to the Earl of Slippenbach My Lord the Count WE had reason to beleeve that his Electorall Highness Embassie which is an unquestionable proof of the sincerity of his intentions and of his reall inclinations to a Peace would have been the more acceptable to the King by reason that his Majesty being as yet at Gottenborow had witnessed unto him that he would be very glad thereof and that he caused the Prince Palatine of Sultsbach to invite us to come unto this Town But we are much astonished to finde the contrary Nor shall we inlarge upon all the other circumstances which gives us cause to beleeve it only we cannot any longer dissemble that we are very much surprised at the difficulties which are made in the giving of us a hearing it is become the common discourse in all companies and people do talk of it about the streets in so much as this refusall to admit us to audience being extreamly prejudiciall to his Electorall Highness we are constrained to beseech your Excellence to do us the favour to know of his Majesty whether he hath any thing to command us unto his Electorall Highness forasmuch as we shall not be able to excuse our longer stay in this place to his Electorall Highness since we see no appearance at all of effecting any thing here We have so many reasons which debarre us from entring into any conference with the Kings Commissioners in the presence of the Lunenburg and Hessian Ambassadours as that we doubt not but they will be capable to satisfie his Majesty and to oblige him to condescend to the audience which we have demanded but since we are again pressed thereunto and that in such a manner as we can by no means condescend unto being altogether unusuall and irregular we dare not ingage our selves in a buisness which is without a president unless we had his Electorall Highnesses express Order for the same Wherefore we most humbly beseech your Excellency not to press us any farther thereunto whereon we shall expect your speedy answer and proffer unto you our most humble service as being Your Excellencies most humble servants OTTON Baron of Suerin and D. WEYMAN POSTSCRIPT Since we cannot be admitted to deliver this Letter our selves we beseech you to put it into his Majesties hands The seaventh Proof The Earl of Slippenbachs Answer to the Baron of Suerin My Lord Baron I Hhave shown his Majesty the Letter which your Excellency wrote uuto me and the King told me he made a difficulty to give you audience because you had not power to treat on the reestablishing of the Friendship betwixt his Majesty and his Electorall Highness without which his Majesty cannot resolve to admit of this Embassie nor make a difference between a declared Enemy and an Ally of his Enemies and as the Romanes say The dignity of the Commonwealth permits not that the Ambassadours of Enemies be heard in the Senate For in case you intend to speak of the Peace of Poland and the other interessed Parties you take upon your selves the quality of Mediators which is a thing inconsistent with that alliance which hath been made with his Majesties Enemies In case you mean to propound conditions of Peace and at the same time declare that if we accept not of them you will be obliged to remain united with Poland and to put that Treaty in execution which you have made with that Crown you must needs become Judges or rather Heralds by declaring warre against us Wherefore his Majesty will ot hearken to any Proposals save such as may conduce to a particular Peace and may advance the reestablishing of the friendship betwixt his Majesty and his Electorall Highness because the Peace of Poland must be negotiated by Mediators and not by such as have taken party and declared themselves You know how I have alwayes assured you That notwithstanding all what is past his Majesty would be glad to see you in case you came accompanied with power to cement the former Friendship and to quit the alliance of his Enemies But seeing in lieu of coming hither upon that account we know that since your departure from Berlin the enterchangeably delivery of the Treaty made with the house of Austria hath been performed That the Gunpowder which his Majesty sent into Prussia hath been stopt at the Pilliw That a Garrison hath been put into Frawenburg and that since all other things have been done whereon his Majesty hath reason to be ill satisfied he will determinately know what he is to trust to from the Elector Whereunto his Majesty doth add That in case you will yet send for a Power to confer upon a particular Treaty he will nominate Commissioners and Deputies on his behalf who shall meet in any neutrall place such a one as shall be agreed upon but that otherwise he is fully resolved not to admit you to an audience nor to receive any thing on the behalf of a Prince who is entred into an alliance with his Enemies I am grieved to the heart when I do reflect upon the present conjuncture of affairs and when I consider that labyrinthe wherein his Electorall Highness hath engaged himself by the conference at Bromberg and by the assembly of so many Ambassadours as were lately at Berlin God grant that the issue thereof may prove a reestablishing of the Friendship with his Majesty a renouncing of the alliance with his Enemies without which I cannot well see how possibly his Electorall Highness can escape the dangers and disorders wherewithall he is threatned although one moitie of the world should rise up in arms against us but few of them should passe into Sweden with us I beseech you but to reflect on the alliance which you have made whether the victories it may produce will advance the glory of God the setling of the