is Excellence the Lord Whitelocke, Lord Ambassador from the
State of England to her Majesty of Sweden._

"My Lord,

"Your Excellence's last of the 3rd of February brought me so
unexpressible a plenty of the utmost of such happiness as consists
in true reputation and honour, as that nothing with me will equal or
come near it. First, that her most excellent Majesty, a Prince so
unparalleled and incomparable and so justly acknowledged with the
height of true admiration by all that either have or love arts or
other goodness, should vouchsafe to descend to the mention of my
mean name and the inquiry of my being and condition with such most
gracious expressions. Next, that your Excellence, whose favours have
been so continually multiplied on me, should be the person of whom
such inquiry was made. All the danger is, that your noble affection
rendered me far above myself. However, it necessitates me to become
a fervent suitor to your Excellence, that if it shall fall out that
her Majesty and you have again leisure and will to speak of any such
trifle as I am, you will be pleased to represent to her Majesty my
most humble thanks, and my heart full of devotion to her, of which I
too shall study to give, if I can, some other humble testimony. God
send her most excellent Majesty always her heart's desires, and the
most royal amplitude of all happiness, and your Lordship a good
despatch and safe and timely return.

"My Lord, your Excellence's most
"obliged and humble servant,
"JO. SELDEN.
"_Whitefriars, March 2nd, 1653._"

Whitelocke had also in this packet letters from his old friends Mr. Hall,
Mr. Eltonhead, the Lord Commissioner Lisle, his brothers Wilson and
Carleton, Mr. Peters, Sir Joseph Holland, and divers others; also letters
from Hamburg, from Mr. Bradshaw, the Protector's Resident there, with
some intercepted letters from the King's party, as Sir Edward Hyde and
several others.

[SN: His audience of leave-taking.]

This day being appointed for Whitelocke's last audience, he was habited
in a plain suit of very fine English cloth of musk-colour, the buttons of
gold, enamelled, and in each button a ruby, and rich points and ribbons
of gold; his gentlemen were in their richest clothes; his pages and
lacqueys, above twenty,