ingdom of _Valencia_, had taken care to
secure. _Molviedro_, though not very strong, is a wall'd Town, very
populous of it self; and had in it, besides a Garrison of eight hundred
Men, most of _Mahoni_'s Dragoons. It lies at the very Bottom of a high
Hill; on the upper Part whereof they shew the Ruins of the once famous
SAGUNTUM; famous sure to Eternity, if Letters shall last so long, for an
inviolable Fidelity to a negligent Confederate, against an implacable
Enemy. Here yet appear the visible _Vestigia_ of awful Antiquity, in
half standing Arches, and the yet unlevell'd Walls and Towers of that
once celebrated City. I could not but look upon all these with the Eyes
of Despight, in regard to their Enemy _Hannibal_; with those of Disdain,
in respect to the uncommon and unaccountable Supineness of its
Confederates, the _Romans_; but with those of Veneration, as to the
Memory of a glorious People, who rather than stand reproach'd with a
Breach of Faith, or the Brand of Cowardice, chose to sacrifice
themselves, their Wives, Children, and all that was dear to them, in the
Flames of their expiring City.

In _Molviedro_, as I said before, _Mahoni_ commanded, with eight
hundred Men, besides Inhabitants; which, together with our having but
little Artillery, induc'd the Officers under the Earl of _Peterborow_
reasonably enough to imagine and declare, that there could be no visible
Appearance of surmounting such Difficulties. The Earl, nevertheless,
instead of indulging such Despondencies, gave them Hope, that what
Strength serv'd not to accomplish, Art might possibly obtain. To that
Purpose he proposed an Interview between himself and _Mahoni_; and
accordingly sent an Officer with a Trumpet to intimate his Desire. The
Motion was agreed to; and the Earl having previously station'd his
Troops to advantage, and his little Artillery at a convenient Distance,
with Orders they should appear on a slow March on the Side of a rising
Hill, during the time of Conference, went to the Place appointed; only,
as had been stipulated, attended with a small Party of Horse. When they
were met, the Earl first offer'd all he could to engage _Mahoni_ to the
Interest of King _Charles_; proposing some Things extravagant enough (as
_Mahoni_ himself some time after told me) to stagger the Faith of a
Catholick; but all to little Purpose: _Mahoni_ was inflexible, which
oblig'd the Earl to new Measures.

Whereupon the Earl frankly told him, that he could n