Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton by Daniel Defoe

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Some few Months after this, and about eight Months from the former
Siege, Count _D'Alfelt_ caus'd _Denia_ to be again invested; and being
then sensible of all the Mistakes he had before committed, he now went
about his Business with more Regularity and Discretion. The first Thing
he set upon, and 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 caus'd his Batteries to be erected on the West
side of the Town, from which he ply'd 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 bravely defended it in the former
Seige, fortunately for him had been remov'd; 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 ply'd with incessant Fire, both from Cannon and Mortars.
But what most of all plagu'd 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 Man, dedar'd against
hearkening to any Proposals of Surrender, the Governor excepted; who
having selected more Treasure than he could properly, or justly call his
own, was the only Person that seem'd forward for such a Motion. He had
more than once thrown out Expressions of such a Nature, but without any
effect. Nevertheless, having at last secretly obtained a peculiar
Capitulation for himself, Bag, and Baggage; the Garrison was sacrific'd
to his private Interest, and basely given up Prisoners of War. By these
Means indeed he saved his Money, but lost his Reputation; and soon
after, Life it self. 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 Council of War, which must have issued as
the just Reward of his Demerits.

The Garrison being thus unaccountably delivered up and made Prisoners,
were dispersed different ways: Some into _Castile_, others as far as
_Oviedo_, in the Kingdom of _Leon_. For my own part, having received a
Contusion in my Breast; I was under a necessity of being left behind
with the Enemy, till I should be in a Condition to be remov'd, and when
that time came, I found my self agreeably ordered to _Valencia_.

As Prisoner of War I must now bid adieu to the active Part of the
military Life; and hereafter concern my self with Descriptions 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 pacifick
MEMOIRS.

So soon as I arriv'd 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
prevail on me to think it long before he returned a favourable Answer,
in an Order to Monsieur _Zoulicafre_, a Banker, to pay me on Sight fifty
Pistoles. But in the same Letter he gave me to understand, that those
fifty Pistoles were a Present to me from General (afterward Earl)
_Stanhope_; and so indeed I found it, when I return'd 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 compell'd to own, that Heroick Actions 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 conferr'd and well
tim'd; and with such an Allowance as I constantly had by the order of
King _Philip_, as Prisoner of War, _viz._ eighteen Ounces of Mutton _per
diem_ for my self, and nine for my Man, with Bread and Wine in
proportion, and especially in such a Situation; all this I say was
sufficient to invite a Man to be easy, and almost forget his want of
Liberty, and much more so to me if it be consider'd, that, that want of
Liberty consisted only in being debarr'd 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 say'd: He
endeavour'd it many ways: He sent them word of the Mine, and their
readiness to spring it; he over and over sent them Offers of Leave to
come, and take a view of it, and inspect it: Notwithstanding all which,
tho' 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 intimidate 'em to a
Surrender, all the Bags being fill'd with Sand instead of Gun-powder.

The very Day on which the Besiegers design'd to spring the Mine, they
gave Notice of it; and the People of the Neighbourhood ran up in Crowds
to an opposite Hill in order to see it: Nevertheless, altho' those in
the Castle saw all this, they still remain'd so infatuated, as to
imagine it all done only to affright 'em. 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 Recital hereof made me think
within my self, _who can resist his Fate_?

That Engineer added further, that it was with an incredible Difficulty,
that he prepar'd that Mine; that there were in the Concavity thirteen
hundred Barrels of Powder; notwithstanding which, it made no great Noise
without, whatever it might do inwardly; that only taking away what might
be not improperly term'd an Excrescence in the Rock, the Heave on the
Blast had render'd the Castle rather stronger on that Side than it was
before, a Crevice or Crack which had often occasioned Apprehensions
being thereby wholly clos'd and firm.

Some further Particulars I soon after had from Colonel _Syburg's_
Gentleman; who seeing me at the Play-house, challenged me, tho' at that
Time unkown to me. He told me, that the Night preceeding the unfortunate
Catastrophe of his Master, he was waiting on him in the Casemet, where
he observed, sometime before the rest of the Company took notice of it,
that General _Richards_ appeared very pensive and thoughtful, that the
whole Night long he was pester'd with, and could not get rid of a great
Flie, which was perpetually buzzing about his Ears and Head, to the
vexation and disturbance of the rest of the Company, as well as the
General himself; that in the Morning, when they went upon the Battery,
under which the Mine was, the General made many offers of going off; but
Colonel _Syburg_, who 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 propos'd by Colonel _Syburg_ to have the other two Bottles to the
Queen's Health, after which he promised they would all go off together.

Upon this my Relator, _Syburg's_ Gentleman, said, he was sent to fetch
the stipulated two Bottles; returning with which, Captain _Daniel
Weaver_, within thirty or forty Yards of the Battery, ran by him,
vowing, he was resolv'd 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 Company; while Major _Harding_ now a
Justice in _Westminster_ coming that very Moment off Duty, exchang'd
Fates.

