. ,*-*-T "' <^^ ^** 
 
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 MEMOIRS 
 
 OF 
 
 CAPT. GEORGE CARLETON, 
 
 AN ENGLISH OFFICER ; 
 
 INCLUDING 
 
 ANECDOTES OF THE WAR IN SPAIN UNDER 
 THE EARL OF PETERBOROUGH, 
 
 AND 
 
 MANY INTERESTING PARTICULARS RELATING 
 TO THE MANNERS OF THE SPANIARDS IN THE BEGIN- 
 NING OF THE LAST CENTURY. 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 
 
 EDINBURGH I 
 
 PRINTED BY JAMES BALLANTYNE AND CO. 
 
 FOR ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND CO., EDINBURGH; 
 AND J. MURRAY, LONDON. 
 
 1808.
 
 PREFACE 
 
 TO 
 
 CARLETON'S MEMOIRS, 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES 
 
 OF 
 
 THE EARL OF PETERBOROUGH. 
 
 PROM an anecdote in Boswell's Life of John- 
 son, we are referred to the following Memoirs for 
 the best account of the military achievements 
 of the Earl of Peterborough. " The best ac- 
 count of Lord Peterborough that I have hap- 
 pened to meet with, is in Captain Carleton's 
 Memoirs. Carleton was descended of an officer 
 who had distinguished himself at the siege of 
 
 220S994
 
 11 PREFACE. 
 
 Deny. * He was an officer, and, what was rare 
 at that time, had some knowledge in engineer- 
 ing. Johnson said he had never heard of the 
 book. Lord Elliot had a copy at Port Elliot ; 
 but after a good deal of enquiry, procured a copy 
 in London, and sent it to Johnson ; who told Sir 
 Joshua Reynolds, that he was going to bed when 
 it came, but was so much pleased with it, that he 
 sat up till he read it through, and found in it 
 such an air of truth, that he could not doubt its 
 authenticity ; adding, with a smile, in allusion to 
 Lord Elliot's having recently been raised to the 
 peerage, I did not think a young Lord could have 
 mentioned to me a book in the English history 
 that was not known to me." Bowell's Life of 
 Johnson. 
 
 A short sketch of the life of this celebrated 
 General may be no unpleasing introduction to a 
 
 * Mackenzie in his " Narrative of the Siege of Londonder- 
 ry/' mentions no officer called Carleton. There is indeed a 
 Colonel Crofton frequently spoken of. But as Carleton him- 
 self served in the great Dutch war of 1665, we can hardly 
 suppose him descended of a person distinguished by feats of arms 
 in 1668.
 
 PREFACE. Hi 
 
 volume, which derives its chief value from narra- 
 ting his glorious successes. 
 
 Charles Mordaunt, afterwards Earl .of Peter- 
 borough, was born in 165S; and in June 1675, 
 succeeded to the title of Lord Mordaunt and 
 estate of his family. He was educated in the 
 navy, and in his youth served with the Admirals 
 Torrington and Narborough in the Mediterranean. 
 In 1680 he accompanied the Earl of Plymouth 
 in the expedition to Tangier, where he distin- 
 guished himself against the Moors. 
 
 In the succeeding reign, Lord Mordaunt op- 
 posed the repeal of the Test Act in the House 
 of Lords ; and having thus become obnoxious to 
 the court, obtained liberty to go into the Dutch 
 service. When he arrived in Holland, he was, as 
 we learn from Burnet, amongst the most forward 
 of those who advised the Prince of Orange to his 
 grand enterprise. But the cold and considerate 
 William saw obstacles which escaped the fiery 
 and enthusiastic Mordaunt; nor although that 
 prince used his services in the Revolution, does
 
 II PREFACE. 
 
 Derry. * He was an officer, and, what was rare 
 at that time, had some knowledge in engineer- 
 ing. Johnson said he had never heard of the 
 book. Lord Elliot had a copy at Port Elliot; 
 but after a good deal of enquiry, procured a copy 
 in London, and sent it to Johnson ; who told Sir 
 Joshua Reynolds, that he was going to bed when 
 it came, but was so much pleased with it, that he 
 sat up till he read it through, and found in it 
 such an air of truth, that he could not doubt its 
 authenticity ; adding, with a smile, in allusion to 
 Lord Elliot's having recently been raised to the 
 peerage, I did not think a young Lord could have 
 mentioned to me a book in the English history 
 that was not known to me." BoswelCs Life of 
 Johnson. 
 
 A short sketch of the life of this celebrated 
 General may be no unpleasing introduction to a 
 
 * Mackenzie in his " Narrative of the Siege of Londonder- 
 ry/' mentions no officer called Carleton. There is indeed a 
 Colonel Crofton frequently spoken of. But as Carleton him- 
 self served in the great Dutch war of 1665, we can hardly 
 suppose him descended of a person distinguished by feats of arms 
 in 1688.
 
 PREFACE. Hi 
 
 volume, which derives its chief value from narra- 
 ting his glorious successes. 
 
 Charles Mordaunt, afterwards Earl .of Peter- 
 borough, was born in 1608; and in June 1675, 
 succeeded to the title of Lord Mordaunt and 
 estate of his family. He was educated in the 
 navy, and in his youth served with the Admirals 
 Torrington and Narborough in the Mediterranean. 
 In 1680 he accompanied the Earl of Plymouth 
 in the expedition to Tangier, where he distin- 
 guished himself against the Moors. 
 
 In the succeeding reign, Lord Mordaunt op- 
 posed the repeal of the Test Act in the House 
 of Lords ; and having thus become obnoxious to 
 the court, obtained liberty to go into the Dutch 
 service. When he arrived in Holland, he was, as 
 we learn from Burnet, amongst the most forward 
 of those who advised the Prince of Orange to his 
 grand enterprise. But the cold and considerate 
 William saw obstacles which escaped the fiery 
 and enthusiastic Mordaunt ; nor although that 
 prince used his services in the Revolution, does
 
 IV PREFACE. 
 
 he appear to have reposed entire confidence in 
 a character so opposite to his own. Yet Mor- 
 daunt reaped the reward of his zeal, being in 1688 
 created Earl of Monmouth, lord of the bed- 
 chamber, and first commissioner of the treasury, 
 which last office he did not long retain. He ac- 
 companied William in his campaign of 1692 ; and 
 in 1697 succeeded to the title, which he has so 
 highly distinguished, by the death of his uncle 
 Henry, the second Earl of Peterborough. 
 
 In the first year of Queen Anne's reign, Peter- 
 borough was to have heen sent out as Governor 
 General of Jamaica, but the appointment did not 
 take place. In 1705 he was appointed General 
 and Commander in Chief of the forces sent to 
 Spain, upon the splendid and almost romantic 
 service of placing Charles of Austria on the throne 
 of that monarchy. The wonders which he there 
 wrought, are no where more fully detailed than 
 in the simple pages of Carleton. * Barcelona was 
 
 * See also the " Earl of Peterborough's conduct in Spain," by 
 Dr John Freind. London, 1707.
 
 PREFACE. V 
 
 taken by a handful of men, and afterwards re- 
 lieved in the face of a powerful enemy, whom 
 Peterborough compelled to decamp, leaving their 
 battering artillery, ammunition, stores, provisions, 
 and all their sick and wounded men. He drove 
 before him, and finally expelled from Spain, the 
 Duke of Anjou, with his army of twenty-five 
 thousand French, although his own forces never 
 amounted to half that number. All difficulties sunk 
 before the creative power of his genius. Doom- 
 ed as he was, by the infatuated folly of Charles, 
 and by th private envy of his enemies at home, 
 to conduct a perilous expedition, in a country ill 
 affected to the cause, without supplies, stores, ar- 
 tillery, reinforcements, or money ; he created sub- 
 stitutes for all these deficiencies, even for the last 
 of them. He took walled towns with dragoons, 
 and stormed the caskets of the bankers of Genoa, 
 without being able to offer them security. He 
 gained possession of Catalonia, of the kingdoms 
 of Valencia, Arragon, and Majorca, with part of 
 Murcia and Castile, and thus opened the way for 
 the Earl of Galway's marching to Madrid with-
 
 V PREFACE. 
 
 out a blow. Nor was his talent at conciliating the 
 natives less remarkable than his military achieve- 
 ments. With the feeling of a virtuous, and the 
 prudence of a wise man, he restrained the ex- 
 cesses of his troops, respected the religion, the 
 laws, even the prejudices of the Spaniards ; and, 
 heretic as he was, became more popular amongst 
 them than the Catholic prince, whom he was es- 
 saying to place on their throne. Yet, as Swift has 
 strongly expressed it, u the only General, who, 
 by a course of conduct and fortune almost mi- 
 raculous, had nearly put us into possession of the 
 kingdom of Spain, was left wholly unsupported, 
 exposed to the envy of his rivals, disappointed 
 by the caprices of a young unexperienced prince, 
 under the guidance of a rapacious German minis- 
 try, and at last called home in discontent."* The 
 cause of this strange step it would be tedious here 
 to investigate One ostensible reason was, that 
 Peterborough's parts were of too lively and mercu- 
 rial a quality, and that his letters shewed more wit 
 than became a General; a common-place objection, 
 
 * Conduct of the Allies.
 
 PREFACE. Vll 
 
 raised by the dull malignity of common-place 
 minds against those whom they see discharging 
 with ease and indifference the tasks which they 
 themselves execute (if at all) with the sweat of their 
 brow, and in the heaviness of their heart. It is no 
 uncommon error of judgment to maintain a priori, 
 that a thing cannot possibly be well done, which 
 has taken less time in doing than the person pas- 
 sing sentence had anticipated. There is also a 
 certain hypocrisy in business, whether civil or mi- 
 litary, as well as in religion, which they will do 
 well to observe, who, not satisfied with dischar- 
 ging their duty, desire also the good report of 
 men. To the want of that grave, serious, business- 
 like deportment, which admits of no levity in the 
 exercise of its office ; but especially to the envy ex- 
 cited by his success, Britain owed the recal of the 
 Earl of Peterborough from Spain, during the full 
 career of his victories. The command of the troops 
 devolved on the Earl of Gal way ; a thorough-bred 
 soldier, as he was called ; a sound-headed, steady, 
 solid General, who proceeded, with all decency, 
 decorum, and formal attention to the discipline
 
 Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 of war, to lose the battle of Almanza, and to ruin 
 the whole expedition to Spain. 
 
 In June 1710-1 1, the thanks of the House of 
 Peers were returned to the Earl of Peterborough 
 for his services in Spain ; and the chancellor used 
 these remarkable words in expressing them: 
 " Had your Lordship's wise counsels, particularly 
 your advice at the council of war in Valentia, 
 been pursued in the following campaign, the fa- 
 tal battle of Almanza, and our greatest misfor- 
 tunes which have since happened in Spain, had 
 been prevented, and the design upon Toulon 
 might have happily succeeded." 
 
 In the years 1710 and 1711, the Earl was em- 
 ployed in embassies to Turin, and other courts of 
 Italy, and finally at \ienna. He returned from 
 the German capital with such expedition, that 
 none of his servants were able to keep up with 
 him, but remained scattered in the different towns 
 where he had severally out-stripped them. He 
 out-rode, upon this same occasion, several ex- 
 presses which he had himself dispatched to an- 
 nounce his motions. Swift at this time received
 
 PREFACE. IX 
 
 a letter from him, dated Hanover, and desiring 
 an answer to be sent to him at his country house 
 in England. * Indeed, Peterborough's character- 
 istic rapidity of travelling was about this time 
 celebrated by the Dean, in a little poem inscribed 
 to him : 
 
 Mordanto fills the trump of fame, 
 
 The Christian world his deeds proclaim, 
 
 And prints are crowded with his name. 
 
 In journies he outrides the post, 
 Sits up till midnight with his host, 
 Talks politics, and gives the toast. 
 
 Knows every prince in Europe's face, 
 Flies like a squib from place to place, 
 And travels not, but runs a race. 
 
 From Paris Gazette a-la^main, 
 This day arrived, without his train, 
 Mordanto in a week from Spain. 
 
 A messenger comes all a-reek, 
 Mordanto at Madrid to seek ; 
 He left the town above a week. 
 
 * Swift's, Journal to Stella, 24th June, 1711.
 
 C PREFACE. 
 
 Next day the post-boy winds his horn, 
 And rides through Dover in the morn : 
 Mordanto's landed from Leghorn. 
 
 Mordanto gallops on alone, 
 
 The roads are with his followers strown, 
 
 This breaks a girth, and that a bone. 
 
 His body active as his mind, 
 Returning sound in limb and wind, 
 Except some leather lost behind. 
 
 A skeleton in outward figure; 
 
 His meagre corpse, though full of vigour, 
 
 Would halt behind him, were it bigger. 
 
 So wonderful his expedition, 
 
 When you have not the least suspicion, 
 
 He's with you like an apparition. 
 
 Shines in all climates like a star ; 
 In senates bold, and fierce in war ; 
 A land commander, and a tar : 
 
 Heroic actions early bred in, 
 
 Ne'er to be matched in modern reading, 
 
 But by his namesake, Charles of Sweden. 
 
 Peterborough's haste was, in 1711, probably 
 Stimulated by the interest he took in the great
 
 PREFACE. XI 
 
 public discussions on the policy of continuing the 
 war with France. He argued in the affirmative 
 with great ability, but without success. Although 
 a strenuous Whig in principle, he was disliked by 
 most of his own party, and greatly caressed in 
 consequence by the Tories. After his return to 
 England, he obtained the regiment of Royal 
 Horse Guards, and the honours of the Garter, be- 
 ing installed 4th August, 1713. In November 
 following, we find the Earl British Plenipoten- 
 tiary to the King of Sicily and other Italian po- 
 tentates; an'd in March 1713-14, he was appoint- 
 ed governor of the island of Minorca. 
 
 Under George I. and George II. the Earl of 
 Peterborough was General of the marine forces 
 in Great Britain. 
 
 In October 1735, he found it necessary to set 
 sail for Lisbon for recovery of his health ; " no 
 body," to use Pope's expression, " being so much 
 wasted, no soul being more alive." He was cut 
 in the bladder for a suppression of urine ; im- 
 mediately after which cruel operation, he took 
 coach, and travelled no less a journey than from
 
 XII PREFACE. 
 
 Bristol to Southampton, " like a man," says the 
 same poet, " determined neither to live nor die 
 like any other mortal." He died on his voyage to 
 Lisbon, 25th October, 1735, aged seventy-seven. 
 
 The Earl of Peterborough was twice married, 
 and left two sons and a daughter by his first wife. 
 
 To all the talents of a General and negociator, 
 this wonderful man added those belonging to a 
 literary character. He associated with all the 
 wits of Queen Anne's reign, was a lively poet, 
 and his familiar letters are read to advantage 
 amongst those of Gay, Arbuthnot,* Swift, and 
 Pope. He lived in great intimacy with the last, 
 who boasts, that 
 
 He whose lightning pierced the Iberian lines, 
 Now forms my quincunx, and now ranks my vines, 
 Or tames the genius of the stubborn plain, 
 Almost as quickly as he conquered Spain. 
 
 To Pope, Peterborough bequeathed on his death- 
 bed his watch, a present from the King of Sardi- 
 nia, that, as Ixe expressed it, his friend might have 
 something to put him every day in mind of him. 
 
 The frame in which were lodged such com-
 
 PREFACE. Xlil 
 
 prehensive talents, was thin, short, spare, and well 
 calculated to endure the eternal fatigue imposed 
 by the restless tenant within. The famous lines 
 of Dry den might be happily applied to the Earl 
 of Peterborough : 
 
 A fiery soul, which, vrorking out its way, 
 Fretted the pigmy body to decay, 
 And o'er informed the tenement of clay. 
 
 His face, judging from the print in Dr Birch's 
 Lives, was thin ; his eye lively and penetrating. 
 Such was Charles, Earl of Peterborough, one of 
 those phenomena, whom nature produces once in 
 the revolution of centuries, to shew to ordinary 
 men what she can do in a mood of prodigality. 
 
 To this short sketch of the principal charac- 
 ter in these Memoirs, the publishers would wil- 
 lingly have added some particulars of the au- 
 thor ; but they are unable to say more on the 
 subject than may be collected from the work it- 
 self, and the original preface. It is obvious that 
 Captain George Carleton was one of those men 
 who chuse the path of military life, not from a 
 wish to indulge either indolent or licentious ha- 
 bits, but with a feeling of duty, which should be
 
 XIV PREFACE. 
 
 deeply impressed on all to whom their country 
 commits the charge of her glory, and of the lives 
 of their fellow subjects. There is a strain of grave 
 and manly reflection through the work, which 
 speaks the author accustomed to scenes of danger, 
 and familiar with the thoughts of death. From 
 his studies in mathematics, and in fortification, 
 he is entitled to credit for his military remarks, 
 which are usually made with simple modesty. 
 His style is plain and soldier-like, without any 
 pretence at ornament; though in narrating events 
 of importance, its very simplicity gives it occasion- 
 al dignity. Of the fate of the author after deliver- 
 ance from his Spanish captivity, we know no- 
 thing ; but can gather from some passages in his 
 Memoirs, that it did not correspond with his me- 
 rit. * While we hope that our present army pos- 
 
 
 
 * The Memoirs were first printed in 1743, with the following 
 comprehensive title page : " The Memoirs of Captain George 
 Carleton, an English officer, who served in the two last wars 
 against France and Spain, and was present in several engagements, 
 both in the fleet and army. Containing an account of the conduct 
 of the Earl of Peterborough, and other general Officers, Admirals, 
 lie. and several remarkable transactions both by sea and land.
 
 PREFACE. XV 
 
 sesses many such characters, as the reflecting, 
 manly, and conscientious Carleton, we heartily 
 wish them better fortune. 
 
 In which the genius, pride, and barbarity of the Spaniards, du- 
 ring the author's being a prisoner of war among them, are set 
 in a true light. Together with a description of many of their 
 cities, towns, &c. particularly Valencia, Barcelona, Molviedro, 
 Saguntum, Alicant, Montserat, Denia, St Clement de la Mancha, 
 Madrid, Valladolid, Bilboa, St Jean de Luz, Bayonne, Pont d'Efi- 
 prit, Pampeluna, Saragoza, &c. Their manners and customs, 
 both religious and civil ; observations on their monasteries and 
 nunneries, and their manner of investing nuns. Likewise their 
 bull-feasts, and other public diversions."
 
 TO 
 
 THE RIGHT HONOURABLE 
 
 SPENCER LORD COMPTON, 
 
 BARON OF WILMINGTON, 
 
 KNIGHT OF THE BATH, AND ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S 
 MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL. 
 
 IT was my fortune, my Lord, in my juve- 
 nile years, Musas cum marte commutare ; 
 and truly I have reason to blush, when I 
 consider the small advantage I have reaped 
 from that change. But lest it should be 
 imputed to my want of merit, I have wrote 
 these Memoirs, and leave the world to judge 
 of my deserts. They are not set forth by 
 
 b
 
 XV111 DEDICATION. 
 
 any fictitious stories, nor embellished with 
 rhetorical flourishes ; plain truth is certainly 
 most becoming the character of an old sol- 
 dier. Yet let them be never so meritorious, 
 if not protected by some noble patron, some 
 persons may think them to be of no va- 
 lue. 
 
 To you, therefore, my Lord, I present 
 them ; to you, who have so eminently dis- 
 tinguished yourself, and whose wisdom has 
 been so conspicuous to the late representa- 
 tives of Great Britain, that each revolving 
 age will speak in your praise ; and if you 
 vouchsafe to be the Mecaenas of these Me- 
 moirs, your name will give them sufficient 
 sanction. 
 
 An old soldier I may truly call myself, 
 and my family allows me the title of a 
 gentleman ; yet I have [seen many favou- 
 rites of fortune, without being able to dis- 
 cern why they should be so happy, and 
 myself so unfortunate. But let not that
 
 DEDICATION. XIX 
 
 discourage your Lordship from receiving 
 these my Memoirs into your patronage ; 
 for the unhappy cannot expect favour, but 
 from those who are endued with generous 
 souls. 
 
 Give me leave, my Lord, to congratulate 
 this good fortune, that neither Whig nor 
 Tory (in this complaining age) have found 
 fault with your conduct. Your family has 
 
 produced heroes, in defence of injured 
 kings; and you, when it was necessary, have 
 
 as nobly adhered to the cause of liberty. 
 
 My LORD, 
 Your Lordship's most obedient, 
 
 And most devoted humble Servant, 
 
 G. CAIILETON.
 
 TO 
 
 THE READER. 
 
 THE Author of these Memoirs began early 
 to distinguish ' himself in martial affairs, 
 otherwise he could not have seen such va- 
 riety of actions, both by sea and land. Af- 
 ter the last Dutch war he went into Flan- 
 ders, where he not only served under the 
 command of his Highness the Prince of 
 Orange, whilst he was Generalissimo of the 
 Dutch forces, but likewise all the time he 
 reigned King of Great Britain. Most of 
 the considerable passages and events, which 
 happened during that time, are contained 
 in the former part of this book.
 
 XX11 TO THE READER. 
 
 In the year 1705, the regiment, in which 
 he served as captain, was ordered to em- 
 bark for the West Indies ; and he, having 
 no inclination to go thither, changed with 
 an half-pay captain ; and being recom- 
 mended to the Earl of Peterborough by 
 the late Lord Cutts, went with him upon 
 that noble expedition into Spain. 
 
 When the forces under his Lordship's 
 command were landed near Barcelona, the 
 siege of that place was thought by several 
 impracticable, not only for want of expe- 
 rienced engineers, but that the besieged 
 were as numerous as the besiegers ; yet the 
 courage of that brave earl surmounted those 
 difficulties, and the siege was resolved up- 
 on. 
 
 Our author having obtained, by his long 
 service, some knowledge of the practic part 
 of an engineer, and seeing at that critical 
 time the great want of such, readily acted 
 as one, which gave him the greater oppor-
 
 TO THE READER. XX111 
 
 tunity of being an eye-witness of his Lord- 
 ship's actions ; and consequently made him 
 capable of setting them forth in these his 
 Memoirs. 
 
 It may not be, perhaps, improper to 
 mention, that the Author of these Memoirs 
 was born at Ewelme in Oxfordshire, de- 
 scended from an ancient and an honourable 
 family. The Lord Dudley Carlcton, who 
 died secretary of state to King Charles I., 
 was his great uncle ; and in the same reign 
 his father was envoy at the court of Ma- 
 drid, whilst his uncle, Sir Dudley Carleton, 
 was ambassador to the States of Holland ; 
 men in those days respected both for their 
 abilities and loyalty.
 
 MEMOIRS 
 
 OF 
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON, 
 
 IN the year one thousand six hundred and 
 seventy-two, war being proclaimed with 
 Holland, it was looked upon, among nobili- 
 ty and gentry, as a blemish, not to attend 
 the Duke of York* aboard the fleet, who 
 was then declared admiral. With many 
 others, I, at that time about twenty years of 
 age, entered myself a volunteer on board 
 the London, commanded by Sir Edward 
 Sprage, Vice-Admiral of the Red. 
 
 * Afterwards James II. By the treaty betwixt Eng- 
 land and France, 6000 of the British troops were to 
 assist the French army against the Dutch. The two 
 fleets of France and England joined the 2d May. The 
 English consisting of 100, and the French of 40 sail. 
 The States had 72 large ships and 40 frigates.
 
 a MEMOIRS OP 
 
 The fleet set sail from the buoy of the 
 Nore about the beginning of May, in order 
 to join the French fleet, then at anchor in 
 St Helen's Road, under the command of 
 the Count de Estree. But in executing this 
 design, we had a very narrow escape : For 
 De Ruyter, the admiral of the Dutch fleet, 
 having notice of our intentions, waited to 
 have intercepted us at the mouth of the 
 River, but by the assistance of a great fog 
 we passed Dover before he was aware of it ; 
 and thus he miscarried, with the poor ad- 
 vantage of taking only one small tender. 
 
 A day or two after the joining of the 
 English and French, we sailed directly to- 
 wards the Dutch coast, where we soon got 
 sight of their fleet ; a sand called the Gal- 
 loper lying between. The Dutch seemed 
 willing there to expect an attack from us ; 
 but in regard the Charles man of war had 
 been lost on those sands the war before, 
 and that our ships drawing more water than 
 those of the enemy, an engagement might 
 be rendered very disadvantageous, it was
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 3 
 
 resolved in a council of war, to avoid co- 
 ming to a battle for the present, and to sail 
 directly for Solebay, which was according- 
 ly put in execution. 
 
 We had not been in Solebay above four 
 or five days, when De Ruyter, hearing of 
 it, made his signal for sailing, in order to 
 surprize us ; and he had certainly had his 
 aim, had there been any breeze of wind to 
 favour him. But though they made use of 
 all their sails, there was so little air stirring, 
 that we could see their fleet making to- 
 wards us long before they came up ; not- 
 withstanding which, our admirals found 
 
 O " 
 
 difficulty enough to form their ships into a 
 line of battle, so as to be ready to receive 
 the enemy* 
 
 It was about four in the morning of the fnlf i>!!t 
 28th of May, being Tuesday in Whitson ?* 
 week, when we first made the discovery ; 
 and about eight the same morning, the blue 
 squadron, under the command of the Earl 
 of Sandwich, began to engage with Admi- 
 miral Van Ghent, who commanded the
 
 4 -MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Amsterdam squadron ; and about nine, the 
 whole fleets were under a general engage- 
 ment. The fight lasted till ten at night, 
 and with equal fury on all sides, the French 
 excepted, who appeared stationed there 
 rather as spectators than parties ; and as 
 unwilling to be too much upon the offen- 
 sive, for fear of offending themselves. 
 
 During the fight, the English admiral had 
 two ships disabled under him ; and was 
 obliged, about four in the afternoon, to re- 
 move himself a third time into the London, 
 where he remained all the rest of the fight, 
 and till next morning. Nevertheless, on 
 his entrance upon the London, which was 
 the ship I was in, and on our hoisting the 
 standard, De Ruyter and his squadron 
 seemed to double their fire upon her, as if 
 they resolved to blow her out of the water. 
 Notwithstanding all which, the Duke of 
 York remained all the time upon quarter- 
 deck; and as the bullets plentifully whizzed 
 around him, would often rub his hands, and 
 cry, " Sprage, Sprage, they follow us still."
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 5 
 
 I am very sensible latter times have not 
 been over favourable in their sentiments of 
 that unfortunate Prince's valour; yet I can- 
 not omit the doing a piece of justice to his 
 memory, in relating a matter of fact, of 
 which my own eyes were witnesses, and 
 saying, that if intrepidity, and undaunted- 
 ness, may be reckoned any parts of cou- 
 rage, no man in the fleet better deserved 
 the title of courageous, or behaved himself 
 with more gallantly than he did. 
 
 The English lost the Royal James, com- 
 manded by the Earl of Sandwich, which 
 about twelve (after the strenuous endea- 
 vours of her sailors to disengage her from 
 two Dutch fire-ships placed on her, one 
 athwart her hawsers, the other on her star- 
 board side) took fire, blew up, and perished ; 
 and with her a great many brave gentle- 
 men, as well as sailors ; and amongst the 
 rest the Earl himself, concerning whom I 
 shall further add, that in my passage from 
 Harwich to the Brill, a year or two after, 
 the master of the packet boat told me,
 
 O MEMOIRS OF 
 
 that, having observed a great flock of gulls 
 hovering in one particular part of the sea, 
 he ordered his boat to make up to it ; when, 
 discovering a corpse, the sailors would have 
 returned it to the sea, as the corpse of a 
 Dutchman ; but keeping it in his boat, it 
 proved to be that of the Earl of Sandwich. 
 There was found about him between twen- 
 ty and thirty guineas, some silver, and his 
 gold watch ; restoring which to his lady, 
 she kept the watch, but rewarded their ho- 
 nesty with all the gold and silver. 
 
 This was the only ship the English lost 
 in this long engagement. For although 
 the Katherine was taken, and her com- 
 mander, Sir John Chicheley, made prison- 
 er, her sailors soon after finding the oppor- 
 tunity they had watched for, seized all the 
 Dutch sailors, who had been put in upon 
 them, and brought the ship back to our 
 own fleet, together with all the Dutchmen 
 prisoners ; for which, as they deserved, 
 they were well rewarded. This is the same 
 ship which the Earl of Mulgrave (after-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. f 
 
 wards Duke of Buckingham) commanded 
 the next sea fight, and has caused to be 
 painted in his house in St James's Park. 
 
 I must not omit one very remarkable oc- 
 currence which happened in this ship : 
 There was a gentleman aboard her, a vo- 
 lunteer, of a very fine estate, generally 
 known by the name of Hodge Vaughan. 
 This person received, in the beginning of 
 the fight, a considerable wound, which the 
 great confusion during the battle would 
 not give them leave to inquire into, so he 
 was earned out of the way, and disposed 
 of in the hold. They had some hogs 
 aboard, which the sailor, under whose care 
 they were, had neglected to feed ; these 
 hogs, hungry as they were, found out, and 
 fell upon the wounded person, and between 
 dead and alive, eat him up to his very skull, 
 which, after the fight was over, and the ship 
 retaken as before, was all that could be 
 found of him. 
 
 Another thing, less to be accounted for, 
 happened to a gentleman volunteer, who
 
 8 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 was aboard the same ship with myself. 
 He was of known personal courage in the 
 vulgar notion of it, his sword never having 
 failed him in many private duels. But not- 
 withstanding all his land-mettle, it was ob- 
 served of him at sea, that whenever the bul- 
 lets whizzed over his head, or any way incom- 
 moded his ears, he immediately quitted the 
 deck, and ran down into the hold. At first 
 he was gently reproached ; but after many 
 repetitions, he was laughed at, and began to 
 be despised ; sensible of which* as a testi- 
 monial of his valour, he made it his request 
 to be tyed to the main mast. But had it 
 been granted him, I cannot see any title he 
 could have pleaded from hence, to true 
 magnanimity ; since to be tyed from run- 
 ning away can import nothing less, than 
 that he would have still continued these 
 signs of cowardice, if he had not been pre- 
 vented. There is a bravery of mind, which 
 I fancy few of those gentlemen duellists 
 are possessed of. True courage cannot pro- 
 ceed from what Sir Walter Raleigh finely
 
 CAPTAIN CAItLETON. 9 
 
 calls the art or philosophy of quarrel. No! 
 It must be the issue of principle, and can 
 have no other basis than a steady tenet of 
 religion. This will appear more plain, if 
 those artists in murder will give themselves 
 leave coolly to consider, and answer me this 
 question, Why he, that had ran so many 
 risques at his sword's point, should be so 
 shamefully intimidated at the whiz of a 
 cannon ball ? 
 
 The Names of those English Gentlemen who 
 lost their lives, as I remember, in this En- 
 gagement. 
 
 Commissioner Cox, captain of the Royal 
 Prince, under the command of the admiral ; 
 and Mr Travanian, gentleman to the Duke 
 of York ; Mr Digby, captain of the Hen- 
 ry, second son to the Earl of Bristol ; Sir 
 FletchvileHollis, captain of the Cambridge, 
 who lost one of his arms in the war before, 
 and his life in this ; Captain Saddleton of
 
 10 MEMOIRS O* 
 
 the Dartmouth ; the Lord Maidstone, son 
 to the Earl of Winchelsea, a volunteer on 
 board the Charles, commanded by Sir John 
 Harman, Vice-Admiral of the Red. 
 
 Sir Philip Carteret, Mr Herbert, Mr Cot- 
 terel, Mr Poyton, Mr Gose, with several 
 other gentlemen unknown to me, lost their 
 lives with the Earl of Sandwich, on board 
 the Royal James ; Mr Vaughan, on board 
 the Katherine, commanded by Sir John 
 Chicheley. 
 
 In this engagement, Sir George Rook was 
 youngest lieutenant to Sir Edward Sprage ; 
 Mr Russel, afterwards Earl of Orford, was 
 captain of a small fifth rate, called the 
 Phoenix ; Mr Herbert, afterwards Earl of 
 Torrington, was captain of a small fourth 
 rate, called the Monck ; Sir Harry Dutton 
 Colt, who was on board the Victory, com- 
 manded by the Earl of Ossory, is the only 
 man now living that I can remember was 
 in this engagement. 
 
 But to proceed ; the Dutch had one man 
 of war sunk, though so near the shore, that
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 11 
 
 I saw some part of her main-mast remain 
 above water ; with their Admiral Van 
 Ghent, who was slain in the close engage- 
 ment with the Earl of Sandwich. This en- 
 gagement lasted fourteen hours, and was 
 looked upon the greatest that ever was 
 fought between the English and the Hol- 
 lander. 
 
 I cannot here omit one thing, which to 
 some may seem trifling, though I am apt 
 to think our naturalists may have a differ- 
 ent opinion of it, and find it afford their 
 fancies no undiverting employment in more 
 curious and less perilous reflections. We 
 had on board the London, where, as I have 
 said, I was a volunteer, a great number of 
 pigeons, of which our commander was 
 very fond. These, on the first firing of our 
 cannon, dispersed, and flew away, and were 
 seen no where near us during the fight. 
 The next day it blew a brisk gale, and 
 drove our fleet some leagues to the south- 
 
 o 
 
 ward of the place where they forsook our 
 ship, yet the day after they all returned
 
 12 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 safe aboard ; not in one flock, but in small 
 parties of four or five at a time. Some per- 
 sons at that time aboard the ship, admiring 
 at the manner of their return, and speaking 
 of it with some surprize, Sir Edward Sprage 
 told them, that he brought those pigeons 
 with him from the Streights ; and that 
 when, pursuant to his order, he left the 
 Revenge man of war, to go aboard the 
 London, all those pigeons, of their own ac- 
 cord, and without the trouble or care of 
 carrying, left the Revenge likewise, and 
 removed with the sailors on board the Lon- 
 don, where I saw them: all which many 
 of the sailors afterwards confirmed to me. 
 "What sort of instinct this could proceed 
 from, I leave to the curious. 
 
 Soon after this sea engagement I left 
 the fleet. And the parliament, the winter 
 following, manifesting their resentments 
 against two of the plenipotentiaries, viz. 
 Buckingham and Arlington, who had been 
 sent over into Holland, and expressing, 
 withal, their great umbrage taken at the
 
 CARLETON. 13 
 
 prodigious progress of the French arms in 
 the United Provinces; and warmly remon- 
 strating the inevitable danger attending 
 England in their ruin ; King Charles from 
 all this, and for want of the expected sup- 
 plies, found himself under a necessity of 
 clapping up a speedy peace with Holland. 
 
 This peace leaving those youthful spirits, 
 that had by the late naval war been raised 
 into a generous ferment, under a perfect 
 inactivity at home ; they found themselves, 
 to avoid a sort of life that was their aver- 
 sion, obliged to look out for one more ac- 
 tive, and more suitable to their vigorous 
 tempers abroad. 
 
 1 must acknowledge myself one of that 
 number; and therefore, in the year l6?4, I 
 resolved to go into Flanders, in order to 
 serve as volunteer in the army commanded 
 by his highness the Prince of Orange. I 
 took my passage accordingly at Dover for 
 Calais, and so went by way ot Dunkirk for 
 Brussels*
 
 14 MEMOIRS Of 
 
 Arriving at which place, 1 was informed 
 that the army of the confederates lay en- 
 camped not far from Nivelle, and under the 
 daily expectation of an engagement with 
 the enemy. This news made me press for- 
 ward to the service ; for which purpose I 
 carried along with me proper letters of re- 
 commendation to Sir Walter Vane, who 
 was at that time a major-general. Upon 
 further enquiry I understood, that a party 
 of horse, which was to guard some waggons 
 that were going to Count Montery's army, 
 were to set out next morning ; so I got an 
 Irish priest to introduce me to the com- 
 manding officer, which he readily obliged 
 me in ; and they, as I wished them, arrived 
 in the camp next day. 
 
 I had scarce been there an hour, when 
 happened one of the most extraordinary ac- 
 cidents in life. I observed in the east a 
 strange dusty coloured cloud, of a pretty 
 large extent, riding, not before the wind, 
 (for it was a perfect cairn) with such a pre- 
 cipitate motion, that it was got over our
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 15 
 
 heads almost as soon as seen. When the 
 skirts of that cloud began to cover our 
 camp, there suddenly arose such a terrible 
 hurricane, or whirlwind, that all the tents 
 were carried aloft with great violence into 
 the air ; and soldiers hats flew so high and 
 thick, that my fancy can resemble it to no- 
 thing better than those flights of rooks, 
 which at dusk of evening, leaving the fields, 
 seek their roosting places. Trees were torn 
 up by the very roots, and the roofs of all 
 the barns, &c. belonging to the Prince's 
 quarters, were blown quite away. This 
 lasted for about half an hour, until the 
 Cloud was wholly past over us, when as 
 suddenly ensued the same pacific calm as 
 before the cloud's approach. Its course 
 was seemingly directly west ; and yet we 
 were soon after informed, that the fine dome 
 of the great church at Utrecht had greatly 
 suffered by it the same day. And, if 1 am 
 not much mistaken, Sir William Temple, 
 in his Memoirs, mentions so uewhat of it, 
 which he felt at Liilo, on his return from
 
 16 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 the Prince of Orange's camp, where he had 
 been a day or two before. 
 
 As soon after this as I could get an op- 
 portunity, I delivered, at his quarters, my 
 recommendatory letters to Sir Walter Vane; 
 who received me very kindly, telling me at 
 the same time, that there were six or seven 
 English gentlemen, who had entered them- 
 selves volunteers in the Prince's own com- 
 pany of guards : and added, that he would 
 immediately recommend me to Count Sol- 
 ines, their colonel. He was not worse than 
 his word, and I was entered accordingly. 
 Those six gentlemen were as follows : 
 - Clavers, who since was better known 
 by the title of Lord Dundee ; Mr Collier, 
 now Lord Portmore ; Mr Rooke, since Ma- 
 jor-General ; Mr Hales, who lately died, 
 and was for a long time governor of Chel- 
 sea Hospital : Mr Venner, son of that Ven- 
 ner remarkable for his being one of the 
 
 c^ 
 
 fifth-monarchy men ; and Mr Boyce. The 
 four first rose to be very eminent ; but For- 
 tune is not to all alike favourable.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 17 
 
 In about a week's time after, it was re- The a r my 
 
 . -if raarcheth 
 
 solved in a council of war, to inarch to- towards 
 
 Bincb. 
 
 wards Binch, a small walled town, about 
 four leagues from Nivelle ; the better to 
 cut off the provisions from coming to the 
 Prince of Conde's camp that way. 
 
 Accordingly, on the first day of August, 
 being Saturday, we began our inarch ; and 
 the English volunteers had the favour of a 
 baggage waggon appointed them. Count 
 Souches, the Imperial general, with the 
 troops of that nation, led the van ; the main 
 body was composed of Dutch, under the 
 Prince of Orange, as Generalissimo ; and 
 the Spaniards, under Prince Vaudemont, 
 with some detachments, made the rear 
 guard. 
 
 As we were upon our march, I being 
 among those detachments which made up 
 the rear guard, observed a great party of 
 the enemy's horse upon an ascent, which, 
 I then imagined, as it after proved, to 
 be the Prince of Conde taking a vi^w of 
 our forces under march. There were many 
 
 B
 
 18 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 defiles, which our army must necessarily 
 pass ; through which that Prince politically 
 enough permitted the Imperial and Dutch 
 forces to pass unmolested. But when 
 Prince Vaudemont, with the Spaniards, 
 and our detachments, thought to have done 
 prince of the like, the Prince of Condc fell on our 
 
 Conde en- 
 
 tireiy routs rC ar guard ; and, after a long and sharp dis- 
 
 ihe rear of 
 
 dera^r-" P u t e ? entirely routed them ; the Marquis 
 of Assentar, a Spanish lieutenant-general, 
 dying upon the spot. 
 
 Had the Prince of Conde contented him- 
 self with this share of good fortune, his vic- 
 tory had been uncontested : But being 
 pushed forward by a vehement heat of 
 temper, (which he was noted for,) and 
 flushed with this extraordinary success, he 
 resolved to force the whole confederate ar- 
 my to a battle. In order to which, he im- 
 mediately led his forces between our se- 
 cond line, and our line of baggage ; by 
 which means the latter were entirely cut 
 off, and were subjected to the will of the 
 enemy, who fell directly to plunder ; in
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 19 
 
 which they were not a little assisted by the 
 routed Spaniards themselves, who did not 
 disdain at that time to share with the 
 enemy in the plundering of their friends and 
 allies. 
 
 The English volunteers had their share 
 of this ill fortune with the rest ; their wag- 
 gon appointed them being among those in- 
 tercepted by the enemy ; and I, for my 
 part, lost every thing but life, which yet 
 was saved almost as unaccountably as my 
 fellow-soldiers had lost theirs. The bag- 
 gage, as I have said, being cut off, and at 
 the mercy of the enemy, every one endea- 
 voured to escape through, or over, the hed- 
 ges. And as in all cases of like confusion, 
 one endeavours to save himself upon the 
 ruins of others ; so here, he that found 
 himself stopt by another in getting over the 
 gap of a hedge, pulled him back to make 
 way for himself, and perhaps met with the 
 same fortune from a third, to the destruc- 
 tion of all. I was then in the vigour of my 
 youth, and none of the least active, and
 
 20 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 perceiving how it had fared with some be- 
 fore me, I clapt m j left leg upon the shoul- 
 ders of one who was thus contending with 
 another, and with a spring threw myself 
 over both their heads and the hedge at the 
 same time. By this means I not only 
 saved my life, (for they were all cut to 
 pieces that could not get over,) but from an 
 eminence, which I soon after attained, I 
 had an opportunity of seeing, and making 
 my observations upon the remaining part 
 of that glorious conflict. 
 
 It was from that advantageous situation, 
 that I presently discovered that the Impe- 
 rialists, who led the van, had now joined 
 the main body. And, I confess, it was 
 with an almost inexpressible pleasure, that 
 I beheld, about three o'clock, with what in- 
 trepid fury they fell upon the enerny. In 
 rhe battle snoi% tj both armies were universally engaged, 
 and with great obstinacy disputed the vic- 
 tory till eleven at night. At which time 
 the French, being pretty well surfeited, 
 made their retreat. Nevertheless, to secure
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 21 
 
 it by a stratagem, they left their lighted 
 matches hanging in the hedges, and waving 
 with the air, to conceal it from the confe- 
 derate army. 
 
 About two hours after, the confederate 
 
 rate army 
 
 forces followed the example of their ene- drawn off - 
 mies, and drew off. And though neither 
 army had much reason to boast, yet, as 
 the Prince of Orange remained last in the 
 field, and the French had lost what they 
 before had gained, the glory of the day fell 
 to the Prince of Orange ; who, although 
 but twenty-four years of age, had the suf- 
 frage of friend and foe, of having played 
 the part of an old and experienced officer. 
 There were left that day on the field of 
 battle, by a general computation, not less 
 than eighteen thousand men on both sides, 
 over and above those who died of their 
 Avounds : The loss being pretty equal, only 
 the French carried off most prisoners. Prince 
 Waldeck was shot through the arm, which 
 I was near enough to be an eye-witness ot : 
 and my much lamented friend, Sir Walter
 
 22 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Vane, was carried off* dead. A wound in 
 the arm was all the mark of honour, that I 
 as yet could boast of, though our cannon 
 in the defiles had slain many near me. 
 
 The Prince of Conde (as we were next 
 day informed) lay all that night under a 
 hedge, wrapped in his cloak ; and, either 
 from the mortification of being disappoint- 
 ed in his hopes of victory, or from a re- 
 flection of the disservice, which his own 
 natural over heat of temper had drawn up- 
 on him, was almost inconsolable many days 
 after. And thus ended the famous battle 
 of Seneflf. 
 
 But though common vogue has given it 
 the name of a battle, in my weak opinion, 
 it might rather deserve that of a confused 
 skirmish ; all things having been forcibly 
 carried on without regularity, or even de- 
 sign enough to allow it any higher deno- 
 mination : for, as I have said before, not- 
 withstanding I was advantageously sta- 
 tioned for observation, I found it very of- 
 ten impossible to distinguish one party
 
 CAPTAIN CAELETON. 23 
 
 from another. And this was more remark- 
 
 Orange in 
 
 ably evident on the part of the Prince of the midst 
 
 J of the 
 
 Orange, whose valour and vigour having * r r ^ h 
 led him into the middle of the enemy, and 
 being then sensible of his error, by a pecu- 
 liar presence of mind, gave the word of 
 command in French, which he spoke per- 
 fectly well. But the French soldiers, who 
 took him for one of their own generals, 
 making answer, that their powder was all 
 spent, it afforded matter of instruction to 
 him to persist in his attack ; at the same 
 time, that it gave him a lesson of caution, 
 to withdraw himself as soon as he could, to 
 his own troops. 
 
 However, the day after, the Prince of Marches) 
 
 Quarignai 
 
 Orange thought proper to march to Qua- 
 rignan, a village within a league of Mons ; 
 where he remained some days, till he could 
 be supplied from Brussels with those ne- 
 cessaries which his army stood in need of. 
 
 From thence we inarched to Valenci- Marches i 
 
 Valenci- 
 ennes, where we again encamped, till we ennes.am 
 
 besieges 
 
 could receive things proper for a siege. Oudcuard
 
 24 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Upon the arrival whereof, the Prince gave 
 orders to decamp, and marched his army 
 with a design to besiege Aeth. But having 
 intelligence on our march, that the Ma- 
 reschal De Humiers had reinforced that 
 garrison, we marched directly to Oudenard, 
 and immediately invested it. 
 
 This siege was carried on with such ap- 
 plication and success, that the besiegers 
 were in a few days ready for a storm ; but 
 the Prince of Conde prevented them, by 
 coming up to its relief. Upon which the 
 Prince of Orange, pursuant to the resolu- 
 tion of a council of war the night before, 
 drew off his forces in order to give him bat- 
 tle ; and to that purpose, after the labori- 
 ous work of filling up our lines of contra- 
 vallation, that the horse might pass more 
 freely, we lay upon our arms all night. 
 Next morning we expected the Imperial 
 General, Count Souches, to join us ; but 
 instead of that, he sent back some very fri- 
 volous excuses, of the inconveniency of the 
 ground for a battle ; and after that, instead
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 25 
 
 of joining the Prince, marched off quite 
 another way ; the Prince of Orange, with 
 the Dutch and Spanish troops, marched 
 directly for Ghent; exclaiming publicly 
 against the chicanery of Souches, and open- 
 ly declaring, that he had been advertised 
 of a conference between a French Capu- 
 chin and that General, the night before. 
 Certain it is, that that General lay under 
 the displeasure of his master, the Emperor, 
 for that piece of management ; and the 
 Count de Sporck was immediately appoint- 
 ed general in his place. 
 
 The Prince of Orange was hereupon prince of 
 
 ' J Orange 
 
 leaving the army in great disgust, till pre- f e ^f{J e 
 vailed upon by the Count de Montery, for S^j" 
 the general safety, to recede from that re- 
 solution. However, seeing no likelihood 
 of any thing further to be done, while 
 Souches was in command, he resolved up- 
 on a post of more action, though more dan- 
 gerous ; wherefore ordering ten thousand 
 men to march before, he himself soon after 
 followed to the siege of Grave.
 
 26 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 The Grave, a strong place, and of the 
 first moment to the Hollanders, had been 
 blocked up by the Dutch forces all the 
 summer ; the Prince of Orange, therefore, 
 leaving the main army under Prince Wai- 
 deck at Ghent, followed the detachment 
 he had made for the siege of that import- 
 ant place, resolving to purchase it at any 
 rate. On his arrival before it, things began 
 
 7 O O 
 
 to find new motion ; and as they were car- 
 ried on with the utmost application and 
 fury, the besieged found themselves, in a 
 little time, obliged to change their haughty 
 summer note for one more suitable to the 
 season. 
 
 The Prince, from his first coming, having 
 kept those within hotly plied with ball, 
 both from cannon and mortars, Monsieur 
 Chamilly, the governor, after a few days, 
 being weary of such warm work, desired to 
 capitulate ; upon which hostages were ex- 
 changed, and articles agreed on next morn- 
 ing. Pursuant to Avhich, the garrison 
 inarched out with drums beating and co-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOtf. 27 
 
 lours flying, two days after, and were con- 
 ducted to Charleroy. 
 
 By the taking this place, which made 
 the Prince of Orange the more earnest upon 
 it, the French were wholly expelled their 
 last year's astonishing conquests in Hol- 
 land. And yet there was another consi- 
 deration, that rendered the surrender 
 of it much more considerable. For the 
 French being sensible of the great strength 
 of this place, had there deposited all their 
 cannon and ammunition, taken from their 
 other conquests in Holland, which they 
 never were able to remove or carry off, 
 with tolerable prospect of safety, after that 
 Prince's army first took the field. 
 
 The enemy being marched out, the 
 Prince entered the town, and immediately 
 
 / 
 
 ordered public thanksgivings for its happy 
 reduction. Then having appointed a go- 
 vernor, and left a sufficient garrison, he put 
 an end to that campaign, and returned to 
 the Hague, where he had not been long, 
 Before he fell ill of the small-pox. The
 
 28 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 consternation this threw the whole country 
 into, is not to be expressed : any one that 
 had seen it would have thought, that the 
 French had made another inundation great- 
 er than the former. But when the danger 
 was over, their joy and satisfaction for his 
 recovery, was equally beyond expression. 
 
 The year 16? 5 yielded very little remark- 
 able in our army. Limburgh was besieged 
 by the French, under the command of the 
 Duke of Enguien, which the Prince of 
 Orange having intelligence of, immediately 
 decamped from his fine camp at Bethlem, 
 near Louvain, in order to raise the siege. 
 But as we were on a full march for that 
 purpose, and had already reached Rure- 
 mond, word was brought, that the place 
 had surrendered the day before. Upon 
 which advice, the Prince, after a short halt, 
 made his little army (for it consisted not of 
 more than thirty thousand men) march 
 back to Brabant. Nothing of moment, af- 
 ter this, occurred all that campaign.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 29 
 
 In the year 1676, the Prince of Orange Mawtrich 
 
 . besieged by 
 
 having, in concert with the Spaniards, re- the Princ 
 
 of Orange. 
 
 solved upon the important siege of Maes- 
 trich, (the only town in the Dutch Provin- 
 ces then remaining in the hands of the 
 French,) it was accordingly invested about 
 the middle of June, with an army of twen- 
 ty thousand men, under the command of 
 his Highness Prince Waldeck, with the 
 grand army covering the siege. It was 
 some time before the heavy cannon, which 
 we expected up the Maes, from Holland, 
 arrived, which gave occasion to a piece of 
 raillery of Monsieur Calvo, the governor, 
 which was as handsomely reparteed. That 
 governor, by a messenger, intimating his 
 sorrow to find we had pawned our cannon 
 for ammunition bread ; answer was made, 
 that in a few days we hoped to give him a 
 taste of the loaves, which he should find 
 would be sent him into the town in extra- 
 ordinary plenty. I remember another piece 
 of raillery, which passed some days after 
 between the Rhingrave and the same Cal-
 
 SO MEMOIRS OF 
 
 vo. The former sending word, that he 
 hoped within three weeks to salute that go- 
 vernor's mistress within the place; Calvo 
 replied, he would give him leave to kiss 
 her all over, if he kissed her any where in 
 three months. 
 
 But our long expected artillery being at 
 last arrived, all this jest and merriment was 
 soon converted into earnest. Our trenches 
 were immediately opened towards the Dau- 
 phin Bastion, against which were planted 
 many cannon, in order to make a breach ; 
 myself, as a probationer, being twice put 
 upon the forlorn hope to facilitate that dif- 
 ficult piece of service. Nor was it long 
 before such a breach was effected, as was 
 esteemed practicable, and therefore very 
 soon after it was ordered to be attacked. 
 
 The disposition for the attack was thus 
 ordered ; two Serjeants with twenty grena- 
 diers, a captain with fifty men, myself one 
 of the number ; then a party carrying wool 
 sacks, and after them two captains with 
 one hundred men more ; the soldiers in the
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 31 
 
 trenches to be ready to sustain them, as 
 occasion should require. 
 
 The signal being given, we left our 
 trenches accordingly, having about one 
 hundred yards to run, before we could 
 reach the breach, which we mounted with 
 some difficulty and loss ; all our batteries 
 firing at the same instant to keep our ac- 
 tion in countenance, and favour our design. 
 When we were in possession of the Bastion, 
 the enemy fired most furiously upon us 
 with their small cannon through a thin 
 brick wall, by which, and their hand gre- 
 nadoes, we lost more men than we did in 
 the attack itself. 
 
 But well had it been had our ill fortune 
 stopped there ; for as if disaster must needs 
 be the concomitant of success, we soon 
 lost what we had thus gotten, by a small, 
 but very odd accident. Not being fur- 
 nished with such scoopes as our enemies 
 made use of, in tossing their hand grena- 
 does some distance off, one of our own sol- 
 diers aiming to throw one over the wall
 
 32 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 into the counterscarp among the enemy, it 
 so happened, that he unfortunately missed 
 his aim, and the grenade fell down again on 
 our side the wall, very near the person who 
 fired it. He starting back to save himself, 
 and some others, who saw it fall, doing the 
 like, those who knew nothing of the mat- 
 ter fell into a sudden confusion, and ima- 
 gining some greater danger than there real- 
 ly was, every body was struck with a panic 
 fear, and endeavoured to be the first who 
 should quit the Bastion, and secure him- 
 self by a real shame from an imaginary evil. 
 Thus was a Bastion, that had been glori- 
 ously gained, inadvertently deserted ; and 
 that too, with the loss of almost as many 
 men in the retreat, as had been slain in the 
 onset, and the enemy most triumphantly 
 again took possession of it. 
 
 Among the slain on our side in this ac- 
 tion, was an ensign of Sir John Fenwick's 
 regiment ; and as an approbation of my ser- 
 vices, his commission was bestowed upon 
 me. 
 
 10
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 33 
 
 A few days after it was resolved again to 
 storm that bastion, as before ; out of three 
 English, and one Scotch regiments, then in 
 the camp, a detachment was selected for a 
 fresh attack. Those regiments were under 
 
 O 
 
 the command of Sir John Fenwick, (who 
 was afterwards beheaded,) Colonel Ralph 
 Widdrington, and Colonel Ashley of the 
 English ; and Sir Alexander Collier, father 
 of the present Lord Portmore, of the 
 Scotch. Out of every of these four regi- 
 ments, as before, were detached a captain, 
 a lieutenant, and an ensign, with fifty men : 
 Captain Anthony Barn well, of Sir John 
 Fen wick's regiment, who was now my cap- 
 tain, commanding that attack. 
 
 At break of day the attack was begun 
 with great resolution ; and though vigor- 
 ously maintained, was attended with the 
 desired success. The bastion was again ta- 
 ken, and in it the commanding officer, who 
 
 o 
 
 in service to himself, more than to us, told 
 us, that the centre of the bastion would 
 soon be blown up, being to his knowledge
 
 34 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 undermined for that purpose. But this se- 
 cret proved of no other use, than to make 
 us, by way of precaution, to keep as much 
 as we could upon the rampart. In this at- 
 tack Captain Barnwell lost his life, and it 
 happened my new commission was wetted 
 (not, as too frequently is the custom, with a 
 debauch) but with a bullet through my 
 hand, and the breach of my collar-bone 
 with the stroke of a halbert. 
 
 After about half an hour's possession of 
 the bastion, the mine under it, of which 
 the French officer gave us warning, was 
 sprung ; the enemy at the same time ma- 
 king a furious sally upon us. The mine 
 did a little, though the less execution, for 
 being discovered ; but the sally no way 
 answered their end, for we beat them back, 
 and immediately fixed our lodgment; which 
 we maintained during the time of the siege. 
 But to our double surprize, a few days af- 
 ter, they fired another mine under, or aside 
 the former, in which they had placed a 
 quantity of grenadoes, which did much
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 3,5 
 
 more execution than the other : notwith- 
 standing all which, a battery of guns was 
 presently erected upon that bastion, which 
 very considerably annoyed the enemy. 
 
 The breach for a general storm was now 
 rendered almost practicable; yet before 
 that could be advisably attempted, there 
 was a strong horn-work to be taken. Upon 
 this exploit the Dutch troops only were to 
 signalize themselves ; and they answered 
 the confidence reposed in them ; for, though 
 they were twice repulsed, at the third on- 
 set they were more successful, and took 
 possession, which they likewise kept to the 
 raising of the siege. 
 
 There was a stratagem laid at this time, 
 which, in its own merit, one would have 
 thought, should not have failed of a good 
 effect ; but, to shew the vanity of the high- 
 est human wisdom, it miscarried. On the 
 other side of the Maes, opposite to Maes- 
 trich, lies the strong fortress of Wyck, to 
 which it is joined by a stone-bridge of six 
 fair arches. The design was, by a false at-
 
 36 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 tack on that regular fortification to draw 
 the strength of the garrison to its defence, 
 which was but very natural to imagine 
 would be the consequence. Ready to at- 
 tend that well-concerted false attack, a 
 large flat-bottomed boat, properly furnish- 
 ed with barrels of gun-powder, and other 
 necessaries, was to fall down under one of 
 the middle arches, and when fixed there, 
 by firing the powder, to have blown up the 
 bridge, and by that means to have prevent- 
 ed the return of the garrison, to oppose a 
 real attack at that instant of time to be 
 made upon the town of Maestrich by the 
 whole army. 
 
 The false attack on Wyck was accord- 
 ingly made, which, as proposed, drew the 
 main of the garrison of Maestrich to its de- 
 fence, and the boat so furnished fell down the 
 river, as projected ; but unfortunately, before 
 it could reach the arch, from the darkness 
 of the night, running upon a shoal, it could 
 not be got off; for which reason, the men 
 in the boat were glad to make a hasty es-
 
 CAPTAIN CAIILETON. 3? 
 
 cape for fear of being discovered ; as the 
 boat was, next morning, and the whole 
 design laid open. 
 
