e could not stay until the change whereof
people discoursed, and that he had her Majesty's promise for his
despatch, which he knew she would not break.

Then the Queen fell into other discourses, and in particular of poetry;
which occasion Whitelocke took to show her a copy of Latin verses made by
an English gentleman, a friend of Whitelocke's, and sent over to him
hither, and which he had now about him, and knew that such diversions
were pleasing to the Queen.[71]

At his leisure hours, Whitelocke turned these verses into English, which
ran thus:--

"_To the most Illustrious and most Excellent Lord, the Lord
Whitelocke, Ambassador Extraordinary to the Most Serene Queen of
Sweden. An Ode._

Whitelocke, delight of Mars, the ornament
Of gownmen, from thy country being sent,
Tribunals languish; Themis sad is led,
Sighing under her mourning widow's bed.
Without thee suitors in thick crowds do run,
Sowing perpetual strife, which once begun,
Till happy fate thee home again shall send,
Those sharp contentions will have no end.
But through the snowy seas and northern ways,
When the remoter sun made shortest days,
O'er tops of craggy mountains, paths untrod,
Where untamed creatures only make abode,
Thy love to thy dear country hath thee brought,
Ambassador from England. Thou hast sought
The Swedish confines buried in frost,
Straight wilt thou see the French and Spanish coast;
And them fast bind to thy loved Britany
In a perpetual league of amity.
So wilt thou arbitrator be of Peace,
Her pious author; thou wilt cause to cease
The sound of war, our ears it shall not pierce;
Thou wilt be Chancellor of the universe.
Christina, that sweet nymph, no longer shall
Detain thee; be thou careful not to fall,
Prudent Ulysses, under those delights
To which the learned Circe thee invites.
Thy chaste Penelope doth call thee slow;
Thy friends call for thee home; and they do know
New embassies, affairs abroad, at home,
Require thy service,--stay till thou dost come.
Thou, Keeper of the Seal, dost take away
Foreign contentions; thou dost cause to stay
The wars of princes. Shut thou Janus' gate,
Ambassador of peace to every state."

The Queen was much delighted with these and other verses which Whitelocke
showed her; read them over several times, and desired copies of them,
which White