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<DATE>2014-12-11</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="half title">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>AN <HI>Impartial Relation</HI> OF THE Siege and Surrender OF MONS.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<P>An Impartial ACCOUNT OF THE Late Famous Siege, <HI>And Mo&s;t Noble Defence</HI> Of the CITY of MONS, With the REASONS of its SURRENDER.</P>
<P>Being a Summary Relation, Of all the Particular Sallies, A&s;&s;aults, Attacks, Skirmi&s;hes, Rencounters, and other Actions, both within the City, and in the Camp of the FRENCH KING: With the Number of the Slain and Wounded, and the Great Officers in the <HI>French</HI> Camp.</P>
<P>As it was Delivered in Sundry Letters, from Credible Per&s;ons There, to Per&s;ons of Eminent Quality in <HI>London.</HI></P>
<LICENSE LANG="eng">
<P>LICENSED,</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>April</HI> the 6th, 1691.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>J. Frai&s;er.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</LICENSE>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Richard Waterton,</HI> next Door to the <HI>Blue-Anchor</HI>- Inn in <HI>Duck-Lane,</HI> near <HI>We&s;t-Smithfield.</HI> 1691. Price 3d.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="account">
<PB REF="3">
<PB N="5" REF="3">
<HEAD>An Impartial Account of the Late Famous Siege, and mo&s;t Noble Defence of <HI>MONS,</HI> &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P><HI>MONS,</HI> as it hath been the Miracle of the Age, and Wonder of its Enemies (for unparalled Courage and Re&s;olution) ought now to be the Work of each Ingenious Writer, and Di&s;cour&s;e of every Martial Man. Fame has already &s;poke &s;ufficient in the prai&s;e of that undaunted City, who&s;e Actions I now mean to particularize.</P>
<P>But before I enter upon the particu|lars of the Siege, I &s;hall give the <HI>Reader</HI> an Account of the Province of <HI>Hanault,</HI> and &s;cituation of <HI>Mons. Hanault</HI> is &s;o named of the River <HI>Hayne,</HI> which runs through it. It is the chief of the <HI>Wal|loon</HI> Provinces, it bordereth on the <HI>North</HI> with <HI>Brabant</HI> and <HI>Flanders,</HI> be|longing to the King of <HI>Spain,</HI> on the <HI>South</HI> with <HI>Champain</HI> and <HI>Piccardy,</HI> two Provinces belonging to the <HI>French,</HI> on the <HI>Ea&s;t</HI> with the Province of <HI>Namur,</HI> and on the <HI>We&s;t</HI> with the <HI>Sheld,</HI> and part of <HI>Flanders Gallican.</HI> It is twenty Leagues long, and &s;ixteen broad; the Air is whol&s;ome, and the Soil good, by rea&s;on that the Country is watered with many Rivers, as the <HI>Scheld,</HI> the <HI>Sambre,</HI> the <HI>Tender,</HI> and many other &s;mall Rivulets: There are al&s;o in it many Lakes, Mar&s;hes, Ponds, Pools, Fountains, goodly Woods and plea&s;ant Fore&s;ts. It aboundeth with fragrant and fair Pa&s;tures and Meadows for all kind of Cattle, with good Fruits and profitable Trees, and is repleni&s;hed with great plenty of good Corn. In &s;ome part of it are <HI>Iron</HI>-Mines, <HI>Lead,</HI> and Quarries of <HI>Stone,</HI> for all kind of Buil|dings, with great Store of <HI>White-lime</HI> and <HI>Coal.</HI></P>
<P>In this Country are Twenty Four Walled Towns; namely, <HI>Mons, Valen|ciennes, Bouchain, Que&s;noy, Conat, Lan|dre&s;&s;y, Ame&s;nes, Chimay, Mariemburg, Segny, Brain le Compte, Eughien, Halle, Le&s;me, Cheure, Ath, St. Gui&s;line,</HI> and <HI>Leaze.</HI> There are al&s;o 950 Villages, with many Ca&s;tles and Signiories. Many of the Villages are great and fair, and have Titles of Honour annex|ed to them; as, <HI>Pequicourt, Fontayn, Laling, Montigny, Antonig, Barlamon, Barbau&s;on, Aimeries,</HI> and many others.</P>
