order'd his Barge to be Mann'd and putting White Flag to be Hoisted and putting a Lieutanant in Her he Commanded him to meet the Tangerine and Complement him in Civil Terms The Lieutenant obey'd his Instructions and being Met he deliver'd by an Interpreter the Business of his Errand and after Mutual Civilities they parted Soon after a Gentleman from the Town came aboard with a Present to the Captain of Mutton Kid and other Provisions which he Returned in English Glasses Racking Bottles and other Toyes which were very acceptable to the Mahometans They then Treated about the Prize and she was Bought and Sold in half an Hour The City of Tangier makes a fair Prospect to the Sea It was Abandon'd to Alphonso K. of Portugal in the Year 1471 after his Successes at Arzila and has been ever since in their Possession till Katherine had it for part of her Dowry and it now being in the hands of the English the Moors thought it easier to be recover'd by being so far distant from it's Master and accordingly they sell to Work under the Conduct of that Tempestuous General Gaylan who after several Defeats which he Received and the loss of his own Brother at last Play'd the English so foul a Trick that in an Ambuscade which he made for the L. Tiveott the English General he cut to Pieces most of the Garrison and the General himself 'T is Built on a Rising Ground of White Stone and seems to be well Fortify'd The Hills on both Sides are Guarded with Walls and before it is a Peer Rebuilt by the Moors after it was Demolisht by the English You may remember this City was once in Possession of England being part of the Dowry of the Sister of Portugal who was Marryed to Charles the 2d then King of Great Britain but the continual Assaults of the Moors kept 'em always in Alarm and after a Thousand Skirmishes it was found too Great a Charge for that Remote Island to be every Year sending Succours to releive it and I am perswaded that it is Impossible for any European Nation to be long Master of it since the Provinces under the Emperor of Morocco are so much Improv'd in the Art of War by those Instructions they have receiv'd by the French who are at this Day in all their Camps I need not say what Advantage it wou'd be to him if our Monarch had it in his Hands for 't is a better Curb to the passage into the Mediteranean than any on the Spanish Shore but I Prophecy that whosoever undertakes to Besiege it will be Losers by more then their Cost and I doubt not but in time those Moors will Recover the rest of their Country out of the Hands of the Spaniards who are now Possest but of Ceuta and Two more small Towns of all the Coast which was once theirs And now I have mention'd Ceuta let me say something of that more than Trojan Siege which has already lasted Six Years and is like to Last as many more I know the World has Lookt upon this Siege with some Contempt both of the Besiegers and the Besieg'd because in so many Years time there is neither One way nor other any Period put to 't neither the Town Conquer'd by the Moors nor the Moors beaten from before the Town But let us see if there may be an excuse made for the slow Progress of the Moors or the weak Defence of the Spaniards In the first place the Camp of the Moors according to what the Musters amount in general never consists of more than 15000 Men and they a Medley of Divers Nations collected into that great Empire who till of late knew nothing of the Modern way of Besieging 'T is true the Engineers are mostly French and whatever little Success they have already had must be ascrib'd to them I don't know if it be worth your Hearing what the Current Opinion is concerning this Undertaking but I have heard that the General who has the Command of the Siege had formerly committed some Unpardonable Crime and it was given him in Choice either to enlarge the City of Macchaness the 2d Metropolis of the Empire to Redeem Ceuta out of the Hands of the Spaniards or in the 3d place to Forfeit his Head Tho' I believe this to be a Fable yet so much of it is True that if the General miscarries in his Design his Head will be in good earnest Forfeited to the Emperor 's implacable Resentment For he rarely Pardons any who fail of what they Undertake In the 2d place the Kingdom of Morocco is but very ill supply'd with Ammunition We all know they wou'd be Bartring with all the Courts in Europe for Arms and other Necessaries of War but 't is not the Interest of any Christian King to put into their Hands the Power of Injuring their Trade and making Insults on their Coasts So that they have little of Warlike Provision but what they get from the Dutch who will Traffick with any People for their own private Interests tho' all their Neighbours are to Suffer for their Avarice By this Indigency of Military Stores it follows that their Attempts in War must be less Vigorous Besides this the Garrison is strongly Fortify'd towards their Camp and it being open at Sea for Succours to be continually pour'd in their Opposition of the Garrison must consequently be great and their Sallies frequent and Numerous To add to all this Morocco is perpetually in War with the Re-publick of Algiers and being a little Prest in that they are less at leisure to regard this On the other Hand if it be Objected to Spain that they are too remiss now they have little else to do that they don't drive their Enemies from before their VValls and Dislodge such a Confusion of Vagabonds it may be answer'd That as they are but on the defensive they have no more to do but to prevent 'em from making any considerable Progress and tho' it wou'd be highly necessary for their Honour and Interest to Raise the Siege yet the Exchequer of Spain is always kept so low that they have hardly Mony to Pay their Souldiers and of course the Work must go on with little Resolution Besides they who are sent thither are for the most part such who are taken out of the Streets and sent into the Service and who must needs be a great while Training up and Disciplining before they can be made fit for a Sally The Governour is a Grandee of Spain and a Gentleman of Gallantry but wanting a Force of Men and Mony to answer the Necessities of so long a Siege he is able to do little His Lady is an English Woman Sister to the present Duke of Norfolk the first Peer of that Kingdom and when our Ship came before the Town the Captain went ashore and was entertain'd with a hearty welcome by her and her Lord. When the Entertainment was over the Governour took all the English Gentlemen and
