having been renewed for another year (March 28, 1658), reinforcements
were sent to the English auxiliary army to fit it for farther work in
the Netherlands. Sir John Reynolds, the first commander of that army,
having been unfortunately drowned in returning to England on a short
leave of absence (Dec. 5, 1657), the Governorship of Mardike had
come into the hands of Major-General Morgan, while the command in the
field had been assigned to Lockhart, hitherto the Protector's
Ambassador only, though soldiering had been formerly his more
familiar business. In conjunction with Turenne, Lockhart had been
pushing on the war, and at length (May 1658) the two armies, and
Montagu's fleet, were engaged in the exact service which Cromwell
most desired, and Lockhart had been always urging. This was the siege
of Dunkirk, with a view to the possession of that town, as well as
Mardike, by the English. To be near the scene of such important
operations, Louis XIV. and Cardinal Mazarin had taken up their
quarters at Calais; and, not to miss the opportunity of such near
approach of the French monarch to the shores of England, Cromwell
despatched his son-in-law Viscount Falconbridge on a splendid embassy
of compliment and congratulation. He landed at Calais on the 29th of
May, was received by both King and Cardinal with such honours as they
had never accorded to an ambassador before, and returned on the 3rd
of June to make his report. The very next day there was a tremendous
battle close to Dunkirk between the French-English forces under
Turenne and Lockhart and a Spanish army which had come for the relief
of the besieged town under Don John of Austria and the Prince of
Conde, with the Dukes of York and Gloucester in their retinue. Mainly
by the bravery of Lockhart's "immortal six thousand," the victory of
the French and English was complete; and, though the Marquis of
Leyda, the Spanish Governor of Dunkirk, maintained the defence
valiantly, the town had to surrender on the 14th of June, two days
after the Marquis had been mortally wounded in a sally. Next day,
according to the Treaty with Cromwell, the town was at once delivered
to Lockhart, Louis XIV. himself, who was on the spot, handing him the
keys. Already, while that event was unknown, and merely to
reciprocate the compliment of Falconbridge's embassy to Calais, there
had been sent across the Channel, in the name of Louis XIV., the Duke
de Crequi, first Gentleman of his Bedchamber, and