Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 1.djvu/462

 plusieurs temoins beaucoup plus desinteressés que je ne puis l’etre. Aussi ces sentiments sont-ils devenus comme naturels à sa famille qui priera toujours Dieu pour la prosperité et la conservation de votre illustre personne, et qui lui sera toujours dèvouèe.

“En mon particulier, My Lord, quelle reconnoissance ne dois-je pas à vos bontés? J’ai eu l’honneur de les eprouver depuis bien des années; et si le vif ressentiment que j’en ai vous est inutile, permettez du moins que je le rends public, et que je temoigne à toute la terre que vous êtes un digne instrument de la Providence pour la consolation des âmes affligées. Combien y a-til de veuves, d’orphelins et de malheureux de tous les ordres qui ont senti les doux effêts de votre liberalité. Mais je n'entrerai pas dans ce detail qui merite une autre plume que la mienne. Je me contenterai de faire des voeux au Ciel pour le succès de toutes vos entreprises, et de me dire avec un profonde respect, My Lord,

“.”

À Dublin le 15 Juillet 1710.

 

“In obedience to your Lordship’s commands, I present you with a short narrative in writing, containing the most material occurrences that happened in Portugal and Spain, during the time I had the honour to command the Queen’s troops there.

“In June 1704, being retired into the country, I received the Queen’s commands to attend her Majesty at Windsor, where she was pleased to order me to go and take upon me the command of her troops in Portugal. I desired to be excused from accepting an employment which I did not think myself equal to; but the Queen seeming fixed in her resolution, I obeyed.

“Upon my arrival at Lisbon, I found the two kings of Spain and Portugal already marching for Abeira, and joined upon their route. But the season was much advanced, and it being thought impracticable to attack the enemy there, it was soon resolved to retire into winter quarters.

“The troops being in quarters, I went to Lisbon, where I had certain advice that Gibraltar was besieged, and Marshal Tesse gone thither. Upon which, considering the importance of the place, I immediately sent the Prince of Hesse four of the best regiments of foot under my command, viz., the battalion of guards, my Lord Barrymore’s, Lord Donegal’s, and Lord Montjoy’s, together with a large supply of ammunition and provisions, which the garrison wanted extremely. This relief arrived in good time, and proved so successful, as not only to defend the place, but to hold out a siege that entirely ruined the enemy’s infantry, and prevented their being able to take the field the following spring in Alentejo.

“Being informed of their condition, as likewise that there was but a very small garrison in Badajoz, I endeavoured to persuade the Portuguese to attack that place, but could not then prevail; however they took Valencia de Alcantara by storm, and Albuquerque by capitulation under the command of the Conte des Galveas, and afterwards retired to quarters of refreshment, as is usual in the excessive heats of the summer.

“During this interval I went to Lisbon to confer with the Earl of Peterborow. I found the King of Spain designed to embark with him; and not doubting but the Earl was bound on some important expedition, though I had no orders to that purpose, and had now only one regiment of horse, two of dragoons, and five of foot left under my command in Portugal, I offered him whatever part of these troops he pleased to desire. The Earl accepted of my offer, and chose the royal regiment of dragoons, and Cunningham’s, taking likewise an order with him from me to the Governor of Gibraltar, for such regiments from thence as he should think fit to take on board, leaving only a sufficient garrison for the defence of the town, and accordingly his Lordship took from thence those four regiments which I had sent thither to the relief of the place.

“After the King of Spain and my Lord Peterborow had sailed, I with great difficulty prevailed upon the Portuguese to besiege Badajoz in autumn. But instead of taking the field, as we had agreed to do, in the beginning of September, it was the 2d of October before I could get them to invest the place, under the command of the Marquis das Minas. Our cannon had already begun to play with success, when an accident happened in a battery, which I went thither to repair; and being there to give the necessary orders for that purpose, I lost my arm by a cannon-shot from the town. But it is the general opinion, that if the disposition which I