the Court of Madrid sworn to their allegiance for when once that is done and the Duke upon the Throne taking upon him the Name of the Catholick King and the Administration of Publick Affairs and making himself esteem'd by his People by Acts of bounty and insinuating Declarations it will be a harder matter than we imagine to dispossess him of it There is not upon Earth a People more tenacious of what they have once resolv'd than the Spaniards are nor fonder in all the observations of their Duty to their Kings whether Dead or Alive And if they can be perswaded to think well of the present establishment I know their Nature to be such that they 'll stand by him to the loss of all that they are worth And since this Book is so far concern'd in the Description of that Country and People it will be expected that something shou'd be said of the present posture of affairs tho whatever can be said must be purely but matter of Opinion and a blind conjecture of what may or may not happen And here it falls into our way to inquire whether the greatest part of the Nobility and Populace of that Kingdom are pleas'd to have upon their Throne a Son of that Family that for many Ages has been in Arms against 'em always the rivals of their fame and the invaders of their Provinces One wou'd think it strange if they shou'd for several reasons First because of that invincible antipathy in their Natures Secondly because he comes upon a wrong Foundation he having renounc'd all right and title and his breach of that vow denoting him faithless and never to be trusted not to mention the affront put upon the memory of their great Minister De Haro by making such a jest of that solemn League Thirdly because in all their Histories they have no Example of a French King who was King of Spain it being the interest of their own State as well as that of their Neighbours to keep France on the outside of their Frontiers With many such reasons as might be produc'd But to Answer E Contrario we know that the Arch-Duke was pitcht upon for Successor some considerable time before the Kings Death and that the Succession of the Crown was so intirely invested in him that there was no manner of Provision made for the French Line Of this settlement the Court was well satisfy'd and there was no other interest made in Publick nor any Heir talk'd of but He who was already Nam'd Thus it continu'd a long time before the King dy'd and might have done so still but for a zealous hot-headed Church Man who by being so near the Kings Conscience had opportunities of Cajoling him which way he wou'd This Cardinal being by some means or other brought into the French faction whispers the King with the injury that wou'd be done to France if the succession was given away from her and that there was no right notwithstanding the treaty of Saint John de Luz but what was absolutely in the Children of that Marriage The Pious King more afraid of doing a thing that hazarded the Health of his Soul than consenting to a project that might undo all the Countries round him listen'd to the Cardinal and gave him hopes of succeeding While this was depending at Madrid measures were concerted elsewhere for the safety of the rest of Europe by preventing the Crown of Spain from falling into any one Monarchy whether that of Germany or France The Watchful Guardian of England was at the head of that project and the States of Holland being every way guided by so good a Pilot follow'd him into it Then having agreed upon terms according to the most reasonable way of securing the Peace of Europe they propos'd those terms to France and to the Emperor France doubtful of his success at Madrid consented to what was offer'd him and seeing no probability of getting all he was glad to be content with a part The Emperor on the contrary well assur'd of his right and not doubting but his Son wou'd be declar'd Successor refused to ingage in that partition which was the dismembring of an Empire one day actually to be his and in this assurance he stood out to the last But now comes the great turn the unexpected Catastrophe of the Spanish Policy The Cardinal Arch-Bishop engages for the French and being of great credit in the Court and with the Credulous King he forms a Confederacy to help him to turn the stream into that Channel and in the very moment of Death when the King was given up to contemplations of another Life and was willing to forget every thing that might bring back his mind to earth again this Spiritual tempter came in with a Will of his own making and told the King plainly that he wou'd not send him to Heaven till he had revok'd his first Will and Sign'd that The good King now upon the Verge of Life consents to any thing rather than not be absolv'd and so to release himself he has bound us all to more terrible circumstances than those he was to indure in Purgatory The Will was then sign'd