again in his coach to Glueckstadt.
Whitelocke desired to be excused by reason of his voyage, and an order of
his country that those who had the command of any of the State's ships
were not to lie out of them until they brought them home again; otherwise
Whitelocke said he had a great desire to kiss his Majesty's hand and to
wait upon his Excellence and the noble company at his house; and he
desired that his humble thanks and excuse might be made to the King. The
Grave replied that Whitelocke, being an Extraordinary Ambassador, was not
within the order concerning commanders of the State's ships, but he might
be absent and leave the charge of the ships to the inferior officers.
Whitelocke said that as Ambassador he had the honour to command those
ships, and so was within the order, and was commanded by his Highness to
return forthwith to England; that if, in his absence, the wind and
weather should come fair, or any harm should come to any of the ships, he
should be answerable for neglecting of his trust. Whitelocke also was
unwilling, though he must not express the same, to put himself under the
trouble and temptations which he might meet with in such a journey, and
to neglect the least opportunity of proceeding in his voyage homewards.

The Grave, seeing Whitelocke not to be persuaded, hasted away; and after
compliments and ceremonies passed with great civility, he and the Agent
and their company went into one of Whitelocke's ship-boats, with a crew
of his men and his Lieutenant to attend them. At their going off, by
Whitelocke's order only one gun was fired, and a good while after the
'President' fired all her guns round, the 'Elizabeth,' according to
custom, did the like; so that there was a continual firing of great guns
during the whole time of their passage from the ship unto the
shore--almost a hundred guns, and the fort answered them with all the
guns they had.

At the Lieutenant's return he told Whitelocke that the Grave, when he
heard but one gun fired for a good while together, began to be highly
offended, saying that his master, the King, was slighted and himself
dishonoured, to be sent away with one gun only fired, and he wondered the
Ambassador carried it in such a manner; but afterwards, when the rest of
the guns went off, the Grave said he would tell the King how highly the
English Ambassador had honoured his Majesty and his servant by the most
magnificent entertainment that ever was made on ship-board, a