_April 1, 1654._
[SN: A capital execution in Sweden.]
In the morning, in the market-place, near Whitelocke's lodging, was an
execution of one adjudged to die for a murder. The offender was brought
into the midst of the market-place, which was open and spacious, and a
great multitude of people spectators. The offender kneeled down upon the
ground, a great deal of sand being laid under and about him to soak up
his blood, and a linen cloth was bound about his eyes: he seemed not much
terrified, but when the company sang a psalm, he sang with them, holding
up his hands together, and his body upright, his doublet off. He prayed
also with the company, but made no speech to them; nor did any other
speak to the people. The executioner stood behind him, with a great naked
sword in his hand and a linen apron before him, and while the offender
was praying the headsman in an instant, at one back-blow, cut off his
head, which fell down upon the sand; and some friends took it from the
executioner, and carried it away with the body to be buried. Presently
after this execution was past, two other offenders for smaller crimes
were brought to the same place, to suffer the punishment of the law,
which they call running the gauntlet,--a usual punishment among
soldiers.
[SN: Running the gauntlet.]
The people stood in length in the market-place about a hundred yards,
leaving an open space or lane between them of about five yards' distance;
then the offender, being naked to the waist, was brought to one end of
the lane or open place. The people had rods or switches of birch given to
as many as would take them; the offender was to run or go, as he pleased
(and one of them walked but a Spanish pace), from one end of the lane of
people to the other, twice or thrice forward and backward; and all the
way as he went, the people who had the switches lashed the offender as he
passed by them, harder or softer, as they favoured him. These are the
most usual ways of executions which they have for criminal offences, and
they do not execute men by hanging, which they say is only fit for dogs;
but in cases of great robberies and murders sometimes they execute
justice by breaking the offenders upon the wheel, and leave the quarters
of the body upon it; some whereof were in the way as Whitelocke passed in
his journey by the great wilderness.
[SN: Vestiges of the Scandinavian mythology.]
In the afternoon Senator Schütt came to Whitelocke and invited him to
take the air to see the town of old Upsal, about a mile off; and being
there, Schütt showed him three great mounts of earth, cast up by the
hands of men, for monuments in memory of their ancient famous kings,
whose seat had been here, and the place of their coronation. These mounts
had been dedicated to three of their Pagan gods: the one to the god whom
they call Teuo, who was Mars, and from him they have the name of the day
of the week _Teuosdag_, which we call Tuesday, and the Germans
_Tuisconsdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Martis_; the second mount was
dedicated to their god Woden, so they called Mercury, and from thence
their day of the week is named _Wodensdag_, which we also call Wednesday,
the Germans _Wodensdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Mercurii_; the third mount
was dedicated to their goddess Freya, so they called Venus, and from
thence comes the name of their _Friedsdag_, which we call Friday, the
Germans _Frigdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Veneris_.
There were also other relics of decayed mounts, which Whitelocke guessed
to have been dedicated to their other gods, from whom they gave the names
of the other days of the week: as, to Thor, whom they called Jupiter,
and, from whence the day _Thoresdag_, which we call Thursday, the Germans
say _Thorsdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Jovis_; another mount dedicated to
their god Setorn, from whence they call _Setornsdag_, as we say Saturday,
the Germans _Sæternsdæg_, and the Latins _Dies Saturni_; another mount
dedicated to Sunnan, as they call the Sun, and from thence that day
_Sunnandag_{4}, as we say Sunday, the Germans _Sunnandæg_, and the Latins
_Dies Solis_; the last mount dedicated to Monan, that is the Moon, and
from thence the name of their _Monandag_, which we call Monday, the
Germans _Monandæg_, and the Latins _Dies Lunæ_.
[SN: The war between Muscovy and Poland.]
In discourse upon the way, Schütt informed Whitelocke of the matter of
the embassy from the Great Duke of Muscovia to the Queen of Sweden, which
was to acquaint her Majesty that the Great Duke had begun a war against
the King of Poland, because in a letter of his to the Great Duke he had
omitted one of his great titles,--a heinous offence, and held by the
Great Duke a sufficient ground of war, and of his resolution to
sacrifice the blood of his fellow-Christians to satisfy his wicked pride.
