Military Memoirs of Capt. George CarletonDefoe, Daniel
History
Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories; Great Britain -- History, Military -- Fiction; Soldiers -- Fiction
In short, the Breach in a very few Days after was found wholly
practicable; and all Things were got ready for a general Storm. Which
Don _Valasco_ the Governor being sensible of, immediately beat a Parley;
upon which it was, among other Articles, concluded, that the Town should
be surrender'd in three Days; and the better to ensure it, the Bastion,
which commanded the Port St. _Angelo_, was directly put into our
Possession.
But before the Expiration of the limited three Days, a very unexpected
Accident fell out, which hasten'd the Surrender. Don _Valasco_, during
his Government, had behav'd himself very arbitrarily, and thereby
procur'd, as the Consequence of it, a large Proportion of ill will, not
only among the Townsmen, but among the _Miquelets_, who had, in their
Zeal to King _Charles_, flock'd from all Parts of _Catalonia_ to the
Siege of their Capital; and who, on the Signing of the Articles of
Surrender, had found various Ways, being well acquainted with the most
private Avenues, to get by Night into the Town: So that early in the
Morning they began to plunder all that they knew Enemies to King
_Charles_, or thought Friends to the Prince his Competitor.
Their main Design was upon _Valasco_ the Governor, whom, if they could
have got into their Hands, it was not to be question'd, but as far as
his Life and Limbs would have serv'd, they would have sufficiently
satiated their Vengeance upon. He expected no less; and therefore
concealed himself, till the Earl of _Peterborow_ could give Orders for
his more safe and private Conveyance by Sea to _Alicant_.
Nevertheless, in the Town all was in the utmost Confusion; which the
Earl of _Peterborow_, at the very first hearing, hastened to appease;
with his usual Alacrity he rid all alone to Port St. _Angelo_, where at
that time my self happen'd to be; and demanding to be admitted, the
Officer of the Guard, under Fear and Surprise, open'd the Wicket,
through which the Earl enter'd, and I after him.
Scarce had we gone a hundred Paces, when we saw a Lady of apparent
Quality, and indisputable Beauty, in a strange, but most affecting
Agony, flying from the apprehended Fury of the _Miquelets_; her lovely
Hair was all flowing about her Shoulders, which, and the Consternation
she was in, rather added to, than any thing diminish'd from the Charms
of an Excess of Beauty. She, as is very natural to People in Distress,
made up directly to the Earl, her Eyes satisfying her he was a Person
likely to give her all the Protection she wanted. And as soon as ever
she came near enough, in a Manner that declar'd her Quality before she
spoke, she crav'd that Protection, telling him, the better to secure it,
who it was that ask'd it. But the generous Earl presently convinc'd her,
he wanted no Intreaties, having, before he knew her to be the Dutchess
of _Popoli_, taken her by the Hand, in order to convey her through the
Wicket which he enter'd at, to a Place of Safety without the Town.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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