1710. jurats, as well in the kingdom of Arragon, as in Valencia and Catalonia, who are chofen by the people. During the public rejoicings, the populace fell upon the houses of king Philip's magiftrates in a very riotous manner, and committed great outrages, as they did alfo upon all the perfons of distinction, that were reputed to be better affected to the house of Bourbon than to that of Auftria. Nor would this tumult have been fo foon appeafed, if parties of foldiers had not been fent to difperfe them. A defcription of Sa ragoza. M. S. In this large city we found very confiderable ftores of all forts of provifion, ammunition, and entire cloathings of regiments. The fituation of Saragoza is extremely pleasant, being feated on the river Ebro, in a very plentiful country, abounding with every thing neceffary for the fupport and convenience of life. The ftreets are broad and long, adorned on both fides with ftately palaces, belonging to the grandees of the kingdom of Arragon. This city was the delight of Julius Cæfar, who erected here a very magnificent palace for himself (inhabited now by the archbishop) and built a large ftone bridge over the Ebro, opposite to the middle of the town, with a great number of arches, which is now as firm and strong as if it was a modern ftructure. To perpetuate the memory of his benefactions to this city, he called it after his own name, Cæfaris Augufta. Here the army refreshed themselves, after their fatigues, a whole week, which time was employed by king Charles, in fettling the civil government of this kingdom upon the old eftablishment, and not in diverfions. The generals were daily confulting among themselves what was proper to be done to improve their late fuccefs, in order to put an end to the war, and fix king Charles on the throne of Spain. A great council of war was held, in which it was refolved to march to Madrid. General Stanhope did not think fit to lay before this council a project of his own (which he had communicated only to one or two friends, particularly to general Wade) because the march towards Madrid was, for fome days, in the way to the place he intended to propofe. On the 16th of Auguft, we broke up our camp at Saragoza, and were feven days before we reached Calataynd, where we halted three days. At this place a council of war was held, in which general Stanhope opened his project, namely, That, fince there was no bodies of the enemy able to oppofe our march to Madrid, a ftrong detachment fhould be fent to Pampeluna (which was not not very far from Calataynd) the only pafs by which the French could fend any forces into Spain: that all we had to fear was from the French reinforcements; and, if that pass was well fecured, they could not penetrate into Spain but by Gironne, on the other fide of the kingdom: that, if our forces once took poft at Pampeluna, they could not be diflodged by all the troops the French king could fend to the affiftance of his grandfon: that there we might have fresh troops fent us from England and Holland, and not only troops, but all manner of neceffaries, it being a much fhorter voyage to the bay of Bifcay, than to any port in the Mediterranean: that, if they could prevent any fuccours from joining the enemy the latter end of this year, fuch measures might be taken in the winter, as would fecure the quiet poffeffion of the kingdom. These, with many other reasons, were urged by general Stanhope, and heard with furprize. He anfwered, in a very plain and fatisfactory manner, all the objections that were made against his proposal, but his answers did not content all the members of the council, who perhaps had their private views (y). However, marfhal Staremberg approved of this well-concerted project; but, as his fingle approbation was not fufficient to bring over the reft, it was refolved the whole army fhould march to Madrid, which gave general Stanhope a very great concern, and very juftly; for, had his project been put in execution, it would very probably have foon brought the war to a happy conclufion, and prevented the shocking turn of affairs, which happened in less than three months (z). On the firft of September we got to Seguença, a city of Caftile. Here another council of war was held, and it was again refolved to continue our march towards Madrid. On the 9th, the army arrived at Alcala; and, the next day, general Stanhope went with a thousand horse to Madrid, followed by all the troops. King Charles came thither the 17th, but made no ftay. He found none of the grandees (y) of which views the plunder of Caftile is faid to be none of the leaft. (z) Contrary to this account of our author, who was on the fpot, a letter from the Condé d'Affumar, the Portuguese ambaffador in Spain, is quoted by Bowyer and others, afferting, T 4 there; 1710. 1710. there; and it appeared, that the Caftilians were firmly united to king Philip, and refolved to adhere to him at all hazards. A detachment was fent to take and fortify Toledo; and about that city, and the neighbouring country, the army continued in feveral incampments till the latter end of October, when they began to march into cantons. The king of France now fhewed he was refolved to maintain his grandfon, fince, if it had ever been his intention, it was now very eafy to oblige him to evacuate Spain. But he had no fuch defign, but the contrary, as appeared by his proceedings. For after the battle of Saragoza, which had caused a great confternation in the court of France, it was refolved in a council at Verfailles, that the duke of Vendofme fhould immediately fet out for Navarre, and put himfelf at the head of the remains of the Spanish troops, which were to be reinforced with detachments from feveral parts of France. King Philip, after the battle, got off with small body to Madrid. But he foon left it, and retired, with all the tribunals following him, to Valladolid, and fent his queen and fon to Victoria. Some of his troops got off in fmall bodies, and thefe were in a little time brought together to the number of ten thoufand men; the troops, they had on the frontier of Portugal, were brought