Protestant Religion or the assurance of his Electorall Highness I know that one day you will be mindfull of me I hope and wish to remain Your Excellencies most humble Servant Signed CHRISTOPHER CHARLES SLIPPENBACH Dated from Flensburg the 23. June 1658. The Eighth Proof The Barron of Suerin's second Letter to the Count Slippenbach My Lord the Count ALthough I have occasion to be glad to take my self home-wards after so displeasing a Voyage since I see by your Excellencies former Letter That his Majesty will not at all change the resolution he hath taken to refuse us audience yet I am constrained to confesse that I never departed from any place with so much regret as I had to leave this Town by reason that no ear would be given to the generall Peace of which I had well hoped to have here laid the first Foundations I dare yet hope that God who hath the hearts of Kings in his keeping will also move his Majesty and dispose it to preferre an honourable and advantagious Peace before a destructive War to all Christendome And since your Excellency specifieth in your Letter certain particulars upon which
given me cause to believe That they harbour a quite contrary design then to make a Peace Insomuch as that I am obliged to pitty those who give credit to what the Polanders do averre thereon whilest in their hearts they harbour no other designes save to oppress and ruine others and whilest their Councils only tend to the ruinating of the neighbouring Provinces Moreover you may rest assured that during my absence nothing was omitted or neglected which might tend to the said advancement of the Peace since my Commissioners who were fully instructed and furnished with sufficient powers might have done the same things and even more then I my self could had I been present as it doth plainly appear by those Declarations which I have thereon made and which may also be easily perceived by the very nature of all the said Negotiations Wherefore you may with more reason make your applications to the King of Poland and represent unto him as you do very wisely alledge it in the said Letter How much it doth concern you that the said Peace be forthwith concluded Besides which you may remain assured That I have with so much the more joy seen the Protestation which you do make of the continuance of your friendship towards my Person and Crown as that lately it was reported to the contrary And that they would needs make me believe That you had harboured and taken resolutions very prejudicial to the good of my Affairs However I alwaies conceived That being convinced in your conscience of the sincerity of my intentions and that being fully perswaded of the affection which I bear towards the preservation of your Person and of your Estates you could not possibly be rendred capable to give ear to those things which might be told you nor believe those things which might be averred unto you to the contrary farre less to change that Friendship whereof you have so often given me such great assurances But that you would have a great deal of reason to imploy all kind of meanes to the end that by Proposals of a reasonable and advantagious Peace I may be delivered from so great a number of Enemies as do on all sides declare themselves against me You do know that I have several times in writing assured you of the constancy of my friendship which makes me beleeve that on your part you will retain the same inclination to cultivate it and to relinquish those things which may either alter or destroy the same Finally I do not doubt but that the Almighty will continue to bless my designs will confound the counsels of my enemies and will dispose the hearts of my neighbours to Peace and to a reasonable agreement It is that which I desire with all my heart to the end that Peace being setled in our neigbourhood my Subjects may enjoy that tranquillity which I do endeavour to procure them The good God preserve you many year and grant you a perfect health and all prosperity From Gottenburg the 10th of April 1658. Signed thus Your dilections Friend Brother and Cousen CHARLES GUSTAVE POSTSCRIPT In case you would be pleased to explain your self a little more upon the present conjuncture of Affairs unto my Resident in your Court or unto any other of my Ministers in Pomerania untill such time as I shall be returned to the Army which will be suddainly you will extreamly oblige me The third Proof The Lord of Slippenbach's Letter to the Baron of Suerin My Lord the Baron THe zeal which I do bear to the service of his Electoral Highnesse and the part which I do take in his concernments do give me the liberty to write unto him and to beseech him not to fail in the sending of your Excellence in good time towards his Majesty of Sweden I have thereunto added my thoughts on the present conjuncture of affairs although it be not necessary to send water to the Sea I have seen not long since in Furmans Almnack that the Moneth of May doth promise a great deal of good luck to the read Eagle and I am perswaded that it doth signifie nought else save the reconciliation of his Electoral Highnesse and the renewing and cementing of his Friendship with the King of Sweden after which I doubt not but all the world will send and complement him on the good conduct wherewith all he shall have provided for the preservation of his Estates God grant this good work may be effected I beseech your Excellency to send me word about what time you do intend to set forwards that so I may meet you by the way I desire you also not to mention former Treaties assuring you That we shall no sooner have entered upon a Negotiation but his Electoral Highness