In a few days after the capture of Fort St. Michael, the besieging army formed to fire a _feu-de-joie_ for the taking of Landau by the Germans, when the people and garrison of _Venloo_, supposing a general attack was about to be made on the town, induced the governor to surrender. The SEVENTEENTH were afterwards employed in the siege of _Ruremonde_, which fortress was invested towards the end of September, and was forced to surrender before the middle of October. Rejoining the main army after the surrender of Ruremonde, the regiment advanced to the city of _Liege_, and its grenadier company was engaged in the siege of the citadel, which was captured by storm on the 23rd of October. After these conquests the regiment marched back to Holland. [Sidenote: 1703] Towards the end of April, 1703, the regiment marched in the direction of Maestricht, and it was in position near that city when the French army under Marshal Villeroy and Marshal Boufflers approached, and some cannonading occurred, but the enemy did not hazard a general engagement. The Duke of Marlborough assembled the army, and the SEVENTEENTH took part in the movements which occasioned the French commanders to make a sudden retreat from their position at Tongres, and to take post behind their fortified lines; where the English general was desirous of attacking them, but he was prevented by the Dutch generals and field-deputies. The services of the SEVENTEENTH regiment were afterwards connected with the siege of _Huy_, a strong fortress on the river Maese, above the city of Liege, which was captured in ten days. Another proposal to attack the French lines having been objected to by the Dutch, the regiment was employed in covering the siege of _Limburg_, a city of the Spanish Netherlands situate on a pleasant eminence among the woods near the banks of the river Weze. The siege of this place commenced on the 10th of September, and on the 28th the garrison surrendered. On the 26th of August Lieut.-Colonel Blood was promoted to the colonelcy of the regiment, in succession to Colonel Sir Matthew Bridges. During the summer of this year, Archduke Charles of Austria was acknowledged as King of Spain, by England, Holland, and several other states of Europe; and the SEVENTEENTH regiment was one of the corps selected to proceed with him to Portugal, to endeavour to place him on the throne of Spain by force of arms. [Sidenote: 1704] The regiment embarked from Holland in October, and sailed to Portsmouth, where it was detained by contrary winds; it put to sea in January, 1704, but, encountering a severe storm, was driven back to port, and several ships of the fleet were much damaged. The voyage was afterwards resumed, the regiment arrived at Lisbon in the early part of March, and landed on the 15th of that month. The King of Portugal being afraid to intrust the protection of his frontier towns to his own troops, the British regiments were placed in garrison.