Wh. Your reasons were the true ones:  was her Majesty convinced by them?

Woolf. She seemed to make more doubt of it than at first, but told me that you were not much against it, and desired to confer with me about it while she was out of town, and she wished me to prepare something against her return.

Wh. As I told her Majesty, I can consent to nothing in this point, having no instructions in any matter of this nature, as you will easily believe; but if her Majesty shall think fit to have anything drawn up by way of a secret article, all that I can do will be to present it to the Protector at my return home, and I know he will be as ready as any person to show respect to the Queen; but what he will do as to a consent in this particular I cannot tell, but am doubtful lest it may be apprehended as a weakening of the treaty and alliance.

Woolf. That is a great and true objection against it; and, in my opinion, it would be better for the Queen to write a letter to the Protector in general compliment, and in it to desire him to be a friend to her, and to give her his assistance upon any occasion that may fall out concerning her; and this letter may be sent by you, and delivered by your hand to the Protector, when you may acquaint him with anything further or more particularly relating to her Majesty.

Wh. I think this will be much the better way; and if such a letter be sent by me, I hope I shall be able to procure such an answer, or, upon any occasion, such a return as will be to the contentment of her Majesty.  But in case the Queen should sign such an article, and then the Protector should not approve it, it would distaste the Queen and her friends, and she would be censured to have done too low an act in it.

Woolf. I had yesterday a long discourse with the Chancellor about your affairs of England, and particularly of your fleet now at sea—­what should be the design of having so strong a fleet at sea, the sea-war between you and your enemies being reported at an end, and peace concluded; and whether your design might be for France or Spain or Portugal.

Wh. Or for the defence of England.

Woolf. He was much amused about it.

Wh. I hope that was not lessened by you.

Woolf. No indeed; I endeavoured to amuse him more, and told him, that for France, England did not care to have it; it would be but a charge and no benefit to them, and embroil them in a long chargeable war.

Wh. England hath had experience thereof formerly when they were masters of France, and many of us think our own country as good as France.

Woolf. I am of that opinion; and I told him there was as little probability for any design against Spain because of its distance, and little advantage to England by a war with them.

Wh. I hope you commended a kingdom called Denmark?