shall therein find his assurance and contentednesse and by what I see in the Copy of the Letter which his Majesty doth write unto his Electoral Highnesse which I have just now received I dare say That there is not a happier Prince then his serene Highnesse I remain your Excellencies most humble Servant Signed thus CHRISTOPHER CHARLES de SLIPPENBACH The fourth Proof The Elector of Brandenbourg's Ambassadours Reply to the Swedish Commissioners notification of a Conference THe Prince Elector of Brandenbourg's Ambassadours do kiss the hands of the Lord President of Mr. Kley and Mr. Ehrenstein and do make known unto them That having reflected upon the advice which they received from them and that having sound by their Instructions that his Electorall Highness doth expresly ordain them to demand audience of the King of Sweden himself and having moreover pondred how that it is not the custome of Ambassadours to enter into any Conferences before they have had audience they beseech them not only to excuse them in that they cannot condescend thereunto but also to make their excuses thereon to his Majesty and to know of him when it may please him to give them audience since his Electorall Highness would have just occasion to be displeased with them in case they should suffer themselves to be deluded thus any longer The fifth Proof The Swedish Commissioners Answer to the Brandenburg Ambassadours refusing a particular Conference THe Deputies nominated by the King do kiss the Brandenburg Ambassadours hands and do give them notice that his said Majesty reflecting on his Electorall Highnesse being so farre engaged with his Enemies as that he accounts him a common Enemy hath deemed it necessary to cause certain Propositions to be made unto them which are no other save such as according to the custom of all Nations ought to be made before they are admitted to the hearing which they have desired because that the granting of the same doth depend partly thereon so that the said Ambassadours may dispose themselves to hear the said Propositions in the presence of the Ambassadours of Lunenburg and Hesse as well as the other Orders which they have received from his Majesty to communicate unto them The sixth Proof The Baron of Suerin's Letter
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
his Majesty desireth we may have more ample instructions I am resolved to retire my self with my Collegue to Hambourg whence we shall dispatch an express to his Electoral Highnesse and there expect his Orders which we will not fail to communicate unto you And thus taking leave of you I remain c. From Flensbourg the 24 of Jun. 1658. POSTSCRIPT THe Ambassadours of the Electoral Colledge told us yesterday that his Majesty was resolved to take his march through the Markequisate of Brandenbourg I humbly beseech your Excellency to remonstrate unto his said Majesty the disorders which will accrew thereby and to endeavour to direct him from that resolution For as the said March must needs be to the prejudice of his Electoral Highnesses Subjects so he is not at all obliged to permit the same He hath hetherto most religiously kept and observed the Peace and is resolved so to do But if there be a pleasure taken in the breaking of it with us he will rely upon God and the Emperour who will not fail him If there remains any thing else to be made known unto us it may be sent to us in writing to Hambourg The ninth Proof The King of Sweden's Commissioners Letter to the Prince Elector of Brandenbourg's Ambassadours My Lords WE were the more surprised at your precipitated departure by reason it bereaved us of the occasion to propose unto you by the Kings Order those meanes which without all doubt might have prepared the way to an accomodation and to a Peace had they not been avoided as soon as we understood yesterday by the Ambassadours of Lunenbourg and Hesse That the conference it self distasted you not so much as their intervention his Majesty was pleased to have so much complaisance as to consent that they should not be present Wherefore we had resolved this morning to have given you a visit without them So that we cannot imagine why you should shun the said conference when as this Objection was removed But for as much as his Majesty doth alwaies passionately desire to make Peace and to give Christendome rest we thought it our duties to fend unto you that which we had Orders to tell you by word of mouth and to leave it with you in writing you will thereby see that there hath not any thing been done save what was very requisite and which ought not to have been done in the like conjunctures and you will thereby acknowledge the sincerity of our intentions Insomuch as that you will be obliged to avouch that you cannot blame us but your selves in case it taketh not effect We remit our selves to your choice either to return or nominate a Neutrall Place where we may begin our Negotiations his Majesty doth sufficiently manifest by this Declaration that he will permit the Treaty to be begun and after you shall have shewn sufficient power for the same he will do all whatsoever can be expected from him for the re-establishing of that friendship which his Electoral Highness hath declined and violated by several acts of Hostility We remain My LORDS Your humble Servants Signed DAVID MEVIUS SUEDER DIDERICH KLEY EDUARD ERNSTEIN Dated from Elensbourg on the 24th of June 1658. The tenth Proof The Proposition which was sent in writing by the Swedish Commissioners after the Brandenbourg Ambassadours IT is most assured that the Law of Nature and the Customes admitted by all people do permit a Sovereign to receive and