continue through his whole
reign, and the aim of which was little less than the extension of
Sweden into an Empire across the Baltic. He had begun with Poland,
between which and Sweden there was an old feud, and the King of
which then was John Casimir. Other powers, however, had been
immediately stirred by the war. Denmark, Russia, and the German
empire generally, were interested in saving Poland, and therefore
tended to an alliance against Karl Gustav; while, on the other
hand, the Great Elector of Brandenburg, Friedrich-Wilhelm, found it
convenient for the present, in the interests of his Prussian
possessions, to be on the side of Sweden. Cromwell had not been
likely at first to interfere directly in such a complicated
continental quarrel; and, indeed, as we have seen from a previous
letter of his to the Swedish King (ante p. 166), his first feeling
on hearing of the Swedish movements on the Continent had been that
of regret at the disturbance of the Peace of Westphalia. Still
Sweden was a power which commanded Cromwell's respect. Nor was
Charles X., on his side, less anxious to retain the friendship of
the great English Protector. On succeeding Christina he had
accepted and ratified her Treaty with Cromwell--"Whitlocke's
Treaty," as it may be called; he had sent a Mr. PETER COYET to be
Swedish Resident in London; and, after he had begun his Polish war,
there was nothing he desired more than some yet closer partnership
between himself and Cromwell, that might unite Sweden and England
in a common European policy. Accordingly, in July 1655, Charles X.
being then in camp in Poland, there had arrived in London a
splendid Swedish embassy extraordinary, consisting of COUNT
CHRISTIERN BUNDT, and other noblemen and gentlemen, with
attendants, to the number of two hundred persons in all, "generally
proper handsome men and fair-haired." Whitlocke, who was naturally
called in by the Protector on this occasion, describes with unusual
gusto the reception of the Embassy. There was a magnificent
torchlight procession of coaches, most of them with six horses, to
convey the Ambassador and his suite from Tower Wharf, where they
landed, to Sir Abraham Williams's house in Westminster; there were
feastings and other entertainments, at the Lord Protector's charge,
for three days; and at length on the third day Count Bundt had
audience in the Banqueting House at Whit