he was a person likely to give her all the protection she wanted. And, as soon as ever she came near enough, in a manner that declared her quality before she spoke, she craved that protection, telling him, the better to secure it, who it was that asked it. But the generous earl presently convinced her he wanted no entreaties, having, before he knew her to be the Duchess of Popoli, taken her by the hand, in order to convey her through the wicket, which he entered at, to a place of safety without the town.

I stayed behind, while the earl conveyed the distressed duchess to her requested asylum; and I believe it was much the longest part of an hour before he returned. But as soon as ever he came back, he, and myself at his command, repaired to the place of most confusion, which the extraordinary noise full readily directed us to; and which happened to be on the parade before the palace. There it was that the Miquelets were making their utmost efforts to get into their hands the almost sole occasion of the tumult, and the object of their raging fury, the person of Don Valasco, the late governor.

It was here that the earl preserved that governor from the violent, but perhaps too just resentments of the Miquelets; and, as I said before, conveyed him by sea to Alicant. And, indeed, I could little doubt the effect, or be anything surprised at the easiness of the task, when I saw that wherever he appeared the popular fury was in a moment allayed, and that every dictate of that general was assented to with the utmost cheerfulness and deference. Valasco, before his embarkment, had given orders, in gratitude to his preserver, for all the gates to be delivered up, though short of the stipulated term; and they were accordingly so delivered, and our troops took possesison so soon as ever that governor was aboard the ship that was to convey him to Alicant.

During the siege of Barcelona, Brigadier Stanhope ordered a tent to be pitched as near the trenches as possibly could be with safety; where he not only entertained the chief officers who were upon duty, but likewise the Catalonian gentlemen who brought Miquelets to our assistance. I remember I saw an old cavalier, having his only son with him, who appeared a fine young gentleman, about twenty years of age, go into the tent, in order to dine with the brigadier. But, whilst they were at dinner, an unfortunate shot came from the bastion of St. Antonio, and entirely struck off the head of the son. The

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his head

father immediately rose up, first looking down upon less child, and then lifting up his eyes to heaven, whilst the tears ran down his cheeks, he crossed himself, and only said, Fiat voluntas tua! and bore it with a wonderful patience. It was a sad spectacle, and truly it affects me now whilst I am writing. The Earl of Peterborow, though for some time after the revolution he had been employed in civil affairs, returned to the military life with great satisfaction, which was ever his inclination. Brigadier Stanhope, who was justly afterwards created an earl, did well deserve this motto, Tam Marte quam Mercurio; for truly he behaved, all the time he continued in Spain, as if he had been inspired with conduct; for the victory at Almanar was entirely owing to him; and likewise at the battle of Saragosa he distinguished himself with great bravery. That he had not success at Bruhega was not his fault, for no man can resist fate; for it was decreed by heaven, that Philip should remain King of Spain, and Charles to be Emperor of Germany. Yet each of these monarchs have been ungrateful to the instruments which the Almighty made use of to preserve them upon their thrones; for one had not been King of Spain but for France; and the other had not been emperor but for England.

Barcelona, the chief place in Catalonia, being thus in our hands, as soon as the garrison, little inferior to our army, had marched out with drums beating, colours flying, &c., according to the articles, Charles III. made his public entry, and was proclaimed king, and received with the general acclamations, and all other demonstrations of joy suitable to that great occasion.

Some days after which, the citizens, far from being satiated with their former demonstrations of their duty, sent a petition to the king, by proper deputies for that purpose appointed, desiring leave to give more ample instances of their affections in a public cavalcade. The king granted their request, and the citizens, pursuant thereto, made their preparations.

On the day appointed, the king, placed in a balcony belonging to the house of the Earl of Peterborow, appeared ready to honour the show. The ceremonial, to speak nothing figuratively, was very fine and grand: those of the first rank made their appearance in decent order, and upon fine horses; and others under arms, and in companies, marched with native gravity and grandeur, all saluting his majesty as they passed

VOL. II.

2

by, after the Spanish manner, which that prince returned with the movement of his hand to his mouth; for the Kings of Spain are not allowed to salute, or return a salute by any motion to, or of, the hat.

After these followed several pageants; the first of which was drawn by mules, set off to the height with stateliest feathers, and adorned with little bells. Upon the top of this pageant appeared a man dressed all in green, but in the likeness of a dragon. The pageant making a stop just over against the balcony where the king sat, the dragonical representative diverted him with great variety of dancings; the Earl of Peterborow all the time throwing out dollars by handfuls among the populace, which they as constantly received with the loud acclamation, and repeated cries of Viva, Viva, Carlos Terceros! Viva la Casa d' Austria!

When that had played its part, another pageant, drawn as before, made a like full stop before the same balcony. On this was placed a very large cage, or aviary, the cover of which, by springs contrived for that purpose, immediately flew open, and out of it a surprising flight of birds of various colours. These, all amazed at their sudden liberty, which I took to be the emblem intended, hovered a considerable space of time over and about their place of freedom, chirping, singing, and otherwise testifying their mighty joy for their so unexpected enlargement.

