nsider two letters of the
king, in which he again urged the allied generals to attack the city.
He proposed that a battery of fifty guns should be erected to breach
the wall between two of the bastions, and that the whole strength of the
army should be thrown upon an assault. He acknowledged the force of the
several objections to the attack, but urged that in such a case vigorous
action was the safest. He dwelt upon the ruin that must fall upon such
of his subjects as had declared for him if abandoned to their fate, and
concluded by declaring that he at least would not desert them.

The appeal failed to move any of the council with the exception of
Peterborough himself, and he alone voted, although in opposition to his
own judgment, in compliance with the king's plan. Notwithstanding the
adverse decision of the council the horses and dragoons were landed on
the 24th.

On the 25th, the 26th, and the 28th the council again assembled to
deliberate upon an earnest request of the king that they should attempt
the siege for a period of eighteen days. The first decision was adverse,
two only voting with Lord Peterborough for the siege. At the second
council, his influence succeeded in obtaining a majority; but at the
third, they agreed to abandon the attempt, even the commander in chief
concurring.

The cause of this sudden reversal of their opinion was that none of the
workmen whom they had demanded from the leaders of the Catalan peasantry
had appeared, and they felt it impossible to carry on the works and
erect the siege batteries without such assistance. Nevertheless
the peasantry gave effectual aid in landing the artillery, tents,
ammunition, and stores. On the 28th the king landed amid a great
concourse of people, who received him with every demonstration of
enthusiasm, and he could with difficulty make his way through them to
the camp prepared for him near San Martino.

The presence of the king on shore added to the difficulties of the
situation. He and his following of German courtiers complained bitterly
of the disinclination of the allies to undertake the siege, while
the allies were incensed against those who reproached them for not
undertaking impossibilities. Dissension spread between the allies
themselves, and the Dutch general declared that he would disobey the
orders of the commander in chief rather than vainly sacrifice his men.

Peterborough was driven nearly out of his mind by the reproaches and
recrim