The State of the CASE BETWEEN DENMARK and SWEDEN.  
IN the Year of our Lord, 1654. on the 15th day of September, a League of Amity and Friendship was concluded, and afterwards on both sides ratified, between the King and Kingdom of Denmark on the one part, and the Lord Protector and Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, &c. on the other part, whereof this is the first Article.  

Article I.  
Quod ab hoc die erit firma, integra & sincéra Amicitia, Pax & Confaederatio, tam Mari quam Terrâ, & Aquis dulcibus, inter Regem RegnumqueDaniae & Norvegiae, & Protectorem & Rempublicam Angliae, Scotiae & Hiberniae nec non Dominia, Regiones ac Civitates sub utriusque ditione positas, Populumque, Incolas & Subditos alterutrius, cujuscunque gradus & dignitatis fuerint; ita ut neutra pars, Populusve aut subditi alterutrius, neque per se, neque per alios, directè vel indirectè quicquam agate, vel quantum in se est, agi permittat in damnum aut praejudicium alterius, verùm altera alteram bonis officiis adjuvabit atque alterius rem & commodum pro virili promovebit. That is to say,  
That from this day shall be a firm, entire and sincere Amity, Peace and Confederacy, as well by Sea, as Land and fresh Waters, between the King and Kingdom of Denmark and Norway, and the Protector and Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, together with the Dominions, countries and Cities in the Jurisdiction of either; as also between the People, Inhabitants and Subjects of both, of what Degree or Dignity soever; so as neither Part, People, or Subjects of either, neither by themselves, nor others, directly or indirectly may do any thing, nor as much as in them lies, may suffer to be done, to the Damage or Prejudice of the other; but that the one shall aid the other by all good offices, and shall advance the Welfare and Profit of the other to his utmost Power.  

Printed here in London at the star in St Paul's Churchyard.  Three years after this League thus made, that is to say, in the year 1657. after the Danes had received many great and notorious Wrongs and Injuries from the King and kingdom of Sweden, and being further threatened by them to be worse dealt with, as may be seen more at large in the Danish Manifest, called Jus feciale Armatae Daniae: They betook themselves to their Arms. But this war being ended through the Mediation of England and France, and the Peace concluded at Rotshilt in February last, was Signed by the public Ministers of the most Christian King, and his late Highness the Lord Protector, who thereby became Sureties for the same, as is more fully set forth in a Relation of the Affairs between the two Northern Kings, Printed in this City about a month since. 
To be sold at the sign of the ship in St Paul's Churchyard.   
This Peace the King of Sweden kept, till he had got into his hands four or five Provinces, wherein were many Strong-holds, and had received other Advantages granted to him by the said Treaty of Peace; but being bound by the same to quit all the Territories of the King of Danmark, in which at that time his Army lay quartered, in stead of Marching away, he Marched back again into the Isle of Zealand, besieged the Castle of Cronenburg and took it, laid also Siege to Coppenhaguen, which although it succeeded not, yet he threatneth to besiege again; and he should have no better Success than he had before, he endeavoureth to engage us in his Quarrel, and by the help of our Navy to make himself Master of the three Northern Kingdoms, as he is already of the Baltic-sea, and the Ports thereof.  
In the beginning of this second invasion, the King of Denmark, made full account, that the Most-Christian King of France, and his late Highness the Lord Protector, were bound in Honour, to see the contents of that Treaty of Peace, whereof they were Mediators and Sureties, as well performed on the Swedish side, as he had done on his, and implored their aid to that purpose: but finding no Relief from England (whether the indisposition of his Highness, or something else was the cause) he sought for aid from such of his Neighbours, as had tenderness enough, not to see a King and all his royal progeny unjustly oppressed: amongst those Friends and Neighbours were the state's general of the United Provinces, who were bound to defend Him by a defensive League, concluded between them and that King in the Year 1649. But before they came to put in execution what they were obliedged to do, they endeavoured to satisfy his Highness, concerning the justice and necessity thereof, and to demonstrate to him the inconveniencies, that would arise to the Commonwealth of England itself, if the King of Sweden should become sole Master of all those parts; and moreover manifested their desire, that his Highness would be pleased to cooperate with them, for the composing of those differences, which were grown to that height, between the two Northern Kings: and his said Highness being deceased, they continued to use the same instance with this present Lord Protector, declaring, that they intended nothing, but what might be equally to the good and profit of this Nation, as well as of their Own, in any Liberty or privilege of Trade and Navigation, not desiring the least advantage to their own Subjects more than to us, although their endeavours to preserve those Liberties had already been expensive to them, both in Blood and Treasure.  
From these precedent considerations, we may propose these following Queries.  

I. Whether the Commonwealth of England, etc. can in conscience break their Pulick Faith and Treaty with Denmark, without any cause given?  
II. Whether the said Commonwealth be not bound in Honour, to see the Treaty of Peace between the two Northern Kings, whereof his late Highness was Mediator and Surety, performed on both sides; obliedging him, who hath violated the Treaty, to give due reparation, for the damage received by the party injured?  
III. Whether it be for the Interest of the English, in their Trade and Navigation to the Baltic Sea, that all the Eastland Commodities, be in the power of one Prince, who either may withhold them, or raise thereupon any arbitrary Tolls and Customs, though never so excessive?  
IV. Whether it be very safe for this Commonwealth, that one Prince should be the sole Dominator of all the North; and whether England hath not reason to fear the same Inconveniencies from thence, which it has felt heretofore, when those three Kingdoms had but one King, and he still to contest with those Vandalick Cities, which now are in the King of Sweden's power.  
V. Whether the Offers and Desires of the state's general; that we would join with them to the composing of those Differences between the two Northern Kings, by way of Mediation, be not rather to be accepted, then that we should involve ourselves in an unjust and dangerous war, wherein a Victory may prove of worse consequence to our own country, than an overthrow?  
VI. Or whether Conscience, Honour, our Trade and Navigation, and our Fleet, yea the safety of the State, aught to be set at stake, to gratify the French, our Friends at present; who doubtless for one of these two reasons, endeavours to engage us in this overhasty war, against both our Interests and our Allies; either that they may thereby advance and enlarge their Conquest upon the German Empire, and make themselves Masters of all Flanders, this Campagna; or rather that they may set all Protestant Princes and States at variance, then make Peace with Spain, and so at last Extirpate the Protestant Religion, having first weakened the Defenders thereof by their own Arms?    
FINIS.