June 8, 1654.

[SN:  Whitelocke receives the Senate of Luebeck.]

In the morning the Lords of Luebeck sent again to Whitelocke, to know what time they might come to visit him.  He answered, at their own time, and that they should be welcome to him within an hour.  There came to him Martin Bokel, Doctor of the Laws, Syndic of the city, of good reputation for his learning and abilities, Jerome Bilderbeck, and Matthew Rodde, Senators and Lords of the city.  The Syndic spake in French to Whitelocke to this effect:—­“That, by command of the Lords of this city, those gentlemen, part of their number, and himself, were come in the name of the Lords of Luebeck to salute Whitelocke, and to bid him welcome to their city; that they rejoiced at his safe arrival here, and for the good success of those affairs wherein he had been employed.”  Whitelocke answered them in French, the same language in which they spake to him, and which is expected in these parts, to this effect:—­“That the Lords of Luebeck had testified much respect to the Protector of England by the honour done to his servant, of which he would inform his Highness; and in the meantime he thanked them for the favour of this visit.”

After many compliments, Whitelocke gave them the precedence into his lodging, which is the custom here, as in Sweden, and their discourse was in French in these matters of ceremony.  Being sat together in his bedchamber, the Syndic told Whitelocke that he had a message to deliver to him from his Lords; and, according to the custom in matters of business, he desired to deliver what he had to say in Latin, and then spake to him in the following oration:—­

    “Illustrissime et Excellentissime Domine Legate,

“Amplissimus Senatus Lubicensis grato animo recognoscit celeberrimam nationem Anglicanam multiplici favore a multis retro annis populum mercatoresque hujus civitatis affecisse, atque etiam saeviente inter utrasque respublicas durissimo bello, incolas nostras gratiam, et, ex occasione suarum navium ad mare captarum, justitiam accepisse:  amplissimus Senatus humillime gratias suas refert, quas melius testari non potuerunt, quam erga personam illius conditionis tantaeque eminentiae quantae Excellentiam vestram esse acceperant, suo speciali respectu, ad haec cum etiam Extraordinarii Legati munere a clarissimo illo statu nunc dignissime fungatur.  Gratulatur amplissimus Senatus negotiationis ab Excellentia vestra peractae felicem successum, ut et tanti viri in suam civitatem adventum.  Quod si apud se in sua civitate aliquid sit Excellentiae vestrae acceptu dignum, illud quicquid sit offerre in mandatis habemus.

“Dolore etiam afficitur Senatus, se tam sero de Excellentiae vestrae adventu certiorem esse factum, ut rationes unde tantus hospes, et qui in ipsius comitatu sunt, pro merito exciperentur; melius inire non potuerit, se tamen sperare a clementia vestra ipsis id crimini non datum iri.  Per