whom Lord Mahon justly attributes “high honour” as well as “great personal courage.”
King Charles agreed to accompany Lord Peterborough on an expedition to Barcelona, the Catalan capital. The result of the consultations is given in that Earl’s note to Admiral Sir George Rooke:—[1]
20th July 1705.
“Upon the letter of my Lord Godolphin and the Secretary of State, the King of Spain, his ministers, my Lord Galway, and myself have concluded there was no other attempt to be made but upon Catalonia, where all advices agree that 6000 men and 1200 horse are ready expecting our arrival with a general good-will of all the people.
“The Portuguese have entirely refused to join in any design against Cadiz; and by a copy of my Lord Galway’s letter, writ when under sail, you will find he is in an utter despair of their attempting anything this year; so that by our instructions it will appear that there is no other enterprise left for our choice. — I am, &c.
“Peterborow.”
The cordial co-operation of both Lord Galway and Mr. Methuen in this project had better be given in Lord Peterborough’s own account of it, addressed to Mr. Hill:—
“28th Aug. 1705. — My Lord Galway, without orders, upon the King of Spain’s embarking, and the intelligence received from you and Mr. Crowe, ordered six regiments, two of dragoons and four of foot, with money for three months for their subsistence; and the Ambassador Methuen advanced ,£30,000, without any orders from home, upon so extraordinary an expedition.” And returning to the subject, on the 28th October, he adds, “To get an old minister to draw bills without order, to get a general to part with troops from his own command, are things not easily obtained.”[2]
The royal flotilla having arrived at Gibraltar, the Prince of Hesse, and the infantry granted by Lord Galway, were taken on board. Lord Peterborough’s brilliant successes at Barcelona are matters of history, and he might well be proud of them. But for want of a true policy, it was in spite of himself that the one glory of his life was earned. When they were all embarked off Gibraltar, deliberations were re-opened, and (to quote Lord Mahon) Lord Peterborough “considered it of greater (or at least of more immediate) importance to relieve the Duke of Savoy from the pressure of the French, and to postpone till afterwards any attempt on Spain. But the Prince of Hesse, as a German, soon obtained a great ascendancy over the mind of his countryman, the Archduke; and that young Prince so warmly espoused his idea of besieging Barcelona, that at length a reluctant consent was wrung from the English general, and the expedition set sail for this momentous enterprise.”
Sec. 12 — From July 1705 to Lord Galway’s March to Madrid in 1706.
The Portuguese were damped by the departure of King Charles, as they required excitement and flattery to keep them up to the fighting pitch. It was October before they would begin the siege of Badajoz.
The Earl of Galway sent the following despatch to Lord Godolphin, dated from Lisbon, July 13, 1705:—
“My Lord, — I ought to apprise you, that in the last conference they warmly maintained that it was not possible to take the field in this country, either this summer or autumn. This was openly the advice of the Duke of Cadaval; the Count of Alvar spoke in the same manner. Put, in general, Monsieur Fagel supported the opinion by finding difficulties in all the projects which could be proposed. The Marquis of Alagrete himself appeared uncertain. They have deferred examining any proposition till the Marquis das Minas and the Count Atalaya are here. They have been ordered to come. I see very well that they expressly delay entering on business in order that when it shall be time to take the field nothing shall be ready, and that the rains may serve as an excuse to prevent the troops from marching. However, I will lose no time; I will press so much that I will force them to do something, or to declare that they will not do it. I send you a copy of the memorial, which I am resolved to send tomorrow to the king, if I cannot deliver it to him myself. The departure of the King of Spain disturbs them. The illness of the King of Portugal augments, and gives occasion to many intrigues. If this misfortune [that king’s death] arrives, there is great appearance that the Duke of Cadaval will be master; then nothing will keep the Portuguese in our interests but fear, and nothing terrifies them so much as our fleet. Besides the other reasons which 1 have taken the liberty to allege to you to have it winter here, at least the greater part, the last is not to be despised. — I am, &c,
“Gallway.”
