Pee p 
6 —s memoirs of Sir William Lockhart. Nov. 40 
his watch in his hand, he repaired to the cardinal, 
and demanded ina peremptory manner, a written 
order for his being put in pofsefsion of Dunkirk, 
which if it was not complied with in an hour, he had 
orders to acquaint him, that his master looked upon the 
terms of the treaty as violated, and consequently made 
null ; and in that case he fhould retire to his camp, 
and take his measures accordingly, which would be to 
dispatch an exprefs to Don John, the Spanith general, 
to acquaint him that he was ready to act in conjunc- 
tion with him against the arms of France. The car- 
dinal thought this only a high mode of exprefsing him- 
self; and afked my lord ambafsador in banter, whether 
his Excellency had slept well last night, or whether 
he was entirely awake? The ambafsador answered. 
him, that he believed he was awake at the time, and 
had never slept quieter in his life ; and coolly drew 
out his instructions in the hand writing of the Pro- 
tector. The astonifhed cardinal, who knew Crom- 
well’s decisive mamner of acting, and which could not 
-be baffled by any arts of finefse, began now to listen: 
with attention, and endeavoured to soften the pe- 
remptory demand of the ambafsador, who, with the 
utmost coolnefs, replied, that he fhould be obliged 
religiously. to obey the injunctions of his master. 
His emnience perceiving his firmnefs, was compel- 
led to give up the place within the allotted time. 
The French troops evacuated the town, and Sir Wil- 
liam and his forces, took pofsefsion of the place in 
name of the Protector ;—he himself having the ho~ 
nour of receiving the keys in person from Lewis. 
This. important place, which Sir William’s own 
good conduct had acquired, was intrusted to his — 
care ; yet, though he had the government of it, and 