<P>The City of <HI>MONS,</HI> or <HI>Berghen,</HI> receives its Name from its Scituation, which latter, in their Language, &s;igni|fies a Mountain or Hill; but the ri&s;e of the Earth there is &s;o gentle, as it can|not be &s;aid to be Mountainous.</P>
<P>The City is &s;trong, as well by natu|ral Scituation, as the mutual Indu&s;try
<PB N="6" REF="4">of Fortifications. It is cut through on the lower &s;ide by a little Rivulet called <HI>Trulla,</HI> which as &s;oon as it goes out of it, falls into another &s;omewhat bigger, called <HI>Hayne,</HI> which cro&s;&s;ing through the Province, before it be gotten quite out, falls into the <HI>Scheld;</HI> and on this &s;ide is a <HI>Moras,</HI> the Earth here being very Spungy: It's Fortified likewi&s;e round about with &s;trong and excellent Walls, Turrets, and Gates; to which are joyned many Regular Works, ac|cording to the Modern way, as Horn|works, Half-Moons, Counter&s;carps, Ba&s;tions, Redoubts, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> there are like|wi&s;e three large deep Ditches or Moats, with a &s;trong Ca&s;tle or Cittadel, very good Ramparts, and a River running by the Fortifications.</P>
<P>The Buildings of the City, both pri|vate and publick, were very fair and beautiful; here is the noble Nunnery of St. <HI>Valdrude;</HI> their Churches are Built after the Ancient manner of Ar|chitecture, with &s;umptuous Arches, and goodly Pillars of Marble and Por|phyry; the <HI>Stadt Heu&s;e</HI> or Town-Hall is of excellent Workman&s;hip. This City was &s;urpri&s;ed by the <HI>French</HI> Hu|gonets in the Year 1572. who got in great quantities of Arms in Fatts, under pretence of Merchandize; and having &s;eiz'd on the Gates, they let in the Ar|my of Count <HI>Lodowick</HI> of <HI>Na&s;&s;au,</HI> Bro|ther to a <HI>William</HI> Prince of <HI>Orange,</HI> but it was &s;oon after retaken for the King of <HI>Spain,</HI> by the Duke of <HI>Alva.</HI> The Prince <HI>de Bergh,</HI> who was the late Go|vernor, has his Title from the Place, and mo&s;t, or all his E&s;tate lies in the Province, he is related to the Hou&s;e of <HI>Na&s;&s;au.</HI></P>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>The Fir&s;t Letter.</HEAD>
<P>THe <HI>French</HI> King having had a long|ing de&s;ire to bring this City to his Subjection, re&s;olv'd, by an early Cam|paign, on the attempting of it this Spring, pur&s;uant to which Re&s;olutions, he caus'd to be laid up this la&s;t Winter in <HI>Valenciennes, Cambray,</HI> and other Frontier Places, va&s;t and almo&s;t Incre|dible quantities of Hay, Oats, and o|ther Forrage for a numerous Army of Hor&s;e: And having given Orders to his Generals to draw his Troops from their &s;everal Quarters, as well on the &s;ide of the <HI>Rhine,</HI> as in <HI>Flanders,</HI> &s;end|ing the very Troops of his Hou&s;hold, Grand Mu&s;queteers, <HI>Gens d' Arms,</HI> and Light Hor&s;e, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> On the 14 of <HI>March,</HI> New-Stile, the <HI>French</HI> Army, Com|manded by the Duke of <HI>Luxenburgh,</HI> and the Marquis <HI>de Boufflers,</HI> &amp;c. directed their March towards <HI>Mons.</HI> On the 15th, their Cavalry, con&s;i&s;ting of 42 Squadrons, began to Inve&s;t it in a formal manner. The 16th and 17th was &s;pent chiefly in the Marching up of the Foot, and the Regular placing