If Predestination, in the Eyes of many, is an unaccountable Doctrine,
what better Account can the wisest give of this Fatality? Or to what
else shall we impute the Issue of this whole Transaction? That Men shall
be solicited to their Safety; suffered to survey the Danger they were
threatened with; among many other Tokens of its approaching Certainty,
see such a Concourse of People crowding to be Spectators of their
impending Catastrophe; and after all this, so infatuated to stay on the
fatal Spot the fetching up of the other two Bottles; whatever it may to
such as never think, to such as plead an use of Reason, it must
administer Matter worthy of the sedatest Consideration.

Being now pretty well recover'd of my Wounds, I was by Order of the
Governor of _Valencia_, removed to _Sainte Clemente de la Mancha_, a
Town somewhat more Inland, and consequently esteem'd more secure than a
Semi-Seaport. Here I remain'd under a sort of Pilgrimage upwards of
three Years. To me as a Stranger divested of Acquaintance or Friend (for
at that instant I was sole Prisoner there) at first it appear'd such,
tho' in a very small compass of Time, I luckily found it made quite
otherwise by an agreeable Conversation.

_SAINTE Clemente de la Mancha_, is rendered famous by the renown'd _Don
Michael Cerviantes_, who in his facetious but satyrical Romance, has
fix'd it the Seat and Birth Place of his Hero _Don Quixot_.

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 Instances. Among many others, an
Expression that fell from _Don Felix Pacheco_, 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 us'd often to converse
together with a Freedom too dangerous to be common in a Country so
enslav'd 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 answer'd, Jesus Christ.

"It is very true," says he, "Jesus Christ 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 Lubbards 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 naturally led us into a Discourse
of the Knight of _la Mancha, Don Quixot_. 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, "tho' 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," continu'd he,
"before the Appearance in the World of that Labour of _Cerviantes_, it
was next to an Impossibility for a Man to walk the Streets with any
Delight, or without Danger. There were seen so many Cavaliero's prancing
and curvetting before the Windows of their Mistresses, that a Stranger
would have imagin'd the whole Nation to have been nothing less than a
Race of Knight Errants. But after 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 Quixot_, and found himself the Jest of
High and Low. And I verily believe," added he, "that to this, and this
only we owe that dampness and poverty of Spirit, which has run thro' all
our Councils for a Century past, so little agreeable to those nobler
Actions of our famous Ancestors."

After many of these lesser sorts of Confidences, _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 _Francisan_ Nunnery. Here I
remain'd somewhat upwards 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 Evening at their _Vespers_, with Delight enough to my self, and
without the least Indecency in the World in my Thoughts of them. Their
own Divine Employ too much employ'd 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 Pageantries, than any Native.

One of these Nuns was of the first Quality, which render'd the Ceremony
more remarkably 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 attir'd in her most sumptuous Apparel, and a Coronet plac'd on
her Head, they attended her, in Cavalcade, to the Nunnery, the Streets
and Windows being crowded, and fill'd with Spectators of all sorts.

So soon as she enter'd the Chapel belonging to the Nunnery, she kneel'd
down, and with an appearance of much Devotion, saluted the Ground; then
rising up, she advanced a Step or two farther, when on her Knees she
repeated the Salutes: This done she approached to the Altar, where she
remained till Mass was over: After which, a Sermon was preach'd 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 Oraisons, rising again, she
withdrew into an inner Room, where stripping off all her rich Attire,
she put on her Nun's Weeds: In which making her Appearance, she, again
kneeling, offer'd up some private Devotions; which being over, she was
led to the Door of the Nunnery, where the Lady and the rest of the Nuns
stood ready to receive her with open Arms. Thus enter'd, the Nuns
conducted her into the Quire, where after they had entertained her with
Singing, and playing upon the Organ, the Ceremony concluded, and every
one departed to their proper Habitations.

The very same Day of the Year ensuing the Relations and Friends of the
fair Novitiate meet again in the Chapel of the Nunnery, where the Lady
Abbess brings her out, and delivers her to them. Then again is there a
Sermon preach'd on the same Subject 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 Instruction directs her. If she, after this her
Year of Probation, show any Dislike, she is at Liberty to come again
into the World: But if aw'd by Fear (as too often is the Case) or won by
Expectation, or present real Inclination, she makes choice of the Nun's
Weeds, she is immediately invested, and must never expect to appear
again in the World out of the Walls of the Nunnery. The young Lady I
thus saw invested was very beautiful, and sang the best of any in the
Nunnery.

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 Reflection. 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 indecent Behaviour, that might give occasion for Satyr or
Disesteem. It is true, there may be Accidents, that may lead to a
Misinterpretation, of which I remember a very untoward Instance in
_Alicant_.

