“The allies, to make a diversion, sent General Das Minas into Spain, with fifteen thousand men, who captured one or two towns and defeated a body of French and Spanish troops.  The hot weather now set in, and put a stop to hostilities, and the troops on both sides went into quarters.  The general—­I forget his name—­who commanded the English and Dutch contingent, was so disgusted with the proceedings of the Portuguese that he resigned his command, and the Earl of Galway was appointed in his place.  The next year he crossed the frontier, captured several towns, without much fighting, and invested Badajos.  Here, however, a stern resistance was met with.  Galway’s hand was carried off by a shot, and the French general (Tesse) coming up in force to the relief of the town, and the Portuguese not arriving at all, the allies were obliged to fall back upon Portugal.  But Philip was threatened from a fresh quarter.

“In June, the Earl of Peterborough sailed from Portsmouth with five thousand men, and at Lisbon took on board the Archduke Charles.  At Gibraltar some more troops were embarked, and Peterborough set sail for the coast of Valencia.  Peterborough himself, one of the most daring of men, and possessed of extraordinary military talent, was in favour of a march upon Madrid; but, fortunately for us, he was overruled, and commenced the siege of Barcelona—­a strong town garrisoned by five thousand good troops, while he himself had but a thousand more under his command.  Nevertheless, by a sudden and daring attack he captured the strong castle of Montjuich, which commanded the town, which was in consequence obliged to surrender four days later, and the whole of Catalonia was then captured.  Saint Matteo, ninety miles from Barcelona, which had declared for Charles and was besieged by a large force, was relieved; and so brilliant were the exploits accomplished by Peterborough, with most inadequate means, that the Spaniards came to the conclusion that he was possessed by an evil spirit.

“Large reinforcements were sent from France, and King Philip advanced upon Barcelona, and invested it by land, while a French fleet bombarded it by sea.  Peterborough hurried, with a small force from Valencia, to aid the besieged, the matter being all the more important since Charles himself was in the city.  Before his arrival, however, an English fleet appeared, and our fleet retired.

“Philip at once raised the siege, and retired to Madrid.  His position was indeed serious.  Lord Galway was advancing from the frontier, and Peterborough had gathered a force to cooperate with him.  Upon the approach of Galway, Philip and the Duke of Berwick retreated to the frontier.  There they received great reinforcements, and advanced against Madrid, which was evacuated by Galway, who marched away to form a junction with Lord Peterborough.