to join them, with which they foon made up the face of an army. The duke of Vendofine, in the beginning of September, arrived at Bayonne, and orders being given for the garrifons of Pampeluna, Jaca, and other towns in Nivarri, to march and join the Spanish army, he and the duke de Noailles purfued their journey to Spain. When they came to Valladolid, where king Philip kept his court, it was refolved in a council of war, that the duke de Noailles should return to Paris, and from thence proceed with the utmost diligence to Roufillon, in order to act offenfively in Catalonia; and that, as foon as the Spanish army was recruited, the duke of Vendofine fhould repair thither. a very In the mean time, though the French were preparing to fupport king Philip's broken affairs, no care was taken by the allies to fupply or fupport king Charles. We were fa engaged in our party-matters at home, that we feemed to take no thought of things abroad, and without us nothing could be done. The court of Vienna was fo apprehensive of the danger of a war, like to break out between the grand feignior and the czar, that they would not diminish their army in Hungary. But to return to the army in Spain. On On the 5th of November a council was held, in which it was refolved, that Toledo fhould be abandoned, and king Charles fhould move towards Saragoza, and the army follow in a few days. Accordingly, on the 22d, the generals of the feveral nations began to march separately at the head of their respective troops, and all were ordered into cantons in the neighbourhood of Cifuentes, where marshal Staremberg, with the Germans, was to canton. Colonel du Bourgay, with his regiment, was detached two days before to guard the train, and march to the fame place. Count Attalaya came, on the 25th, to Afignan, with all the Portuguese going to his cantons. Brigadier Lepel marched out by order, with his own and Richards's regiment, to Gargules, within a few miles of Cifuentes, where, on the 27th, Staremberg, who was then getting into that town with the Germans, fent him word by his aid de camp, major Nugent, to make all poffible hafte to join him, left he should be furprized by the active French partisan Vaillejo, who was at the head of a thousand horse (a). Lepel, with the two regiments, got into Cifuentes, in the clofe of the evening, without being attacked. The brigadier (in company with our author) waited presently after upon Staremberg, whom he had not feen, fince the beginning of September, having been upon a separate command. In above an hour's converfation, the marshal told the brigadier, he hoped he thought him very kind to receive him that night into his head-quarters among his Germans, for that he should have marched on to Brihuega, the canton of the English, where he had received a letter, general Stanhope was arrived with his troops; but he hoped colonel du Bourgay would come up that night with the train, and the three regiments might march together the next day to Brihuega without any great rifque. And fo brigadier Lepel took his leave. The generals Stanhope, Carpenter, Wills, Pepper, and The English Gore, with the English forces, marched along the Tajuna, furprized at Brihuega. and, on the 26th of November, came to their canton at M. S. Brihuega, a town of about a thoufand houfes, fituated on the fide of a hill near that river. The next day a body of the enemy appeared about three, on the hills above the (a) Our author fays here, I am obliged to relate more minute particulars than I should do, in order to do justice to a great man (general Stanhope) who has town, ן 1710. town, to the great furprize of the English, who had seen no troops in their march from Chincon to Brihuega, except fome fmall ftraggling parties of horfe. Nor had they any intelligence of an army being affembled, though all poffible care had been used, and great rewards promised to get early notice of it; fo well affected were the Caftilians to their king Philip. The duke of Vendofme, having joined the Spanish army with fresh fuccours, had marched three days and three nights with incredible expedition; and the foot, which appeared on the hills over Brihuega, were brought thither behind the troopers; but the whole army and train did not come up till late that night. This army confifted of thirty-two battalions (which had been reduced from forty-five to that number) and eight thousand horse, with thirty-two pieces of cannon, fome whereof were twentyfour pounders. That very night Vendosme sent a summons to general Stanhope, which was answered as ufual in fuch cafes. Stanhope dispatched captain Cosby, his aid de camp, to Staremberg, to inform him of his unexpected and unhappy fituation, which, it was faid, might have been prevented, if an advanced guard had been kept on the high grounds; for they might have given notice of the enemy's approach time enough for our troops to retire to Cifuentes. This, it is afwhich unfured, was the advice of one of our generals fortunately was not followed. In the night, the enemy marched fome of their foot, and took poffeffion of the bridge over the Tajuna. Suppofed to be Car penter. The next day about noon many regiments, with their colours flying, came and furrounded the town within cannon shot. We had no artillery, and fo little ammunition (which was referved for the attack) that we could not molest them. Their whole army joined, and made four different attacks at once, which were foon turned into breaches in the ruinous wall. Our troops were difpofed in excellent order for a vigorous defence, every attack being defended by a general officer. The enemies opened one of the gates with their cannon, made a large breach, and gave a general affault, but were repulfed. At last about eight hundred men got into the town and into houses, from whence they made a terrible fire, which we could not answer, our ammunition being quite spent; fo that, about fun-fet, it was thought advifeable to beat a parley, and those brave troops, that had behaved fo gallantly all the campaign, were forced to furrender prisoners of war, and to march out the next day to wards |