mountains, paths untrod,
    Where untamed creatures only make abode,
    Thy love to thy dear country hath thee brought,
    Ambassador from England.  Thou hast sought
    The Swedish confines buried in frost,
    Straight wilt thou see the French and Spanish coast;
    And them fast bind to thy loved Britany
    In a perpetual league of amity. 
    So wilt thou arbitrator be of Peace,
    Her pious author; thou wilt cause to cease
    The sound of war, our ears it shall not pierce;
    Thou wilt be Chancellor of the universe. 
    Christina, that sweet nymph, no longer shall
    Detain thee; be thou careful not to fall,
    Prudent Ulysses, under those delights
    To which the learned Circe thee invites. 
    Thy chaste Penelope doth call thee slow;
    Thy friends call for thee home; and they do know
    New embassies, affairs abroad, at home,
    Require thy service,—­stay till thou dost come. 
    Thou, Keeper of the Seal, dost take away
    Foreign contentions; thou dost cause to stay
    The wars of princes.  Shut thou Janus’ gate,
    Ambassador of peace to every state.”

The Queen was much delighted with these and other verses which Whitelocke showed her; read them over several times, and desired copies of them, which Whitelocke sent her; and in this good humour she wished Whitelocke to leave with her a copy of his articles as he had now revised them, and to come to her again the next day, when she would give him a further answer, and, she hoped, to his contentment.

[SN:  Spain suspected of intriguing against the treaty.]

Woolfeldt visited Whitelocke, and excused his long absence by reason of the holidays.  He informed Whitelocke with much freedom, that it was against the interest of Spain that England and Sweden should be in alliance together, and that Whitelocke’s negotiation had been hindered by the Spanish Resident here, more than by any other.  Whereunto Whitelocke said little positively, but compared his words with the late carriage of Piementelle,—­especially since Whitelocke did not so heartily entertain the Queen’s motion (which probably Piementelle put her upon) to have the Spaniard included in the league with England and Sweden, which Whitelocke was not empowered to treat upon, and Whitelocke also remembered the deferring of his audiences lately desired.[73] But these things he was to keep to himself, and to court Woolfeldt, which he did, and Piementelle likewise, who came to visit Whitelocke whilst Woolfeldt was with him, and made the same excuse as he had done for his long absence.  They had much general discourse, but nothing (as usually before) touching Whitelocke’s business.  Piementelle said he purposed to depart from Upsal within seven or eight days; that yesterday he had taken his leave of the Queen, and came in the next place to take his leave of Whitelocke, who gave him thanks for this honour, and said he was sorry for the departure of Piementelle, whereby he should have a very great loss in being deprived of the acceptable conversation of so honourable a friend.