hat the Centre
of that noble City was quite lay'd in Rubbish. Most of the Time of
Bombarding I was upon the Counterscarp, where I could best see and
distinguish; and I have often counted in the Air, at one time, more than
twenty Bombs; for they shot whole Vollies out of their Mortars all
together. This, as it must needs be terrible, threw the Inhabitants into
the utmost Confusion. Cartloads of Nuns, that for many Years before had
never been out of the Cloister, were now hurry'd about from Place to
Place, to find Retreats of some Security. In short, the Groves, and
Parts remote, were all crowded; and the most spacious Streets had hardly
a Spectator left to view their Ruins. Nothing was to be seen like that
Dexterity of our People in extinguishing the Fires; for where the
red-hot Bullets fell, and rais'd new Conflagrations, not Burghers only,
but the vulgar Sort, stood stareing, and with their Hands impocketted,
beheld their Houses gradually consume; and without offering prudent or
charitable Hand to stop the growing Flames.

But after they had almost thus destroy'd that late fair City,
_Villeroy_, finding he could not raise the Siege of _Namur_, by that
vigorous Attack upon _Brussels_, decamp'd at last from before it, and
put his Army on the March, to try if he could have better Success by
exposing to Show his Pageant of one Hundred Thousand Men. Prince
_Vaudemont_ had timely Intelligence of the Duke's Resolution and Motion;
and resolv'd, if possible to get there before him. Nor was the Attempt
fruitless: He fortunately succeeded, though with much Fatigue, and no
little Difficulty, after he had put a Trick upon the Spies of the Enemy,
by pretending to encamp, and so soon as they were gone ordering a full
March.

The Castle of _Namur_ had been all this Time under the Fire of the
Besieger's Cannon; and soon after our little Army under the Prince was
arriv'd, a Breach, that was imagin'd practicable, being made in the
_Terra Nova_ (which, as the Name imports, was a new Work, rais'd by the
_French_, and added to the Fortifications, since it fell into their
Hands in 1692 and which very much increas'd the Strength of the Whole) a
Breach, as I have said, being made in this _Terra Nova_, a Storm, in a
Council of War, was resolv'd upon. Four entire Regiments, in conjunction
with some Draughts made out of several others, were order'd for that
Work, my self commanding that Part of 'em which had been drawn out of
Colonel _Tiffins_.