 This stratagem thus miscarrying, all 
 things were immediately got ready for a 
 general storm, at the main breach in the 
 town ; and the rather, because the Prince 
 of Orange had received incontestible inteU 
 ligence, that Duke Scomberg, at the head 
 of the French army, was in full march to 
 relieve the place : but before every thing- 
 could be rightly got ready for the intended 
 storm, (though some there were who pre- 
 tended to say, that a dispute raised by the 
 Spaniards with the Dutch, about the pro- 
 priety of the town, when taken, was the 
 cause of that delay,) we heard at some dis- 
 tance several guns fired as signals of re- 
 lief; upon which, we precipitately, and, Princeof 
 as most imagined, shamefully drew off from army g re- 
 before the place, and joined the grand ar- before 
 
 Maestrich. 
 
 my under Prince Waldeck. But it was 
 matter of yet greater surprize to most on 
 the spot, that when the armies were so
 
 38 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 joined, we did not stay to offer the enemy 
 battle. The well known courage of the 
 
 o 
 
 Prince, then Generalissimo, was so far 
 from solving this riddle, that it rather 
 puzzled all who thought of it ; however, 
 the prevailing opinion was, that it was oc- 
 casioned by some great misunderstanding 
 between the Spaniards and the Dutch. 
 And experience will evince, that this was 
 not the only disappointment of that na- 
 ture, occasioned by imperfect understand- 
 ings. 
 
 Besides the number of common soldiers 
 slain in this attack, which was not incon- 
 siderable, we lost here the brave Rhingrave, 
 a person much lamented, on account of his 
 many other excellent qualifications, as well 
 as that of a general. Colonel Ralph Wid- 
 drington, and Colonel Doleman, (who had 
 not enjoyed Widdrington's commission 
 above a fortnight) Captain Douglas, Cap- 
 tain Earnwell, and Captain Lee, were of 
 the slain among the English ; who, indeed^
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 39 
 
 had borne the whole brunt of the attack 
 upon the Dauphin's bastion. 
 
 I remember the Prince of Orange, during 
 the siege, received a shot through his arm ; 
 which giving an immediate alarm to the 
 troops under his command, he took his hat 
 off his head with the wounded arm, and 
 smiling, waved it, to shew them there was 
 no danger. Thus, after the most gallant 
 defence against the most courageous onsets, 
 ended the siege of Maestrich ; and with it 
 all that was material that campaign. 
 
 Early in the spring;, in the year 1677, cambray 
 
 J J and St O- 
 
 the French army, under the Duke of Or- mere be- 
 
 & 7 sieged by 
 
 leans, besieged at once, both Cambray and theirrench 
 Saint Omers. This last, the Prince of 
 Orange seemed very intent and resolute to 
 relieve. In order to which, well knowing, 
 by sad experience, it would be to little 
 purpose to wait the majestic motions of the 
 Spaniards, that Prince got together what 
 forces he could, all in Dutch pay, and 
 marching forward with all speed, resolved, 
 even at the hazard of a battle, to attempt
 
 40 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 rincc of the raising the siege. Upon his appearing, 
 mp r s to the Duke of Orleans, to whose particular 
 
 isr the 
 
 ;ge of st con d uc t the care of that siege was commit- 
 ted, drew off from before the place, leaving 
 scarce enough of his men to defend the 
 trenches. The Prince was under the ne- 
 cessity of marching his forces over a mo- 
 rass ; and the Duke, well knowing it, took 
 care to attack him near Mont Cassel, be- 
 fore half his little army were got over. The 
 dispute was very sharp, but the Prince be- 
 ing much out-numbered, and his troops not 
 able, by the strait ness of the passage, to 
 engage all at once, was obliged at last to 
 retreat, which he did in pretty good order. 
 I remember the Dutch troops did not all 
 alike do their duty ; and the Prince seeing 
 one of the officers on his fullest speed, call- 
 ed to him over and over to halt; which 
 the officer in too much haste to obey, the 
 Prince gave him a slash over the face, say- 
 ing, " By this mark I shall know you an- 
 other time." Soon after this retreat of the 
 Prince, Saint Omers was surrendered.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 41 
 
 Upon this retreat, the Prince marching 
 back, lay for some time among the boors, 
 who, from the good discipline which he 
 took care to make his troops observe, did 
 not give us their customary boorish recep- 
 tion. And yet as secure as we might think 
 ourselves, I met with a little passage that 
 confirmed in me the notions, which the ge- 
 nerality, as well as I, had imbibed of the 
 private barbarity of those people, when- 
 ever an opportunity falls in their way. I 
 was strolling at a distance from my quar- 
 ters, all alone, when I found myself near 
 one of their houses ; into which, the doors 
 being open, I ventured to enter. I saw 
 nobody when I came in, though the house 
 was, for that sort of people, well enough 
 furnished, and in pretty decent order. I 
 called, but, nobody answering, I had the 
 curiosity to advance a little farther, when, 
 at the mouth of the oven, which had not 
 yet wholly lost its heat, I spied the corpse 
 of a man so bloated, swoln, and parched, as 
 left me little room to doubt, that the oven
 
 42 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 had been the scene of his destiny. I con- 
 fess the sight struck me with horror ; and 
 as much courage and security as I entered 
 with, I withdrew in haste, and with quite 
 different sentiments, and could not fancy 
 myself out of danger till I had reached our 
 camp. A wise man should not frame an 
 accusation on conjectures ; but, on inqui- 
 ry, I was soon made sensible, that such 
 barbarous usage is too common among 
 those people ; especially if they meet with 
 a straggler, of what nation soever. 
 
 This made me not very sorry when we 
 decamped, and we soon after received or- 
 ders to march and invest Charleroy ; before 
 which place we staid somewhat above a 
 week, and then drew off. I remember very 
 well, that I was not the only person then 
 in the camp that was at a loss to dive into 
 the reason of this investiture and decamp- 
 ment : but since I at that time, among the 
 politicians of the army, never heard a 
 good one, I shall not venture to offer my 
 sentiments at so great a distance.
 
 CAPTAIN CAELETOX. 43 
 
 We, after this, marched towards Mons ; A y 
 
 marches' 
 
 and, in our march, passed over the very wani. 
 
 J MODS. 
 
 grounds on which the battle of Seneff had 
 been fought three years before. It was with 
 no little pleasure that I re-surveyed a place, 
 that had once been of so much danger to 
 me ; and where my memory and fancy now 
 repeated back all those observations I had 
 then made under some unavoidable confu- 
 sion. Young as 1 was, both in years and 
 experience, from my own reflections, and 
 the sentiments of others, after the fight was 
 over, me thought I saw visibly before me 
 the well-ordered disposition of the Prince 
 of Conde ; the inexpressible difficulties 
 which the Prince of Orange had to encoun- 
 ter with ; while at the same moment I could 
 not omit to repay my debt to the memory 
 of my first patron, Sir Walter Vane, who, 
 there losing his life, left me a solitary wan- 
 derer to the wide world of fortune. 
 
 But these thoughts soon gave place to 
 new objects, which every hour presented 
 themselves in our continued march to En-
 
 44* MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ghien, a place famous for the finest gardens 
 in all Flanders, near which we encamped, 
 on the very same ground which the French 
 chose some years after at the battle of 
 Steenkirk ; of which I shall speak in its 
 proper place. Here the Prince of Orange 
 left our army, as we afterwards found, to 
 pass into England ; where he married 
 the Princess Mary, daughter of the Duke 
 of York. And after his departure, that 
 campaign ended without any thing further 
 material. 
 
 Now began the year 1678, famous for 
 the peace, and no less remarkable for an 
 action previous to it, which has not failed 
 to employ the talents of men, variously, as 
 they stood affected. Our army, under the 
 Prince of Orange, lay encamped at Soig- 
 nies, where it was whispered that the peace 
 was concluded. Notwithstanding which, 
 two days after, being Sunday the 17th day 
 of August, the army was drawn out, as 
 most others as well as myself apprehended, 
 in order to afeux de joye ; but in lieu of
 
 CAPTAIN CAItLETON. 45 
 
 that, we found our march ordered towards 
 St Dennis, where the Duke of Luxemburg 
 lay, as he imagined, safe in inaccessible en- 
 trenchments. 
 
 About three of the clock our army arrived Prince O p 
 
 , . Orange ar 
 
 there, when we received orders to make the rives at si 
 
 Dennis, 
 
 attack. It began with a most vigorous i^eauS 
 spirit, that promised no less than the suc- 
 cess which ensued. The three English and 
 three Scotch regiments, under the com- 
 mand of the ever-renowned Earl of Ossory, 
 together with the Prince of Orange's guards, 
 made their attack at a place called the 
 Chateau, where the French took their re- 
 fuge among a parcel of hop-poles ; but 
 their resource was as weak as their defence, 
 and they were soon beaten out with a very 
 great slaughter. 
 
 It was here that, a French officer having 
 his pistol directed at the breast of the 
 Prince, Monsieur D'Auverquerque inter- 
 posed, and shot the officer dead upon the 
 spot.
 
 46 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 The ficrht lasted from three in the after- 
 noon till nine at night ; when, growing dark, 
 the Duke of Luxemburg forsook his en- 
 trenchments, into which we marched next 
 morning. And, to see the sudden change 
 of things ! that very spot of ground, where 
 nothing but fire and fury appeared the day 
 before, the next saw solaced with the pro- 
 clamation of a peace. 
 
 About an hour before the attack began, 
 the Duke of Monmouth arrived in the ar- 
 my, being kindly received by the Prince 
 of Orange, bravely fighting by his side all 
 that day. The woods, and the unevenness 
 of the ground, rendered the cavalry almost 
 useless ; yet I saw a standard among some 
 others, which was taken from the enemy, 
 being richly embroidered with gold and 
 silver, bearing the sun in the zodiac, with 
 these haughty words, Nihil obstabit eunte. 
 On the news of this unexpected victory, 
 the States of Holland sent to congratulate 
 the Prince ; and to testify how much they 
 valued his preservation, they presented
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 47 
 
 Monsieur D'Auverquerque, who had so 
 bravely rescued him, with a sword, whose 
 handle was of massy gold, set with dia- 
 monds. I forgot to mention, that this gen- 
 tleman received a shot on his head at the 
 battle of Seneff; and truly in all actions, 
 which were many, he nobly distinguished 
 himself by his bravery. He was father of 
 this present Earl of Grantham. 
 
 The Names of the English Officers which I 
 knew to be killed in this Action. 
 
 Lieut. Col. Archer, Capt. Pemfield, 
 Capt. Charleton, Lieut. Charleton* 
 
 Capt. Richardson, Lieut. Barton, 
 Capt. Fisher, Ensign Colvile. 
 
 With several others, whose names I have 
 forgot. 
 
 Lieut. Col. JBabington, who began the at- 
 tack, by beating the French out of the 
 hop garden, was taken prisoner. Col. Hales,
 
 48 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 who was a long time governor of Chelsea 
 College, being then a captain, received a 
 shot on his leg, of which he went lame to 
 his dying day. 
 
 The war thus ended by the peace of Ni- 
 ineguen, the regiment in which I served 
 was appointed to lie in garrison at the 
 Grave. We lay there near four years, our 
 soldiers being mostly employed about the 
 fortifications. It was here, and by that 
 means, that I imbibed the rudiments of 
 fortification, and the practical part of an en- 
 gineer, which, in my more advanced years, 
 was of no small service to me. 
 
 Nevertheless, in the year 1684, our re- 
 giment received orders to march to Haren, 
 near Brussels ; where, with other forces, 
 we encamped, till we heard that Luxem- 
 burg, invaded by the French, in a time of 
 the profoundest peace, had surrendered to 
 them. Then we decamped, and marched 
 to Mechlin, where we lay in the field till 
 near November. Not that there was any 
 war proclaimed ; but as not knowing, whe-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 49 
 
 i 
 
 ther those who had committed such acts of 
 hostility in time of peace, might not take 
 it in their heads to proceed yet further. 
 In November we marched into that town, 
 where Count Nivelle was governor : the 
 Marquis de Grana at the same time go- 
 verning the "Netherlands in the jurisdiction 
 of Spain. 
 
 Nothing of any moment happened after 
 this, till the death of King Charles II. 
 The summer after which, the three English Fngiish 
 
 and Scotch 
 
 and three Scotch regiments received orders "" 
 
 pass over 
 
 to pass over into England, upon the occa- j"^. 1 '"*' 
 sion of MOD mouth's rebellion; where, up- 
 on our arrival, we received orders to en- 
 camp on Hounslow-heath. But that re- 
 bellion being soon stifled, and King James 
 having no farther need of us, those regi- 
 ments were ordered to return again to Hol- 
 land, into the proper service of those who 
 paid them. 
 
 Though I am no stiff adherer to the doc- 
 
 o 
 
 trine of predestination, yet to the full as- 
 surance of a Providence I never could fail 
 
 D
 
 50 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 to adhere. Thence came it, that my natu- 
 ral desire to serve my own native country, 
 prevailed upon me to quit the service of 
 another, though its neighbour and ally. 
 Events are not always to direct the judge- 
 ment ; and therefore, whether I did best in 
 following these fondling dictates of nature, 
 I shall neither question, nor determine. 
 
 However, it was not long after my arri- 
 val in England, before I had a commission 
 
 o 
 
 given me by King James, to be a lieute- 
 nant in a new-raised regiment under the 
 command of Colonel Tufton, brother to the 
 Earl of Thanet. Under this commission I 
 sojourned out two peaceable campaigns 
 on Hounslow-heath ; where I was an eye- 
 witness of one mock siege of Buda : After 
 which, our regiment was ordered to Ber- 
 wick, where I remained till the Revolution. 
 K. j.imes King James having abdicated the throne, 
 
 ilxlii ate, . 
 
 he throne, and the rTince or Orange accepting the 
 administration, all commissions were or- 
 dered to be renewed in his name. The 
 officers of our regiment, as well as others, 
 
 n
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 51 
 
 severally took out theirs accordingly, a 
 very few excepted, of which number was 
 our colonel, who, refusing a compliance, 
 his commission was given to Sir James 
 Lesley. 
 
 The Prince of Orange presently after was Prince of 
 
 Orange 
 
 declared and proclaimed king, and his prin- 
 cess queen, with a conjunctive power. 
 Upon which our regiment was ordered in- 
 to Scotland, where affairs appeared under 
 a face of disquietude. We had our quar- 
 ters at Leith, till the time the castle of 
 Edinburgh, then under the command of 
 the Duke of Gordon, had surrendered. 
 After which, pursuant to fresh orders, we 
 marched to Inverness, a place of no great 
 strength, and as little beauty ; though yet 
 I think I may say, without the least dan- 
 ger of an hyperbole, that it is as pleasant 
 as most places in that country. Here we 
 lay two long winters, perpetually harassed 
 upon parties, and hunting of somewhat 
 wilder than their wildest game, namely,
 
 52 1IEMOIKS OE 
 
 the Highlanders, who were, if not as nim- 
 ble-footed, yet fully as hard to be found. 
 
 But General Mackay having received 
 orders to build a fort at Inverlochy, our 
 regiment, among others, was commanded 
 to that service. The two regiments ap- 
 pointed on the same duty, with some few 
 dragoons, were already on their march, 
 which having joined, we marched together 
 through Louquebar. This, sure, is the 
 wildest country in the Highlands, if not in 
 the world. I did not see one house in all 
 our march ; and their economy, if 1 may 
 call it such, is much the same with that of 
 the Arabs or Tartars. Huts, or cabins, of 
 trees and trash, are their places of habita- 
 tion ; in which they dwell, till their half- 
 horned cattle have devoured the grass, and 
 then remove, staying no where longer than 
 that convenience invites them. 
 
 In this march, or rather, if you please, 
 most dismal peregrination, we could but 
 very rarely go two on a breast ; and oftner, 
 like geese in a string, one after another.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 53 
 
 So that our very little army had sometimes, 
 or rather most commonly, an extent of 
 many miles; our enemy, the Highlanders, 
 firing down upon us from their summits all 
 the way. -Nor was it possible for our men, 
 or very rarely at least, to return their fa- 
 vours with any prospect of success ; for, as 
 they popped upon us always on a sudden, 
 they never staid long enough to allow any 
 of our soldiers a mark, or even time enough 
 to fire : and, for our men to march, or climb 
 up those mountains, which to them were 
 natural champain, would have been as dan- 
 gerous, as it seemed to us impracticable. 
 Nevertheless, under all these disheartening 
 disadvantages, we arrived at Inverlochy, 
 and there performed the task appointed, 
 building a fort on the same spot where 
 Cromwell had raised one before. And, 
 which was not a little remarkable, we had 
 with us one Hill, a colonel, who had been 
 governor in Oliver's time, and who was now 
 again appointed governor by General Mac- 
 kay. Thus the work on which we were
 
 54 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 sent being effected, we marched back again, 
 by the way of Gillycrancky, where that 
 memorable battle under Dundee had been 
 fought the year before. 
 
 Some time after, Sir Thomas Levingston, 
 afterwards Earl of Tiviot, having received 
 intelligence, that the Highlanders intended 
 to fall down into the lower countries, in 
 a considerable body, got together a party 
 of about five hundred, (the dragoons, called 
 the Scotch Greys, inclusive,) with which 
 he resolved, if possible, to give them a 
 meeting. We left Inverness the last day 
 of April, and encamped near a little town 
 called Forrest, the place where, as tradition 
 still confidently avers, the witches met 
 Macbeth, and greeted him with their dia- 
 bolical auspices. But this story is so na- 
 turally displayed in a play of the immortal 
 Shakespcar, that I need not descend here 
 to any farther particulars. 
 
 Here Sir Thomas received intelligence, 
 that the Highlanders designed to encamp 
 upon the Spey, near the laird of Grant's
 
 CAPTAIN CAIILETON. 33 
 
 castle. Whereupon we began our march 
 about noon, and the next day, about the 
 break thereof, we came to that river, where 
 we soon discovered the Highlanders by 
 their fires. Sir Thomas immediately, on 
 sight of it, issued his orders for our fording 
 the river, and falling upon them as soon 
 after as possible. Both were accordingly iiigMami- 
 
 3 J ers totally 
 
 performed, and with so good order, secre- routed - 
 cy, and success, that Cannon and Balfour, 
 their commanders, were obliged to make 
 their escape naked. 
 
 They were about one thousand in num- 
 ber, of which were killed about three hun- 
 dred ; we pursued them, till they got up 
 Crom dale-hill, where we lost them in a fog. 
 And, indeed, so high is that hill, that they 
 who perfectly knew it, assured me, that it 
 never is without a little dark fog hanging 
 over it. And to me, at that instant of 
 time, they seemed rather to be people re- 
 ceived up into clouds, than flying from an 
 enemy. 
 
 Near this there was an old castle, called 
 Lethendy, into which about fifty of them
 
 56 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 made their retreat, most of them gentlemen, 
 resolving there to defend themselves to the 
 last. Sir Thomas sent a messenger to them, 
 with an offer of mercy, if they would sur- 
 render: but they refused the preferred quar- 
 ter, and fired upon our men, killing two of 
 our grenadiers, and wounding another. 
 During rny quarters at the Grave, having 
 learnt to throw a grenado, I took three or 
 four in a bag, and crept down by the side 
 of a ditch or dyke, to an old thatched 
 house near the castle, imagining, on my 
 mounting the same, I might be near enough 
 to throw them, so as to do execution. I 
 found all things answer my expectation ; 
 and the castle wanting a cover, I threw 
 in a grenado, which put the enemy im- 
 mediately into confusion. The second 
 had not so good success, falling short ; and 
 the third burst as soon as it was well out 
 of my hand, though without damage to 
 myself. But throwing the fourth in at a 
 window, it so increased the confusion, 
 which the first had put them into, that they
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 5? 
 
 immediately called out to me, upon their 
 parole of safety, to come to them. 
 
 Accordingly I went up to the door, which 
 they had barricaded, and made up with 
 great stones ; when they told me, they were 
 ready to surrender, upon condition of ob- 
 taining mercy. I returned to Sir Thomas, 
 and telling him what I had done, and the 
 consequence of it, and the message they 
 had desired me to deliver, (a great many 
 of the H ighland gentlemen, not of this par- 
 ty, being with him,) Sir Thomas, in a high 
 voice, and broad Scotch, best to be heard 
 and understood, ordered me back to tell 
 them, " He would cut them all to pieces, 
 for their murder of two of his grenadiers, 
 after his proffer of quarter." 
 
 I was returning full of these melancholy 
 tidings, when Sir Thomas, advancing after 
 me a little distance from the rest of the 
 company ; " Hark ye, Sir," says he, " I be- 
 lieve there may be among them some of 
 our old acquaintance, (for we had served 
 together in the service of the States in
 
 58 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Flanders,) therefore, tell them, they shall 
 have good quarter/' I very willingly car- 
 ried back a message so much changed to 
 my mind ; and, upon delivering of it, with- 
 out the least hesitation, they threw down 
 the barricado, opened the door, and out 
 came one Brody, who, as he then told me, 
 had had a piece of his nose taken off by 
 one of my grenadoes. I carried him to Sir 
 Thomas, who, confirming my message, they 
 all came out, and surrendered themselves 
 prisoners. This happened on May-day, in 
 the morning ; for which reason we returned 
 to Inverness with our prisoners, and boughs 
 in our hats; and the Highlanders never 
 held up their heads so high after this de- 
 feat. 
 
 Upon this success, Sir Thorn as wrote to 
 court, giving a full account of the whole 
 action. In which, being pleased to make 
 mention of my behaviour, with some par- 
 ticularities, I had soon after a commission 
 ordered me for a company in the regiment 
 under the command of Brigadier Tiffin.
 
 CAPTAIN CAHLETON. 59 
 
 My commission being made out, signed, 
 and sent to me, I repaired immediately to 
 Portsmouth, where the regiment lay in gar- 
 rison. A few days after I had been there, 
 Admiral Russel arrived with the fleet, 
 and anchored at St Helen's, where he re- 
 mained about a week. On the 18th of May, 
 the whole fleet set sail ; and it being my 
 turn the same day to mount the main 
 guard, I was going the rounds very early, 
 when I heard great shooting at sea. I went 
 directly to acquaint the governor, and told 
 him my sentiments, that the two contend- 
 ing fleets were actually engaged, which in- 
 deed proved true ; for that very night a 
 pinnace, which came from our fleet, brought 
 news that Admiral Russel had engaged the 
 French Admiral Turvile ; and, after a long 
 and sharp dispute, was making after them 
 to their own coasts. 
 
 The next day, towards evening, several 
 other expresses arrived, one after another, 
 all agreeing in the defeat of the French 
 fleet, and in the particulars of the burning
 
 60 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 their Rising Sun, together with many other 
 of their men of war, at La Hogue. All 
 which expresses were immediately forward- 
 ed to court, by Mr Gibson, our governor. 
 
 About two months after this, our regi- 
 ment, among many others, was, accord- 
 ing to order, shipped off on a secret ex- 
 pedition, under the command of the Duke 
 of Leinster, no man knowing to what place 
 we were going, or on what design ; no, not 
 the commander himself. However, when 
 we were out at sea, the General, according 
 to instructions, opening his commission, 
 we were soon put out of our suspense, and 
 informed, that our orders were to attack 
 Dunkirk. But what was so grand a secret 
 to those concerned in the expedition, ha- 
 ving been intrusted to a female politician 
 on land, it was soon discovered to the ene- 
 my ; for which reason, our orders were coun- 
 termanded, before we reached the place of 
 action, and our forces received directions 
 to land at Ostend.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 6l 
 
 Soon after this, happened that memor- Katti ea t 
 
 Stecokirk. 
 
 able battle at Steenkirk, which, as very 
 few at that time could dive into the reason 
 of, and mistaken accounts of it have passed 
 for authentic, [ will mention somewhat 
 more particularly : The undertaking was 
 bold, and, as many thought, bolder than 
 was consistent with the character of the 
 wise undertaker. Nevertheless, the French 
 having taken Namur, and, as the male- 
 contents alleged, in the very sight of a su- 
 perior army, and nothing having been 
 done by land of any moment, things were 
 blown into such a dangerous fermentation, 
 by a malicious and lying spirit, that King 
 William found himself under a necessity of 
 attempting something that might appease 
 the murmurs of the people. He knew 
 very well, though spoke in the senate, that 
 it was not true, that his forces at the siege 
 of Namur exceeded those of the enemy; 
 no man could be more afflicted than he at 
 the Overflowing of the Mehaigne, from the 
 continual rains, which obstructed the relief
 
 r>2 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 he lad designed for that important plac 
 jet, since his maligners made an ill u<e of 
 these false topics* to insinuate that he had 
 no mind to put an end to the war, he was 
 resolved to erince the contrary, by shewing 
 them dial he was not afraid to venture his 
 life lor the better obtaining what was so 
 cinch. cc>irevi. 
 
 To that purpose, receiving inteiiigence 
 that the Duke of Luxemburg b j strongl j 
 encamped at Steenkirk. near En&hien, 
 (though he was sensible he must pass 
 through man j defiles to engage him ; and 
 that the manj thickets between the two ar- 
 mies would frequent! j atfbrd him new dif- 
 ficulties,) he resolved there to attack him. 
 Our troops at first were forced to hew out 
 their passage for the horse ; and there was 
 
 no one difficulty that his imagination had 
 
 <f 
 
 drawn, that was lessened by experience; 
 and jet so prosperous were his arms at 
 the beginning, that our troops had made 
 masters of several pieces of the 
 9. But the farther he ad-
 
 CAPTAIN CAKLYTO3T. :*5 
 
 sd, the ground growing 
 
 strait a* not to 
 
 diawn up in battalia, the IJNJOU ben 
 
 could not gnre timely succour to those 
 
 _-_-- \.^tm*m^H. wm- uu **mx-MJt w ^9 
 
 forcibly left behind, in order to make a. 
 good retreat. The Fiench had lost all thev 
 courage in the onset ; for though they had 
 too Jak an opportunity, they did not thmfr 
 fit to pursue it; or, at least, did it verj 
 languidly. However, the malecontents at 
 
 V f .,_ ^^^r nan. - Ji * J 
 
 ~- - --. ^ gv 
 
 after the; foe, so long as they had but a 
 battk for their money, Hke true English, 
 men, lost or won, they wen? cQitJ^iitepdli 
 
 signed for tins miyamage, as they called 
 it : some there woe who were willing to 
 lay it upon the Dutch; xad^^s^^j- 
 ing of one of their geacrak, who, unii mg 
 orders to ieeve some Endfah ami Scotch 
 that were overpowered, was heard to say,
 
 64 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 rather impute the disappointment to the 
 great loss of so many of our bravest officers 
 at the very lirst onset. General Mackay, 
 Colonel Lanier, the Earl of Angus, with 
 both his field-officers, Sir Robert Douglas, 
 Colonel Hodges, and many others, falling, 
 it was enough to put a very considerable 
 army into confusion. I remember one par- 
 ticular action of Sir Robert Douglas, that 
 I should think myself to blame should I 
 omit : seeing his colours on the other side 
 the hedge, in the hands of the enemy, he 
 leaped over, slew the officer that had them, 
 and then threw them over the hedo;e to his 
 
 o 
 
 company ; redeeming his colours at the 
 expence of his life. Thus, the Scotch com- 
 mander improved upon the Roman Gene- 
 ral ; for the brave Posthumius cast his stan- 
 dard in the middle of the enemy, for his 
 soldiers to retrieve^ but Douglas retrieved 
 his from the middle of the enemy, without 
 any assistance, and cast it back to his sol- 
 diers to retain, after he had so bravely res- 
 cued it out of the hands of the enemy.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 65 
 
 From hence our regiment received orders 
 to march to Dixmuyd, where we lay some 
 time employed in fortifying that place. 
 While we were there, I had one morning 
 stedfastly fixed my eyes upon some ducks, 
 that were swimming in a large water before 
 me ; when all on a sudden, in the midst of 
 a perfect calm, I observed such a strange 
 and strong agitation in the waters, that pro- 
 digiously surprised me. I was at the same 
 moment seized with such a giddiness in my 
 head, that, for a minute or two, I was 
 scarce sensible, and had much ado to keep 
 on my legs. I had never felt any thing of 
 an earthquake before, which, as I soon af- 
 ter understood from others, this was ; and 
 it left, indeed, very apparent marks of its 
 force, in a great rent in the body of the 
 great church, which remains to this day. 
 
 Having brought the intended fortifica- 
 tions into some tolerable order, we received 
 a command out of hand to reimbark for 
 England. And, upon our landing, direc- 
 tions met us to march for Ipswich, where 
 

 
 06 MEMOIRS or 
 
 we had our quarters all that winter. From 
 thence we were ordered up to London, ta 
 do duty in the Tower. I had not been 
 there long, before an accident happened, 
 as little to be accounted for, without a di- 
 vine Providence, as some would make that 
 Providence to be, that only can account 
 for it. 
 
 danger- There was at that time, as I was assured 
 MM tie by my Lord Lucas, constable ot k, up- 
 >ndou. wards of twenty thousand barrels or gun- 
 powder, in that they call the While Tower, 
 when all at once the middle flooring did 
 not only give way, or shrink, but fell flat 
 down upon other barrels of powder, toge- 
 ther with many of the same combustible 
 matter which had been placed upon it. It 
 was a Providence strangely neglected at 
 that time, and hardly thought of since : but 
 let any considerate man consult the con- 
 sequences, if it had taken fire ; perhaps to 
 the destruction of the whole city, or, at 
 least, as far as the bridge and parts adja- 
 cent. Let his thoughts proceed to ex-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 6/ 
 
 amine, why or how, in that precipitate fall, 
 not one nail, nor one piece of iron, in that 
 large fabric, should afford one little spark 
 to enflame that mass of sulphurous mat- 
 ter it was loaded with ; and if he is at a loss 
 to find a Providence, I fear his friends will 
 be more at a loss to find his understanding:, 
 
 O 
 
 But the battle of Landen happening while 
 our regiment was here on duty, we were 
 soon removed, to our satisfaction, from that 
 pacific station, to one more active in Flan- 
 ders. 
 
 Notwithstanding that fatal battle the 
 year preceding, namely, A.D. 1694, the 
 confederate army under King William lay 
 encamped at Mont St Andre, an open 
 place, and much exposed ; while the French 
 were entrenched up to their very teeth, at 
 Vignamont, a little distance from us. This 
 afforded matter of great reflection to the 
 politicians of those times, who could hardly 
 allow, that, if the confederate army suffered 
 so much, as it really did in the battle of 
 Landen, it could consist with right conduct
 
 68 
 
 to tempt, or rather dare a new engagement, 
 But those sage objectors had forgot the 
 well-known courage of that brave prince, 
 and were as little capable of fathoming 
 his designs. The enemy, who, to their 
 sorrow, had by experience been made bet- 
 ter judges, was resolved to traverse both; 
 for which purpose they kept close within 
 their entrenchments ; so that after all his 
 efforts, King William finding he could no 
 way draw them to a battle, suddenly de- 
 camped, and marched directly to Pont Es- 
 piers, by long inarches, with a design to 
 pass the French lines at that place. 
 
 But, notwithstanding our army marched 
 in a direct line, to our great surprise, we 
 found the enemy had first taken possession 
 of it. They gave this the name of the 
 Long March, and very deservedly ; for 
 though our army marched upon the string, 
 and the enemy upon the bow, sensible of 
 the importance of the post, and the neces- 
 sity of securing it, by double horseing with 
 their foot, and by leaving their weary and
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 69 
 
 weak in their garrisons, and supplying their, 
 places with fresh men out of them, they 
 gained their point in disappointing us. 
 Though certain it is, that march cost them 
 as many men and horses as a battle. How- 
 ever, their master, the French king, was so 
 pleased with their indefatigable and auspi- 
 cious diligence, that he wrote, with his own 
 hand, a letter of thanks to the officers, for * 
 the great zeal and care they had taken to 
 prevent the confederate army from enter- 
 ing into French Flanders. 
 
 King William, thus disappointed in that 
 noble design, gave immediate orders for his 
 whole army to march through Oudenard, 
 and then encamped at Rosendale; after 
 some little stay at that camp, we were re- 
 moved to the Camerlins, between Newport 
 and Ostend, once more to take our winter 
 quarters there among the boors. 
 
 We were now in the year 1695, when the Namur in 
 strong fortress of Namur. taken by the theEa/ 
 
 Athlone. 
 
 French in 1092, and since made by them 
 much stronger, was invested by the Earl of
 
 70 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Athlone. After very many vigorous attacks, 
 with the loss of many men, the town was 
 taken, the garrison retiring into the castle. 
 Into which, soon after, notwithstanding all 
 the circumspection of the besiegers, Mares- 
 chal Bouflers found means, with some dra- 
 goons, to throw himself. 
 
 re While King William was thus engaged 
 
 s s 1(> - in that glorious arid important siege, Prince 
 Vaudemont being posted at \\atergaem, 
 with about fifty battalions, and as many 
 squadrons, the Mareschal Villeroy laid a 
 design to attack him with the whole French 
 army. The Prince imagined no Jess, there- 
 fore he prepared accordingly, giving us or- 
 ders to fortify our camp, as well as the lit- 
 tle time we had for it would permit. Those 
 orders were pursued ; nevertheless, I must 
 confess, it was beyond the reach of my lit- 
 tle reason to account for our so long stay 
 in the sight of an army so much superior 
 to ours. The Prince, in the whole, could 
 hardly muster thirty thousand ; and Ville- 
 roy was known to value himself upon ha,-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 71 
 
 ving one hundred thousand effective men. 
 However, the Prince provisionally sent 
 away all our baggage that very morning to 
 Ghent, and still made shew as if he resol- 
 ved to defend himself to the last extremity, 
 in our little entrenchments. The enemy 
 on their side began to surround us ; and in 
 their motions for that purpose, blew up 
 little bags of gun-powder, to give the rea- 
 dier notice how far they had accomplished 
 it. Another captain, with myself, being 
 placed on the right, with one hundred men, 
 (where I found Monsieur Montal endea- 
 vouring, if possible, to get behind us,) I 
 could easily observe, they had so far at- 
 tained their aim of encompassing us, as to 
 the very fashion of a horses shoe. This 
 made me fix my eyes so intently upon the 
 advancing enemy, that I never minded 
 what my friends were doing behind me ; 
 though I afterwards found that they had 
 been fileing off so very artfully and privately, 
 by that narrow opening of the horse shoe, 
 that when the enemy imagined us past a
 
 72 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 possibility of escape, our little army at 
 once, and of a sudden, was ready to disap- 
 pear. There was a large wood on the right 
 of our army, through which lay the road 
 to Ghent, not broader than to admit of 
 more than four to march a-breast. Down 
 this the Prince had slid his forces, except 
 to that very small party which the captain 
 and myself commanded, and which was de- 
 signedly left to bring up the rear. Nor 
 did we stir till Captain Collier, then aid- 
 de-camp to his brother, now Earl of Port- 
 more, came with the word of command for 
 us to draw off. 
 
 When Villeroy was told of our retreat, he 
 was much surprised, as thinking it a thing 
 utterly impossible. However, at last, be- 
 ing sensible of the truth of it, he gave or- 
 ders for our rear to be attacked ; but we 
 kept firing from ditch to ditch, and hedge 
 to hedge, till night came upon us ; and so 
 our little army got clear of its gigantic ene- 
 my with very inconsiderable loss. How- 
 ever, the French failed not, in their custo-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 73 
 
 mary way, to express the sense of their vex- 
 ation at this disappointment, with fire and 
 sword in the neighbourhood round. Thus 
 Prince Vaudemont acquired more glory 
 by that retreat than an entire victory could 
 have given him ; and it was not, I confess, 
 the least part of satisfaction in life, that 
 myself had a share of honour under him, to 
 bring off the rear at that his glorious re- 
 treat at Arseel. 
 
 However, in further revenge of this poli- 
 tical chicane of the Prince of Vaudemont, 
 and to oblige, if possible, King William to 
 raise the siege from before Namur, Villeroy 
 
 * 
 
 entered into the resolution of bombarding 
 Brussels. In order to which, he encamped 
 at Anderleck, and then made his approaches 
 as near as was convenient to the town. 
 There he caused to be planted thirty mor- 
 tars, and raised a battery of ten guns to 
 shoot hot bullets into the place. 
 
 But before they fired from either, Ville- 
 roy, in compliment to the Duke of Bava- 
 ria, sent a messenger to know in what part
 
 74 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 of the town his Duchess chose to reside, 
 that they might, as much as possible, avoid 
 incommoding her, by directing their fire to 
 other parts. Answer was returned, that she 
 was at her usual place of residence, the 
 palace ; and accordingly their firing from 
 battery or mortars little incommoded them 
 that way. 
 
 Fi^e days the bombardment continued; 
 and with such fury, that the centre of that 
 noble city was quite laid in rubbish. Most 
 of the time of bombarding, I was upon the 
 counterscarp, where I could best see and 
 distinguish ; and I have often counted in 
 the air, at one time, more than twenty 
 bombs ; for they shot whole vollies out of 
 their mortars all together. This, as it 
 must needs be terrible, threw the inha- 
 bitants into the utmost confusion. Cart- 
 loads of nuns, that for many years before 
 had never been out of the cloister, were 
 now hurried about from place to place, to 
 find retreats of some security. In short, the 
 groves, and parts remote, were all crowded ;
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOtf. 75 
 
 and the most spacious streets had hardly a 
 spectator left to view their ruins. Nothing 
 was to be seen like that dexterity of our 
 people in extinguishing the fires ; for where 
 the red-hot bullets fell, and raised new con- 
 flagrations, not burghers only, but the vul- 
 gar sort, stood staring, and with their hands 
 impocketed, beheld their houses gradually 
 consume ; and without offering prudent or 
 charitable hand to stop the growing flames. 
 
 But after they had almost thus destroyed vineroy 
 
 i ' TT-n n i 11 decamps. 
 
 that late fair city, V illeroy, finding he could 
 not raise the siege of Namur by that vi- 
 gorous attack upon Brussels, decamped at 
 last from before it, and put his army on the 
 march towards Namur, to try if he could have 
 better success by exposing to show his page- 
 ant of one hundred thousand men. Prince 
 Vaudernont had timely intelligence of the 
 Duke's resolution and motion ; and resol- 
 ved, if possible, to get there before him. 
 Nor was the attempt fruitless : he fortu- 
 nately succeeded, though with much fa- 
 tigue, and no little difficulty, after he had
 
 76 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 put a trick upon the spies of the enemy, 
 by pretending to encamp, and so soon as 
 they were gone ordering a full march. 
 
 The castle of Namur had been all this 
 time under the fire of the besieger's cannon ; 
 and soon after our little army under the 
 Prince was arrived, a breach, that was ima- 
 gined practicable, being made in the Terra 
 Nova, (which, as the name imports, was a 
 new work, raised by the French, and added 
 to the fortifications, since it fell into their 
 hands in 1692, and which very much in- 
 creased the strength of the whole,) a breach, 
 as I have said, being made in this Terra 
 Nova, a storm, in a council of war, was 
 resolved upon. Four entire regiments, in 
 conjunction with some draughts made out 
 of several others, were ordered for that 
 work, myself commanding that part of 
 them, which had been drawn out of Colo- 
 nel Tiffin's. We were all to rendezvous at 
 the abbey of Salsines, under the command 
 of the Lord Cutts ; the signal, when the 
 attack was to be made, being agreed to
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 77 
 
 be the blowing up of a bag of gun-powder 
 upon the bridge of boats that lay over the 
 Sambre. 
 
 So soon as the signal was made, we Iord Cutl 
 marched up to the breach with a decent in- 
 
 . . . Namur; 
 
 trepidity, receiving, all the way we advan-* but oblige 
 
 to retire. 
 
 ced, the full fire of the Cohorn fort. But 
 as soon as we came near enough to mount, 
 we found it vastly steep and rugged. Not- 
 withstanding all which, several did get up, 
 and entered the breach ; but not being 
 supported as they ought to have been, they 
 were all made prisoners. Which, together 
 with a wound my Lord Cutts received, af- 
 ter we had done all that was possible for 
 us, necessitated us to retire with the loss of 
 many of our men. 
 
 Villeroy all this while lay in sight, with 
 his army of one hundred thousand men, 
 without making the least offer to incom- 
 mode the besiegers ; or even without doing 
 any thing more than make his appearance 
 in favour of the besieged, and reconnoit- 
 ring our encampment : and, at last, seeing,
 
 78 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 or imagining that he saw, the attempt would 
 be to little purpose, with all the good man- 
 ners in the world, in the night, he withdrew 
 that terrible meteor, and relieved our poor 
 horses from feeding on leaves, the only in- 
 convenience he had put us to. 
 
 This retreat leaving the garrison without 
 all hope of relief, they in the castle imme- 
 diately capitulated. But after one of the 
 gates had been, according to articles, deli- 
 vered up, and Count Guiscard was march- 
 ing out at the head of the garrison, and 
 Bouflers at the head of the dragoons ; the 
 Jatter was, by order of King William, ar- 
 rested, in reprize of the garrison of Dix- 
 muyd, who, contrary to the cartel, had 
 been detained prisoners, and remained un- 
 der arrest till they were set free. 
 
 At the very beginning of the year 1696, 
 was discovered a plot, fit only to have had 
 its origin from hell, or Rome ; a plot which 
 would have put Hottentots and Barbarians 
 out of countenance. This was called the 
 assassination plot, from the design of it,
 
 79 
 
 which was to have assassinated King Wil- 
 liam, a little before the time of his usual 
 leaving England to head the army of the 
 confederates in Flanders. And as nothing 
 could give a nobler idea of the great cha- 
 racter of that prince, than such a nefarious 
 combination against him; so, with all consi- 
 derate men, nothing could more depreciate 
 the cause of his inconsiderate enemies. If I 
 remember what I have read, the sons of an- 
 cient Rome, though heathens, behaved 
 themselves against an enemy in a quite dif- 
 ferent manner. Their historians afford us 
 more instances than a few of their generous 
 intimations to kings and generals, under 
 actual hostilities, of barbarous designs up- 
 on their lives. I proceed to this of our 
 own countrymen. 
 
 Soon after the discovery had been made, 
 by persons actually engaged in that inhu- 
 man design, the regiment, in which I ser- 
 ved, with some others then in Flanders, re- 
 ceived orders, with all expedition, to em- 
 bark for England ; though, on our arrival
 
 80 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 at Gravesend, fresh orders met us to re- 
 main on board the transports, till we had 
 further directions. 
 
 On my going to London, a few days 
 after, I was told, that two regiments 
 only were now designed to come ashore ; 
 and that the rest would be remanded to 
 Flanders, the danger apprehended being 
 pretty well over. I was at Whitehall when 
 I received this notice ; where, meeting my 
 Lord Cutts, (who had, ever since the storm- 
 ing of the Terra Nova at Namur, allowed 
 me a share in his favour) he expressed him- 
 self in the most obliging manner ; and at 
 parting desired he might not fail of seeing 
 me next morning at his house ; for he had 
 somewhat of an extraordinary nature to 
 communicate to me. 
 
 At the time appointed, I waited on his 
 lordship, where I met Mr Steel, (now Sir 
 Richard, and at that time his secretary,) 
 who immediately introduced me. I found 
 in company with him three gentlemen; and 
 after common salutations, his lordship de-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOtf. 81 
 
 livered into my hands, an order from the 
 King in council to go along with Captain 
 Porter, Mr de la Rue, and Mr George Har- 
 ris, (who proved to be those three with 
 him,) to search all the transports at Graves- 
 end, in order to prevent any of the conspi- 
 rators getting out of England that way. 
 After answering, that I was ready to pay 
 obedience, and receiving, in private, the 
 further necessary instructions, we took our 
 leave, and oars soon after for Gravesend. 
 It was in our passage down, that I under- 
 stood that they had all been of the conspi- 
 racy, but now reluctant, were become wit- 
 nesses. 
 
 When we came to Gravesend, I produ- 
 ced my authority to the commanding offi- 
 cer, who very readily paid obedience, and 
 gave assistance: But after our most dili- 
 gent search, finding nothing of what we 
 looked for, we returned that very night to 
 London. 
 
 Next day a proclamation was to come 
 out for the apprehending three of four 
 
 p
 
 82 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 troopers, who were sent over by King 
 James, with a thousand pounds reward for 
 each : Mr George Harris, who was the 
 fourth, being the only evidence against the 
 other three. No sooner were we returned 
 from Gravesend, but Harris had intelli- 
 gence brought him, that Cassells, one of 
 the three, was at Mr Allen's in the Savoy, 
 under the name of Green. Upon which 
 we went directly to the place, and enqui- 
 ring for Mr Green, we were told he lodged 
 there, and was in his room. 
 
 I was obliged by my order to go along 
 with them, and assist them ; and very well 
 was it that I was so : for, in consideration 
 of the reward in the proclamation, which, 
 as I have said, was to come out the next 
 day, Harris and the rest were for deferring 
 his seizure, till the coming out of that pro- 
 clamation ; but making answer, that, in 
 case of his escape that night, I must be 
 responsible to my superiors, who, under 
 the most favourable aspect, would construe 
 it a neglect of duty, they were forced to
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 83 
 
 comply ; and so he was taken up, and his 
 name that night struck out of the procla- 
 mation. It is very true, by this faithful 
 discharge of my trust, I did save the go- 
 vernment one thousand pounds ; but it is 
 equally so, that I never had of my gover- 
 nors one farthing consideration for what 
 others termed an over-officious piece of 
 service ; though, injustice, it must be own- 
 ed, a piece of exact and disinterested duty. 
 Some few days after, attending by direc- 
 tion at the secretary's office, with Mr Harris, 
 there came in a Dutchman, spluttering and 
 making a great noise, that he was sure he 
 could discover one of the conspirators ; but 
 the mien and the behaviour of the man 
 would not give any body leave to give him 
 any credit or regard. However, the man 
 persisting in his assertions, I spoke to Mr 
 Harris to take him aside, and ask him 
 what sort of a person he was : Harris did 
 so; and the Dutchman describing him, 
 says Harris, returning to me, Til be hanged 
 if it be not Blackburn. Upon which we
 
 84 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 had him questioned somewhat more nar- 
 rowly ; when having no room to doubt, 
 and understanding where he was, Colonel 
 Hi vet of the guards was sent for, and or- 
 dered to go along with us to seize him. 
 We went accordingly ; and it proving to 
 be Blackburn, the Dutchman had five hun- 
 dred pounds, and the colonel and others 
 the remainder. Cassels and Blackburn, 
 if still alive, are in Newgate, confined by 
 act of parliament, one only witness, which 
 was Harris, being producible against them. 
 
 AVhen Blackburn was seized, 1 found 
 in the chamber with him, one Davison, a 
 watch-maker, living in Holbourn. 1 car- 
 ried him along with me to the secretary of 
 state ; but nothing on his examination ap- 
 peaiing against him, he was immediately 
 discharged. He offered afterwards to pre- 
 sent me with a fine watch of his own ma- 
 king, which I refused ; and he long after 
 owned the obligation. 
 
 So soon as the depth of this plot was 
 fathomed, and the intended evil provided
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 85 
 
 against, as well as prevented, King \Vil- 
 liam went over into Flanders, and our re- 
 giment thereupon received orders for their 
 immediate return. Nothing of any mo- 
 ment occurred till our arrival at our old 
 quarters, the Camerlins, where we lay dis- 
 persed amongst the country boors, or far- 
 mers, as heretofore. However, for our bet- 
 ter security in those quarters, and to pre- 
 serve us from the excursions ot the neigh- 
 bouring: garrison of Fumes, we were ob- 
 
 o ~ 
 
 liged to keep an out-guard at a little place 
 called Shoerbeck. This guard was every 
 forty-eight hours changed, and remounted 
 with a captain, a lieutenant, an ensign, 
 and threescore men. 
 
 When it came to my turn to relieve that 
 guard, and for that purpose 1 was arrived 
 at my post, it appeared to me with the face 
 of a place of debauch, rather than busi- 
 ness ; there being too visible tokens, that 
 the hard duty of both officers and soldiers 
 had been that of hard drinking, the foulest
 
 86 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 error that a soldier can commit, especially 
 when on his guard. 
 
 To confirm my apprehensions, a little af- 
 ter I had taken possession of my guard, the 
 man of the house related to me such pas- 
 sages, and so many of them, that satisfied 
 me, that if ten sober men had made the at- 
 tack, they might have fairly knocked all 
 my predecessors of the last guard on the 
 head, without much difficulty. However, 
 his account administered matter of caution 
 to me, and put me upon taking a narrow- 
 er view of our situation. In consequence 
 whereof, at night I placed a centinel a 
 quarter of a mile in the rear, and such 
 other centmels as I thought necessary and 
 convenient in other places ; with orders, 
 that upon sight of an enemy the centinel 
 near should fire ; and that upon hearing 
 that, all the other centinels, as well as he, 
 should hasten in to strengthen our main 
 guard. 
 
 What my jealousy, on my landlord s re- 
 lation, had suggested, happened accord-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 8? 
 
 ingly; for, about one in the morning, I was 
 alarmed with the cry of one of my centi- 
 nels, Turn out, for God's sake ! which he 
 repeated, with vehemence, three or four 
 times over. I took the alarm, got up sud- 
 denly, and with no little difficulty got my 
 men into the ranks, when the person who 
 made the outcry came running in, almost 
 spent, and out of breath. It was the cen- 
 tinel, that I had luckily placed about a 
 quarter of a mile off, who gave the alarm ; 
 and his musket flashing in the pan, with- 
 out going off, he endeavoured to supply 
 with his voice the defect o r his piece. I 
 had just got my men into their ranks, in 
 order to receive the enemy, when by the 
 moon-light, I discovered a party advancing 
 upon us. My out>centinel challenged them, 
 and, as I had precautioned, they answered, 
 Hispanioli; though I knew them to be 
 French. 
 
 However, on my survey of our situation 
 by day-light, having marked in my mind 
 a proper place for drawing up my men in
 
 88 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 case of an attack, which was too narrow 
 to admit of more than two on a breast, and 
 which would secure between us and the 
 enemy a ditch of water, I resolved to put 
 in practice what had entertained me so 
 well in the theory. To that purpose I or- 
 dered my first rank to keep their post, stand 
 still and face the enemy, while the other 
 two ranks stooping, should follow me to gain 
 the intended station ; which done, the first 
 rank had orders to file off, and fall behind. 
 All was performed in excellent order ; and 
 I confess it was with no little pleasure, that 
 I beheld the enemy, for the best part of an 
 hour, in consultation, whether they should 
 attack us or no. The result, nevertheless, 
 of that consultation ended in this ; that, 
 seeing us so well upon our guard, it was 
 most advisable to draw off. They soon 
 put their resolution into practice, which I 
 was very glad to see ; on examination a lit- 
 tle before, having found that my predeces- 
 sor, as in other things, had failed of con- 
 duct in leaving me a garrison without am-*
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 89 
 
 munition. Next morning I was very plea- 
 singly surprised with a handsome present of 
 wine, and some other necessary refresh- 
 ments. At first I made a little scruple and 
 hesitation whether or no to receive them ; 
 till the bearer assured me, that they were 
 sent me from the officers of the next garrison, 
 who had made me a visit the night before, 
 as a candid acknowledgment of my con- 
 duct and good behaviour. I returned their 
 compliment, that 1 hoped I should never 
 receive men of honour otherwise than like 
 a man of honour ; which mightily pleased 
 them. Every of which particulars the 
 Ghent Gazetteer the week after published. 
 We had little to do except marching and 
 counter-marching all the campaign after; 
 till it was resolved, in a council of war, for 
 the better preserving of Brussels from such 
 insults, as it had before sustained from the 
 French during the siege of Namur, to fortify 
 Andcrlech ; upon which our regiment, as well 
 as others, were commanded from our more 
 pacific posts to attend that work. Our whole
 
 90 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 army was under movement to cover that re- 
 solution ; and the train fell to my care and 
 command in the march. There accompanied 
 the train a fellow, seemingly ordinary, yet 
 very officious and courteous, being ready to 
 do any thing for any person, from the officer 
 to the common soldier. He travelled along, 
 and moved with the train, sometimes on 
 foot, and sometimes getting a ride in some 
 one or other of the waggons ; but ever full 
 of his chit-chat and stories of humour. By 
 these insinuating ways he had screwed 
 himself into the general good opinion ; but 
 the waggoners especially grew particularly 
 fond of him. At the end of our march, all 
 our powder-waggons were placed breast- 
 abreast, and so close, that one miscarrying 
 would leave little doubt of the fate of all 
 the rest. This, in the camp, we commonly 
 call the Park; and here it was that our new 
 guest, like another Phaeton, though under 
 pretence of weariness, not ambition, got 
 leave of the very last carter to the train, to 
 take a nap in his waggon. One who had
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 91 
 
 entertained a jealousy of him, and had 
 watched him, gave information against him ; 
 upon which he was seized and brought to Anincen. 
 me as captain of the guard. I caused him and burnt 
 
 in the face 
 
 to be searched ; and, upon search, finding j; i f v thc ar ~ 
 match, touchwood, and other dangerous 
 materials upon him, I sent him and them 
 away to the provoe. Upon the whole, a 
 council of war was called, at which, upon 
 a strict examination, he confessed himself a 
 hired incendiary ; and as such received his 
 sentence to be burnt in the face of the ar- 
 
 > 
 
 my. The execution was a day or two after : 
 when, on the ery spot, he further acknow- 
 ledged, that on sight or noise of the blow, 
 it had been concerted that the French ar- 
 my should fall upon the confederates un- 
 der those lamentable circumstances. 
 
 The peace of Riswick soon after taking I'^ce of 
 
 Rfcwtck. 
 
 place, put an end to all incendiarisms of 
 either sort. So that nothing of a military 
 kind, which was now become my province, 
 happened of some years after. Our regi- 
 ment was first ordered into England, and
 
 92 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 presently after into Ireland : but as these 
 memoirs are not designed for the low 
 amusement of a tea-table, but rather of 
 the cabinet, a series of inglorious inacti- 
 vity can furnish but very little towards 
 them. 
 
 Yet, as little as I admired a life of inac- 
 tivity, there are some sorts of activity to 
 which a wise man might almost give su- 
 pineness the preference : Such is that of 
 barely encountering elements, and waging 
 war with nature ; and such, in my opinion, 
 would have been the spending my commis- 
 sion, and very probably my life with it, in 
 the West Indies. For though the climate 
 (as some would urge) may afford a chance 
 for a very speedy advance in honour, yet, 
 upon revolving in my mind, that those ro- 
 tations of the wheel of fortune are often so 
 very quick, as well as uncertain, that I 
 myself might as well be the first as the 
 last; the whole of the debate ended in 
 somewhat like that couplet of the excellent 
 Hudibras :
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 93 
 
 Then he, that ran away and fled, 
 Must lie in honour's truckle-bed. 
 
 However, my better planets soon disan- 
 nulled those melancholy ideas, which a ru- 
 mour of our being sent into the West In- 
 dies had crowded my head and heart with: 
 For, being called over into England, upon 
 the very affairs of the regiment, I arrived 
 there just after the orders for their trans- 
 portation went over ; by which means the 
 choice of going was put out of my power, 
 and the danger of refusing, which was the 
 case of many, was very luckily avoided. 
 
 It being judged, therefore, impossible 
 for me to return soon enough to gain my 
 passage, one in power proposed to me, 
 that I should resign to an officer then go- 
 ing over ; and with some other contingent 
 advantages, to my great satisfaction, I was 
 put upon the halt-pay list. This was more 
 agreeable ; for 1 knew, or at least imagined 
 myself wise enough to foretel, from the 
 over hot debate of the House of Commons
 
 upon the Partition Treaty, that it could not 
 be long before the present peace would, at 
 least, require patching. 
 
 Under this sort of uncertain settlement 
 I remained with the patience of a Jew, 
 though not with judaical absurdity, a faith- 
 ful adherer to my expectation. Nor did 
 the consequence fail of answering ; a war 
 was apparent, and soon after proclaimed. 
 Thus, waiting for an opportunity, which I 
 flattered myself would soon present, the 
 little diversions of Dublin, and the mode- 
 rate conversation of that people, were not 
 of temptation enough to make my stay in 
 England look like a burden. 
 
 But though the war was proclaimed, and 
 preparations accordingly made for it, the 
 expectations from all received a sudden 
 damp, by the as sudden death of King 
 William. That Prince, who had stared 
 death in the face, in many sieges and bat- 
 tles, met with his fate in the midst of his 
 diversions, who seized his prize in an hour, 
 to human thought, the least adapted to it.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 95 
 
 He was a-hunting, (his customary diver- 
 sion,) when, by an unhappy trip of his 
 horse, he fell to the ground ; and in the fall 
 displaced his collar-bone. The news of it 
 immediately alarmed the court, and all 
 around ; and the sad effects of it soon af- 
 ter gave all Europe the like alarm. France 
 only, who had not disdained to seek it 
 sooner by ungenerous means, received new 
 hope, from what gave others motives for 
 despair. He flattered himself, that that 
 long-lived obstacle to his ambition thus re- 
 
 o 
 
 moved, his successor would never fall into 
 those measures, which he had wisely con- 
 certed for the liberties of Europe ; but he, 
 as well as others of his adherents, was glo- 
 riously deceived ; that god-like queen, with 
 a heart entirely English, prosecuted her 
 royal predecessor's counsels ; and, to re- 
 move all the very faces of jealous}^ imme- 
 diately on her accession dispatched to every 
 court of the great confederacy, persons ade- 
 quate to the importance of the message, 
 to give assurances thereof.
 
