ors, a plain country
fellow, in his clouted shoon, and all other habits answerable, as all the
rest of his company were accoutred. This boor, without any congees or
ceremony at all, spake to her Majesty, and was interpreted to Whitelocke
to be after this phrase:--

"O Lord God, Madam, what do you mean to do? It troubles us to hear
you speak of forsaking those that love you so well as we do. Can you
be better than you are? You are Queen of all these countries, and if
you leave this large kingdom, where will you get such another? If
you should do it (as I hope you won't for all this), both you and we
shall have cause, when it is too late, to be sorry for it. Therefore
my fellows and I pray you to think better on't, and to keep your
crown on your head, then you will keep your own honour and our
peace; but if you lay it down, in my conscience you will endanger
all. Continue in your gears, good Madam, and be the fore-horse as
long as you live, and we will help you the best we can to bear your
burden.

"Your father was an honest gentleman and a good king, and very
stirring in the world; we obeyed him and loved him as long as he
lived; and you are his own child, and have governed us very well,
and we love you with all our hearts; and the Prince is an honest
gentleman, and when his time comes we shall be ready to do our
duties to him as we do to you; but as long as you live we are not
willing to part with you, and therefore I pray, Madam, do not part
with us."

When the boor had ended his speech, he waddled up to the Queen without
any ceremony, took her by the hand and shook it heartily, and kissed it
two or three times; then turning his back to her, he pulled out of his
pocket a foul handkerchief and wiped the tears from his eyes, and in the
same posture as he came up he returned back to his own place again.

When the orations were all ended, one of the Queen's secretaries, by her
command, read unto the Assembly a paper, which Whitelocke procured to be
given to him in a copy, and translated into English.

[SN: The Queen's declaration to the Diet.]

_The Proposition of her Majesty of Sweden to the Estates assembled
at Upsal the 11th of May, in the year 1654._

"Since for certain reasons her Majesty found it good and necessary
to assemble the Estates of the Kingdom at this time, and that they
have given testimony of their