ssing of God, faithfully and
successfully on my part, my requital should be a neglect of me and my
services. Yet it pleased God to give me much patience and temperance to
bear this slighting and ingratitude, and I knew the condition of him from
whom it came, who, when his turn was served, usually forgot the
instruments.

_July 14, 1654._

[SN: Receives the Seal.]

According to the Council's Order, the Lords Commissioners Lisle and
Widdrington attended with the Seal at Whitehall, and I was there also. We
were all called into the Council, where the Protector himself was
sitting at the upper end of the table with his hat on, and the Council
all uncovered. He made a short and grave speech, how much I had deserved
from the Commonwealth by the great and faithful services I had performed
for them, particularly in the treaty with Sweden. That in my absence, the
custody of the Great Seal being to be disposed of, the Council and
himself having good experience of my fidelity and abilities for that
great trust, and as a testimony of their favour to me, they thought fit
to nominate me for one of the Commissioners of the Seal. And I being now,
through the mercy of God, safely returned again into this Commonwealth,
they had appointed this time for me to take the oath of a Commissioner of
the Great Seal, as the rest of the Commissioners had done before.

I then desired to see the oath, which was shown to me, and finding it to
be the same that I had taken before, I took it now again; and after that,
the Protector took the Great Seal in his hand and delivered it to me and
the other Commissioners, and so we did withdraw with it. Sir Thomas
Widdrington seemed a little distasted that I was the first Commissioner,
named before him, which was done when I was out of England, and, I
suppose, because I was then Ambassador Extraordinary in their actual
service. We went away together to consult about the business of the Seal,
and I sought to win Sir Thomas Widdrington by my civility to him.

_July 15, 1654._

[SN: Entry of certain goods.]

I employed my brother Wilson to the Commissioners of the Customs, to get
the copper which I had brought from Sweden, and some deal boards, to be
discharged of paying custom, they being my particular goods, concerning
which my brother Wilson gave me this account by his letter; and also,
touching the arrears of my salary as Commissioner of the Great Seal
during my absence out of England, and for one te