Days.

Upon the taking of Fort _Monjouick_, the Mareschal _de Thess_ gave
immediate Orders for Batteries to be rais'd against the Town. Those
Orders were put in Execution with all Expedition; and at the same time
his Army fortify'd themselves with such Entrenchments, as would have
ruin'd the Earl's former little Army to have rais'd, or his present much
lesser Army to have attempted the forcing them. However, they
sufficiently demonstrated their Apprehensions of that watchful General,
who lay hovering over their Heads upon the Mountains. Their main Effort
was to make a Breach between Port St. _Antonio_ and that Breach which
our Forces had made the Year before; to effect which they took care to
ply them very diligently both from Cannon and Mortars; and in some few
Days their Application was answer'd with a practicable Breach for a
Storm. Which however was prudently deferr'd for some time, and that
thro' fear of the Earl's falling on the Back of them whenever they
should attempt it; which, consequently, they were sensible might put
them into some dangerous Disorder.

And now it was that the Earl of _Peterborow_ resolv'd to put in practice
the Resolution he had some time before concerted within himself. About
nine or ten Days before the Raising of the Siege, he had receiv'd an
Express from Brigadier _Stanhope_ (who was aboard Sir _John Leake's_
Fleet appointed for the Relief of the Place, with the Reinforcements
from _England_) acquainting the Earl, that he had us'd all possible
Endeavours to prevail on the Admiral to make the best of his way to
_Barcelona_. But that the Admiral, however, persisted in a positive
Resolution not to attempt the _French_ Fleet before that Place under the
Count _de Thoulouse_, till the Ships were join'd him which were expected
from _Ireland_, under the Command of Sir _George Bing_. True it was, the
Fleet under Admiral _Leake_ was of equal Strength with that under the
_French_ Admiral; but jealous of the Informations he had receiv'd, and
too ready to conclude that People in Distress were apt to make
Representations too much in their own Favour; he held himself, in point
of Discretion, oblig'd not to hazard the Queen's Ships, when a
Reinforcement of both cleaner and larger were under daily Expectation.

This unhappy Circumstance (notwithstanding all former glorious
Deliverances) had almost brought the Earl to the Brink of Despair; and
to increase it, the Earl every Day receiv'd such Commands fr