next Morning, and of their own accord offer’d to make his Lordship full Satisfaction, and that, in their own Phrase, de Contado, in Ready Money.  The Earl was not displeas’d at their Offer; but generously made Answer, That he was just come from my Lord Galway’s Camp at Chincon, where he found they were in a likelihood of wanting Bread; and as he imagin’d it might be easier to them to raise the Value in Corn, than in ready Money; if they would send to that Value in Corn to the Lord Galway’s Camp, he would be satisfy’d.  This they with Joy embrac’d, and immediately complied with.

I am apt to think the last Century (and I very much fear the Current will be as deficient) can hardly produce a parallel Instance of Generosity and true public Spiritedness; And the World will be of my Opinion, when I have corroborated this with another Passage some Years after.  The Commissioners for Stating the Debts due to the Army, meeting daily for that Purpose at their House in Darby Court in Channel Row, I there mentioned to Mr. Read, Gentleman to his Lordship, this very just and honourable Claim upon the Government, as Monies advanced for the Use of the Army.  Who told me in a little Time after, that he had mention’d it to his Lordship, but with no other Effect than to have it rejected with a generous Disdain.

While we stayed at Huette there was a little Incident in Life, which gave me great Diversion.  The Earl, who had always maintain’d a good Correspondence with the fair Sex, hearing from one of the Priests of the Place, That on the Alarm of burning the Town, one of the finest Ladies in all Spain had taken Refuge in the Nunnery, was desirous to speak with her.

The Nunnery stood upon a small rising Hill within the Town; and to obtain the View, the Earl had presently in his Head this Stratagem; he sends for me, as Engineer, to have my Advice, how to raise a proper Fortification upon that Hill out of the Nunnery.  I waited upon his Lordship to the Place, where declaring the Intent of our coming, and giving plausible Reasons for it, the Train took, and immediately the Lady Abbess, and the fair Lady, came out to make Intercession, That his Lordship would be pleas’d to lay aside that Design.  The divine Oratory of one, and the beautiful Charms of the other, prevail’d; so his Lordship left the Fortification to be the Work of some future Generation.

From Huette the Earl of Peterborow march’d forwards for Valencia, with only those fourscore Dragoons, which came with him from Chincon, leaving General Windham pursuing his own Orders to join his Forces to the Army then under the Command of the Lord Galway.  But stopping at Campilio, a little Town in our Way, his Lordship had Information of a most barbarous Fact committed that very Morning by the Spaniards, at a small Villa, about a League distant, upon some English Soldiers.