When Villeroy was told of our Retreat, he was much surpriz’d, as thinking it a Thing utterly impossible.  However, at last, being sensible of the Truth of it, he gave Orders for our Rear to be attack’d; but we kept fireing from Ditch to Ditch, and Hedge to Hedge, till Night came upon us; and so our little Army got clear of its gigantick Enemy with very inconsiderable Loss.  However, the French fail’d not, in their customary Way, to express the Sense of their vexation, at this Disappointment, with Fire and Sword in the Neighbourhood round.  Thus Prince Vaudemont acquir’d more Glory by that Retreat than an intire Victory could have given him; and it was not, I confess, the least Part of Satisfaction in Life, that my self had a Share of Honour under him to bring off the Rear at that his glorious Retreat at Arfeel.

However, in further Revenge of this political Chicane of the Prince of Vaudemont, and to oblige, if possible, King William to raise the Siege from before Namur, Villeroy enter’d into the Resolution of Bombarding Brussells.  In order to which he encamp’d at Anderleck, and then made his Approaches as near as was convenient to the Town.  There he caus’d to be planted thirty Mortars, and rais’d a Battery of ten Guns to shoot hot Bullets into the Place.

But before they fir’d from either, Villeroy, in complement to the Duke of Bavaria, sent a Messenger to know in what Part of the Town his Dutchess chose to reside, that they might, as much as possible, avoid incommoding her, by directing their Fire to other Parts.  Answer was return’d that she was at her usual Place of Residence, the Palace; and accordingly their fireing from Battery or Mortars little incommoded them that Way.

Five Days the Bombardment continu’d; and with such Fury, that 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.