However, to make the Experiment, he took an Opportunity, unknown to any Person but an Aid de Camp that attended him, and went out to view the Fortifications:  And there being no Horse in that strong Fortress; and the Miquelets being possess’d of all the Houses and Gardens in the Plain, it was not difficult to give himself that Satisfaction, taking his Way by the Foot of the Hill.  The Observation he made of the Place it self, the Negligence and Supineness of the Garrison, together with his own uneasy Circumstances, soon brought the Earl to a Resolution of putting his first Conceptions in Execution, satisfy’d as he was, from the Situation of the Ground between Monjouick and the Town, that if the first was in our Possession, the Siege of the latter might be undertaken with some Prospect of Success.

From what has been said, some may be apt to conclude that the Siege afterward succeeding, when the Attack was made from the Side of Monjouick, it had not been impossible to have prevail’d, if the Effort had been made on the East Side of the Town, where our Forces were at first encamp’d, and where only we could have made our Approaches, if Monjouick had not been in our Power.  But a few Words will convince any of common Experience of the utter Impossibility of Success upon the East Part of the Town, although many almost miraculous Accidents made us succeed when we brought our Batteries to bear upon that Part of Barcelona towards the West.  The Ground to the East was a perfect Level for many Miles, which would have necessitated our making our Approaches in a regular Way; and consequently our Men must have been expos’d to the full Fire of their whole Artillery.  Besides, the Town is on that Side much stronger than any other; there is an Out-work just under the Walls of the Town, flank’d by the Courtin and the Faces of two Bastions, which might have cost us half our Troops to possess, before we could have rais’d a Battery against the Walls.  Or supposing, after all, a competent Breach had been made, what a wise Piece of Work must it have been to have attempted a Storm against double the Number of regular Troops within?

On the contrary, we were so favoured by the Situation, when we made the Attack from the Side of Monjouick, that the Breach was made and the Town taken without opening of Trenches, or without our being at all incommoded by any Sallies of the Enemy; as in truth they made not one during the whole Siege.  Our great Battery, which consisted of upwards of fifty heavy Cannon, supply’d from the Ships, and manag’d by the Seamen, were plac’d upon a Spot of rising Ground, just large enough to contain our Guns, with two deep hollow Ways on each Side the Field, at each End whereof we had rais’d a little Redoubt, which serv’d to preserve our Men from the Shot of the Town.  Those little Redoubts, in which we had some Field Pieces, flank’d the Battery, and render’d it intirely secure from any Surprize of the Enemy.  There were several other smaller Batteries rais’d upon the Hills adjacent, in Places not to be approach’d, which, in a manner, render’d all the Artillery of the Enemy useless, by reason their Men could not play ’em, but with the utmost Danger; whereas ours were secure, very few being kill’d, and those mostly by random Shot.