Treat Ambassadours according to the quality and deserts of those Princes by whom they are sent and according to the nature of the buisness whereon they are to Treat wherefore his Majesty believes that it cannot be ill taken if by vertue of that liberty which is as free to him as to all other Kings he doth constitute Commissioners and causeth a Proposition to be made to the Brandenbourg Ambassadours The which he deemed the more requisite to be done by reason that the Prince their Master hath made it appear that he will not be his friend For although that his serene Electoral Highness did desire and seek for the alliance with his Majesty from the very time that deliberations were as yet but on foot in Sweden whether or no the Polish War should be undertaken and that his said Highnesse did not only encourage his Majesty to this enterprize but also promised by a formall Treaty his Asistances and Forces against Poland However all the world doth know That he hath renounced the said alliance with his Majesty It was to have been perpetual and undissolvable but his Electoral Highnesse rent it asunder without any necessity which might not at least have been dispene't withall since he might have avoided the same by doing or by suffering that to be done which would have been very feazible and not at all regarding the particular favour which his Majesty did him to offer him a neutrallity upon such reasonable conditions as would not have been prejudicial to his Majesties affairs And as if it were a small matter to contract to friendship with a declared enemy of his first Allyes his Electoral Highness ceased not therewith neither but passed on further and hath made a League in which the King is treated and stiled the common enemy He promiseth his favour and assistance to the Kings declared enemies not only in Prussia but also in the Empire and bespeaks his share of those Conquests which are pretended to be made in those States which his Majesty did and doth there possesse contrary to the express promise which he had made to his Majesty to be assisting unto him in the defence thereof with all his might against all Parties whatsoever which appears manifestly by the Articles of the Treaty which was Negotiated and at Velau and finally concluded and signed at Bromberg His Electoral Highness after he had held private intelligence with the King of Denmark entred upon a Negotiation with him during the same time when as the King had declared War against him and whilest his Armies were in those Kingdomes he exhorted the King of Denmark to continue the War and to reject Peace not contenting himself to encourage him herein but also promising him a speedy relief and to make a powerfull diversion in those Provinces where his Majesty had his Armies All which Treaty was carried on at Coppenhagen by the same Ambassadour who had proferred his Princes Mediation to procure a Peace between Sweden and Denmark although since it was continued by another and finally concluded at Cologne on the Spreé But to compass this promised relief a more powerfull establishment was requisite wherefore a Negotiation was commenced with the most serene King of Hungary for an alliance which at first was only to have been defensive but afterwards came to an offensive one which was speedily concluded and compleated with so much animosity as that not only his Majesty was therein treated as the common enemy of Christendome but also the Treaty was filled with all that possibly could be
which had overwhealmed the whole State Insomuch that there cannot be any unbyassed dsiinterressed party but will praise the Electors prudence who in the preserving himself by the meanes of a Treaty remained in a condition both to preserve Poland and Sweden together Poland itself is discreet and rational enough to acknowledge it and to avouch That all necessary meanes are honest and lawfull and that the Obligation of the Lord and of the Subjects being reciprocall The Subject cannot be blamed for having failed to defend the Lord in case the Lord hath failed to protect the Subject And wherein Poland is more equitable then you are for being sensible of her sad enforced destiny she bewailes ours not accusing us to have quitted her party because she knows we were constrained thereunto although she likewise full well knows That in case the loss of the battell of Warsowe be not wholly due to our Army yet at least it did not a little contribute thereunto Wherefore we conjure you Gentlemen without passion to reflect upon the tye which lieth upon us to endeavour the begetting and preserving a Peace between Poland and Sweden and to maintain their power in a just equality as also to judg how little appearance there is that we should have obliged your King to take up Armes against Poland And whether it be not a very dishonest part to alledge That we endeavoured to make an alliance for a Warre which of necessity must have proved destructive to our selves We only desire you chiefly to consider how and in what matter you can possible blame our reconciliation with Poland And with what equity the King can condemn our proceedings at Bromberg seeing he approved of what had passed at Koningsberg And truly since you were not ashamed to impose a Law and a necessity on a Prince your Friend and to constrain him to act against the Lord of his Mannor the King ought to harbour so much generosity as not to be displeased to see that reunited again by a secret destiny which was disunited by your violence and force Princes do not proceed like common people They are not accustomed to pick groundless quarrels nor are they transported by cholar Their Fortune