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
gratify their Curiosity with the Wonders of the Place; yet is there, on
every such Occasion, a superior Concourse of Natives ready to see over
again, out of meer Bigotry and Superstition, what they have seen,
perhaps, a hundred times before. I could not avoid taking notice,
however, that the Priest treated 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 seem'd 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 unadorn'd with
more than decent Decorations, suitable to such a Society, I hasten to
the other.
When we enter'd 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 it self. 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, more than
tantamount to Religion, has assur'd them, and they relate it as
undoubted Matter of Fact, that her present Colour, if I may so call it,
proceeded from her Concealment, in the Time of the _Moors_, between
those two Rocks on which the Chapel is founded; and that her long lying
in that dismal Place chang'd her once lovely White into its present
opposite. Would not a Heretick here be apt to say, That it was greaty
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 allow'd, even by a good Catholick, 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 likewise allow'd to be a
distinguishing Piece of Civility to Strangers) when we approach the
black Lady (who, I should have told you, bears a Child in her Arms; but
whether maternally Black, or of the _Mulatto_ Kind, I protest I did not
mind) the Priest, in great Civility, offers you her Arm to salute; at
which Juncture, I, like a true blue Protestant, mistaking my Word of
Command, 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
her self) soon convinc'd me of my Error; However, as a greater Token of
his Civility, having admitted no _Spaniards_ along with my Companions
and me, is pass'd off the better; and his after Civilities manifested,
that he was willing to reform my Ignorance 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 readily, nay eagerly
comply'd; and having hung them on her Arm for the Space of about half,
or somewhat short of a whole Minute, he return'd me the holy Baubles
with a great deal of Address and most evident Satisfaction. The Reader
will be apt to admire at this curious Piece of Superstition 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
convinc'd us of the Necessity of this most Catholick 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 refus'd Christian
Burial, under a superstitious Imagination, that the Corps of a Heretick
will infect every thing near it.
Two instances of this kind fell within my Knowledge; one before I came
to _Montserat_, the other after. The first was of one _Slunt_, who had
been _Bombardier_ at _Monjouick_; but being kill'd while we lay at
_Campilio_, a Priest, whom I advis'd with upon the Matter, told me, that
if he should 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 lay'd 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 Mancha_, there dy'd; and, as I was
inform'd, tho' he was privately, and by Night, bury'd 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 Repository of the great Offerings made to the Lady. Here,
though I thought in the Chapel it self I had seen the Riches of the
Universe, I found a prodigious Quantity of more costly Presents, the
superstitious Tribute of most of the Roman-Catholick Princes in
_Europe_. Among a Multitude of others, they show'd 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 Heretick, I
could much easier find a Reason for a fair Lady's presenting 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 upon it, _Pulchra tamen nigra_,
it was plain such was his Opinion. That Prince was so delighted with the
Pleasure's of this sweet Place, that he, as well as I, stay'd as long as
ever he could; though neither of us so long as either could have wish'd.
But there was another Offering from a King of _Portugal_, equally
glorious and costly; but much better adapted; and therefore in its
Propriety easier to be accounted for. That was a Glory for the Head of
her Ladiship, every Ray of which was set with Diamonds, large at the
Bottom, and gradually lessening to the very Extremity of every Ray.
Each Ray might be about half a Yard Long; and I imagin'd in the Whole
there might be about one Hundred of them. In short, if ever her Ladiship
did the Offerer the Honour to put it on, I will though a Heretick,
venture to aver, she did not at that present time look like a humane
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
compleat Treasury of miraculous Art.
If you ascend from the lowest Cell to the very Summit, the last of all
the thirteen, you will perceive a continual Contention between Pleasure
and Devotion; and at last, perhaps, find your self at a Loss to decide
which deserves the Preheminence: 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, 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 Heretick; but that Awe and Devotion, which I found in my
Attendant from Cell to Cell grew languid, and lost in meer empty Bigotry
and foggy Superstition, when I came below. In short, there was not a
great Difference in their Heights, than in the Sentiments they inspir'd
me with.