<PB N="7" REF="4">them in their &s;everal Po&s;ts. On the 18th the Marquis <HI>de Boufflers</HI> &s;ent a Summons to the Prince <HI>de Bergue,</HI> to Surrender the Town on Honourable Conditions, telling him, <HI>The King, the</HI> Dauphine, <HI>and all the flower of</HI> France <HI>would be there to oblige him to it:</HI> But the Prince rejected his Propo&s;als, tel|ling him, <HI>That he was glad to hear that &s;o great a King would be there in Per|&s;on, to be witne&s;s of the Gallant and Brave Defence he was re&s;olved to make;</HI> at the &s;ame time, as well Burghers as Regular Troops, with an unanimous Voice and undaunted Re&s;olutions, re&s;olved to de|fend it to the utmo&s;t of their Lives and Fortunes; which An&s;wers, not &s;uiting with the <HI>French</HI> de&s;ire, nor the hopes they had of an early Surrender, made them prepare for Action. This Even|ing the Garri&s;on made a Sally on the Enemy, with 1800 young Men of the Town on Foot, and Four Squadrons of Hor&s;e and Dragoons, Commanded by Colonel <HI>Harcourt;</HI> and in this Acti|on they cut off 500 of the <HI>French.</HI> The 19th the <HI>French</HI> began to work on their Line of Circumvallation, hav|ing forced in near 20000 Boors or Country People that Inhabit in the Neighbourhood of <HI>Mons,</HI> imploying them as well in working on their Lines, as diging drains for the Mar&s;hes, which render'd the Town inacce&s;&s;ible on the &s;ide towards <HI>France;</HI> and for the more effectual draining of the <HI>Moras,</HI> they brought along with them new Invented Machines, likewi&s;e great Planks for their Cannon: They work'd very hard in their Trenches, the 19th, 20th, and 21&s;t. On the other &s;ide, the Garri|&s;on was not Idle: On the 20th, the In|habitants made a great Fire to de&s;troy the Blinds of the Enemy: And on <HI>Sun|day</HI> the 21&s;t, they made a great Sally in order to demoli&s;h a Fortified Mill near the Counter&s;carp; in which Acti|on 200 <HI>French</HI> were Killed and Drown|ed. On the 22d, the <HI>French</HI> King came into the Camp in Per&s;on, being accompanied with the <HI>Dauphin,</HI> the Duke <HI>de Charles,</HI> the Prince of <HI>Conde, &amp;c.</HI> and as the <HI>French</HI> gave out, That the King brought with him Seven Mil|lions in Gold, to di&s;tribute among &s;uch as &s;hould &s;ignalize their Valour in the Siege: It was thought that the Trenches would have been opened this day, but not being ready, the <HI>French</HI> King made very little &s;tay in the Camp, but returned to St. <HI>Gui&s;lain,</HI> where he has his Quarters; and the <HI>Dauphin</HI> to his Quarters at <HI>Maubeuge.</HI> The <HI>French</HI> King thinking him&s;elf &s;o &s;ure of redu|cing the Place immediately, that while he was in the Camp, he gave the Ge|vernment of it to the Sieur <HI>de Ruben|ton,</HI> a Colonel of his Guards.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="8" REF="5">
<HEAD>The Second Letter.</HEAD>
<P>THe Garri&s;on of <HI>Mons</HI> was Com|po&s;ed of 6 Regiments of <HI>Dutch,</HI> 2 of <HI>Germans,</HI> 2 of <HI>Walloons,</HI> one of <HI>Spaniards,</HI> and 800 <HI>Spani&s;h</HI> Hor&s;e, making in all about 6500 Men; and the <HI>Burghers</HI> that bore Arms in the Town were about the &s;ame Number, mo&s;t of them Di&s;ciplined and well ex|perienced Men; the Garri&s;on, to pre|vent their being incommoded by the Enemies <HI>Bombs,</HI> immediately applyed them&s;elves to uncover their Hou&s;es, and unpave their Street; the Regular Garri&s;on had generally the Command of the Out-Works, and the <HI>Burghers,</HI> that of the Ramparts, and in the Town the Magazines; it being their own voluntary de&s;ire, and there was always a great Harmony and good under&s;tanding between the Burghers and the Regular Troops; there was a Trea&s;onable practice di&s;covered in the Town to have blown up the great Ma|gazine of Powder, which was very near taking effect, the lighted Match being found within few Inches of the Train, &s;everal of the Con&s;pirators were &s;eized, (proving to be <HI>French</HI> Spies;) But the Principal who was an Advo|cate, and out of who&s;e Garden the Mine was made, made his E&s;cape to the <HI>French</HI> Army. On the 24th. Co|lonel <HI>Branaccio,</HI> and &s;everal other con|&s;iderable Officers got into the Town; At the &s;ame time the Prince <HI>de Beigne,</HI> the Governour, &s;ent a Gentleman to the Marquis <HI>de Ca&s;tanaga</HI> Governour of <HI>Flanders,</HI> to Inform him of the State and Condition of the Town. On the 25th. Mon&s;ieur <HI>Lovis</HI> &s;ent a Bravado Me&s;&s;age to the Magi&s;trates and Burg|hers of <HI>Mons,</HI> that in con&s;ideration the <HI>King</HI> had been there in Per&s;on, for every day they held out, they &s;hould pay One hundred Crowns.</P>
