f
faith for you, which are to us, and I trust will be to you,
matter of great encouragement. But notwithstanding all this,
it will be good for you and us to deliver up ourselves and
all our affairs to the disposition of our all-wise Father,
who, not only out of prerogative, but because of his
goodness, wisdom, and truth, ought to be resigned unto by
his creatures, especially those who are children of his
begetting through the spirit," etc.

The valor of the English was much remarked on this occasion. Dunkirk,
being soon after surrendered, was by agreement delivered to Cromwell.
He committed the government of that important place to Lockhart,
a Scotchman of abilities, who had married his niece, and was his
ambassador at the court of France.

This acquisition was regarded by the protector as the means only of
obtaining further advantages. He was resolved to concert measures
with the French court for the final conquest and partition of the Low
Countries.[*] Had he lived much longer, and maintained his authority
in England, so chimerical, or rather so dangerous, a project would
certainly have been carried into execution. And this first and principal
step towards more extensive conquest, which France during a whole
century has never yet been able, by an infinite expense of blood
and treasure, fully to attain, had at once been accomplished by the
enterprising, though unskilful politics of Cromwell.

During these transactions, great demonstrations of mutual friendship
and regard passed between the French king and the protector. Lord
Fauconberg, Cromwell's son-in-law, was despatched to Louis, then in the
camp before Dunkirk; and was received with the regard usually paid to
foreign princes by the French court.[**] Mazarine sent to London his
nephew Mancini, along with the duke of Crequi; and expressed his regret
that his urgent affairs should deprive him of the honor which he had
long wished for, of paying in person his respects to the greatest man in
the world.[***]

* Thurloe, vol. i. p. 762.

** Thurloe, vol. vii. p. 151, 158.

*** In reality, the cardinal had not entertained so high an
idea of Cromwell. He used to say that he was a fortunate
madman. Vie de Cromwell, par Raguenet. See also Carte's
Collection, vol. ii. p. 81 Gumble's Life of Monk, p. 93.
World's Mistake in Oliver Cromwell.

The protector reaped little satisfaction from the suc