for the Duke of Anjou and when he had done that the Cardinal told him he might die when he wou'd So he shut his eyes and departed Now I wou'd fain know what this Gigantick Will is that looks so big and Bullies the Empire of Germany out of her Right and Title Is there force enough in such a piece of Writing to put by the Heir from his possession Can the Arch-Bishop of Toledo make a King of Spain in defiance of Leagues and Inheritance by his Office he invests the King with the Regalia but what is that to the making of a King Or is the Crown of Spain so precarious that the King himself can give it away at his pleasure to the right or the wrong as he thinks fit I don't remember any History of a Successive Monarchy that can produce an Example like it Queen Elizabeth a little before her Death was very much prest to Name her Heir not that she cou'd make him an Heir that was not so already but because there were several pretenders that made their claims and this was an expedient to prevent animosities and parties among the People Accordingly the King of Scots was declar'd the immediate Successor who afterwards came in and all England were happy in him This was another matter Here was no invading the rights of others here was no bequest made of the Crown nor a Legacy that cou'd not be countenanc'd by Justice and the consent of all the Laws The King of Scotland was the invincible rightful Heir and there has not been a Sovereign on the Throne of England of a fairer Title and not many of so fair so that this Example gives this circumstance no advantage for tho' this Will had been considered made and sign'd in the time of the King's Health 't is beyond all controversy that it
both and made himself Absolute and his Government independent of 'em which else he never cou'd ha' done The parallel is good in t'other For when the two Ballancing Nations come as they oft have done to clash one with another What Enemies will be able to confine France Germany will not then be a Match for her the Emperor has no Naval Force to contend for the Sea The Northern Crowns have little to do with it Italy can do nothing 't will be more than she can do to save her self and in this perplexity what can be expected but absolute uncontroulable Dominion not to be confin'd And let not the distance of these Events make us negligent now they may be certain tho' they are remote and the Children of the next Generation may have reason to Curse us for suffering a Prince whom we had so much Reason to mistrust to get into his Hands and the Management of a Crown that ought never to be annext to that of France To what extremity was Europe reduc'd by Charles the 5th till Francis the first stopt him 'T was well there was a Prince then in being who had Strength and Courage to check his great Successes and to keep down his swelling Empire from such a prodigious impostumation Till then he had met with nothing that oppos'd him or he Conquer'd all that did And 't is past dispute that he wou'd ha' made himself universal Emperor if he had not been interrupted by this Rival King There he found his good Fortune to fail him there the God of War that had given him so many Victories held up the Standard of his Enemy against him and overthrew that Favourites he had so long espous'd so that from that time to his abdication of the Imperâ—ial Diadem he found every thing go backward with him and lest he shou'd live to see himself stript of all that he had got he withdrew from the World before the glory of his Arms was quite departed from him and in a humour left the Empire to his Son who lost it fast enough But if we turn to the comparison upon France the Event will not be the same for if France be so formidable of her self what will she be when the Sea Ports of the Bay of Biscay the Atlantick and the Mediterranean when the Mines of America and the richest Islands of the World shall be added to her Nor can the Emperor do much to hinder him The Turk is ready to divert him whenever France has a mind to put 'em by the Ears England and Holland may be engag'd in Emulations of their own and if these shall not be at leisure to oppose him where is that Power in Europe that can Face him in the Field much less upon the Ocean I hope this needs no proving every one can Prophesy the Misery of such a Reign if ever it comes to pass Nor can it be suppos'd that when a King of France is got to such a height of Power he will descend from it as Charles did for as long as the Posterity of this House will be in being and that may be to the end of the World for they are a numerous Issue ther 's too much Ambition in their Natures to give away their Lawrel while they are able to to keep it But perhaps this may never happen perhaps as we said before the D. of Anjou will prove more a Spaniard than a French Man Well be it so I wish it may But will not the King whether it be his Grand Father or his Father resent such a Defection Most certainly they will and if in his New Government he acts any thing in contrariety to the interest of that wherein he was Born How easy will it be to set up the Elder Brother against him especialy since Renunciations go for nothing and so take him down from that precarious Throne which he holds but by their Favour Or on the other hand suppose the D. becomes a good Spaniard The time may come when He or his Heirs may have a right to the Succession of France Can it then be thought that he who is in possession of so wealthy so vast an Empire will surrender it to another because the Will has so ordain'd it 'T is absurd to think it and he 'll be so far from quitting such a glorious So'vrainâ—ty that the Spaniards themselves will help him to recover his Right and be proud of