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Villeroy, finding he could not raise the siege of Namur by that vigorous attack upon Brussels, decamped at last from before it, and put his army on the march towards Namur, 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 resolved, 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 besiegers' cannon; and soon after our little army under the prince was arrived, a breach, that was imagined practicable, being made in the Terra Nova (which, as the name imports, was a new work, raised by the French, and added to the fortifications, since it fell into their hands in 1692, and which very much increased 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 resolved upon. Four entire regiments, in conjunction with some draughts made out of several others, were ordered for that work, myself commanding that part of them which had been drawn out of Colonel Tiffin's. We were all to rendezvous at the abbey of Salsines, under the command of the Lord Cutts; the signal when the attack was to be made, being agreed to be the blowing up of a bag of gunpowder upon the bridge of boats that lay over the Sambre.

So soon as the signal was made, we marched up to the breach with a decent intrepidity; receiving, all the way we advanced, the full fire of the Cohorn fort. But as soon as we came near enough to mount, we found it vastly steep and rugged. Notwithstanding all which, several did get up, and entered the breach; but not being supported as they ought to have been, they were all made prisoners; which, together with a wound which my Lord Cutts received, after we had done all that was possible for us, necessitated us to retire with the loss of many of our men.

Villeroy all this while lay in sight, with his army of one hundred thousand men, without making the least offer to incommode the besiegers; or even without doing anything more than make his appearance in favour of the besieged,

PLOT TO ASSASSINATE KING WILLIAM.

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and reconnoitering our encampment; and, at last, seeing, or imagining that he saw, the attempt would be to little purpose, with all the good manners in the world, in the night, he withdrew that terrible meteor, and relieved our poor horses from feeding on leaves, the only inconvenience he had put

us to.

This retreat leaving the garrison without all hope of relief, they in the castle immediately capitulated. But after one of the gates had been, according to articles, delivered up, and Count Guiscard was marching out at the head of the garrison, and Bouflers at the head of the dragoons, the latter was, by order of King William, arrested, in reprize of the garrison of Dixmuyd (who, contrary to the cartel, had been detained prisoners), and remained under arrest till they were set free.

CHAPTER III.

PLOT TO ASSASSINATE KING WILLIAM-ACCOUNT OF THE CONSPIRACY-DISSIPATION OF THE GUARD AT SHOERBECKLEFT IN A GARRISON WITHOUT AMMUNITION-NARROW ESCAPE FROM A HIRED INCENDIARY-THE ADVANTAGE OF A JEW AS PROVEDITOR TO THE ARMY AND TROOPS-SHORT DESCRIPTION OF VALENCIA AND BARCELONA.

At the very beginning of the year 1696 was discovered a plot, fit only to have had its origin from hell or Rome: a plot which would have put Hottentots and barbarians out of countenance. This was called the Assassination Plot, from the design of it, which was, to have assassinated King William a little before the time of his usual leaving England to head the army of the confederates in Flanders. And as nothing could give a nobler idea of the great character of that prince than such a nefarious combination against him; so, with all considerate men, nothing could more depreciate the cause of his inconsiderate enemies. If I remember what I have read, the sons of ancient Rome, though heathens, behaved themselves against an enemy in a quite different manner. Their historians afford us more instances than a few, of their generous intimations to kings and generals,

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under actual hostilities, of barbarous designs upon their lives. I proceed to this of our own countrymen.

Soon after the discovery had been made, by persons actually engaged in that inhuman design, the regiment in which I served, with some others then in Flanders, received orders, with all expedition, to embark for England; though, on our arrival at Gravesend, fresh orders met us to remain on board the transports till we had farther directions.

On my going to London, a few days after, I was told that two regiments only were now designed to come ashore; and that the rest would be remanded to Flanders, the danger apprehended being pretty well over. I was at Whitehall when I received this notice; where, meeting my Lord Cutts (who had, ever since the storming of the Terra Nova at Namur, allowed me a share in his favour), he expressed himself in the most obliging manner; and, at parting, desired he might not fail of seeing me next morning at his house, for he had somewhat of an extraordinary nature to communicate

to me.

At the time appointed, I waited on his lordship, where I met Mr. Steel (now Sir Richard, and at that time his secretary), who immediately introduced me. I found in company with him three gentlemen; and after common salutations, his lordship delivered into my hands an order from the king in council to go along with Captain Porter, Mr. de la Rue, and Mr. George Harris (who proved to be those three with him), to search all the transports at Gravesend, in order to prevent any of the conspirators getting out of England that way. After answering that I was ready to pay obedience, and receiving, in private, the farther necessary instructions, we took our leave, and oars soon after for Gravesend. It was in our passage down, that I understood that they had all been of the conspiracy, but now reluctant, were become witnesses.

