But to proceed, tho’ the Citizens, and all Sorts of People, were redundant in their various Expressions of Joy, for an Entry so surprizing, and utterly lost to their Expedition, whatever it was to their Wishes, the Earl had a secret Concern for the Publick, which lay gnawing at his Heart, and which yet he was forced to conceal.  He knew that he had not four thousand Soldiers in the Place, and not Powder or Ammunition for those; nor any Provisions lay’d in for any thing like a Siege.  On the other Hand, the Enemy without were upwards of seven Thousand, with a Body of four Thousand more, not fifteen Leagues off, on their March to join them.  Add to this, the Marechal de Thesse was no farther off than Madrid, a very few Days’ March from Valencia; a short Way indeed for the Earl (who, as was said before, was wholly unprovided for a Siege, which was reported to be the sole End of the Mareschal’s moving that Way.) But the Earl’s never-failing Genius resolv’d again to attempt that by Art, which the Strength of his Forces utterly disallow’d him.  And in the first Place, his Intelligence telling him that sixteen twenty-four Pounders, with Stores and Ammunition answerable for a Siege, were ship’d off for the Enemy’s Service at Alicant, the Earl forthwith lays a Design, and with his usual Success intercepts ’em all, supplying that way his own Necessities at the Expence of the Enemy.

The four thousand Men ready to reinforce the Troops nearer Valencia, were the next Point to be undertaken; but hic labor, hoc opus; since the greater Body under the Conde de las Torres (who, with Mahoni, was now reinstated in his Post) lay between the Earl and those Troops intended to be dispers’d.  And what inhaunc’d the Difficulty, the River Xucar must be passed in almost the Face of the Enemy.  Great Disadvantages as these were, they did not discourage the Earl.  He detach’d by Night four hundred Horse and eight hundred Foot, who march’d with such hasty Silence, that they surpriz’d that great Body, routed ’em, and brought into Valencia six hundred Prisoners very safely, notwithstanding they were oblig’d, under the same Night-Covert, to pass very near a Body of three Thousand of the Enemy’s Horse.  Such a prodigious Victory would hardly have gain’d Credit in that City, if the Prisoners brought in had not been living Witnesses of the Action as well as the Triumph.  The Conde de las Torres, upon these two military Rebuffs, drew off to a more convenient Distance, and left the Earl a little more at ease in his new Quarters.

Here the Earl of Peterborow made his Residence for some time.  He was extreamly well belov’d, his affable Behaviour exacted as much from all; and he preserv’d such a good Correspondence with the Priests and the Ladies, that he never fail’d of the most early and best Intelligence, a thing by no means to be slighted in the common Course of Life; but much more commendable and necessary in a General, with so small an Army, at open War, and in the Heart of his Enemy’s Country.