little in my thoughts to God for you; so hath it emboldened me thus
to speak to God for you. My soul and many more have been set
a-praising God on your behalf, for that noble Christian testimony
and dislike of that wicked custom of cup-health pledging; whereas a
Christian's health is God, and his cup salvation. And blessed be the
Lord, that did give you to dislike the ball of pleasure, and that
the Lord of that day was so precious. Go on nobly for the Lord; give
your testimony against the wicked customs of a strange country or
dying world; bear his image in all your transactions, and follow his
steps who was the most glorious Ambassador that ever was; and in
this motion the Lord fill your sails with his gales, make you holily
successful, and give you to see your land and relations full of
heavenly fruition, is the humble and hearty desire of one of the
least sons of Zion, ready to serve the Lord in you or yours.

"JONATHAN PICKES."

_March 18, 1653._

Doctor Whistler made a copy of Latin verses upon the Queen's abdication,
which, for the ingenuity and fancy, were worthy the sight of a Prince;
and Whitelocke sent them to the Queen, who was much taken with them.
Whitelocke was so pleased with those verses that, having a little
leisure, himself turned them into English.[41]

Whitelocke having sent to know if the Queen were at leisure that he
might wait upon her, she returned an excuse that she was not well: she
came away sick from the public schools, where she had been to grace the
disputations of a young Swedish Baron with her presence.

[SN: Effect of the peace with Holland.]

Senator Bundt visited Whitelocke, and discoursed with him in English,
which he spake indifferently well, and was the only Swede he conversed
with in that language. Part of their discourse was to this effect:--

_Bundt._ Mr. Beningen, the Holland Resident in this Court, acquainted me
that his superiors have concluded the agreement with England: only some
provinces desire a more express inclusion of the King of Denmark than is
yet contained in the articles; and they are much troubled that, being
upon the conclusion of the treaty, you make so great preparations of war,
and have so powerful a fleet at sea; and we here do much wonder what
should be your design to have so strong a fleet, and so soon out at sea.

_Wh._ The design is for the defence