is above all that So likewise do they not undertake any Warre but with a resolution to obtain a Peace We were constrained to side with you and so long as the State of our affairs did permit as to stay by you we upheld your party with Fidelity and never abandoned you till you had deserted us and had left us to the discretion of Fortune without either hopes of a Peace or of a Relief Nor can you be ignorant in what a condition the Kings Forces were in when we drew off after the Battell of Warsow and in what a manner the Enemies recruted themselves after the said loss which instead of quite ruining them restored all their affairs and put a double proportion of courage into them We found them marching at our heels when we thought we had laid them along and we found them pursuing us in the reare laying all waste wheresoever they past and putting all to fire and sword in their pursuite menacing us even after their defeate and flying away more like Victors then overcome men The Transilvanian trembled the Muscovite threatned us and the King of Denmark thwarted all your designes by a new Warre whereby the King was obliged to abandon the whole to march unto the relief of the Principality of Bremn In regard whereof we could not refuse to hearken unto the Remonstrances of our Subjects to the Prayers of our Friends and to the proffers of our Enemies or rather We were constrained to make a Peace with Poland and to accept of those conditions which were proffered us although they had been farre less equitable then those which were granted us Now this being the true state of the buisness Can you with reason alledge that the Elector abandoned you Can you with equity be displeased thereat Are you in a capacity to threaten him And can you hinder him to agree with the Enemy and by a Treaty to endeavour to preserve his Estates the which you could not defend An invincible necessity might have induced him had there been one to have preferred his Interest before anothers But nature it self even from our Childhoods doth teach us to avoid our own ruine by all meanes possible That which necessitates doth justifie and where necessity reignes there is no Law For in a storm each man seeks his own preservation though to the loss of other mens goods We confess that the King wished us better luck and that he used all meanes possible to retain his Electoral Highnesse on his party to which end he caused several Propositions to be made He desired that we would make use of his Council and he made us hope he would make Peace with Poland and that he would return to the Army within six weeks time which proved meer words and nothing more was intended But we stood in need of effectuall and powerfull relief against the enemy who was already gotten into our Countrey whilest the King having abandoned Prussia and his other Allyes was departed from thence and was ordering his Affairs in Germany Insomuch as that all men must needs perceive there was no choice left to be made at that time and that his Electoral Highnesse being not able any longer to resist the strength of necessity was constrained to bethink himself of minding his own buisness and to preserve himself by meanes of a Treaty Wherein we only made use of the Kings Example who was farre cunninger then we when he abandoned his Conquests in Poland and his Friends in Prussia to defend his Estates in Germany rather then other mens any where else But however he hath been so much the more unjust that having failed of his word through a less pressing necessity he finds fault that in an utmost extreamity we have followed his Example You would willingly perswade us That we might have avoided that necessity by doing or suffering such things to be done as ought to have been done and the which would have been very easie But we attribute this to the good reallity with which you are used to proceed in all your other affairs even to the prejudice of your best Friends Nor can we choose but admire the dexterity whereby you could penetrate so deep into our affairs as not only to discover those secrets which we were desirous to have kept from the knowledg of others but also those which were unknown to our selves But as you have so good an opinion of your own buisness take care you be not deceived in ours For if every one ought to be beleeved as to his own concernments we must confess that your affairs being almost in a desperate condition because your subtilty could not overpoise those Forces which were a falling upon you from all sides How was it possible for us to hope to preserve our selves
how much moderation we have taken notice of you that even since the peace of Denmark and since it was known that this Embassie was resolved on neither your King nor his Ministers have not in the least denied those obligations you owe unto us For you approved of all you did not condemn that which we had done with Poland with the House of Austria and with Denmark you found no fault therewith and you continued to make us hope that notwithstanding all that was past we should live in a good understanding together you sought to us for our friendship and you publikely praised the prudence and sincerity of his Electorall Highness The King himself writing with his own hand to the Elector indate the 10th of April saith That it concerned the Elector to make the Peace with Poland and that therefore his Majesty could not expect from his Electorall Highness as from a most faithfull Friend save all kind of good offices and such advices whereof he might make use to deliver himself from so many Enemies as had declared themselves against him The Count of Slippenbach having desired the