 96 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 This gave new spirit to a cause, that at 
 first seemed to languish in its founder, as it 
 struck its great opposers with a no less 
 mortifying terror : and well did the great 
 successes of her arms answer the prayers 
 and efforts of that royal soul of the confe- 
 deracies ; together with the wishes of all, 
 that, like her, had the good, as well as the 
 honour of their country at heart, in which 
 the liberties of Europe were included. 
 The first campaign gave a noble earnest of 
 the future. Bon, Keyserwaert, Venlo, and 
 Ruremond, were found forerunners only of 
 Donawert, Hochstet, and Blenheim. Such 
 a march of English forces to the support 
 of the tottering empire, as it gloriously ma- 
 nifested the ancient genius of a warlike 
 people, so was it happily celebrated with a 
 success answerable to the glory of the un- 
 dertaking, which concluded in statues and 
 princely donatives to an English subject, 
 from the then only emperor in Europe. A 
 small tribute, it is true, for ransomed na- 
 tions and captive armies, which justly 
 
 11
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 97 
 
 enough inverted the exclamations of a Ro- 
 man emperor to the French monarch, who 
 deprecated his legions lost pretty near the 
 same spot : but to a much superior num- 
 ber, and on a much less glorious occasion. 
 But my good fortune not allowing me 
 to participate in those glorious appendages 
 of the English arms in Flanders, nor on 
 the Rhine, I was resolved to make a push 
 for it the first opportunity, and waste my 
 minutes no longer on court attendances. 
 
 o 
 
 And my Lord Cults returning with his full 
 share of laurels, for his never to be forgot- 
 ten services at Venlo, Ruremond, and 
 Hochstet, found his active genius now to 
 be reposed, under the less agreeable bur- 
 den of unhazardous honour, where quiet 
 must provide a tomb for one already past 
 any danger of oblivion ; deep wounds and 
 glorious actions having anticipated all that 
 could be said in epitaphs or literal inscrip- 
 tions. Soon after his arrival from Ger- 
 many, he was appointed general of all her 
 Majesty's forces in Ireland ; upon which, 
 
 6
 
 98 MEMOIRS or 
 
 going to congratulate him, he was pleased 
 to enquire of me several things relating to 
 that country ; and, particularly, in what 
 part of Dublin I would recommend his re- 
 sidence ; offering at the same time, if I 
 would go over with him, all the services 
 that should fall in his way. 
 
 But inactivity was a thing I had too 
 long lamented ; therefore, after I had, as 
 decently as I could, declined the latter 
 part, I told his lordship ?i that as to a place 
 of residence, I was master of a house in 
 Dublin, large enough, and suitable to his 
 great quality, which should be at his ser- 
 vice, on any terms he thought fit ; adding 
 withal, that I had a mind to see Spain, 
 where my Lord Peterborow was now go- 
 ing ; and that if his lordship would favour 
 me with a recommendation, it would 
 suit my present inclinations much better 
 than any further tedious recess. His lord- 
 ship was so good to close with both my 
 overtures ; and spoke so effectually in my 
 favour, that the Earl of Peterborow, then
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 99 
 
 general of all the forces ordered on that 
 expedition, bade me speedily prepare my- 
 self; and so when all things were ready, I 
 embarked with that noble lord for Spain, 
 to pursue his well-concerted undertaking ; 
 which, in the event, will demonstrate to the 
 world, that little armies, under the conduct 
 of auspicious generals, may sometimes pro- 
 duce prodigious effects. 
 
 The Jews, in whatever part of the world, 
 are a people industrious in the increasing 
 of Mammon ; and, being accustomed to 
 the universal methods of gain, are always 
 esteemed best qualified for any underta- 
 king, where that bears a probability of be- 
 ing a perquisite. Providing bread, and 
 other requisites for an army, was ever al- 
 lowed to carry along with it a profit answer- 
 able ; and Spain was not the first country 
 where that people had engaged in such an 
 undertaking. Besides, on any likely ap- 
 pearance of great advantage, it is in the 
 nature, as .well as practice of that race, 
 strenuously to assist one another ; and that
 
 100 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 with the utmost confidence and prodigious 
 alacrity. One of that number, both com- 
 petent and willing enough to cany on an 
 undertaking of that kind, fortunately came 
 at that juncture to solicit the Earl of Pe- 
 terborow to be employed as proveditor to 
 the army and troops, which were, or should 
 be, sent into Spain. 
 
 It will easily be admitted, that the Earl, 
 under his present exigencies, did not de- 
 cline to listen. And a very considerable 
 sum being offered, by way of advance, the 
 method common in like cases was pursued, 
 and the sum proposed accepted ; by which 
 means the Earl of Peterborow found him- 
 self put into the happy capacity of pro- 
 ceeding upon his first concerted project. 
 The name of the Jew, who signed the con- 
 tract, was Curtisos ; and he and his friends, 
 with great punctuality, advanced the ex- 
 pected sum of one hundred thousand pounds 
 sterling, or very near it ; which was imme- 
 diately ordered into the hands of the pay- 
 master of the forces. For though the Earl
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 1Q1 
 
 took money of the Jews, it was not for bis 
 own, but public use. According to agree- 
 ment, bills were drawn for the value from 
 Lisbon, upon the Lord Godolphin, (then 
 Lord-treasurer,) all which were, on that 
 occasion, punctually complied with. 
 
 The Earl of Peterborow having thus for- 
 tunately found means to supply himself 
 with money, and by that with some horse, 
 after he had obtained leave of the Lord 
 Galoway to make an exchange of two regi- 
 ments of foot, received the Archduke, and 
 all those who would follow him, aboard the 
 fleet ; and, at his own expence, transported 
 him and his whole retinue to Barcelona: 
 for all which prodigious charge, as I have 
 been very lately informed, from very good 
 hands, that noble Earl never to this day 
 received any consideration from the govern- 
 ment, or any person whatsoever. 
 
 We sailed from Lisbon, in order to join 
 the squadron under Sir Cloudsley Shovel : 
 meeting with which at the appointed sta- 
 tion off Tangier, the men of war and trans-
 
 102 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ports thus united, made the best of their 
 way for Gibraltar. There we staid no long- 
 er than to take aboard two regiments out 
 of that garrison, in lieu of two out of our 
 fleet. Here we found the Prince of Hesse, 
 who immediately took a resolution to fol- 
 low the Archduke in this expedition. He 
 was a person of great gallantry, and ha- 
 ving been viceroy of Catalonia, was received 
 on board the fleet with the utmost satisfac- 
 tion, as being a person capable of doing 
 great service in a country where he w r as 
 well known, and as well beloved. 
 
 Speaking Latin then pretty fluently, it 
 gave me frequent opportunities of conver- 
 sing with the two father confessors of the 
 Duke of Austria ; and upon that account 
 I found myself honoured with some share 
 in the favour of the Archduke himself. I 
 mention this, not to gratify any vain hu- 
 mour, but as a corroborating circumstance, 
 that my opportunities of information, in 
 matters of consequence, could not thereby 
 be supposed to be lessened; but that I
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 103 
 
 might more reasonably be imagined to ar- 
 rive at intelligence, that not very often, or 
 at least not so soon, came to the know- 
 ledge of others. 
 
 From Gibraltar we sailed to the bay of 
 Altea, not far distant from the city of Va- 
 lencia, in the road of which we continued 
 for some days. While we were there, as I 
 was very credibly informed, the Earl of 
 Peterborow met with some fresh disap- 
 pointment ; but what it was, neither I nor 
 any body else, as far as I could perceive, 
 could ever dive into : neither did it appear 
 by any outward tokens in that noble gene- 
 ral, that it lay so much at his heart, as 
 those about him seemed to assure me it 
 did. 
 
 However, while we lay in Altea Bay, two 
 bomb vessels, and a small squadron, were 
 ordered against Denia, which had a small 
 castle, but rather fine than strong. And 
 accordingly, upon our offer to bring to bear 
 with our cannon, and preparing to fix our 
 bomb vessels, in order to bombard the}
 
 104 MEMOIRS or 
 
 place, it surrendered, and acknowledged 
 the Archduke as lawful king of Spain, and 
 so proclaimed him. From this time, there- 
 fore, speaking of that prince, it shall be 
 under that title. General Ramos was left 
 commander here ; a person who afterwards 
 acted a very extraordinary part in the war 
 carried on in the kingdom of Valencia. 
 
 But notwithstanding no positive resolu- 
 tions had been taken for the operations of 
 the campaign, before the Archduke's de- 
 parture from Lisbon, the Earl of Peterbo- 
 row, ever solicitous of the honour of his 
 country, had premeditated another enter- 
 prize, which, had it been embraced, would, 
 in all probability, have brought that war 
 to a much more speedy conclusion ; and at 
 the same time have obviated all those dif- 
 ficulties, which were but too apparent in 
 the siege of Barcelona. He had justly and 
 judiciously weighed, that there were no 
 forces in the middle parts of Spain, all their 
 troops being in the extreme parts of the 
 kingdom, either on the frontiers of Portu-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 105 
 
 gal, or in the city of Barcelona ; that with 
 King Philip, and the royal family at Ma- 
 drid, there were only some few horse, and 
 those in a bad condition, and which only 
 served for guards ; if, therefore, as he 
 rightly projected within himself, by the ta- 
 king of Valencia, or any sea-port town, 
 that might have secured .his landing, he 
 had marched directly for Madrid, what 
 could have opposed him ? But I shall have 
 occasion to dilate more upon this head a 
 few pages hence ; and therefore shall here 
 only say, that though that project of his 
 might have brought about a speedy and 
 wonderful revolution, what he was by his 
 orders afterwards obliged to, against his 
 inclinations, to pursue, contributed much 
 more to his great reputation, as it put him 
 under a frequent necessity of overcoming 
 difficulties, which, to any other general, 
 would have appeared unsurmountable. 
 
 Valencia is a city towards the centre of Valencia 
 Spain, to the seaward, seated in a rich and 
 most populous country, just fifty leagues
 
 106* MEMOIRS OF 
 
 from Madrid ; it abounds in horses and 
 mules ; by reason of the great fertility of 
 its lands, which they can, to great advan- 
 tage, water when and as they please. This 
 city and kingdom was as much inclined to 
 the interest of King Charles as Catalonia 
 itself; for, even on our first appearance, 
 great numbers of people came down to the 
 bay of Altea, with not only a bare offer of 
 their services, but loaded with all manner 
 of provisions, and loud acclamations of 
 Viva Carlos, tercei-o, Viva. There were no 
 regular troops in any of the places round 
 about it, or in the city itself. The nearest 
 were those few horse in Madrid, one hun- 
 dred and fifty miles distant ; nor any foot 
 nearer than Barcelona, or the frontiers of 
 Portugal. 
 
 On the contrary, Barcelona is one of the 
 largest and most populous cities in all 
 Spain, fortified with bastions ; one side 
 thereof is secured by the sea, and the other 
 by a strong fortification, called Monjouick. 
 The place is of so large a circumference,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 10? 
 
 that thirty thousand men would scarce suf- 
 fice to form the lines of circumvallation. 
 It once resisted for many months an army 
 of that force ; and is almost at the greatest 
 distance from England of any place be- 
 longing to that monarchy. 
 
 This short description of these two pla- 
 ces will appear highly necessary, if it be 
 considered, that no person without it would 
 be able to judge of the design which the 
 Earl of Peterborow intended to pursue, 
 when he first took the Archduke aboard 
 the fleet. Nevertheless, the Earl now 
 found himself under a necessity of quitting 
 that noble design, upon his receipt of or- 
 ders from England, while he lay in the bay 
 of Altea, to proceed directly to Catalonia; 
 to which the Archduke, as well as many 
 sea and land officers, were most inclined ; 
 and the Prince of Hesse more than all the 
 rest. 
 
 On receiving those orders, the Earl of 
 Peterborow seemed to be of opinion, that 
 from an attempt, which he thought under
 
 108 MEMOIRS or 
 
 a probability of success, he was condemned 
 to undertake what was next to an impossi- 
 bility of effecting ; since nothing appeared 
 to him so injudicious as an attempt upon 
 Barcelona. A place at such a distance from 
 receiving any reinforcement or relief; the 
 only place in which the Spaniards had a 
 garrison of regular forces ; and those in 
 number rather exceeding the army he was 
 to undertake the siege with ; was enough 
 to cool the ardour of a person of less pene- 
 tration and zeal than what the Earl had 
 on all occasions demonstrated. Whereas, 
 if the General, as he intended, had made 
 an immediate march to Madrid, after he 
 had secured Valencia, and the towns adja- 
 cent, which were all ready to submit and 
 declare for King Charles ; or if otherwise 
 inclined, had it not in their power to make 
 any considerable resistance ; to which, if it 
 be added, that he could have had mules 
 and horses immediately provided for him, 
 in what number he pleased, together with 
 carriages necessary for artillery, baggage,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 109 
 
 and ammunition ; in few days he could 
 have forced King Philip out of Madrid, 
 where he had so little force to oppose him. 
 And as there was nothing in his way to 
 prevent or obstruct his marching thither, it 
 is hard to conceive any other part King 
 Philip could have acted in such an extre- 
 mity, than to retire either towards Portu- 
 gal or Catalonia. In either of which cases, 
 he must have left all the middle part of 
 Spain open to the pleasure of the enemy ; 
 who, in the mean time, would have had it. 
 in their power to prevent any communica- 
 tion of those bodies at such opposite ex- 
 tremes of the country, as were the frontiers 
 of Portugal and Barcelona, where only, 
 as I said before, were any regular troops. 
 
 And on the other side, as the forces of 
 the Earl of Peterborow were more than suf- 
 ficient for an attempt where there was so 
 little danger of opposition ; so if their army 
 on the frontiers of Portugal should have 
 marched back upon him into the country, 
 either the Portuguese army could have en-
 
 110 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 tered into Spain without opposition, or, at 
 worst, supposing the General had been 
 forced to retire, his retreat would have 
 been easy and safe into those parts of Va- 
 lencia and Andeluzia, which he previously 
 had secured. Besides Gibraltar, the strong- 
 est place in Spain, if not in the whole 
 world, was already in our possession, and 
 a great fleet at hand ready to give assist- 
 ance in all places near the sea. From all 
 which it is pretty apparent, that in a little 
 time the war on our side might have been 
 supported without entering the Mediterra- 
 nean ; by which means all reinforcements 
 would have been much nearer at hand, and 
 the expences of transporting troops and 
 ammunition very considerably diminish- 
 ed. 
 
 But none of these arguments, though 
 every one of them is founded on solid rea- 
 son, were of force enough against the pre- 
 vailing opinion for an attempt upon Cata- 
 lonia. Mr Crow, agent for the queen in 
 those parts, had sent into England most-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. Ill 
 
 positive assurances, that nothing would be 
 wanting, if once our fleet made an inva- 
 sion amongst the Catalans : The Prince of 
 Hesse likewise abounded in mighty offers, 
 and prodigious assurances ; all which en- 
 forced our army to that part of Spain, and 
 that gallant prince to those attempts in 
 which he lost his life. Very much against 
 the inclination of our general, who foresaw 
 all those difficulties, which were no less 
 evident afterwards to every one ; and the 
 sense of which occasioned those delays, and 
 that opposition to any effort upon Barce- 
 lona, which ran through so many succes- 
 sive councils of war. 
 
 However, pursuant to his instructions 
 from England, the repeated desires of the 
 Archduke, and the importunities of the 
 Prince of Hesse, our general gave orders to 
 sail from Altea towards the bay of Barce- 
 lona, the chief city of Catalonia. Never- 
 theless, when we arrived there, he was very 
 unwilling to land any of the forces, till he 
 saw some probability of that assistance and
 
 112 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 succour so much boasted of, and so often 
 promised. But as nothing appeared but 
 some small numbers of men, very indiffe- 
 rently armed, and without either gentlemen 
 or officers at the head of them ; the Earl 
 of Peterborow was of opinion, this could 
 not be deemed sufficient encouragement 
 for him to engage in an enterprize, which 
 carried so poor a face of probability of suc- 
 cess along with it. In answer to this it 
 was urged, that till a descent was made, 
 and the affair thoroughly engaged in, it 
 was not to be expected that any great 
 numbers would appear, or that persons of 
 condition would discover themselves. Up- 
 on all which it was resolved the troops 
 should be landed. 
 
 Accordingly, our forces were disembark- 
 ed, and immediately encamped ; notwith- 
 standing which, the number of succours 
 increased very slowly, and that after the 
 first straggling manner. Nor were those 
 that did appear any way to be depended 
 on ; coming when they thought fit, and go-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 113 
 
 ing away when they pleased, and not to be 
 brought under any regular discipline. It 
 was then pretended, that until they saw the 
 artillery landed as well as forces, they would 
 not believe any siege actually intended. 
 This brought the General under a sort of 
 necessity of complying in that also. Though 
 certainly so to do must be allowed a little 
 unreasonable, while the majority in all 
 councils of war declared the desio-n to be 
 
 o 
 
 impracticable ; and the Earl of Peterborow 
 had positive orders to proceed according 
 to such majorities. 
 
 At last the Prince of Hesse was pleased to 
 demand pay for those stragglers, as officers 
 and soldiers, endeavouring to maintain, that 
 it could not be expected, that men should 
 venture their lives for nothing. Thus, we 
 came to Catalonia upon assurances of uni- 
 versal assistance ; but found, when we came 
 there, that we were to have none unless 
 we paid for it. And as we were sent thi- 
 ther without money to pay for any thing, 
 it had certainly been for us^more tolerable 
 
 H
 
 114 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 to have been in a country where we might 
 have taken by force what we could not ob- 
 tain any other way. 
 
 However, to do the M iquelets all possi- 
 ble justice, I must say, that, notwithstand- 
 ing the number of them, which hovered 
 about the place, never much exceeded fif- 
 teen hundred men ; if sometimes more, of- 
 tener less ; and though they never came un- 
 der any command, but planted themselves 
 where and as they pleased, yet did they 
 considerable service in taking possession of 
 all the country houses and convents, that 
 lay between the hills and the plain of Bar- 
 celona ; by means w hereof they rendered 
 it impossible for the enemy to make any 
 sorties or sallies at any distance from the 
 town. 
 
 And now began all those difficulties to 
 bear, which long before, by the General, 
 had been apprehended. The troops had 
 continued under a state of inactivity for 
 the space of three weeks, all which was 
 spent in perpetual contrivances and dis-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 115 
 
 pates amongst ourselves, not with the ene- 
 my. In six several councils of war the 
 siege of Barcelona, under the circumstan- 
 ces we then lay, was rejected as a madness 
 and impossibility. And though the Gene- 
 ral and Brigadier Stanhope (afterward Earl 
 Stanhope) consented to some effort, yet it 
 was rather that some effort should be made 
 to satisfy the expectation of the world, than 
 with any hopes of success. However, no 
 consent at all could be obtained from any 
 council of war ; and the Dutch General in 
 particular declared, that he would not 
 obey even the commands of the Earl of Pe- 
 terborow, if he should order the sacrifice 
 of the troops under him in so unjustifiable 
 a manner, without the consent of a council 
 of war. 
 
 And yet all those officers, who refused 
 their consent to the siege of Barcelona, of- 
 fered to march into the country, and at- 
 tempt any other place, that was not pro- 
 vided with so strong and numerous a gar- 
 rison ; taking it for granted, that no town
 
 116' MEMOIRS OF 
 
 in Catalonia, Barcelona excepted, could 
 make long resistance ; and in case the 
 troops in that garrison should pursue them, 
 they then might have an opportunity of 
 fighting them at less disadvantage in the 
 open field, than behind the walls of a place 
 of such strength. And, indeed, should they 
 have issued out on any such design, a de- 
 feat of those troops would have put the 
 province of Catalonia, together with the 
 kingdoms of Arragon and Valencia, into 
 the hands of King Charles, more effectual- 
 ly than the taking of Barcelona itself. 
 
 Let it be observed, en passant, that by 
 those offers of the land officers in a council 
 of war, it is easy to imagine what would 
 have been the success of our troops, had 
 they marched directly from Valencia to 
 Madrid. For, if after two months alarm, 
 it was thought reasonable, as well as prac- 
 ticable, to march into the open country 
 rather than attempt the siege of Barcelona, 
 where forces equal, if not superior in num- 
 ber, were ready to follow us at the heels,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 117 
 
 what might not have been expected from 
 an invasion by our troops when and where 
 they could meet with little opposition ? 
 But, leaving the consideration of what 
 might have been, I shall now endeavour, 
 at least with great exactness, to set down 
 some of the most remarkable events, from 
 our taking to the relief of Barcelona. 
 
 The repeated refusals of the councils of 
 war for undertaking the siege of so strong 
 a place, with a garrison so numerous, and 
 those refusals grounded upon such solid 
 reasons, against a design so rash, reduced 
 the General to the utmost perplexity. The 
 court of King Charles was immerged in 
 complaint ; all belonging to him lamenting 
 the hard fate of that Prince, to be brought 
 into Catalonia only to return again, with- 
 out the offer of any one effort in his favour. 
 On the other hand, our own officers and 
 soldiers were highly dissatisfied, that they 
 were reproached, because not disposed to 
 enter upon, and engage themselves in im- 
 possibilities. And, indeed, in the manner
 
 118 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 that the siege was proposed and insisted 
 upon by the Prince of Hesse, in every of 
 the several councils of war, after the loss 
 of many men, thrown away to no other pur- 
 pose, but to avoid the shame (as the ex- 
 pression ran) of coming like fools and going 
 away like cowards, it could have ended in 
 nothing but a retreat at last. 
 
 It afforded but small comfort to the Earl 
 to have foreseen all these difficulties, and 
 to have it in his power to say, that he would 
 never have taken the Archduke on board, 
 nor have proposed to him the hopes of a 
 recovery of the Spanish monarchy from 
 King Philip, if he could have imagined it 
 probable, that he should not have been at 
 liberty to pursue his own design, according 
 to his own judgment. It must be allowed 
 very hard for him, who had undertaken so 
 great a work, and that without any orders 
 from the government; and by so doing, 
 could have had no justification but by suc- 
 cess ; I sav, it must be allowed to be very 
 hard, (after the undertaking had been ap-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETO^. 
 
 proved in England,) that he should find 
 himself to be directed in this manner by 
 those at a distance, upon ill grounded and 
 confident reports from Mr Crow; and com- 
 pelled, as it were, though General, to fol- 
 low the sentiments of strangers, who either 
 had private views of ambition, or had no 
 immediate care or concern for the troops 
 employed in this expedition. 
 
 Such were the present unhappy circum- 
 stances of tiie Earl of l j etei borow in the 
 camp before Barcelona : impossibilities 
 proposed ; no expedients to be accepted ; 
 a court reproaching ; councils of war re- 
 jecting ; and the Dutch General refusing 
 the assistance of the troops under his com- 
 mand ; and, what surmounted all, a despair 
 of bringing such animosities and differing 
 opinions to any tolerable agreement. Yet 
 all these difficulties, instead of discoura- 
 ging the Earl, set every faculty of his more 
 afloat; and, at last, produced a lucky 
 thought, which was happily attended with 
 events extraordinary, and scenes of success
 
 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 much beyond his expectation ; such as the 
 General himself was heard to confess, it 
 had been next to folly to have looked for ; 
 as certainly, in prima facie, it would hardly 
 have borne proposing, to take by surprise a 
 place much stronger than" Barcelona itself. 
 True it is, that his only hope of succeeding 
 consisted in this : That no person could 
 suppose such an enterprize could enter in- 
 to the imagination of man ; and, without 
 doubt, the General's chief dependence lay 
 upon what he found true in the sequel ; 
 that the governor and garrison of Monjou- 
 ick, by reason of their own security, would 
 be very negligent, and very little upon their 
 guard. 
 
 However, to make the experiment, he 
 took an opportunity, unknown to any per- 
 son but an aid-de-camp that attended him, 
 and went out to view the fortifications ; 
 and there being no horse in that strong for- 
 tress, and the Miquelets being possessed 
 of all the houses and gardens in the plain, 
 it was not difficult to <nve himself that sa- 
 
 o
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 121 
 
 tisfaction, taking his way by the foot of 
 the hill. The observation he made of the 
 place itself, the negligence and supineness 
 of the garrison, together with his own un- 
 easy circumstances, soon brought the Earl 
 to a resolution of putting his first concep- 
 tions in execution ; satisfied as he was, from 
 the situation of the ground between Mon- 
 jouick and the town, that if the first was 
 in our possession, the siege of the latter 
 might be undertaken with some prospect 
 of success. 
 
 From what has been said, some may be 
 apt to conclude, that the siege afterward 
 succeeding, when the attack was made 
 from the side of Monjouick, it had not been 
 impossible to have prevailed, if the effort 
 had been made on the east side of the town, 
 where our forces were at first encamped, 
 and where only we could have made our 
 approaches, if Monjouick had not been in 
 our power. But a few words will convince 
 any of common experience of the utter im- 
 possibility of success upon the east part of
 
 122 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 the town, although many almost miracu- 
 lous accidents made us succeed, when we 
 brought our batteries to bear upon that 
 part of Barcelona towards the west. The 
 ground to the east was a perfect level for 
 many miles, which would have necessita- 
 ted our making our approaches in a regular 
 way; and consequently our men must have 
 been exposed to the lull fire of their whole 
 artillery. Besides, the town is on that side 
 much stronger than any other ; there is an 
 out-work just under the walls of the town, 
 flanked by the courtin and the faces of two 
 bastions, which might have cost us half 
 our troops to possess, before we could have 
 raised a battery against the walls. Or sup- 
 posing, after all, a competent breach had 
 been made, what a wise piece of work must 
 it have been to have attempted a storm, 
 against double the number of regular 
 troops within ? 
 
 On the contrary, we were so favoured by 
 the situation, when we made the attack 
 from the side ol Monjouick, that the breach
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 125 
 
 was made, and the town taken, without 
 opening of trenches, or without our being 
 at all incommoded by any sallies of the 
 enemy ; as, in truth, they made not one 
 during the whole siege. Our great battery, 
 which consisted of upwards of fifty heavy 
 cannon, supplied from the ships, and ma- 
 naged by the seamen, were placed upon a 
 spot of rising ground, just, large enough to 
 contain our guns, with two deep hollow 
 ways on each side the field, at each end 
 whereof we had raised a little redoubt, 
 which served to preserve our men from the 
 shot of the town. Those little redoubts, 
 in w r hich we had some field-pieces, flanked 
 the battery, and rendered it entirely secure 
 from any surprise of the enemy. There 
 were several other smaller batteries raised 
 upon the hills adjacent, in places not to be 
 approached, which, in a manner, rendered 
 all the artillery of the enemy useless, by 
 reason their men could not ply them, but 
 with the utmost danger; whereas, ours were
 
 124 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 secure, very few being killed, and those 
 mostly by random shot. 
 
 But, to return to the General : forced as 
 he was to take this extraordinary resolu- 
 tion, he concluded, the readiest way to sur- 
 prise his enemies, was to elude his friends. 
 He therefore called a council of war ashore, 
 of the land-officers ; and aboard, of the 
 admirals and sea-officers : In both which 
 it was resolved, that in case the siege of 
 Barcelona was judged impracticable, and 
 that the troops should be reimbarked by 
 a day appointed, an effort should be made 
 upon the kingdom of Naples. Accordingly, 
 the day affixed being come, the heavy ar- 
 tillery, landed for the siege, was returned 
 aboard the ships, and every thing in ap- 
 pearance prepared for a reimbarkment. 
 During which, the General was obliged to 
 undergo all the reproaches of a dissatisfied 
 court; and what was more uneasy to him, 
 the murmurings of the sea-officers, who, 
 not so competent judges in what related to 
 sieges, were one and all inclined to a de*
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 125 
 
 sign upon Barcelona ; and the rather, be- 
 cause, as the season was so far spent, it was 
 thought altogether improper to engage the 
 fleet in any new undertaking. However, 
 all things were so well disguised by our 
 seeming preparations for a retreat, that the 
 very night our troops were in march to- 
 wards the attack of Monjouick, there were 
 public entertainments and rejoicings in the 
 town for the raising of the siege. 
 
 The Prince of Hesse had taken large li- 
 berties in complaining against all the pro- 
 ceedings in the camp before Barcelona; 
 even to insinuations, that though the Earl 
 gave his opinion for some effort in public, 
 yet used he not sufficient authority over 
 the other general officers to incline them to 
 comply ; throwing out withal some hints, 
 that the General, from the beginning, had 
 declared himself in favour of other opera- 
 tions, and against coming to Catalonia ; the 
 latter part whereof was nothing but fact. 
 On the other side, the Earl of Peterborow 
 complained, that the boasted assistance
 
 326 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 was no way made good ; and that in fail- 
 ure thereof, his troops were to be sacrificed 
 to the humours of a stranger ; one who had 
 no command, and whose conduct might 
 bear a question whether equal to his cou- 
 rage. These reproaches of one another had 
 bred so much ill blood between those two 
 great men, that for above a fortnight they 
 had no correspondence, nor ever exchanged 
 one word. 
 
 The Earl, however, having made his pro- 
 per dispositions, and delivered out his or- 
 ders, began his march in the evening, with 
 twelve hundred foot and two hundred 
 horse, which, of necessity, were to pass by 
 the quarters of the Prince of Hesse. That 
 Prince, on their appearance, was told, that 
 the General was come to speak with him ; 
 and, being brought into his apartment, the 
 Earl acquainted him, that he had at last 
 resolved upon an attempt against the ene- 
 my ; adding, that now, if he pleased, he 
 might be a judge of their behaviour, and 
 see whether his officers and soldiers had
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 127 
 
 deserved that character which he had so 
 liberally given them. Tiie Prince made 
 answer, that he had always been ready to 
 take his share ; but could hardly believe, 
 that troops marching that way could make 
 any attempt against the enemy to satisfac- 
 tion. However, without further discourse, 
 he called for his horse. 
 
 By this we may see what share fortune 
 has in the greatest events. In all probabi- 
 lity the Earl of Peterborow had never en- 
 gaged in such a dangerous affair, in cold 
 blood, and unprovoked ; and if such an en- 
 terprize had been resolved on in a regular 
 way, it is very likely he might have given 
 the command to some of the general offi- 
 cers ; since it is not usual, nor hardly al- 
 lowable, for one, that commands in chief, 
 to go in person on such kind of services. 
 But here we see the General and Prince, 
 notwithstanding their late indifferent har- 
 mony, engaged together in this most des- 
 perate undertaking. 
 
 Brigadier. Stanhope and Mr Methuen,
 
 128 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 (now Sir Paul,) were the General's particu- 
 lar friends, and those he most consulted, 
 and most confided in ; yet he never impart- 
 ed this resolution of his to either of them ; 
 for he was not willing to engage them in a 
 design so dangerous, and where there was 
 so little hope of success ; rather choosing 
 to reserve them as persons most capable of 
 giving advice and assistance in the confu- 
 sion, great enough already, which yet must 
 have been greater, if any accident had hap- 
 pened to himself. And I have very good 
 reason to believe, that, the motive, which 
 mainly engaged the Earl of Peterborow in 
 this enterprize, was to satisfy the Prince of 
 Hesse and the world, that his diffidence 
 proceeded from his concern for the troops 
 committed to his charge, and not for his 
 own person. On the other hand, the great 
 characters of the two gentlemen just men- 
 tioned are so well known, that it will easily 
 gain credit, that the only way the General 
 could take to prevent their being of the 
 party, was to conceal it from them, as he 
 
 10
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 129 
 
 did from all mankind, even from the Arch- 
 duke himself. And certainly there never 
 was a more universal surprise, than when 
 the firing was heard next morning from 
 Monjouick. 
 
 But I now proceed to give an exact ac- 
 count of this great action ; of which no per- 
 son, that I have heard of, ever yet took up- 
 on him to deliver to posterity the glorious 
 particulars ; and yet the consequences and 
 events, by what follows, will appear so 
 great, and so very extraordinary, that few, 
 if any, had they had it in their power, 
 would have denied themselves the plea- 
 sure, or the world the satisfaction, of know- 
 ing it. 
 
 The troops, which marched all night 
 along the foot of the mountains, arrived 
 two hours before day under the hill of 
 Monjouick, not a quarter of a mile from 
 the outward works : For this reason, it was 
 taken for granted, whatever the design was 
 which the General had proposed to him- 
 self, that it would be put in execution be- 
 
 I
 
 ISO MEMOIRS OF 
 
 fore day-light; but the Earl of Peterborow 
 was now pleased to inform the officers of 
 the reasons why he chose to stay till the 
 light appeared. He was of opinion that 
 any success would be impossible, unless 
 the enemy came into the outward ditch 
 under the bastions of the second inclosure; 
 but that if they had time allowed them to 
 come thither, there being no palisadoes, 
 our men, by leaping in upon them, after 
 receipt of their first fire, might drive them 
 into the upper works ; and following them 
 close, with some probability, might force 
 them, under that confusion, into the in- 
 ward fortifications. 
 
 Such were the General's reasons then 
 and there given ; after which, having pro- 
 mised ample rewards to such as discharged 
 their duty well, a lieutenant, with thirty 
 men, was ordered to* advance towards the 
 bastion nearest the town ; and a captain, 
 with fifty men, to support him. After the 
 enemy's fire, they were to leap into the 
 ditch ; and their orders were to follow them 
 
 10
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 131 
 
 close, if they retired into the upper works : 
 Nevertheless, not to pursue them farther, if 
 they made into the inner fort ; but to en- 
 deavour to cover themselves within the 
 gorge of the bastion. 
 
 A lieutenant and a captain, with the like 
 number of men, and the same orders, were 
 commanded to a demi-bastion, at the ex- 
 tremity of the fort towards the west, which 
 was above musket-shot from the inward 
 fortification. Towards this place the wall, 
 which was cut into the rock, was not faced 
 for about twenty yards ; and here our own 
 men got up, where they found three pieces 
 of cannon upon a platform, without any 
 men to defend them. 
 
 Those appointed to the bastion towards 
 the town, were sustained by two hundred 
 men ; with which the General and Prince 
 went in person. The like number, under 
 the directions of Colonel Southwell, were 
 to sustain the attack towards the west; and 
 about five hundred men were left under the 
 command of a Dutch colonel, whose orders
 
 132 MEMOIHS OF 
 
 were to assist, where, in his own judgment, 
 he should think most proper ; and these 
 were drawn up between the two parties ap- 
 pointed to begin the assault. My lot was 
 on the side where the Prince and Earl were 
 in person ; and where we sustained the on- 
 ly loss from the first fire of the enemy. 
 
 Our men, though quite exposed, and 
 though the glacis was all escarped upon 
 the live rock, went on with an undaunted 
 courage ; and, immediately after the first 
 fire of the enemy, all, that were not killed 
 or wounded, leaped in, pel-met, amongst 
 the enemy ; who, being thus boldly attack- 
 ed, and seeing others pouring in upon them, 
 retired in great confusion ; and some one 
 way, some another, ran into the inward 
 works. 
 
 There was a large port in the flank of 
 the principal bastion, towards the north- 
 east, and a covered way, through which 
 the General and the Prince of Hesse fol- 
 lowed the flying forces; and by that means 
 became possessed of it. Luckily enough.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 133 
 
 here lay a number of great stones in the 
 gorge of the bastion, for the use of the for- 
 tification ; with which we made a sort of 
 breast-work, before the enemy recovered of 
 their amaze, or made any considerable fire 
 upon us from their inward fort, which com- 
 manded the upper part of that bastion. 
 
 We were afterwards informed, that the 
 commander of the citadel, expecting but 
 one attack, had called off the men from the 
 most distant and western part of the fort, 
 to that side which was next the town ; up- 
 on which our men got into a demi-bastion 
 in the most extreme part of the fortifica- 
 tion. Here they got possession of three 
 pieces of cannon, with hardly any opposi- 
 tion ; and had leisure to cast up a little en- 
 trenchment, and to make use of the guns 
 they had taken to defend it. Under this 
 situation, the enemy, when drove into the 
 inward fort, were exposed to our fire from 
 those places we were possessed of, in case 
 they offered to make any sally, or other at- 
 tempt against us. Thus, we every moment
 
 134 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 became better and better prepared against 
 any effort of the garrison. And, as they 
 could not pretend to assail us without evi- 
 dent hazard, so nothing remained for us to 
 do till we could bring up our artillery and 
 mortars. Now it was that the General sent 
 for the thousand men under Brigadier Stan* 
 hope's command, which he had posted at 
 a convent, half way between the town and 
 Monjouick. 
 
 There was almost a total cessation of fire, 
 the men on both sides being under cover. 
 The General was in the upper part of the 
 bastion; the Prince of Hesse below, behind 
 a little work at the point of the bastion, 
 whence he could only see the heads of the 
 enemy over the parapet of the inward fort. 
 Soon after an accident happened, which 
 cost that gallant Prince his life. 
 
 The enemy had lines of communication 
 between Barcelona and Monjouick. The 
 governor of the former, upon hearing the 
 firing from the latter, immediately sent four 
 hundred dragoons on horseback, under or-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 135 
 
 ders, that two hundred dismounting should 
 reinforce the garrison, and the other two 
 hundred should return with their horses 
 back to the town. 
 
 When those two hundred dragoons were 
 accordingly got into the inward fort, un- 
 seen by any of our men, the Spaniards, 
 waving their hats over their heads, repeat- 
 ed over and over, Viva el Rcy, Viva. This 
 the Prince of Hesse unfortunately took for 
 a signal of their desire to surrender. Upon 
 which, with too much warmth and preci- 
 pitancy, calling to the soldiers following, 
 " They surrender, they surrender !" he ad- 
 vanced with near three hundred men, (who 
 followed him without any orders from their 
 General,) along the curtain which led to 
 the ditch of the inward fort. The enemy TWO b. 
 
 drcd ineu 
 
 suffered them to come into the ditch, and Jjj e s n p ^ 
 there surrounding them, took two hundred 
 of fhem prisoners, at the same time making 
 a discharge upon the rest, who were run- 
 ning back the way they came. This 
 firing brought the Earl of Peterborow
 
 136 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 down from the upper part of the bastion, 
 to see what was doing below. When he 
 had just turned the point of the bastion, 
 he saw the Prince of Hesse retiring, with 
 the men that had so rashly advanced. The 
 Earl had exchanged a very few words with 
 him, when, from a second fire, that Prince 
 prince received a shot in the great artery of the 
 
 lesse 
 
 cd - thigh, of which he died immediately, fall- 
 ing down at the General's feet, who in- 
 stantly gave orders to carry off the body to 
 the next convent. 
 
 Almost the same moment, an officer came 
 to acquaint the Earl of Peterborow, that a 
 great body of horse and foot, at least three 
 thousand, were on their march from Bar- 
 celona towards the fort. The distance is 
 near a mile, all uneven ground ; so that the 
 enemy was either discoverable, or not to be 
 seen, just as they were marching on the 
 hills, or in the vallies. However, the Ge- 
 neral directly got on horseback, to take a 
 view of those forces from the rising ground 
 without the fort, ha; .ng left all the posts,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 13J 
 
 which were already taken, well secured 
 with the allotted numbers of officers and 
 soldiers. 
 
 But the event will demonstrate of what 
 consequence the absence or presence of 
 one man may prove on great occasions : 
 No sooner was the Earl out of the fort, the 
 care of which he had left under the com- 
 mand of the Lord Charlemont, (a person of 
 known merit and undoubted courage, but 
 somewhat too flexible in his temper,) when 
 a panic fear (though the Earl, as I have 
 said, was only gone to take a view of the 
 enemy) seized upon the soldiery, which was 
 a little too easily complied with by the 
 Lord Charlemont, then commanding offi- 
 cer. True it is ; for I heard an officer, 
 ready enough to take such advantages, 
 urge to him, that none of all those posts we 
 were become masters of, were tenable; that 
 to o'ffer at it would be no better than wil- 
 fully sacrificing human lives to caprice and 
 humour ; and just like a man's knocking his 
 head against stone walls, to try which was
 
 138 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 hardest. Having overheard this piece of 
 lip-oratory, and finding by the answer that 
 it was too likely to prevail, and that all I 
 was like to say would avail nothing, I 
 slipped away as fast as I could, to acquaint 
 the General with the danger impending. 
 
 As I passed along, I took notice, that the 
 panic was upon the increase ; the general 
 rumour affirming, that we should be all cut 
 off by the troops that were come out of 
 Barcelona, if we did not immediately gain 
 the hills, or the houses possessed by the 
 Miquelets. Officers and soldiers, under 
 this prevailing terror, quitted their posts ; 
 and in one united body (the Lord Charle- 
 mont at the head of them) marched, or ra- 
 ther hurried out of the fort ; and were come 
 half-way down the hill before the Earl of 
 Peterborow came up to them ; though, on 
 my acquainting him with the shameful and 
 surprising accident, he made no stay ; Tsut 
 answering, with a good deal of vehemence, 
 " Good God, is it possible !" hastened back 
 as fast as he could.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 139 
 
 I never thought myself happier than in 
 this piece of service to my country. I con- 
 fess I could not but value it, as having been 
 therein more than a little instrumental in 
 the glorious successes which succeeded; 
 since immediately upon this notice from 
 me, the Earl galloped up the hill, and light- 
 ing when he came to Lord Charlemont, he 
 took his half pike out of his hand ; and 
 turning to the officers and soldiers, told 
 them, if they would not face about and 
 follow him, they should have the scandal 
 and eternal infamy upon them, of having 
 deserted their posts, and abandoned their 
 general. 
 
 It was surprising to see with what ala- 
 crity and new courage they faced about, 
 and followed the Earl of Peterborow. In 
 a moment they had forgot their apprehen- 
 sions ; and, without doubt, had they met 
 with any opposition, they would have be- 
 haved themselves with the greatest bravery. 
 But as these motions were unperceived by 
 the enemy, all the posts were regained, and
 
 140 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 anew possessed in less than half an hour, 
 without any loss ; though, had our forces 
 inarched half musket-shot further, their re- 
 treat would have been perceived, and all 
 the success attendant on this glorious at- 
 tempt must have been entirely blasted. 
 
 Another incident which attended this 
 happy enterprize was this : The two hun- 
 dred men which fell into the hands of the 
 enemy, by the unhappy mistake of the 
 Prince of Hesse, were carried directly into 
 the town. The Marquis of Risburg, a lieu- 
 tenant-general, who commanded the three 
 thousand men which were marching from 
 the town to the relief of the fort, exami- 
 ned the prisoners as they passed by ; and 
 they all agreeing that the General and the 
 Prince of Hesse were in person with the 
 troops that made the attack on Monjouick, 
 the Marquis gave immediate orders to re- 
 tire to the town ; taking it for granted, that 
 the main body of the troops attended the 
 Prince and General ; and that some design 
 therefore was on foot to intercept his re-
 
 CAPTAIN CAHLETON. 141 
 
 turn, in case he should venture too far. 
 Thus, the unfortunate loss of our two hun- 
 dred men turned to our advantage, in pre- 
 venting the advance of the enemy, which 
 must have put the Earl of Peterborow to 
 inconceivable difficulties. 
 
 The body of one thousand, under Briga- 
 dier Stanhope, being come up to Monjou- 
 ick, and no interruption given us by the 
 enemy, our affairs were put into very good 
 order on this side ; while the camp on the 
 other side was so fortified, that the enemy, 
 during the siege, never made one effort 
 against it. In the mean time, the commu- 
 nication between the two camps was secure 
 enough ; although our troops were obliged 
 to a tedious march along the foot of the 
 hills, whenever the General thought fit to 
 relieve those on duty on the side of the at- 
 tack, from those regiments encamped on 
 the west side of Barcelona. 
 
 The next day, after the Earl of Peterbo- 
 row had taken care to secure the first camp 
 to the eastward of the town, he gave orders
 
 14-2 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 to the officers of the fleet to land the artil- 
 lery and ammunition behind the fortress to 
 the westward. Immediately upon the land- 
 ing whereof, two mortars were fixed ; from 
 both which we plied the fort of Monjouick 
 furiously with our bombs. But the third 
 or fourth day, one of our shells fortunately 
 ifagazine lighting on their magazine of powder, blew 
 
 >t Motijuu- & 
 
 iptai'iinihe & up ; and with it the governor, and ma- 
 ny principal officers who were at dinner 
 with him. The blast, at the same instant, 
 threw down a face of one of the smaller bas- 
 tions ; which the vigilant Miquelcts, ready 
 enough to take all advantages, no sooner 
 saw, (for they were under the hill, very near 
 the place,) but they readily entered, while 
 the enemy were under the utmost confu- 
 sion. If the Earl, no less watchful than 
 they, had not at the same moment thrown 
 himself in with some regular troops, and 
 appeased the general disorder, in all pro- 
 bability the garrison had been put to the 
 sword. However, the General's presence 
 not only allayed the fury of the Miquelets^
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 but kept his own troops under strictest dis- 
 cipline : so that, in a happy hour for the 
 frighted garrison, the General gave officers 
 and soldiers quarters, making them prison- 
 ers of war. 
 
 How critical was that minute wherein 
 the General met his retreating commander! 
 A very few teps farther had excluded us 
 our own conquests, to the utter loss of all 
 those greater glories which ensued. Nor 
 would that have been the worst ; for, be- 
 sides the shame attending such an ill con- 
 certed retreat from our acquests on Mon- 
 jouick, we must have felt the accumula- 
 tive disgrace of infamously retiring aboard 
 the ships that brought us ; but heaven re- 
 served for our General amazing scenes, both 
 of glory and mortification. 
 
 I cannot here omit one singularity of 
 life, which will demonstrate men's different 
 way of thinking, if not somewhat worse ; 
 when, many years after, to one in office, 
 who seemed a little too deaf to my com- 
 plaints, and by that means irritating my
 
 144 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 human passions, in justice to myself, as 
 well as cause, I urged this piece of service, 
 by which I not only preserved the place, 
 but the honour of my country ; that minis- 
 ter petite, to mortify my expectations, and 
 baffle my plea, with a grimace as odd as 
 his logic, returned, that, in his opinion, the 
 service pretended was a disservice to the 
 nation; since perseverance had cost the 
 government more money than all our con- 
 quests were worth, could we have kept 
 them. So irregular are the conceptions of 
 man, when even great actions thwart the 
 bent of an interested will. 
 
 The fort of Monjouick being thus sur- 
 prisingly reduced, furnished a strange viva- 
 city to men's expectations, and as extrava- 
 gantly flattered their hopes ; for, as success 
 never fails to excite weaker minds to pur- 
 sue their good fortune, though many times 
 to their own loss ; so is it often too apt to 
 push on more elevated spirits, to renew the ' 
 encounter for atchieving new conquests, 
 by hazarding too rashly all their former
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 145 
 
 glory. Accordingly, every body now be- 
 gan to make his utmost efforts ; and look- 
 ed upon himself as a drone, if he was not 
 employed in doing something or other to- 
 wards pushing forward the siege of Barce- 
 lona itself, and raising proper batteries for 
 that purpose. But, after all, it must, in 
 justice, be acknowledged, that, notwith- 
 standing this prodigious success that attend- 
 ed this bold enterprise, the land forces, of 
 themselves, without the assistance of the 
 sailors, could never have reduced the town. 
 The commanders and officers of the fleet 
 had always evinced themselves favourers 
 of this project upon Barcelona. A new 
 undertaking so late in the year, as I have 
 said before, was their utter aversion, and 
 what they hated to hear of. Elated, there- 
 fore, with a beginning so auspicious, they 
 gave a more willing assistance than could 
 have been asked, or judiciously expected. 
 The admirals forgot their element, and act- 
 ed as general officers at land : They came 
 every day from their ships, with a body of 
 
 K
 
 146 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 men formed into companies, and regularly 
 marshalled, and commanded by captains 
 and lieutenants of their own. Captain 
 Littleton, in particular, one of the most 
 advanced captains in the whole fleet, offer- 
 ed, of himself, to take care of the landing 
 and conveyance of the artillery to the camp. 
 And answerable to that his first zeal, was 
 his vigour all along ; for, finding it next to 
 an impossibility to draw the cannon and 
 mortars up such vast precipices by horses, 
 if the country had afforded them, he cau- 
 sed harnesses to be made for two hundred 
 men ; and by that means, after a prodigi- 
 ous fatigue and labour, brought the can- 
 non and mortars, necessary for the siege, 
 up to the very batteries. 
 
 In this manner was t!ie siege begun; nor 
 was it carried on with any less application ; 
 the approaches being made by an army of 
 besiegers, that very little, if at all, exceed- 
 ed the number of the besieged ; not alto- 
 gether in a regular manner, our few forces 
 would not admit it ; but yet with regulari-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 147 
 
 ty enough to secure our t\vo little camps, 
 and preserve a communication between 
 both, not to be interrupted or incommoded 
 by the enemy. We had soon erected three 
 several batteries against the place, all on 
 the west side of the town, viz. one of nine 
 guns, another of twelve, and the last of 
 upwards of thirty. From all which we 
 plied the town incessantly, and with all 
 imaginable fury ; and very often in whole 
 vollies. 
 
 Nevertheless, it was thought not only 
 advisable, but necessary, to erect another 
 battery, upon a lower piece of ground, un- 
 der a small hill ; which, lying more within 
 reach, and opposite to those places where 
 the walls were imagined weakest, would an- 
 noy the town the more; and being designed 
 for six guns only, might soon be perfected. 
 A French engineer had the direction; and, 
 indeed, very quickly perfected it. But, 
 when it came to be considered which way 
 to get the cannon to it, most were of opi- 
 nion that it would be absolutely imprac-
 
 148 MEMOIES OF 
 
 ticable, by reason of the vast descent; 
 though, I believe, they might have added 
 a stronger reason, and perhaps more intrin- 
 sic, that it was extremely exposed to the 
 fire of the enemy. 
 
 Having gained some little reputation in 
 the attack of Monjouick, this difficulty 
 was at last to be put upon me ; and as 
 some, not my enemies, supposed, more out 
 of envy than good will. However, when I 
 came to the place, and had carefully taken 
 a view of it, though I was sensible enough 
 of the difficulty, I made my main objection 
 as to the time for accomplishing it ; for it 
 was then between nine and ten, and the 
 guns were to be mounted by day-light. 
 Neither could I at present see any other 
 way to answer their expectations, than by 
 casting the cannon down the precipice, at 
 all hazards, to the place below, where that 
 fourth battery was erected. 
 
 This wanted not objections to ; and 
 therefore, to answer my purpose, as to 
 point of time, sixty men more were order-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 14Q 
 
 ed me as much as possible to facilitate 
 the work by numbers ; and, accordingly, I 
 set about it. Just as I was setting all hands 
 to work, and had given orders to my men 
 to begin some paces back, to make the de- 
 scent more gradual, and thereby render the 
 task a little more feasible, Major Collier, 
 who commanded the train, came to me ; 
 and perceiving the difficulties of the un- 
 dertaking, in a fret, told me, I was imposed 
 upon ; and vowed he would go and find 
 out Brigadier Petit, and let him know the 
 impossibility, as well as the unreasonable- 
 ness, of the task I was put upon. He had 
 scarce uttered those words, and turned 
 himself round to perform his promise, when 
 an unlucky shot with a musket ball wound- 
 ed him through the shoulder; upon which 
 he was carried off, and I saw him not till 
 some considerable time after. 
 
 By the painful diligence, and the addi- 
 tional complement of men, however, I so 
 well succeeded, (such was my great good 
 fortune,) that the way was made, and the
 
 150 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 guns, by the help of fascines, and other 
 lesser preparations below, safety let down 
 and mounted ; so that that fourth battery 
 began to play upon the town before break 
 of day ; and with all the success that was 
 proposed. 
 
 In short, the breach, in a very few da}^s 
 
 after, was found wholly practicable ; and 
 
 all things were got ready for a general storm. 
 
 vernor Which Don Valasco, the governor, being 
 
 Barce- 
 
 ^beats sensible of, immediately beat a parley ; up- 
 tlSr on which it was, among other articles, con- 
 e'e"days. eluded, that the town should be surrender- 
 ed in three days ; and the better to ensure 
 it, the bastion, which commanded the 
 Port St Angelo, was directly put into our 
 possession. 
 
 But before the expiration of the limited 
 three days, a very unexpected accident fell 
 out, which hastened the surrender. Don 
 Valasco, during his government, had be- 
 haved himself very arbitrarily, and thereby 
 procured, as the consequence of it, a large 
 proportion of ill will, not only among the
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 151 
 
 townsmen, but among the Miquelets, who 
 had, in their zeal to King Charles, flocked 
 from all parts of Catalonia to the siege of 
 their capital ; and who, on the signing of 
 the articles of surrender, had found various 
 ways, being well acquainted with the most 
 private avenues, to get by night into the 
 town ; so that early in the morning they be- 
 gan to plunder all that they knew enemies 
 to King Charles, or thought friends to the 
 Prince, his competitor. 
 
 Their main design was upon Valasco, the 
 governor, whom, if they could have got in- 
 to their hands, it was not to be questioned, 
 but as far as his life and limbs would have 
 served, they would have sufficiently satia- 
 ted their vengeance upon. He expected no 
 less ; and therefore concealed himself, till 
 the Earl of Peterborow could give orders 
 for his more safe and private conveyance 
 by sea to Alicant. 
 
 Nevertheless, in the town all was in the 
 utmost confusion ; which the Earl of Pe- 
 terborow, at the very first hearing, hastened
 
 152 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 to appease ; with his usual alacrity he rode 
 all alone to Port St Angelo, where, at that 
 time, myself happened to be ; and demand- 
 ing to be admitted, the officer of the guard, 
 under fear and surprise, opened the wicket, 
 through which the Earl entered, and 1 af- 
 ter him. 
 
 Scarce had we gone a hundred paces, 
 when we saw a lady of apparent quality, 
 and indisputable beauty, in a strange, but 
 most affecting agony, flying from the ap- 
 prehended fury of the Miquelets ; her love- 
 ly hair was all flowing about her shoulders, 
 which, and the consternation she was in, 
 rather added to, than any thing diminished 
 from the charms of an excess of beauty. 
 She, as is very natural to people in distress, 
 made up directly to the Earl, her eyes sa- 
 tisfying her 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, tell- 
 ing him, the better to secure it, who it was
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 1/33 
 
 that asked it. But the generous Earl pre- 
 sently convinced her, he wanted no intrea- 
 ties, 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 staid 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 extra- 
 ordinary 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 oc- 
 casion of the tumult, and the object of 
 their raging fury, the person of Don Va- 
 lasco, the late governor. 
 
 It was here that the Earl preserved that 
 governor from the violent, but perhaps too
 
 154 MEMOIRS or 
 
 just resentments of the Miquelets ; and, as 
 I said before, conveyed him by sea to Ali- 
 cant. And, indeed, I could little doubt 
 the effect, or be any thing 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 chearfulness 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 ac- 
 cordingly so delivered, and our troops took 
 possession 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 re*
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 155 
 
 member 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 father imme- 
 diately rose up, first looking down upon his 
 headless 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 won- 
 derful 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 em- 
 ployed in civil affairs, returned to the mili- 
 tary life with great satisfaction, which was 
 ever his inclination. Brigadier Stanhope, 
 who was justly afterwards created an earl, did 
 well deserve this motto, " Tarn Marte quam 
 Mercuric;" for truly he behaved, all the
 
 156 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 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 Sara^osa he distin- 
 
 o 
 
 guished 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 re- 
 main King of Spain, and Charles to be em- 
 peror of Germany. Yet each of these mo- 
 narchs have been ungrateful to the instru- 
 ments 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 
 the Third made his public entry, and was 
 proclaimed king, and received with the 
 general acclamations, and all other demon-
 
 CAPTAIN CAIILETON. 15? 
 
 stratioiis of joy suitable to that great occa- 
 sion. 
 
 Some days after which, the citizens, far pbr, c 
 
 rejoicing*. 
 
 from being satiated with their former de- 
 monstrations of their duty, sent a petition 
 to tiie 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 ho- 
 nour 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 by, after the Spanish manner, 
 which that Prince returned with the move- 
 ment of his hand to his mouth ; for the
 
 158 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 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 drago- 
 nical representative diverted him with great 
 variety of dancings ; the Earl of Peterbo- 
 row all the time throwing out dollars by 
 handfuls among the populace, which they 
 as constantly received with the loud accla- 
 mation, 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 co- 
 ver of which, by springs contrived for that 
 purpose, immediately flew open, and out
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOST. 159 
 
 of it a surprising flight of birds of various 
 colours. These, all amazed at their sud- 
 den liberty, which I took to be the em- 
 blem intended, hovered a considerable 
 space of time over and about their place 
 of freedom, chirping, singing, and other- 
 wise 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 eye-witness of. 
 I was at that time in the fruit- market, 
 when the King passing by in his coach, 
 the host, (whether by accident, or contri- 
 vance, I cannot say,) was brought, at that 
 very juncture, out of the great church, in 
 order, as I after understood, to a poor sick
 
 160 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 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 
 followed the priest up a strait nasty alley, 
 and there up a dark ordinary pair of stairs, 
 where the poor sick woman lay. There he 
 staid till the whole ceremony was over, 
 when, returning to the door of the church, 
 he very faithfully restored the lighted flam- 
 beau to the fellow he had taken it from, 
 the people all the while crying out, Viva, 
 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, injustice 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 ci- 
 ty, where I found an uncommon concourse 
 of people, of all sorts, got together ; and 
 imagining so great a crowd could not be
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. l6l 
 
 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 at- 
 tractive 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 sar- 
 casms 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 curio- 
 sity, I thought it best to withdraw myself 
 as fast as legs could carry me away. 
 
 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 or- 
 dered, it was my lot to be sent to Tortosa. 
 
 L
 
 162 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 This town is situated on the side of the ri- 
 ver Ebro, over which there is a fair and fa- 
 mous bridge of boats. The waters of this 
 
 o 
 
 river are always of a dirty red colour, some- 
 what 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 other : And 
 being of itself tolerably defensible, in hu- 
 man appearance might probably repay a 
 little care and charge in its repair and im- 
 provement. Upon this employ was I ap- 
 pointed, and thusi was I busied, till the ar-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 163 
 
 rival of the Earl of Peterborow with his lit- 
 tle 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 com- 
 mand of a Spanish governor, appointed by 
 King Charles. 
 
 While the Earl staid 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 man- 
 ner, commanded him, at all events, to at- 
 tempt the relief of Santo Mattheo, where 
 Colonel Jones commanded, and which was 
 then under siege by the Conde de los Tor- 
 res, (as was the report,) with upwards of 
 . three thousand men. The Earl of Peter- 
 borow could not muster above one thou- 
 sand 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
 
 164 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 further observed in the course of these Me- 
 moirs,) never much regarded numbers, so 
 there was but room, by any stratagem, to 
 hope for success. True it is, for his great- 
 er 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 enterprize would be easy, and unat- 
 tended with much danger. But, upon ma- 
 ture enquiry, the Earl found that great bo- 
 dy of men all in nubibus; and that the 
 Conde, in the plain truth of the matter, 
 was much stronger than the letter at first 
 represented. 
 
