according to the tenour and effect of the commission, powers, and instructions you have already received, and which I shall by any further act ratify and confirm according as the nature of the business shall require.

“Before your Lordship deliver these letters credential to the Queen, or make any addresses to her, you are to inform yourself fully of the reception you are like to have, and whether her intentions be to come to a treaty of amity with this State as the Government is now established, that no dishonour may befall us or these dominions in your addresses upon these letters and instructions.  Given at Whitehall this 23rd of December, 1653.

“OLIVER P.”

Whitelocke made many despatches this day to England.

March 4, 1653.

[SN:  The Queen talks of visiting the Protector.]

Whitelocke waited on the Queen and showed her part of the letters which he received from England, whereupon she again asked him if the Protector were sacre?  Whitelocke said, No, and that his letters mentioned only a solemnity of entertaining the Protector by the City of London.  Whitelocke also communicated to her Majesty the Protector’s letter to him, and the expression that Whitelocke should assure her Majesty of the Protector’s constant and real intentions to settle a firm alliance with the Queen; which, she said, she was also most ready to make with the Protector.

Whitelocke then said it might be fit to make some progress in his treaty upon his articles, and particularly in those which concerned amity and commerce, and had no dependence on the issue of the treaty with Holland, and therefore might be had in consideration before the other were fully concluded, and the rest of the articles might be considered afterwards; which the Queen said should be done, and that she would send an ambassador to the Protector.  She was very inquisitive concerning London and our Universities; by her discourse gave him to imagine she had thoughts of travelling into France, Spain, Italy, and into England; and asked Whitelocke if he thought the Protector would give way to her coming thither.  Whitelocke answered, that the Protector would bid her Majesty very welcome thither.

He was alone with her near two hours, and at his taking leave she desired him to come to her again on Monday next, and that then she would read over with him his articles, both in Latin and English, which they would consider together; and such things as she could consent unto she would tell him, and what she could not consent unto he should then know from her, and they might mark it in the margin as they went along.  Yet she said she would have him to proceed in his conference with her Chancellor as before, and that nobody should know of that conference between her and Whitelocke; but she would so order the business that what they consented unto should be effected afterwards, and that in two hours they might go over all the articles.