Another ground of the war was because a certain Governor of a province in
Poland, in a writing, had placed the name of the father of the Great Duke
before the name of the present Great Duke; which was so great an
indignity, that for the same the now Great Duke demanded of the King of
Poland to have the head of that Governor sent to him, and that not being
done, was another cause of the begun war. To this the Queen answered,
that it did not appertain to her to give her opinion in a matter of this
nature, whether she did approve or disapprove of what was done by the
Great Duke, but she did presume that the King of Poland would therein
give fitting satisfaction to the Great Duke; and that she did wish that
there might be peace between these two Princes and all the Princes of
Christendom. And with this answer the Envoys of the Great Duke returned
as wise as they came.
[SN: Denmark threatens Hamburg.]
Schütt also communicated unto Whitelocke an intelligence that the King of
Denmark had levied some forces which he designed against
Hamburg,--pretending injuries done to him by that city in relation to his
pretensions of dominion there, which probably might occasion a war
between Denmark and that free city, which had strength and riches and
people and wisdom to defend themselves; and Schütt advised Whitelocke
that if this should be so, that then he should take his voyage some other
way, and that it would be a great disturbance and danger to him to go by
Hamburg and those quarters, which would be infested with soldiers, and
that then it would be his best way to return by Gothenburg; but he did
persuade Whitelocke by all means to salute the Prince of Sweden by the
way of his return. Whitelocke said he thought it not probable that the
King of Denmark would at this time engage in a war against Hamburg, and
that his levying of soldiers might breed a jealousy in the Crown of
Sweden; that the certainty thereof could not be long undiscovered, and
accordingly he should govern his own resolutions; that it would be
difficult for him to stay in his journey to salute the Prince, but he
much desired and intended it before his departure.
_April 2, 1654._
Although the Lord's Day, yet the English and Scots who were in the town,
and not of Whitelocke's family, went abroad to take the air, and did not
resort, as they used to do, to Whitelocke's house to the exercises of
divine worship, which were duly performed in his private family; and
after those _sacra peracta_, Whitelocke retired himself to his private
studies and meditations upon the word of truth. This day likewise the
Queen went abroad to take the air, and passed through the town in her
coach, attended by many gentlemen and others in her train, to the ill
example of her people, and after the bad custom of this place.
_April 3, 1654._
[SN: Whitelocke takes the air with the Queen.]
The Queen sent to Whitelocke to invite him to accompany her to take the
air.
By the way Whitelocke visited Woolfeldt, who had much discourse with him
about the English fleet then at sea. From him Whitelocke went to Court,
and attended the Queen in her coach to take the air. They had not much
discourse about his business, and he thought not fit to interrupt her
Majesty's pleasures with serious discourses, but sought to delight her
with matters of diversion and mirth. When they were come back to the
castle, the Queen said to Whitelocke:--
_Queen._ Tomorrow my Chancellor will present you with the articles drawn
up by him, with some alterations which I judge to be reasonable; and that
shall be my final resolution about them.
_Wh._ Hath your Majesty commanded any mention in those new articles
concerning contraband goods?
_Qu._ There is a specification of them.
_Wh._ Indeed, Madam, I can hardly consent to any alteration upon the
subject of contraband goods, whilst the edict of the Hollanders is in
force thereupon.
_Qu._ After you have considered these new articles, we will speak
together again about them.
Then the Queen retired to her chamber, and Whitelocke being come home,
the Secretary Canterstein came to him from the Chancellor to excuse his
not coming to visit Whitelocke, and said that, by the Queen's command,
the Chancellor had sent a new copy of articles to Whitelocke. He
presently read them, and had much discourse with the secretary upon them,
who said he did not doubt but that, after communication with the
Chancellor, Whitelocke would receive satisfaction.
_April 4, 1654._