or; in the mouth whereof was a diamond ring of great price,
which shined and glistered gloriously by the torch and candle light as
the Queen danced; this she bade Piementelle to keep till she called for
it. Piementelle told her he wondered she would trust a jewel of that
value in the hands of a soldier; she said she would bear the adventure of
it. And when the masque was ended, Piementelle offered the ring again to
the Queen, who told him that he had not kept it according to her
commands, which were till she called for it, which she had not yet done,
nor intended as long as she lived, but that he should keep it as a
memorial of her favour. The Spaniard had cause to rest satisfied with the
Queen's answer and her real and bountiful compliment, the ring being
worth ten thousand crowns, which he brought away with him, besides many
other jewels and presents from the Queen of great value, not publicly
known. He took leave of Whitelocke and of his sons, Colonel Potley, and
the gentlemen, with great civility.

_April 10, 1654._

[SN: Whitelocke dines with Grave Eric Oxenstiern.]

Between eleven and twelve o'clock, the usual dining-time here,
Whitelocke, with his sons and Potley, attended only by two gentlemen, one
page, and two lacqueys, went to Grave Eric's lodging to dinner. His
rooms were not stately nor richly furnished, but such as could be had in
that place. The outer room for servants was like a little hall; within
that was a larger room, narrow and long, where they dined; within that
was a smaller room hung with tapestry, used for a withdrawing-room: all
below stairs, which is not usual in these parts.

Grave Eric met Whitelocke at the door of the lodging; in the dining-room
was his father the Chancellor, and divers friends with him. The father
and son went in with Whitelocke to the withdrawing-room, where, after a
quarter of an hour's discourse, they were called to dinner, the meat
being on the table; then a huge massy basin and ewer of silver gilt was
brought for them to wash--some of the good booties met with in Germany.
After washing, one of the pages (after their manner) said grace in
Swedish.

The table was long and narrow; in the middle of it, on the further side,
under a canopy of velvet, were set two great chairs: Whitelocke sat in
the right-hand chair, and Woolfeldt in the other, on his left-hand. On
the other side of the table, over against these, were set two other like
great chairs; in the right-hand