march straight upon Madrid. This could
have been done with a certainty of success, for the west of Spain and
the capital had been denuded of troops for the invasion of Catalonia and
Valencia, and no more than two thousand men could have been collected to
oppose the invaders.

"If your majesty will undertake to do this," wrote the earl, "I will
undertake to maintain the province here, and perhaps to open a way to
Madrid."

But now, as before, this bold but really safe counsel was overruled by
Charles' German courtiers and he resolved to remain in Barcelona and
wait a siege.

As soon as Peterborough received the answer, he left a small garrison in
Valencia, and marched away with all the force he could collect, which,
however, numbered only two thousand foot and six hundred horse, while
de Noailles had no less than twenty thousand gathered round Barcelona.
Peterborough moved rapidly across the country, pushing forward at
the utmost speed of the troops till he arrived within two leagues of
Barcelona, and took up a strong position among the mountains, where he
was at once joined by the Count of Cifuentes and his peasant army.

"Ah, count," the earl said as he rode into his camp, "I am glad to see
you again. You did not succeed in stopping Tesse, but by all accounts
you mauled him handsomely. And now, what are our prospects?"

"Indeed, sir, they are not over bright, and I do not see that we can
effect much to aid the king. My men will fight well enough, as Captain
Stilwell has witnessed, when they choose their position and shoot behind
shelter, but they would be of no use whatever in a regular action; and
as to advancing into the plain to give battle with you against twenty
thousand regular troops, they would not attempt it, even if you were to
join your orders to mine."

"We will not ask them, count," Peterborough said. "I know the Miquelets
by this time. They are admirable for irregular war, but worse than
useless for anything else. All we will ask of them, count, is to scatter
in strong bodies over the hills, to guard every road, and cut off any
parties of the enemy who may venture to go out to gather provisions or
forage. If they can manage occasionally to threaten an attack upon the
French camp, so much the better."

The next morning a strong body of the French took post round Montjuich,
and at nine o'clock a force of infantry, supported by two squadrons of
horse, attempted to carry the western outworks by storm.