logne for it; and that, he passing through this town, his
Lordship, by his civil entertainment, may understand the favour your
Excellence doth afford me, I owing to this honourable person many
and singular respects, which I desire to manifest and acknowledge. I
am confident your Excellence will assist me herein, and will be
disposed to employ me in many services of yours in Madrid, whither I
am commanded to go, by order from my Lord the King, and shall begin
my journey within three or four days, by way of Brussels, where I
hope to find your Excellence's commands, which I assure you I shall
esteem in all places and obey with the highest punctuality. God
preserve your Excellence the many years of my desires.

"Your Excellence's greatest servant,
"ANT^O PIMENTEL."

In the letter which Whitelocke wrote to Thurloe, after an account of the
passages since his last, he wrote thus:--

[SN: Report of the signing of the treaty to Thurloe.]

"Having received no letters by the post yesterday from England, I
was contented to seal the articles of our treaty; for if but a few
days should be intermitted, they could not have been signed at all,
because upon Tuesday next the Ricksdag, or Parliament here, is
appointed to meet, and within two or three days after their meeting
the Queen intends to resign her Government, and it will be some time
after before the Prince be crowned. I shall have much to do to
despatch the necessary ceremonies here of my public audience, to
take my leave of the Queen, with the many visits I am to perform,
according to the custom to which I am to conform, in regard of the
honour of his Highness and our nation; for he who neglects these
ceremonies here is censured for a mechanic or a boor. I intend from
hence to go to the Prince of Sweden, to salute him from my Lord
Protector, as I am advised that the Prince expects and desires it.
From thence I purpose to go to Stockholm, where I am to take ship
for Luebeck; and from thence to Hamburg, where I shall attend his
Highness's further commands, or some ships to be sent for my
transport into England, which I earnestly entreat you to procure in
time.

"I hope, before my going from hence, to receive his Highness's
order, which I long since wrote for, concerning my return; but