om the King
within the Place, as must have sacrificed his few Forces, without the
least Probability of succeeding. Those all tended to his forcing his Way
into the Town; when, in all human Appearance, not one Man of all that
should make the Attempt could have done it, with any Hope or Prospect of
surviving. The _French_ were strongly encamp'd at the Foot of the
Mountains, distant two Miles from _Barcelona_; towards the Bottom of
those Hills, the Avenues into the Plain were possess'd and fortify'd by
great Detachments from the Enemy's Army. From all which it will be
evident, that no Attempt could be made without giving the Enemy time to
draw together what Body of Foot they pleas'd. Or supposing it feasible,
under all these difficult Circumstances, for some of them to have forc'd
their Passage, the Remainder, that should have been so lucky to have
escap'd their Foot, would have found themselves expos'd in open Field to
a Pursuit of four thousand Horse and Dragoons; and that for two Miles
together; when in case of their inclosing them, the bravest Troops in
the World, under such a Situation, would have found it their best way to
have surrender'd themselves Prisoners of War.

Nevertheless, when Brigadier _Stanhope_ sent that Express to the Earl,
which I just now mention'd, he assur'd him in the same, that he would
use his utmost Diligence, both by Sea and Land, to let him have timely
Notice of the Conjunction of the Fleets, which was now all they had to
depend upon. Adding withal, that if the Earl should at any time receive
a Letter, or Paper, though directed to no Body, and with nothing in it,
but a half Sheet of Paper cut in the Middle, he, the Earl, might
certainly depend upon it, that the two Fleets were join'd, and making
the best of their Way for _Barcelona_. It will easily be imagin'd the
Express was to be well paid; and being made sensible that he ran little
or no Hazard in carrying a Piece of blank Paper, he undertook it, and as
fortunately arriv'd with it to the Earl, at a Moment when Chagrin and
Despair might have hurry'd him to some Resolution that might have prov'd
fatal. The Messenger himself, however, knew nothing of the Joining of
the Fleets, or the Meaning of his Message.

As soon as the Earl of _Peterborow_ receiv'd this welcome Message from
Brigadier _Stanhope_, he march'd the very same Night, with his whole
little Body of Forces, to a Town on the Sea-Shore, call'd _Sigeth_. No
Person guess'd the Reason