gilt over with Gold I could insert other Curiosities likewise that are to be seen in Copenhagen but my desigâ— not being to give an exact Description of such things as are so well known I shall saâ—isfy my self in giving this short Character of â—he Court That if the Swedish Court hath a â—reat resemblance with the French humour â—his hath much more the Genius of the Gerâ—an and that if the former be more franck â—nd active these are more solid and of better â—nvention The Danish Language differs not â—o much from the Swedish but that the people â—an easily understand one another And as â—or French the Nobility of Denmark are as â—ndustrious and diligent in learning it as those â—f the Court of Sweden Being arrived at this Town his Excellence â—as treated as at Stockholm three days at â—he Kings charge and had his Audience on â—he third The Ceremonies were all in the â—ame fashion as in the Court of Sweden and â—here being no Present to be made here more â—han was there his Excellence had no more â—o do but to make his Complement from the â—ing his Master The King of Denmark apâ—eared to us very grave and Majestick and â—f a large Stature He was booted à la Cavaâ—ere and though he was then at least threeâ—ore Years old yet he scarce looked to be â—fty He had a Sword by his side a long Coat â—overed with broad Gold and Silver lace and 〈◊〉 noble Plume of white Feathers in his Hat â—e stood under his Canopy with five or six â—f his chief Ministers of State on one side of him and in the midst of the Hall some ten oâ— twelve of the Life-Guards The Ambassadoâ— being come into the Hall made him a loâ— Reverence and the King saluted him againâ— and when he was come up near him undeâ— his Canopy of State he put on his Hat at thâ— same time his Majesty put on his and delivered his Complement in these Terms Sir AMong so many Prerogatives of thâ— highest Fortune yet Princes havâ— one disadvantage that They can seldoâ— attain to that reality and intimacâ— which we may see among private Persons The equality of their Sovereigâ— Power exposeth them to perpetual Competitions the Interest of their Peoplâ— obliges them to a constant Jealousy anâ— even the Fidelity and Prudence of theâ— Ministers seems rather made to entertain them in mutual Cautele and Suspâ—cion than in perfect Friendship Bâ— betwixt the King my Master and Your Majesty it is all otherwise You are perâ—aps the only two Princes in Christendom â—ho in so great a nearness yet can never â—ustle And having betwixt You all the â—ndearments of which private Persons â—re capable Your Royalty only inclines â—nd inables You to cultivate and express â—hem in a more honourable manner â—hat Subjects of one King could ever â—ve so peaceably and kindly together as â—hose two Excellent Princes His Majeâ—â—ies Grand-Father and Your Majesties â—ather by Whom those bonds of Hospiâ—ality and Consanguinity were so closely â—oven betwixt You visiting one the â—her in their Kingdoms as familiarly as â—eighbours in the same City and taking â—unsel together as confidently as Broâ—ers in the same Family And ever â—ce what mutual good Offices what â—mmunication of Counsels have there â—en betwixt both Kings both in adverse â—d prosperous fortune with so much constancy especially on Your part in that most turbulent storm of the English Monarchy that His Majesty must keep it in a most grateful and eternal memory and so universal a sympathy upon all occasions that all Antiquity would be troubled to furnish a paralel for so golden and real a Friendship And as the bonds of reciprocal Obligations and those animated ligaments of Blood and Nature have knit both Your Majesties in the most refined union so as to the grosser interest of Commerce and Navigation 〈◊〉 may say without a similitude that iâ— hath been moored on both sides even with anchors and cables betwixt the People Therefore those affaires having beeâ— regulated and constituted at the time 〈◊〉 the Extraordinary Embassage
covering of his sledge was of scarlet whose edges hanging down very low were guarded round about with crowns made of little peices of sky coloured velvet edged with silver lace and the back of his sledge was drest up with the skin of a white Bear On the right side of his sledge upon a plank layd cross sate his chief interpreter with his head uncovered behind there was another board layd at the bottom of the sledge on which there stood two Pages the twelve footmen in the mean time marching six of a side with Partisons trim'd according to their Liveries one behind another and all bare Behind his Excellence followed my Lord Vicomte Morpeth the Ambassadors only Son then of about seventeen years of age who bare his Father company in all his Embassies He sate in a very faire glass coach drawn by six black horses with rich housses of Scarlet very well laced and fringed with silver which upon black shew very handsom and behind his Coach he had two Pages also After my Lord Morpeth came my Lady Ambassadress in her Caftnaz covered on the out side all over with Crimson velvet with very broad laces of gold and silver and lined within with blew damaske according to the Liveries which were red lined with blew On each side there were great windows which served as doors to go in at besides which there were little windows also which her Ladiship might looke thorow without being seen her selfe she had one