the occasion of aggrandizing themselves by having the reputation of giving their Monarch another Empire This Article must be easyly granted for the D. has left a Declaration behind him to secure his turn in the Succession of France as one of his Ancestors did before him who was made King of Poland The Story is eminent in the French Chronicle which saies That when Henry the Third was elected King of Poland he left behind him a Specification of his Title and when the Crown devolved upon him he stole out of Poland and came to France to claim it which was allowed him and he was thereupon King of France Be how it will as near as we can guess at the uncertain dependances of futurity the result of this present Establishment must be unhappy one time or other And by how much the longer the D. of A. is in possession so much the greater will be either his Power or the Power of France according as he acts either for his own or the interest of the other What then is to be done There the wisest Politicians are at a loss Our cautious King fell upon the only Method to prevent the Calamities we are to dread And he had so far Establisht t that if he had to do with a Man of any Faith or Honour we had been secure by those Measures he had form'd But as the King of France has broke thro' all ties of Treaties and Leagues there is nothing hereafter to be trusted to his Word and that being forfeited we must of necessity be always in Arms to watch him I wou'd be far from advising the People of England to a War who are but lately come out of one which cost 'em so much But surely there is something to be consider'd for our own security if France be now intriguing for an Vnion of the two Crowns I must confess 't is more the Emperor's business than ours to call him to Account for he is positively affronted by having the Arch Duke Post pon'd of his Right but let it be his never so much 't is ours so far as to oppose the conjunction of F. and S. with all our Vigour that 's undeniable But besides that What can the Emperor do of himself His Country is so unhappily scituated that nothing can be like it For Spain is not only a great way from him but France interposes so directly between 'em that it is impossible to come at any part of Spain but thro F. And one wou'd think that as Nature has contriv'd the Pyrenees to keep
got ready what little force they had which consisted in all but of Ten Ships of War and Two Fire Ships With these they joyn'd us and a great many Complements we receiv'd from their Guns which our General Answer'd Of these Ten there were but Three or Four that were fit for Company the rest were such Hospitals that they were a scandal to the Navy And though they had been Five Years in fitting out these and boasted to the World what a power they would bring yet after Six days sail most of 'em were disabled and they could hardly crawl under their Crutches up to Barcelona However at their Return they fail'd not to give out that it was for fear of them that the French ran away and the ignorant People who have a high Conceit of their own power believ'd all that was said 'T is a ridiculous Story to tell how they were exalted with this Summers Expedition they verily thought the whole Navy of France was not able to Encounter their Ten Ships and though they came home Cripl'd and Maim'd because indeed they went out so yet nothing could undeceive 'em but that it was the bare appearance of their Ten Ships that set the Enemy a running and scour'd the Sea When we came up to Barcelona we found the Rode clear and no Marks of an Enemy but what they left with their Mortars We Anchor'd and it was some satisfaction to us to see that we were now in a part of Spain that cou'd acknowledge the benefit they receiv'd by us and that we were welcom'd a-shore as the Friends and Protectors of Catalonia There being nothing to be done here we stay'd a-while to water and divert our selves and then prepar'd for our Return and by the way we put in at Alicant to see what devastation the French had made and perhaps every one but I was mortify'd at the sight Malaga fared not much better but because I intend not this as a Journal I shall make haste to Cales which was appointed for our Winter Quarters and say nothing of Barcelona and the other places we touch'd at till next Voyage After some time of Abode and Conversation the English and Spanish grew more familiar Our General and the Governor had interviews of Ceremony and every thing tended to a good Understanding Our Ships were laid up and every man began to be idle In this Interval of Ease when all the world was at quiet and War set aside till the Return of the Spring pleasure was all the study of the Fleet Every Captain had now his House and his Mistress a-shore every Seaman Surfeited with good Wine and fresh Provision and his short Allowance-money bought him a Spanish Whore and a Clap Above all our Noble General liv'd in great Royalty at his House which a Don bestow'd on him for his use and diversion as long as he stay'd He kept a plentiful Table and began already to amaze the thrifty Spaniards with that Excess and Profusion which every day appear'd on the board But when the Fourth of November was drawing near which is the Birth-day of the King of England there was such an Entertainment talkt of as hardly was outdone by any of the Gluttonous Emperors who are Chronicled for their Luxury I shall presume so much on your inclination as to be a little particular in this description for it made so great a noise all over the World that you must needs hear on 't but perhaps not know any thing of it but as you had it in gross On this great Holiday the General intended to Entertain all the English Dutch and