<P>On the other Hand, A Gentleman got into the Town, with a Me&s;&s;age from the Governour of <HI>Flanders,</HI> where|in he acquainted the Magi&s;trates and Burghers, that they &s;hould be freed from Taxes for twenty Years if they defended the Place till Relief came; At a Councel of War in the <HI>French</HI> Camp, at which were the Famous Mon&s;ieur <HI>Vaubon,</HI> and four other Engi|neers, they a&s;&s;ured the <HI>King</HI> that he &s;hould take the Place in 10 Days, from the time of his Troops fir&s;t appearing before it; Publick Prayers were made at <HI>Paris,</HI> and in all the <HI>French</HI> Con|que&s;ts for the Succe&s;s of the <HI>French</HI> Army at this Siege.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="letter">
<PB N="9" REF="5">
<HEAD>The Third Letter.</HEAD>
<P>ON the 26th. about Eleven a Clock at Noon, the <HI>French</HI> opened their Trenches with three Batteries, with which they began to play on the Town; their Lines of Circumvallation were of a va&s;t Circuit, extending at lea&s;t four Leagues, their Trenches were eight Foot deep, and twenty two Foot broad. In the Afternoon of the &s;ame Day, the <HI>French</HI> began to play on the Town, from three Batteries, one near the Gate of <HI>Barlemont,</HI> the other betwixt the Gates of <HI>Havery</HI> and <HI>Nimy;</HI> they continued for three Days, &s;ucce&s;&s;ively, to Fire very furi|ou&s;ly, and threw into the Place great Numbers of <HI>Bombs,</HI> many of which were of 500 <HI>l.</HI> weight; they continued to Batter the Plac<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> with 150 pieces of Cannon, mo&s;t of which were 48 poun|ders. The <HI>French</HI> King, at his Arri|val in the Camp on the 22th. took a Review of his Army, which was then increa&s;ed to 48000 Foot, and 20000 Hor&s;e, without Reckoning the Army under the Mar&s;hal <HI>de Humeirs,</HI> which lay 4 Leagues from <HI>Mons,</HI> and con&s;i&s;t|ed of 20000 Men, being de&s;igned to ob&s;erve the Confederates on the Coa&s;t of <HI>Li&s;le,</HI> and, if occa&s;ion were, to joyn the <HI>French</HI> Army. The <HI>French Bombs</HI> on the fir&s;t and &s;econd days after the opening the Trenches, &s;et &s;everal Hou|&s;es on Fire in the Town; but by the in|defatigable Indu&s;try of the Burghers, they were &s;oon Quenched; one of their fir&s;t Batteries, by rea&s;on of the loo&s;ne&s;s of the Earth, &s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"> in, that their Balls could hardly reach the Walls of the City; they kept playing from Morning till Night, and by Night &s;et forward their Approaches. The Enemy on the 27th. made &s;everal Attacks on the Outworks, but particularly on a <HI>Wind-Mill Hill,</HI> and a Redoubt, which &s;tands near the Suburbs, on the River; but were as often, with great Bravery, Repul&s;ed by the Garri&s;on, with the lo&s;s of 800 Men, among which were &s;everal con&s;iderable Offi|cers: But, with their fourth Attack in the Evening, they made them&s;elves Ma&s;ters of it. But the next Morning the Be&s;ieged retook it, who not being able to keep it, blew up the <HI>Mill,</HI> and retir'd into the Town: In the&s;e four A&s;&s;aults the <HI>French</HI> lo&s;t 2000 Men.</P>
<P>On <HI>Thur&s;day</HI> the 29th, early in the Morning, the Enemy made a great and Vigorous Attack upon an Half-Moon, which was the Outwork that cover'd the Hornwork that's next the Gate of <HI>Barlemont,</HI> (on which &s;ide chiefly they Attackt the Town,) but were receiv'd by the Be&s;ieged, with great Re&s;olution and Bravery; and af|ter a very &s;harpe Di&s;pute, the <HI>French</HI> were beaten back with a great Slaugh|ter;