 Santo Mattheo was a place of known 
 importance ; and that from its situation, 
 which cut off all communication between 
 Catalonia and Valencia ; and, consequently, 
 should it fall into the hands of the enemy, 
 the Earl's design upon the latter must in- 
 evitably have been postponed. It must be 
 granted, the commands for attempting the
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 1()5 
 
 r-elief of it were pressing and peremptory ; 
 nevertheless, the Earl was very conscious 
 to himself, that as the promised reinforce- 
 ments were suspended, his officers would 
 not approve of the attempt upon the foot 
 of such vast inequalities ; and their own 
 declared sentiments soon confirmed the dic- 
 tates of the Earl's reason. He therefore ad- 
 dresses himself to those officers in a dif- 
 ferent manner : He told them, he only de- 
 sired they would be passive, and leave it to 
 him to work his own way. Accordingly, 
 the Earl found out, and hired two Spanish 
 spies, for whose fidelity, (as his great pre- 
 caution always led him to do,) he took suf- 
 ficient security ; and dispatched them with 
 a letter to Colonel Jones, governor of the 
 place, intimating his readiness, as well as 
 ability, to relieve him ; and, above all, ex- 
 horting him to have the Miquelets in the 
 town ready, on sight of his troops, to issue 
 out, pursue, and plunder; since that would 
 be all they would have to do, and all he 
 would expect at their hands. The spies
 
 166 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 were dispatched accordingly ; and, pursu- 
 ant to instructions, one betrayed and dis- 
 covered the other, who had the letter in 
 charge to deliver to Colonel Jones. The 
 
 o 
 
 Earl, to carry on the feint, having in the 
 mean time, by dividing his troops, and 
 marching secretly over the mountains, 
 drawn his men together, so as to make their 
 appearance on the height of a neighbour- 
 ing mountain, little more than cannon- 
 shot from the enemy's camp. The tale of 
 * ne s P* es was falty confirmed, and the Con- 
 de, (though an able general,) marched off 
 with some precipitation with his army; and 
 by that means the Earl's smaller number of 
 twelve hundred, had liberty to march into 
 the town without interruption. I must not 
 let slip an action of Colonel Jones's just 
 before the Earl's delivery of them. The 
 Conde, for want of artillery, had set his 
 miners to work ; and the Colonel, finding 
 they had made some dangerous advances, 
 turned the course of a rivulet, that ran 
 through the middle of the town, in upon
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 them, and made them quit a work they 
 thought was brought to perfection. 
 
 Santo Mattheo being relieved, as I have 
 said, the Earl, though he had so far gained 
 his ends, left not the flying enemy without 
 a feint of pursuit ; with such caution, ne- 
 vertheless, that in case they should happen 
 to be better informed of his weakness, he 
 might have a resource either back again to 
 Santo Mattheo, or to Vinaros on the sea- 
 side; or some other place, as occasion 
 might require. But having just before re- 
 ceived fresh advice, that the reinforcements 
 he expected were anew countermanded ; 
 and that the Duke of Anjou had increased 
 his troops to twelve thousand men ; the of- 
 ficers, not enough elated with the last suc- 
 cess to adventure upon new experiments, 
 resolved, in a council of war, to advise the 
 Earl, who had just before received a discre*- 
 tionary commission in lieu of troops, so to 
 post the forces under him, as not to be cut 
 off from being able to assist the king in
 
 168 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 person ; or to march to the defence of Ca- 
 talonia, in case of necessity. 
 
 Pursuant to this resolution of the council 
 of war, the Earl of Peterborow, though still 
 intent upon his expedition into Valencia, 
 (which had been afresh commanded, even 
 while his supplies were countermanded,) 
 orders his foot, in a truly bad condition, 
 by tedious marches day and night over the 
 mountains, to Vinaros ; and with his two 
 hundred horse, set out to prosecute his 
 pretended design of pursuing the rlying 
 enemy ; resolved, if possible, notwithstand- 
 ing all seemingly desperate circumstances, 
 to perfect the security of that capital. 
 
 To that purpose, the Earl, with his small 
 body of patrolers, went on frightening the 
 enemy, till they came under the Avails of 
 Nules, a town fortified with the best walls, 
 regular towers, and in the best repair of 
 any in that kingdom. But even here, upon 
 the appearance of the Earl's forlorn, (if 
 they might not properly at that time all have 
 passed under that character,) under the
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 same panic they left that fencible town, 
 with only one thousand of the town's peo- 
 ple, well armed, for the defence of it. Yet 
 was it scarce to be imagined, that the Earl, 
 with his small body of two hundred horse, 
 should be able to gain admission ; or, in- 
 deed, under such circumstances, to attempt 
 it. But, bold as the undertaking was, his 
 good genius went along with him ; and so 
 good a genius was it, that it rarely left him 
 without a good effect. He had been told 
 the day before, that the enemy, on leaving 
 Nules, had got possession of Villa Real, 
 where they put all to the sword. What 
 would have furnished another with terror, 
 inspired his lordship with a thought as for- 
 tunate as it was successful. The Earl rides 
 up to the very gates of the town, at the 
 head of his party, and f peremptorily de- 
 mands the chief magistrate, or a priest, im- 
 mediately to be sent out to him ; and that 
 under penalty of being all put to the sword, 
 and used as the enemy had used those at 
 Villa Real the day or two before. The
 
 170 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 troops, that had so lately left the place, 
 had left behind them more terror than men; 
 which, together with the peremptory de- 
 mand of the Earl, soon produced some 
 priests to wait upon the General. By their 
 readiness to obey, the Earl very justly ima- 
 gined fear to be the motive ; wherefore, to 
 improve their terror, he only allowed them 
 six minutes time to resolve upon a surren- 
 der, telling them, that otherwise, so soon as 
 his artillery was come up, he would lay them 
 under the utmost extremities. The priests 
 returned with this melancholy message in- 
 to the place ; and in a very short time af- 
 essur- ter the gates were thrown open. Upon 
 
 lered to 
 
 e ^bi f tne -Earl's entrance, he found two hundred 
 horse, which were the original of his lord- 
 ship's forming that body of horse, which 
 afterwards proved the saving of Valencia. 
 The news of the taking of Nules soon 
 overtook the flying enemy ; and so increa- 
 sed the apprehensions of their danger, that 
 they renewed their march the same day ; 
 though what they had taken before would
 
 CAPTAIN CA11LETON. 
 
 have satisfied them much better without it. 
 On the other hand, the Earl was so well 
 pleased with his success, that, leaving the 
 enemy to fly before their fears, he made a 
 short turn towards Castillon de la Plana, a 
 considerable, but open town, where his 
 lordship furnished himself with four hundred 
 horses more ; and all this under the assu- 
 rance that his troops were driving the ene- 
 my before them out of the kingdom. 
 Hence he sent orders to Colonel Pierce's 
 regiment at Vinaros to meet him at Oro- 
 pesa, a place at no great distance ; where, 
 when they came, they were very pleasingly 
 surprised at their being well mounted, and 
 furnished with all accoutrements neces- 
 sary. After which, leaving them cantoned 
 in walled towns, where they could not be 
 disturbed without artillery, that indefati- 
 gable General, leaving them full orders, 
 went on his way towards Tortosa. 
 
 At Vinaros the Earl met with advice, 
 that the Spanish militia of the kingdom of 
 Valencia were assembled, and had already
 
 172 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 advanced a day's march at least into that 
 country. Upon which, collecting, as fast 
 as he could, the whole corps together, the 
 Earl resolved to penetrate into Valencia 
 directly ; notwithstanding this whole col- 
 lected body would amount to no more than 
 six hundred horse and two thousand foot. 
 But there was a strong pass over a river, 
 just under the walls of Molviedro, which 
 must be first disputed and taken. This, 
 Brigadier Mahoni, by the orders of the 
 Duke of Arcos, who commanded the troops 
 of the Duke of Anjou in the kingdom of 
 Valencia, had taken care to secure. Mol- 
 viedro, though not very strong, is a walled 
 town, very populous of itself; and had in 
 it, besides a garrison of eight hundred men, 
 most of Mahoni's dragoons. It lies at the 
 very bottom of a high hill ; on the upper 
 part whereof they show the ruins of the once 
 famous Saguntum ; famous sure to eternity, 
 if letters shall last so long, for an inviolable 
 fid elity to a negligent confederate, against 
 an implacable enemy. Here yet appear
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 173 
 
 the visible vestigia of awful antiquity, in 
 halt standing arches, and the yet unle veiled 
 waits and towers of that once celebrated 
 city. I could not but look upon all these 
 with the eyes of despite, in regard to 
 their enemy Hannibal ; with those of dis- 
 dain, in respect to the uncommon and un- 
 accountable supineness of its confederates, 
 the Romans ; but with those of veneration, 
 as to the memory of a glorious people, who, 
 rather than stand reproached with a breach 
 of faith, or the brand of cowardice, chose 
 to sacrifice themselves, their wives, chil- 
 dren, and all that was dear to them, in the 
 flames of their expiring city. 
 
 In Molviedro, as I said before, Mahoni 
 commanded, with eight hundred men, be- 
 sides inhabitants; which, together with our 
 having but little artillery, induced the of- 
 ficers, under the Earl of Peterborow, rea- 
 sonably enough to imagine and declare, 
 that there could be no visible appearance 
 of surmounting such difficulties. The Ear], 
 nevertheless, instead of indulging such des-
 
 174 MEMOIRS or 
 
 pendencies, gave them hope, that what 
 strength served not to accomplish, art 
 might possibly obtain. To that purpose, 
 he proposed an interview between himself 
 and Malioni ; and accordingly sent an of- 
 ficer with a trumpet to intimate his desire. 
 The motion was agreed to ; and the Earl 
 having previously stationed his troops to 
 advantage, and his little artillery at a con- 
 venient distance, with orders they should 
 appear on a slow march on the side of a 
 rising hill, during the time of conference, 
 went to the place appointed ; only, as had 
 been stipulated, attended with a small 
 party of horse. AV hen they were met, the 
 Earl first offered all he could to engage 
 Mahoni to the interest of King Charles ; 
 proposing some things extravagant enough, 
 (as Mahoni himself some time after told 
 me,) to stagger the faith of a catholic ; but 
 all to little purpose ; Mahoni was inflex- 
 ible, which obliged the Earl to new mea- 
 sures. 
 
 Whereupon the Earl frankly told him,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOtf. 1J5 
 
 that he could not, however, but esteem 
 the confidence he had put in him ; and 
 therefore, to make some retaliation, he was 
 ready to put it in his power to avoid the 
 barbarities lately executed at Villa Real. 
 " My relation to you," continued the Ge- 
 neral, " inclines me to spare a town under 
 your command. You see how near my 
 forces are ; and can hardly doubt our soon 
 being masters of the place : What I would 
 therefore offer you/' said tlie Earl, " is a ca- 
 pitulation, that my inclination may be held 
 in countenance by my honour. Barbari- 
 ties, however justified by example, are my 
 utter aversion, and against my nature ; and 
 to testify so much, together with my good 
 will to your person, was the main intent of 
 this interview." 
 
 This frankness so far prevailed on Ma- 
 honi, that he agreed to return an answer in 
 half an hour. Accordingly, an answer was 
 returned by a Spanish officer, and a capi- 
 tulation agreed upon ; the Earl at the same 
 time endeavouring to bring over that offi-
 
 176 HE MOT RS OF 
 
 cer lo Kino; Charles, on much the same to- 
 
 o 
 
 pics he used with Mahoni. But finding 
 this equally fruitless, whether it was that 
 he tacitly reproached the officer with a 
 want of consideration in neglecting to fol- 
 low the example of his commander, or what 
 else, he created in that officer such a jea- 
 lousy of Mahoni, that was afterward very 
 sendceable to him in his further design. 
 
 To forward which to a good issue, the 
 jEarl immediately made choice of two dra- 
 goons, who, upon promise of promotion, 
 undertook to go as spies to the Duke of 
 Arcos, whose forces lay not far off, on the 
 other side a large plain, which the Earl 
 must unavoidably pass, and which would 
 inevitably be attended with almost insu- 
 perable dangers, if there attacked by a 
 force so much superior. Those spies, ac- 
 cording to instructions, were to discover to 
 the Duke, that they overheard the con- 
 ference between the Earl and Mali on i ; 
 and at the same time saw a considerable 
 number of pistoles delivered into Mahoni's
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. . 177 
 
 hands, large promises passing at that in- 
 stant reciprocally : but above all, that the 
 Earl had recommended to him the procu- 
 ring the march of the Duke over the plain 
 between them. The spies went and deli- 
 vered all according to concert; concluding, 
 before the Duke, that they would ask no 
 reward, but undergo any punishment, if 
 Mahoni did not very soon send to the Duke 
 a request to march over the plain, in order 
 to put the concerted plot in execution. It 
 was not long after this pretended discovery, 
 before Mahoni did send indeed an officer 
 to the Duke, desiring the inarch of his for- 
 ces over the plain ; but, in reality, to ob- 
 struct the Earl's passage, which he knew 
 very well must be that and no other way. 
 However, the Duke being prepossessed by 
 the spies, and what those Spanish officers 
 that at first escaped had before infused, 
 took things in their sense ; and as soon as 
 Mahoni, who was forced to make the best 
 of his way over the plain before the Earl 
 of Peter borow, arrived at his camp, he was 
 
 M
 
 178 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 put under arrest, and sent to Madrid. The 
 Duke having thus imbibed the venom, and 
 taken the alarm, immediately decamped 
 in confusion, and took a different route than 
 at first he intended ; leaving that once for- 
 midable plain open to the Earl, without an 
 enemy to obstruct him. In some little time 
 after he arrived at Madrid, Mahoni made 
 his innocence appear, and was created a 
 general ; while the Duke of Arcos was re- 
 called from his post of honour. 
 
 The day after, we arrived at Valencia ; 
 the g a * es of which fine city were set open 
 to us with the highest demonstrations of 
 joy. I called it a fine city ; but sure it 
 richly deserves a brighter epithet ; since it is 
 a common saying among the Spaniards, that 
 " the pleasures of Valencia would make a 
 Jew forget Jerusalem/' It is most sweet- 
 ly situated in a very beautiful plain, and 
 within half a league of the Mediterranean 
 sea. It never wants any of the fragran- 
 cies of nature, and always has something to 
 delight the most curious eye. It is famous
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 179 
 
 to a proverb for fine women ; but as infa- 
 mous, and only in that so, for the race of 
 bravoes, the common companions of the 
 ]adies of pleasure in this country. These 
 wretches are so case-hardened, they will 
 commit a murder for a dollar, though they 
 run their country for it when they have 
 done. Not that other parts of this nation 
 are uninfested with this sort of animals ; 
 but here their numbers are so great, that if 
 a catalogue was to be taken of those in 
 other parts of that country, perhaps nine 
 in ten would be found by birth to be of 
 this province. 
 
 But to proceed : though the citizens, and 
 all sorts of people, were redundant in their 
 various expressions of joy, for an entry so 
 surprising, and utterly lost to their expec- 
 tation, whatever it was to their wishes, the 
 Earl had a secret concern for the public, 
 which lay gnawing at his heart, and which 
 yet he was forced to conceal. He knew, 
 that he had not four thousand soldiers in 
 the place, and not powder or ammunition
 
 180 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 for those; nor any provisions laid in for 
 any thing like a siege. On the other hand, 
 the enemy without were upwards of seven 
 thousand, with a body of four thousand 
 more, not fifteen leagues off, on their march 
 to join them. Add to this, the Marcschal 
 de Thesse was no farther off than Madrid, 
 a very few days march from Valencia ; a 
 short wa} r indeed for the Earl, (who, as was 
 said before, was wholly unprovided for a 
 siege, which was reported to be the sole 
 end of the Mareschal's moving that w r ay.) 
 But the Earl's never-failing genius resolved 
 again to attempt that by art, which the 
 strength of his forces utterly disallowed 
 him. And in the first place, his intelli- 
 gence telling him that sixteen twenty-four 
 pounders, with stores and ammunition an- 
 swerable for a siege, were shipped off for 
 the enemy's service at Alicant, the Earl 
 forthwith lays a design, and with his usual 
 success intercepts them all, supplying that 
 way his own necessities at the expence of 
 the enemy.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 The four thousand men ready to rein* 
 force the troops nearer Valencia, were the 
 next point to be undertaken ; but hie labor, 
 hoc opus ; since the greater body under the 
 Conde de las Torres, (who, with Mahoni, 
 was now reinstated in his post,) lay between 
 the Earl and those troops intended to be 
 dispersed. And what enhanced the diffi- 
 culty, the river Xucar must be passed in al- 
 most the face of the enemy. Great disad- 
 vantages as these were, they did not dis- 
 courage the Earl. He detached by night 
 four hundred horse and eight hundred foot, 
 who marched with such hasty silence, that 
 they surprised that great body, routed 
 them, and brought into Valencia, six him- 
 
 c- ' J 
 
 dred prisoners very safely, notwithstanding routs a bo- 
 they were obliged, under the same night- tliousaDd - 
 covert, to pass very near a body of three 
 thousand of the enemy's horse. Such a 
 prodigious victory would hardly have gain- 
 ed credit in that city, if the prisoners brought 
 in had not been living witnesses of the ac- 
 tion, as well as the triumph. The Conde
 
 182 MEMOIRS O* 
 
 de las Torres, upon these two military re- 
 buffs, drew off to a more convenient dis- 
 tance, and left the Earl a little more at ease 
 in his new quarters. 
 
 Here the Earl of Peterborow made his 
 residence for some time. He was extreme- 
 ly well beloved ; his affable behaviour ex- 
 acted as much from all ; and he preserved 
 such a good correspondence with the priests 
 and the ladies, that he never failed of the 
 most early and best intelligence; a thing by 
 no means to be slighted in the common 
 course of life but much more commend- 
 able and necessary in a .General, with so 
 small an army, at open war, and in the 
 heart of his enemy's country. 
 
 The Earl, by this means, some small 
 time lifter, receiving early intelligence that 
 King Philip was actually on his march to 
 Barcelona, with an army of upwards of 
 twenty-five thousand men, under the com- 
 mand of a Mareschal of France, began his 
 inarch towards Catalonia, with all the 
 troops that he could gather together, lea-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 183 
 
 ving in Valencia a small body of foot, such 
 as in that exigence could best be spared. 
 The whole body thus collected made very 
 little more than two thousand foot and six 
 hundred horse ; yet resolutely with these 
 he sets out for Barcelona : In the neigh- 
 
 o 
 
 bourhood of which, as soon as he arrived, 
 he took care to post himself and his dimi- 
 nutive army in the mountains which envi- 
 ron that city ; where he not only secured 
 them against the enemy, but found him- 
 self in a Capacity of putting himself under 
 perpetual alarms. Nor was the Mareschal* 
 with his great army* capable of returning 
 the Earl's compliment of disturbance; since 
 he himself, every six or eight hours, put his 
 troops into such a varying situation, that 
 always when most arduously sought, he 
 was farthest off from being found. In this 
 manner the General bitterly harassed the 
 troops of the enemy ; and by these means 
 struck a perpetual terror into the besiegers. 
 Nor did he only this way annoy the ene- 
 my ; the precautions he had used, and the
 
 184 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 measures he had taken in other places, 
 with a view to prevent their return to Ma- 
 drid, though the invidious endeavoured 
 to bury them in oblivion, having equally 
 contributed to the driving of the Mareschal 
 of France, and his catholic king, out of 
 the Spanish dominions. 
 
 But to go-on with the siege : the breaches 
 in the walls of that city, during its siege by 
 the Earl, had been put into tolerable re- 
 pair ; but those of Monjouick, on the con- 
 trary, had been as much neglected. How- 
 ever, the garrison made shift to hold out a 
 battery of twenty-three days, with no less 
 than fifty pieces of cannon ; when, after a 
 loss of the enemy of upwards of three thou- 
 sand men, (a moiety of the army employed 
 against it when the Earl took it,) they were 
 forced to surrender at discretion. And 
 this cannot but merit our observation, that 
 a place which the English general took in 
 little more than an hour, and with very in- 
 considerable loss, afforded the Mareschal
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 185 
 
 of France a resistance of twenty-three 
 days. 
 
 Upon the taking of Fort Monjouick, the Barceio 
 Mareschal de Thess gave immediate orders 
 for batteries to be raised against the town. 
 Those orders were put in execution with 
 all expedition ; and at the same time his 
 army fortified themselves with such en- 
 trenchments, as would have ruined the 
 Earl's former little army to have raised, or 
 his present much lesser army to have at- 
 tempted the forcing them. However, they 
 sufficiently demonstrated their apprehen- 
 sions of that watchful General, who lay ho- 
 vering over their heads upon the mountains. 
 Their main effort was to make a breach be- 
 tween Port St Antonio and that breach 
 -which our forces had made the year before ; 
 to effect which, they took care to ply them 
 very diligently both from cannon and mor- 
 tars ; and in some few days their applica- 
 tion was answered with a practicable breach 
 for a storm. Which, however, was pru- 
 dently deferred for some time, and that
 
 186 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 through fear of the Earl's falling on the 
 back of them whenever they should at- 
 tempt it; which, consequently, they were 
 sensible, might put them into some dan- 
 gerous disorder. 
 
 And now it was that the Earl of Peter* 
 borow resolved to put in practice the reso- 
 lution he had some time before concerted 
 within himself. About nine or ten days 
 before the raising of the siege, he had re- 
 ceived an express from Brigadier Stanhope, 
 (who was aboard Sir John Leake's fleet 
 appointed for the relief of the place, with 
 the reinforcements from England,) acquaint- 
 ing the Earl, that he had used all possible 
 endeavours to prevail on the Admiral to 
 make the best of his way to Barcelona ; 
 but that the Admiral, however, persisted 
 in a positive resolution not to attempt the 
 French fleet before that place under the 
 Count de Tholouse, till the ships were join- 
 ed him which were expected from Ireland, 
 under the command of Sir George Bing. 
 True it was, the fleet under Admiral Leake
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 was of equal strength with that under the 
 French admiral ; but, jealous of the infor- 
 mations he had received, and too ready to 
 conclude that people in distress were apt 
 to make representations too much in their 
 own favour ; he held himself, in point of 
 discretion, obliged not to hazard the 
 queen's ships, when a reinforcement of 
 both cleaner and larger were under daily 
 expectation. 
 
 This unhappy circumstance, (notwith- 
 standing all former glorious deliverances,) 
 had almost brought the Earl to the brink 
 of despair ; and to increase it, the Earl 
 every day received such commands from 
 the King within the place, as must have sa- 
 crificed his few forces, without the least 
 probability of succeeding. Those all tend- 
 ed to his forcing his way into the town ; 
 when, in all human appearance, not one 
 man of all that should make the attempt 
 could have done it, with any hope or pros- 
 pect of surviving. The French were strong- 
 ly encamped at the foot of the mountains,
 
 188 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 distant two miles from Barcelona : towards 
 the bottom of those hills, the avenues into 
 the plain were possessed and fortified by 
 great detachments from the enemy's army. 
 From all which it will be evident, that no 
 attempt could be made without giving the 
 enemy time to draw together what body of 
 foot they pleased. Or, supposing it feasi- 
 ble, under all these difficult circumstances, 
 for some of them to have forced their pas- 
 sage, the remainder, that should have been 
 so lucky to have escaped their foot, would 
 have found themselves exposed in open 
 field to a pursuit of four thousand horse 
 and dragoons ; and that for two miles to- 
 gether ; when, in case of their inclosing 
 them, the bravest troops in the world, un- 
 der such a situation, would have found it 
 their best way to have surrendered them- 
 selves prisoners of war. 
 
 Nevertheless, when Brigadier Stanhope 
 sent that express to the Earl, which I just 
 now mentioned, he assured him in the same, 
 that he would use his utmost diligence,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 189 
 
 both by sea and land, to let him have time- 
 ly notice of the conjunction of the fleets, 
 which was now all they had to depend up- 
 on. Adding withal, that if the Earl should 
 at any time receive a letter, or paper, 
 though directed to nobody, and with no- 
 thing in it, but a half sheet of paper, cut 
 in the middle, he, the Earl, might certainly 
 depend upon it, that the two fleets were 
 joined, and making the best of their way 
 for Barcelona. It will easily be imagined, 
 the express was to be well paid ; and be- 
 ing made sensible that he ran little or no 
 hazard in carrying a piece of blank paper, 
 heundertook it, and as fortunately arrived 
 with it to the Earl, at a moment when cha- 
 grin and despair might have hurried him 
 to some resolution that might have proved 
 fatal. The messenger himself, however, 
 knew nothing of the joining of the fleets, 
 or the meaning of his message. 
 
 As soon as the Earl of Peterborow re- 
 ceived this welcome message from Briga- 
 dier Stanhope, he marched the very same
 
 190 
 
 night, with his whole little body offerees, 
 to a town on the sea-shore, called Sigeth. 
 No person guessed the reason of his march, 
 or knew any thing of what the intent of it 
 was. The officers, as formerly, obeyed 
 without enquiry ; for they were led to it 
 by so many unaccountable varieties of suc- 
 cess, that affiance became a second nature, 
 both in officer and soldier. 
 
 The town of Sigeth was about seven 
 leagues to the westward of Barcelona; 
 where, as soon as the Earl with his forces 
 arrived, he took care to secure all the small 
 fishing-boats, feluccas, and sattees ; nay, 
 in a word, every machine in which he could 
 transport any of his men ; so that in two 
 days time he had got together a number 
 sufficient for the conveyance of all his foot. 
 
 But a day or two before the arrival of 
 the English fleet off Sigeth, the officers of 
 his troops were under a strange consterna- 
 tion at a resolution their General had taken. 
 Impatient of delay, and fearful of the fleets 
 passing by without his knowledge, the Earl
 
 CAPTAIN CAIILETON. 
 
 summoned them together a little before 
 night, at which time he discovered to the 
 whole assembly, that he himself was obli- 
 ged to endeavour to get aboard the Eng- 
 lish fleet ; and that, if possible, before the 
 French scouts should be able to make any 
 discovery of their strength : that, finding 
 himself of no further use on shore, having 
 already taken the necessary precautions for 
 their transportation and security, they had 
 nothing to do but to pursue his orders, and 
 make the best of their way to Barcelona, 
 in the vessels which he had provided for 
 them : that they might do this in perfect 
 security when they saw the English fleet 
 pass by ; or if they should pass by in the 
 night, an engagement with the French, 
 which would be an inevitable consequence, 
 would give them sufficient notice what they 
 had to do further. 
 
 This declaration, instead of satisfying, 
 made the officers ten times more curious : 
 But when they saw their General going, 
 with a resolution to lie out all night at sea,
 
 392 MEMOIRS or 
 
 in an open boat, attended with only one 
 officer ; and understood that he intended 
 to row out in his felucca five or six leagues 
 
 o 
 
 distance from the shore ; it is hardly to be 
 expressed what amazement and concern 
 surprised them all. Mr Crow, the Queen's 
 minister, and others, expressed a particular 
 dislike and uneasiness ; but all to no pur- 
 pose, the Earl had resolved upon it. Ac- 
 cordingly, at night he put out to sea in his 
 open felucca, all which he spent five leagues 
 from shore, with no other company than 
 one captain and his rowers. 
 
 In the morning, to the great satisfaction 
 of all, officers and others, the Earl came 
 again to land ; and immediately began to 
 put his men into the several vessels which 
 lay ready in port for that purpose. But at 
 night their amaze was renewed, when they 
 found their General ready to put in execu- 
 tion his old resolution, in the same equi- 
 page, and with the same attendance. ACT 
 cordingly, he again ielucca'd himself; and
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 195 
 
 they saw him no more till they were landed 
 on the Mole in Barcelona. 
 
 When the Earl of Peterborow first en- 
 gaged himself in the expedition to Spain, 
 he proposed to the Queen and her ministry, 
 that Admiral Shovel might be joined in 
 commission with him in the command of 
 the fleet. But this year, when the fleet 
 came through the Straits, under Vice- Ad- 
 miral Leake, the Queen had sent a com^ 
 mission to the Earl of Peterborow for the 
 full command, whenever he thought fit to 
 come aboard in person. This it was that 
 made the General endeavour, at all hazards, 
 to get aboard the fleet by night ; for he 
 was apprehensive, and the sequel proved 
 his apprehensions too well grounded, that 
 Admiral Leake would make his appear- 
 ance with the whole body of the fleet, 
 which made near twice the number of the 
 ships of the enemy ; in which case it was 
 natural to suppose, that the Count de Tho- 
 louse, as soon as ever the French scouts 
 should ive notice of our strength, would
 
 194 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 cut his cables, and put out to sea, to avoid 
 an engagement. On the other hand, the 
 Earl was very sensible, that if a part of his 
 ships had kept astern, that the superiority 
 might have appeared on the French side ; 
 or rather if they had bore away in the night, 
 towards the coast of Africa, and fallen to 
 the eastward of Barcelona the next day, a 
 battle had been inevitable, and a victory 
 equally certain ; since the enemy, by this 
 means, had been tempted into an engage- 
 ment, and their retreat being cut off, and 
 their whole fleet surrounded with almost 
 double their number, there had hardly 
 been left for any of them a probability of 
 escaping. 
 
 Therefore, when the Earl of Peterborow 
 put to sea again the second evening, fear- 
 ful of losing such a glorious opportunity, 
 and impatient to be aboard to give the ne- 
 cessary orders, he ordered his rowers to ob- 
 tain the same station, in order to discover 
 the English fleet. And according to his 
 wishes he did fall in with it ; but unfortu-
 
 CAPTAIKT CARLETON. 195 
 
 nately the night was so far advanced, that Eariofp c . 
 
 . . -i i r- i terborow 
 
 it was impossible for him then to put his arrive > 
 
 board the 
 
 project into practice. Captain Price, a 
 gentleman of AVales, who commanded a 
 third rate, was the person he first came 
 aboard of; but how amazed was he to find, 
 in an open boat, at open sea, the person, 
 who had commission to command the fleet ! 
 So soon as he was entered the ship, the 
 Earl sent the ship's pinnace with letters to 
 Admiral Leake, to acquaint him with his 
 orders and intentions ; and to Brigadier 
 Stanhope, with a notification of his safe ar- 
 rival ; but the darkness of the night proved 
 so great an obstacle, that it was a long 
 time before the pinnace could reach the 
 Admiral. When day appeared, it was as- 
 tonishing to the whole fleet, to see the 
 union flag waving at the main-top-mast 
 head. No body could trust his own eyes, 
 or guess at the meaning, till better certified 
 by the account of an event so singular and 
 extraordinary. 
 When we were about six leagues distance
 
 196 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 from Barcelona, the port we aimed at, one 
 of the French scouts gave the alarm, who 
 making the signal to another, he commu- 
 nicated it to a third, and so on, as we af- 
 terward sorrowfully found, and as the 
 Earl had before apprehended. The French 
 Admiral being thus made acquainted with 
 the force of our fleet, hoisted sail, and 
 made the best of his way from us, either 
 pursuant to orders, or under the plausible 
 excuse of a retreat. 
 
 This favourable opportunity thus lost, 
 there remained nothing to do but to land 
 the troops with all expedition ; which 
 was executed accordingly : The regiments, 
 which the Earl of Peterborrow embarked 
 the night before, being the first that got 
 into the town. Let the reader imagine 
 how pleasing such a sight must be to those 
 in Barcelona, reduced as they were to the 
 last extremity. In this condition, to see 
 an enemy's fleet give way to another with 
 reinforcements from England, the sea at 
 the same instant covered with little vessels
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 197 
 
 crowded with greater succours ; what was 
 there wanting to complete the glorious 
 scene, but what the General had projected, 
 a fight at sea, under the very walls of the 
 invested city, and the ships of the enemy 
 sinking, or towed in by the victorious Eng- 
 lish ! But night, and a few hours v defeat- 
 ed the latter part of that well-intended 
 landscape. 
 
 King Philip, and theMareschal of France, 
 had not failed to push on the siege with all 
 imaginable vigour ; but this retreat of the 
 Count de Tholouse, and the news of those 
 reinforcements, soon changed the scene. 
 Their courage without was abated propor- 
 tionably, as theirs within was elated. In 
 these circumstances, a council of war being 
 called, it was unanimously resolved to raise 
 the siege. Accordingly, next morning, 'the 
 first of May, 1706, while the sun was under 
 a total eclipse, in a suitable hurry and con- 
 fusion, they broke up, leaving behind them 
 most of their cannon and mortars, together 
 with vast quantities of all sorts of ammuni-
 
 198 MEMOIRS or 
 
 tion and provisions, scarce stopping to look 
 back till they had left all but the very verge 
 of the disputed dominion behind them. 
 
 King Charles looked with new pleasure 
 upon this lucky effort of his old deliverers. 
 Captivity is a state no way desirable to 
 persons however brave, of the most private 
 station in life ; but for a king, within two 
 days of falling into the hands of his rival, 
 to receive so seasonable and unexpected a 
 deliverance, must be supposed, as it really 
 did, to open a scene to universal rejoicing 
 among us, too high for any words to ex- 
 press, or any thoughts to imagine, to those 
 that were not present, and partakers of it. 
 He forthwith gave orders for a medal to be 
 struck suitable to the occasion ; one of 
 which, set round with diamonds, he pre- 
 sented to Sir John Leake, the English Ad- 
 miral. The next orders were for re-casting 
 all the damaged brass cannon which the 
 enemy had left ; upon every one of which 
 was, by order, a sun eclipsed, with this
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 motto under it : " Magna parvis obscuran- 
 ts." 
 
 I have often wondered that I never heard 
 any body curious enough to enquire what 
 could be the motives to the King of Spain's 
 quitting his dominions upon the raising of 
 this siege ; very certain it is, that he had a 
 fine army, under the command of a Mare- 
 schal of France, not very considerably de- 
 creased, either by action or desertion : but 
 all this would rather increase the curiosity, 
 than abate it. In my opinion, then, though 
 men might have curiosity enough, the ques- 
 tion was purposely evaded, under an ap- 
 prehension, that an honest answer must in- 
 evitably give a higher idea of the General, 
 than their inclinations led them to. At 
 first view, this may carry the face of a para- 
 dox ; yet, if the reader will consider, that 
 in every age virtue has had its shaders or 
 maligners, he will himself easily solve it, 
 at the same time that he finds himself com- 
 pelled to allow, that those who found them- 
 selves unable to prevent his great services,
 
 200 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 were willing, in a more subtile manner, to 
 endeavour at the annulling of them by si- 
 lence and concealment. 
 
 This will appear more than bare suppo- 
 sition, if we compare the present situation, 
 as to strength, of the two contending powers : 
 The French, at the birth of the siege, con- 
 sisted of five thousand horse and dragoons, 
 and twenty-five thousand foot, effective men. 
 Now, grant that their killed and wounded, 
 together with their sick in the hospitals, 
 might amount to five thousand, yet as their 
 body of horse was entire, and in the best 
 condition, the remaining will appear to be 
 an army of twenty-five thousand at least. 
 On the other side, all the forces in Bar- 
 celona, even with their reinforcements, 
 amounted to no more than seven thousand 
 foot, and four hundred horse. Why then, 
 when they raised their siege, did not they 
 march back into the heart of Spain/ with 
 their so much superior army ? or, at least, 
 towards their capital ? The answer can be 
 this, and this only; because the Larl of
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 201 
 
 Peterborow had taken such provident care 
 to render all secure, that it was thereby 
 rendered next to an impossibility for them 
 so to do. That General was satisfied, that 
 the capital of Catalonia must, in course, 
 fall into the hands of the enemy, unless a 
 superior fleet removed the Count de Tho- 
 louse, and threw in timely succours into the 
 town : And as that could not depend upon 
 him, but others, he made it his chief care 
 and assiduous employment to provide a- 
 gainst those strokes of fortune to which 
 he found himself again likely to be expo- 
 sed, as he often had been ; and, therefore, 
 had he recourse to that vigilance and pre- 
 caution which had often retrieved him, 
 when to others his circumstances seemed 
 to be most desperate. 
 
 The generality of mankind, and the 
 French in particular, were of opinion, that 
 the taking Barcelona would prove a deci- 
 sive stroke, and put a period to the war in 
 Spain ; and yet at that very instant, I was 
 inclined to believe, that the General flat-
 
 202 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 tered himself it would be in his power to 
 give the enemy sufficient mortification, 
 even though the town should be obliged to 
 submit to King Philip. The wise mea- 
 sures taken induced me so to believe, and 
 the sequel approved it ; for the Earl had 
 so well expended his caution, that the ene- 
 my, on the disappointment, found himself 
 under a necessity of quitting Spain ; and 
 the same would have put him under equal 
 difficulties, had he carried the place. The 
 French could never have undertaken that 
 siege without depending on their fleet, for 
 their artillery, ammunition, and provisions; 
 since they must be inevitably forced to 
 leave behind them the strong towns of 
 Tortosa, Lerida, and iVragona. The Earl, 
 therefore, whose perpetual difficulties seem- 
 ed rather to render him more sprightl}- and 
 vigorous, took care himself to examine the 
 
 o 
 
 whole country between the Ebro and Bar- 
 celona ; and, upon his doing so, was plea- 
 singly, as well as sensibly, satisfied, that 
 it was practicable to render their return into
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 203 
 
 the heart of Spain impossible, whether they 
 did or did not succeed in the siege they 
 were so intent to undertake. 
 
 There were but three ways they could 
 attempt it : The first of which was by the 
 sea-side, from Taragona towards Tortosa ; 
 the most barren, and consequently the most 
 improper, country in the universe to sustain 
 an army ; and yet to the natural, the Earl 
 had added such artificial difficulties, as 
 rendered it absolutely impossible for an ar- 
 my to subsist, or march that way. 
 
 The middle way lay through a better 
 country indeed, yet only practicable by 
 the care which had been taken to make the 
 road so. And even here, there was a ne- 
 cessity of marching along the side of a 
 mountain, where, by vast labour and in- 
 dustry, a high way had been cut for two 
 miles, at least, out of the main rock. The 
 Earl, therefore, by somewhat of the same 
 labour, soon made it impassable. He em- 
 ployed to that end many thousands of the 
 country people, under a few of his own of-
 
 204 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 ficers and troops, who, cutting up twenty 
 several places, made so many precipices, 
 perpendicular almost as a wall, which ren- 
 dered it neither safe, or even to be attempt- 
 ed by any single man in his wits, much 
 less by an army. Besides, a very few men, 
 from the higher cliffs of the mountain, 
 might have destroyed an army with the 
 arms of nature only, by rolling down large 
 stones, and pieces of the rock, upon the 
 enemy passing below. 
 
 The last and uppermost way, lay through 
 the hilly part of Catalonia, and led to Le- 
 rida, towards the head of the Ebro, the 
 strongest place we had in all Spain, and 
 which was as well furnished with a very 
 good garrison. Along this road there lay 
 many old castles and little towns in the 
 mountains, naturally strong ; all which 
 would not only have afforded opposition, 
 but at the same time have entertained an 
 enemy with variety of difficulties ; and es- 
 pecially as the Earl had given orders, and 
 taken care that all cattle, and every thing
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 205 
 
 necessary to sustain an army, should be 
 conveyed into places of security, either in 
 the mountains, or thereabouts. These three 
 ways thus precautiously secured, what had 
 the Earl to apprehend but the safety of the 
 Archduke ; which yet was through no de- 
 fault of his, if in any danger from the 
 
 siege t 
 
 For I well remember, on receipt of an 
 express from the Duke of Savoy, (as he fre- 
 quently sent such to enquire after the pro- 
 ceedings in Spain,) I was shewed a letter, 
 wrote about this time by the Earl of Peter- 
 borow to that Prince, which raised my spi- 
 rits, though then at a very low ebb. It 
 was too remarkable to be forgot ; and the 
 substance of it was, that his highness might 
 depend upon it, that he (the Earl) was in 
 much better circumstances than he was 
 thought to be : That the French officers 
 knowing nothing of the situation of the 
 country, would find themselves extremely 
 disappointed, since, in case the siege was 
 raised, their army should be obliged to
 
 206 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 abandon Spain : Or. in case the town was 
 taken, they should find themselves shut 
 up in that corner of Catalonia, and under 
 an impossibility of forcing their way back, 
 either through Arragon or Valencia : That 
 by this means, all Spain, to the Ebro, would 
 be open to the Lord Galoway, who might 
 march to Madrid, or any where else, with- 
 out opposition. That he had no other un- 
 easiness or concern upon him, but for the 
 person of the Archduke, whom he had ne- 
 vertheless earnestly solicited not to remain 
 in the town on the very first appearance of 
 the intended siege. 
 
 Barcelona being thus relieved, and King 
 Philip forced out of Spain, by these cau- 
 tious steps taken by the Earl of Peterbo- 
 row, before we bring him to Valencia, it 
 will be necessary to intimate, that, as it al- 
 ways was the custom of that General to 
 settle, by a council of war, all the measures 
 to be taken, whenever he was obliged for the 
 service to leave the Archduke ; a council 
 of war was now accordingly held, where all
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 the general officers, and those in greatest 
 employments at court, assisted. Here every 
 thing was in the most solemn manner con- 
 certed and resolved upon ; here garrisons 
 were settled for all the strong places, and 
 governors appointed : but the main article 
 then agreed upon was, that King Charles 
 should immediately begin his journey to 
 Madrid, and that by the way of Valencia. 
 The reason assigned for it was, because that 
 kingdom being in his possession, no diffi- 
 culties could arise which might occasion 
 delay, if his Majesty took that route. It 
 was likewise agreed in the same council, 
 that the Earl of Peterborow should embark 
 all the foot, not in garrisons, for their more 
 speedy, as well as more easy conveyance 
 to Valencia. The same council of war 
 agreed, that all the horse in that kingdom 
 should be drawn together ; the better to in- 
 sure the measures to be taken for the open- 
 ing and facilitating his Majesty's progress 
 to Madrid.
 
 208 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Accordingly, after these resolutions were 
 taken, the Earl of Peterborow embarks his 
 forces, and sails for Valencia, where he was 
 doubly welcomed by all sorts of people, 
 upon account of his safe arrival, and the 
 news he brought along with it. By the joy 
 they expressed, one would have imagined 
 that the General had escaped the same 
 danger with the King ; and, in truth, had 
 their King arrived with him in person, the 
 most loyal and zealous would have found 
 themselves at a loss how to have expressed 
 their satisfaction in a more sensible man- 
 ner. 
 
 Soon after his landing, with his custom- 
 ary vivacity, he applied himself to put in 
 execution the resolutions taken in the coun- 
 cils of war at Barcelona ; and, a little to 
 improve upon them, he raised an entire re- 
 giment of dragoons, bought them horses, 
 provided them clothes, arms, and accoutre- 
 ments ; and in six weeks time had them 
 ready to take the field; a thing, though 
 hardly to be paralleled, is yet scarce wor~
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 209 
 
 thy to be mentioned among so many nobler 
 actions of his ; yet, in regard to another 
 General, it may merit notice, since, while 
 he had Madrid in possession near four 
 months, he neither augmented his troops, 
 nor laid up any magazines ; neither sent 
 he all that time any one express to concert 
 any measures with the Earl of Peterborow ; 
 but lay under a perfect inactivity, or which 
 was worse, negotiating that unfortunate 
 
 ' O O 
 
 project of carrying King Charles to Madrid, 
 by the round about and ill-concerted way 
 of Arragon ; a project not only contrary to 
 the solemn resolutions of the council of 
 war, but which, in reality, was the root of 
 all our succeeding misfortunes ; and that 
 only for the wretched vanity of appearing 
 to have had some share in bringing the 
 King to his capital; but how minute a 
 share it was, will be manifest, if it be consi- 
 dered that another General had first made 
 the way easy, by driving the enemy out of 
 Spain; and that the French General only 
 Staid at Madrid till the return of those 
 
 o
 
 210 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 troops, which were, in a manner, driven 
 out of Spain. 
 
 And yet that transaction, doughty as it 
 was, took up four most precious months, 
 which most certainly might have been much 
 better employed in rendering it impossible 
 for the enemy to re-enter Spain ; nor had 
 there been any great difficulty in so doing, 
 but the contrary, if the General at Madrid 
 had thought convenient to have joined the 
 troops under the Earl of Peterborow, and 
 then to have marched directly towards Pam- 
 pelona, or the frontiers of France. To this 
 the Earl of Peterborow solicited the King, 
 and those about him ; he advised, desired, 
 and intreated him to lose no time, but to 
 put in execution those measures resolved 
 on at Barcelona. A council of war in Va- 
 lencia renewed the same application ; but 
 all to no purpose, his route was ordered 
 him, and that to meet his Majesty on the 
 frontiers of Arragon. There, indeed, the 
 Earl did meet the King ; and the French 
 General an army, which, by virtue of a de-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 211 
 
 erepid intelligence, he never saw or heard 
 of till he fled from it to his camp at Gua- 
 dalira. Inexpressible was the confusion in 
 this fatal camp : The King from Arragon, 
 the Earl of Peterborow from Valencia, ar- 
 riving in it the same day, almost the same 
 hour, that the Earl of Gal way entered, 
 under a hasty retreat before the French 
 army. 
 
 But to return to order, which a zeal of 
 justice has made me somewhat anticipate ; 
 the Earl had not been long at Valencia be- 
 fore he gave orders to Major-General Wind- 
 ham, to march with all the forces he had, 
 which were not above two thousand men, 
 and lay siege to Requina, a town ten 
 leagues distant from Valencia, and in the 
 way to Madrid. The town was not very 
 strong, nor very large ; but sure the oddliest 
 fortified thiit ever was. The houses in a 
 circle connectively composed the wall; 
 and the people, who defended the town, in- 
 stead of firing from hornworks, counter-
 
 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 scarps, and bastions, fired out of the win- 
 dows of their houses. 
 
 Notwithstanding all which, General 
 
 o * 
 
 Wind ham found much greater opposition 
 than he at first imagined ; and therefore, 
 finding he should want ammunition, he 
 sent to the Earl of Peterborow for a sup- 
 ply ; at the same time assigning, as a rea- 
 son for it, the unexpected obstinacy of the 
 town. So soon as the Earl received the 
 letter, he sent for me ; and told me I must 
 repair to Requina, where they would want 
 an engineer ; and that I must be ready 
 next morning, when he should order a lieu- 
 tenant, with thirty soldiers, and two ma- 
 trosses, to guard some powder for that ser- 
 vice. Accordingly, the next morning, we 
 set out, the lieutenant, who was a Dutch- 
 man, and commander of the convoy, being 
 of my acquaintance. 
 
 We had reached Saint Jago, a small vil- 
 lage about midway between Valencia and 
 Requina, when the officer, just as he was 
 got without the town, resolving to take up
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 213 
 
 his quarters on the spot, ordered the mules 
 to be unloaded. The powder, which con- 
 sisted of forty-five barrels, was piled up in 
 a circle, and covered with oil-cloth to pre- 
 serve it from the weather ; and though we 
 had agreed to sup together at my quarters 
 within the village, yet, being weary and fa- 
 tigued, he ordered his field-bed to be put 
 up near the powder, and so lay down to 
 take a short nap. I had scarce been at Forty-five 
 my quarters an hour, when a sudden shock powder 
 
 blown up 
 
 attacked the house so violently, that it threw ^ n " ac " 
 down tiles, windows, chimneys, and all. It 
 presently came into my head what was the 
 occasion ; and, as my fears suggested, so 
 it proved : For, running to the door, 1 saw 
 a cloud ascending from the spot I left the 
 powder pitched upon. In haste making, 
 up to which, nothing was to be seen but 
 the bare circle upon which it had stood. 
 The bed was blown quite away, and the 
 poor lieutenant all to pieces, several of his 
 limbs being found separate, and at a vast 
 distance each from the other ; and particu-
 
 MEMOIRS O? 
 
 larly an arm, with a ring on one of the 
 fingers. The matrosses were, if possible, 
 in a yet worse condition, that is, as to 
 manglement and laceration. All the sol- 
 diers who were standing, and any thing 
 near, were struck dead. Only such as lay 
 sleeping on the ground escaped ; and of 
 those one assured me, that the blast re- 
 moved him several feet from his place of 
 repose. In short, enquiring into this de- 
 plorable disaster, I had this account : That 
 a pig running out of the town, the soldiers 
 endeavoured to intercept its return ; but 
 driving it upon the matrosses, one of them, 
 who was jealous of its getting back into 
 the hands of the soldiers, drew his pistol to 
 shoot it, which was the source of this miser- 
 able catastrophe. The lieutenant carried 
 along with him a bag of dollars to pay the 
 soldiers' quarters; of which the people, and 
 the soldiers that were saved, found many, 
 but blown to an inconceivable distance. 
 
 With those few soldiers that remained 
 alive, I proceeded, according to my orders^
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 215 
 
 to Requina ; where, when I arrived, I gave 
 General Windham an account of the disas- 
 ter at St Jago. As such it troubled him, 
 and not a little on account of the disap- 
 pointment. However, to make the best of 
 a bad market, he gave orders for the form- 
 ing of a mine, under an old castle, which 
 was part of the wall. As it was ordered, 
 so it was begun, more in terrorem, than 
 with any expectation of success from it as 
 a mine. Nevertheless, I had scarce began 
 to frame the oven of the mine, when those 
 within the town desired to capitulate. This Re qnin.i 
 being all we could aim at, under the mis- 
 carriage of our powder at St Jago, (none 
 being yet arrived to supply that delect,) 
 articles were readily granted them ; pursu- 
 ant to which, that part of the garrison, 
 which was composed of Castilian gentry, 
 had liberty to go wherever they thought 
 best, and the rest were made prisoners of 
 war. Requina being thus reduced to the 
 obedience of Charles III. a new raised re- 
 giment of Spaniards was left in garrison, the
 
 216 MEMOIRS 01' 
 
 colonel of which was appointed governor ; 
 and our supply of powder having at last 
 got safe to us, General Windham marched 
 his little army to Cuenca. 
 
 Cuenca is a considerable city, and a bish- 
 opric ; therefore, to pretend to sit down be- 
 fore it with such a company of foragers, ra- 
 ther than an army, must be placed among 
 the hardy influences of the Earl of Peterbo- 
 row's auspicious administration. On the 
 out part of Cuenca there stood an old 
 castle, from which, upon our approach, they 
 played upon us furiously : But as soon as 
 we could bring two pieces of our cannon 
 to bear, we answered their fire with so good 
 success, that we soon obliged them to re- 
 tire into the town. We had raised a bat- 
 tery of twelve guns against the city, on 
 their rejection of the summons sent them 
 to come under the obedience of King 
 Charles ; going to which, from the old 
 castle last reduced, I received a shot on the 
 toe of one of my shoes, which carried that
 
 CAPTAIN CAIILETON. 
 
 part of the shoe entirely away, without any 
 further damage. 
 
 When I came to that battery, we plied 
 them warmly, (as well as from three mor- 
 tars,) for the space of three days, their 
 nights included ; but observing, that in one 
 particular house, they were remarkably 
 busy, people thronging in and out below, 
 and those above firing perpetually out of 
 the windows, I was resolved to have one 
 shot at that window, and made those offi- 
 cers about me take notice of it. True it 
 was, the distance would hardly allow me 
 to hope for success; yet, as the experiment 
 could only be attended with the expence 
 of a single ball, I made it. So soon as the 
 smoke of my own cannon would permit it, 
 we could see clouds of dust issuing from 
 out of the window, which, together with 
 the people's crowding out of doors, con- 
 Adnced the officers, whom I had desired to 
 take notice of it, that I had been no bad 
 marksman. 
 
 Upon this, two priests were sent out of
 
 218 MEMOIRS or 
 
 the place with proposals ; but they were so 
 triflingly extravagant, that as soon as ever 
 the General heard them, he ordered their 
 answer in a fresh renewal of the fire of 
 both cannon and mortars. And it hap- 
 pened to be with so much havoc and exe- 
 cution, that they were soon taught reason : 
 and sent back their divines, with much 
 more moderate demands. After the Ge- 
 neral had a little modelled these last, they 
 were accepted ; and according to the arti- 
 cles of capitulation, the city was that very 
 day surrendered into our possession. The 
 Earl of Duncannon's regiment took guard 
 of all the gates; and King Charles was 
 proclaimed in due form. 
 
 The Earl of Peterborow, during this ex- 
 pedition, had left Valencia, and was arrived 
 at my Lord Galway's camp at Guadalaxa- 
 ra; who, for the confederates, and King 
 Charles in particular, unfortunately was 
 ordered from Portugal, to take the com- 
 mand from a General, who had all along 
 been almost miraculously successful, and
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 219 
 
 by his own great actions paved the way 
 for a safe passage to that his supplanter. 
 
 Yet, even in this fatal place, the Earl of 
 Peterborow made some proposals, which, 
 had they been embraced, might, in all pro- 
 bability, have secured Madrid from falling 
 into the hands of the enemy : But, in op- 
 position thereto, the Lord Galway, and all 
 his Portuguese officers, were for forcing the 
 next day the enemy to battle. The almost 
 only person against it was the Earl of Pe- 
 terborow ; who then and there took the li- 
 berty to evince the impossibility of coming 
 to an engagement. This the next morning 
 too evidently made apparent, when, upon 
 the first motion of our troops towards the 
 river, which they pretended to pass, and 
 must pass, before they could engage, they 
 were so warmly saluted from the batteries 
 of the enemy, and their small shot, that our 
 regiments were forced to retire in confu- 
 sion to their camp. By which rebuff, all 
 heroical imaginations were at present laid
 
 220 MEMOIRS or 
 
 aside, to consider how they might make 
 their retreat to Valencia. 
 
 The retreat being at last resolved on, 
 and a multiplicity of generals rendering 
 our bad circumstances much worse, the 
 Earl of Peterborow met with a fortunate 
 reprieve, by solicitations from the queen, 
 and desires tantamount to orders, that he 
 would go with the troops left in Catalonia, 
 to the relief of the Duke of Savoy. It is 
 hardly to be doubted that that General was 
 glad to withdraw from those scenes of con- 
 fusion, which were but too visible to eyes 
 even less discerning than his. However, 
 he forbore to prepare himself to put her 
 majesty's desires in execution, as they were 
 not peremptory, till it had been resolved 
 by the unanimous consent of a council of 
 war, where the king, all the generals, and 
 ministers, were present, that it was expedi- 
 ent for the service that the Earl of Peter- 
 borow, during the winter season, should 
 comply with her majesty's desires, and go 
 for Italy ; since he might return before the
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 221 
 
 opening of the campaign, if it should be. 
 necessary. And return indeed he did, be- 
 fore the campaign opened, and brought 
 along with him one hundred thousand 
 pounds from Genoa, to the great comfort 
 and support of our troops, which had nei- 
 ther money nor credit. But, on his return, 
 that noble Earl found the Lord Galway 
 had been near as successful against him, 
 as he had been unsuccessful against the 
 enemy. Thence was the Earl of Peterbo- 
 row recalled to make room for an unfortu- 
 nate general, who, the next year, suffered 
 himself to be decoyed into that fatal battle 
 of Almanza. 
 
 The Earl of Peterborow, on his leaving 
 Valencia, had ordered his baggage to fok 
 low him to the camp at Guadalaxara; and 
 it arrived in our little camp, so far safe in 
 its way to the greater at Guadalaxara. I 
 think it consisted of seven loaded waggons; 
 and General "Windham gave orders for a 
 small guard to escort it; under which they 
 proceeded on their journey: But, about
 
 222 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 eight leagues from Cuenca, at a pretty 
 town called Huette, a party from the Duke 
 of Berwick's army, with boughs in their 
 hats, the better to appear what they were 
 not, (for the bough in the hat is the badge 
 of the English, as white paper is the badge 
 of the French,) came into the town, crying 
 all the way, " Viva Carlos Tercero Viva !" 
 With these acclamations in their mouths, 
 they advanced up to the very waggons ; 
 when attacking the guards who had too 
 much deluded themselves with appearan- 
 ces, they routed them, and immediately 
 plundered the waggons of all that was va- 
 luable, and then marched off. 
 
 The noise of this soon reached the ears 
 of the Earl of Peterborow at Guadalaxara. 
 When, leaving my Lord Galway's camp, 
 pursuant to the resolutions of the council 
 of war, with a party only of fourscore of 
 Killegrew's dragoons, he met General Wind- 
 ham's little army within a league of Huette, 
 the place where his baggage had been plun- 
 dered. The Earl had strong motives of
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 suspicion, that the inhabitants had given 
 intelligence to the enemy ; and, as is very 
 natural, giving way to the first dictates of 
 resentment, he resolved to have laid the 
 town in ashes ; But when he came near it, 
 the clergy and magistrates, upon their 
 knees, disavowing the charge, and asserting 
 their innocence, prevailed on the good na- 
 ture of that generous Earl, without any 
 great difficulty, to spare the town, at least 
 not to burn it. 
 
 We marched, however, into the town, and 
 that night took up our quarters there; and 
 the magistrates, under the dread of our 
 avenging ourselves, on their part took care 
 that we were well supplied. But, when 
 they were made sensible of the value of the 
 loss, which the Earl had sustained; and 
 that on a moderate computation it amount- 
 ed to at least eight thousand pistoles ; they 
 voluntarily presented themselves next morn- 
 ing, and, of their own accord, offered to 
 make his lordship full satisfaction, and, 
 that, in their own phrase, de contado, in
 
 ,224 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ready money. The Earl was not displea- 
 sed at their offer ; but generously made an- 
 swer, That he was just come from my 
 Lord Galway's camp at Chincon, where he 
 found they were in a likelihood of wanting 
 bread ; and, as he imagined it might be 
 easier to them to raise the value in corn, 
 than in ready money ; if they would send 
 to that value in corn to the Lord Galway's 
 camp, he would be satisfied. This they 
 with joy embraced, and immediately com- 
 plied with. 
 
 I am apt to think the last century, (and 
 I very much fear the current will be as de- 
 ficient,) can hardly produce a parallel in- 
 stance of generosity, and true public spirit- 
 edness : And the world will be of my opi- 
 nion, when I have corroborated this with 
 another passage some years after. The 
 commissioners for stating the debts clue to 
 the army, meeting daily for that purpose, 
 at their house in Darby Court in Channel 
 Row, I there mentioned to Mr Read, gen- 
 tleman to his lordship, this very just and
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 225 
 
 honourable claim upon the government, as 
 monies advanced for the use of the army. 
 Who told me in a little time after, that he 
 had mentioned it to his Lordship ; but with 
 no other effect than to have it rejected with 
 a generous disdain. 
 
