"Noble Colonel,
"I heartily thank you for your civility, whereof I hope ere long to
have the opportunity to acquaint your masters the Lords of Lübeck."
As Whitelocke passed by they fired three guns from the fort. The Colonel
conducted Whitelocke to his house, near the landing-place, multitudes of
people flocking together. The house was not stately, nor very convenient.
There they were entertained with great store of very strong beer, which
they call _mum_; and the Colonel was exceeding free to call for large
flagons of it for Whitelocke and for all his people; which Whitelocke
apprehending to have been the generosity of the Governor, yet fearing
some disorder by it among the inferior sort, and being whispered by
Colonel Potley that the Governor expected to be paid for his drink, which
he usually sold to the passengers, Whitelocke ordered the reckoning to be
paid, and hasted from this honourable alehouse to his coach.
It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when Whitelocke went from
Tremon, from whence to Lübeck is two Dutch miles, that is, eight of our
English miles. And coming with such a train, and to pass the usual
ceremony in such cases to the Lords of Lübeck, Whitelocke sent Mr.
Berkman and one of his servants before, to salute the Lords of Lübeck in
the name of the Protector, as friends to the Commonwealth of England, and
to advertise them, that the English Ambassador having occasions to pass
through this city, and to be there this day, he thought it requisite to
give them notice of it. In the midway between Tremon and Lübeck they came
to a ferry over the Trave; the boat was large enough to carry at once two
coaches and many horses. At each end of the ferryboat such artificial
work is made with planks that it serves both at the coming in and going
out of the boat, meeting with the planks on each side of the shore. By
the weight of coach, horses, waggons, cattle, or men, the planks are so
wrought that they rise and fall according to the weight upon them, and so
as both those on the shore and the ends of the boat come to be even, and
without more trouble in the passing over them than a bridge would be.
The great company, and some mishap of tearing one of his coaches,
hindered Whitelocke's journey; but they went on in good time. About an
English mile before they came to Lübeck, some company appearing on the
road, Whitelocke's lacqueys alighted out of their waggons, and Whitelocke
was met upon the way by an ancient person of a good portly carriage, with
a great white beard, and a greater ruff. He was attended with four
coaches; the first had six good horses in it, and was handsome, but not
rich. The gentleman, being alighted, and then Whitelocke also, he came
and saluted Whitelocke, and spake to him in the High Dutch, to this
effect:--
"My Lord Ambassador,
"My masters, the Lords of Lübeck, have sent me with their coaches to
conduct your Excellence into their city, and to bid you welcome
hither; and to assure you likewise that whatsoever this city will
afford shall be at your Excellence's service."