Spanish Officers with a Dinner and a Bowl of Punch to Celebrate the Birth of his Master and to keep up that Amity that was between themselves It was already rumour'd as an extraordinary thing and believing there might be something in 't worth my Curiosity I crowded in to see it and I can assure you I was so strict an observer of all that past that nothing escap'd me nor shall I relate any thing but what I really saw with my own Eyes The Feast was in every respect beyond what I cou'd imagine and if I had not been a Witness to every singular transaction you might perhaps doubt the truth of what I am going to tell you There were Four Tables spread in all At the First sate the General the Spanish General and Vice-Admiral The Dutch Admirals and Two or Three men of Quality besides At another Table in the same Room sate all the English Merchants of the Neighbouring Towns At the Third which was without were all the chief English Officers to the number of a Hundred or thereabouts and in the adjoyning Room the inferior Officers I never beheld greater plenty at any Feast I had seen at Paris nor sent in better order There was such variety of every thing that was in season that one might have said the Lakes had been drain'd of their Fish the Air had been stript of its Fowls and the Fields of their Cattel That the Vines had been unloaded for Wine and all the Gardens in the Province plunder'd for Fruit The vainest Epicure cou'd hardly ha' nam'd that thing that was wanting and in short I never saw a more beautiful Confusion Every Element had some share in 't and I can say nothing greater of it than that it was a Banquet fit for the generous Giver and the august Occasion it Commemorated When Dinner was over the General rose and all the Company after him and the Scene was remov'd to the Garden When they came there they found the Punch ready I don't know whether Brunet is acquainted with this sort of Liquor but he may guess when he has heard what the Ingredients are what an unpalatable Drink it must be That which they call'd the Bowl was a large Fountain in the centre of the Garden shaded with Lemmon Trees and looking into the Four principal Walks that terminated at the end of the Garden Now you 'll say this seems a little Romantick but I do assure you I shall write nothing but what was literally true at least as well as I can remember There were in this Fountain-Bowl first of all a Dozen English Barrels of Water amounting to 432 Gallons Of Brandy there was 188 Gallons Of Sugar 400 weight of Lemmons which the Garden it self afforded about Six Thousand A Pound of Nutmegs and there was order'd a 100 weight of Biskets but there was none put in Thus this Giant-bowl was compounded and they who were Criticks in this Sort of Liquor said they never drunk better in their Lives for the General had taken great Care to have it well made and for that end had nam'd three Captains whom he stil'd the Commissioners of the Punch to see it duly prepar'd The Fountain was brim full and for the Merriment of the Frolick there was a small Boat built on purpose to float about this Lake of Sulphur with Oars and a Boy to Row and to Skink
they were well Mann'd Within the City I observ'd no regular Militia only a Muster of a few ragged Rogues which don't deserve the Name of a Regiment for neither Government nor Discipline appears among 'em yet these Rascals are so Insolent that a Stranger wou'd be in danger of his Life if he shou'd refuse to give the most beggarly among 'em the Wall and the Salute They have three Gates which are open'd and shut every Morning and Evening each of 'em guarded with the Officers of the Customs and I think they make little use of 'em but to that purpose nor that neither effectually for nothing here is more common than to run Goods ashore and carry Mony out either by Stratagem or the Connivance of the Officers At the Sounding of the Oraison Bell these Gates are all shut and the Keys carry'd to the Governor and upon no Terms to be deliver'd out again unless on very important Necessities The first and principal is called Puerta de la Sevilla because the Boats which Trade between Sevil and this City lie before it the Second is called Puerta de la Mar because here the Captains and Masters of Ships generally come a Shore and the third Puerta de la Tierra because it is the Key which opens to the Island But since I have mention'd the Oration give me leave to acquaint you That the custom of the Evening Prayer is here perform'd with wonderful Devotion not but that I know 't is in all Catholick Countries observ'd less or more but here it is done with so much severity that not one Person be who he will who is at that time in the Streets tho' the weather be never so dirty but falls down on his Knees in the very place where he stood and in that Posture gives up his Thanksgivings for the Mercies of the Day And surely there is in this custom an exceeding show of Piety not to be met with among our pretended reformers those zealots who have elop'd from the Church and now set up for Christians more Spiritualiz'd than we It was no small pleasure to me My Dear Brunet to see those obstinate Hereticks obey this custom of falling down on their Knees at the call of a Catholick Signal and bemire their lac'd Coats to conform with a Religion they so much rail against but 't was their Fear of being knockt on the Head and not their Devotion which made 'em comply and they were so much in the right on 't as to save their Bones tho' they ventur'd at what they themselves call Idolatry as indeed they impiously call most of our Devotions Soon as this is over the City is on all Sides shut in and 't is then impossible to get out and this is the only Face of