nd
thus ended that Conference.

I remember upon some other occasional Conversation after, the Provincial
told me, that in the _Carmelite_ Nunnery next to his Convent, and under
his Care, there was a Nun, that was Daughter to _Don Juan_ of _Austria_;
if so, her Age must render her venerable, as her Quality.

Taking notice one Day, that all the People of the Place fetch'd their
Water from a Well without the Town, altho' they had many seemingly as
good within; I spoke to _Don Felix_ of it, who gave me, under the Seal
of Secrecy, this Reason for it:

"When the Seat of the War," said he, "lay in these Parts, the _French_
Train of Artillery was commonly quarter'd in this Place; the Officers
and Soldiers of which were so very rampant and rude, in attempting to
debauch our Women, that there is not a Well within the Town, which has
not some _French_ Mens Bones at the bottom of it; therefore the Natives,
who are sensible of it, choose rather to go farther a field."

By this Well there runs a little Rivulet, which gives head to that
famous River call'd the _Guadiana_; which running for some Leagues under
Ground, affords a pretence for the Natives to boast of a Bridge on which
they feed many Thousands of Sheep. When it rises again, it is a fine
large River, and after a Currency of many Leagues, empties it self into
the _Atlantick_ Ocean.

As to military Affairs, _Almanar_ and _Saragosa_ were Victories so
compleat, that no Body made the least doubt of their settling the Crown
of _Spain_ upon the Head of _Charles_ the Third, without a Rival. This
was not barely the Opinion of his Friends, but his very Enemies resign'd
all Hope or Expectation in favour of King _Philip_. The _Castilians_,
his most faithful Friends, entertain'd no other Imagination; for after
they had advis'd, and prevail'd that the Queen with the Prince of
_Asturias_ should be sent to _Victoria_; under the same Despondency, and
a full Dispiritedness, they gave him so little Encouragement to stay in
_Madrid_, that he immediately quitted the Place, with a Resolution to
retire into his Grandfather's Dominions, the Place of his Nativity.

In his way to which, even on the last Day's Journey, it was his great
good Fortune to meet the Duke of _Vendome_, with some few Troops, which
his Grandfather _Lewis_ XIV. of _France_ had order'd to his Succour,
under that Duke's Command. The Duke was grievously affected at such an
unexpected Catastrophe; nevertheless, he left nothin