Mitä Brahe sanoi Suomesta englantilaiselle diplomaatille?

Gutenbergin kirjasivustolla on tekstinä Bulstrode Whitelocken päiväkirja otsikolla
A Journal of the Swedish Embassy in the Years 1653 and 1654, Vol II. Siitä voisi epäilemättä oppia mielenkiintoisia asioita Ruotsin ulkopolitiikasta, mutta mitä moisesta. Oleellista on, että Englannin lähettiläs tapasi Brahen ja keskustelussa mainittiin Suomi.

He told Whitelocke that he had been Governor of Finland ten years together, which province he affirmed to be greater than France, and that the Queen's dominions were larger than France, Spain, Italy, all together. Whitelocke asked him if those countries were well peopled, and flourished with corn and good towns. He
answered that Finland was well peopled, and had store of corn, and good towns; but that it was not so with Lapland and other countries further off. But he said that no part of Sweden had such towns as were in England, where he had been when he was a young man, which country he much praised; and Whitelocke had no cause to gainsay it.

Kansallisuuden määritelmistä kiinnostuneille suomalaiseksi määritellystä herrasta tekstiä:

General Grave Wirtenberg visited Whitelocke. He is a Finlander by birth, of an ancient family, who had applied himself wholly to the military profession, wherein he became so eminent, and had done so great service for this Crown, that he was had in great esteem, especially with the soldiery. He was a Ricks-Senator, and one of the College of War, and at present had the charge of General of the Ordnance, which is of higher account here than in England, being next in command to the Generalissimo, and over the soldiery which belong not to the train, and is often employed as a general. This gentleman seemed worthy of his honour; he was of a low stature, somewhat corpulent, of a good mien, and plain behaviour, more in the military than courtly way. His discourse declared his reason and judgement to be very good, and his mention of anything relating to himself was full of modesty. He took great notice of the English navy and soldiery, and of the people's inclinations and violent desires of liberty. He spake only Swedish and High Dutch, which caused Whitelocke to make use of an interpreter, his kinsman Andrew Potley.

Kreivi Wirtenberg oli Porvoossa syntynyt kreivi Arvid Wittenberg (Wirtenberg von Debern), kolmikymmenvuotisen sodan sankari.

Whitelocken ja Wittenbergin muotokuvat poimittu Wikipediasta, linkitetyiltä sivuilta.

Ruotsin diplomatiasta ja ulkopolitiikasta enemmälti kiinnostuneet voivat verkossa tutustua myös kokonaisuuksiin

• Sveriges och Hollands diplomatiska förbindelser 1621-1630, belysta genom aktstycken ur svenska riksarkivet af D:r M. G. Schybergson (Bidrag till kännedom av Finlands natur och folk; 36)
• Sveriges politik i förhållande till de federativa rörelserna i Tyskland 1650-58. II. Af Hjalmar Crohns (Bidrag till kännedom av Finlands natur och folk; 61) Aikaisempi osa sarjajulkaisun osassa 57, jota ei ole verkosta paikallistettu.