purposely for the despatch of his business, and for the
signing of the articles; and he desired to know what time this afternoon
he might have the liberty to come and visit Whitelocke, after he had been
with the Queen. Whitelocke told the secretary that he should be glad to
see his lord after Whitelocke had likewise been at the Court; and there
they met.

Whitelocke went in to the Queen and presented her with the cabinet of
essences, which was of green velvet, lined with silver lace very richly;
within it were about twenty glasses of spirits of the rarest kinds, each
glass stopped with a silver head of English silver, to screw off and on,
and a lock and key of the same; and opening the cabinet the Queen smelt
of most of the glasses, but tasted none of them; she highly commended
them and the cabinet, especially the English silver, whereof she had some
discourse, and said she would send them to her mother, who would be very
glad of them.

[SN: and an English Bible;]

Then according to his promise he presented her Majesty with an English
Bible, of a very fair print and richly bound; and upon that they had this
discourse:--

_Whitelocke._ If your Majesty would be pleased to spend some time in
reading this Bible, and comparing it with those in other languages, it
would be a great help to your understanding of the English, if your
Majesty have any further thoughts thereof.

_Queen._ My desire still is to gain the English tongue, and I think this
which you mention will be a good way to learn it. I ask your pardon that
you staid so long before you came in to me; nobody told me of your being
without, and I am ashamed of this incivility.

_Wh._ The incivility, Madam, is on my side, by interrupting your greater
affairs; but I come not now as an ambassador, but as a particular servant
to bring this Bible to your Majesty.

_Qu._ It is a noble present, and there was the less reason to make you
stay for admittance with it.

[SN: and exhorts her Majesty to read it.]

_Wh._ This book was presented to me by an English doctor, with a letter
mentioning the text that the Beraeans were accounted the more noble
because they received the word with gladness, as I hope your Majesty
will.

_Qu._ I receive it from you with much thankfulness, and shall gladly make
use of it as the best of books.

_Wh._ Your Majesty, by often reading it, and comparing it with other
Bibles, will not only thereby gain advantage as to the language, but th