<PB N="10" REF="6">and &s;oon after the Be&s;ieged made three very &s;ucce&s;sful Sallies; In which, and in the Attack the <HI>French</HI> ju&s;t be|fore made on the Horn-work, they killed above 1200 Men, with little lo&s;s on the &s;ide of the Be&s;ieged; The <HI>French</HI> were likewi&s;e ob&s;erved to carry away above 60 Wagon-Loads of their Wounded Men, to the Camp.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>The Fourth Letter.</HEAD>
<P>ON the 30th, the <HI>French</HI> Troops were ob&s;erved to be in a continu|al Motion from one &s;ide of their Camp to the other, which plainly di&s;cover'd their unea&s;ine&s;s, for fear Relief &s;hould come to the Town; the next day they ordered a Camp to be Marked out, for 50000 Cho&s;en Men, Commanded by the <HI>Dauphin;</HI> at the &s;ame time they or|dered great Numbers of the <HI>Boars</HI> to be employ'd in Cutting down Timber-Trees, to be a&s;&s;i&s;tant to them, in bar|ricading up the cover'd Road that leads to <HI>Bru&s;&s;ells. April</HI> the fir&s;t, the Enemies Cannon having widened the Breach in the Half-Moon, of the Horn|work that's next to the Gate of <HI>Bar|lemont,</HI> they gave order for the Storm|ing of it a third time, which they did with 7000 cho&s;en Men, a great part of which were <HI>Switzers;</HI> and after a &s;harp Di&s;pute, wherein they had kil|led a great many Men, they carried the Fort; the <HI>French</HI> had killed and wounded in the&s;e three &s;everal A&s;&s;aults, (as the De&s;erters give account) above 3000 Men, among which were many Officers of Note; the fir&s;t Attack they made was with 4000, the &s;econd with 6000, and this la&s;t with 7000. By De&s;erters, that lately Arriv'd in the Town, we under&s;tood that the <HI>French</HI> Army were increa&s;ed to a va&s;t Body, there being the chief Force and Flower of <HI>France,</HI> as likewi&s;e mo&s;t of the <HI>Eng|li&s;h</HI> Gentlemen and Officers, who were Retainers on the late King <HI>James;</HI> that the French were judged to be in the whole, that is, in the Trenches before the Place, in their Camp, and upon the Lines in <HI>Flanders,</HI> about 85 Bat|talions, and 200 Squadrons; that is about One hundred thou&s;and Men, of which there was already killed, Sick and Wounded about twelve thou&s;and: That the Marquis <HI>de Boufler</HI>'s Head-Quarters were at the Abby of St. <HI>Den|nis;</HI> and tho&s;e of the Mar&s;hal <HI>de Lux|enburg,</HI> the &s;ame he had in the year 1678, when the Prince of <HI>Orange</HI> ob|liged him to quit the <HI>Bloccus</HI> of <HI>Mons:</HI> That the great Officers of the <HI>French</HI>&punc; Army, were mightily &s;urpriz'd at the Vigorous Defence made by the Be|&s;ieged; for that when they fir&s;t &s;et down before it, they expected to have carried the Place in few days: That be|&s;ides <HI>Bouflers</HI> and <HI>Luxenburg,</HI> there
<PB N="11" REF="6">was in the Camp the Mar&s;hal <HI>de Du|ras,</HI> and <HI>la Fevillade,</HI> who Command|ed as Generals; and under them Com|manded the Prince <HI>de Soubize,</HI> the Marquis <HI>de Foyeu&s;e,</HI> the Sieur <HI>du Ru|bantel,</HI> the Duke <HI>de Vende&s;me,</HI> and the Sieur <HI>Ro&s;e,</HI> as Lieutenant-Generals; and the Marquis <HI>de Villars,</HI> the Mar|quis <HI>de Congis,</HI> the Duke <HI>de Bourbon,</HI> the Prince <HI>de Conti,</HI> the Duke <HI>de Maine,</HI> the Grand Prior of <HI>France,</HI> and the Count <HI>de Mont Chevrevil,</HI> as Mar&s;hals <HI>de Camp.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>The Fifth Letter.</HEAD>