a Garrison which I cou'd see among ' em 'T is almost incredible the Opulence and Traffick of this City there 's scarce a Nation upon Earth that has not sent some of its Natives to Trade here and among these there 's such Diversity and Confusion of Habits and Languages that at high Change which is always at Eleven in the Morning the Scene looks like an Opera and the Eye is filled with Show and Figure But 't is a strange Thing to consider that among such Crowds of all Countries there is hardly one Spaniard to be seen these are so Lazy or so Proud that they give ' emselves no manner of Exercise for they had rather Starve than Work If they had not the best Country in the World their Condition wou'd be very Miserable and as it is they can but barely Live for notwithstanding their Ostentation there 's the Curse of Poverty in all their Families At the time of Exchange one may see some of all the Kingdoms of the Earth negotiating their private Affairs which are mostly levelled against the Interest of Spain so that when I consider'd this strange Medley I cou'd not chuse but commend what I had once in Holland seen of a Picture which show'd the King of Spain lolling on a Table cover'd with Pieces of Eight with the King of England and the States of Holland on each Hand raking from under his Arms the shining Metal the Genoeses behind his Chair making Grimaces at him and the King of France snatching it before his Face whether he wou'd or no And indeed 't is literally true for all Nations prey upon him and either by Wile or Force get most of his Treasure out of his Country How shou'd it else be For there 's not another Kingdom in Europe has any Mines of its own and tho' the French and English have a small Trade with Guinea and bring sometimes Dust from thence yet that is so small a Parcel of the Riches of both Countries that it must be confest the Body of their Treasure must come from hence and so be disperst thro' all Parts of the World to the utter Subversion of the Spanish Power And were it not for their Possessions which they still hold in America they wou'd inevitably fall before every Prince that cou'd draw an Army against 'em and be reduc'd to Nothing But to return to Cadiz The Goverment of the City is in the Hands first of the Government and next to him of the Alcalde the first is for the Regulation of the Military as the latter of the Civil Affairs and between these Two are frequent Disputes about Prerogatives which are generally determin'd in Favour of the Governour who has a Power such as it is to awe and intimidate the Civil Magistrate who in so deprav'd a Reign may complain of the Usurpation of his Rival to no Purpose in the World At our first Arrival Don Pedro de Velasco was Governour who was afterwards presented to the Viceroyate of Catalonia a Man suppos'd to be in the Interests of France and supported by the Authority of his Father who is Constable of Castile and one of the prime Ministers of State The Conduct of this Governour was highly Censur'd when Admiral Tourvile lay before this Place for as it is reported there was a private Correspondence between 'em and the Governor openly regal'd him with several great Presents to Bribe him from any Hostilities and to gain the good Will of the French Merchants who were not wanting to reward him Here is an excellent Market for Fish and Fruit but as for Meat I have seen more on one Butchers Stall in London than in all the Shambles here All manner of tame and wild Fowl are scarce tho' I have sometimes seen of both Sorts exceeding good but in no plentiful manner for these are Forestall'd before they come to Market and they who can't go to the Price of 'em must Feast on Herbs or eat their Fish as their Daily Food and thank God for Blessing 'em with the Neighbourhood of the Sea Their Pork indeed is the best in the World but their Mutton Beef and Veal the worst for whatever becomes of all their Cattel there is little
very well Executed where the Churches claim does not interfere with it they have many Courts of Judicature and the method of Prosecuting Business is easier than any where else for often a Trial is call'd and determin'd before the parties know any thing of the matter I take the Rule to be thus The Merits of both sides are got ready and enter'd into some inferior Office deputed by the Chief where Officers wait for such purposes and there being all that can be said by both Parties made out plainly and what ever they can bring material by their Witnesses or any other Testimony summ'd up in order The depositions are packt up in two Bags among a Thousand more and so sent to Toledo Sevil or some other Court where they are carefully examin'd and afterwards dispatch'd to their respective Countries without sending for or seeing the Parties or Witnesses In every House in Spain is the King's Picture almost in equal veneration with the Virgin 's and our Saviour's tho' certainly he makes the worst Picture that ever I saw His Face is Fair Long Lean sunk in the Cheeks sharp Chin turning towards his Nose his Nose Romaniz'd great Ears and his Hair most frightfully tuck'd behind 'em His Eyes are good his Body small and his Legs every where alike I inquir'd of his Disposition and it was Answer'd That he is infirm and apt to be disorder'd That he is of an exceeding sweetness of Nature fond of his People Mild and a great Lover of Jesting No correct Politician nor very studious of Politicks chusing rather to rule by the indulgence of Nature than the Maxims of Art His Diversions are Comedies and Bull baitings his Exercises the great Horse and the Prayer Book and his Dress the plainest in the Court He Loves the Queen fondly and She him nor do the prejudices of their different