 While we staid at Huette, there was a 
 little incident in life, which gave me great 
 diversion. The Earl, who had always main- 
 tained a good correspondence with the fair 
 sex, hearing from one of the priests of the 
 place, that, on the alarm of burning the 
 town, one of the finest ladies in all Spain 
 had taken refuge in the nunnery, was de- 
 sirous to speak with her. 
 
 The nunnery stood upon a small rising 
 hill within the town, and, to obtain the view, 
 the Earl had presently in his head this stra- 
 tagem ; he sends for me, as engineer, to 
 have my advice, how to raise a proper for- 
 tification upon that hill, out of the nunnery. 
 I waited upon his Lordship to the place, 
 where, declaring the intent of our coming, 
 and giving plausible reasons for it, the train 
 
 p
 
 226 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 took, and immediately the lady abbess, and 
 the fair lady, came out to make interces- 
 sion, that his Lordship would be pleased to 
 lay aside that design. The divine oratory of 
 one, and the beautiful charms of the other, 
 prevailed ; so his Lordship left the fortifi- 
 cation to be the work of some future gene- 
 ration. 
 
 From Huette the Earl of Peterborow 
 marched forwards for Valencia, with only 
 those fourscore dragoons, which came with 
 him from Chincon, leaving General VVind- 
 ham pursuing his own orders to join his 
 forces to the army, then under the com- 
 mand of the Lord Gal way. But stopping 
 at Campilio, a little town in our way, his 
 Lordship had information of a most bar- 
 barous fact committed that very morning 
 by the Spaniards, at a small villa, about a 
 league distant, upon some English soldiers. 
 
 A captain of the English Guards, (whose 
 name has slipped my memory, though 1 well 
 knew the man) marching in order to join 
 the battalion of the Guards, then under the
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 227 
 
 command of General Windham, with some 
 of his soldiers, that had been in the hospi- 
 tal, took up his quarters in that little villa. 
 But on his marching out of it, next morn- 
 ing, a shot in the back laid that officer dead 
 upon the spot : and as it had been before 
 concerted, the Spaniards of the place at 
 the same time fell upon the poor weak sol- 
 diers, killing several ; not even sparing their 
 wives. This was but a prelude to their bar- 
 barity ; their savage cruelty was only whet- 
 ted, not glutted. They took the surviving 
 few, hurried and dragged them up a hill, a 
 little without the villa. On the top of this 
 hill there was a hole, or opening, somewhat 
 ]ike the mouth of one of our coal-pits ; down 
 this they east several, who, with hideous 
 shrieks and cries, made more hideous by 
 the echoes of the chasm, there lost their 
 lives. 
 
 This relation was thus made to the Earl 
 of Peterborow, at his quarters at Campilio, 
 who immediately gave orders for to sound 
 to horse. At first we were all surprised;
 
 228 ME MO I US OF 
 
 but were soon satisfied, that it was to re- 
 venge, or rather do justice, on this barbar- 
 ous action. 
 
 As soon as we entered the villa, we found 
 that most of the inhabitants, but especial- 
 ly the most guilty, had withdrawn them- 
 selves on our approach. We found, how- 
 ever, many of the dead soldiers' clothes, 
 which had been conveyed into the church, 
 and there hid. And a strong accusation 
 being laid against a person belonging to the 
 church, and full proof made, that he had 
 been singularly industrious in the execu- 
 tion of that horrid piece of barbarity on the 
 hill, his Lordship commanded him to be 
 hanged up at the knocker of the door. 
 
 After this piece of military justice, we 
 were led up to the fatal pit, or hole, down 
 which many had been cast headlong. There 
 we found one poor soldier alive, who, up- 
 on his throwing in, had catched fast hold 
 of some impending bushes, and saved him- 
 self on a little jutty within the concavity. 
 On hearing us talk English, he cried out;
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOtf. 
 
 and ropes being let down, in a little time 
 he was drawn up ; when he gave us an 
 ample detail of the whole villany. Among 
 other particulars, I remember he told me 
 of a very narrow escape he had in that ob- 
 scure recess. A poor woman, one of the 
 wives of the soldiers, who was thrown down 
 after him, struggled, and roared so much, 
 that they could not, with all their force, 
 throw her cleverly in the middle ; by which 
 means falling near the side, in her fall she 
 almost beat him from his place of security. 
 Upon the conclusion of this tragical re- 
 lation of the soldier thus saved, his Lord- 
 ship gave immediate orders for the firing 
 of the villa, which was executed with due 
 severity : after which his Lordship march- 
 ed back to his quarters at Campilio ; from 
 whence, two days after, we arrived at Va- 
 lencia ; where, the first thing presented to 
 that noble Lord, was all the papers taken 
 in the plunder of his baggage, which the 
 Duke of Berwick had generously ordered
 
 230 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 to be returned him, without waste or open- 
 ing. 
 
 It was too manifest, after the Earl's ar- 
 rival at this city, that the alteration in the 
 command of the English forces, which be- 
 fore was only received as a rumour, had 
 deeper grounds for belief than many of his 
 friends in that city could have wished. His 
 Lordship had gained the love of all by a 
 thousand engaging condescensions ; even 
 his gallantries, being no way prejudicial, 
 were not offensive ; and though his Lord- 
 ship did his utmost to conceal his chagrin, 
 the sympathy of those around him made 
 such discoveries upon him, as would have 
 disappointed a double portion of his cau- 
 tion. They had seen him unelated under 
 successes, that were so near being unac- 
 countable, that in a country of less super- 
 stition than Spain, they might almost have 
 passed for miraculous ; they knew full well, 
 that nothing but that series of successes 
 had paved a passage for the General that 
 ivas to supersede him ; those only having
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 231 
 
 removed all the difficulties of his march 
 from Portugal to Madrid ; they knew him 
 the older General; and therefore, not know- 
 ing, that, in the court lie came from, intrigue 
 was too often the soul of merit, they could 
 not but be amazed at a change, which his 
 Lordship was unwilling any body should 
 perceive by himself. 
 
 It was upon this account, that, as former- 
 ly, he treated the ladies with balls, and, to 
 pursue the Dons in their own humour, or- 
 dered a Tawridore, or Bull-feast. In Spain, 
 no sort of public diversions are esteemed 
 equal with this. But the bulls provided at 
 Valencia, not being of the right breed, nor 
 ever initiated in the mysteries, did not ac- 
 quit themselves at all masterly ; and con- 
 sequently, did not give the diversion or sa- 
 tisfaction expected. For which reason I 
 shall omit giving a description of this bull- 
 feast ; and desire my reader to suspend his 
 curiosity till I come to some, which, in the 
 Spanish sense, were much more entertain-
 
 232 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ing ; that is, attended with much greater 
 hazards and danger. 
 
 But though I have said the gallantries of 
 the General were mostly political, at least 
 very inoffensive ; yet there happened about 
 this time, and in this place, a piece of gal- 
 lantry, that gave the Earl a vast deal of of- 
 fence and vexation ; as a matter, that in 
 its consequences might have been fatal to 
 the interest of King Charles, if not to the 
 English nation in general ; and which I the 
 rather relate, in that it may be of use to 
 young officers and others ; pointing out to 
 them the danger, not to say folly, of inad- 
 vertent and precipitate engagements, un- 
 der unruly passions. 
 
 I have said before, that Valencia is fa- 
 mous for fine women. It indeed abounds 
 in them ; and among those, are great num- 
 bers of courtezans, not inferior in beauty 
 to any. Nevertheless, two of our English 
 officers, not caring for the common road, 
 however safe, resolved to launch into the 
 deeper seas, though attended with much
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 233 
 
 greater danger. Amours, the common fail- 
 ing of that fair city, was the occasion of 
 this accident, and two nuns the objects. It 
 is customary in that country for young peo- 
 ple in an evening to resort to the grates of 
 the nunneries, there to divert themselves, 
 and the nuns, with a little pleasant and in- 
 offensive chit-chat. For, though I have 
 
 7 o 
 
 heard some relate a world of nauseous pas- 
 sages at such conversations, I must declare, 
 that I never saw, or heard any thing un- 
 seemly ; and therefore, whenever 1 have 
 heard any such from such fabulists, I ne- 
 ver so much wronged my judgment as to 
 afford them credit. 
 
 Our two officers were very assiduous at 
 the grates of a nunnery in this place ; and 
 having there pitched upon two nuns, pro- 
 secuted their amours with such vigour, that, 
 in a little time, they had made a very great 
 progress in their affections, without in the 
 least considering the dangers that must at- 
 tend themselves and the fair ; they had ex- 
 changed vows, and prevailed upon the weak-
 
 234 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 er vessels to endeavour to get out to their 
 lovers. To effect which, soon after, a plot 
 was laid ; the means, the hour, and every 
 thing agreed upon. 
 
 It is the custom of that nunnery, as of 
 many others, for the nuns to take their 
 weekly courses in keeping the keys of all 
 the doors. The two love-sick ladies giving 
 notice to their lovers at the grate, that one 
 of their turns was come, the night and hour 
 was appointed, which the officers punctual- 
 ly observing, carried off their prey without 
 either difficulty or interruption. 
 
 But next morning when the nuns were 
 
 o 
 
 missing, what an uproar was there over all 
 the city ! The ladies were both of quality ; 
 and therefore the tidings were first carried 
 to their relations. They received the news 
 with vows of utmost vengeance ; and, as is 
 usual in that country, put themselves in 
 arms for that purpose. There needed no 
 great canvassing for discovering who were 
 the aggressors : the officers had been too 
 frequent and too public in their addresses,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 235 
 
 to leave any room for question. Accord- 
 ingly, they were complained of and sought 
 for ; but sensible at last of their past teme- 
 rity, they endeavoured, and with a great 
 deal of difficulty perfected, their escape. 
 
 Less fortunate were the two fair nuns ; 
 their lovers, in their utmost exigency, had 
 forsaken them ; and they, poor creatures, 
 knew not where to fly. Under this sad di- 
 lemma they were taken ; and, as in like 
 offences, condemned directly to the punish- 
 ment of immuring. And what greater pu- 
 nishment is there on earth, than to be con- 
 fined between four narrow walls, only open 
 at the top ; and thence to be half support- 
 ed with bread and water, till the offenders 
 gradually starve to death ? 
 
 The Earl of Peterborow, though highly 
 exasperated at the proceedings of his offi- 
 cers, in compassion to the unhappy fair, 
 resolved to interpose by all the moderate 
 means possible. He knew very well, that 
 no one thing could so much prejudice the 
 Spaniard against him, as the countenancing
 
 236 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 such an action ; wherefore, he inveighed 
 against the officers, at the same time that 
 he endeavoured to mitigate in favour of the 
 ladies : but all was in vain ; it was urged 
 against those charitable intercessions, that 
 they had broke their vows; and, in that, 
 had broke in upon the laws of the nunnery 
 and religion ; the consequence of all which 
 could be nothing less than the punishment 
 appointed to be inflicted. And which was 
 the hardest of all, the nearest of their rela- 
 tions most opposed all his generous media- 
 tions; and those, who, according to the com- 
 mon course of nature, should have thanked 
 him for his endeavours to be instrument- 
 al in rescuing them from the impending 
 danger, grew more and more enraged, be- 
 cause he opposed them in their design of a 
 cruel revenge. 
 
 Notwithstanding all which, the Earl per- 
 severed ; and after a deal of labour, first 
 got the penalty suspended ; and, soon af- 
 ter, by the dint of a very considerable sum 
 of money, (a most powerful argument,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 237 
 
 which prevails in every country,) saved the 
 poor nuns from immuring ; and at last, 
 though with great reluctance, he got them 
 received again into the nunnery. As to the 
 warlike lovers, one of them was the year 
 after slain at the battle of Almanza ; the 
 other is yet living, being a brigadier in the 
 army. 
 
 While the Earl of Peterborow was here 
 with his little army of great heretics, nei- 
 ther priests nor people were so open in their 
 superstitious fopperies, as I at other times 
 found them. For which reason I will make 
 bold, and, by an antichronism in this place, 
 a little anticipate some observations that I 
 made some time after the Earl left it. And 
 as I have not often committed such a trans- 
 gression, I hope it may be the more excu- 
 sable now, and no way blemish my Me- 
 moirs, that I break in upon the series of 
 my Journal. 
 
 Valencia is a handsome city, and a bi- 
 shoprick ; and is considerable, not only fcr 
 the pleasantness of its situation and beauti
 
 238 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ful ladies, but (which at some certain times, 
 and on some occasions, to them is more va- 
 luable than both those put together) for be- 
 ing the birth-place of Saint Vincent, the 
 patron of the place ; and next, for its be- 
 ing the place where Santo Domingo, the 
 first institutor of the Dominican order, had 
 his education. Here, in honour of the last, 
 is a spacious and very splendid convent of 
 the Dominicans. Walking by which, I one 
 day observed over the gate, a figure of a 
 man in stone ; and near it, a dog, with a 
 lighted torch in his mouth. The image I 
 rightly enough took to intend that of the 
 saint ; but inquiring of one of the order at 
 the gate the meaning of the figures near it, 
 he very courteously asked me to walk in, 
 and then entertained me with the following 
 relation : 
 
 When the mother of Santo Domingo, said 
 that religious, was with child of that future 
 saint, she had a dream which very much 
 afflicted her. She dreamt that she heard a 
 dog bark in her belly ; and inquiring (at 
 what oracle is not said) the meaning of her
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 239 
 
 dream, she was told, " that that child should 
 bark out the Gospel," (excuse the bareness of 
 the expression, it may run better in Spanish ; 
 though, if I remember right, Erasmus gives 
 it in Latin much the same turn,) " which 
 should thence shine out like that lighted 
 
 o 
 
 torch/' And this is the reason, that where- 
 ever you see the image of that saint, a dog 
 and a lighted torch is in the group. 
 
 He told me at the same time, that there 
 had been more popes and cardinals of that 
 order than of any, if not all the other. To 
 confirm which, he led me into a large gal- 
 lery, on each side whereof he shewed me 
 the pictures of all the popes and cardinals 
 that had been of that order ; among which, 
 I particularly took notice of that of Cardi- 
 nal Howard, great uncle to the present Duke 
 of Norfolk. But after many encomiums of 
 their society, with which he interspersed iiis 
 discourse, he added one that I least valued 
 it for, that the sole care and conduct of 
 the inquisition was intrusted with them. 
 
 Finding me attentive, or not so contra-
 
 240 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 dictory as the English humour generally is, 
 he next brought me into a fair and large 
 cloister, round which I took several turns 
 with him ; and, indeed, the place was too 
 delicious to tire, under a conversation less 
 pertinent or courteous than that he enter- 
 tained me with. In the middle of the clois- 
 ter, was a small, but pretty and sweet grove 
 of orange and lemon trees ; these bore fruit 
 ripe and green, and flowers, altogether on 
 one tree ; and their fruit was so very large 
 and beautiful, and their flowers so trans- 
 cendently odoriferous, that all I had ever 
 seen of the like kind in England, could com- 
 paratively pass only for beauty in epitome, 
 or nature imitated in wax-work. Many 
 flocks also of pretty little birds, with their 
 cheerful notes, added not a little to my de- 
 light. In short, in life, I never knew or 
 found three of my senses at once so ex- 
 quisitely gratified. 
 
 ISIot far from this, Saint Vincent, the 
 patron, as I said before, of this city, has a 
 chapel dedicated to him. Once a year they 
 
 a
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 241 
 
 do him honour in a sumptuous procession. 
 Then are their streets all strewed with flow- 
 ers, and their houses set off with their rich- 
 est tapestries ; every one strives to excel his 
 neighbour in distinguishing himself by the 
 honour he pays to that saint ; and he is the 
 best catholic, as well as the best citizen, in 
 the eye of the religious, who most exerts 
 himself on this occasion. 
 
 The procession begins with a cavalcade 
 of all the friars of all the convents in and 
 about the city. These walk two and two 
 with folded arms, and eyes cast down to 
 the very ground, and with the greatest out- 
 ward appearance of humility imaginable ; 
 nor, though the temptation from the fine 
 women that filled their windows, or the rich 
 tapestries that adorned the balconies, might 
 be allowed sufficient to attract, could 1 ob- 
 serve that any one of them all ever moved 
 them upwards. 
 
 After the friars is borne, upon the shoul- 
 ders of twenty men at least, an image of 
 that saint, of solid silver, large as the life : 
 It is placed in a great chair of silver like-
 
 242 MEMOIRS or 
 
 wise ; the staves that bear him up, and up- 
 on which they bear him, being of the same 
 metal. The whole is a most costly and 
 curious piece of workmanship, such as my 
 eyes never before or since beheld. 
 
 The magistrates follow the image and its 
 supporters, dressed in their richest apparel, 
 which is always on this day, and on this 
 occasion, particularly sumptuous and dis- 
 tinguishing. Thus is the image, in the 
 greatest splendour, borne and accompanied 
 round that fine city ; and at last conveyed 
 to the place from whence it came : and so 
 concludes that annual ceremony. 
 
 The Valencians, as to the exteriors of re- 
 ligion, are the most devout of any in Spain, 
 though in common life you find them amo- 
 rous, gallant, and gay, like other people ; 
 yet on solemn occasions, there shines out- 
 right such a spirit, as proves them the very 
 bigots of bigotry : as a proof of which as- 
 sertion, I will now give some account of 
 such observations, as I had time to make 
 upon them, during two Lent seasons while 
 I resided there.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 243 
 
 The week before the Lent commences, 
 commonly known by the name of Carni- 
 val Time, the whole city appears a perfect 
 Bartholomew fair ; the streets are crowd- 
 ed, and the houses empty ; nor is it possible 
 to pass along without some gambol or jack- 
 pudding trick offered to you. Ink, water, 
 and sometimes ordure, are sure to be hurl- 
 ed at your face or clothes ; and if you ap- 
 pear concerned or angry, they rejoice at it, 
 pleased the more, the more they displease ; 
 for all other resentment is at that time out 
 of season, though at other times few in the 
 world are fuller of resentment, or more cap- 
 tious. 
 
 The younger gentry, or Dons, to express 
 their gallantry, carry about them egg-shells, 
 filled with orange or other sweet water, 
 which they cast at ladies in their coaches, 
 or such other of the fair sex as they hap- 
 pen to meet in the streets. 
 
 But, after all, if you would think them 
 extravagant to day, as much transgressing 
 the rules of common civility, and neither
 
 244 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 regarding decency to one another, nor the 
 duty they owe to Almighty God ; yet when 
 Ash- Wednesday comes, you will imagine 
 them more unaccountable in their conduct, 
 being then as much too excessive in all out- 
 ward indications of humility and repent- 
 ance. Here you shall meet one, bare-foot- 
 ed, with a cross on his shoulder, a burden 
 rather fit for somewhat with four feet, and 
 which his poor two are ready to sink un- 
 der, yet the vain wretch bears and sweats, 
 and sweats and bears, in hope of finding 
 merit in an ass's labour. 
 
 Others you shall see naked to their waists, 
 whipping themselves with scourges made 
 for the purpose, till the blood follows every 
 stroke ; and no man need be at a loss to 
 follow them by the very tracks of gore they 
 shed in this frantic perambulation. Some 
 who, from the thickness of their hides, or 
 other impediments, have not power by their 
 scourgings to fetch blood of themselves, are 
 followed by surgeons with their lancets, who, 
 at every turn, make use of them, to evince
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 245 
 
 the extent of their patience and zeal by the 
 smart of their folly. While others, ming- 
 ling amour with devotion, take particular 
 care to present themselves all macerated 
 before the windows of their mistresses ; and 
 even in that condition, not satisfied with 
 what they have barbarously done to them- 
 selves, they have their operators at hand, 
 to evince their love by the number of their 
 gashes and wounds ; imagining the more 
 blood they lose, the more love they shew, 
 and the more they shall gain. These are 
 generally devoto's of quality ; though the 
 tenet is universal, that he that is most 
 bloody is most devout. 
 
 After these street-exercises, these ostenta- 
 tious castigations, are over, these self-sacri- 
 ficers repair to the great church, the bloodier 
 - the better ; there they throw themselves in 
 a condition too vile for the eye of a fe- 
 male, before the image of the Virgin Mary ; 
 though I defy all their race of Fathers, and 
 their infallible Holy Father into the bargain, 
 to produce any authority to fit it for belief,
 
 246 MEMOIRS or 
 
 that she ever delighted in such sanguinary 
 holocausts. 
 
 During the whole time of Lent, you will 
 see in every street some priest or friar, up- 
 on some stall or stool, preaching up repent- 
 ance to the people ; and with violent blows 
 on his breast, crying aloud, " Mia culpa, 
 mia maxima culpa" till he extract recipro- 
 cal returns from the hands of his auditors 
 on their own breasts. 
 
 When Good-Friday is come, they enter- 
 tain it with the most profound show of re- 
 verence and religion, both in their streets 
 and in their churches. In the last, parti- 
 cularly, they have contrived about twelve 
 o'clock suddenly to darken them, so as to 
 render them quite gloomy. This they do, 
 to intimate the eclipse of the sun, which 
 at that time happened. And to signify the 
 rending of the vail of the temple, you are 
 struck with a strange artificial noise at the 
 very same instant. 
 
 But when Easter day appears, you find 
 it in all respects with them a day of rejoi-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 47 
 
 cing ; for, though abstinence from flesh with 
 them, who at no time eat much, is not so 
 great a mortification as with those of the 
 same persuasion in other countries, who eat 
 much more, yet there is a visible satisfac- 
 tion darts out at their eyes, which demon- 
 strates their inward pleasure in being set- 
 free from the confinement of mind to the 
 dissatisfaction of the body. Every person 
 you now meet greets you with a Resurrexit 
 Jesus ; a good imitation of the primitive 
 Christians, were it the real effect of devo- 
 tion. And all sorts of the best music (which 
 here indeed is the best in all Spain) pro- 
 claim an auspicious valediction to the de- 
 parted season of superficial sorrow and stu- 
 pid superstition. But enough of this : I 
 proceed to weightier matters. 
 
 While we lay at Valencia, under the vi- 
 gilance and care of the indefatigable Earl, 
 
 o 
 
 news was brought, that Alicant was besieged 
 by General Gorge by land, while u squa- 
 dron of men-of-war battered it from the 
 sea ; from both which the besiegers played
 
 248 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 their parts so well, and so warmly plyed 
 them with their cannon, that an indiffe- 
 rent practicable breach was made in a little 
 time. 
 
 Mahoni commanded in the place, being 
 again received into favour ; and cleared as 
 he was of those political insinuations before 
 intimated, he now seemed resolved to con- 
 firm his innocence by a resolute defence. 
 However, perceiving that all preparations 
 tended towards a storm, and knowing full 
 well the weakness of the town, he withdrew 
 his garrison into the castle, leaving the town 
 to the defence of its own inhabitants. 
 
 Just as that was doing, the sailors, not 
 much skilled in sieges, nor at all times ca- 
 pable of the coollest consideration, with a 
 resolution natural to them, stormed the walls 
 to the side of the sea ; where, not meeting 
 with much opposition, (for the people of the 
 town apprehended the least danger there,) 
 they soon got into the place ; and, as soon 
 as got in, began to plunder. This obliged 
 the people, for the better security of them?
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 249 
 
 selves, to open their gates, and seek a re- 
 fuge under one enemy, in opposition to the 
 rage of another. 
 
 o 
 
 General Gorge, as soon as he entered 
 the town, with a good deal of seeming le- 
 nity, put a stop to the ravages of the sai- 
 lors ; and ordered proclamation to be made 
 throughout the place, that all the inhabi- 
 tants should immediately bring in their best 
 effects into the great church for their better 
 security. This was by the mistaken popu- 
 lace as readily complied with ; and neither 
 friend nor foe at all disputing the command, 
 or questioning the integrity of the inten- 
 tion, the church was presently crowded 
 with riches of all sorts and sizes. Yet af- 
 ter some time remaining there, they were 
 all taken out, and disposed of by those that 
 had as little property in them as ihe sailors 
 they were pretended to be preserved from. 
 
 The Earl of Peterborow, upon the very 
 first news of the siege, had left Valencia, 
 and taken shipping for Alicant, where he 
 arrived soon after the surrender of the town,
 
 250 MEMOIRS or 
 
 and that outcry of the goods of the towns- 
 men. Upon his arrival, Mahoni, who was 
 blocked up in the castle, and had experi- 
 enced his indefatigable diligence, being in 
 want of provisions, and without much hope 
 of relief, desired to capitulate. The Karl 
 granted him honourable conditions, upon 
 which he delivered up the castle, and Gorge 
 was made governor. 
 
 Upon his Lordship's taking ship at Va- 
 lencia, I had an opportunity of inarching 
 with those dragoons which escorted him 
 from Castile, who had received orders to 
 march into Murcia. We quartered the first 
 night at Alcira, a town that the river Segra 
 almost surrounds, which renders it capable 
 of being made a place of vast strength, 
 though now of small importance. 
 
 The next night we lay at Xativa, a place 
 famous for its steadiness to King Charles. 
 General Basset, a Spaniard, being gover- 
 nor, it was besieged by the forces of King 
 Philip ; but, after a noble resistance, the 
 enemy were beat off, and the siege raised ;
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 251 
 
 for which effort, it is supposed, that on the 
 retirement of King Charles out of this coun- 
 try, it was deprived of its old name Xativa, 
 and is now called San Felippo ; though to 
 this day, the people thereabouts much dis- 
 allow by their practice, that novel denomi- 
 nation. 
 
 We marched next morning by Monteza ; 
 which gives name to the famous title of 
 Knights of Monteza. It was, at the time 
 that Colonel O'Guaza, an Irishman, was 
 governor, besieged by the people of the 
 country, in favour of King Charles ; but 
 very ineffectually, so it never changed its 
 sovereign. That night we quartered at 
 Fonte da las Figuras, within one league of 
 Almanza, where that fatal and unfortunate 
 battle, which I shall give an account of in 
 its place, was fought the year after, under 
 the Lord Gal way. 
 
 On our fourth day's march we were ob- 
 liged to pass Villena, where the enemy had 
 a garrison. A party of Mahoni's dragoons 
 made a part of that garrison, and they were
 
 252 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 commanded by Major O'Roirk, an Irish of- 
 ficer, who always carried the reputation of 
 a good soldier, and a brave gentleman. 
 
 I had all along made it my observation, 
 that Captain Matthews, who commanded 
 those dragoons that I marched with, was 
 a person of much more courage than con- 
 duct ; and he used as little precaution here, 
 though just marching under the eye of the 
 enemy, as he had done at other times. As 
 I was become intimately acquainted with 
 him, I rode up to him, and told him the 
 danger, which, in my opinion, attended our 
 present march. I pointed out to him just 
 before Villena a jutting hill, under which 
 we must unavoidably pass ; at the turning 
 whereof, I was apprehensive the enemy 
 might lie, and either by ambuscade, or 
 otherwise, surprise us ; I therefore in treat- 
 ed we might either wait the coming of our 
 rear guard, or at least march with a little 
 more leisure and caution. But he, taking 
 little notice of all I said, kept on his round 
 march ; seeing which, I pressed forward
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 253 
 
 my mule, which was a very good one, and 
 rid as fast as her legs could carry her, till I 
 had got on the top of the hill. When I 
 came there, I found both my expectation 
 and my apprehensions answered : for I could 
 very plainly discern three squadrons of the 
 enemy ready drawn up, and waiting for us 
 at the very winding of the hill. 
 
 Hereupon I hastened back to the captain 
 with the like speed, and told him the dis- 
 covery I had made ; who nevertheless kept 
 on his march, and it was with a good deal 
 of difficulty that 1 at last prevailed on him 
 to halt, till our rear guard of twenty men 
 had got up to us. But those joining us, 
 and a new troop of Spanish dragoons, who 
 had marched towards us that morning, ap- 
 pearing in sight ; our captain, as if he was 
 afraid of their rivalling him in his glory, at 
 the very turn of the hill, rode in a full gal- 
 lop, with sword in hand, up to the enemy. 
 They stood their ground till we were ad- 
 vanced within two hundred yards of them,
 
 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 and then in confusion endeavoured to retire 
 into the town. 
 
 They were obliged to pass over a small 
 bridge, too small to admit of such a com- 
 pany in so much haste ; their crowding up- 
 on which obstructed their retreat, and left 
 all that could not get over to the mercy of 
 our swords, which spared none. However, 
 narrow as the bridge was, Captain Mat- 
 thews was resolved to venture over after the 
 enemy ; on doing which, the enemy made a 
 halt, till the people of the town, and the 
 very priests, came out to their relief with 
 fire arms. On so large an appearance, Cap- 
 tain Matthews thought it not advisable to 
 make any further advances; so, driving a 
 very great flock of sheep from under the 
 walls, he continued his march towards El- 
 da. In this action we lost Captain Top- 
 ham and three dragoons. 
 
 I remember we were not marched very 
 far from the place where this rencounter 
 happened, when an Irish dragoon overtook 
 the captain, with a civil message from Ma-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 jor O'Roirk, desiring that he would not en- 
 tertain a mean opinion of him for the de- 
 fence that was made ; since, could he have 
 got the Spaniards to have stood their ground, 
 he should have given him good reason for 
 a better. The captain returned a compli- 
 mental answer, and so marched on. This 
 Major O'Roirk, or O'Roork, was the next 
 year killed at Alkay, being much lament- 
 ed ; for he was esteemed both for his cou- 
 rage and conduct, one of the best of the 
 Irish officers in the Spanish service. I was 
 likewise informed, that he was descended 
 from one of the ancient kings of Ireland ; 
 the mother of the honourable Colonel Pa- 
 get, one of the grooms of the bedchamber 
 
 o 7 o 
 
 to his present Majesty, was nearly related 
 to this gallant gentleman. 
 
 One remarkable thing I saw in that ac- 
 tion, which affected and surprised me : a 
 Scotch dragoon, of but a moderate size, 
 with his large basket-hilted sword, struck 
 off a Spaniard's head at one stroke, with the 
 
 j i
 
 256 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 same ease, in appearance, as a man would 
 do that of a poppy. 
 
 When we came to Elda, (a town much 
 in the interest of King Charles, and famous 
 for its fine situation, and the largest grapes 
 in Spain,) the inhabitants received us in a 
 manner as handsome as it was peculiar ; 
 all standing at their doors with lighted 
 torches ; which, considering the time we 
 entered, was far from an unwelcome or dis- 
 agreeable sight. 
 
 The next day, several requested to be the 
 messengers of the action at Villena to the 
 Earl of Peterborow at Alicant ; but the 
 captain returned this answer to all, that in 
 consideration of the share that I might just- 
 ly claim in that day's transactions, he could 
 not think of letting any other person be the 
 bearer. So, giving me his letters to the Earl, 
 I the next day delivered them to him at 
 Alicant. At the delivery, Colonel Kille- 
 grew (whose dragoons they were) being 
 present, he expressed a deal of satisfaction 
 at the account, and his Lordship was pleas-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 257 
 
 sed at the same time to appoint me sole en- 
 gineer of the castle of Alicant. 
 
 Soon after which, that successful General 
 embarked for Genoa, according to the re- 
 solutions of the council of war at Guada- 
 laxara, on a particular commission from the 
 Queen of England, another from Charles 
 King of Spain, and charged at the same 
 time with a request of the Marquis das Mi- 
 nas, General of the Portuguese forces, to 
 negociate bills for one hundred thousand 
 pounds for the use of his troops. In all 
 which, though he was (as ever) successful ; 
 yet may it be said without a figure, that his 
 departure, in a good measure, determined 
 the success of the confederate forces in that 
 kingdom. True it is, the general returned 
 again with the fortunate fruits of those ne- 
 gociations : but never to act in his old aus- 
 picious sphere : and therefore, as I am now 
 to take leave of this fortunate General, let 
 me do it with justice, in an appeal to the 
 world, of the not to be paralleled usage (in 
 these latter ages at least) that he met with 
 
 B
 
 258 
 
 for all his services ; such a vast variety of 
 enterprizes, all successful, and which had 
 set all Europe in amaze ; services that had 
 given occasion to such solemn and public 
 thanksgivings in our churches, and which 
 had received such very remarkable appro- 
 bations, both of sovereign and parliament, 
 and which had been represented in so live- 
 ly a manner, in a letter wrote by the King 
 of Spain, under his own hand, to the Queen 
 of England, and communicated to both 
 Houses in the terms following : 
 
 " MADAM, MY SISTER, 
 
 " I SHOULD not have been so long ere I 
 did myself the honour to repeat the assu- 
 rances of my sincere respects to you, had I 
 not waited for the good occasion which I 
 now acquaint you with, that the city of 
 Barcelona is surrendered to me by capitu- 
 lation. I doubt not but you will receive 
 this great news with entire satisfaction, as 
 well because this happy success is the ef- 
 fect of your arms, always glorious, as from 
 
 i
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 259 
 
 the pure motives of that bounty and ma- 
 ternal affection you have for me, and for 
 every thing which may contribute to the 
 advancement of my interest. 
 
 " I must do this justice to all the officers 
 and common soldiers, and particularly to 
 my Lord Peterborow, that he has shewn in 
 this whole expedition, a constancy, bravery, 
 and conduct, worthy of the choice that your 
 Majesty has made of him, and that he could 
 no ways give me better satisfaction than 
 he has, by the great zeal and application, 
 which he has equally testified for my in- 
 terest, and for the service of my person. I 
 owe the same justice to Brigadier Stan- 
 hope, for his great zeal, vigilance, and very 
 wise conduct, which he has given proofs of 
 upon all occasions : as also to all your of- 
 ficers of the fleet, particularly to your wor- 
 thy Admiral, Shovel, assuring your Majes- 
 ty, that he has assisted me in this expedi- 
 tion, with an inconceivable readiness and 
 application, and that no Admiral will be 
 ever better able to render me greater satis-
 
 260 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 faction than he has done. During the siege 
 of Barcelona, some of your Majesty's ships, 
 with the assistance of the troops of the coun- 
 try, have reduced the town of Tarragona, 
 and the officers are made prisoners of war. 
 The town of Girone has been taken at the 
 same time by surprise, by the troops of the 
 country. The town of Lerida has submit- 
 ted, as also that of Tortosa upon the Ebro ; 
 so that we have taken all the places of Ca- 
 talonia, except Roses. Some places in Arra- 
 gon, near Sarragosa, have declared for me, 
 and the garrison of the castle of Denia in 
 Valencia have maintained their post, and 
 repulsed the enemy ; 400 of the enemy's 
 cavalry have entered into our service, and 
 a great number of their infantry have de- 
 serted. 
 
 " This, madam, is the state that your arms, 
 and the inclination of the people, have put 
 my affairs in. It is unnecessary to tell you 
 what stops the course of these conquests ; 
 it is not the season of the year, nor the ene- 
 my ; these are no obstacles to your troops^
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 261 
 
 who desire nothing more than to act under 
 the conduct that your Majesty has appoint- 
 ed them. The taking of Barcelona, with 
 so small a number of troops, is very remark- 
 able ; and what has been done in this siege 
 is almost without example ; that with seven 
 or eight thousand men of your troops, and 
 two hundred Miquelets, we should surround 
 and invest a place, that thirty thousand 
 French could not block up. 
 
 " After a march of thirteen hours, the troops 
 climbed up the rocks and precipices, to at- 
 tack a fortification stronger than the place, 
 which the Earl of Peterborow has sent you 
 a plan of; two generals, with the grenadiers, 
 attacked it sword in hand. In which action 
 the Prince of Hesse died gloriously, alter 
 so many brave actions ; I hope his brother 
 and his family will always have your Ma- 
 jesty's protection. AYith eight hundred men 
 they forced the covered way, and all the 
 entrenchments and works, one after ano- 
 ther, till they came to the last work which 
 surrounded it, against five hundred men of
 
 262 MEMOIRS or 
 
 regular troops which defended the place, 
 and a reinforcement they had received ; 
 and three days afterwards we became mas- 
 ters of the place. We afterwards attacked 
 the town on the side of the castle. "We 
 landed again our cannon, and the other 
 artillery, with inconceivable trouble, and 
 formed two camps, distant from each other 
 three leagues, against a garrison almost as 
 numerous as our army, whose cavalry was 
 double the strength of ours. The first camp 
 was so well entrenched, that it was defended 
 by two thousand men and the dragoons ; 
 whilst we attacked the town with the rest 
 of our troops. The breach being made, we 
 prepared to make a general assault with all 
 the army. These are circumstances, Ma- 
 dam, which distinguish this action, perhaps, 
 from all others. 
 
 " Here has happened an unforeseen acci- 
 dent. The cruelty of the pretended viceroy, 
 and the report spread abroad, that he would 
 take away the prisoners, contrary to the ca- 
 pitulation, provoked the burghers, and some
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 of the country people, to take up arms 
 against the garrison, whilst they were busy 
 in packing up their baggage, which was to 
 be sent away the next day ; so that every 
 thing tended to slaughter ; but your Ma- 
 jesty's troops, entering into town with the 
 Earl of Peterborow, instead of seeking pil- 
 lage, a practice common upon such occa- 
 sions, appeased the tumult, and have saved 
 the town, and even the lives of their ene- 
 mies, with a discipline and generosity with- 
 out example. 
 
 " What remains is, that I return you my 
 most hearty thanks for sending so great a 
 fleet, and such good and valiant troops to 
 my assistance. After so happy a begin- 
 ning, I have thought it proper, according 
 to the sentiments of your Generals and Ad- 
 mirals, to support, by my presence, the 
 conquests that we have made ; and to shew 
 my subjects, so affectionate to my person, 
 that I cannot abandon them. I receive 
 such succours from your Majesty, and from 
 your generous nation, that I am loaded
 
 264 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 with your bounties ; and am not a little 
 concerned to think, that the support of my 
 interest should cause so great an expence. 
 But, Madam, I sacrifice my person, and 
 my subjects in Catalonia expose also their 
 lives and fortunes, upon the assurances they 
 have of your Majesty's generous protection. 
 Your Majesty and your council knows bet- 
 ter than we do, what is necessary for our 
 conservation. We shall then expect your 
 Majesty's succours, with an entire confi- 
 dence in your bounty and wisdom. A fur- 
 ther force is necessary : we give no small 
 diversion to France, and without doubt 
 they will make their utmost efforts against 
 me as soon as possible ; but I am satisfied, 
 that the same efforts will be made by my 
 allies to defend me. Your goodness, Ma- 
 dam, inclines you, and your power enables 
 you, to support those that the tyranny of 
 France would oppress. All that I can in- 
 sinuate to your wisdom, and that of your 
 allies, is, that the forces employed in this 
 country will not be unprofitable to the pub-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 lie good, but will be under an obligation 
 and necessity to act with the utmost vigour 
 against the enemy. I am, with an inviol- 
 able affection, respect, and most sincere- 
 acknowledgment, 
 
 Madam, my Sister, 
 
 Your most affectionate Brother, 
 
 CHARLES." 
 
 From the Camp at Senia, before Barcelona, 
 the 2Zd of October, 1705. 
 
 And yet, after all, was this noble General 
 not only recalled, the command of the fleet 
 taken from him, and that of the army given 
 to my Lord Gal way, without assignment 
 of cause ; but all manner of falsities were 
 industriously spread abroad, not only to 
 diminish, if they could, his reputation, but 
 to bring him under accusations of a male- 
 volent nature. I can hardly imagine it ne- 
 cessary here to take notice, that afterward 
 he disproved all those idle calumnies and 
 ill-invented rumours ; or to mention what 
 compliments he received, in the most so- 
 lemn manner, from his country, upon a full
 
 266 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 examination and thorough canvassing of 
 his actions in the House of Lords. But 
 this is too notorious to be omitted, that all 
 officers coming from Spain were purposely 
 intercepted in their way to London, and 
 craftily examined upon all the idle stories 
 which had passed, tending to lessen his cha- 
 racter : and when any officers had asserted 
 the falsity of those inventions, (as they all 
 did, except a military sweetner or two,) and 
 that there was no possibility of laying any 
 thing amiss to the charge of that General, 
 they were.told, that they ought to be care- 
 ful, however, not to speak advantageously 
 of that Lord's conduct, unless they were 
 willing to fall martyrs in his cause ; a thing 
 scarce to be credited even in a popish coun- 
 try. But Scipio was accused, though (as 
 my author finely observes) by wretches on- 
 ly known to posterity by that stupid ac- 
 cusation. 
 
 As a mournful valediction, before I enter 
 upon any new scene, the reader will par- 
 don this melancholy expostulation. How
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 20*7 
 
 mortifying must it be to an Englishman, 
 after he has found himself solaced with a 
 relation of so many surprising successes of 
 her Majesty's arms, under the Earl of Pe- 
 terborow ; successes, that have laid before 
 our eyes provinces and kingdoms reduced, 
 and towns and fortresses taken and relie- 
 ved ; where we have seen a continued series 
 of happy events, the fruits of conduct and 
 vigilance ; and caution and foresight pre- 
 venting dangers that were held, at first view, 
 certain and unsurmountable: to change this 
 glorious landscape, I say, for scenes every 
 way different, even while our troops were 
 as numerous as the enemy, and better pro- 
 vided, yet always baffled and beaten, and 
 flying before the enemy, till fatally ruined 
 in the battle of Almanza : how mortifying 
 must this be to any lover of his country ! 
 But I proceed to my Memoirs. 
 
 Alicant is a town of the greatest trade of 
 any in the kingdom of Valencia, having a 
 strong castle, being situated on a high hill, 
 which commands both town and harbour.
 
 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 In this place I resided a whole year ; but 
 it was soon after my first arrival, that Ma- 
 jor Collier (who was shot in the back at 
 Barcelona, as I have related in the siege of 
 that place) hearing of me, sought me out 
 at my quarters ; and, after a particular en- 
 quiry into the success of that difficult task 
 that he left me upon, and my answering 
 all his questions to satisfaction, (all which 
 he received with evident pleasure,) he threw 
 down a purse of pistoles upon the table ; 
 which 1 refusing, he told me, in a most 
 handsome manner, his friendship was not 
 to be preserved but by my accepting it. 
 
 After I had made some very necessary 
 repairs, I pursued the orders 1 had received 
 from the Earl of Peterborow, to go upon 
 the erecting a new battery between the 
 castle and the town. This was a task at- 
 tended with difficulties, neither few in num- 
 ber, nor small in consequence ; for it was 
 to be raised upon a great declivity, which 
 must render the work both laborious and 
 precarious. However, I had the good for-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 269 
 
 tune to effect it much sooner than was ex- 
 pected ; and it was called Gorge's battery, 
 from the name of the governor then com- 
 manding ; who, out of an uncommon pro- 
 fusion of generosity, wetted that piece of 
 gossiping with a distinguishing bowl of 
 punch. Brigadier Bougard, when he saw 
 this work some time after, was pleased to 
 honour it with a singular admiration and 
 approbation, for its completeness, notwith- 
 standing its difficulties. 
 
 This work, and the siege of Carthagena, 
 then in our possession, by the Duke of Ber- 
 wick, brought the Lord Galway down to 
 this place. Carthagena is of so little distance 
 from Alicant, that we could easily hear the 
 cannon playing against, and from it, in our 
 castle, where 1 then was. And I remem- 
 ber my Lord Galway, on the fourth day of 
 the siege, sending to know if I could make 
 any useful observations as to the success of 
 it ; I returned, that I was of opinion the 
 town was surrendered, from the sudden ces- 
 sation of the cannon, which, by our news
 
 MEMOIRS or 
 
 next day from the place, proved to be fact. 
 Carthagena is a small sea-port town in 
 Murcia ; but has so good an harbour, that 
 when the famous Admiral Doria was ask- 
 ed, which were the three best havens in the 
 Mediterranean, he readily returned, June, 
 July, and Carthagena. 
 
 Upon the surrender of this place, a de- 
 tachment of foot was sent by the governor, 
 with some dragoons, to Elsha ; but it be- 
 ing a place of very little strength, they were 
 soon made prisoners of war. 
 
 The siege of Carthagena being over, the 
 Lord Gal way returned to his camp ; and 
 the Lord Duncannon dying in Alicant, the 
 first guns that were fired from Gorge's bat- 
 tery, were the minute-guns for his funeral. 
 His regiment had been given to the Lord 
 Montanclre, who lost it before he had pos~ 
 session, by an action as odd as it was scan- 
 dalous. 
 
 That regiment had received orders to 
 march to the Lord Gal way's camp, under 
 the command of their Lieutenant-Colonel
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 271 
 
 Bateman, a person before reputed a good 
 officer, though his conduct here gave peo- 
 ple, not invidious, too much reason to call 
 it in question. On his march, he was so 
 very careless and negligent, (though he knew 
 himself in a country surrounded with ene- 
 mies, and that he was to inarch through a 
 wood, where they every day made their ap- 
 pearance in great numbers,) that his sol- 
 diers marched with their muskets sluno- at 
 
 t? 
 
 their backs, and went one after another, (as 
 necessity had forced us to do in Scotland,) 
 himself at the head of them, in his chaise, 
 riding a considerable way before. 
 
 It happened there was a captain, with 
 threescore dragoons, detached from the 
 Duke of Berwick's army, with a design 
 to intercept some cash that was ordered to 
 be sent to Lord Galway's army from Ali- 
 cant. This detachment, missing of that 
 intended prize, was returning very discon- 
 solately, re infecta ; when their captain, ob- 
 serving that careless and disorderly march 
 
 o 
 
 of the English, resolved, boldly enough, to
 
 272 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 attack them in the wood. To that pur- 
 pose he secreted his little party behind a 
 great barn ; and so soon as they were half 
 passed by, he falls upon them in the centre 
 with his dragoons, cutting and slashing at 
 such a violent rate, that he soon dispersed 
 the whole regiment, leaving many dead and 
 wounded upon the spot. The three colours 
 were taken ; and the gallant Lieutenant- 
 Colonel taken out of his chaise, and car- 
 ried away prisoner with many others ; on- 
 ly one officer, who was an ensign, and so 
 bold as to do his duty, was killed. 
 
 The Lieutenant who commanded the gre- 
 nadiers, received the alarm time enough 
 to draw his men into a house in their way ; 
 where he bravely defended himself for a 
 long time ; but, being killed, the rest imme- 
 diately surrendered. The account of this 
 action I had from the commander of the 
 enemy's party himself, some time after, 
 while I was a prisoner. And Captain Ma- 
 honi, who was present when the news was 
 brought, that a few Spanish dragoons had
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 defeated an English regiment, which was 
 this under Bateman, protested to me, that 
 the Duke of Berwick turned pale at the re- 
 lation ; and when they offered to bring the 
 colours before him, he would not so much 
 as see them. A little before the Duke went 
 to supper, Bateman himself was brought to 
 him ; but the Duke turned away from him 
 without any further notice, than coldly say- 
 ing, " that he thought he was very strange- 
 ly taken/' The wags of the army made a 
 thorough jest of him, and said his military 
 conduct was of a piece with his economy, 
 having, two days before his march, sent his 
 young handsome wife into England, under 
 the guardianship of the young chaplain of 
 the regiment. 
 
 April 15. In the year 1707, being Easter 
 Monday, we had in the morning a flying 
 report in Alicant, that there had been the 
 day before a battle at Almanza, between 
 the army under the command of the Duke 
 of Berwick, and that of the English, under 
 Lord Galway, in which the latter had suf-
 
 274 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 fered an entire defeat. We at first gave no 
 great credit to it ; but, alas, we were too 
 soon woefully convinced of the truth of it, 
 by numbers that came flying to us from the 
 conquering enemy. Then indeed we were 
 satisfied of truths, too difficult before to be 
 credited. But as I was not present in that 
 calamitous battle, I shall relate it, as I re- 
 ceived it from an officer then in the Duke's 
 army. 
 
 To bring the Lord Gal way to a battle, 
 in a place most commodious for his purpose, 
 the Duke made use of this stratagem : he 
 ordered two Irishmen, both officers, to make 
 their way over to the enemy as deserters ; 
 putting this story in their mouths, that the 
 Duke of Orleans was in full march to join 
 the Duke of Berwick with twelve thousand 
 men ; that this would be done in two days, 
 and that then they would find out the Lord 
 Galway, and force him to fight, wherever 
 they found him. 
 
 Lord Galway, who at this time lay be- 
 fore Villena, receiving this intelligence from 
 
 12
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 those well instructed deserters, immediate- 
 ly raised the siege ; with a resolution, by a 
 hasty march, to force the enemy to battle, 
 before the Duke of Orleans should be able 
 to join the Duke of Berwick. To effect 
 this, after a hard march of three long Spa- 
 nish leagues in the heat of the day, he ap- 
 pears a little after noon in the face of the 
 enemy with his fatigued forces. Glad and 
 rejoiced at the sight, for he found his plot 
 had taken, Berwick, the better to receive 
 him, draws up his army in a half moon, 
 placing at a pretty good advance three 
 regiments to make up the centre, with ex- 
 press order, nevertheless, to retreat at the 
 very first charge. All which was punctually 
 observed, and had its desired effect : for the 
 three regiments, at the first attack, gave way, 
 and seemingly fled towards their camp ; the 
 English, after their customary manner, pur- 
 suing them with shouts and hollowings. As 
 soon as the Duke of Berwick perceived his 
 trap had taken, he ordered his right and 
 left wings to close ; by which means, he at
 
 276 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 once cut off from the rest of their army all 
 those who had so eagerly pursued the ima- 
 ginary runaways. In short, the rout was 
 total, and the most fatal blow that ever the 
 English received during the whole war with 
 Spain. Nor, as it is thought, with a great 
 probability of reason, had those troops that 
 made their retreat to the top of the hills, 
 under Major General Shrimpton, met with 
 any better fate than those on the plain, had 
 the Spaniards had any other General in the 
 command than the Duke of Berwick ; whose 
 native sympathy gave a check to the ardour 
 of a victorious enemy. And this was the 
 sense of the Spaniards themselves after the 
 battle ; verifying herein that noble maxim, 
 " that victory to generous minds is only an 
 inducement to moderation." 
 
 The day after this fatal battle, (which 
 gave occasion to a Spanish piece of wit, 
 " that the English General had routed the 
 French/') the Duke of Orleans did arrive 
 indeed in the camp, but with an army of 
 only fourteen attendants.
 
 277 
 
 The fatal effects of this battle were soon 
 made visible, and to none more than those 
 in Alicant. The enemy grew every day 
 more and more troublesome ; visiting us in 
 parties more boldly than before ; and often 
 hovering about us so very near, that with 
 our cannon we could hardly teach them to 
 keep a proper distance. Gorge, the gover- 
 nor of Alicant, being recalled into Eng- 
 land, Major General Richards was by King 
 Charles appointed governor in his place. 
 He was a Roman Catholic, and very much 
 beloved by the natives on that account ; 
 though, to give him his due, he behaved 
 himself extremely well in all other respects. 
 It was in his time, that a design was laid 
 of surprising Guardamere, a small sea-port 
 town in Murcia : But the military bishop, 
 (for he was, in a literal sense, excellent tarn, 
 Marte, quam Mercurio,) among his many 
 other exploits, by a timely expedition, pre- 
 vented that. 
 
 Governor Richards, my post being always 
 in the castle, had sent to desire me to give
 
 278 MEMOIRS or 
 
 notice whenever I saw any parties of the 
 enemy moving. Pursuant to this order, 
 discovering, one morning, a considerable 
 body of horse towards Elsha, I went down 
 into the town, and told the governor what 
 I had seen ; and without any delay he gave 
 his orders, that a captain, with threescore 
 men, should attend me to an old house about 
 a mile distance. As soon as we had got in- 
 to it, I set about barricading all the open 
 places, and avenues, and put my men in a 
 posture ready to receive an enemy, as soon 
 as he should appear ; upon which the cap- 
 tain, as a feint, ordered a few of his men to 
 shew themselves on a rising ground just be- 
 fore the house. But we had like to have 
 caught a Tartar : for, though the enemy 
 took the train I had laid, and, on sight of 
 our small body on the hill, sent a party 
 from their greater body to intercept them, 
 before they could reach the town ; yet the 
 sequel proved, we had mistaken their num- 
 ber, and it soon appeared to be much great- 
 er than we at first imagined. However, our
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 279 
 
 out-scouts, as I may call them, got^afe into 
 the house ; and, on the appearance of the 
 ,party, we let fly a full volley, which laid dead 
 on the spot three men and one horse. Here- 
 upon the whole body made up to the house, 
 but stood aloof upon the hill without reach 
 of our shot. We soon saw our danger from 
 the number of the enemy : and well for us 
 it was, that the watchful governor had taken 
 notice of it, as well as we in the house. For 
 observing us surrounded with the enemy, 
 and by a power so much superior, he march- 
 ed himself, with a good part of the garri- 
 son, to our relief. The enemy stood a little 
 time as if they would receive- them ; but 
 upon second thoughts they retired, and, to 
 our no little joy, left us at liberty to come 
 out of the house and join the garrison. 
 
 Scarce a day passed but we had some 
 visits of the like kind, attended sometimes 
 with rencounters of this nature ; insomuch 
 that there was hardly any stirring out in 
 safety for small parties, though never so lit- 
 tle a way. There was within a little mile of 
 the town, an old vineyard, environed with
 
 280 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 a loose 4 tone wall : an officer and I made 
 an agreement to ride thither for an airing. 
 We did so, and, after a little riding, it came 
 into my head to put a fright upon the of- 
 ficer. And very lucky for us both was that 
 unlucky thought of mine ; pretending to 
 see a party of the enemy make up to us, I 
 gave him the alarm, set spurs to my horse, 
 and rid as fast as legs could carry me. The 
 officer no way bated of his speed ; and we 
 had scarce got out of the vineyard, but my 
 jest proved earnest ; twelve of the enemy's 
 horse pursuing us to the very gates of the 
 town. Nor could I ever after prevail upon 
 my fellow-traveller to believe, that he owed 
 his escape to merriment more than speed. 
 Soon after my charge, as to the fortifica- 
 tions, was pretty well over, I obtained leave 
 of the governor to be absent for a fortnight, 
 upon some affairs of my own at Valencia. 
 On m,y return from whence, at a town cal- 
 led Venissa, I met two officers of an English 
 ^regiment, going to the place from whence 
 I last came. They told me, after common
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 congratulations, that they had left Major 
 Boyd at a little place called Capel, hi- 
 ring another mule, that he rode on thither 
 having tired and failed him ; desiring with- 
 al, that if 1 met him, I would let him know 
 that they would stay for him at that place. 
 I had another gentleman in my company, 
 and we had travelled on not above a league 
 further, whence, at a little distance, we were 
 both surprised with a sight that seemed to 
 have set all art at defiance, and was too odd 
 for any thing in nature. It appeared all in 
 red, and to move ; but so very slowly, that 
 if we had not made more way to that than 
 it did to us, we should have made it a day's 
 journey before we met it. My companion 
 could as little tell what to make of it as I ; 
 and, indeed, the nearer it came, the more 
 monstrous it seemed, having nothing of the 
 tokens of man, either walking, riding, or 
 in any posture whatever. At last, coining 
 up with this strange figure of a creature, 
 (for now we found it was certainly such,) 
 what, or rather who, should ijt prove to be,
 
 282 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 but Major Boy d ! He was a person of himself 
 far from one of the least proportion ; and, 
 mounted on a poor little ass, with all his 
 warlike accoutrements upon it, you will al- 
 low must make a figure almost as odd as 
 one of the old Centaurs. The Morocco 
 saddle that covered the ass, was of burden 
 enough for the beast without its master ; 
 and the additional holsters and pistols made 
 it much more weighty. Nevertheless, a 
 curb bridle of the largest size covered his 
 little head, and a long red cloak, hanging 
 down to the ground, covered jack-boots, 
 ass, master, and all. In short, my compa- 
 nion and I, after we could specifically de- 
 clare it to be a man, agreed we never saw 
 a figure so comical in all our lives. AVhen 
 we had merrily greeted our Major, (for a 
 Cynick could not have forborn laughter,) 
 he excused all as well as he could, by say- 
 ing, he could get no other beast. After 
 which, delivering our message, and con- 
 doling with him for his present mounting, 
 and wishing .him better at his next quar-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 283 
 
 ters, he settled into his old pace, and we 
 into ours, and parted. 
 
 We lay that night at Altea, famous for 
 its bay for ships to water at. It stands on 
 a high hill ; and is adorned, not defended, 
 with an old fort. 
 
 Thence we came to Alicant, where ha- 
 ving now been a whole year, and having 
 effected what was held necessary, I once 
 more prevailed upon the goVernor to per- 
 mit me to take another journey. The Lord 
 Galway lay at Tarraga, while Lerida lay 
 under the siege of the Duke of Orleans ; 
 and having some grounds of expectation 
 given me, while he was at Alicant, I resol- 
 ved at least to demonstrate I was still living. 
 The governor favoured me with letters, not 
 at all to my disadvantage ; so taking ship 
 for Barcelona, just at our putting into the 
 harbour, we met with the English fleet, on 
 its return from the expedition to Toulon 
 under Sir Cloudsly Shovel. 
 
 I staid but very few days at Barcelona, 
 and then proceeded on my intended jour-
 
 284 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ney to Tarraga ; arriving at which place, I 
 delivered my packet to the Lord Galway, 
 who received me with very great civility ; 
 and, to double it, acquainted me at the same 
 time, that the governor of Alicant had wrote 
 very much in my favour : but though it was 
 a known part of that noble Lord's charac- 
 ter, that the first impression was generally 
 strongest, I had reason soon after to close 
 with another saying, equally true, " that 
 general rules always admit of some excep- 
 tion/' AVhile I was here, we had news of 
 the taking of the town of Lerida ; the prince 
 of Hesse (brother to that brave prince who 
 lost his life before Monjouick) retiring into 
 the castle with the garrison, which he brave- 
 ly defended a long time after. 
 