<P>HIS <HI>Britanick</HI> Maje&s;ty, having re|ceiv'd an Account at <HI>Loo,</HI> by an Expre&s;s from the Marquis <HI>de Ca&s;tanaga,</HI> That on the 15th pa&s;t, the City of <HI>Mons</HI> was Inve&s;ted by the <HI>French</HI> Cavalry, prepared for his &s;peedy Return to the <HI>Hague;</HI> and in the mean time gave Orders for the drawing together, with all po&s;&s;ible diligence, the Troops of <HI>Holland, Brandenburgh, Liege,</HI> &amp;c. and that they &s;hould March directly to the Neighbourhood of <HI>Bru&s;&s;els.</HI> On the 21&s;t, in the Evening, the King Arriv'd at the <HI>Hague:</HI> Prince <HI>Waldeck</HI> waited on His Maje&s;ty that Night; and having receiv'd His Orders, went the next day to <HI>Bru&s;&s;els.</HI> On the 26th, the King left the <HI>Hague,</HI> taking his Journey to <HI>Flan|ders,</HI> by the way of <HI>Breda:</HI> The Duke of <HI>Zell</HI> followed His Maje&s;ty on the 27th, accompanied with the Baron <HI>de Chanvet,</HI> of the <HI>Lunenburg</HI> Forces. His Maje&s;ty, before His departure from the <HI>Hague,</HI> declared the Count <HI>de Solms</HI> General of the Foot; the Earl of <HI>Port|land,</HI> Mon&s;ieur <HI>Overkirk,</HI> Mon&s;ieur <HI>Op|dam,</HI> and Mon&s;ieur <HI>Zule&s;tine,</HI> Mon&s;ieur <HI>Hol&s;oppel,</HI> Count <HI>Tilly,</HI> and Mon&s;ieur <HI>Itter&s;um,</HI> Major Generals of the Hor&s;e; and Count <HI>Walraet</HI> of <HI>Na&s;&s;au,</HI> Mon&s;ieur <HI>Zobel,</HI> Mon&s;ieur <HI>du Tel,</HI> and Count <HI>Noyelles,</HI> Major Generals of Foot. On the 26th, in the Evening, the King Arriv'd at <HI>Bred<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> where he was receiv'd with all po&s;&s;ible demon&s;trations of Joy &amp; Re&s;pect: His Maje&s;ty continued there till <HI>Sunday</HI>-Morning; at which time He &s;et forward for <HI>Vilvoord,</HI> in his way to <HI>Hall,</HI> in order to put him&s;elf at the Head of the Confederate-Army, that was Rendezvouzing there; which Place is about &s;ix <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Miles from <HI>Bru&s;&s;els,</HI> in the Road to <HI>Mons.</HI> On <HI>Saturday</HI> the fir&s;t of <HI>April,</HI> the King &s;et forward for <HI>Vilvoord,</HI> and Arrived there late that Night. On <HI>Munday</HI> His Maje&s;ty view|ed, and on <HI>Tue&s;day</HI> Mu&s;tered His Army, and Encamped in the Neighbourhood of <HI>Bru&s;&s;els.</HI> On <HI>Wedne&s;day</HI> the Army Marched to <HI>Hall,</HI> where they expect|ed the coming up of the Troops that had not joyned them, as well as part of the Artillery. On <HI>Thur&s;day</HI> the 6th, about Three in the Afternoon, at which
<PB N="12" REF="7">time, all the Troops and Artillery were not come up; but the King viewed then 30000 Foot, and 15000 Hor&s;e: The Train of Artillery is compo&s;ed of 71 Pieces of Cannon, and 14 Mortars. This Evening the <HI>Scotch</HI> Regiments of Infantry, and the <HI>Spani&s;h</HI> Cavalry, Ar|riv'd in our Camp, to the Number of about 7000 Men. Great numbers of <HI>Switzers</HI> daily De&s;ert, and come into our Camp from the <HI>French</HI> Army; they give an Account of the hard Treatment they have receiv'd in this Siege, from the <HI>French</HI> King; That they were al|ways forc'd on the mo&s;t de&s;perate At|tacks, and yet refu&s;ed the Exerci&s;e of their Religion: They likewi&s;e tell us, that a mo&s;t Malignant Flux raged much in the <HI>French</HI> Camp, great number of Waggons, with Sick and Wounded Men, going daily from the <HI>French</HI>-Camp to the adjacent Towns; and likewi&s;e, That the <HI>French</HI> had lo&s;t many of their be&s;t Officers and En|gineers in the Siege.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>The Sixth Letter.</HEAD>