Before I leave this Emblem of the beatific 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 thirteen Hermits,
if Health permit, descend to their _Canobium_, 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 innocent Delight (the Space allow'd for
the Entertainment of Strangers), I took my Leave of this pacifick
Hermitage, to pursue the more boisterous Duties of my Calling. The Life
of a Soldier is in every Respect the full _Antithesis_ to that of a
Hermit; and I know not, whether it might not be a Sense of that, which
inspir'd me with very great Reluctancy at parting. I confess, while on
the Spot, I over and over bandy'd in my Mind the Reasons which might
prevail upon _Charles_ the Fifth to relinquish his Crown; and the
Arguments on his Side never fail'd of Energy, I could persuade my self
that this, or some like happy Retreat, was the Reward of abdicated
Empire.
Full of these Contemplations (for they lasted there) I arriv'd at
_Barcelona_; where I found a Vessel ready to sail, on which I embarked
for _Denia_, in pursuance of my Orders. Sailing to the Mouth of the
_Mediterranean_, no Place along the _Christian_ Shore affords a Prospect
equally delightful with the Castle of _Denia_. It was never designed for
a Place of great Strength, being built, and first design'd, as a Seat of
Pleasure to the Great Duke of _Lerma_. In that Family it many Years
remain'd; tho', within less than a Century, that with two other
Dukedoms, have devolv'd 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_, declar'd 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 arriv'd at _Denia_, I found a _Spaniard_ Governor of the Town,
whose Name has slipt my Memory; tho' his Behaviour merited everlasting
Annals. Major _Percival_, an _Englishman_, commanded in the Castle, and
on my coming there, I understood, it had been agreed between 'em, that
in case of a Siege, which they apprehended, the Town should be defended
wholly by _Spaniards_, and the Castle by the _English_.
I had scarce been there three Weeks before those Expectations were
answered. The Place was invested by Count _D'Alfelt_, and Major General
_Mahoni_; two Days after which, they open'd Trenches on the East Side of
the Town. I was necessitated upon their so doing, 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 rais'd
upon the Castle (from all which we fir'd 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) behav'd 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, Engineer, Gunner, and Bombardier all in one; For
no Man could exceed him, either in Conduct or Courage; nor were the
_Spaniards_ under him less valiant or vigilant; for in case the Place
was taken, expecting but indifferent Quarter, they fought with Bravery,
and defended the Place to Admiration.
The Enemy had answer'd our Fire with all the Ardour imaginable; and
having made a Breach, that, as we thought was practicable, a Storm was
expected every Hour. Preparing against which to the great Joy of all the
Inhabitants, and the Surprize 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 a modern Phrase) I was resolved
to improve my Time, and make the best Provision I could against any
future Attack. To that purpose I made several new Fortifications,
together with proper Casemets for our Powder, all which render'd the
Place much stronger, tho' Time too soon show'd me that Strength it self
must yield to Fortune.
Surveying those works, and my Workmen, I was one Day standing on the
great Battery, when casting my Eye toward the _Barbary_ Coast, I
observ'd an odd sort of greenish Cloud making to the _Spanish_ Shoar.
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'd the Land; and tho' 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 Locusts, as exceeded the
thickest storm of Hail or Snow that I ever saw. All around me was
immediately cover'd with those crauling Creatures; and they yet
continu'd to fall so thick, that with the swing of my Cane I knock'd
down thousands. It is scarce imaginable the Havock I made in a very
little space of time; much less conceivable is the horrid Desolation
which attended the Visitation of those _Animalcula_. 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 seem'd buried in her own Ruins; and the
vegetable World to be Supporters only to her Monument. I never saw the
hardest Winter, in those Parts, attended with any equal Desolation.
When, glutton like, they had devoured all that should have sustained
them, and the more valuable Part of God's Creation (whether weary with
gorging, or over thirsty with devouring, I leave to Philosophers) they
made to Ponds, Brooks, and standing Pools, there revenging their own
Rape upon Nature, upon their own vile Carkasses. In every of these you
might see them lie in Heaps like little Hills; drown'd indeed, but
attended with Stenches so noisome, that it gave the distracted
Neighbourhood 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 _Mediterranean_. The Priests therefore repair'd 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 there abouts, the Stench was over, and
every Thing but verdant Nature in its pristin Order.
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_.