 When I was thus attending my Lord 
 Galway at Tarraga, he received intelli- 
 gence that the enemy had a design to lay 
 siege to Denia ; whereupon he gave me 
 orders to repair there as engineer. After 
 I had received my orders, and taken leave 
 of his lordship, 1 set out, resolving, since it
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 285 
 
 was left to my choice, to go by way of Bar- 
 celona, and there take shipping for the place 
 of my station ; by which I proposed to save 
 more time than would allow me a full op- 
 portunity of visiting Montserat, a place I 
 had heard much talk of, which had filled 
 me with a longing desire to see it. To say 
 truth, I had been told such extravagant 
 things of the place, that I could hardly im- 
 pute more than one half of it to any thing 
 but Spanish rhodomontadoes, the vice of 
 extravagant exaggeration beino; too natural 
 
 o oo o 
 
 to that nation, 
 
 Montserat is a rising lofty hill, in the very nrn,- 
 middle of a spacious plain, in the principa- 
 lity of Catalonia, about seven leagues dis- 
 tant from Barcelona to the westward, some- 
 what inclining to the north. At the very 
 first sight, its oddness of figure promises 
 something extraordinary ; and even at that 
 distance the prospect makes somewhat of 
 a grand appearance: hundreds of aspiring 
 pyramids presenting themselves all at once 
 to the eye, look, if I may be allowed so 
 
 tion f
 
 286 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 to speak, like a little petrified forest ; or, 
 rather, like the awful ruins of some capaci- 
 ous structure, the labour of venerable anti- 
 quity. The nearer you approach, the more 
 it affects ; but till you are very near, you 
 can hardly form in your mind any thing 
 like what you find it when you come close 
 to it. Till just upon it, you would imagine 
 it a perfect hill of steeples ; but so inter- 
 mingled with trees of magnitude, as well as 
 beauty, that your admiration can never be 
 tired, or your curiosity surfeited. Such I 
 found it on my approach ; yet much less 
 than what I found it was, so soon as I en- 
 tered upon the very premises. 
 
 Now that stupendous cluster of pyra- 
 mids affected me in a manner different to 
 all before ; and I found it so finely group- 
 ed with verdant groves, and here and there 
 interspersed with aspiring, but solitary trees, 
 that it no way lessened my admiration, 
 while it increased my delight. These trees, 
 which I call solitary, as standing single, in 
 opposition to the numerous groves, which
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 237 
 
 are close and thick, (as I observed when I 
 ascended to take a view of the several cells,) 
 rise generally out of the very clifts of the 
 main rock, with nothing, to appearance, 
 but a soil or bed of stone for their nurture. 
 But though some few naturalists may as- 
 sert, that the nitre in the stone may afford 
 a due proportion of nourishment to trees 
 and vegetables ; these, in my opinion, were 
 all too beautiful, their bark, leaf, and flow- 
 ers, carried too fair a face of health, to al- 
 low them even to be the foster-children of 
 rock and stone only. 
 
 / 
 
 Upon this hill, or if you please, grove of 
 rocks, are thirteen hermits cells, the last of 
 which lies near the very summit. You gra- 
 dually advance to every one, from bottom 
 to top, by a winding ascent ; which to do 
 would otherwise be impossible, by reason 
 of the steepness ; but though there is a 
 winding ascent to every cell, as I have said, 
 I would yet set at defiance the most obser- 
 vant, if a stranger, to find it feasible to visit 
 them in order, if not precautioned to fol-
 
 288 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 low the poor borigo, or old ass, that, with 
 paniers hanging on each side of him, mounts 
 regularly, and daily, up to every particular 
 cell. The manner is as follows : 
 
 In the paniers there are thirteen parti- 
 tions ; one for every cell. At the hour ap- 
 pointed, the servant having placed the pa- 
 niers on his back, the ass, of himself, goes 
 to the door of the convent at the very foot 
 of the hill, where every partition is supplied 
 with their several allowances of victuals and 
 wine. Which, as soon as he has received, 
 without any further attendance, or any 
 guide, he mounts and takes the cells gra- 
 dually, in their due course, till he reaches 
 the very uppermost. Where having dis- 
 charged his duty, he descends the same 
 way, lighter by the load he carried up. 
 This the poor stupid drudge fails not to do, 
 day and night, at the stated hours. 
 
 Two gentlemen, who had joined me on 
 the road, alike led by curiosity, seemed 
 alike delighted, that the end of it was so 
 well answered. 1 could easily discover in
 
 CAPTAIN CAULETOX. 289 
 
 their countenances a satisfaction, which, 
 if it did not give a sanction to my own, 
 much confirmed it, while they seemed to 
 allow with me that these reverend solitaries 
 were truly happy men: I then thought 
 them such and a thousand times since, 
 reflecting within myself, have wished, ba- 
 ting their errors, and lesser superstitions, 
 myself as happily stationed : for what can 
 there be wanting to a happy life, where all 
 things necessary are provided without care ? 
 \V here the days, without anxiety or troubles, 
 may be gratefully passed away, with an in- 
 nocent variety of diverting and pleasing 
 objects, and where their sleeps and slum- 
 bers are never interrupted with any thing 
 more offensive, than murmuring springs, 
 natural cascades, or the various songs of 
 the pretty feathered quiristers ? 
 
 But their courtesy to strangers is no less 
 engaging than their solitude. A recluse 
 life, for the fruits of it, generally speaking, 
 produces moroseness ; pharisaical pride too 
 often sours the temper ; and a mistaken opi-
 
 290 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 nion of their own merit too naturally leads 
 such men into a contempt of others : but 
 on the contrary, these good men (for I must 
 call them as I thought them) seemed to me 
 the very emblems of innocence ; so ready 
 to oblige others, that at the same instant 
 they seemed laying obligations upon them- 
 selves. This is self-evident, irf that affabi- 
 lity and complaisance they use in shewing 
 the rarities of their several cells ; where, for 
 fear you should slip any thing worthy ob- 
 servation, they endeavour to instil in you 
 as quick a propensity of asking, as you find 
 in them a prompt alacrity in answering, such 
 questions of curiosity as their own have in- 
 spired. 
 
 In particular, I remember one of those 
 reverend old men, when we were taking 
 leave at the door of his cell, to which, out 
 of his great civility, he accompanied us, 
 finding by the air of our faces, as well as 
 our expressions, that we thought ourselves 
 pleasingly entertained ; to divert us afresh, 
 advanced a few paces from the door, when, 
 11
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 giving a whistle with his mouth, a surpri- 
 sing flock of pretty little birds, variegated, 
 and of different colours, immediately flock- 
 ed around him. Here you should see some 
 alighting upon his shoulders, some on his 
 awful beard ; others took refuge on his snow- 
 like head, and many feeding, and more en- 
 deavouring to feed, out of his mouth ; each 
 appearing emulous, and under an innocent 
 contention, how best to express their love 
 and respect to their no less pleased master. 
 Nor did the other cells labour under any 
 deficiency of variety : every one boasting 
 in some particular, that might distinguish 
 it in something equally agreeable and en- 
 tertaining. Nevertheless, crystal springs 
 spouting from the solid rocks were, from 
 the highest to the lowest, common to them 
 all ; and, in most of them, they had little 
 brass cocks, out of which, when turned, is- 
 sued the most cool and crystalline flows of 
 excellent pure water. And yet what more 
 affected me, and which I found near more 
 cells than one, was the natural cascades of
 
 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 the same transparent element ; these falling 
 from one rock to another, in that warm, or 
 rather hot climate, gave not more delight- 
 ful astonishment to the eye, than they af- 
 forded grateful refreshment to the whole 
 man. The streams falling from these, soft- 
 en, from a rougher tumultuous noise, into 
 such affecting murmurs, by distance, the in- 
 tervention of groves, or neighbouring rocks, 
 that it were impossible to see or hear them, 
 and not be charmed. 
 
 Neither are those groves grateful only in 
 a beautiful verdure ; nature renders them 
 otherwise delightful, in loading them with 
 clusters of berries of a perfect scarlet co- 
 lour, which, by a beautiful intermixture, 
 strike the eye with additional delight. In 
 short, it might nonplus a person of the 
 nicest taste, to distinguish or determine, 
 whether the neatness of their cells within, 
 or the beauteous varieties without, most ex- 
 haust his admiration. Nor is the whole, in 
 my opinion, a little advantaged by the fre- 
 quent view of some of those pyramidical
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 293 
 
 pillars, which seem, as weary of their own 
 weight, to recline and seek support from 
 others in the neighbourhood. 
 
 When I mentioned the outside beauties 
 of their cells, I must be thought to have 
 forgot to particularize the glorious pros- 
 pects presented to your eye from every one 
 of them ; but especially from that nearest 
 the summit. A prospect, by reason of the 
 purity of the air, so extensive, and so very 
 entertaining, that to dilate upon it proper- 
 ly to one that never saw it, would baffle 
 credit ; and naturally to depaint it, would 
 confound invention. I therefore shall only 
 say, that on the Mediterranean side, after 
 an agreeable interval of some fair leagues, 
 it will set at defiance the strongest optics ; 
 and although Barcelona bounds it on the 
 land, the eyes are feasted with the delights 
 of such an intervening champaign, (where 
 beauteous nature does not only smile but 
 riot,) that the sense must be very temper- 
 ate, or very weak, that can be soon or easi- 
 ly satisfied.
 
 294 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Having thus taken a view of all their re- 
 freshing springs, their grateful groves, and 
 solitary shades under single trees, whose 
 clusters proved that even rocks were grown 
 fruitful ; and having ran over all the variety 
 of pleasures in their several pretty cells, 
 decently set off with gardens round them, 
 equally fragrant and beautiful, we were 
 brought down again to the convent, which, 
 though on a small ascent, lies very near the 
 foot of this terrestrial paradise, there to take 
 a survey of their sumptuous hall, much 
 more sumptuous chapel, and its adjoining 
 repository, and feast our eyes with wonders 
 of a different nature ; and yet as entertain- 
 ing as any, or all, we had seen before. 
 
 Immediately on our descent, a priest pre- 
 sented himself at the door of the convent, 
 ready to shew us the hidden rarities. And 
 though, as I understood, hardly a day passes 
 without the resort of some strangers to gra-* 
 tify their curiosity with the wonders of the 
 place ; yet is there, on every such occasion, 
 a superior concourse of natives ready to see
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 over again, out of mere bigotry and super- 
 stition, what they have seen perhaps a 
 hundred times before. I could not avoid 
 taking notice, however, that the priest treat- 
 ed those constant visitants with much less 
 ceremony, or more freedom, if you please, 
 than any of the strangers of what nation 
 soever ; or, indeed, he seemed to take as 
 much pains to disoblige those, as he did 
 pleasure in obliging us. 
 
 The hall was neat, large, and stately; 
 but being plain and unadorned with more 
 than decent decorations, suitable to such a 
 society, I hasten to the other. 
 
 When we entered the chapel, our eyes 
 were immediately attracted by the image 
 of Our Lady of Montserat, (as they call it,) 
 which stands over the altar-piece. It is 
 about the natural stature ; but as black 
 and shining as ebony itself. Most would 
 imagine it made of that material ; though 
 her retinue and adorers will allow nothing 
 of the matter. On the contrary, tradition, 
 which with them is, on some occasions,
 
 296 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 more than tantamount to religion, has as-* 
 sured them, and they relate it as undoubt-* 
 ed matter of fact, that her present colour, 
 if I may so call it, proceeded from her con- 
 cealment, in the time of the Moors, be- 
 tween those two rocks on which the chapel 
 is founded ; and that her long lying in that 
 dismal place changed her once lovely white 
 into its present opposite. Would not a 
 heretic here be apt to say, that it was great 
 pity that an image, which still boasts the 
 power of acting so many miracles, could 
 no better conserve her own complexion ? 
 At least it must be allowed, even by a good 
 catholic, to carry along with it matter of 
 reproach to the fair ladies, natives of the 
 country, for their unnatural and excessive 
 affection of adulterating, if not defacing, 
 their beautiful faces, with the ruinating 
 dauberies of carmine ? 
 
 As the custom of the place is, (which is 
 like wise allowed to be a distinguishing piece 
 of civility to strangers,) when we approach 
 the black lady, (who, I should have told
 
 CAPTAIN CA11LETON. 297 
 
 you, bears a child in her arms ; but whe- 
 ther maternally black, or of the Mulatto 
 kind, I protest I did not mind,) the priest, 
 in great civility, offers you her arm to sa- 
 lute ; at which juncture, I, like a true blue 
 protestant, mistaking my word of com- 
 mand, fell foul on the fair lady's face. The 
 displeasure in his countenance (for he took 
 more notice of the rudeness than the good 
 lady herself) soon convinced me of my er- 
 ror ; however, as a greater token of his ci- 
 vility, having admitted no Spaniards along 
 with my companions and me, it passed off 
 the better ; and his after civilities manifest- 
 ed, that he was willing to reform my ig- 
 norance by his complaisance. 
 
 To demonstrate which, upon my telling 
 him that I had a set of beads, which I must 
 entreat him to consecrate for me, he rea- 
 dily, nay eagerly complied ; and having 
 hung them on her arm for the space of 
 about half, or somewhat short of a whole 
 minute, he returned me the holy baubles 
 with a great deal of address, and most evi-
 
 298 MEMOIRS or 
 
 dent satisfaction. The reader will be apt 
 to admire at this curious piece of supersti- 
 tion of mine, till I have told him, that even 
 rigid protestants have, in this country, 
 thought it but prudent to do the like ; and 
 likewise having so done, to carry them 
 about their persons, or in their pockets ; 
 for experience has convinced us of the ne- 
 cessity of this most catholic precaution ; 
 since those who have here, travelling or 
 otherwise, come to their ends, whether by 
 accident, sickness, or the course of nature, 
 not having these sanctifying seals found 
 upon them, have ever been refused Chris- 
 tian burial, under a superstitious imagina- 
 tion, that the corpse of a heretic will infect 
 every thing near it. 
 
 Two instances of this kind fell within my 
 knowledge ; one before I came to Montse- 
 rat, the other after. The first was of one 
 Slunt, who had been bombardier at Mon- 
 jouick ; but being killed while we lay at 
 Carnpilio, a priest, whom I advised with 
 upon the matter, told me, that if he should
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. {99 
 
 be buried where any corn grew, his body 
 would not only be taken up again, but ill 
 treated, in revenge of the destruction of so 
 much corn, which the people would on no 
 account be persuaded to touch ; for which 
 reason we took care to have him laid in a 
 very deep grave, on a very barren spot of 
 ground. The other was of one Captain 
 Bush, who was a prisoner with me on the 
 surrender of Denia ; who being sent, as I 
 was afterwards, to Saint Clemente la Man- 
 cha, there died ; and, as I was informed, 
 though he was privately, and by night, bu- 
 ried in a corn field, he was taken out of his 
 grave by those superstitious people, as soon 
 as ever they could discover the place where 
 his body was deposited. But I return to 
 the convent at Montserat. 
 
 Out of the chapel, behind the high altar, 
 we descended into a spacious room, the re- 
 pository of the great offerings made to the 
 Lady. Here, though I thought in the chapel 
 itself I had seen the riches of the universe, 
 I found a prodigious quantity of more cost-
 
 300 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 ly presents, the superstitious tribute of most 
 of the Roman Catholic princes in Europe. 
 Among a multitude of others, they showed 
 me a sword set with diamonds, the offering 
 of Charles the Third, then King of Spain, 
 but now Emperor of Germany. Though I 
 must confess, being a heretic, I could much 
 easier find a reason for a fair lady's present- 
 ing such a sword to a king of Spain, than 
 for a king of Spain's presenting such a 
 sword to a fair lady : and by the motto up- 
 on it, Pulchra tamen nigra, it was plain 
 such was his opinion. That prince was so 
 delighted with the pleasures of this sweet 
 place, that he, as well as I, staid as long as 
 ever he could ; though neither of us so long 
 as either could have wished. 
 
 But there was another offering from a 
 king of Portugal, equally glorious and cost- 
 ly, but much better adapted ; and therefore 
 in its propriety easier to be accounted for. 
 That was a glory for the head of her lady- 
 ship, every ray of which was set with dia- 
 monds, large at the bottom, and gradually
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. SQ1 
 
 lessening to the very extremity of every ray. 
 Each ray might be about half a yard long ; 
 and I imagined in the whole, there might 
 be about one hundred of them. In short, 
 if ever her ladyship did the offerer the ho- 
 nour to put it on, I will, though a heretic, 
 venture to aver, she did not at that present 
 time look like a human creature. 
 
 To enumerate the rest, if my memory 
 would suffice, would exceed belief. As the 
 upper part was a plain miracle of nature, 
 the lower was a complete treasury of mira- 
 culous art. 
 
 If you ascend from the lowest cell to the 
 very summit, the last of all the thirteen, you 
 will perceive a continual contention be- 
 tween pleasure and devotion ; and at last, 
 perhaps, find yourself at a loss to decide 
 which deserves the pre-eminence : for you 
 are not here to take cells in the vulgar 
 acceptation, as the little dormitories of 
 solitary monks : No ! Neatness, use, and 
 contrivance, appear in every one of them ; 
 and though in an almost perfect equality,
 
 302 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 yet in such perfection, that you will find it 
 difficult to discover in any one of them any 
 thing wanting to the pleasure of life. 
 
 If you descend to the convent near the 
 foot of that venerable hill, you may see 
 more, much more of the riches of the world; 
 but less, far less appearance of a celestial 
 treasure. Perhaps, it might be only the 
 sentiment of a heretic ; but that awe and 
 devotion, which I found in my attendant 
 from cell to cell, grew languid, and lost, in 
 mere empty bigotry and foggy superstition, 
 when I came below. In short, there was 
 not a greater difference in their heights, 
 than in the sentiments they inspired me 
 with. 
 
 Before I leave this emblem of the beati- 
 fic vision, I must correct some thing like a 
 mistake, as to the poor borigo. I said at 
 the beginning, that his labour was daily ; 
 but the Sunday is to him a day of rest, as 
 it is to the hermits, his masters, a day of 
 refection. For, to save the poor faithful 
 brute the hard drudgery of that day, the
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 3Q3 
 
 thirteen hermits, if health permit, descend 
 to their Coenobium, as they call it; that is, 
 to the hall of the convent, where they dine 
 in common with the monks of the order, 
 who are Benedictines. 
 
 After seven days variety of such inno- 
 cent delight, (the space allowed for the en- 
 tertainment of strangers,) I took my leave 
 of this pacific hermitage, to pursue the more 
 boisterous duties of my calling. The life 
 of a soldier is in every respect the full an- 
 tithesis to that of a hermit ; and I know 
 not, whether it might not be a sense of that, 
 which inspired me with very great reluctancy 
 at parting. I confess, while on the spot, I 
 over and over bandied in my mind the rea- 
 sons which might prevail upon Charles the 
 Fifth to relinquish his crown ; and the ar- 
 guments on his side never failed of enemy, 
 when I could persuade myself that this, or 
 some like happy retreat, was the reward of 
 abdicated empire. 
 
 Full of these contemplations, (for they 
 lasted there.) I arrived at Barcelona ; where
 
 304 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 I found a vessel ready to sail, on which I 
 embarked for Denia, in pursuance of my 
 orders. Sailing to the mouth of the Me- 
 diterranean, no place along the Christian 
 shore affords a prospect equally delightful 
 with the castle of Denia. It was never de- 
 signed for a place of great strength, being 
 built, and first designed, as a seat of plea- 
 sure to the great Duke of Lerma. In that 
 family it many years remained ; though, 
 within less than a century, that with two 
 other dukedoms have devolved upon the 
 family of the Duke de Medina Celi, the 
 richest subject at this time in all Spain. 
 
 Denia was the first town, that, in our way 
 to Barcelona, declared for King Charles; 
 and was then by his order made a garrison. 
 The town is but small, and surrounded with 
 a thin wall ; so thin, that I have known a 
 cannon ball pierce through it at once. 
 
 When I arrived at Denia, I found a 
 Spaniard governor of the town, whose name 
 has slipt my memory ; though his behaviour 
 merited everlasting annals. Major Perci-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 3Q5 
 
 val, an Englishman, commanded in the 
 castle, and on my coming there, I under- 
 stood it had been agreed between them, 
 that in case of a siege, which they appre- 
 hended, the town should be defended wholly 
 by Spaniards, and the castle by the Eng- 
 lish. 
 
 I had scarce been there three weeks be- 
 fore those expectations were answered. The 
 place was invested by Count D'Alfelt, and 
 Major General Mahoni ; two days after 
 which, they opened trenches on the east 
 side of the town. I was necessitated, upon 
 their so (Joing, to order the demolishment 
 of some houses on that side, that I might 
 erect a battery to point upon their trenches, 
 the better to annoy them. I did so ; and 
 it did the intended service ; for with that, 
 and two others, which I raised upon the 
 castle, (from all which we fired incessantly, 
 and with great success,) the besiegers were 
 sufficiently incommoded. 
 
 The governor of the town (a Spaniard as 
 I said before, and with a Spanish garrison)
 
 306 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 behaved very gallantly ; insomuch, that 
 what was said of the Prince of Hesse, when 
 he so bravely defended Gibraltar against 
 the joint forces of France and Spain, might 
 be said of him, that he was governor, en- 
 gineer, gunner, and bombardier all in one : 
 for no man could exceed him, either in con- 
 duct or courage. Nor were the Spaniards 
 under him less valiant or vigilant ; for in 
 case the place was taken, expecting but in- 
 different quarter, they fought with bravery, 
 and defended the place to admiration. 
 
 The enemy had answered our fire with all 
 the ardour imaginable ; and having made 
 a breach, that, as we thought, was practi- 
 cable, a storm was expected every hour. 
 Preparing against which, to the great joy 
 of all the inhabitants, and the surprise of 
 the whole garrison, and without our being 
 able to assign the least cause, the enemy 
 suddenly raised the siege, and withdrew 
 from a place, which those within imagined 
 in great danger. 
 
 The siege thus abdicated, (if I may use
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 307 
 
 a modern phrase,) I was resolved to im- 
 prove my time, and make the best provi- 
 sion I could against any future attack. To 
 that purpose I made several new fortifica- 
 tions, together with proper casements for our 
 powder, all which rendered the place much 
 stronger, though time too soon shewed me 
 that strength itself must yield to fortune. 
 
 Surveying those works, and my workmen, 
 I was one day standing on the great bat- 
 tery, when, casting my eye toward the Bar- 
 bary coast, I observed an odd sort of green- 
 ish cloud making to the Spanish shore ; not 
 like other clouds with rapidity or swiftness ; 
 but with a motion so slow, that sight itself 
 was a long time before it would allow it 
 such. At last, it came just over my head, 
 and interposing between the sun and me, 
 so thickened the air, that I had lost the very 
 sight of day. At this moment it had reach- 
 ed the land ; and though very near me in 
 my imagination, it began to dissolve, and 
 lose of its first tenebrity, when, all on a 
 sudden, there fell such a vast multitude of
 
 308 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 locusts, as exceeded the thickest storm of 
 hail or snow that I ever saw. All around 
 me was immediately covered with those 
 crawling creatures ; and they yet continu- 
 ed to fall so thick, that with the swing of 
 my cane I knocked down thousands. It is 
 scarce imaginable the havoc I made in a 
 very little space of time ; much less con- 
 ceivable is the horrid desolation which at- 
 tended the visitation of those animalculae. 
 There was not, in a day or two's time, the 
 least leaf to be seen upon a tree, nor any 
 green thing in a garden. Nature seemed 
 buried in her own ruins ; and the vegetable 
 world to be supporters only to her monu- 
 ment. I never saw the hardest winter, in 
 those parts, attended with any equal deso- 
 lation. When, glutton-like, they had de- 
 voured all that should have sustained them, 
 and the more valuable part of God's crea- 
 tion, (whether weary with gorging, or over 
 thirsty with devouring, I leave to philoso- 
 phers,) they made to ponds, brooks, and 
 standing pools, there revenging their own
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETCm. 3QQ 
 
 rape upon nature, upon their own vile car- 
 cases. In every one of these you might see 
 them lie in heaps like little hills ; drowned 
 indeed, but attended with stenches so noi- 
 some, that it gave the distracted neighbour- 
 hood too great reason to apprehend yet 
 more fatal consequences. A pestilential 
 infection is the dread of every place, but 
 especially of all parts upon the Mediterra- 
 nean. The priests, therefore, repaired to a 
 little chapel, built in the open fields, to be 
 made use of on such like occasions, there 
 to deprecate the miserable cause of this 
 dreadful visitation. In a week's time, or 
 thereabouts, the stench was over, and every 
 thing but verdant nature in its pristine or- 
 der. 
 
 Some few months after this, and about 
 eight months from the former siege, Count 
 D'Alfelt caused Denia to be again invest- 
 ed ; and being then sensible of all the mis- 
 takes he had before committed, he now went 
 about his business with more regularity and 
 discretion. The first thing he set upon, and
 
 310 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 it was the wisest thing he could do, was to 
 cut off our communication with the sea. 
 This he did, and thereby obtained what he 
 much desired. Next, he caused his bat- 
 teries to be erected on the west side of the 
 town, from which he plied it so furiously, 
 that in five days time a practicable breach 
 was made ; upon which they stormed and 
 took it. The governor, who had so brave- 
 ly defended it in the former siege, fortunate- 
 ly for him, had been removed ; and Francis 
 Valero, now in his place, was made prisoner 
 of war with all his garrison. 
 
 After the taking the town, they erected 
 batteries against the castle, which they kept 
 plied with incessant fire, both from cannon 
 and mortars. But what most of all plagued 
 us, and did us most mischief, was the vast 
 showers of stones sent among the garrison 
 from their mortars. These, terrible in bulk 
 and size, did more execution than all the 
 rest put together. The garrison could not 
 avoid being somewhat disheartened at this 
 uncommon way of rencounter; yet, to a
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 man, declared against hearkening to any 
 proposals of surrender, the governor excep- 
 ted ; who, having selected more treasure 
 than he could properly or justly call his 
 own, was the only person that seemed for- 
 ward for such a motion. He had more than 
 once thrown out expressions of such a na- 
 ture, but without any effect. Nevertheless, 
 having at last secretly obtained a peculiar 
 capitulation for himself, bag, and baggage ; 
 the garrison was sacrificed to his private in- 
 terest, and basely given up prisoners of war. 
 By these means, indeed, he saved his mo- 
 ney, but lost his reputation ; and soon af- 
 ter, life itself. And sure every body will 
 allow the latter loss to be least, who will 
 take pains to consider, that it screened him 
 from the consequential scrutinies of a coun- 
 cil of war, which must have issued as the 
 just reward of his demerits. 
 
 The garrison being thus unaccountably 
 delivered up and made prisoners, were dis- 
 persed different ways : some into Castile, 
 others as far as Oviedo, in the kingdom of
 
 312 MEMOIRS or 
 
 Leon. For my own part, having received 
 a contusion in my breast, I was under a 
 necessity of being left behind with the ene- 
 my, till 1 should be in a condition to be re- 
 moved, and when that time came, I found 
 myself agreeably ordered to Valencia. 
 
 As a prisoner of war, I must now bid 
 adieu to the active part of the military life ; 
 and hereafter concern myself with descrip- 
 tions of countries, towns, palaces, and men, 
 instead of battles. However, if I take in my 
 way actions of war, founded on the best 
 authorities, I hope my interspersing such 
 will be no disadvantage to my now more 
 pacific Memoirs. 
 
 So soon as I arrived at Valencia, I wrote 
 to our pay-master Mr Mead, at Barcelona, 
 letting him know, that I was become a 
 prisoner, wounded, and in want of money. 
 Nor could even all those circumstances pre- 
 vail on me to think it long before he re- 
 turned a favourable answer, in an order to 
 Monsieur Zoulicafre, a banker, to pay me 
 on sight fifty pistoles. But in the same let-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 313 
 
 ter he gave me to understand, that those 
 fifty pistoles were a present to me from 
 General (afterwards Earl) Stanhope ; and 
 so indeed I found it, when I returned into 
 England, my account not being charged 
 with any part of it : but this was not the 
 only test I received of that generous Earl's 
 generosity. And where's the wonder, as the 
 world is compelled to own, that heroic ac- 
 tions and largeness of soul ever did discover 
 and amply distinguish the genuine branches 
 of that illustrious family ? 
 
 This recruit to me, however, was the more 
 generous for being seasonable. Benefits are 
 always doubled in their being easily con- 
 ferred and well timed ; and with such an 
 allowance as I constantly had by the order 
 of King Philip, as prisoner of war, viz. eigh- 
 teen ounces of mutton per diem for myself, 
 and nine for my man, with bread and wine 
 in proportion, and especially in such a si- 
 tuation ; all this, I say, was sufficient to in- 
 vite a man to be easy, and almost forget 
 his want of liberty, and much more so to
 
 314 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 me, if it be considered, that that want of li- 
 berty consisted only in being debarred from 
 leaving the pleasantest city in all Spain. 
 
 Here I met with the French engineer, 
 who made the mine under the rock of the 
 castle at Alicant ; that fatal mine, which 
 blew up General Richards, Colonel Syburg, 
 Colonel Thornicroft, and at least twenty 
 more officers. And yet by the account that 
 engineer gave me, their fate was their own 
 choosing ; the General, who commanded at 
 that siege, being more industrious to save 
 them than they were to be saved : he en- 
 deavoured it many ways : he sent them 
 word of the mine, and their readiness to 
 spring it ; he over and over sent them of- 
 fers of leave to come and take a view of it, 
 and inspect it. Notwithstanding all which, 
 though Colonel Thornicroft, and Captain 
 Page, a French engineer in the service of 
 King Charles, pursued the invitation, and 
 were permitted to view it, yet would they 
 not believe ; but reported on their return, 
 that it was a sham mine, a feint only to in-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 515 
 
 timidate them to a surrender, all the bags 
 being filled with sand instead of gunpow- 
 der. 
 
 The very day on which the besiegers de- 
 signed to spring the mine, they gave notice 
 of it ; and the people of the neighbourhood 
 ran up in crowds to an opposite hill in or- 
 der to see it : nevertheless, although those 
 in the castle saw all this, they still remained 
 so infatuated, as to imagine it all done on- 
 ly to affright them. At length the fatal 
 mine was sprung, and all who were upon 
 that battery lost their lives; and among 
 them those I first mentioned. The very re- 
 cital hereof made me think within myself, 
 who can resist his fate ? 
 
 That engineer added further, that it was 
 with an incredible difficulty, that he pre- 
 pared that mine ; that there were in the 
 concavity thirteen hundred barrels of pow- 
 der; notwithstanding which, it made no 
 great noise without, whatever it might do in- 
 wardly ; that only taking away what might 
 be not improperly termed an excrescence
 
 316 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 in the rock, the heave on the blast had ren- 
 dered the castle rather stronger on that side 
 than it was before ; a crevice or crack, which 
 had often occasioned apprehensions, being 
 thereby wholly closed and firm. 
 
 Some further particulars I soon after had 
 from Colonel Syburg's gentleman ; who, see- 
 ing me at the play-house, challenged me, 
 though at that time unknown to me. He 
 told me, that, the night preceding the un- 
 fortunate catastrophe of his master, he was 
 waiting on him in the casement, where he ob- 
 served, sometime before the rest of the com- 
 pany took notice of it, that General Richards 
 appeared very pensive and thoughtful, that 
 the whole night long he was pestered with, 
 and could not get rid of a great fly, which 
 was perpetually buzzing about his ears and 
 head, to the vexation and disturbance of 
 the rest of the company, as well as the Ge- 
 neral himself; that in the morning, when 
 they went upon the battery, under which 
 the mine was, the General made many of- 
 fers of going off ; but Colonel Syburg, who
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 317 
 
 was got a little merry, and the rest out 
 of a bravado, would stay, and would not 
 let the General stir ; that at last it was pro- 
 posed by Colonel Syburg to have the other 
 two bottles to the queen's health, after 
 which he promised they would all go oft* 
 together. 
 
 Upon this my relater, Syburg's gentle- 
 man, said, he was sent to fetch the stipula- 
 ted two bottles ; returning with which, Cap- 
 tain Daniel Weaver, within thirty or forty 
 yards of the battery, ran by him, vowing, 
 he was resolved to drink the queen's health 
 with them ; but his feet were scarce on the 
 battery, when the mine was sprung, which 
 took him away with the rest of the com- 
 pany ; while Major Harding, now a justice 
 in Westminster, coming that very moment 
 off duty, exchanged fates. 
 
 If predestination, in the eyes of many, is 
 an unaccountable doctrine, what better ac- 
 count can the wisest give of this fatality ? 
 Or to what else shall we impute the issue 
 of this whole transaction ? That men shall
 
 318 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 be solicited to their safety ; suffered to sur- 
 vey the danger they were threatened with ; 
 among many other tokens of its approach- 
 ing certainty, see such a concourse of peo- 
 ple crowding to be spectators of their im- 
 pending catastrophe ; and, after all this, 
 so infatuated to stay on the fatal spot the 
 fetching up of the other two bottles ; what- 
 ever it may to such as never think, to such 
 as plead an use of reason, it must adminis- 
 ter matter worthy of the sedatest consider- 
 ation. 
 
 
 
 Being now pretty well recovered of my 
 wounds, I was, by order of the governor of 
 Valencia, removed to Sainte Clemente de 
 Ja Mancha, a town somewhat more inland, 
 and consequently esteemed more secure 
 than a semi-seaport. Here I remained un- 
 der a sort of pilgrimage upwards of three 
 years. To me as a stranger, divested of ac- 
 quaintance or friend, (for at that instant I was 
 sole prisoner there,) at first it appeared such, 
 though in a very small compass of time, I
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 luckily found it made quite otherwise by 
 an agreeable conversation. 
 
 Sainte Clemente de la Mancha is ren- 
 dered famous by the renowned Don Mi- 
 chael Cervantes, who in his facetious but 
 satirical romance, has fixed it the seat and 
 birth-place of his hero Don Quixotte. 
 
 The gentlemen of this place are the least 
 priest-ridden, or sons of bigotry, of any that 
 I met with in all Spain ; of which, in my 
 conversation with them, I had daily in- 
 stances. Among many others, an expres- 
 sion that fell from Don Felix Pachco, a 
 gentleman of the best figure thereabout, 
 and of a very plentiful fortune, shall now 
 suffice. I was become very intimate with 
 him ; and we used often to converse toge- 
 ther with a freedom too dangerous to be 
 common in a country so enslaved by the 
 Inquisition. Asking me one day in a sort 
 of a jocose manner, who, in my opinion, 
 had done the greatest miracles that ever 
 were heard of? I answered, Jesus Christ. 
 " It is very true/' says he, " Jesus Christ
 
 320 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 did great miracles, and a great one it was 
 to feed five thousand people with two or 
 three small fishes, and a like number of 
 loaves : but Saint Francis, the founder of 
 the Franciscan order, has found out a way 
 to feed daily one hundred thousand lub- 
 bards with nothing at all ;" meaning the 
 Franciscans, the followers of Saint Francis, 
 who have no visible revenues ; yet in their 
 way of living come up to, if they do not 
 exceed, any other order. 
 
 Another day, talking of the place, it na- 
 turally led us into a discourse of the knight 
 oflaMancha,DonQuixotte. At which time 
 he told me, that, in his opinion, that work 
 was a perfect paradox, being the best and 
 the worst romance that ever was wrote. 
 " For," says he, " though it must infallibly 
 please every man, that has any taste of wit ; 
 yet has it had such a fatal effect upon the 
 spirits of my countrymen, that every man 
 of wit must ever resent ; for, continued he, 
 before the appearance in the world of that 
 labour of Cervantes, it was next to an im-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 321 
 
 possibility for a man to walk the streets 
 with any delight, or without danger. Thnv 
 were seen so many cavalieros prancing and 
 curvetting before the windows of their mis- 
 tresses, that a stranger would have imagi- 
 ned the whole nation to have been nothing 
 less than a race of knight errants. But af- 
 ter the world became a little acquainted 
 with that notable history, the man that was 
 seen in that once celebrated drapery, was 
 pointed at as a Don Quixotte, and found 
 himself the jest of high and low. And 1 
 verily believe, added he, that to this, and 
 this only, we owe that dampness and po- 
 verty of spirit, which has run through all 
 our councils for a century past, so little 
 agreeable to those nobler actions of our fa- 
 mous ancestors." 
 
 After many of these lesser sorts of con- 
 fidences, Don Felix recommended me to a 
 lodging next door to his own. It was at 
 a widow's, who had one only daughter, her 
 house just opposite to a Franciscan nun- 
 nery. Here I remained somewhat upwards 
 
 \
 
 322 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 of two years ; all which time, lying in my 
 bed, I could hear the nuns early in the 
 morning at their matins, and late in the even- 
 
 O 7 
 
 ing at their vespers, with delight enough to 
 myself, and without the least indecency in 
 the world in my thoughts of them. Their 
 own divine employ too much employed 
 every faculty of mine, to entertain any thing 
 inconsentaneous or offensive. 
 
 This my neighbourhood to the nunnery 
 gave me an opportunity of seeing two nuns 
 invested ; and in this I must do a justice to 
 the whole country, to acknowledge, that a 
 stranger, who is curious, (I would impute it 
 rather to their hopes of conversion, than to 
 their vanity,) shall be admitted to much 
 greater freedoms in their religious pagean- 
 tries, than any native. 
 
 One of these nuns was of the first quali- 
 ty, which rendered the ceremony more re- 
 markably fine. The manner of investing 
 them was thus : In the morning her relations 
 and friends all met at her father's house ; 
 whence, she being attired in her most sump- 
 
 10
 
 323 
 
 tuous apparel, and a coronet placed on her 
 head, they attended her, in cavalcade, to 
 the nunnery, the streets and windows be- 
 ing crowded, and tilled with spectators of 
 all sorts. 
 
 So soon as she entered the chapel belong- 
 ing to the nunnery, she kneeled down, and, 
 with an appearance of much devotion, sa- 
 luted the ground ; then rising up, she ad- 
 vanced a step or two farther ; when on her 
 knees she repeated the salutes : This done, 
 she approached to the altar, where she re- 
 mained till mass was over : after which, a 
 sermon was preached by one of the priests 
 in praise, or rather in an exalted preference, 
 of a single life. The sermon being over, the 
 nun elect fell down on her knees before the 
 altar ; and, after some short mental orisons, 
 rising again, she withdrew into an inner 
 room, where, stripping off all her rich attire, 
 she put on her nun's weeds : in which ma- 
 king her appearance, she, again kneeling, 
 offered up some private devotions ; which 
 being over, she was led to the door of th
 
 324 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 nunnery, where the lady and the rest of the 
 nuns stood ready to receive her with open 
 arms. Thus entered, the nuns conducted 
 her into the quire, where after they had en- 
 tertained her with singing, and playing up- 
 on the organ, the ceremony concluded, and 
 every one departed to their proper habita- 
 tions. 
 
 The very same day of the year ensuing, 
 the relations and friends of the fair noviti- 
 ate meet again in the chapel of the nun- 
 nery, where the Lady Abbess brings her 
 out, and delivers her to them. Then again 
 
 7 o 
 
 is there a sermon preached on the same sub- 
 ject as at first ; which being over, she is 
 brought up to the altar in a decent, but 
 plain dress, the fine apparel, which she put 
 off on her initiation, being deposited on one 
 side of the altar, and her nun's weeds on 
 the other. Here the priest in Latin cries, 
 Utrum horum mavis, accipe : to which she 
 answers, as her inclination, or as her instruc- 
 tion, directs her. If she, after this her year 
 of probation, show any dislike, she is at li-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 355 
 
 berty to come again into the world : but if 
 awed by fear, (as too often is the case,) or 
 won by expectation, or present real inclina- 
 tion, she makes choice of the nun's weeds, 
 she is immediately invested, and must ne- 
 ver expect to appear again in the world out 
 of the walls of the nunnery. The young 
 lady I thus saw invested was very beauti- 
 ful, and sang the best of any in the nun- 
 nery. 
 
 There are in the town three nunneries, 
 and a convent to every one of them ; viz. 
 one of Jesuits, one of Carmelites, and the 
 other of Franciscans. Let me not be so far 
 mistaken, to have this taken by way of re- 
 flection. No ! whatever some of our rakes 
 of the town may assert, I freely declare, 
 that I never saw in any of the nunneries (of 
 which I have seen many both in Spain and 
 other parts of the world) any thing like in- 
 decent behaviour, that might give occasion 
 for satire or discs teem. It is true, there may 
 be accidents, that may lead to a mishitcr-
 
 326 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 pretation ; of which I remember a very un- 
 toward instance in Alicaut. 
 
 When the English forces first laid siege 
 to that town, the priests, who were appre- 
 hensive of it, having been long since made 
 sensible of the profound regard to chastity 
 and modesty of us heretics, by the ignomi- 
 nious behaviour of certain officers at Rota 
 and Porta St Maria, the priests, I say, had 
 taken care to send away privately all the 
 nuns to Majorca. But that the heretic in- 
 vaders might have no jealousy of it, the fair 
 courtezans of the town were admitted to 
 supply their room. The officers, both of 
 land and sea, as was by the friars pre-ima- 
 gined, on taking the town and castle, im- 
 mediately repaired to the grates of the nun- 
 nery, tossed over their handkerchiefs, nose- 
 gays, and other pretty things ; all which 
 were, doubtless, very graciously received 
 by those imaginary recluses. Thence came 
 it to pass, that, in the space of a month or 
 less, you could hardly fall into company
 
 CAPTAIN CAIILETOX. 
 
 ef any one of our younger officers, of either 
 sort, but the discourse, if it might deserve 
 the name, was concerning these beautiful 
 nuns ; and you would have imagined the 
 price of these ladies as well known as that 
 of flesh in their common markets. Others, 
 as well as myself, have often endeavoured 
 to disabuse those gloriosos, but all to little 
 purpose, till more sensible tokens convin- 
 ced them, that the nuns, of whose favours 
 they so much boasted, could hardly be per- 
 fect virgins, though in a cloister. And I 
 am apt to think, those who would palm up- 
 on the world like vicious relations of nuns 
 and nunneries, do it on much like grounds. 
 Not that there are wanting instances of 
 nunneries disfranchised, and even demo- 
 lished, upon very flagrant accounts ; but I 
 confine myself to Spain. 
 
 In this town of La Mancha, the corrigi- 
 dore always has his presidence, having six- 
 teen others under his jurisdiction, of which 
 Almanza is one. They are changed every 
 three years, and their offices are the pur-
 
 328 MEMOIRS or 
 
 chase of an excessive price, which occasions 
 the poor people's being extravagantly flee- 
 ced, nothing being to be sold but at the rates 
 they impose ; and every thing that is sold, 
 paying the corrigidore an acknowledgment 
 in specie, or an equivalent to his liking. 
 
 While I was here, news came of the bat- 
 tle of Almanar and Saragosa ; and giving 
 the victory to that side, which they espou- 
 sed, (that of King Philip,) they made very 
 great rejoicings. But soon, alas, for them, 
 was all that joy converted into sorrow : the 
 next courier evincing, that the forces of 
 King Charles had been victorious in both 
 engagements. This did not turn to my pre- 
 sent disadvantage ; for convents and nun- 
 neries, as well as some of those Dons, whom 
 afore I had not stood so well with, strove 
 now how most to oblige me ; not doubting, 
 but if the victorious army should march 
 that way, it might be in my power to double 
 the most signal of their services in my iriend- 
 ship. 
 
 Soon after an accident fell out, which
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 329 
 
 had like to have been of an unhappy con- 
 sequence to me. I was standing in com- 
 pany, upon the parade, when a most sur- 
 prising flock of eagles flew over our heads, 
 where they hovered for a considerable time. 
 The novelty struck them all with admira- 
 tion, as well as myself. But I, less accus- 
 tomed to like spectacles, innocently saving, 
 that, in my opinion, it could not bode any 
 good to King Philip, because the eagle 
 composed the arms of Austria; some busy 
 body, in hearing, went and informed the 
 corrigidore of it. Those most magisterial 
 wretches embrace all occasions of sijueexing 
 money, and more especially from strum 
 However, rinding his expectations disap- 
 pointed in me, and that I too well knew the 
 length of his foot, to let my money run t'n e- 
 ly ; he sent me next day to Aleicon ; but 
 the governor of that place having had be- 
 fore intelligence, that the English army was 
 advancing that way, refused to receive me, 
 so I returned as 1 went ; only the gentle- 
 men of the place, as they had condoled the
 
 330 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 first, congratulated the last ; for that 
 rigidore stood but very indifferently in their 
 affections. However, it was a warning to 
 me ever after, how I made use of English 
 freedom in a Spanish territory. 
 
 As I had attained the acquaintance of 
 most of the clergy and religious of the place ; 
 so particularly J had my aim in obtaining 
 that of the provincial of the Carmelites. 
 His convent, though small, was exceeding 
 neat; but what to me was much more agree- 
 able, there were very large gardens belong- 
 ing to it, which often furnished me with 
 sallading and fruit, and much oftener with 
 walks of refreshment, the most satisfactory 
 amusement in this warm climate. This ac- 
 quaintance with the provincial was by a 
 little incident soon advanced into a friend- 
 ship, which was thus : 1 was one day walk- 
 ing, as 1 used to do, in the long gallery of 
 the convent, when, observing the images of 
 the Virgin Mary, of which there was one at 
 each end, I took notice, that one had an 
 inscription under it, which was this : Eccc.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 Virgo peperit fiiium; but the other had no 
 inscription at all ; upon which, I took out 
 my pencil, and wrote underneath this line; 
 
 Sponsa Dei, patrisquc parent, etJiliaJiUi. 
 
 The friars, who at a little distance had 
 observed me, as soon as I was gone, came 
 up and read what I had writ ; reporting 
 which to the provincial, he ordered them 
 to be writ over in letters of gold, and pla- 
 ced just as I had put them ; saying, doubt- 
 less, such a fine line could proceed from 
 nothing less than inspiration. This secured 
 me ever after his and their esteem ; the least 
 advantage of which was a full liberty of 
 their garden for all manner of fruit, sallad- 
 ing, or whatever 1 pleased : and, as I said 
 before, the gardens were too fine not to ren- 
 der such a freedom acceptable. 
 
 They often want rain in this country; 
 to supply the defect of which, I observed 
 in this garden, as well as others, an inven- 
 tion not unuseful. There is a well in the
 
 332 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 middle of the garden, and over that a wheel 
 with many pitchers, or buckets, one under 
 another, which wheel being turned round 
 by an ass, the pitchers scoop up the water 
 on one side, and throw it out on the other 
 into a trough, that by liltle channels con- 
 veys it, as the gardener directs, into every 
 part of the garden. By this means their 
 flowers and their sallading are continually 
 refreshed, and preserved from the otherwise 
 over-parching beams of the sun. 
 
 The inquisition, in almost every town in 
 Spain, (and more especially, if of any great 
 account,) has its spies, or informers, for 
 treacherous intelligence. These make it 
 their business to ensnare the simple and 
 unguarded ; and are more to be avoided 
 by the stranger, than the rattlesnake ; na- 
 ture having appointed no such happy to- 
 kens in the former to foreshew the danger. 
 I had reason to believe, that one of those 
 vermin once made his attack upon me in 
 this place : and as they are very rarely, if 
 ever, known to the natives themselves, 1 be-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 333 
 
 ing a stranger, may be allowed to make a 
 guess by circumstances. 
 
 I was walking by myself, when a person, 
 wholly unknown to me, giving me the ci- 
 vil salute of the day, endeavoured to draw 
 me into conversation. After questions had 
 passed on general heads, the fellow cnsna- 
 ringly asked me, how it came to pass, that 
 I showed so little respect to the image of 
 the crucified Jesus, as I passed by it in such 
 a street, naming it ? I made answer, that I 
 had, or ought to have him always in my 
 heart crucified. To that he made no re- 
 ply : but, proceeding in his interrogatories, 
 questioned me next, whether I believed a 
 purgatory ? I evaded the question, as I 
 took it to be ensnaring ; and only told him, 
 that I should be willing to hear him ofter 
 any thing that might convince me of the 
 truth, or probability of it. " Truth ?" he 
 replied in a heat : " there never yet was 
 man so holy as to enter heaven without first 
 passing through purgatory/'" In my opi- 
 nion/' said I, " there will be no difficulty
 
 334 MEMOIRS or 
 
 in convincing a reasonable man to the con- 
 trary/' " What mean you by that ?" cried 
 the spy." I mean/' said I, " that I can 
 name one, and a great sinner too, who went 
 into bliss without any visit to purgatory." 
 " Name him if you can," replied my 
 querist. " What think you of the thief 
 upon the cross/' said I, " to whom our dy- 
 ing Saviour said, Hodie eris mecum in pa- 
 radiso ?" At which being silenced, though 
 not convicted, he turned from me in a vio- 
 lent rage, and left me to myself. 
 
 What increased my first suspicion of him 
 was, that a very short time after, my friend 
 the provincial sent to speak with me ; and 
 repeating all passages between the holy spy 
 and me, assured me, that he had been for- 
 ced to argue in my favour, and tell him, 
 that I had said nothing but well : " For," 
 says he, " all ought to have the holy Jesus 
 crucified in their hearts. Nevertheless/' 
 continued he, " it is a commendable and 
 good thing to have him represented in the 
 high ways. For, suppose," said he, " a
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 335 
 
 man was going upon some base or proili- 
 gate design, the very sight of a crucified 
 Saviour may happen to subvert his resolu- 
 tion, and deter him from committing theft, 
 murder, or any other of the deadly sins." 
 And thus ended that conference. 
 
 I remember upon some other occasional 
 conversation alter, the provincial told me, 
 that in the Carmelite nunnery next to his 
 convent, and under his care, there was a 
 nun, that was daughter to Don Juan of 
 Austria ; if so, her age must render her ve- 
 nerable, as her quality. 
 
 Taking notice one day, that all the peo- 
 ple of the place fetched their water from 
 a well without the town, although they had 
 many seemingly as good within ; I spoke 
 to Don Felix of it, who gave me, under the 
 seal of secrecy, this reason for it : " When 
 the seat of the war/' said he, " lay in these 
 parts, the French train of artillery was com- 
 monly quartered in this place ; the officers 
 and soldiers of which were so very rampant 
 and rude, in attempting to debauch our
 
 336 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 women, that there is not a well within the 
 town, which has not some Frenchmen's 
 bones at the bottom of it ; therefore the 
 natives, who are sensible of it, choose ra- 
 ther to go farther afield." 
 
 By this well there runs a little rivulet, 
 which gives head to that famous river cal- 
 led the Guadiana ; which running for some 
 leagues under ground, affords a pretence 
 for the natives to boast of a bridge on which 
 they feed many thousands of sheep. When 
 it rises again, it is a fine large river, and af- 
 ter a currency of many leagues, empties it- 
 self into the Atlantic ocean. 
 
 As to military affairs, Almanar and Sara- 
 gosa were victories so complete, that no 
 body made the least doubt of their settling 
 the crown of Spain upon the head of Charles 
 the Third, without a rival. This was not 
 barely the opinion of his friends, but his 
 very enemies resigned all hope or expecta- 
 tion in favour of King Philip. The Casti- 
 lians, his most faithful friends, entertained 
 no other imagination ; for after they had
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 337 
 
 advised, and prevailed that the Queen with 
 the Prince of Asturias should be sent to 
 Victoria, under the same despondency, and 
 a full dism'ritedness, they gave him so little 
 encouragement to stay in Madrid, that he 
 immediately quitted the place, with a re- 
 solution to retire into his grandfather's do- 
 minions, the place of his nativity. 
 
 In his way to which, even on the last 
 day's journey, it was his great good fortune 
 to meet the Duke of Vendosme, with some 
 few troops, which his grandfather Louis 
 XIV. of France had ordered to his succour, 
 under that Duke's command. The Duke 
 was grievously affected at such an unexpec- 
 ted catastrophe ; nevertheless, he left no- 
 thing unsaid or undone, that might induce 
 that prince to turn back; and at length 
 prevailing, after a little rest, and a great 
 deal of patience, by the coming in of his 
 scattered troops, and some few he could 
 raise, together with those the Duke brought 
 with him, he once more saw himself at tlu 1 
 head of twenty thousand men. 
 
 y
 
 338 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 While things were in this manner, under 
 motion in King Philip's favour, Charles the 
 Third, with his victorious army, advances 
 forward, and enters into Madrid^ of which 
 he made General Stanhope governor. And 
 even here the Castilians gave full proof of 
 their fidelity to their prince ; even at the 
 time when, in their opinion, his affairs were 
 past all hopes of retrieve, they themselves 
 having, by their advice, contributed to his 
 retreat. Instead of prudential acclamations 
 therefore, such as might have answered the 
 expectations of a victorious prince, now 
 entering into their capital, their streets were 
 all in a profound silence, their balconies 
 unadorned with costly carpets, as was cus- 
 tomary on like occasions ; and scarce an 
 inhabitant to be seen in either shop or win- 
 dow. 
 
 This, doubtless, was no little mortifica* 
 tion to a conquering Prince ; however, his 
 Generals were wise enough to keep him 
 from shewing any other tokens of resent- 
 ment, than marching through the city with
 
 CAPTAIN CARLE-TON. 339 
 
 unconcern, and taking up his quarters at 
 Villaverda, about a league from it. 
 
 Nevertheless King Charles visited, in his 
 march, the chapel of the Lady de Atocha, 
 where finding several English colours and 
 standards, taken in the battle of Almanxa, 
 there hung up, he ordered them to be ta- 
 ken down, and restored them to the Eng- 
 lish General. 
 
 It was the current opinion then, and al- 
 most universal consent has since confirmed 
 it, that the falsest step in that whole war, 
 was this advancement of King Charles to 
 Madrid. After those two remarkable vic- 
 tories at Almanar and Saragosa, had he di- 
 rected his march to Pampeluna, and ob- 
 tained possession of that place, or some 
 other near it, he had not only stopt all suc- 
 cours from coming out of France, but lie 
 would, in a great measure, have prevented 
 the gathering together of any of the routed 
 and dispersed forces of King Philip : and 
 it was the general notion of the Spaniards 
 I conversed with while at Madrid, that had
 
 340 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 King Philip once again set his foot upon 
 French land, Spain would never have been 
 brought to have re-acknowledged him. 
 
 King Charles with his army having staid 
 some time about Madrid, and seeing his 
 expectations of the Castilians joining him 
 not at all answered, at last resolved to de- 
 camp, and return to Saragosa. According- 
 ly, with a very few troops, that Prince ad- 
 vanced thither; while the main body, un- 
 der the command of the Generals Stanhope, 
 and Staremberg, passing under the very 
 walls of Madrid, held on their inarch to-, 
 wards Arragon. 
 
 After about three days march, General 
 Stanhope took up his quarters at Breuhiga, 
 a small town half walled ; General Starem- 
 berg marching three leagues farther, to Ci- 
 fuentes. This choice of situation of the two 
 several armies, not a little puzzled the po- 
 liticians of those times ; who could very in- 
 differently account for the English General's 
 lying exposed in an open town, with his few 
 English forces, of which General Harvey's.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 341 
 
 regiment of fine horse might be deemed the 
 main ; and General Staremberg encamping 
 three leagues farther off the enemy. But 
 to see the vicissitudes of fortune, to which 
 the actions of the bravest, by an untoward 
 sort of fatality, are often forced to contri- 
 bute ! None who had been eye-witnesses 
 of the bravery of either of those Generals 
 at the battles of Almanar and Saragosa, 
 
 O ' 
 
 could find room to call in question either 
 their conduct or their courage ; and yet in 
 this march, and this encampment, will ap- 
 pear a visible ill consequence to the affairs 
 of the interest they fought for. 
 
 The Duke of Vendosme having increased 
 the forces which he brought from France to 
 upwards of twenty thousand men, marches 
 by Madrid directly for Breuhiga, where his 
 intelligence informed him General Stan- 
 hope lay, and that so secretly, as well as 
 swiftly, that that General knew nothing of 
 it, nor could be persuaded to believe it, till 
 the very moment their bullets from the ene- 
 my's cannon convinced him of the truth.
 
 342 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Breuhiga, I have said, was walled only on 
 one side, and yet on that very side the ene- 
 my made their attack. But what could a 
 handful do against a force so much supe- 
 rior, though they had not been in want of 
 both powder and ball ; and, in want of these, 
 were forced to make use of stones against 
 all sorts of ammunition, which the enemy 
 plyed them with ? The consequence an- 
 swered the deficiency ; they were all made 
 prisoners of war, and Harvey's regiment of 
 horse among the rest ; which, to augment 
 their calamity, was immediately remounted 
 by the enemy, and marched along with 
 their army to attack General Staremberg. 
 That General had heard somewhat of the 
 march of Vendosme, and waited with some 
 impatience to have the confirmation of it 
 from General Stanhope, who lay between, 
 and whom he lay under an expectation of 
 being joined with ; however, he thought it 
 not improper to make some little advance 
 towards him : and accordingly, breaking up 
 from his camp at Cifuentes, he came back
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 543 
 
 to Villa Viciosa, a little town between Ci- 
 fuentes and Breuhiga. There he found Yen- 
 dosme ready to attack him, before he could 
 well be prepared for him, but no English 
 to join him, as he had expected ; neverthe- 
 less, the battle was hot, and obstinately 
 fought: although Staremberg had visibly 
 the advantage, having beat the enemy at 
 least a league from their cannon : at which 
 time, hearing of the misfortune of Breuhi^a, 
 and finding himself thereby frustrated of 
 those expected succours to support him, 
 he made a handsome retreat to Barcelona, 
 which in common calculation is about one 
 hundred leagues, without any disturbance 
 of an enemy, that seemed glad to be rid of 
 him. Xeverthele>s, his baggage having fal- 
 len into the hands of the enemy, at the be- 
 ginning of the fight, King Philip and the 
 Duke of Vendosme generously returned it 
 unopened, and untouched, in acknowledge- 
 ment of his brave behaviour. 
 