<P>BY De&s;erters that lately come into the Town, from the <HI>French</HI>-Camp, we receiv'd an Account, That the Sieur <HI>Megrim,</HI> a Famous Engineer, having been Wounded in both his Arms, the <HI>French</HI> King had given Orders for his immediate carrying to <HI>Tournay,</HI> and given directions for &s;ome of his own Chyrurgeons to take care of him: That the King had forbid all the great Offi|cers of the Army to quit their Po&s;ts; not being without his Fears, that he &s;hould be Attack'd by the King of <HI>Great Britain:</HI> He likewi&s;e Command|ed the Duke <HI>de Chartres,</HI> not to go into the Trenches without his Order: That on the 18th &s;ome of our De&s;erters came into the <HI>French</HI>-Camp; who a&s;&s;ured them, That we had abundance of all things in the City; and that every day &s;ome entred the Town, by the Mar&s;hes; and that we were daily in expectation of Succours: on which they ordered the Mar&s;hes to be more narrowly Guarded; and that they would make their utmo&s;t Efforts, for the more &s;peedy carrying the Place: that the Duke <HI>de Maine,</HI> and the Grand Prior of <HI>France,</HI> were killed in the Trenches; and that the Marquis <HI>de Boufflers,</HI> and the Duke <HI>de Vendo&s;me,</HI> were dangerou&s;ly Wounded: That in the &s;everal Attacks they made on the Half-Moon of the Horn-Work, they had lo&s;t above 6000 Men. We can|not &s;ufficiently expre&s;s the Courage of the Be&s;ieged; the Parents could &s;carce keep their Children, the Wives their Husbands, and tho&s;e of the mo&s;t Weal|thy of the Inhabitants, from running into the greate&s;t dangers, through Fire and Power. And as the Garri&s;on
<PB N="13" REF="7">con&s;i&s;ted of divers Nations, they &s;trove with a kind of Emulation, every one to &s;ignalize him&s;elf for the Honour of his Country.</P>
<P>La&s;t <HI>Saturday</HI> Night, the Enemy made a great A&s;&s;ault upon that part of the Counter&s;carp, that lies between the Horn-work, and the Two Half-Moons, but were beat back with very great lo&s;s; having be&s;ides 2000 pri|vate Sentinels and Subalteran Officers, Fifteen Captains Killed, out of Twen|ty that Commanded the Party; but the Town having &s;o bravely repul&s;ed the Enemy in &s;o many Attacks, and particularly on <HI>Saturday</HI> the <HI>7th,</HI> at Night; the next day being <HI>Sunday,</HI> they made another Attack, more furious than the re&s;t; and, after &s;ome hours Di&s;pute, with a great Slaughter to the <HI>French,</HI> they carried the Fort; the Taking of which being of &s;o great Importance, rendring their Approaches and Acce&s;s to the Town very ea&s;ie: That the next Morning, being the 9th, the Burghers, being animated by the Clergy, without the Governors or Garri&s;ons knowledge or con&s;ent, cau&s;ed a White-Flag to be hung out (to pre|vent the Effects of the Enemies intended Storm) and a Ce&s;&s;ation of Arms being agreed on, and Ho&s;tages exchanged on both &s;ides, the Articles of Capitulation were Signed about Two in the Af|ternoon; whereas before that, the <HI>French</HI> Army was ready to draw off, di&s;pairing of Taking it by Force.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<HEAD>ADVERTISEMENT.</HEAD>
<P>AN Impartial Relation of all the Tran&s;actions between the Army of the Con|federates, and That of the <HI>French</HI> King, in their La&s;t Summers Campaign in <HI>Flanders:</HI> With a more particular Re&s;pect to the Battle of <HI>Fleury.</HI> The Cha|racter of the Generals, and the Rea&s;ons of that mo&s;t unhappy Mi&s;carriage. With a Li&s;t of the Great Officers Slain. Al&s;o, Ob&s;ervations on the late Grand-Con&s;ultations at the <HI>Hague;</HI> and the New Mea&s;ures that are taken, for the Opening the en&s;uing Campaign, compared with Tho&s;e of the La&s;t. To which are added, Brief In|&s;tructions and Encouragement to tho&s;e <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Gentlemen, that are going to Serve in the approaching Campaign: Al&s;o, A &s;hort De&s;cription of the <HI>Spani&s;h Nether|lands.</HI> By <HI>W. Sawle,</HI> Chaplain to One of Their Maje&s;ties Regiments in <HI>Flanders. London,</HI> Printed, and are to be Sold by <HI>Randal Taylor,</HI> near <HI>Stationers-Hall. 1691.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
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