M. Mancini, the
nephew of Cardinal Mazarin, "accompanied by divers of the nobility of
France and many gentlemen of quality." Met at Dover by Fleetwood and
an escort, they arrived in London June 16, and remained there till
the 21st, having audiences with his Highness, delivering to him
letters from Louis and the Cardinal, and entertained by him with all
possible magnificence. While they were there, a special envoy joined
them, announcing the capture of Dunkirk; and so the joy was complete.
There was nothing the French King would not do to show his regard for
the great Protector; and, but for his Majesty's illness at that
moment from small-pox, the Cardinal himself would have come over
instead of sending his nephew. And why should there not be a renewal
of the Treaty after the expiry of the present term, to secure another
year or two of that co-operation of the English Army and Fleet with
Turenne which had led already to such excellent results? What if
Ostend, as well as Dunkirk and Mardike, were to be made over to the
Protector? These were suggestions for the future, and meanwhile new
successes _were_ added to the capture of Dunkirk. Town after
town in Flanders, including Gravelines at last, yielded to Turenne,
or other generals, and received French garrisons, and through the
summer autumn the Spaniards were so beset in Flanders that an
expedition thence for the invasion of England in the interest of
Charles Stuart, or in any other interest, was no longer even a
possibility.[1]

[Footnote 1: Godwin, IV. 544-551; where, however, the digest of facts
does not seem accurate in every point. Compare Thurloe, VII. 173-177
and-192-3, and _Merc. Pol._ June 10-17 and June 17-24, 1658 (as
quoted in _Cromwelliana_, 172-173), and Guizot, II 380-388.]

While thus turning to account the alliance with the only Catholic
power with which there could be safe dealing, the Protector clung
firmly to his idea of a League among the Protestant Powers
themselves. If Burnet's information is correct, it was about this
time that he contemplated the institution in London of "a Council for
the Protestant Religion in opposition to the Congregation _De
Propaganda_ _Fide_ at Rome." It was to sit at Chelsea
College: there were to be seven Councillors, with a large yearly fund
at their disposal; the world was to be mapped out into four great
regions; and for each region there was to be a Secretary at L500 a
year, maintaining a correspondence with that r