f
diamonds and the like; and he said he hoped there was no order of the
Commonwealth of England to forbid the receiving of such presents by their
public ministers. He said, that formerly he asked of Monsieur Chanut, the
French Ambassador here, if he would accept a present of copper, and he
willingly accepted it, and carried it with him, saying, that he rather
desired copper than diamonds or jewels, because he could better sell the
copper than jewels, and make money of it.

Whitelocke said, that whatsoever her Majesty pleased to bestow on him
should be welcome to him, and that he liked the commodities of this
country as well as those of the Indies, and that for Chanut's reason. He
said that the Protector had not forbid him to receive any testimonies of
the Queen's respect to him, as she used to do to all public ministers;
that the order of the Commonwealth forbidding gifts or presents to public
ministers was not now in force; that he thought her Majesty's bounty to
him, and his justification of the acceptance of it, might be the more
from such valuable presents as her Majesty had done him the honour to
receive from him, and his intention to bestow all his horses upon her,
and such as she would appoint, which, for the honour of the Commonwealth,
he would not sell.

_April 30, 1654._

[SN: Whitelocke accepts a present of copper.]

Berkman and Monsieur Bloome dined with Whitelocke, and took occasion to
magnify the respects of the Chancellor and his son, Grave Eric, to the
Protector and to Whitelocke, who was not backward to join in those
eulogies, and to acknowledge the respects. Berkman said that Canterstein
was to bring some writings to Whitelocke, and that Lagerfeldt had spoken
to the Queen to present Whitelocke with some copper; that she had given
order for two hundred ship-pound of copper to be brought from the mines
to Stockholm, to be put aboard Whitelocke's ship, ready to be carried
away with him; that every ship-pound was here worth forty dollars, and
was as much as three hundred English pounds, which he cast up in the
whole to the value of about L2500 sterling. And Whitelocke was satisfied
in his own conscience that he might honourably receive it, having given
to the Queen as many presents already as were worth L1000, and engaged to
her his horses, which were worth about L2000 more, besides the gifts and
gratuities which he had liberally given, and intended to give, to the
Queen's servants and officers; and