A. D. 1657. 475 



It feems the Dutch admiral De Ruyter had taken two French {hips of 

 war in the Mediterranean ; to revenge which France engaged Cromwell 

 by the TVth and Vth fecret articles to fit out, at the expcnfe of France, 

 from 30 to 40 fhips of war ; part of which were to cruife before Otlcnd 

 and Dunkirk, and the reft in the Channel, to take all the fliips of Hol- 

 land and Zealand in the French king's name. And article IX and X, 

 that an Englifli fleet was to block up Oftend, Newport, and GravcHng, 

 whilft Louis did the fame on the land fide. And Louis promifes to 

 leave thofe ports (when taken) in the full poflefiion and property of the 

 protedor : as on the other hand (article XI) Louis was to enjoy all the 

 other towns, harbours, and places, which fliould be conquered in the 

 feventeen provinces of the Netherlands, none excepted, whoever is or 

 has been the pofl^efibr. Article XV and XVI, both parties agreed to 

 afllll the king of Sweden in his intended conqueft of the city of Dant- 

 zic, Louis alfo promifing to furnifli money for the conquefi: of the 

 Danifh forts in the Sound ; and the protector engaging to fend a fleet 

 with land forces to block up the paffage of the Sound, to the end that, 

 with Sweden's afliftance, he might be enabled to keep the trade with 

 thofe countries and thofe of his allies free and undifturbed. The plau- 

 fible or probable ground for thefe two remarkable articles of this 

 alliance and enmity againft Denmark was, becaufe Chriftiern IV 

 had increafed his toll on foreign fliips pafllng the Sound : which toll 

 (we have feen) having been farmed to the Hollandeis in 1649, it was 

 probable they and the crown of Denmark had jointly aimed to make 

 the moft of againft all other nations, though contrary to former ftipu- 

 lations. 



By article XVII the protestor was to have the difpofal of any coun- 

 tries and forts which fliould be taken from Denmark, according to his 

 good pleafure : but the fliips and merchandize of the French king's fub- 

 jeds fhould pafs and repafs the Sound as freely as thofe of England. 



1658. — Cardinal Mazarin (the prime-minilter of France) having got 

 intelligence that the court of Spain, in order to gain Cromwell, had fome 

 time before propofed to aflift him in the conqueft of Calais for England, 

 took pains to convince the protedor, that Dunkirk would be of much 

 greater importance to England, as really is known to be true: and as 

 Cromwell's main dread was left France fliould be alfifting in King Charles's 

 reftoration, he, after fom.e deliberation, agreed to Mazarin's propolal. 

 Whereupon, on the 23d of March 1658, new ftile. Sir William Lock- 

 hart, Cromwell's ambaflador at Fans, figned a convention with the 

 French court, whereby it was ftipulated that Dunkirk, Mardike, and 

 Ciraveling, (when taken) fliould be put into the protector's hands; 

 which was confirmed by a fecond convention live days atter. ^\llere- 

 upon Dunkirk was attacked by the joint forces of England and France, 

 and furrendered on niidfummer-day 165b, to the French, who, the day 



3O2 



