that he would take it upon
him, at his return to England, to procure it to be done; but he said he
could not leave with them the Protector's letters and instructions to
him, because part of them was secret.

The Chancellor said it was the custom to deliver the original letters of
power into the hands of the other party, that they might be registered in
the public acts of the Chancery, and that Whitelocke should receive their
commissions to carry with him into England; that if he would pass his
word that, at his return to England, he would procure new and larger
powers, and take care to send the letters of them hither from the
Protector, they should be satisfied therewith: which Whitelocke promised
to do, and desired that the Queen would ratify all that should be done
here before her resignation, and keep the ratification by her until the
Protector should seal letters of ratification on his part, and then they
might be exchanged and mutually delivered. The Chancellor consented
hereunto, and asked what seal the Protector used in these public
businesses. Whitelocke said he used his own seal. The Chancellor asked if
he did not use the seal of the Commonwealth, in regard that this league
was between the Queen and kingdom of Sweden and the Protector and
Commonwealth of England. Whitelocke said that the Protector might, if he
pleased, command the seal of the Commonwealth to be affixed to the
letters of ratification, which he believed would be done if they desired
it; and that, by the same reason, it was fit that the letters of
ratification here should be under the Great Seal of Sweden.

The Chancellor said that in Sweden, when the Government was in the hands
of Commissioners, the King or Queen not being crowned, it was usual for
some chief men, of alliance to the deceased King, to make use of his
private seal, and of no other; that if this treaty were with the Poles
or Danes, or others, that being wanting in their letters which was in
Whitelocke's, he would not proceed any further with them until they
should procure a fuller power and commission; and he said he had been
present at many treaties which had been broken off upon a less defect
than appeared in Whitelocke's letters. But in regard their business was
with the Protector, whom the Queen and himself did so much honour and had
so great a confidence in him, and upon Whitelocke's promise to procure
such a power as they desired to be enlarged to him from the Protector,
the