General Grave Wirtenberg visited Whitelocke.  He is a Finlander by birth, of an ancient family, who had applied himself wholly to the military profession, wherein he became so eminent, and had done so great service for this Crown, that he was had in great esteem, especially with the soldiery.  He was a Ricks-Senator, and one of the College of War, and at present had the charge of General of the Ordnance, which is of higher account here than in England, being next in command to the Generalissimo, and over the soldiery which belong not to the train, and is often employed as a general.  This gentleman seemed worthy of his honour; he was of a low stature, somewhat corpulent, of a good mien, and plain behaviour, more in the military than courtly way.  His discourse declared his reason and judgement to be very good, and his mention of anything relating to himself was full of modesty.  He took great notice of the English navy and soldiery, and of the people’s inclinations and violent desires of liberty.  He spake only Swedish and High Dutch, which caused Whitelocke to make use of an interpreter, his kinsman Andrew Potley.

[SN:  The masque.]

In the evening, according to the invitation from the Queen, Whitelocke went to Court to the masque, where he did not find the Danish Ambassador.  But some of the Court took notice of the discourse which had been between the master of the ceremonies and Whitelocke touching precedence, and they all approved Whitelocke’s resolution, and told him that the Queen highly commended him for it, and said that he was a stout and faithful servant to the Protector and to his nation, and that she should love him the better for it; nor was the contest the less pleasing because with the Dane in Sweden.

From eight o’clock at night till two the next morning they were at the masque, which was in the usual room fitted for the solemnity, in which the Queen herself was an actor.  The floor where they danced was covered with tapestry and hung about with red velvet, but most adorned by the presence of a great number of ladies richly dressed and beautified both by nature and habit, attending on their mistress; and there were also many senators, officers, courtiers, and nobility,—­a very great presence of spectators.  The music was excellent, especially the violins, which were many, and rare musicians and fittest for that purpose.  The Queen herself danced very well at two entries:  in the first she represented a Moorish lady, in the second a citizen’s wife; in both the properties were exactly fitted, and in all the rest of the actors and dancers.

There were no speeches nor songs; men acting men’s parts, and women the women’s, with variety of representations and dances.  The whole design was to show the vanity and folly of all professions and worldly things, lively represented by the exact properties and mute actions, genteelly, without the least offence or scandal.