King Philip, and the Mareschal of France, had not fail’d to push on the Siege with all imaginable Vigour; but this Retreat of the Count de Tholouse, and the News of those Reinforcements, soon chang’d the Scene.  Their Courage without was abated proportionably, as theirs within was elated.  In these Circumstances, a Council of War being call’d, it was unanimously resolv’d to raise the Siege.  Accordingly, next Morning, the first of May, 1706, while the Sun was under a total Eclypse, in a suitable Hurry and Confusion, they broke up, leaving behind them most of their Cannon and Mortars, together with vast Quantities of all sorts of Ammunition and Provisions, scarce stopping to look back till they had left all but the very Verge of the disputed Dominion behind them.

King Charles look’d with new Pleasure upon this lucky Effort of his old Deliverers.  Captivity is a State no way desirable to Persons however brave, of the most private Station in Life; but for a King, within two Days of falling into the Hands of his Rival, to receive so seasonable and unexpected a Deliverance, must be supposed, as it really did, to open a Scene to universal Rejoicing among us, too high for any Words to express, or any Thoughts to imagine, to those that were not present and Partakers of it.  He forthwith gave Orders for a Medal to be struck suitable to the Occasion; one of which, set round with Diamonds, he presented to Sir John Leake, the English Admiral.  The next Orders were for re-casting all the damag’d brass Cannon which the Enemy had left; upon every one of which was, by order, a Sun eclyps’d, with this Motto under it:  Magna parvis obscurantur.

I have often wonder’d that I never heard any Body curious enough to enquire what could be the Motives to the King of Spain’s quitting his Dominions upon the raising of this Siege; very certain it is that he had a fine Army, under the Command of a Mareschal of France, not very considerably decreas’d, either by Action or Desertion:  But all this would rather increase the Curiosity than abate it.  In my Opinion then, though Men might have Curiosity enough, the Question was purposely evaded, under an Apprehension that an honest Answer must inevitably give a higher Idea of the General than their Inclinations led them to.  At first View this may carry the Face of a Paradox; yet if the Reader will consider, that in every Age Virtue has had its Shaders or Maligners, he will himself easily solve it, at the same time that he finds himself compell’d to allow, that those, who found themselves unable to prevent his great Services, were willing, in a more subtil Manner, to endeavour at the annulling of them by Silence and Concealment.