of her Gentle-women in the Caftnaz with her two Pages standing upon a plank behinde and three footmen running by After my Ladies Caftnaz came my Lord of Morpeths sledg but without any body in it after which there followed two Caftnazes more and so in order all the rest of the train and baggage which made up about two hundred sledges A while after we had left this Village which was about two a clock we entred into a very faire champaigne in which the Moscovian horse were drawne up and had been two days there putting into Order Amongst the rest they had a great Number of Archers with their Quivers full of arrows and for their Musique there were so many Trumpets Kettle-drums Howboys and other such instruments of war which they had disperst in parties thorow all their Troops that for two miles we were in no want of Musique But they having battered our ears with one continued aire above two hours together all the way as we marcht the noise of those Instruments which at first had delighted us with their melody became now obstreperous and troublesome In the mean time there were a great number of Boyars of Stolnicks and other persons of the Court which came to meet the Ambassador richly clad in Vests or Tuniques of cloth of gold and silver or velvets lined with Sables with great caps on their heads of black Fox made in the fashion of a Muff which they use commonly in their Ceremonies They were most of them very well mounted upon good horses with rich trappings and bridles of silver made like chains with the linkes very broad and thin so that whilst their horses were in motion they made a noise altogether Majestique There were severall also who had their housses covered with pretious stones whose lustre seemed to adde a richer light to the light of the day and behinde them they had their servants carrying covers for their sadles of Leopard skins cloth of gold velvet and scarlet All the Gentlemen of the Tzars chamber were there ready to accompany the Ambassador to his very house At length the Master of the great Dukes horse came to present to the Ambassador from the Tzar a sledg another for my Lord Morpeth with several white horses for the Gentlemen A while after came Pronchissof one of the Tzars Counsel and Gregory Cosmevitz along with him who were both deputed to serve his Excellence as Pristafs or Masters of the Ceremonies during his residence in Mosco And in this occasion it was we had another ridiculous example of the pride and rusticity of the Moscovites who are so quick and precise in anticipating the Prerogative of Ambassadors Pronchissof being arrived within some small distance of the Ambassadors sledg gave him to understand that he was sent to receive him from the grand Duke his Lord and that he expected the Ambassador should first come out of his sledg But his Excellence signified to him by his Interpreter that his expectations were very ill grounded that he represented the person of the King his Master and that in that case all such Kind of respect was due to himself Pronchissof however continued unmoveable in his sledg as a Master of Ceremonies and sent back to the Ambassador that he also was sent from the Tzar his Master to represent his person so that to have seen him one would have thought he had taken upon him the forme of a statue to represent the Majesty of his Prince This answer how absurd soever it was caused several smart replies both on one side and the other till at last the Ambassador to prevent any further delay in his Entrance condescended to this That they should both of them come out of their sledges together But in this Pronchissof tooke occasion to deceive his Excellence and falsify his word hanging in the aire betwixt the armes of his servants and but touching the earth with his tiptoes whilst the Ambassador came out freely At their meeting they saluted one another and Pronchissof first delivered his complement which consisted in declaring his Employment and acquainting his Excellence that the Tzar had sent him and his associate Gregory Cofmovitz who was there present also to take care that all things necessary should be provided during his continuance at Mosco But the greatest part of his complement was the recitation of his Masters Titles which he enumerated from the first to the last in a most troublesome and ridiculous maner as will appeare hereafter His complement being made and the Ambassador having answered him with a very good grace they retired both of them into their sledges Pronchissof returning in the same posture he came his servants holding him up by his armes as if they were afraid he should sinke under the burthen of the emploiment which his Master had given him At this time Nestrof and Davidof giving place to Pronchissof and Gregory Cosmovitz the new Pristafs took their leaves of the Ambassador After which Ceremonies we disposed our selves to enter into the Town the Ambassador having Pronchissof on his right hand and Cosmovitz on his left my Lord Morpeth had two Lords of the Court to accompany him so that in every ranke there were three sledges a breast The Gentlemen were all on horseback betwixt Sinboyars or Gentlemen of the Court The Chaplaine Physitian and Musique-Master with several English Merchants and two Vallets de Chambre were joyned with them so that they made up about five and twenty ranks on horse-back marching three a breast All