Countries ever divide 'em tho' sometimes the Factions of both sides are Clamorous But the greatest unhappiness is the want of an Heir which tho' every Day Pray'd for comes to nothing This is an unspeakable Misfortune and Ages yet to come may feel the Consequences of it Spain is crowded with as great number of Men of Quality as any Kingdom of Europe excepting Poland and with a Clergy of the best indowments in the World And tho' the ordinary standing force of the Kingdom is not so great as that of France yet without question the King can raise incredible numbers when he is heartily put to it And because I wou'd not say any thing without a Reason I believe it may be easy to prove that this King can produce as numerous Armies as the King of France if he wou'd pursue the same Course For First Spain abounds with a great many idle fellows who had rather Starve than Work and being all fond of wearing Swords they wou'd gladly take the Title of Souldiers if the King gave 'em incouragement In the next Place They are so well affected to their King that if his Affairs requir'd their Lives they wou'd stick at nothing to serve him and so fond of their own Liberties that if there were danger of losing them no constraint of Estates or Families cou'd keep 'em from their Arms Again His Provinces tho' not so well peopled as those of France are infinitely more and larger and if as the Grand Seignior does he were to Levy so many Men out of every Village by the proportion of Estates the amount wou'd be prodigious but as he never had occasion to make so great a Muster so to ease his People he sits at as little charge as he can his frontiers being Man'd with few Regiments and the inner parts of his Empire requiring none To this purpose was the answer of a Courtier to a Stranger who seem'd to wonder at so small a Guard as the King kept about him for when the Stranger demanded If that were all his Guard The Answer was Are not we all his Defenders What need is there of more But the principal Augmentation of the Spanish Force will arise from the assistance of the nobless and the vast numbers they can bring of their Vassals and Dependants And as this August Body Subsists entirely on the Crown by tenures of one kind or other so it is at the pleasure of the Crown to command 'em to service when any urgency presses it and their territories and revenues being so spatious it is thought the least Muster they can produce wou'd be a Hundred Thousand Add to this That the Clergy too being for the most part feud a tory to the Crown and bound though not personally to assist in the defence of the Realm their produce must be very considerable But as to the Noble Men their Services are the more certain because their Honours descend not de jure from Father to Son unless confirm'd to the Son by the King's Acknowledgment and Compellation which makes them more observant of him than in France or England where it is demanded as a Birth-Right and because out of the gross Body of these Noble Men the King honours some with the Title of Grandees privileged to stand covered before him which being the highest pitch of Grandeur the State can give it keeps those great Ones in readiness to Obey his Pleasure in hopes of being sometime call'd to it Here it must be confest that the People of France are more Military and that the King of France has a better Exchequer and consequently his Armies are fuller but consider The King of Spain of late makes no Conquests abroad and therefore is not necessitated to be always in Arms and if his Exchequer be low it is because he seldom Taxes but slides on in Tranquility with his ordinary Intrado and as well as he can bears up without oppressing his People but if an unavoidable necessity threatens him and he be forced to Arm as many as he can 't is beyond Controversy That he can fill a Campaign to as great an extent as France and saying That I have comprehended any Kingdom in Europe It may be subjoyn'd here that his Country is naturally Strong defended on one side by the Pyrenes his shore every where guarded with good Forts and the other side secur'd with difficult Approaches good Garrisons and the Warlike Nation of the Catalauns So that upon the whole his charge is very easy which is a happiness to himself and his Subjects Of the Language of Spain 't is a comely Sonorous Majestick kind of speaking 't is generally the same all over the Kingdom except in Biscay where they still use their own Barbarous Original but every where else 't is the same only distinguisht in some remote Provinces by idioms particular to every place tho' in Catalonia and the contiguous Towns it is Corrupted into a sort of Languedock It has a very near affinity with the Latin the Roman Conquerors having here more than any where else left their Language behind ' em 'T is not very hard to be learn'd
being arriv'd at Final some English and Dutch Transports were sent to take 'em in and when they joyn'd the Fleet the Galleys were order'd out of the Mole to attend us and to carry ashore such who were to disembark At this time there was an Order for some of the great Ships to be sent back to Cales and there to Joyn others who were cast for England and together to make the best of their way home The remaining part of the Fleet Steer'd for Palamos and being come before it the Army landed and joyned the Spaniards who were about 18000 Horse and Foot The Germans being 7000 and the English 4000 when they were together they made up a Considerable Body The French were about the same Number and hearing that the Enemy intended to Besiege Palamos they marcht their Army within Sight of the Town and of the Confederates Both Armies now being in view of one another seem'd