De Grammont was acting secretly in the French king's interest.
A weak man easily finds logic to justify the course he desires to take,
so Charles turned a deaf ear to Clarendon, and, listening to Castlemain,
announced that Dunkirk was for sale. As expected, a strong protest came
from the people, but no one is so stubborn as a fool in the wrong, so
Charles remained firm in his determination.
Finding that protest would avail nothing, the people of London offered to
buy Dunkirk, and began to bid for it against the French king. Louis,
knowing that London was a rich city, and believing that its people would
run up the price of Dunkirk to an exorbitant figure, took counsel with
himself--his only adviser--and determined to employ other means than gold
alone to obtain the coveted city.
My first definite knowledge of the French king's new plan to buy Dunkirk
at his own price came in a letter from Hamilton, which reached me at
Lilly's house two or three weeks after my return from Dover. Like the
others, it was written in cipher, but, translated, was as follows:--
DEAR FRIEND:
"Your warning letter reached me nearly a week ago, and I thank you for
your watchfulness. I had full information of King Charles's design upon
my life from no less a person than Monsieur le Grand himself, who showed
me the letter asking that I be returned to England.
"I explained to Monsieur le Grand that the English king sought my life,
not because he is in fear of me, but because he thought I stood between
him and a lady who despises him.
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