1705.

Capture of

siege to the city of Barcelona, though defended BOOK V. by a numerous garrison, and the force of the allies was to appearance utterly inadequate to so hazardous an enterprise. But the principal dependance was on the known disaffection of the inhabitants to the existing government. Deserters came daily from the town, who brought them Barcelona. much useful intelligence: the most important article was, that fort Monjuic, a castle of great strength, situated on the heights, which in a great measure commanded the town, was very ill guarded, under the idea that it was in no danger of attack. A resolution was immediately taken to attempt it by a coup de main. The prince of Hesse and the earl of Peterborough, putting themselves at the head of a chosen body of troops, after a nocturnal and circuitous march attained to the summit of the hill at break of day, September the 7th. At the first onset the prince of Hesse, an officer of extraordinary military skill and gallantry, fell mortally wounded. But the earl continued the assault with little prospect of success, till, the magazine of powder by some accident suddenly blowing up, the governor in consternation surrendered the fort. The city was now attacked with great advantage and increase of vigor on the part of the besiegers; and on the 9th of October the governor, don Francisco de Velasco, consented to capitulate; and the garri

BOOK V. son was allowed to march out with all the honors

1705. Rapid Successes of

duke.

of war.

No sooner was the surrender of Barcelona the Arch- known, than the whole province of Catalonia, the town of Roses excepted, declared in favor of king Charles III. The kingdom of Valencia, including its capital of the same name, rapidly followed the example of Catalonia-Alicant alone retaining its allegiance to king Philip and the victors stood astonished at their own extraordinary and unexpected success. But the condé de las Torres, a Spanish officer of great merit, entering Valencia at the head of a considerable army, the kingdom seemed in danger of being lost as quickly as it was won, The earl of Peterborough, marching to its relief with a very inferior force, raised the siege of St. Mattheo in eight days from his departure from Barcelona, though above thirty leagues distant, distinguishing himself by a series of the most daring and heroic actions; and after surmounting innumerable difficulties, and sustaining incredible fatigues, he at length made a triumphant entry into Valencia.

Session of

Parlia ment.

The new parliament met at Westminster October the 25th, 1705. Of 513 members, 457 were present at the choice of a speaker. The court declared for Mr. Smith, who had occupied the post of chancellor of the exchequer in the

cover their

ency.

late reign, a man of excellent understanding, of BOOK V. considerable parliamentary talents, and of great 1705. integrity and moderation. The tories, now in Whigs reavowed opposition to the court, nominated Mr. AscendBromley, member for the university of Oxford. On the division, Mr. Smith carried it by 250 to 207 voices--so that it clearly appeared, to the great joy of the nation in general, that a whig parliament was elected. Some months previous to the meeting of the new parliament, the duke of Buckingham, late marquis of Normanby, was dismissed from his office of lord privy seal, which was conferred upon the duke of Newcastle; and more recently the great seal had been taken from sir Nathan Wright lord keeper, and given (Oct. 11), under the same appellation, to Mr. William Cowper, soon after created lord Cowper-a lawyer very eminent in his profession, an eloquent and graceful orator, and zealously attached to the whig principles of 1688. The duke of Ormond was also in the ensuing spring superseded in the government of Ireland by the earl of Pembroke. The speech from the throne, ascribed to the new lord keeper, was much admired, and breathed the genuine spirit of liberty, as modified by the opinions and prejudices of the times. The queen declared her persuasion "that the two houses were convinced of the necessity of prosecuting the just war in which they were

1705.

BOOK V. engaged." She declared, "that nothing could be more evident than that, if the French king continued master of the Spanish monarchy, the balance of power in Europe would be utterly destroyed-and she affirmed that there was great ground to hope that, by the blessing of GoD, a good foundation was laid for its restoration to the house of Austria. She avowed her intention of appointing commissioners to treat of a union between the two kingdoms, agreeably to the powers vested in her by the parliaments of England and Scotland. But she said, there was another union which she thought herself obliged to recommend in the most earnest and affectionate manner-an union of minds and affections amongst ourselves. She could not but with grief observe, there were those who endeavoured to foment animosities, and some who were even malicious enough to suggest that the church was in danger; and she pronounced such persons to be enemies to her and the nation, and that they could only mean to cover designs which they dared not publicly to She concluded with expressing her firm resolution, affectionately to support the church by law established, and inviolably to maintain the toleration-using all her endeavours to promote the ease and safety of her subjects, and to make them a flourishing and happy people." The addresses were in the highest strain of loyalty and

own.

whiggism; and the tories, enraged to see the BOOK V. queen withdrawing from them her confidence 1705. and favor, and the principles of whiggism becoming thus prevalent and popular, determined to conform themselves to the times, and to outdo the whigs themselves in their zeal for liberty and protestantism.

Motion of

Princess

On the 15th of November, the lords being in Obnoxious a committee on the state of the nation, lord Ha- the Tories to bring versham, after a long speech expressive of his over the anxious concern for the safety of the queen, the Sophia. preservation of the constitution, and the security of the church, moved, "that an humble address be presented to her majesty, that her majesty will be graciously pleased to invite the presumptive heir to the crown of England, according to the acts of parliament made for settling the succession to the crown in the protestant line, into this kingdom, to reside here." This was strongly supported with great plausibility of argument by the duke of Buckingham, and the earls of Nottingham and Rochester. They urged, "that they had sworn to maintain the succession; and there were no means so sure to effect it, as to have the successor upon the spot ready to assert and defend his right. It appeared through our whole history, that, in case of competition, whoever came first into England had always carried it. And it was affirmed, that if the archduke had been resident in Spain at