When we came to Gravesend, I produced my authority to the commanding officer, who very readily paid obedience, and gave assistance; but after our most dilligent search, finding nothing of what we looked for, we returned that very night to London.

Next day a proclamation was to come out for the apprehending three or four troopers, who were sent over by King James, with 1,000l. reward for each; Mr. George Harris,

THE CONSPIRATORS DISCOVERED.

307 who was the fourth, being the only evidence against the other three. No sooner were we returned from Gravesend, but Harris had intelligence brought him, that Cassells, one of the three, was at Mr. Allen's in the Savoy, under the name of Green. Upon which we went directly to the place; and inquiring for Mr. Green, we were told he lodged there, and was in his

room.

I was obliged by my order to go along with them, and assist them; and very well was it that I was so for in consideration of the reward in the proclamation, which, as I have said, was to come out the next day, Harris and the rest were for deferring his seizure, till the coming out of that proclamation; but making answer, that in case of his escape that night, I must be responsible to my superiors, who, under the most favourable aspect, would construe it a neglect of duty, they were forced to comply; and so he was taken up, and his name that night struck out of the proclamation. It is very true, by this faithful discharge of my trust, I did save the government 1,000l.; but it is equally so, that I never had of my governors one farthing considerasion for what others termed an over-officious pieee of service; though in justice it must be owned a piece of exact and disinterested duty.

Some few days after, attending by direction at the secretary's office, with Mr. Harris, there came in a Dutchman, spluttering and making a great noise, that he was sure he could discover one of the conspirators; but the mien and the behaviour of the man, would not give anybody leave to give him any credit or regard. However, the man persisting in his assertions, I spoke to Mr. Harris to take him aside, and ask him what sort of a person he was: Harris did so; and the Dutchman describing him, says Harris, returning to me, I'll be hanged if it be not Blackburn. Upon which we had him questioned somewhat more narrowly; when having no room to doubt, and understanding where he was, Colonel Rivet of the guards was sent for, and ordered to go along with us to seize him. We went accordingly; and it proving to be Blackburn, the Dutchman had 500l., and the colonel and others the remainder. Cassells and Blackburn, if still alive, are in Newgate, confined by act of Parliament, one only witness, which was Harris, being producible against them.

When Blackburn was seized, I found in the chamber with

him, one Davison, a watchmaker, living in Holborn. I carried him along with me to the secretary of state; but nothing on his examination appearing against him, he was immediately discharged. He offered afterwards to present me with a fine watch of his own making, which I refused; and he long after owned the obligation.

So soon as the depth of this plot was fathomed, and the intended evil provided against, as well as prevented, King William went over into Flanders, and our regiment thereupon received orders for their immediate return. Nothing of any moment occurred till our arrival at our old quarters, the Camerlins, where we lay dispersed amongst the country boors or farmers, as heretofore. However, for our better security in those quarters, and to preserve us from the excursions of the neighbouring garrison of Furnes, we were obliged to keep an outguard at a little place called Shoerbeck. This guard was every forty-eight hours changed and remounted with a captain, a lieutenant, an ensign, and threescore men.

When it came to my turn to relieve that guard (and for that purpose I was arrived at my post), it appeared to me with the face of a place of debauch, rather than business; there being too visible tokens that the hard duty of both officers and soldiers had been that of hard drinking, the foulest error that a soldier can commit, especially when on his guard.

To confirm my apprehensions, a little after I had taken possession of my guard, the man of the house related to me such passages, and so many of them, that satisfied me that if ten sober men had made the attack, they might have fairly knocked all my predecessors of the last guard on the head without much difficulty. However, his account administered matter of caution to me, and put me upon taking a narrower view of our situation. In consequence whereof, at night, I placed a sentinel a quarter of a mile in the rear, and such other sentinels as I thought necessary and convenient in other places; with orders, that upon sight of an enemy the sentinel near should fire; and that upon hearing that, all the other sentinels as well as he, should hasten in to strengthen our main guard.

What my jealousy, on my landlord's relation, had suggested, happened accordingly. For about one in the morning I was alarmed with the cry of one of my sentinels, Turn out, for

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