to Watch each other for the Rising Blow but neither caring to Fight the Town was invested and the Siege begun I need not acquaint you with the general Story of the Siege without question you have Read it in the Prints but I can't forbear telling what a hideous sight this Spanish Army was They had about 4000 Horse which was their only Serviceable Body for the Foot was the most Miserable rout of Vagabonds that ever took the Field They had neither Cloaths Arms nor Provision the English out of Compassion supply'd 'em with what they wanted but they made no use of any thing but the Food Among such a Number there were not 1000 Tents in all but the greatest part of 'em lay on the parcht Earth without any Covering but the Heavens However with the Germans and the English the Siege was carry'd on and in 5 days even in sight of their own Army the French quitted the Garrison and dismantled all the Works There being nothing more to do the English embarkt again with the loss of half a Score Killed and about 40 Wounded tho' they Sustain'd the Fire of the Garrison and were the principal cause of it's desertion when we returned to Barcelona we heard the Camp was broke up not without a Battle which the French forc't upon the Spaniards in which as the Spaniards themselves report they had the better and you may be sure there was nothing wanting to Celebrate the pretended Victory with the greatest Ostentation It was a Deplorable Spectacle afterwards to see those Naked Wretches come home without Cloaths or Arms and almost Famisht with Hunger And tho' it may be suppos'd the Infantry had but a small Share in the Fight yet they spar'd not to give out that they alone had defeated the French and overthrown all the Glory of France down to the Ground The Prince of Hesse at his entring Barcelona had all the Honours that were due to his Character and great Services and afterwards for a Reward of his Signal Performances was possest of the Vice-Royalty of that Kingdom But the Catalauns who are an uneasy People grew Emulous of his Power and were busy to Prejudice him in the Favour of the Court and to mis-represent him which they did at last with such Success that he had much ado to preserve his Government but that he had a Party at Court and the Queens Inclination to support him and even with all his address he had much ado to keep himself upright against the frequent Complaints of the Catalonians and the Kings Indulgence to ' em The Fleet now Steer'd for the Straits Mouth and when they were opposite to Algier the Dutch Squadron which was alwaies to Wind-ward saw two Ships of that Republick which stood into the Fleet to pay their Complement to the English General his Country being at Peace with the Re-publick but the Dutch at War After they remain'd one Day and Night among us they Saluted and were dismist The Dutch Admiral seeing an opportunity of two such considerable Prizes made the Signal for two of his Men of War to give 'em Chase who with some difficulty came up with 'em and brought 'em to their Fleet. The English General was highly exasperated at his breach of Discipline and Hospitality he knew that as the Dutch were absolutely under his Command that this was an insolence he could not Pardon and that the Admiral might know he resented such an Affront he sent an Officer to order him to release 'em but the Obstinate Churl refus'd returning in answer that they were the Enemies of his Country and that he wou'd keep ' em The General having more Consideration than to use any means of Violence became his humble petitioner and in the Language of Humility besought him that as they had put ' emselves into his Protection and came but with a design to pay their friendship to the King of England that he wou'd suffer 'em to pass unmolested and that he wou'd answer it to the States his Masters So after much Intreaty they were discharg'd Almost such another Punctilio of Honour was disputed between the French Envoy at Algier and the Captain of an English-man of War who was sent there to renew the Peace between England and that Re-publick for when the Man of War arriv'd which was a Ship of 70 Guns the Envoy told the Dey she was but a Frigot and that all the Ships of England were no better The Captain hearing how the Dey had been abus'd waited on him and told him the Envoy had imposed upon him and for his satisfaction begg'd that he would do him the Honour of his presence Aboard her The Dey consented and after a splendid Entertainment the Captain took him to view her all over and the Dey in his own Person counted all her Guns one by one and found 'em as the Captain had told 'em 70. When he saw the Deceit he was enrag'd at the Envoy and at his Return sent for him in the presence of the Captain and being come the Dey with his open Hand hit him over the Face spit at him which are the highest Marks of Infamy in these Countries and turn'd him out of Doors I had at first some Suspition of the Truth of this Story but when I heard that it was carry'd to France and that our King Resented and threatned to Revenge it it was no longer to be doubted I was extreamly mortify'd at this pitiful shift of our Envoy's and am heartily sorry his Zeal made him so indiscreet Our Master has no need of such impostures and if he had punisht his Minister instead of menacing the Dey his Justice had been more commendable Our Passage down was now a delight we kept near the Shore and had the Pleasure of beholding the Country all the way we Sail'd From a wonderful distance we perceiv'd the Hills of Granada alwaies cover'd with Snow tho' they lay in the Hottest Region of Europe In Murcia is the City of Cartagena first Built by Asdruball of Carthage as a receptacle for Men and