2. He made the same objections as the Queen had done, and Whitelocke gave
the same answers; and Eric said that this article depended upon our
treaty with the Dutch.
3. Eric desired an explanation of the words "omnibus in locis quibus
hactenus commercium exercebatur,"--whether that were not intended to
include the English plantations in America, because traffic thither,
without special license, was prohibited by our Commonwealth; and he said
it would be unequal for the English to have the full traffic in the
Queen's dominions, and her subjects not to have the like in our
Commonwealth. Whitelocke answered, that the English desired no traffic in
any of the Queen's dominions out of Europe, and therefore it was equal
not to consent to their traffic in America; and that the opinion of the
Council of State in England had been made known to Mr. Lagerfeldt in
England, in this point; which paper Whitelocke then showed, and the Grave
urged many other arguments, but Whitelocke kept himself to the paper of
the Council.
Eric said, those transactions of Lagerfeldt were remitted to Whitelocke's
Embassy. Whitelocke said, that whatever his instructions might warrant,
yet it would not become him to do anything contrary to that wherein the
Council of State had declared their judgement. The same answer Whitelocke
gave him concerning the herring-fishing, which Eric much insisted upon;
and as to the pre-emption of the commodities of Sweden, mentioned in the
Council's paper, which Whitelocke showed him, Eric said that could not
be, because those commodities were of very great value, and belonged to
several private persons; and he demanded of Whitelocke if he thought
England would be contented to give a pre-emption of all their cloth.
Whitelocke said, the cloth of England was likewise of very great value,
and there would hardly be found one stock to buy it all, and there were
several staples in other countries to vent it at; and he said he thought
the best way would be, first to agree upon the general amity and commerce
between the two nations, and afterwards, if Sweden held it fit, when they
sent an ambassador to England, or otherwise, to propound anything
concerning the fishing for herrings or the traffic in America, or
touching a staple at Narva, Revel, or Gothenburg (which Eric likewise
discoursed of at large), that the Protector would give a fair and just
answer.
4. Eric made the same objections that the Queen had done, and had the
same answers.