et House, by Whitlocke's account, was on the 8th of
April. Mr. Jessop, as one of the Clerks of the Council, was there
by appointment, and read "the new Articles in English as they were
drawn up according to the last resolves of the Council." A long
debate on the Articles followed. The Ambassador begged "to be
excused if he should mistake anything of the sense of them, they
being in English, which he could not so well understand as if they
had been in Latin, which they must be put into in conclusion; but
he did observe," &c. In fact, he restated his objections to making
pitch, tar, hemp, flax, and sails, contraband, as they were the
staple produce of Sweden. Lord Fiennes, in reply, premised: "that
the Articles were brought in English for the saving of time, and
they should be put in Latin when his Excellency should desire," and
then discussed the main subject. Whitlocke followed, and the
Ambassador again, and Fiennes again, all in English; and "Mynheer
Coyet then spake in Latin, that pitch, tar, and hemp were not in
their own nature, nor by the law of nations, esteemed contraband
goods," &c. Strickland said a few words in reply, and then
Whitlocke made a longer and more lawyer-like answer to Mynheer
Coyet,--also, as he takes care to tell us, speaking in Latin. The
discussion, which was long protracted, and extended to other
topics, was closed by the Ambassador; who said "he desired a copy
of these Articles now debated, and, if they pleased, that he might
have it in Latin, which he would consider of." This was
promised.--The meeting so described was nearly the last in which
the Swedish Resident, M. Coyet, took part. He was on the eve of his
departure from England, leaving his principal, Count Bundt, to
finish the Treaty; and the present brief letter of Milton for
Cromwell to his Swedish Majesty has reference to that fact. "Peter
Julius Coyet," it begins, "having performed his mission to us, and
so performed it that he ought not to be dismissed by us without the
distinction of justly earned praise, is on the point of returning
to your Majesty"; and in three sentences more very handsome
testimony is borne to Coyet's ability and fidelity in the discharge
of his duty, and his Swedish Majesty is again assured of the
Protector's high regard for himself. "A constant course of
victories against all enemies of the Church" is the Protector's
wish for him.--Ev