 I had like to have omitted one material 
 passage, which I was very credibly inform-
 
 344 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 ed of; that General Carpenter offered to 
 have gone, and have joined General Sta- 
 remberg with the horse, which was refused 
 him. This was certainly an oversight of the 
 highest nature ; since his going would have 
 strengthened Staremberg almost to the as- 
 surance of an entire victory ; whereas his stay 
 was of no manner of service, but quite the 
 contrary : for, as I said before, the enemy, 
 by remounting the English horse, (which 
 perhaps were the completest of any regi- 
 ment in the world,) turned, if I may be al- 
 lowed the expression, the strength of our 
 artillery upon our allies. 
 
 Upon this retreat of Staremberg, and the 
 surprise at Breuhiga, there were great re- 
 joicings at Madrid, and every where else, 
 where King Philip's interest prevailed. And 
 indeed it might be said, from that day the 
 interest of King Charles looked with a very 
 lowering aspect. I was still a prisoner at 
 La Mancha, when this news arrived ; and 
 very sensibly affected at that strange turn 
 of fortune. I was in bed when the express
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 345 
 
 passed through the town, in order to con- 
 vey it farther ; and in the middle of the 
 night I heard a certain Spanisli Don, with 
 whom, a little before, I had had some lit- 
 tle variance, thundering at my door, en- 
 deavouring to burst it open, with, as I had 
 reason to suppose, no very favourable de- 
 sign upon me. But my landlady, who hi- 
 therto had always been kind and careful, 
 calling Don Felix, and some others of my 
 friends together, saved me from the fury of 
 his designs, whatever they were. 
 
 Among other expressions of the general 
 joy upon this occasion, there was a bull- 
 feast at La Mancha ; which being much be- 
 yond what I saw at Valencia, I shall here 
 give a description of. These bull-feasta arc 
 not so common now in Spain as formerly, 
 King Philip not taking much delight in 
 them. Nevertheless, as soon as it was pub- 
 lished here, that there was to be one, no 
 other discourse was heard ; and in the talk 
 of the bulls, and the great preparations lor 
 the feast, men seemed to have lost, or to
 
 346 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 have laid aside, all thoughts of the very oc- 
 casion. A week's time was allowed for the 
 building of stalls for the beasts, and scaf- 
 folds for the spectators, and other necessary 
 preparations for the setting off their joy with 
 the most suitable splendour. 
 
 On the day appointed for the bringing 
 the bulls into town, the cavalieroes mount-* 
 ed their horses, and, with spears in their 
 hands, rode out of town about a league, or 
 somewhat more, to meet them : if any of 
 the bulls break from the drove, and make 
 an excursion, (as they frequently do,) the 
 cavaliero that can make him return again 
 to his station among his companions, is held 
 in honour, suitable to the dexterity and ad- 
 dress he performs it with. On their en- 
 trance into the town, all the windows are 
 filled with spectators ; a pope passing in 
 grand procession could not have more ; for 
 what can be more than all ? And he, or she, 
 who should neglect so rare a show, would 
 give occasion to have his or her legitimacy 
 called in question.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 347 
 
 'AY hen they come to the Plaza, where 
 the stalls and scaffolds are built, and upon 
 which the feats of chivalry are to be per- 
 formed, it is often with a great deal of dif- 
 ficulty that the brutes are got in ; for there 
 are twelve stalls, one for every bull, and as 
 their number grows less by the enstalling 
 of some, the remainder often prove more 
 untractable and unruly : in these stalls they 
 are kept very dark, to render them fiercer 
 for the day of battle. 
 
 On the first of the days appointed, (for 
 a bull-feast commonly lasts three,) all the. 
 gentry of the place, or near adjacent, resort 
 to the Plaza in their most gaudy apparel, 
 every one vicing in making the most glori- 
 ous appearance. Those in the lower ranks 
 provide themselves with spears, or a great 
 many small darts in their hands, which they 
 fail not to cast or dart, whenever the bull, 
 by his nearness, gives them an opportunity. 
 So that the poor creature may be said to 
 fight, not only with the tauriro, (or bull- 
 hunter, a person always hired for that pur-
 
 348 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 pose,) but with the whole multitude in the 
 lower class at least. 
 
 All being seated, the uppermost door is 
 opened first ; and, as soon as ever the bull 
 perceives the light, out he comes, snuffing 
 up the air, and staring about him, as if in 
 admiration of his attendants ; and with his 
 tail cocked up, he spurns the ground with 
 his fore feet, as if he intended a challenge 
 to his yet unappearing antagonist. Then, 
 at a door appointed for that purpose, enters 
 the tauriro all in white, holding a cloak in 
 one hand, and a sharp two-edged sword in 
 the other. The bull no sooner sets eyes 
 upon him, but, wildly staring, he moves 
 gently towards him ; then gradually mends 
 his pace, till he is come within about the 
 space of twenty yards of the tauriro ; when, 
 with a sort of spring, he makes at him with 
 all his might. The tauriro, knowing by fre- 
 quent experience, that it behoves him to 
 be watchful, slips aside just when the bull 
 is at him ; when casting his cloak over his 
 horns, at the same moment he gives him a
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 34$ 
 
 slash or two, always aiming at the nock, 
 where there is one particular place, which 
 if he hit, he knows he shall easily bring 
 him to the ground. I myself observed the 
 truth of this experiment made upon one of 
 the bulls, who received no more than one 
 cut, which, happening upon the fatal spot, 
 so stunned him, that he remained perfectly 
 stupid, the blood flowing out from the 
 wound, till, after a violent trembling, he 
 dropt down stone dead. 
 
 But this rarely happens, and the poor 
 creature oftener receives many wounds, and 
 numberless darts, before he dies. Yet when- 
 ever he feels a fresh wound, either from dart, 
 spear, or sword, his rage receives addition 
 from the wound, and he pursues his tau- 
 riro with an increase of fury and violence. 
 And as often as he makes at his adversary, 
 the tauriro takes care, with the utmost of 
 his agility, to avoid him, and reward his 
 kind intention with a new wound. 
 
 Some of their bulls will play their parts 
 much better than others : but the best must
 
 350 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 die. For, when they have behaved them- 
 selves with all the commendable fury pos- 
 sible, if the tauriro is spent, and fail of do- 
 ing execution upon him, they set dogs up- 
 on him ; hough him, and stick him all over 
 with darts, till, with very loss of blood, he 
 puts an end to their present cruelty. 
 
 When dead, a man brings in two mules 
 dressed out with bells and feathers, and, 
 fastening a rope about his horns, draws off 
 the bull with the shouts and acclamations 
 of the spectators, as if the infidels had been 
 drove from before Ceuta. 
 
 I had almost forgot another very com- 
 mon piece of barbarous pleasure at these 
 diversions. The tauriro will sometimes stick 
 one of their bull-spears fast in the ground, 
 aslant, but levelled as near as he can at his 
 chest ; then presenting himself to the bull, 
 just before the point of the spear, on his 
 taking his run at the tauriro, which, as they 
 assured me, he always does with his eyes 
 closed, the tauriro slips on one side, and the 
 poor creature runs with a violence often to
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 351 
 
 stick himself, and sometimes to break the 
 spear in his chest, running away with part 
 of it till he drop. 
 
 This tauriro was accounted one uf the 
 best in Spain ; and indeed I saw him mount 
 the back of one of the bulls, and ride on 
 him, slashing and cutting, till he had quite 
 wearied him ; at which time dismounting, 
 he killed him with much ease, and to the 
 acclamatory satisfaction of the whole con- 
 course : for variety of cruelty, as well as 
 dexterity, administers to their delight. 
 
 The tauriroes are very well paid, and in 
 truth so they ought to be ; for they often 
 lose their lives in the diversion, as this did 
 the year after in the way of his calling. 
 Yet is it a service of very great profit when 
 they perform dextrously : for, whenever 
 they do any thing remarkable, deserving 
 the notice of the spectators, they never fail 
 of a generous gratification, money being 
 thrown down to them in plenty. 
 
 This feast (as they generally do) lasted 
 three days ; the last of which was, in my
 
 352 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 opinion, much before either of the others. 
 On this, a young gentleman, whose name 
 was Don Pedro Ortega, a person of great 
 quality, performed the exercise on horse- 
 back. The seats, if not more crowded, 
 were filled with people of better fashion, 
 who came from places at a distance to 
 grace the noble tauriro. 
 
 He was finely mounted, and made a very 
 graceful figure : but as, when the foot tau- 
 riro engages, the bull first enters ; so, in this 
 contest, the cavaliero always makes his ap- 
 pearance on the Plaza before the bulk His 
 steed was a maneged horse ; mounted on 
 which, he rnade his entry, attended by four 
 footmen in rich liveries ; who, as soon as 
 their master had rid round, and paid his 
 devoirs to all the spectators, withdrew from 
 the dangers they left him exposed to. The 
 cavaliero having thus made his bows, and 
 received the repeated vivas of that vast con- 
 course, marched with a very stately air to 
 the very middle of the Plaza, there stand-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 353 
 
 ing ready to receive his enemy at cominc, 
 out. 
 
 The door being opened, the bull appear- 
 ed ; and, as I thought, with a fiercer and 
 more threatening aspect than anyof tlu> for- 
 mer. He stared around him for a consider- 
 able time, snuffing up the air, and spurning 
 the ground, without in the least taking no- 
 tice of his antagonist. But, at last, fixing 
 his eyes upon him, he made a full run at 
 the cavaliero, which he most dexterously 
 avoided, and, at the same moment of time, 
 passing by, he cast a dart that stuck in his 
 shoulders. At this, the shouts and i'ira$ 
 were repeated ; and I observed a handker- 
 chief waved twice or thrice, which, as I af- 
 terwards understood, was a signal from the 
 lady of his affections, that she had beheld 
 him with satisfaction. I took notice, that 
 the cavaliero endeavoured all he could to 
 keep aside the bull, for the advantage of 
 the stroke ; when, putting his horse on a full 
 career, he threw another dart, which fi\al 
 in his side, and so enraged the beast, that 
 
 I
 
 MEMOIRS or 
 
 he seemed to renew his attacks with great- 
 er fury. The cavaliero had behaved him- 
 self to admiration, and escaped many dan- 
 gers, with the often repeated acclamations 
 of viva, viva; when, at last, the enraged crea- 
 ture getting his horns between the horse's 
 hinder legs, man and horse came both to- 
 gether to the ground. 
 
 I expected at that moment nothing less 
 than death could be the issue ; when, to the 
 general surprise, as well as mine, the very 
 civil brute, author of all the mischief, only 
 withdrew to the other side of the Plaza, 
 where he stood still, staring about him as 
 if he knew nothing of the matter. 
 
 The cavaliero was carried off not much 
 hurt, but his delicate beast suffered much 
 more. However, I could not but think af- 
 terward, that the good-natured bull came 
 short of fair play. If I may be pardoned 
 the expression, he had used his adversary 
 with more humanity than he met with ; at 
 least, since, after he had the cavaliero un- 
 der, he generously forsook him, I think he
 
 CAPTAIN CAItLETON. 355 
 
 might have pleaded, or others for him, for 
 better treatment than he after met with. 
 
 For, as the cavaliero was disabled and 
 carried off, the foot tauriro entered in white 
 accoutrements, as before ; but he flattered 
 himself with an easier conquest than he 
 found. There is always on these occasions, 
 when he apprehends any imminent danger, 
 a place of retreat ready for the foot tau- 
 riro ; and well for him there was so ; this 
 bull obliged him over and over to make use 
 of it. Nor was he able at last to dispatch 
 him, without a general assistance ; for 1 be- 
 lieve I speak within compass, when I say, 
 he had more than an hundred darts stuck 
 in him. And so barbarously was he mano-- 
 led, and slashed besides, that, in my mind, 
 I could not but think King Philip in the 
 right, when he said, " that it was a custom 
 deserved little encouragement/' 
 
 Soon after this tauridore, or bull-feast, 
 was over, I had a mind to take a pleasant 
 walk to a little town, called Minai, about 
 three leao-ues oft'; but I was scarce got out 
 
 O * M
 
 356 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 of La Mancha, when an acquaintance meet- 
 ing me, asked where 1 was going ? I told 
 him to Minai ; when, taking me by the 
 hand, " Friend Gorgio," says he in Spanish, 
 " come back with me ; you shall not go a 
 stride farther ; there are Picarons that way ; 
 you shall not go." Inquiring, as we went 
 back, into his meaning, he told me, that 
 the day before, a man, who had received 
 a sum of money in pistoles at La Mancha, 
 was, on the road, set upon by some, who 
 had got notice of it, and murdered him ; 
 that, not finding the money expected about 
 him, (for he had cautiously enough left it 
 in a friend's hands at la Mancha,) they con- 
 cluded he had swallowed it ; and therefore 
 they ript up his belly, and opened every 
 gut ; but all to as little purpose. This di- 
 verted my walk for that time. 
 
 But some little time after, the same per- 
 son inviting me over to the same place, to 
 see his melon-grounds, which in that coun- 
 try are wonderful fine and pleasant, I ac- 
 cepted his invitation, and under the ad-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETO*. .357 
 
 vantage of his company, went thither. On 
 the road, 1 took notice of a cross newly 
 erected, and a multitude of small stones 
 around the foot of it: asking the meaning 
 whereof, my friend told me, that it was 
 raised for a person there murdered, (as is 
 the custom throughout Spain,) and that 
 every good catholic, passing by, held it his 
 duty to cast a stone upon the place, in de- 
 testation of the murder. I had often be- 
 fore taken notice of many such crosses : 
 but never till then knew the meaning o f 
 their erection, or the reason of the heaps 
 of stones around them. 
 
 There is no place in all Spain more fa- 
 mous for good wine than Sainte Clemen te 
 de la Mancha ; nor is it any where sold 
 cheaper : for, as it is only an inland town, 
 near no navigable river, and the people 
 temperate to a proverb, great plenty, and 
 a small vend, must consequently make it 
 cheap. The wine here is so famous, that, 
 when I came to Madrid, I saw wrote over 
 the doors of most houses that sold wine,
 
 358 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Vino Sainte Clemente. As to the temper- 
 ance of the people, I must say, that not- 
 withstanding those two excellent qualities 
 of good and cheap, I never saw, all the 
 three years I was prisoner there, any one 
 person overcome with drinking. 
 
 It is true, there may be a reason, and a 
 political one, assigned for that abstemious- 
 ness of theirs, which is this, that if any man, 
 upon any occasion, should be brought in as 
 an evidence against you, if you can prove 
 that he was ever drunk, it will invalidate 
 his whole evidence. I could not but think 
 this a grand improvement upon the Spar- 
 tans. They made their slaves purposely 
 drunk, to shew their youth the folly of the 
 vice by the sottish behaviour of their ser- 
 vants under it : but they never reached to 
 that noble height of laying a penalty upon 
 the aggressor, or of discouraging a volun- 
 tary impotence of reason by a disreputable 
 impotence of interest. The Spaniard, there- 
 fore, in my opinion, in this exceeds the 
 Spartan, as much as a natural beauty ex-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 359 
 
 ceeds one procured by art ; for, though 
 shame may somewhat influence some i<w, 
 terror is of force to deter all. A man, we 
 have seen it, may shake hands with shame ; 
 but interest, says another proverb, will ne- 
 ver lie. A wise institution, therefore, doubt- 
 less is this of the Spaniard ; but such as I 
 fear will never take place in Germany, Hol- 
 land, France, or Great Britain. 
 
 But though I commend their temperance, 
 I would not be thought by any means to 
 approve of their bigotry. If there may be 
 such a thing as intemperance in religion, I 
 much fear their ebriety in that will bo 
 found to be over-measure. Under the no- 
 tion of devotion, I have seen men among 
 them, and of sense too, guilty of the gross- 
 est intemperances. It is too common to 
 be a rarity, to see their Dons of the prime 
 quality, as well as those of the lower ranks, 
 upon meeting a priest in the open streets, 
 condescend to take up the lower part of his 
 vestment, and salute it with eyes erected,
 
 S60 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 as if they looked upon it as the seal of sal- 
 vation. 
 
 "When the Ave-bell is heard, the hearer 
 must down on his knees upon the very spot; 
 nor is he allowed the small indulgence of 
 deferring a little, till he can recover a clean 
 place ; dirtiness excuses not, nor will dirty 
 actions by any means exempt. This is so 
 notorious, that even at the play-house, in 
 the middle of a scene, on the first sound of 
 the bell, the actors drop their discourse ; 
 the auditors supersede the indulging of their 
 unsanctified ears, and all on their knees, 
 bend their tongues, if not their hearts, quite 
 a different way to what they just before had 
 been employed in. In short, though they 
 pretend in all this to an extraordinary mea- 
 sure of zeal and real devotion, no man, that 
 lives among them any time, can be a prose- 
 lyte to them, without immolating his senses 
 and his reason ; yet J must confess, while 
 I have seen them thus deluding themselves 
 with Ave Marias, I could not refrain throw- 
 ing up my eyes to the only proper object
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 of adoration, in commiseration of such de- 
 lusions. 
 
 The hours of the Ave-bell, are eight and 
 twelve in the morning, and six in the even- 
 ing. They pretend, at the first, to fall down 
 to beg that God would be pleased to pros- 
 per them in all things they go about that 
 day. At twelve, they return thanks for their 
 preservation to that time ; and at six, for 
 that of the whole day. After which, one 
 would think that they imagine themselves 
 at perfect liberty ; and their open gallan- 
 tries perfectly countenance the imagina- 
 tion : for, though adultery is looked upon 
 as a grievous crime, and punished accord- 
 ingly, yet fornication is softened with the 
 title of a venial sin, and they seem to prac- 
 tise it under that persuasion. 
 
 1 found here, what Erasmus ridicules with 
 so much wit and delicacy, the custom of 
 burying in a Franciscan's habit, in mighty 
 request. If they can for that purpose pro- 
 cure an old one at the price of a nr\v onr, 
 the purchaser will look upon himself a pro-
 
 362 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 vident chap, that has secured to his decea- 
 sed friend or relation, no less than heaven 
 by that wise bargain. 
 
 The evening being almost the only time 
 of enjoyment of company, or conversation, 
 every body in Spain then greedily seeks it ; 
 and the streets are at that time crowded 
 like our finest gardens, or most private walks. 
 On one of those occasions, I met a Don of 
 my acquaintance walking out with his sis- 
 ters ; and, as I thought it became an Eng- 
 lish cavalier, I saluted him : but, to my sur- 
 prise, he never returned the civility. AVhen 
 I met him the day after, instead of an apo- 
 logy, as I had flattered myself, I received 
 a reprimand, though a very civil one ; tel- 
 ling me, it was not the custom in Spain, nor 
 well taken of any one, that took notice of 
 any who were walking in the company of 
 ladies at night. 
 
 But, a night or tw T o after, I found, by ex- 
 perience, that if the men were by custom 
 prohibited taking notice, women were not. 
 I was standing at the door, in the cool of
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 the evening, when a woman, seemingly gen- 
 teel, passing by, called me by my name, 
 telling me she wanted to speak with me : 
 she had her mantilio on ; so that, had I had 
 day-light, I could have only seen one eye 
 of her. However, I walked with her a good 
 while, without being able to discover any- 
 thing of her business, nor passed there be- 
 tween us anything more than a conversa- 
 tion upon indifferent matters. Nevertheless, 
 at parting, she told me she should pass by 
 again the next evening ; and if I would be 
 at the door, she would give me the same 
 advantage of a conversation, that seemed 
 not to displease me. Accordingly, the next 
 night she came, and, as before, we walked 
 together in the privatest parts of the town : 
 for, though I knew her not, her discourse 
 
 ' O 
 
 was always entertaining and full of wit, 
 and her enquiries not often improper. We 
 had continued this intercourse many nights 
 together, when my landlady's daughter, ha- 
 ving taken notice of it, stopt me one even- 
 and would not allow me to stand at 
 
 ng
 
 364 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 the usual post of intelligence, saying, with 
 a good deal of heat, " Don Gorgio, take 
 my advice; go no more along with that 
 woman ; you may soon be brought home 
 deprived of your life if you do/' I cannot 
 say, whether she knew her ; but this I must 
 say, she was very agreeable in wit, as well 
 as person. However, my landlady and 
 her daughter took that opportunity of gi- 
 ving me so many instances of the fatal is- 
 sues of such innocent conversations, (for I 
 could not call it an intrigue,) that, appre- 
 hensive enough of the danger, on laying 
 circumstances together, I took their advice, 
 and never went into her company after. 
 
 Sainte Clemente de la Mancha, where 
 I so long remained a prisoner of war, lies 
 in the road from Madrid to Valencia ; and 
 the Duke of Vendosme being ordered to 
 the latter, great preparations were made for 
 his entertainment, as he passed through. 
 He staid here only one night, where he was 
 very handsomely treated by the corrigidore. 
 He was a tall fair person, and very fat, and
 
 CAPTAIN CAHLETON. 
 
 at the time I saw him wore a long black 
 patch over his left eye; but on what oc- 
 casion I could not learn. The afterwards 
 famous Alberoni, (since made a cardinal,) 
 was in his attendance ; as, indeed, the Duko 
 was very rarely without him. I remember 
 that very day three weeks, they returned 
 through the same place ; the Duke in his 
 hearse, and Alberoni in a coach, paying his 
 last duties. That Duke was a prodigious 
 lover of fish, of which having eat ovrr- 
 heartily at Veneros, in the province of Va- 
 lencia, he took a surfeit, and died in three 
 days time. His corpse was carrying to the 
 Escurial, there to be buried in the Panthe- 
 on among their kings. 
 
 The Castilians have a privilege by licence 
 from the Pope, which, if it could have been 
 converted into a prohibition, might have 
 saved that Duke's life : in regard their 
 country is wholly inland, and the river Ta- 
 gas, famous for its poverty, or rather bar- 
 renness, their Holy Father indulges the na- 
 tives with the liberty, in lieu of that dau-
 
 S66 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 gerous eatable, of eating all Lent-time the 
 inwards of cattle. When I first heard this 
 related, I imagined, that the garbage had 
 been intended ; but I was soon after thus 
 rectified, by inwards, (for so expressly says 
 the licence itself,) is meant the heart, the 
 liver, and the feet. 
 
 They have here, as well as in most other 
 parts of Spain, Valencia excepted, the most 
 wretched music in the universe. Their gui- 
 tars, if not their sole, are their darling in- 
 struments, and what they most delight in : 
 though, in my opinion, our English sailors 
 are not much amiss in giving them the title 
 of strum-strums. They are little better 
 than our Jews-harns, though hardly half so 
 musical. Yet are they perpetually at nights 
 disturbing; their women with the noise of 
 
 o 
 
 them, under the notion and name of sere- 
 nadoes. From the barber to the grandee 
 the infection spreads, and very often with 
 the same attendant, danger ; night quarrels 
 and rencounters being the frequent result. 
 The true-born Spaniards reckon it a part
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 of their glory, to be jealous of their mis- 
 tresses, which is too often the forerunner of 
 murders ; or, at best, attended with many 
 other very dangerous inconveniences. .And 
 yet, bad as their music is, their dancing is 
 the reverse. I have seen a country girl 
 manage her castanets with the graceful air 
 of a Duchess, and that not to common 
 music, but to people's beating or drumming 
 a tune with their hands on a table. I have 
 seen half a dozen couple at a time dance 
 to the like in excellent order. 
 
 I just now distinguished, by an excep- 
 tion, the music of Valencia, where alone i 
 experienced the use of the violin ; which, 
 though I cannot, in respect to other coun- 
 tries, call good, yet, in respect to the other 
 parts of Spain, I must acknowledge it much 
 the best. In my account of that city, I 
 omitted to speak of it ; therefore now to 
 supply that defect, I will speak of the best 
 I heard, which was on this unfortunate oc- 
 casion : several natives of that country, ha- 
 ving received sentence of death lor their
 
 368 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 adherence to King Charles, were accord- 
 ingly ordered to the place of execution. It 
 is the custom there, on all such occasions, 
 for all the music of the city to meet near 
 the gallows, and play the most affecting 
 and melancholy airs, to the very approach 
 of the condemned ; and really the music 
 was so moving, it heightened the scene of 
 sorrow, and brought compassion into the 
 eyes even of enemies. 
 
 As to the condemned, they came stript 
 of their own clothes, and covered with black 
 frocks, in which they were led alono- the 
 
 V O 
 
 streets to the place of execution, the friars 
 praying all the way. When they came 
 through any street, where any public images 
 were fixed, they staid before them some 
 reasonable time in prayer with the friars. 
 "When they are arrived at the fatal place, 
 those fathers leave them not, but continue 
 praying and giving them ghostly encourage- 
 ment, standing upon the rounds of the lad- 
 der till they are turned off. The hangman 
 always wears a silver badge of a ladder to
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 
 
 distinguish his profession : but his manner 
 of executing his office had somewhat in it 
 too singular to allow of silence. When he 
 had tied fast the hands of the criminal, he 
 rested his knee upon them, and with one 
 hand on the criminal's nostrils, to stop his 
 breath the sooner, threw himself off the 
 ladder along with the dying party. This 
 he does to expedite his fate ; though, con- 
 sidering the force, I wonder it does not tear 
 head and body asunder ; which yet J never 
 heard that it did. 
 
 But, to return to LaMancha: I had been 
 there now upwards of two years, much di- 
 verted with the good humour and kindness 
 of the gentlemen, and daily pleased with 
 the conversation of the nuns of the nun- 
 nery opposite to my lodgings ; when, walk- 
 ing one day alone upon the Plaza, I found 
 myself accosted by a clerico. At the first 
 attack, he told me his country ; but added, 
 that he now came from Madrid with a Po- 
 tent, (that was his word,) from Pedro de 
 Dios, dean of the inquisition, to endeavour 
 2 A
 
 370 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 the conversion of any of the English pri- 
 soners ; that being an Irishman, as a sort 
 of a brother, he had conceived a love for 
 the English, and therefore more eagerly 
 embraced the opportunity, which the holy 
 inquisition had put into his hands, for the 
 bringing over to mother church as many 
 heretics as he could ; that, having heard a 
 very good character of me, he should think 
 himself very happy, if he could be instru- 
 mental in my salvation : " it is very true," 
 continued he, " I have lately had the good 
 fortune to convert many ; and besides the 
 candour of my own disposition, I must tell 
 you, that I have a peculiar knack at con- 
 version, which very few, if any, ever could 
 resist. I am going upon the same work 
 into Murcia ; but your good character has 
 fixed me in my resolution of preferring your 
 salvation to that of others." 
 
 To this very long, and no less surprising 
 address, I only returned, that it being an 
 affair of moment, it would require some 
 consideration ; and that by the time he re-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOtf. 
 
 turned from Miircia, I might be able t, 
 turn him a proper answer. JUit not at all 
 satisfied with this reply ; Sir," says | JC , 
 God Almighty is all-sufficient : this mo- 
 ment is too precious to be lost ; he can turn 
 the heart in the twinkling of an eye, as u<-ll 
 as in twenty years. Hear me then ; mind 
 what I say to you : I will convince you im- 
 mediately. You heretics do not b< -lieve m 
 transubstantiation, and yet did not our Si- 
 viour say in so many words, Hoc est cor pun 
 meum ? And if you do not believe him, do 
 not you give him the lie ? Besides, does 
 not one of the fathers say^ Dens, qui cat om- 
 nis veritas, non potcst diccrc fakitm '?" He 
 went on at the same ridiculous rate ; which 
 
 soon convinced me, he was a thorough rat- 
 
 o 
 
 tie. However, as a clerico, and cm 
 quently, in this country, a man da: 
 to disoblige, I invited him home to dinner; 
 where, when I had brought him, 1 found 1 
 had no way done an unacceptable thing ; 
 for my landlady and her daughter, seeing
 
 372 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 him to be a clergyman, received him with 
 a vast deal of respect and pleasure. 
 
 Dinner being over, he began to enter- 
 tain me with a detail of the many wonder- 
 ful conversions be had made upon obsti- 
 nate heretics; that he had convinced the 
 most stubborn, and had such a nostrum, 
 that he would undertake to convert any 
 one. Here he began his old round, inter- 
 mixing his harangue with such scraps and 
 raw sentences of fustian Latin, that I grew 
 weary of his conversation ; so, pretending 
 some business of consequence, I took leave, 
 and left him and my landlady together. 
 
 I did not return till pretty late in the 
 evening, with in tent to give him time enough 
 to think his own visit tedious ; but, to my 
 great surprise, I found my Irish missionary 
 still on the spot, ready to dare me to the 
 encounter, and resolved, like a true son of 
 the church militant, to keep last in the field 
 of battle. As soon as I had seated myself, 
 he began again to tell me how good a cha-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 racter my landlady had given me, which 
 had prodigiously increased his ardour of 
 saving my soul ; that he could not answer 
 it to his own character, as well as mine, to 
 be negligent ; and therefore he had enter- 
 ed into a resolution to stay my coming, 
 though it had been later, To all which, I 
 returned him abundance of thanks for his 
 good will, but pleading indisposition and 
 want of rest, after a good deal of civil im- 
 pertinence, I once more got rid of him ; at 
 least, I took my leave, and went to bed, 
 leaving him again master of the field ; for 
 I understood next morning, that he staid 
 some time after I was gone, with my good 
 landlady. 
 
 Next morning, the nuns of the nunnery 
 opposite, having taken notice of the cleri- 
 co's ingress, long visit, and late egress, sent 
 to know whether he was my countryman ; 
 with many other questions, which I was not 
 then let into the secret of. To all which 
 I returned, that he was no countryman of 
 mine, but an Irishman, and so perfectly a
 
 374 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 stranger to me, that I knew no more of 
 him than what I had from his own mouth, 
 that he was going into Murcia. What the 
 meaning of this enquiry was I could never 
 learn ; but I could not doubt, but it pro- 
 ceeded from their great care of their vicino, 
 as they called me ; a mark of their esteem, 
 and of which I was not a little proud. 
 
 As was my usual custom, I had been ta- 
 king my morning walk, and had not been 
 long come home in order to dinner, when 
 in again drops my Irish clerico : I was con- 
 founded, and vexed, and he could not avoid 
 taking notice of it ; nevertheless, without 
 the least alteration of countenance, he took 
 his seat ; and on my saying, in a cold and 
 indifferent tone, that I imagined he had 
 been got to Murcia before this ; he replied, 
 with a natural fleer, that truly he was go- 
 ing to Murcia, but his conscience pricked 
 him, and he did find that he could not go 
 away with any satisfaction, or peace of 
 mind, without making me a perfect con- 
 vert ; that he had plainly discovered in me
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. S?.: 
 
 a good disposition, and had, for that very 
 reason, put himself to the charge of man 
 and mule, to the bishop of Cuenca for a li- 
 cence, under his hand, for my conversion : 
 for in Spain, all private Missionaries are ob- 
 liged to ask leave of the next bishop, be- 
 fore they dare enter upon any enterprise of 
 this nature. 
 
 I was more confounded at this last assu- 
 rance of the man than at all before ; and it 
 put me directly upon reflecting, whether 
 any, and what inconveniences might CUMIC, 
 from a rencounter that I at first conceived 
 ridiculous, but might now reasonably be- 
 gin to have more dangerous apprehensions 
 of. I knew, by the articles of war, all per- 
 sons are exempted from any power of t he- 
 inquisition ; but whether carrying on a 
 part in such a farce, might not admit, or 
 at least be liable to some dangerous con- 
 struction, was not imprudently now to be 
 considered. Though I was not fearful, yet 
 I resolved to be cautious. Wherefore, not 
 making any answer to his declaration about
 
 376 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 the bishop, he took notice of it ; and, to 
 raise a confidence he found expiring, be- 
 gan to tell me, that his name was Murtough 
 Brennan, that he was born near Kilkenny, 
 of a very considerable family. This last 
 part indeed, when I came to Madrid, I 
 found pretty well confirmed in a consider- 
 able manner. However, taking notice that 
 he had altered his tone of leaving the town, 
 and that, instead of it, he was advancing 
 somewhat like an invitation of himself to 
 dinner the next day, I resolved to shew my- 
 self shy of him ; and thereupon abruptly, 
 and without taking my leave, I left the 
 room, and my landlady and him together. 
 Three or four days had passed, every one 
 of which he never failed my lodgings ; 
 not at dinner-time only, but night and 
 morning too ; from all which I began to 
 suspect, that, instead of my conversion, he 
 had fixed upon a reconversion of my land- 
 lady. She was not young, yet, for a black 
 woman, handsome enough ; and her daugh- 
 ter very pretty : I entered into a resolution
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 377 
 
 to make my observations, and watch them 
 all at a distance ; nevertheless carefully con- 
 cealing my jealousy. However, I must 
 confess, I was not a little pleased, that any 
 thing could divert my own persecution. 
 He was now no longer my guest, but my 
 landlady's, with whom I found him so much 
 taken up, that a little care might frustrate 
 all his former impertinent importunities on 
 the old topic. 
 
 But all my suspicions were very soon af- 
 ter turned into certainties in this manner : 
 I had been abroad, and returning somewhat 
 weary, I went to my chamber, to take, what 
 in that country they call, a cesto, upon my 
 bed : I got in unseen, or without seeing 
 any body, but had scarce laid myself down, 
 before my young landlady, as I jestingly 
 used to call the daughter, rushing into my 
 room, threw herself down on the floor, bit- 
 terly exclaiming. 1 started off my bed, 
 and immediately running to the door, who 
 should 1 meet there but my Irish clcrico, 
 without his habit, and in his shirt ? 1 could
 
 378 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 not doubt, by the dishabille of the clerico, 
 but the young creature had reason enough 
 for her passion, which rendered me quite 
 unable to master mine ; wherefore, as he 
 stood with his back next the door, I thrust 
 him in that ghostly plight into the open 
 street. 
 
 I might, with leisure enough, have re- 
 pented that precipitate piece of indiscre- 
 tion, if it had not been for his bad cha- 
 racter, and the favourable opinion the town 
 had conceived of me ; for he inordinately 
 exclaimed against me, calling me heretic, 
 and telling the people, who were soon ga- 
 thered round him, that, coming to my lod- 
 gings on the charitable work of conversion, 
 I had thus abused him, stript him of his 
 habit, and then turned him out of doors. 
 The nuns, on their hearing the outcries he 
 made, came running to their grates, to en- 
 quire into the matter ; and when they un- 
 derstood it, as he was pleased to relate it, 
 though they condemned my zeal, they 
 pitied my condition. Very well was it for
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 379 
 
 me, that I stood more than a little well in 
 the good opinion of the town ; among the 
 gentry, by my frequent conversation, and 
 the inferior sort by my charitable distribu- 
 tions; for nothing can be more dangerous, 
 or a nearer way to violent fate, than to in- 
 suit one of the clergy in Spain, and ospe- 
 cially for such an oneas they entitle a he- 
 retic. 
 
 My old landlady, (I speak in respect to 
 her daughter,) however formerly my seem- 
 ing friend, came in a violent passion, and, 
 wrenching the door out of my hands, open- 
 ed it, and pulled her clerico in ; and, so 
 soon as she had done this, she took his part, 
 and railed so bitterly at me, that I had no 
 reason longer to doubt her thorough conver- 
 sion, under the full power of his mission. 
 However, the young one stood her ground, 
 and, by all her expressions, gave her many 
 inquirers reason enough to believe, all 
 not matter of faith that the clerico had ad- 
 vanced. Nevertheless, holding it ad vise- 
 able, to change my lodgings, and a triend
 
 380 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 confirming my resolutions, I removed that 
 night. 
 
 The clerico, having put on his upper gar- 
 ments, was run away to the corrigidor, in 
 a violent fury, resolving to be early, as well 
 knowing, that he, who tells his story first, 
 has the prospect of telling it to double ad- 
 vantage. When he came there, he told 
 that officer a thousand idle stories, and in 
 the worst manner ; repeating how I had 
 abused him, and not him only, but my poor 
 landlady, for taking his part. The corri- 
 gidor was glad to hear it all, and with an 
 officious ear fished for a great deal more ; 
 expecting, according to usage, at last to 
 squeeze a sum of money out of me. How- 
 ever, he told the clerico, that, as I was a 
 prisoner of war, he had no direct power 
 over me ; but if he would immediately write 
 to the president Ronquillo, at Madrid, he 
 would not fail to give his immediate orders, 
 according to which he would as readily act 
 against me. 
 
 The clerico resolved to pursue his old
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 381 
 
 maxim, and cry out first ; and so taking 
 the corrigidor's advice, he wrote away to 
 Madrid directly. In the mean time, the 
 people in the town, both high and low, 
 some out of curiosity, some out of friend- 
 ship, pursued their enquiries into the rea- 
 lity of the facts. The old landlady they 
 could make little of to my advantage ; but 
 whenever the young one came to the ques- 
 tion, she always left them with these words 
 in her mouth, El Diabolo en forma del Clcri- 
 co, which rendering things more than a lit- 
 tle cloudy on the clerico's side, he was ad- 
 vised and pressed by his few friends, as fast 
 as he could, to get out of town ; nuns, cler- 
 gy, and every body taking part against him, 
 excepting his new convert, my old land- 
 lady. 
 
 The day after, as I was sitting with a 
 friend at my new quarters, Maria (tor that 
 was the name of my landlady's daughter) 
 came running in with these words in her 
 mouth, El cltrico, el clerico, passa la calle. 
 We hastened to the window ; out of which
 
 382 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 we beheld the clerico, Murtough Brennan, 
 pitifully mounted on the back of a very 
 poor ass ; (for they would neither let nor 
 lend him a mule through all the town,) his 
 legs almost rested on the ground, for he 
 was lusty, as his ass was little ; and a fel- 
 low with a large cudgel marched afoot, dri- 
 ving his ass along. Never did Sancho 
 Pancha, on his embassage to Dulcinea, 
 make such a despicable out-of-the-way fi- 
 gure, as our clerico did at this time. And 
 what encreased our mirth was, their tel- 
 ing me, that our clerico, like that squire, 
 (though upon his own priest-errantry,) was 
 actually on his march to Toboso, a place 
 five leagues off, famous for the nativity of 
 Dulcinea, the object of the passion of that 
 celebrated hero Don Quixotte. So I will 
 leave our clerico on his journey to Murcia, 
 to relate the unhappy sequel of this ridicu- 
 lous affair. 
 
 I have before said, that, by the advice 
 of the corrigidor, our clerico had wrote to 
 Don Ronquillo at Madrid. About a fort-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 333 
 
 night after his departure from La Mancha, 
 I was sitting alone in my new lodging 
 when two alguazils, (officers under the cor' 
 rigidor, and in the nature of our bailiffs,) 
 came into my room, but very civilly, to 
 tell me, that they had orders to carry me 
 away to prison ; but, at the same moment, 
 they advised me not to be afraid ; for they 
 had observed, that the whole town was con- 
 cerned at what the corrigidor and clcrico 
 had done ; adding, that it was their opinion, 
 that I should find so general a friendship, 
 that I need not be apprehensive of any 
 danger. With these plausible speeches, 
 though I afterwards experienced the truth 
 of them, I resigned myself, and went with 
 them to a much closer confinement. 
 
 I hadnot been there above a day or two, 
 before many gentlemen of the place sent to 
 me, to assure me, they were heartily ufrlict- 
 ed at my confinement, and resolved to write 
 in my favour to Madrid ; but as it was not 
 safe, nor the custom in Spain, to visit those 
 in my present circumstances, they hoped I
 
 384 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 would not take it amiss, since they were 
 bent to act all in their power towards my de- 
 liverance ; concluding, however, with their 
 advice, that I would not give one real of 
 Plata to the corrigidor, whom they hated, 
 but confide in their assiduous interposal. 
 Don Pedro de Ortega in particular, the 
 person that performed the part of the tau- 
 riro on horseback, sometime before, sent 
 me word, he would not fail to write to a 
 relation of his, of the first account in Ma- 
 drid, and so represent the affair, that I 
 should not long be debarred my old ac- 
 quaintance. 
 
 It may administer, perhaps, matter of 
 wonder, that Spaniards, gentlemen of the 
 staunchest punctilio, should make a scruple, 
 and excuse themselves from visiting* persons 
 under confinement, when, according to all 
 Christian acceptation, such a circumstance 
 would render such a visit, not charitable on- 
 ly, but generous. But though men of vulgar 
 spirits might, from the narrowness of their 
 views, form such insipid excuses, those of
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 335 
 
 these gentlemen, I very well knew, proceed- 
 ed from much more excusable topics. I 
 was committed under the accusation of ha- 
 ving abused a sacred person, one of the 
 clergy ; and though, as a prisoner of war, 
 I might deem myself exempt from the pow- 
 er of the inquisition, yet how far one of 
 that country, visiting a person, so accused, 
 might be esteemed culpable, was a consi- 
 deration in that dangerous climate, far from 
 deserving to be slighted. To me, therefore, 
 who well knew the customs of the- country, 
 and the temper of its countrymen, their ex- 
 cuses were not only allowable, but accept- 
 able also ; for, without calling in question 
 their charity, I verily believed I might safe- 
 ly confide in their honour. 
 
 Accordingly, after 1 had been a close 
 prisoner one month to a day, 1 found the 
 benefit of these gentlemen's promises and 
 solicitations ; pursuant to which, an order 
 was brought for my immediate discharge ; 
 notwithstanding, the new convert, my old 
 landlady, did all she could to make her ap- 
 
 <2 B
 
 386 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 pearing against me effectual, to the height 
 of her prejudice and malice, even while the 
 daughter, as sensible of my innocence, and 
 acting with a much better conscience, en- 
 deavoured as much to justify me, against 
 both the threats and persuasions of the cor- 
 rigidor, and his few accomplices, though her 
 own mother made one. 
 
 After receipt of this order for my enlarge- 
 ment, I was mightily pressed by Don Fe- 
 lix, and others of my friends, to go to Ma- 
 drid, and enter my complaint against the 
 corrigidor and the clerico, as a thing highly 
 essential to my own future security. With- 
 out asking leave, therefore, of the corrigi- 
 dor, or in the least acquainting him with 
 it, I set out from La Mancha, and, as I af- 
 terwards understood, to the terrible alarm 
 of that griping officer, who was under the 
 greatest consternation, when he heard I was 
 gone ; for, as he knew very well that he had 
 done more than he could justify, he was 
 very apprehensive of any complaint ; well 
 knowing, that as he was hated as much as 
 12
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 I was beloved, he might assure himself of 
 the want of that assistance from the gen- 
 tlemen, which 1 had experienced. 
 
 So soon as I arrived at Madrid, I made 
 it my business to enquire out and wait up- 
 on Father Fahy, chief of the Irish college. 
 He received me very courteously ; but when 
 I acquainted him with the treatment 1 had 
 met with from Brennan, and had given him 
 an account of his other scandalous behavi- 
 our, I found he was no stranger to the man, 
 or his character ; for he soon confirmed to 
 me the honour Brennan first boasted of, his 
 considerable family, by saying, that scarce 
 an assize passed in his own country, with- 
 out two or three of that name receiving at 
 the gallows the just reward of their deme- 
 rits. In short, not only Father Fahy, but 
 all the clergy of that nation at Madrid, 
 readily subscribed to this character of him, 
 that he was a scandal to their country. 
 
 After this, I had nothing more to do, but 
 to get that father to go with me to Pedro 
 de Dios, who was the head of the Domini-
 
 388 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 can cloister, and dean of the inquisition. 
 He readily granted my request ; and when 
 we came there, in a manner unexpected, 
 represented to the dean, that having some 
 good dispositions towards mother-church, 
 I had been diverted from them, he feared, 
 by the evil practices of one Murtough Bren- 
 nan, a countryman of his, though a scandal 
 to his country ; that, under a pretence of 
 seeking my conversion, he had laid himself 
 open in a most beastly manner, such as 
 would have set a catholic into a vile opi- 
 nion of their religion, and much more one 
 that was yet a heretic. The dean had hard- 
 ly patience to hear particulars ; but as soon 
 as my friend had ended his narration, he im- 
 mediately gave his orders, prohibiting Mur- 
 tough's saying any more masses, either in 
 Madrid, or any other place in Spain. This 
 indeed was taking away the poor wretch's 
 sole subsistence, and putting him just upon 
 an equality with his demerits. 
 
 I took the same opportunity to make my 
 complaints of the corrigidor ; but his term
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 339 
 
 expiring very soon, and a process being 
 likely to be chargeable, I was advised to 
 let it drop. So, having effected what I came 
 for, I returned to my old station at I* 
 Mancha. 
 
 When I came back, I found a new cor- 
 rigidor, as I had been told there would, by 
 the dean of the inquisition, who, at the 
 same time, advised me to wait on him. I 
 did so, soon after my arrival, and then ex- 
 perienced the advice to be well intended ; 
 the dean having wrote a letter to him, to 
 order him to treat me with all manner of 
 civility. He shewed me the very letter, and 
 it was in such particular and obliging terms, 
 that I could not but perceive he had taken 
 a resolution, if possible, to eradicate all the 
 evil impressions, that Murtough's behaviour 
 might have given too great occasion for. 
 This served to confirm me in an observa- 
 tion that I had long before made, that a 
 protestant, who will prudently keep his 
 sentiments in his own breast, may com- 
 mand any thing in Spain; where their stiff
 
 390 
 
 bigotry leads them naturally into that other 
 mistake, that not to oppose, is to assent. 
 Besides, it is generally among them almost 
 a work of supererogation to be even instru- 
 mental in the conversion of one they call a 
 heretic. To bring any such back to what 
 they call mother-church, nothing shall be 
 spared, nothing thought too much : and if 
 you have insincerity enough to give them 
 hopes, you shall not only live in ease, but 
 in pleasure and plenty. 
 
 I had entertained some thoughts on my 
 journey back, of taking up my old quarters 
 at the widow's ; but found her so entirely 
 converted by her clerico, that there would 
 be no room to expect peace : for which 
 reason, with the help of my fair vicinos, 
 and Don Felix, I took another, where I had 
 not been long before I received an unhap- 
 py account of Murtough's conduct in Mur- 
 cia. It seems he had kept his resolution 
 in going thither ; where meeting with some 
 of his own countrymen, though he found 
 them staunch good catholics, he so far in-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 391 
 
 veigled himself into them, that he brought 
 them all into a foul chance for their lives. 
 There were three of them, all soldiers, in a 
 Spanish regiment ; but in a fit of ambitious, 
 though frantic zeal, Murtough had wheed- 
 led them to go along with him to Pedro de 
 Dios, dean of the inquisition, to declare 
 and acknowledge before him, that they 
 were converted and brought over to mother- 
 church, and by him only. The poor ig- 
 norants, thus enticed, had left their regi- 
 ment, of which the colonel having notice, 
 sent after them, and they were overtaken 
 on the road, their missionair with them. But 
 notwithstanding all his oratory, nay, even 
 the discovery of the whole farce, one of 
 them was hanged for an example to the 
 other two. 
 
 It was not long after my return before 
 news arrived of the peace ; which though 
 they received with joy, they could hardly 
 entertain with belief. Upon which, the 
 new corrigidor, with whom'l held a better 
 correspondence than I had done with the
 
 392 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 old one, desired me to produce my letters 
 from England, that it was true. .Never did 
 people give greater demonstrations of joy 
 than they upon this occasion. It was the 
 common cry in the streets, Paz con Angle- 
 terra, con todo Mundo Guerra ! and my 
 confirmation did them as much pleasure as 
 it did service to me ; for, if possible, they 
 treated me with more civility than before. 
 
 But the peace soon after being proclaim- 
 ed, I received orders to repair to Madrid, 
 where the rest of the prisoners taken at 
 Denia had been carried ; when I, by rea- 
 son of my wounds, and want of health, had 
 been left behind. Others I understood lay 
 ready, and some were on their march to 
 Bayonne in France, where ships were order- 
 ed for their transportation into England. 
 So, after a residence of three years and three 
 months, having taken leave of all my ac- 
 quaintance, 1 left a place, that was almost 
 become natural to me, the delicious Sainte 
 Clemente de la Mancha. 
 
 ^N othing of moment, or worth observing,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETO.V. $93 
 
 met 1 with, till 1 came near Ocanna ; and 
 there occurred a sight ridiculous enou.Ji. 
 The knight of the town 1 last eume IrJm, 
 the ever renowned Don Quixotic, never 
 made such a figure as a Spaniard, 1 t, 
 met on the road. He was mounted on a 
 mule of the largest size, and yet no way un- 
 sizeable to his person : he had two pistols 
 in his holsters, and one on each side stuck 
 in his belt ; a sort of large blunderbuss in 
 one of his hands, and the fellow to it, slunor 
 
 o 
 
 over his shoulders, hung at his back. All 
 these were accompanied with a ri;ht Spa- 
 nish spado, and an attendant stilletto, in 
 their customary position. The muleticr that 
 was my guide, calling out to him inSpauMi, 
 told him he was very well armed ; to which, 
 with a great deal of gravity, the Don re- 
 turned answer, " By Saint Jago, a man can- 
 not be too well armed in such danm TOIIS 
 times !" 
 
 I took up my quarters that night at 
 anna, a large, neat, and well built town. 
 Houses of good reception, and entertain-
 
 594 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ment, are very scarce all over Spain ; but 
 that, where I then lay, might have passed 
 for good in any other country. Yet it gave 
 me a notion quite different to what I found ; 
 for I imagined it to proceed from my near 
 approach to the capital. But instead of 
 that, contrary to all other countries, the 
 nearer I came to Madrid, the houses of en- 
 tertainment grew worse and worse ; not in 
 their rates do I mean, (for that with reason 
 enough might have been expected,) but 
 even in their provision, and places and way 
 of reception. I could not, however, for- 
 bear smiling at the reason given by my mu- 
 letier, that it proceeded from a piece of 
 court policy, in order to oblige all travel- 
 lers to hasten to Madrid. 
 
 Two small leagues from Ocanna we ar- 
 rived at Aranjuez, a seat of pleasure, which 
 the kings of Spain commonly select for their 
 place of residence during the months of 
 April and May. It is distant from Madrid 
 about seven leagues ; and the country round 
 is the pleasantest in all Spain, Valencia ex-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 395 
 
 cepted. The house itself makes but a very 
 indifferent appearance ; I have seen many 
 a better in England, with an owner to it of 
 no more than five hundred pounds per an- 
 num ; yet the gardens are large and fine ; 
 or, as the Spaniards say, the finest in all 
 Spain, which with them is all the world. 
 They tell you at the same time, that those 
 of Versailles, in their most beautiful parts, 
 took their model from these. I never saw 
 those at Versailles ; but, in my opinion, the 
 walks at Aranjuez, though noble in their 
 length, lose much of their beauty by their 
 narrowness. 
 
 The water- works here are a great curiosi- 
 ty ; to which the river Tagus, running along 
 close by, does mightily contribute. That 
 river is let into the gardens by a vast num- 
 ber of little canals, which, with their plea- 
 sing meanders, divert the eye with inex- 
 pressible delight. These pretty wanderers, 
 by pipes properly placed in them, atford 
 varieties scarce to be believed or imagined ; 
 and which would be grateful in any climate,
 
 396 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 but much more where the air, as it does 
 here, wants in the summer mouths perpe^ 
 tual cooling. 
 
 To see a spreading tree, as growing in its 
 natural soil, distinguished from its pining 
 neighbourhood by a gentle refreshing show- 
 er, which appears softly distilling from every 
 branch and leaf thereof, while nature all 
 around is smiling, without one liquid sign 
 of sorrow, to me appeared surprisingly plea- 
 sing. And the more when I observed, that 
 its neighbours received not any the least 
 benefit of that plentiful effusion ; and yet a 
 very few trees distant, you should find a 
 dozen together under the same healthful 
 sudor. Where art imitates nature well, phi- 
 losophers hold it a perfection : then what 
 must she exact of us, where we find her 
 transcendent in the perfections of nature ? 
 
 The watery arch is nothing less surpri- 
 sing ; where art, contending with nature, 
 acts against the laws of nature, and yet is 
 beautiful. To see a liquid stream vaulting 
 itself for the space of threescore yards into
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 397 
 
 a perfect semi-orb, will be granted by the 
 curious to be rare and strange ; but sure, to 
 walk beneath that arch, and see the waters 
 flowing over your head, without your recei- 
 ving the minutest drop, is stranger, if not 
 strange enough to stagger all belief. 
 
 The story of Actaeon, pictured in wau-r 
 colours, if I may so express myself, though 
 pretty, seemed to me but trifling to the 
 other. Those seemed to be like nature mi- 
 raculously displayed; this only fable in 
 grotesque. The figures indeed were not 
 only fine, but extraordinary ; yet their va- 
 rious shapes were not at all so entertaining 
 to the mind, however refreshing they might 
 be found to the body. 
 
 I took notice before of the straitness of 
 their walks ; but though to me it miMit 
 
 O O 
 
 seem a diminution of thoir beauty, 1 am 
 apt to believe to the Spaniard, for and by 
 whom they were laid out, it may seem other- 
 wise. They, of both sexes, give tliem^ i 
 so intolerably up to amouring, that, on that 
 account, the closeness of the walks may be
 
 398 . MEMOIRS OF 
 
 looked upon as an advantage rather than a 
 defect. The grand avenue to the house is 
 much more stately, and composed, as they 
 are, of rows of trees somewhat larger than 
 our largest limes, whose leaves are all of a 
 
 O ' 
 
 perfect pea-bloom colour, together with 
 their grandeur, they strike the eye with a 
 pleasing beauty. At the entrance of the 
 grand court we see the statue of Philip the 
 Second ; to intimate to the spectators, I 
 suppose, that he was the founder. 
 
 Among other parks about Aranjuez there 
 is one entirely preserved for dromedaries ; 
 an useful creature for fatigue, burden, and 
 dispatch ; but the nearest of kin to defor- 
 mity of any I ever saw. There are several 
 other enclosures for several sorts of strange 
 and wild beasts, which are sometimes bait- 
 ed in a very large pond, that was shewn me 
 about half a league from hence. This is 
 no ordinary diversion : but when the court 
 is disposed that way, the beast, or beasts, 
 whether bear, lion, or tyger, are conveyed 
 into a house prepared for that purpose ;
 
 CAPTAIN CARLE-TON. 399 
 
 whence he can no other way issue than bj 
 a door over the water, through, or over 
 which, forcing or flinging himself, he gra- 
 dually finds himself descend into the very 
 depth of the pond by a wooden declivity. 
 The dogs stand ready on the banks, and so 
 soon as ever they spy their enemy, rush 
 all at once into the water, and engage him. 
 A diversion less to be complained of than 
 their tauridores ; because attended with less 
 cruelty to the beast, as well as danger to 
 the spectators. 
 
 When we arrived at Madrid, a town much 
 spoken of by natives, as well as strangers, 
 though I had seen it before, I could hardly 
 restrain myself from being surprised to find 
 it only environed with mud walls. It may 
 very easily be imagined, they were never 
 intended for defence, and yet it was a long 
 time before I could find any other use, or 
 rather any use at all, in them ; and yet I 
 was at last convinced of my error by a 
 sensible encrease of expence. Without the 
 gates, to half a league without the town,
 
 400 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 you have wine for twopence the quart ; but 
 within the place, you drink it little cheaper 
 than you may in London. The mud walls, 
 therefore, well enough answer their intent 
 of forcing people to reside there, under pre- 
 tence of security, but, in reality, to be tax- 
 ed ; for other things are taxable as well as 
 wine, though not in like proportion. 
 
 All ambassadors have a claim or privi- 
 lege of bringing in what wine they please 
 tax-free ; and the king, to wave it, will at 
 any time purchase that exemption of duty 
 at the price of five hundred pistoles per 
 annum. The convents and nunneries are 
 allowed a like licence of free importation; 
 and it is one of the first advantages they 
 can boast of; for, under that licence, ha- 
 ving a liberty of setting up a tavern near 
 them, they make a prodigious advantage of 
 it. The wine drank and sold in this place 
 is for the most part a sort of white wine. 
 
 But. if the mud walls gave me at first but 
 a faint idea of the place, I was pleasingly 
 disappointed, as soon as I entered the gates.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 4Ql 
 
 The town then shewed itself well built, and 
 of brick, and the streets wide, loner, aml 
 spacious. Those of Atocha and Alc-ala 
 are as fine as any I ever saw ; yet it i 
 tuated but very indifferently: for, the 
 they have what they call a river, to which 
 they give the very fair name of La Man>u- 
 era, and over which they have built a ru- 
 rious, long, and large stone bridge ; yet is 
 the course of it, in summer time especially, 
 mostly dry. This gave occasion to that 
 piece of raillery of a foreign ambassador, 
 " that the king would have done wisely to 
 have bought a river, before he built the 
 bridge/' Nevertheless, that little stream of 
 a river which they boast of, they improve 
 as much as possible ; since down the sides, 
 as far as you can see, there are coops, or 
 little places hooped in, for people to wash 
 their linen, (for they very rarely wash in 
 their own houses,) nor is it really any un- 
 pleasing sight to view the regular rows of 
 them at that cleanly operation. 
 
 The King has here two palaces; one
 
 402 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 within the town, the other near adjoining. 
 That in the town is built of stone; the other, 
 which is called Bueno Retiro, is all of brick. 
 From the town to this last, in summer time, 
 there is a large covering of canvas, propt 
 up with tall poles, under which people 
 walk, to avoid the scorching heats of the 
 sun. 
 
 As I was passing by the chapel of the 
 Carmelites, I saw several blind men, some 
 led, some groping the way with their sticks, 
 going into the chapel. I had the curiosity 
 to know the reason ; I no sooner entered 
 the door, but was surprised to see such a 
 number of those unfortunate people, all 
 kneeling before the altar, some kissing the 
 ground, others holding up their heads, cry- 
 ing out misericordia. I was informed it was 
 Saint Lucy's day, the patroness of the blind; 
 therefore, all who were able came upon 
 that day to pay their devotion : so I left 
 them, and directed my course towards the 
 King's palace. 
 
 When I came to the outward court, I
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 403 
 
 tact with a Spanish gentleman of my ac- 
 quaintance, and we went into the piax/as ; 
 whilst we were talking there, I saw sev 
 gentlemen passing by, having baches on 
 their breasts, some white, some red, and 
 others green: my friend informed me, that 
 there were five orders of knighthood in n 
 Spain. That of the Golden Fleece was only S?T 
 
 . J Spain. 
 
 given to great princes, but the other four 
 to private gentlemen, viz. that of Saint Ja- 
 go, Alcantara, Saint Salvador de Montreal, 
 and Monteza. 
 