Conference at Prenslou after he had produced by the Kings Order those pretended Treaties of Denmark and Austria and after severall discussings on all sides did not only press this Embassie but also having received those new Orders which the King had sent him from Gottemburg he protested both by word of mouth and by writing that there could not be any thing done which would be more acceptable to the King The Lord Wolsberg your Resident in our Court continued his Offices hereon with so much urgency as that we shall not need to specifie Mr. Tophson's and Mr. Blondel's instances which they added on the behalf of the King of France and of England nor the severall Embassies which the Dukes of Brunswick Lunenburg and the Lantsgrave of Hess have sent unto us as upon the same account Insomuch as that it needs not to be wondred at if the Elector who of himself had a great inclination to Peace at length did yeeld to the counsils of so many illustrious Personages Having therefore left Berlin and having reached your Garrisons we were there very well received particularly at Kiel where the Prince of Sulsbach did us more honour then we could have expected we know not whether the King may have repented himself in having been so prodigall of his first Civilities which however we can scarce believe from his generosity although we have reason to apprehend it by that which followed after However we owe very much to the obliging fault which that Prince may have committed by taking the paines to come purposely 〈◊〉 Gottorp and divert us during the tediousness which 〈◊〉 … ings long absence might have caused He not only received us with a great deal of civility and assured us That the King retained a particular affection for the Elector but he also feasted us at his House and did us the honour to visit us in our lodgings The Count of Slippenbach arrived likewise much about the same time and used us with the same respects and civilities on the behalf of the King As soon as we heard the King was arrived in Holstein we went speedily to Gottorp and that we might not fail in the usual formes and accustomed manners of proceeding we would not advance to Flensbourg without the Kings express assent For the Prince of Sulsbach having advertised the King of our arrivall we had notice that the King left us to our Liberties either to expect him at Gottorp or to go to him to Flensbourg whether we went and found a House appointed for our reception And we were complemented in our lodgings however with a kind of coldness after we had communicated our Letters of Credence After which they began to delay and deferre our audience and finally Seeing you could not dive into the particulars of our Commission nor know what we had to say concerning the Peace and touching the restitution of Prussia and that there were no more hopes left to make us renounce those alliances which we had made to engage us on your side and involve us blindly in a Warre which you are resolved to continue and prosecute to establish your Dominion You began publickly to witness an adversion against us to reproach us with things which were not and to refuse us audience And that there might be nothing wanting to the entire affront you intended to put upon us you would have rendred us guilty and have caused us to appear as criminals before your selves and before the Ambassadours of Lunenbourg and Hesse which was not the way to enter into a Conference but into a Contest You had prepared your selves not to have payed us with reason but to have charged us with injuries and instead of having disposed things towards a reconcilion you did but exasperate them purposely to bring them to 〈◊〉 open rupture It was not your intent to make up the breaches in the presence of those Princes Ambassadours which are our common Friends but to render them irrecoverable to embroyl us with them and thence to have obtained a plausible pretence to have sent us away without the giving us an audience Truly we are ashamed to recount all these particulars you very well know that we alwaies protested we were so farre from being charged with declarations of Warre as that we were laden with propositions which could not choose but be welcome But because we have formerly enlarged upon this point in the Letter which we wrote from Hamborrow we believe we may conclude that his Electorall Highness intention being good pious and glorious and the Embassie well ordered and consented unto doubtless no body will stick to avouch That the King by his so evill intreating us and by not râ—garding us as he ought to have done hath violated the peace and hath too rashly rejected our amity For in case the King reflected upon the Teaty which the Elector made with Poland why did he not regard us as Ambassadours from an Elector of the Empire since you your selves would be otherwise considered then Swedes and otherwise then Princes of the Empire and that in Sweden you would be Enemies but in the Empire friends to the King of Poland If he knew the Elector was his Enemy why did he desire him to send his Ambassadours why did he receive them and why did he treat them civily and if he received them why did he refuse them audience so wise a King as himself ought either not to have received them or having received them ought not to have denied them audience unless he will assume that authority to himself to abuse the Princes of the Empire by rejecting and driving away the Ambassadours however we are loath to believe so much of him You alledge it is true that the dignity of the Common-wealth permits not an audience to be given to the Ambassadours of an Enemy in the Senate But how can you