There were many other pageants; but, having little in them very remarkable, I have forgot the particulars. Nevertheless, every one of them was dismissed with the like acclamations of Viva, Viva; the whole concluding with bonfires and illuminations, common on all such occasions.

I cannot here omit one very remarkable instance of the catholic zeal of that prince, which I was soon after an eyewitness of. I was at that time in the fruit-market, when the king passing by in his coach, the host, whether by accident, or contrivance, I cannot say, was brought, at that very juncture, out of the great church, in order, as I after understood, to a poor sick woman's receiving the sacrament.

On sight of the host, the king came out of his coach, kneeled down in the street, which at that time proved to be very dirty, till the host passed by; then rose up, and taking the lighted flambeau from him who bore it, he fall wed the priest up a straight nasty alley, and the e up a dark ordinary

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pair of stairs, where the poor sick woman lay. There he stayed till the whole ceremony was over, when, returning to the door of the church, he very faithfully restored the lighted flambeau to the fellow he had taken it from, the people all the while crying out, Vwa, Viva! an acclamation, we may imagine, intended to his zeal, as well as his person.

Another remarkable accident, of a much more moral nature, I must, in justice to the temperance of that, in this, truly inimitable people, recite. I was one day walking in one of the most populous streets of that city, when I found an uncommon concourse of people, of all sorts, got together; and imagining so great a crowd could not be assembled on a small occasion, I prest in among the rest; and, after a good deal of struggling and difficulty, reached into the ring and centre of that mixed multitude. But how did I blush, with what confusion did I appear, when I found one of my own countrymen, a drunken grenadier, the attractive loadstone of all the high and low mob, and the butt of all their merriment! It will be easily imagined to be a thing not a little surprising to one of our country, to find that a drunken man should be such a wonderful sight: however, the witty sarcasms that were then, by high and low, thrown upon that senseless creature, and, as I interpreted matters, me in him, were so pungent, that if I did not curse my curiosity, I thought it best to withdraw myself as fast as legs could carry me away.

CHAPTER V.

BARCELONA UNDER KING CHARLES-BOLD PEREMPTORY DEMAND ON THE AUTHORITIES OF NULES IMMEDIATELY TO SURRENDER-SINGULAR INTERVIEW BETWEEN EARL PETERBOROW AND MAHONI, AND THE RESULT THEREFROM-SHORT DESCRIPTION OF VALENCIA, AND PRODIGIOUS VICTORYPETERBOROW'S STRATAGEM ΤΟ OUTWIT THE FLEET AT BARCELONA-ULTIMATE RELEASE OF BARCELONA.

BARCELONA being now under King Charles, the towns of Gironne, Tarragona, Tortosa, and Lerida, immediately declared for him. To every one of which engineers being ordered, it was my lot to be sent to Tortosa. This town is

situated on the side of the river Ebro, over which there is a fair and famous bridge of boats. The waters of this river are always of a dirty red colour, somewhat fouler than our moorish waters; yet it is the only water the inhabitants drink, or covet to drink; and every house providing for its own convenience cisterns to preserve it in, by a few hours standing it becomes as clear as the clearest rock water, but as soft as milk. In short, for softness, brightness, and pleasantness of taste, the natives prefer it to all the waters in the world: and I must declare in favour of their opinion, that none ever pleased me like it.

This town was of the greater moment to our army, as opening a passage into the kingdom of Valencia on one side, and the kingdom of Arragon on the the other; and being of itself tolerably defensible, in human appearance, might probably repay a little care and charge in its repair and improvement. Upon this employ was I appointed, and thus was I busied till the arrival of the Earl of Peterborow with his little army, in order to march to Valencia, the capital of that province. Here he left in garrison Colonel Hans Hamilton's regiment; the place, nevertheless, was under the command of a Spanish governor appointed by King Charles.

While the earl stayed a few days at this place, under expectation of the promised succours from Barcelona, he received a proprio (or express) from the King of Spain, full of excuses, instead of forces. And yet the very same letter, in a paradoxical manner, commanded him, at all events, to attempt the relief of Santo Mattheo, where Colonel Jones commanded, and which was then under siege by the Conde de los Torres (as was the report), with upwards of three thousand men. The Earl of Peterborow could not muster above one thousand foot, and about two hundred horse, a small force to make an attempt of that nature upon such a superior power; yet the earl's vivacity (as will be occasionally farther observed in the course of these Memoirs) never much regarded numbers, so there was but room, by any stratagem, to hope for success. True it is, for his greater encouragement and consolation, the same letter intimated, that a great concourse of the country people being up in arms, to the number of many thousands, in favour of King Charles, and wanting only officers, the enterprise would be easy, and unattended with much danger. But, upon mature inquiry.