When the _English_ Forces first laid Siege to that Town, the Priests,
who were apprehensive of it, having been long since made sensible of the
profound Regard to Chastity and Modesty of us Hereticks, by the
ignominious 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 Heretick Invaders might have no
Jealousy of it, the fair _Curtezans_ of the Town were admitted to supply
their Room. The Officers, both of Land and Sea, as was by the Friars
pre-imagin'd, on taking the Town and Castle, immediately repair'd to the
Grates of the Nunnery, toss'd over their Handkercheifs, Nosegays, 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 Comany of 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 wou'd
have imagin'd the Price of these Ladies as well known as that of Flesh
in their common Markets. Others, as well as my self, have often
endeavour'd to disabuse those Glorioso's, but all to little purpose,
till more sensible Tokens convinced them, that the Nuns, of whose
Favours they so much boasted, could hardly be perfect Virgins, tho' in a
Cloyster. And I am apt to think, those who would palm upon the World
like vicious Relations of Nuns and Nunneries, do it on much like
Grounds. Not that there are wanting Instances of Nunneries
disfranchis'd, and even demolish'd, upon very flagrant Accounts; but I
confine myself to _Spain_.

In this Town of _la Mancha_ the _Corrigidore_ always has his Presidence,
having sixteen others under his Jurisdiction, of which _Almanza_ is one.
They are changed every three Years, and their Offices are the Purchase
of an excessive Price; which occasions the poor People's being
extravagantly fleeced, 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 Battle of _Almanar_ and _Saragosa_;
and giving the Victory to that Side, which they espous'd (that of King
_Philip_) they made very great Rejoycings. 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 present Disadvantage: For Convents and Nunneries, 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 Friendship.

Soon after an Accident fell out, which had like to have been of an
unhappy Consequence to me. I was standing in Company, upon the Parade,
when a most surprizing flock of Eagles flew over our Heads, where they
hover'd for a considerable time. The Novelty struck them all with
Admiration, as well as my self. But I, less accustomed to like
Spectacles, innocent saying, that in my Opinion, it could not bode any
good to King _Philip_, because the Eagle compos'd the Arms of
_Austria_; some busie Body, in hearing, went and inform'd the
_Corrigidore_ of it. Those most magisterial Wretches embrace all
Occasions of squeezing Money; and more especially from Strangers.
However finding his Expectations disappointed in me, and that I too well
knew the length of his Foot, to let my Money run freely; he sent me next
Day to _Alercon_; but the Governor of that Place having had before
Intelligence, that the _English_ Army was advancing that way, refus'd to
receive me, so I return'd as I went; only the Gentlemen of the Place, as
they had condol'd the first, congratulated the last; for that
_Corrigidore_ 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 attain'd the Acquaintance of most of the Clergy, and Religious
of the Place; so particularly I had my aim in obtaining that of the
Provincial of the _Carmelites_. His Convent, tho' small, was exceeding
neat; but what to me was much more agreeable, There were very large
Gardens belonging to it, which often furnished me with Sallading and
Fruit, and much oftner with Walks of Refreshment, the most satisfactory
Amusement in this warm Climate. This Acquaintance with the Provincial
was by a little Incident soon advanced into a Friendship; which was
thus: I was one Day walking, as I us'd 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, _Ecce, Virgo peperit filium_: but the other had no
Inscription at all; upon which, I took out my Pencil, and wrote
underneath, this Line:

_Sponsa Dei, patrisque parens, & filia filii_.

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 order'd them to be writ over in Letters of Gold, and
plac'd just as I had put 'em; saying, doubtless, such a fine Line you'd
proceed from nothing less than Inspiration. This secur'd me ever after
his and their Esteem; the least advantage of which, was a full Liberty
of their Garden for all manner of Fruit, Sallading, or whatever I
pleased: And as I said before, the Gardens were too fine not to render
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 Invention not unuseful.
There is a Well in the 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 little Channels conveys it,
as the Gardiner directs, into every part of the Garden. By this Means
their Flowers and their Sallading are continually refresh'd, 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 Rattle
Snake. Nature have appointed no such happy Tokens 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, I being a Stranger, may be
allowed to make a guess by Circumstances.

I was walking by my self, when a Person, wholly unknown to me, giving me
the civil Salute of the Day, endeavour'd to draw me into Conversation.
After Questions had passed on general Heads, the fellow ensnaringly
asked me, how it came to pass, that I show'd so little Respect to the
Image of the crucify'd Jesus, as I pass'd 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 Reply: But proceeding in his
Interrogatories, question'd me next, whether I believ'd 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 offer any Thing that might convince
me of the Truth, or Probability of it. Truth? He reply'd in a Heat:
There never yet was Man so Holy as to enter Heaven without first passing
through Purgatory. In my Opinion, said I, there will be no Difficulty in
convincing a reasonable Man to the contrary. What mean you by that,
cry'd 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, reply'd my Querist. What think you of the Thief upon the Cross,
said I? to whom our dying Saviour said, _Hodie eris mecum in Paradiso_.
At which being silenced tho' not convicted, he turned from me in a
violent Rage, and left me to my self.

What increas'd 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, assur'd me that he had been forc'd
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," continu'd he, "it is a commendable and good Thing to
have him represented in the high Ways: For, suppose," said he, "a Man
was going upon some base or profligate Design, the very Sight of a
cruficied Saviour may happen to subvert his Resolution, and deter him
from committing Theft, Murder, or any other of the deadly Sins." And
thus ended that Conference.

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