 He likewise told me, that there were 
 above ninety places of grandees, but never 
 filled up ; who have the privilege of being 
 covered in the presence of the King, and 
 are distinguished into three ranks. The first 
 is, of those who cover themselves before 
 they speak to the King ; the second, are 
 those who put on their hats after they have 
 begun to speak ; the third, are those who 
 only put on their hats, having spoke to 
 him. The ladies of the grandees have al- 
 fo great respect shewed them. The queen
 
 404 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 rises up when they enter the chamber, and 
 offers them .cushions. 
 
 No married man, except the King, lies in 
 the palace ; for all the women who live there 
 are widows, or maids of honour to the queen. 
 I saw the Prince of Asturias' dinner carried 
 through the court up to him, being guard- 
 ed by four gentlemen of the Guards, one 
 before, another behind, and one on each 
 side, with their carbines shouldered ; the 
 Queen's came next, and the King's the last, 
 guarded as before ; for they always dine se- 
 parately. I observed, that the gentlemen 
 of the Guards, though not on duty, yet 
 they are obliged to wear their carbine belts. 
 
 Saint Isodore, who, from a poor labour- 
 ing man, by his sanctity of life arrived to 
 the title of Saint, is the patron of Madrid, 
 and has a church dedicated to him, whic^i 
 is richly adorned within. The sovereign 
 court of the inquisition is held at Madrid, 
 the president whereof is called the Inquisi- 
 tor General. They judge without allow- 
 ing any appeal for four sorts of crimes, viz.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 405 
 
 heresy, polygamy, sodomy, and witchcraft 
 and when any are convicted, it is called the 
 act of faith. 
 
 Most people believe, that the King's 
 greatest revenue consists in the gold and 
 silver brought from the West Indies, which 
 is a mistake ; for most part of that wealth 
 belongs to merchants and others, that pay 
 the workmen at the golden mines of Potosi, 
 and the silver mines at Mexico ; yet the 
 King, as I have been informed, rcc< 
 about a million and a half of gold. 
 
 The Spaniards have a saying, that the 
 finest garden of fruit in Spain is in the mid- 
 dle of Madrid, which is the Plaza, or market 
 place; and truly the stalls there are set forth 
 with such variety of delicious fruit, that I 
 must confess I never saw any place com- 
 parable to it ; and, which adds to my ad- 
 miration, there are no gardens or orchards 
 of fruit within some leagues. 
 
 They seldom eat hares in Spain but whilst 
 the grapes are growing; and then they are 
 so exceeding fat, they are knocked down
 
 MEMOIRS Of 
 
 with sticks. Their rabbits are not so good 
 as ours in England ; they have great plenty 
 of partridges, which are larger and finer fea- 
 thered than ours. They have but little beef 
 in Spain, because there is no grass ; but they 
 have plenty of mutton, and exceeding good, 
 because their sheep feed only upon wild 
 pot-herbs ; their pork is delicious, their hogs 
 feeding only upon chesnuts and acorns. 
 
 Madrid and Yalladolid, though great, 
 yet are only accounted villages : in the lat- 
 ter, Philip the Second, by the persuasion of 
 Parsons, an English Jesuit, erected an Eng- 
 lish seminary ; and Philip the Fourth built 
 a most noble palace, with extraordinary fine 
 gardens. They say, that Christopher Co- 
 lumbus, who first discovered the West In- 
 dies, died there, though I have heard he 
 lies buried, and has a monument at Sevil. 
 
 The palace in the town stands upon eleven 
 arches, under every one of which there are 
 shops, which degrade it to a mere exchange. 
 Nevertheless, the stairs by which you ascend 
 up to the guard room, (which is very spa-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 40? 
 
 cious too,) are stately, large, and curious. 
 So soon as you have passed the guard room, 
 you enter into a long and noble gallery, the 
 right hand whereof leads to the King's apart- 
 ment, the left to the Queen's. Entering in- 
 to the King's apartment, you soon arrive at 
 a large room, where he keeps his levee ; on 
 one side whereof, (for it takes up the whole 
 side,) is painted the fatal battle of Almanxa. 
 I confess the view somewhat affected me, 
 though so long after, and brought to mind 
 many old passages. However, the reflec- 
 tion concluded thus in favour of the Spa- 
 niard, that we ought to excuse their vanity 
 in so exposing, under a French General, a 
 victory, which was the only material one 
 the Spaniards could ever boast of over an 
 English army. 
 
 In this state room, when the King first 
 appears, every person present receives him 
 with a profound homage ; after which, turn- 
 ing from the company to a large velvet 
 chair, by which stands the father confes- 
 sor, he kneels down, and remains some time.
 
 408 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 at his devotion ; which being over, he ri- 
 sing, crosses himself, and his father confessor 
 having with the motion of his hand intima- 
 ted his benediction, he then gives audience 
 to all that attend for that purpose. He re- 
 ceives every body with a seeming complai- 
 sance, and with an air more resembling the 
 French than the Spanish ceremony. Peti- 
 tions to the King, as with us, are delivered 
 into the hands of the secretary of state : 
 yet in one particular they are, in my opi- 
 nion, worthy the imitation of other courts ; 
 the petitioner is directly told what day he 
 must come for an answer to the office ; at 
 which time he is sure, without any further 
 fruitless attendance, not to fail of it. The 
 audience being over, the King returns 
 through the gallery to his own apartment. 
 I cannot here omit an accidental conver- 
 sation, that passed between General Ma- 
 honi and myself in this place. After some 
 talk of the bravery of the English nation, 
 he made mention of General Stanhope, with 
 a very peculiar emphasis. " But," says he,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 409 
 
 " I never was so put to the nonplus in all 
 my days as that General once put me in. 1 
 was on the road from Paris to Madrid, and 
 having notice, that that General was jroinjr 
 just the reverse, and that in all likelihood 
 we should meet the next day, briore my 
 setting out in the morning, I took care to 
 order my gayest regimental apparel, resol- 
 ving to make the best appearance I could 
 to receive so great a man. I had not tra- 
 velled above four hours before I saw two 
 gentlemen, who appearing to be English, 
 it induced me to imagine they were lore- 
 runners, and some of his retinue. But how 
 abashed and confounded was J, when put- 
 ting the question to one of them, he made 
 answer, ' Sir, I am the person !' Never did 
 moderation put vanity more out of coun- 
 tenance : though, to say truth, I could not 
 but think his dress as much too plain for 
 General Stanhope, as I at that juncture 
 thought my own too gay for Mahoiii. 
 But," added he, " that great man had too
 
 410 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 many inward great endowments to stand in 
 need of any outside decoration/' 
 
 Of all diversions, the King takes most 
 delight in that of shooting, which he per- 
 forms with great exactness and dexterity. 
 I have seen him divert himself at swallow 
 shooting, (by all, I think, allowed to be the 
 most difficult,) and exceeding all I ever 
 saw. The last time I had the honour to 
 see him, was on his return from that exer- 
 cise. He had been abroad with the Duke 
 of Medina Sidonia, and alighted out of his 
 coach at a back door of the palace, with 
 three or four birds in his hand, which, ac- 
 cording to his usual custom, he carried up 
 to the Queen with his own hands. 
 
 There are two playhouses in Madrid, at 
 both which they act every day ; but their 
 actors, and their music, are almost too in- 
 different to be mentioned. The theatre at 
 the Bueno Retiro is much the best; but as 
 much inferior to ours at London, as those 
 at Madrid are to that, I was at one play,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 4H 
 
 when both King and Queen were present. 
 There was a splendid audience, and a meat 
 concourse of ladies ; but the latter, as is the 
 custom there, having lattices before them, 
 the appearance lost most of its lustre. One 
 very remarkable thing happened while I 
 was there ; the Ave-bell rung in the middle 
 of an act, when down on their knees tell 
 every body, even the players on the stage, 
 in the middle of their harangue. They re- 
 mained for some time at their devotion ; 
 then up they rose, and returned to the busi- 
 ness they were before engaged in, begin- 
 ning where they left off. 
 
 The ladies of quality make their visits in 
 grand state and decorum. The lady- 
 tant is carried in a chair by four men ; the 
 two first, in all weathers, always bare. Two 
 others walk as a guard, one on each side ; 
 another carrying a large lantliorn for lear 
 of being benighted; then follows a coach 
 drawn by six mules, with her women, and 
 after that another with her gentlemen : 
 veral servants walking after, more or I
 
 412 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 according to the quality of the person. 
 They never suffer their servants to overload 
 a coach, as is frequently seen with us ; nei- 
 ther do coachmen or chairmen go or drive, 
 as if they carried midwives in lieu of ladies. 
 On the contrary, they affect a motion so 
 slow and so stately, that you would rather 
 imagine the ladies were every one of them 
 near their time, and very apprehensive of 
 
 a miscarriage. 
 
 I remember not to have seen here any 
 horses in any coach, but in the King's, or 
 an ambassador's ; which can only proceed 
 from custom, for certainly finer horses are 
 not to be found in the world. 
 
 At the time of my being here, Cardinal 
 Giudici was at Madrid ; he was a tall, pro- 
 per, comely man, and one that made the 
 best appearance. Alberoni was there at the 
 same time, who, upon the death of the Duke 
 of Vendosme, had the good fortune to find 
 the Princess Ursini his patroness ; an in- 
 stance of whose ingratitude will plead par- 
 don for this little digression. That Princes*
 
 CAPTAIN CA11LETON. 
 
 first brought Albcroni into favour at court. 
 They were both of Italy, and that might be 
 one reason of that lady's espousing his in- 
 terest ; though some there are that assign 
 it to the recommendation of the Duk< 
 Vendosme, with whom Alberoni hud the 
 honour to be very intimate, as the other 
 was always distinguished by that Princess. 
 Be which it will, certain it is, she was Al- 
 beroni's first and sole patroness ; which 
 gave many people afterwards a very smart 
 occasion of reflecting upon him, both as to 
 his integrity and gratitude. For when Al- 
 beroni, upon the death of King Philip's first 
 Queen, had recommended this present lady, 
 who was his countrywoman, (she of Parma, 
 and he of Placentia, both in the same duke- 
 dom,) and had forwarded her match with 
 the King with all possible assiduity ; and 
 when that Princess, pursuant to the orders 
 she had received from the King, passed 
 pver into Italy to accompany the Queen 
 elect into her own dominions ; Alberoni, 
 forgetful of the hand that first advanced
 
 414 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 him, sent a letter to the present Queen, just 
 before her landing, that if she resolved to 
 be Queen of Spain, she must banish the 
 Princess Ursini, her companion, and never 
 let her come to court. Accordingly, that 
 lady, to evince the extent of her power, and 
 the strength of her resolution, dispatched 
 that Princess away, on her very landing, 
 and before she had seen the King, under a 
 detachment of her own guards, into France ; 
 and all this without either allowing her an 
 opportunity of justifying herself, or assign- 
 ing the least reason for so uncommon an ac- 
 tion. But the same Alberoni (though af- 
 terwards created cardinal, and for some 
 time King Philip's prime minion) soon saw 
 that ingratitude of his rewarded in his own 
 disgrace, at the very same court. 
 
 I remember when at La Mancha, Don 
 Felix Pachero, in a conversation there, 
 maintained, that three women at that time 
 ruled the world, viz. Queen Anne, Madam 
 Maintenon, and this Princess Ursini. 
 
 Father Fahy's civilities, when last at Ma-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLF.TOX. 
 
 drid, exacting of me some suitable acknow- 
 ledgment, I went to pay hi m a visit . as ^ 
 render him due thanks for the past, so to 
 give him a further account of his count rv- 
 man Brennan : but I soon found he did 
 not much incline to hear any thing more 
 of Murtough, not expecting to hear anj 
 good of him ; for which reason, as soon as 
 I well could, I changed the conversation 
 to another topic; in which some word 
 dropping of the Count de Montcry, I told 
 him, that I heard he had taken orders, and 
 officiated at mass : He made answer, it was 
 all very true. And upon my intimating, 
 that I had the honour to serve under him 
 in Flanders, on my first entering into ser- 
 vice, and when he commanded the Spanish 
 forces at the famous battle of Scneff ; and 
 adding, that I could not but be surprised, 
 that he, who was then one of the brightest 
 cavalieroes of the age, should now be in 
 orders, and that I should look upon it a* 
 a mighty favour barely to have, if it might 
 be, a view of him ; he very obligingly told
 
 416 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 me, that he was very well acquainted with 
 him, and that if I would come the next day, 
 he would not fail to accompany me to the 
 Count's house. 
 
 Punctually at the time appointed I wait- 
 ed on Father Fahy, who, as he promised, 
 carried me to the Count's house : He was 
 stepping into his coach just as we got there ; 
 but seeing Father Fahy, he advanced to- 
 wards us. The father delivered my desire 
 in as handsome a manner as could be, and 
 concluding with the reason of it, from my 
 having been in that service under him : he 
 
 o 
 
 seemed very well pleased, but added, that 
 there were not many beside myself living, 
 who had been in that service with him. 
 After some other conversation, he called 
 his gentleman to him, and gave him parti- 
 cular orders to give us a frescari, or, in 
 English, an entertainment; so, taking leave, 
 he went into his coach, and we to our fres- 
 cari. 
 
 Coming from which, Father Fahy made 
 me observe, in the open street, a stone, on 
 i
 
 CAVTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 which was a visible great stain of somewhat 
 reddish, and like blood. This/' said he, 
 6 was occasioned by the death of a coun- 
 tryman of mine, who had the misfortune to 
 overset a child, coming out of that house ; 
 (pointing to one opposite to us;) the child 
 frighted, though not hurt, as is natural, made 
 a terrible outcry ; upon which its father 
 coming out in a violent rage, (notwithstand- 
 ing my countryman begged pardon, and 
 pleaded sorrow, as being only an accident,) 
 stabbed him to the heart, and down he fell 
 upon that stone, which to this day retains 
 the mark of innocent blood, so rashly shed/' 
 He went on, and told me, the Spaniard im- 
 mediately took sanctuary in the church, 
 whence some time after he made his escape. 
 But escapes of that nature are so common 
 in Spain, that they are not worth wonder- 
 ing at. For even though it were for wilful 
 and premeditated murder, if the murderer 
 have taken sanctuary, it was never known 
 that he was delivered up to justice, though 
 demanded ; but in some disguise he makes 
 
 D
 
 418 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 bis escape, or some way is secured against 
 all the clamours of power or equity. 
 
 I have observed, that some of the greatest 
 quality stop their coaches over a stinking 
 nasty puddle, which they often find in the 
 streets, and, holding their heads over the 
 door, snuff up the nasty scent which as- 
 cends, believing that it is extremely health- 
 ful ; when I was forced to hold my nose, 
 passing by. It is not convenient to walk 
 out early in the morning ; they, having no 
 necessary houses, throw out their nastiness 
 in the middle of the street. 
 
 After I had taken leave of Father Fahy, 
 and returned my thanks for all civilities, I 
 went to pay a visit to Mr Salter, who was 
 secretary to General Stanhope, when the 
 English forces were made prisoners of war 
 at Breuhiga. Going up stairs, I found the 
 door of his lodgings a-jar ; and knocking, 
 a person came to the door, who appeared 
 under some surprise at sight of me. I did 
 not know him ; but enquiring if Mr Salter 
 was within, he answered, as 1 fancied, with
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 419 
 
 some hesitation, that he was, but was busy 
 in an inner room. However, thouoi, lm _ 
 asked, I went in, resolving, since I had 
 found him at home, to wait his leisure. In 
 a little time Mr Salter entered the room ; 
 and after customary ceremonies, asking my 
 patience a little longer, he desired I would 
 sit down and bear ensign Fanshaw com- 
 pany, (for so he called him,) adding, at go- 
 ing out, he had a little business that requi- 
 red dispatch ; which being over, he would 
 return, and join company. 
 
 The ensign, as he called him, appeared 
 to me under a dishabille ; and the first ques- 
 tion he asked me, was, if I would drink a 
 glass of English beer ? Misled by his ap- 
 pearance, though I assented, it was witli a 
 design to treat, which he would by no 
 means permit, but, calling to a servant, or- 
 dered some in. We sat drinking that li- 
 quor, which to me was a greater rarity than 
 all the wine in Spain ; whcMi in dropt an 
 old acquaintance of mine, Mr Lr Nny, 16- 
 cretary to Colonel Nevil. lie sat down
 
 420 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 with us, and before the glass could go twice 
 round, told ensign Fanshaw, that his Co- 
 lonel gave his humble service to him, and 
 ordered him to let him know, that he had 
 but threescore pistoles by him, which he 
 had sent, and which were at his service, as 
 what he pleased more should be as soon as 
 it came to his hands. 
 
 At this I began to look upon my ensign 
 as another guess person than I had taken 
 him for ; and Le Noy imagining, by our 
 setting cheek by joul together, that I must 
 be in the secret, soon after gave him the 
 title of Captain. This soon convinced me, 
 that there was more in the matter than I 
 was yet master of; for, laying things toge- 
 ther, I could not but argue within myself, 
 that as it seemed at first a most incredible 
 thing, that a person of his appearance 
 should have so large credit, with such a 
 compliment at the end of it, without some 
 disguise ; and as from an ensign he was ri- 
 sen to be a captain, in the taking of one 
 bottle of English beer ; a little patience
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOtf. 42l 
 
 would let me into a farce, in which at pro- 
 sent I had not the honour to bear any part 
 but that of a mute. 
 
 At last Le Noy took his leave, and as 
 soon as he had left us, and the other bottle 
 was brought in, ensign Fanshaw began to 
 open his heart, and tell me who he was. " I 
 am necessitated/' said he, " to be under this 
 disguise, to conceal myself, especially in 
 this place. For you must know," conti- 
 nued he, " that when our forces were lords 
 of this town, as we were for a little while, 
 I fell under an intrigue with another man's 
 wife : Her husband was a person of consider- 
 able account ; nevertheless the wife shewed 
 me all the favours that a soldier, under a 
 long and hard campaign, could be ima- 
 gined to ask. In short, her relations not 
 acquainted with our amour, and knowing 
 that I was among the prisoners taken at 
 Breuhiga, are now upon the scout and en- 
 quiry, to make a discovery that may l>< nt 
 fatal consequence. This is the reason of 
 my disguise ; this the unfortunate occasion
 
 422 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 of my taking upon me a name that does 
 not belong to me." 
 
 He spoke all this with such an openness 
 of heart, that, in return of so much confi- 
 dence, I confessed to him, that I had heard 
 of the affair, for that it had made no little 
 noise all over the country ; that it highly 
 behoved him to take great care of himself, 
 since, as the relations on both sides were con- 
 siderable, he must consequently be in great 
 danger ; that in cases of that nature, no 
 people in the world carry things to greater 
 extremities than the Spaniards. He re- 
 turned me thanks for my good advice, which 
 I understood, in a few days after, he, with 
 the assistance of his friends, had taken care 
 to put in practice ; for he was conveyed 
 away secretly, and afterwards had the ho- 
 nour to be made a peer of Ireland. 
 
 My passport being at last signed by the 
 Count de las Torres, I prepared for a jour- 
 ney I had lung and ardently wished for, 
 and set out from Madrid in the beginning
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 403 
 
 of September 1712, in order to return to 
 my native country. 
 
 Accordingly 1 set forward upon my jour- 
 ney ; but having heard, both before and 
 since my being in Spain, very famous tin 
 spoken of the Escurial, though it \va> a 
 league out of my road, I resolved to make 
 it a visit. And I must confess, when I came 
 there, I was so far from condemning my 
 curiosity, that I chose to congratulate my 
 good fortune, that had, at half a d: 
 pence, feasted my eyes with extraordina: 
 which would have justified a twelvemonth's 
 journey on purpose. 
 
 The structure is entirely magnificent, be- nwi p - 
 
 J i ion of the 
 
 yond any thing I ever saw, or any thing my 
 imagination could frame. It is compo 
 of eleven several quadrangles, with noble 
 cloisters round every one of them. The 
 front to the west is adorned with three stale- 
 ly gates; every one of a different model* 
 yet every one the model of nicest archi: 
 ture. The middlemost of the three leads 
 into a fine chapel of the Hieron<m>
 
 424 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 they call them, in which are entertained 
 one hundred and fifty monks. At every of 
 the four corners of this august fabric, there 
 is a turret of excellent workmanship, which 
 yields to the whole an extraordinary air of 
 grandeur. The King's palace is on the 
 north, nearest that mountain whence the 
 stone it is built of was hewn ; and all the 
 south part is set off with many galleries, 
 both beautiful and sumptuous. 
 
 This prodigious pile, which, as I have 
 said, exceeds all that I ever saw, and which 
 would ask of itself a volume to particu- 
 larise, was built by Philip the Second. He 
 laid the first stone, yet lived to see it finish- 
 ed ; and lies buried in the Pantheon, a part 
 of it set apart for the burial-place of suc- 
 ceeding princes, as well as himself. It was 
 dedicated to Saint Lawrence in the very 
 foundation; and therefore built in the shape 
 of a gridiron, the instrument of that mar- 
 tyr's execution, and in memory of a great 
 victory obtained on that Saint's day. The 
 stone of which it is built, contrary to the
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 405 
 
 common course, grows whiter by age ; and 
 the quarry, whence it was dug, Hes'iiear 
 enough, if it had sense or ambition, to grow 
 enamoured of its own wonderful produc- 
 tion. Some there are, who stick not to as- 
 sign this convenience as the main cause of 
 its situation ; and for my part, I must a-_ 
 that I have seen many other parts of Spain, 
 where that glorious building would have 
 shone with yet far greater splendour. 
 
 There was no town of any consequence 
 presented itself in my way to Burgos. Here 
 I took up my quarters that night ; where I 
 met with an Irish priest, whose name was 
 White. As is natural on such rencouir 
 having answered his enquiry, whither I was 
 going, he very kindly told me, he should 
 be very glad of my company as far as Vic- 
 toria, which lay in my road; and I with 
 equal frankness embraced the ofli-r. 
 
 Next morning, when we had mounted 
 our mules, and were got a little distance 
 from Burgos, he began to relate to n 
 great many impious pranks of an English
 
 426 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 officer, who had been a prisoner there a lit- 
 tle before I came ; concluding all, with some 
 vehemence, that he had given greater oc- 
 casion of scandal and infamy to his native 
 country, than would easily be wiped off, or 
 in a little time. The truth of it is, many 
 particulars, which he related to me, were 
 too monstrously vile to admit of any repe- 
 tition here ; and highly meriting that un- 
 fortunate end, which that officer met with 
 some time after. Nevertheless, the just re- 
 flections, made by that father, plainly ma- 
 nifested to me the folly of those gentlemen, 
 who, by such inadvertencies, to say no worse, 
 cause the honour of the land of their nati- 
 yity to be called in question. For though, 
 no doubt, it is a very false conclusion, from 
 a singular, to conceive a general character ; 
 yet, in a strange country, nothing is more 
 common, A man, therefore, of common 
 sense, would carefully avoid all occasions 
 of censure, if not in respect to himself, yet 
 out of a humane regard to such of his coun- 
 
 o 
 
 try men as may have the fortune to come
 
 CAPTAIN CA11LETON. 427 
 
 after him ; and, it is more than probable, 
 may desire to hear a better and justcr cha- 
 racter of their country, and countrymen, 
 than he perhaps might incline to leave be- 
 hind him. 
 
 As we travelled along, Father White told 
 me, that near the place of our quartering 
 that night, there was a convent of the ( ar- 
 thusian order, which would be well worth 
 my seeing. I was doubly glad to hear it, 
 as it was an order most a stranger to i 
 and as I had often heard from many ot! 
 most unaccountable relations of the >c\ cri- 
 ty of their way of life, and the very odd 
 original of their institution. 
 
 The next morning, therefore, bein-Sm- 
 day, we took a walk to the convent. It 
 was situated at the foot of a givut hill, ha- 
 ving a pretty little river running befoi 
 The hill was naturally covered with ever- 
 greens of various sorts ; but the nn- 
 mit of the rock was so iinpemlin 
 would at first sight be led to apprehend the 
 destruction of the convent, from the full of
 
 428 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 it. Notwithstanding all which, they have 
 very curious and well-ordered gardens ; 
 which led me to observe, that, whatever 
 men may pretend, pleasure was not incom- 
 patible with the most austere life. And in- 
 deed, if I may guess of others by this, no 
 order in that church can boast of finer con- 
 vents. Their chapel was completely neat, 
 the altar of it set out with the utmost mag- 
 nificence, both as to fine paintings, and other 
 rich adornments. The building was answer- 
 able to the rest ; and, in short, nothing 
 seemed omitted, that might render it beau- 
 tiful or pleasant. 
 
 When we had taken a full survey of all, 
 we, not without some regret, returned to 
 our very indifferent inn ; where, the better 
 to pass away the time, Father White gave 
 me an ample detail of the original of that 
 order. I had before-hand heard somewhat 
 of it ; nevertheless, I did not care to inter- 
 rupt him, because I had a mind to hear how 
 his account would agree with what I had 
 already heard.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 499 
 
 " Bruno," said the father, the author 
 or founder of this order, was not originally 
 of this, but of another. He had a holy 
 brother of the same order, that was his cell- 
 mate, or chamber-fellow, who was reputed 
 by all that ever saw or knew him, for a per- 
 son of exalted piety, and of a most exact 
 holy life. This man, Bruno had intimately 
 known for many years ; and agreed, in his 
 character, that general consent did him no 
 more than justice, having never observed 
 any thing in any of his actions, that, in his 
 opinion, could be offensive to God or man. 
 He was perpetually at his devotions ; and 
 distinguishably remarkable for never per- 
 mitting any thing but pious ejaculations to 
 proceed out of his mouth. In short, he was 
 reputed a saint upon earth. 
 
 " This man at last dies, and, according 
 to custom, is removed into the chapel of 
 the convent, and there placed with 
 fixed in his hands : soon after which, 
 ing the proper masses for his soul, in the 
 middle of their devotion, the dead man lifts
 
 430 MEMOIRS or 
 
 up his head, and with an audible voice, cried 
 out, Vocatus sum. The pious brethren, as 
 any one will easily imagine, were most pro- 
 digiously surprised at such an accident, and 
 therefore they earnestly redoubled their 
 prayers ; when, lifting up his head a second 
 time, the dead man cried aloud, Judicatus 
 sum. Knowing his former piety, the pious 
 fraternity could not then entertain the least 
 doubt of his felicity ; when, to their great 
 consternation and confusion, he lifted up 
 his head a third time, crying out in a ter- 
 rible tone, Damnatus sum ; upon which they 
 incontinently removed the corpse out of the 
 chapel, and threw it upon the dunghill. 
 
 " Good Bruno, pondering upon these pas- 
 sages, could not fail of drawing this conclu- 
 sion : that if a person, to all appearance so 
 holy and devout, should miss of salvation, 
 it behoved a wise man to contrive some 
 way more certain to make his calling and 
 election sure. To that purpose he instituted 
 this strict and severe order, with an injunc- 
 tion to them, sacred as any part, that every
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 431 
 
 professor should always wear hair-cloth next 
 his skin ; never eat any flesh, nor speak to 
 one another, only as passing by, to say, 
 Memento mori." 
 
 This account I found to agree pretty well 
 with what I had before heard ; but, at the 
 same time, I found the redouble of it made 
 but just the same impression it had at 
 first made upon my heart. However, ha- 
 ving made it my observation, that a spirit 
 the least contradictory best carries a man 
 through Spain, I kept Father White com- 
 pany, and in humour, till we arrived at 
 Victoria; where he added one thing, by 
 way of appendix, in relation to the Carthu- 
 sians, that every person of the society i=> 
 obliged every day to go into their place of 
 burial, and take up as much earth a> he 
 can hold at a grasp with one hand, in order 
 to prepare his grave. 
 
 Next day we set out for Victoria. It is 
 a sweet, delicious, and pleasant town. It 
 received that name in memory of a con- 
 siderable victory there obtained over the
 
 432 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Moors. Leaving this place, I parted with 
 Father White ; he going where his affairs 
 led him, and I to make the best of my way 
 to Bilboa. 
 
 Entering into Biscay, soon after I left 
 Victoria, I was at a loss almost to imagine 
 what country I was got into. By my long 
 stay in Spain, I thought myself a tolerable 
 master of the tongue ; yet here I found my- 
 self at the utmost loss to understand land- 
 lord, landlady, or any of the family. I was 
 told by my muletier, that they pretend their 
 language, as they call it, has continued un- 
 corrupted from the very confusion of Ba- 
 bel ; though, if I might freely give my opi- 
 nion in the matter, I should rather take it 
 to be the very corruption of all that con- 
 fusion. Another rhodomontado they have, 
 (for in this they are perfect Spaniards,) that 
 neither Romans, Carthaginians, Vandals, 
 Goths, or Moors, ever totally subdued them. 
 And yet any man that has ever seen their 
 country, might cut this knot without a 
 hatchet, by saying truly, that neither Ro-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 433 
 
 man, Carthaginian, nor any victorious peo- 
 ple, thought it worth while to make a con. 
 quest of a country so mountainous ami BO 
 barren. 
 
 However, Bilboa must be allowed, though 
 not very large, to be a pretty, clean, ami 
 neat town. Here, as in Amsterdam, they 
 allow neither cart nor coach to enter ; but 
 every thing of merchandise is drawn and 
 carried upon sledges : and yet it is a place 
 of no small account as to trade, and ope- 
 cially for iron and wool. Here I hoped to 
 have met with an opportunity of embark- 
 ing for England ; but to my sorrow I found 
 myself disappointed, and under that di-up- 
 pointment obliged to make the best of my 
 way to Bayonne. 
 
 Setting out for which place, the first town 
 of note that I came to was Saint Sebastian. 
 A very clean town, and neatly paved ; whi^h 
 is no little rarity in Spain. It lias a \ 
 good wall about it, and a pretty citadel. 
 At this place 1 met with two Ensjish . 
 
 2 E
 
 434 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 cers, who were under the same state with 
 myself; one of them being a prisoner of 
 war with me at Denia. They were going 
 to Bayonne to embark for England as well 
 as myself; so we agreed to set out together 
 for Port Passage. The road from St Sebas- 
 tian is all over a well paved stone cause- 
 way ; almost at the end whereof, there ac- 
 costed us a great number of young lasses. 
 They were all prettily dressed, their long 
 hair flowing in a decent manner over their 
 shoulders, and here and there decorated 
 with ribbons of various colours, which wan- 
 tonly played on their backs with the wind. 
 The sight surprised my fellow-travellers no 
 less than me ; and the more, as they ad- 
 vanced directly up to us, and seized our 
 hands. But a little time undeceived us, 
 and we found what they came for ; and 
 that their contest, though not so robust 
 as our oars on the Thames, was much of the 
 same nature ; each contending who should 
 
 have us for their fare. For it is here a ens- 
 
 e
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 435 
 
 torn of time out of mind, that none but 
 young women should have the management 
 and profit of that ferry. And though the 
 ferry is over an arm of the sea, very broad, 
 and sometimes very rough, those fair fer- 
 riers manage themselves with that dexteri- 
 ty, that the passage is very little dafi*fer- 
 ous, and in calm weather very pleasant. 
 In short, we made choice of those that best 
 pleased us ; who, in a grateful return, led us 
 down to their boat under a sort of music, 
 which they, walking along, made with their 
 oars, and which we all thought far from be- 
 ing disagreeable. Thus were we transport- 
 ed over to Port Passage ; not undeserved- 
 ly accounted the best harbour in all the 
 Bay of Biscay. 
 
 We staid not long here after landing, re- 
 solving, if possible, to reach Fonterabia he- 
 fore night ; but all the expedition we could 
 use, little availed ; for before we could reach 
 thither, the gates were shut, and good na- 
 ture and humanity were so locked up with 
 them, that all the rhetoric we were masters
 
 436 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 of could not prevail upon the governor to 
 order their being opened ; for which rea- 
 son, we were obliged to take up our quar- 
 ters at the ferry house. 
 
 When we got up the next morning, we 
 found the waters so broad, as well as rough, 
 th^r>y,e began to enquire after another pas- 
 sage.^- and were answered, that at the Isle 
 of Conference, but a short league upwards, 
 the passage was much shorter, and exposed 
 to less danger. Such good reasons soon de- 
 termined us : so, setting out, we got there 
 in a very little time, and very soon after 
 were landed in France. Here we found a 
 house of very good entertainment ; a thing 
 we had long wanted, and much lamented 
 the want of. 
 
 We were hardly well seated in the house, 
 before we were made sensible, that it was 
 the custom, which had made it the business 
 of our host, to entertain all his guests at 
 first coming in, with a prolix account of 
 that remarkable interview between the two 
 Kings of France and Spain. I speak safe-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 437 
 
 ly now, as being got on French ground : ior 
 the Spaniard in his own country would lum- 
 made me to know, that putting Spain after 
 France had there been looked upon as a 
 mere solecism in speech. However, Imviim 
 refreshed ourselves, to shew our defm-nr.- 
 to our host's relation, we agreed to pay our 
 respects to that famous little isle he men- 
 tioned ; which, indeed, was the whole bur- 
 den of the design of our crafty landlord's 
 relation. 
 
 When we came there, we found it a lit- 
 tie oval island, overrun with weeds, and 
 surrounded with reeds and rushes. " 1 1< 
 said our landlord, (tor he went with us,) 
 " upon this little spot, were at that junc- 
 ture seen the two greatest monarchs in tin- 
 universe. A noble pavilion was erected in 
 the very middle of it, and in the middle of 
 that was placed a very large oval table : at 
 which was the conference, from which tin- 
 place received its title. There wnv two 
 bridges raised ; one on the Spanish >idr,
 
 438 MEMOIRS or 
 
 the passage to which was a little upon a 
 descent by reason of the hills adjacent ; and 
 the other upon the French side, which, as 
 you see, was all upon a level. The music 
 playing, and trumpets sounding, the two 
 kings, upon a signal agreed upon, set for- 
 ward at the same time; the Spanish mo- 
 narch handing the Infanta, his daughter, to 
 the place of interview. As soon as they 
 were entered the pavilion, on each side, all 
 the artillery fired, and both armies after 
 that made their several vollies. Then the 
 King of Spain advancing on his side the 
 table with the Infanta, the King of France 
 advanced at the same moment on the other ; 
 till meeting, he received the Infanta at the 
 hands of her lather, as his queen ; upon 
 which, both the artillery and small arms 
 fired as before. After this was a most splen- 
 did and sumptuous entertainment ; which 
 being over, both kings retired into their 
 several dominions ; the King of France con- 
 ducting his new Queen to Saint Jean de
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOJf. 
 
 Luz, where the marriage was consumma- 
 ted ; and the King of Spain returning to 
 Port Passage." 
 
 After a relation so very inconsistent with 
 the present state of the place, we took 
 horse, (for mule-mounting was now out of 
 fashion,) and rode to Saint Jean de Luz, 
 where we found as great a difference in our 
 eating and drinking, as we had before done 
 in our riding. Here they might be proper- 
 ly called houses of entertainment ; though, 
 generally speaking, till we came to this 
 place, we met with very mean fare, and 
 were poorly accommodated in the houses 
 where we lodged. 
 
 A person that travels this way. would be 
 esteemed a man of a narrow curiosity, who 
 should not desire to see the chamber where 
 Louis le Grand took his first night's lod- 
 ging with his Queen. Accordingly, when it 
 was put into my head, out of an ambition 
 to evince myself a person of taste, I asked 
 the question, and the favour was granted 
 me, with a great deal of French civility.
 
 440 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Not that I found any thing here, more than 
 in the Isle of Conference, but what tradi- 
 tion only had rendered remarkable. 
 
 Saint Jean de Luz is esteemed one of the 
 greatest village towns in all France. It was 
 in the great church of this place, that Louis 
 XIV., according to marriage articles, took 
 before the high altar the oath of renuncia- 
 tion to the crown of Spain, by which all 
 the issue of that marriage were debarred 
 inheritance, if oaths had been obligatory 
 with princes. The natives here are reckon- 
 ed expert seamen, especially in whale fish- 
 ing. Here is a fine bridge of wood ; in the 
 middle of which is a descent, by steps, in- 
 to a pretty little island ; where is a chapel, 
 and a palace belonging to the bishop of 
 Bayonne. Here the Queen Dowager of 
 Spain often walks to divert herself; and on 
 this bridge, and in the walks on the island, 
 I had the honour to see that princess more 
 than once. 
 
 This villa not being above four leagues 
 from Bayonne, we got there by dinner-time,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 44! 
 
 where, at an ordinary of twenty sous, we 
 
 eat and drank in plenty, and with a gusto 
 
 much better than in any part of Spain 
 
 rhere, for eating much worse, we paid very 
 
 much more. 
 
 Bayonne is a town strong by nature ; yet * 
 
 fortifications have been very much ne- 
 glected, since the building of the citadel 
 the other side the river ; which not on-' 
 ' com 'nands the town, but the harbour 
 It is a noble fabric, fair and strona 
 and raised on the side of a hill, wanting no-' 
 thzng that art could furnish to render it 
 impregnable. The Marshal Bouflers had 
 the care of it in its erection ; and there is 
 a fine walk near it, from which he used to 
 irvey the workmen, which still carries his 
 name. There are two noble bridges here 
 Chough both of wood, one over that river 
 winch runs on one side the town ; the other 
 er that which divides it in the middle, 
 tide runs through both with vast rapidi- 
 ty; notwithstanding which, ships of burden 
 up, and, paying for it, are often fast-
 
 442 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ened to the bridge, while loading or un- 
 loading. AVhile 1 was here, there came in 
 four or five English ships laden with corn ; 
 the first, as they told me, that had come in 
 to unlade there since the beginning of the 
 war. 
 
 On that side of the river where the new 
 ... 
 citadel is built, at a very little distance, lies 
 
 Pont d'Esprit, a place mostly inhabited 
 by Jews, who drive a great trade there, 
 and are esteemed very rich, though, as in 
 all other countries, mostly very roguish. 
 Here the Queen Dowager of Spain has 
 kept her court ever since the jealousy of 
 the present King reel used her from Ma- 
 drid. As aunt to his competitor Charles, 
 (now Emperor,) he apprehended her intri- 
 guing ; for which reason, giving her an op- 
 tion of retreat, that princess made choice 
 of this city, much to the advantage of the 
 place, and in all appearance much to her 
 own satisfaction. She is a lady not of the 
 lesser size ; and lives here in suitable splen-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOX. 443 
 
 dour, and not without the respect due to a 
 person of her high quality, every time she 
 toes to take the air, the cannon of the ci- 
 tadel saluting her as she passes over the 
 bridge ; and, to say truth, the country round 
 s extremely pleasant.and abounds in plenty 
 : all provisions, especially in w j| d fow , 
 Bayonne hams are, to a proverb, celebra- 
 ted all over France. 
 
 We waited here near five months before 
 expected transports arrived from Ena- 
 land, without any other amusements than 
 such as are common to people under sus- 
 pence. Short tours will not admit of great 
 varieties ; and much acquaintance could 
 : be any way suitable to people that had 
 long been in a strange country, and ear- 
 nestly desired to return to our own. Vet one 
 accident befel me here, that was nearer cost- 
 ing me my life, than all I had before en- 
 countered, either in battle or siege. 
 
 Going to my lodgings one evening, I - 
 p ortunately met with an officer, who would
 
 444 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 needs have me along with him, aboard one 
 of the English ships, to drink a bottle of 
 English beer. He had been often invited, 
 he said ; " and I am afraid our country- 
 man/' continued he, " will hold himself 
 slighted if I delay it longer/' English beer 
 was a great rarity, and the vessel lay not 
 at any great distance from my lodgings ; 
 so without any further persuasion I consent- 
 ed. When we came upon the bridge, to 
 which the ship we were to go aboard was 
 fastened, we found, as was customary, as 
 well as necessary, a plank laid over from 
 the ship, and a rope to hold by, for safe 
 passage. The night was very dark, and I 
 had cautiously enough taken care to pro- 
 vide a man with a lanthorn to prevent ca- 
 sualties. The man with the light went first, 
 and, out of his abundant complaisance, my 
 friend, the officer, would have me follow 
 the light ; but I was no sooner stept upon 
 the plank after my guide, but rope and 
 plank gave way, and guide and I tumbled 
 both together into the water.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 445 
 
 The tide was then running in pretty strong 
 however, m y feet in the fall touching ground, 
 gave me an opportunity to recover myself 
 a little ; at which time I catched fast hold 
 of a buoy, which was placed over an anchor 
 on one of the ships there riding : I held fast, 
 till the tide, rising stronger and stronger, 
 threw me off my feet, which gave an op- 
 portunity to the poor fellow, ourlanthorn- 
 bearer, to lay hold of one of my legs, by 
 which he held as fast as I by the buoy. 
 We had lain thus lovingly at hull together, 
 struggling with the encreasing tide, which, 
 well for us, did not break my hold, (for if 
 it had, the ships which lay breast-a- breast 
 had certainly sucked us under,) when se- 
 veral on the bridge, who saw us fall, brought 
 others with ropes and lights to our assist- 
 ance ; and especially my brother-officer, 
 who had been accessary as well as spec- 
 tator of our calamity ; though at last a very 
 small portion of our deliverance fell to his 
 share. 
 
 As soon as I could feel a rope, I quitted
 
 446 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 my hold of the buoy ; but my poor drag 
 at my heels would not on any account quit 
 his hold of my leg. And as it was next to 
 an impossibility, in that posture, to draw us 
 up the bridge to save both, if either of us, 
 we must still have perished, had not the 
 alarm brought off a boat or two to our suc- 
 cour, who took us in. 
 
 I was carried as fast as possible to a 
 neighbouring house hard by, where they 
 took immediate care to make a good fire ; 
 and where I had not been long before our 
 intended host, the master of the ship, came 
 in very much concerned, and blaming us 
 for not hailino; the vessel before we made an 
 
 o 
 
 attempt to enter. " For," says he, " the very 
 night before, my vessel was robbed ; and 
 that plank and rope were a trap designed 
 for the thieves, if they came again ; not 
 imagining that men in an honest way would 
 have come on board without asking ques- 
 tions/' Like the wise men of this world, I 
 hereupon began to form resolutions against 
 a thing, which was never again likely to
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 happen ; and to draw inferences of instruc- 
 tion from an accident, that had not so much 
 as a moral for its foundation. 
 
 One day after this, partly out of busi- 
 ness, and partly out of curiosity, I went to 
 see the mint here ; and having taken notice 
 to one of the officers, that there was a dif- 
 ference in the impress of their crown pieces, 
 one having at the bottom the impress of a 
 cow, and the other none : " Sir/' replied 
 that officer, " you are much in the right in 
 your observation. Those that have the cow, 
 were not coined here, but at Paw, the chief 
 city of Navarre, where they enjoy the privi- 
 lege of a mint as well as we. And tradi- 
 tion tells/' says he, " that the reason of that 
 addition to the impress was this : A certain 
 King of Navarre, (when it was a kingdom 
 distinct from that of France,) looking out 
 of a window of the palace, spied a cow, 
 with her calf standing aside her, attacked 
 by a lion, which had got loose out of his 
 menagerie. The lion strove to get the young
 
 448 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 calf into his paw ; the cow bravely defend- 
 ed her charge ; and so well, that the lion 
 at last, tired and weary, withdrew, and left 
 her mistress of the field of battle, and her 
 young one. Ever since which," concluded 
 the officer, " by order of that king, the cow 
 is placed at the bottom of the impress of 
 all the money there coined." 
 
 Whether or no my relator guessed at the 
 moral, or whether it was fact, I dare not 
 determine : but to me it seemed apparent, 
 that it was no otherways intended, than as 
 an emblematical fable to cover, and pre- 
 serve the memory of the deliverance of 
 Henry the Fourth, then the young King 
 of Navarre, at that eternally ignominious 
 slaughter, the massacre of Paris. Many 
 historians, their own as well as others, agree, 
 that the house of Guise had levelled the 
 malice of their design at that great prince. 
 They knew him to be the lawful heir; but 
 as they knew him bred what they called a 
 Huguenot, barbarity and injustice was easi-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOtf. 449 
 
 ly concealed under the cloak of religion, 
 and the good of mother-church, under the 
 veil of ambition, was held sufficient to post- 
 pone the laws of God and man. Some of 
 those historians have delivered it as matter 
 of fact, that the conspirators* in searching 
 after that young King, pressed into the very 
 apartments of the Queen his mother ; who 
 having, at the toll of the bell, and cries of 
 the murdered, taken the alarm, on hearing 
 them coming, placed herself in her chair, 
 and covered the young King her son with 
 her farthingale, till they were gone. By 
 which means she found an opportunity to 
 convey him to a place of more safety ; and 
 so preserved him from those bloody mur- 
 derers, and in them from the paw of the 
 lion. This was only a private reflection of 
 my own at that time ; but I think carries 
 so great a face of probability, that I can 
 see no present reason to reject it. And to 
 have sought after better information from 
 the officer of the mint, had been to sacri- 
 fice my discretion to my curiosity.
 
 450 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 While I staid at Bayonne, the Princess 
 Ursini came thither, attended by some of 
 the King of Spain's guards. She had been 
 to drink the waters of some famous spaw 
 in the neighbourhood, the name of which 
 has now slipt my memory. She was most 
 splendidly entertained by the Queen-dow- 
 ager of Spain ; and the Mareschal de Mon- 
 trevel no less signalized himself in his re- 
 ception of that great lady, who was at that 
 instant the greatest favourite in the Spa- 
 nish court ; though, as I have before rela- 
 ted, she was some time after basely under- 
 mined by a creature of her own advancing. 
 
 Bayonne is esteemed the third emporium 
 of trade in all France. It was once, and 
 remained long so, in the possession of the 
 English ; of which had history been silent, 
 the cathedral church had afforded evident 
 demonstration ; being in every respect of 
 the English model, and quite different to 
 any of their own way of building in France. 
 
 Pampelona is the capital city of the Spa- 
 nish isavarre, supposed to have been built
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 451 
 
 by Pompey. It is situated in a pleasant 
 valley, surrounded by lofty hills. This town, 
 whether famous or infamous, was the cause 
 of the first institution of the order of the 
 Jesuits : For at the siege of this place, Ig- 
 natius Loyola being only a private soldier, 
 received a shot in his thigh, which made 
 him incapable of following that profession 
 any longer ; upon which he set his brains 
 to work, being a subtle man, and invented 
 the order of the Jesuits, which has been so 
 troublesome to the world ever since. 
 
 At Saint Stephen, near Lerida, an action 
 happened between the English and Spa- 
 niards, in which Major General Cunning- 
 ham, bravely fighting at the head of his men, 
 lost his life, being extremely much lament- 
 ed. He was a gentleman of a great estate, 
 yet left it to serve his country ; duke est 
 pro patria mori. 
 
 About two leagues from Victoria, there 
 is a very pleasant hermitage placed upon 
 a small rising ground ; a murmuring rivulet
 
 452 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 running at the bottom, and a pretty neat 
 chapel standing near it, in which I saw 
 Saint Christopher in a gigantic shape, ha- 
 ving a Christo on his shoulders. The her- 
 mit was there at his devotion ; I asked him 
 (though I knew it before) the reason why he 
 was represented in so large a shape ? The 
 hermit answered with great civility, and 
 told me, he had his name from Christo Fe- 
 rendo ; for when our Saviour was young, he 
 had an inclination to pass a river, so Saint 
 Christopher took him on his shoulders in 
 order to carry him over, and as the water 
 grew deeper and deeper, so he grew higher 
 and higher. 
 
 At last we received news, that the Glou- 
 cester man-of-war, with two transports, was 
 arrived at Port Passage, in order for the 
 transporting of all the remaining prisoners 
 of war into England. Accordingly, they 
 marched next day, and there embarked. 
 But I having before agreed with a master 
 of a vessel, which was loaded with wine for
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 453 
 
 Amsterdam, to set me ashore at Dover, 
 staid behind, waiting for that ship, as did 
 that for a fair wind. 
 
 In three or four days time, a fine and 
 fair gale presented ; of which the master 
 taking due advantage, we sailed over the 
 bar into the bay of Biscay, This is with 
 sailors, to a proverb, reckoned the rough- 
 est of seas ; and yet on our entrance into 
 it, nothing appeared like it. It was smooth 
 as glass ; a lady's face might pass for young, 
 and in its bloom, that discovered no more 
 wrinkles : yet scarce had we sailed three 
 leagues, before a prodigious fish presented 
 itself to our view. As near as we could 
 guess, it might be twenty yards in length ; 
 and it lay sporting itself on the surface of 
 the sea, a great part appearing out of the 
 water. The sailors, one and all, as soon 
 as they saw it, declared it the certain fore- 
 runner of a storm. However, our ship kept 
 on its course, before a fine gale, till we had 
 near passed over half the bay ; when, all 
 on a sudden, there was such a hideous al-
 
 454 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 teration, as makes nature recoil on the very 
 reflection. Those seas that seemed before 
 to smile upon us, with the aspect of a friend, 
 now in a moment changed their flattering 
 countenance into that of an open enemy ; 
 and frowns, the certain indexes of wrath, 
 presented us with apparent danger, of which 
 little on this side death could be the sequel. 
 The angry waves cast themselves up into 
 mountains, and scourged the ship on every 
 side from poop to prow : Such shocks from 
 the contending wind and surges ! such 
 falls from precipices of water, to dismal 
 caverns of the same uncertain element ! 
 Although the latter seemed to receive us, 
 in order to screen us from the riot of the 
 former, imagination could offer no other 
 advantage than that of a winding-sheet, 
 presented and prepared for our approach- 
 ing fate. But why mention I imagination ? 
 In me it was wholly dormant. And yet 
 those sons of stormy weather, the sailors, 
 had theirs about them in full stretch ; for 
 seeing the wind and seas so very boister-
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 455 
 
 ous, they lashed the rudder of the ship, 
 resolved to let her drive, and steer herself, 
 since it was past their skill to steer her. 
 This was our way of sojourning most part 
 of that tedious night ; driven where the 
 winds and waves thought fit to drive us, 
 with all our sails quite lowered and flat 
 upon the deck. If Ovid, in the little Ar- 
 chipelagian sea, could whine out his jam 
 jamjacturus, c. in this more dismal scene, 
 and much more dangerous sea, (the pitch- 
 like darkness of the night adding to all our 
 sad variety of woes,) what words in verse 
 or prose could serve to paint our passions, 
 or our expectations ? Alas ! our only ex- 
 pectation was in the return of morning : it 
 came at last ; yet even slowly as it came, 
 when come, we thought it come too soon, 
 a new scene of sudden death being all the 
 
 o 
 
 advantage of its first appearance. Our ship 
 was driving full speed towards the break- 
 ers on the Cabritton shore, between Bour- 
 deaux and Bayonne ; which filled us with
 
 456 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ideas more terrible than all before, since 
 those were past, and these seemingly as 
 certain. Beside, to add to our distress, 
 the tide was driving in, and consequently 
 must drive us fast to visible destruction. 
 A state so evident, that one of our sailors, 
 whom great experience had rendered more 
 sensible of our present danger, was prepa- 
 ring to save one, by lashing himself to the 
 main mast, against the expec i d minute of 
 desolation. He was about that melancho- 
 ly work, in utter despair of any better for- 
 tune, when, as loud as ever he could bawl, 
 he cried out, " a point, a point of wind !" To 
 me, who had had too much of it, it appear- 
 ed like the sound of the last trump ; but 
 to the more intelligent crew, it had a dif- 
 ferent sound. With vigour and alacrity 
 they started from their prayers, or their des- 
 pair, and with all imaginable speed un- 
 lashed the rudder, and hoisted all their 
 sails. Never sure in nature did one mi- 
 nute produce a greater see le of contraries.
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 4V7 
 
 The more skilful sailors took courage at 
 this happy presage of deliverance. And 
 according to their expectation did it hap- 
 pen ; that heavenly point of wind deliver- 
 ed us from the jaws of those breakers, rea- 
 dy open to devour us ; and carrying us out 
 to the much more welcome wide sea, fur- 
 nished every one in the ship with thoughts 
 as distant as w- thought our danger. 
 
 We endeavoured to make Port Passage ; 
 but our ship became unruly, and would 
 not answer her helm ; for which reason we 
 were glad to go before the wind, and make 
 for the harbour of Saint Jean de Luz. This 
 we attained without any great difficulty ; 
 and to the satisfaction of all, sailors as well 
 as passengers, we there cast anchor, after 
 the most terrible storm, (as all the oldest 
 sailors agreed,) and as much danger as ever 
 people escaped. 
 
 Here I took notice, that the sailors buoy- 
 ed up their cables with hogsheads ; enqui- 
 ring into the reason of which, they told me, 
 that the rocks at the bottom of the har-
 
 458 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 hour were by experience found to be so 
 very sharp, that they would otherwise cut 
 their cables asunder. Our ship was obli- 
 ged to be drawn up into the dock to be 
 refitted ; during which, I lay in the town, 
 where nothing of moment or worth reciting 
 happened. 
 
 I beg pardon for my error ; the very 
 movements of princes must always be con- 
 siderable, and consequently worth recital. 
 While the ship lay in the dock, I was one 
 evening walking upon the bridge, with the 
 little island near it, (which I have before 
 spoke of,) and had a little Spanish dog 
 along with me, when at the further end I 
 spied a lady, and three or four gentlemen 
 in company. I kept on my pace of leisure, 
 and so did they ; but when I came nearer, 
 I found they as much out-numbered me in 
 the dog, as they did in the human kind ; 
 and 1 soon experienced to my sorrow, that 
 their dogs, by their fierceness and ill-hu- 
 mour, were dogs of quality ; having, with- 
 out warning, or the least declaration of war,
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 
 
 fallen upon my little dog, according to 
 pristine custom, without any honourable 
 regard to size, interest, or number. How- 
 ever, the good lady, who, by the privilege 
 of tier sex, must be allowed the most com- 
 petent judge of inequalities, out of an ex- 
 cess of condescension and goodness, came 
 running to the relief of oppressed poor 
 Tony ; and, in courtly language, rated her 
 own oppressive dogs for their great incivi- 
 lity to strangers. The dogs, in the middle 
 of their insulting wrath, obeyed the lady 
 with a vast deal of profound submission ; 
 which I could not much wonder at, when 
 I understood, that it was a Queen-dowager 
 of Spain who had chid them. 
 
 Our ship being now repaired, and made 
 fit to go out again to sea, we left the har- 
 bour of Saint Jean de Luz, and, with a 
 much better passage, as the last tempest 
 was still dancing in my imagination, in ten 
 days sail we reached Dover. Here I land- 
 ed on the last day of March 1713, having
 
 460 MEMOIRS Oif 
 
 not till then seen or touched English shore 
 from the beginning of May 1705. 
 
 I took coach directly for London, where, 
 when I arrived, I thought myself transport- 
 ed into a country more foreign than any I 
 had either fought or pilgrimaged in. Not 
 foreign, do I mean, in respect to others, so 
 much as to itself. I left it, seemingly, un- 
 der a perfect unanimity : the fatal distinc- 
 tions of Whig and Tory were then esteemed 
 merely nominal ; and of no more ill con- 
 sequence or danger, than a bee robbed of 
 its sting. The national concern went on 
 with vigour, and the prodigious success of 
 the Queen's arms, left every soul without 
 the least pretence to a murmur. But now 
 on my return, I found them on their old 
 establishment, perfect contraries, and as 
 unlikely to be brought to meet as direct 
 angles. Some arraigning, some extolling 
 of a peace ; in which time has shewn both 
 were wrong, and consequently neither could 
 be right in their notions of it, however an 
 over-prejudiced way of thinking might draw
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETOtt. 4(jil 
 
 them into one or the other. But Whig and 
 Tory are, in my mind, the completest pa- 
 radox in nature ; and yet like other para- 
 doxes, old as I am, I live in hope to see, 
 before I die, those seeming contraries per- 
 fectly reconciled, and reduced into one 
 happy certainty, the public good. 
 
 Whilst I staid at Madrid, I made seve- 
 ral visits to my old acquaintance General 
 Mahoni. I remember that he told me, when 
 the Earl of Peterborough and he held a con- 
 ference at Morvidro, his Lordship used ma- 
 ny arguments to induce him to leave the 
 Spanish service. Mahoni made several ex- 
 cuses, especially that none of his religion 
 was suffered to serve in the English army. 
 My Lord replied, that he would undertake 
 to get him excepted by an act of parlia- 
 ment. I have often heard him speak with 
 great respect of his Lordship ; and was 
 strangely surprised, that after so many glo- 
 rious successes he should be sent away. 
 
 He was likewise pleased to inform me, 
 that at the battle of Saragoza, it was his
 
 462 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 fortune to make some of our horse to give 
 way, and he pursued them lor a consider- 
 able time ; but at his return, he saw the 
 Spanish army in great confusion : but it 
 gave him the opportunity of attacking our 
 battery of guns, which he performed with 
 great slaughter, both of gunners and ma- 
 trosses : he at the same time enquired \\ho 
 it was that commanded there in chief. I 
 informed him it was Colonel Bourguard, 
 one that understood the economy of the 
 train exceeding well. As for that, he knew 
 nothing of; but that he would vouch, he 
 behaved himself with extraordinary cou- 
 rage, and defended the battery to the ut- 
 most extremity, receiving several wounds, 
 and deserved the post in which he acted. 
 A gentleman who was a prisoner at Gua- 
 laxara, informed me, that he saw King 
 Philip riding through that town, being on- 
 ly attended with one of his guards. 
 
 Saragoza, or Cassar Augusta, lies upon 
 the river Ebro, being the capital of Arra- 
 gon ; it is a very ancient city, and contains
 
 CAPTAIN CARLETON. 463 
 
 fourteen great churches, and twelve con- 
 vents. The church of the Lady of the Pil- 
 lar is frequented by Pilgrims, almost from 
 ah\ countries ; it was anciently a Roman 
 colony. 
 
 Tibi laus, tibi honor, tibi sit gloria, O gloriosa 
 Trinitas, quia tu dedisli mihi hanc oppor- 
 tunitatem, omnes has res gestas recordandi. 
 Nomen tuum sit benedictum, per scecula 
 scEculorum. Amen. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 Printed by James Ballantyne & Co,
 
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