AN Impartial Relation OF THE Siege and Surrender OF MONS.   

An Impartial ACCOUNT OF THE Late Famous Siege, And Most Noble Defence Of the CITY of MONS, With the REASONS of its SURRENDER.  
Being a Summary Relation, Of all the Particular Sallies, Assaults, Attacks, Skirmishes, Rencounters, and other Actions, both within the City, and in the Camp of the FRENCH KING: With the Number of the Slain and Wounded, and the Great Officers in the French Camp.  
As it was Delivered in Sundry Letters, from Credible Persons There, to Persons of Eminent Quality in London.  

licenced,  
April the 6th, 1691. J. Fraiser.   
LONDON, Printed for Richard Waterton, next Door to the Blue-Anchor- Inn in Duck-Lane, near West-Smithfield. 1691. Price 3d.   

An Impartial Account of the Late Famous Siege, and most Noble Defence of MONS, &c.  
MONS, as it hath been the Miracle of the Age, and Wonder of its Enemies( for unparalleled Courage and Resolution) ought now to be the Work of each Ingenious Writer, and Discourse of every marshal Man. famed has already spoken sufficient in the praise of that undaunted City, whose Actions I now mean to particularise.  
But before I enter upon the particulars of the Siege, I shall give the Reader an Account of the Province of Hanault, and situation of Mons. Hanault is so name of the River Hayne, which runs through it. It is the chief of the Walloon Provinces, it bordereth on the North with Brabant and Flanders, belonging to the King of Spain, on the South with Champain and Piccardy, two Provinces belonging to the French, on the East with the Province of Namur, and on the West with the shield, and part of Flanders Gallican. It is twenty Leagues long, and sixteen broad; the Air is wholesome, and the Soil good, by reason that the Country is watered with many Rivers, as the Scheld, the Sambre, the Tender, and many other small Rivulets: There are also in it many Lakes, Marshes, pounds, Pools, Fountains, goodly Woods and pleasant Forests. It aboundeth with fragrant and fair Pastures and Meadows for all kind of Cattle, with good Fruits and profitable Trees, and is replenished with great plenty of good Corn. In some part of it are Iron-Mines, led, and Quarries of ston, for all kind of Buildings, with great Store of White-lime and Coal.  
In this Country are Twenty Four Walled Towns; namely, Mons, Valenciennes, Bouchain, Quesnoy, Conat, Landressy, Amesnes, Chimay, Mariemburg, Segny, Brain le count, Eughien, hall, Lesme, Cheure, Ath, St. Guisline, and Leaze. There are also 950 Villages, with many Castles and Signiories. Many of the Villages are great and fair, and have Titles of Honour annexed to them; as, Pequicourt, Fontayn, Laling, Montigny, Antonig, Barlamon, Barbauson, Aimeries, and many others.  
The City of MONS, or Berghen, receives its Name from its situation, which latter, in their Language, signifies a Mountain or Hill; but the rise of the Earth there is so gentle, as it cannot be said to be Mountainous.  
The City is strong, as well by natural situation, as the mutual Industry of Fortifications. It is cut through on the lower side by a little Rivulet called Trulla, which as soon as it goes out of it, falls into another somewhat bigger, called Hayne, which crossing through the Province, before it be gotten quiter out, falls into the Scheld; and on this side is a Moras, the Earth here being very spongy: It's Fortified likewise round about with strong and excellent Walls, Turrets, and Gates; to which are joined many Regular Works, according to the Modern way, as Hornworks, Half-Moons, Counterscarps, Bastions, Redoubts, &c. there are likewise three large deep Ditches or Moats, with a strong Castle or citadel, very good Ramparts, and a River running by the Fortifications.  
The Buildings of the City, both private and public, were very fair and beautiful; here is the noble Nunnery of St. Valdrude; their Churches are Built after the Ancient manner of Architecture, with sumptuous Arches, and goodly Pillars of Marble and Porphyry; the Stadt Heuse or Town-Hall is of excellent Workmanship. This City was surprised by the French huguenots in the Year 1572. who got in great quantities of Arms in fats, under pretence of merchandise; and having seized on the Gates, they let in the Army of Count Lodowick of Nassau, Brother to a William Prince of Orange, but it was soon after retaken for the King of Spain, by the Duke of Alva. The Prince de Bergh, who was the late Governor, has his Title from the Place, and most, or all his Estate lies in the Province, he is related to the House of Nassau.  

The First Letter.  
THe French King having had a longing desire to bring this City to his Subjection, resolved, by an early Campaign, on the attempting of it this Spring, pursuant to which Resolutions, he caused to be laid up this last Winter in Valenciennes, Cambray, and other Frontier Places, vast and almost Incredible quantities of Hay, Oats, and other forage for a numerous Army of Horse: And having given Orders to his Generals to draw his Troops from their several Quarters, as well on the side of the Rhine, as in Flanders, sending the very Troops of his household, Grand musketeers, Gens d' Arms, and Light Horse, &c. On the 14 of March, New-Stile, the French Army, Commanded by the Duke of Luxenburgh, and the Marquis de Boufflers, &c. directed their March towards Mons. On the 15th, their Cavalry, consisting of 42 Squadrons, began to Invest it in a formal manner. The 16th and 17th was spent chiefly in the Marching up of the Foot, and the Regular placing them in their several Posts. On the 18th the Marquis de Boufflers sent a Summons to the Prince de Bergue, to Surrender the Town on Honourable Conditions, telling him, The King, the Dauphine, and all the flower of France would be there to oblige him to it: But the Prince rejected his Proposals, telling him, That he was glad to hear that so great a King would be there in Person, to be witness of the Gallant and Brave Defence he was resolved to make; at the same time, as well Burghers as Regular Troops, with an unanimous Voice and undaunted Resolutions, resolved to defend it to the utmost of their Lives and Fortunes; which Answers, not suiting with the French desire, nor the hopes they had of an early Surrender, made them prepare for Action. This Evening the Garrison made a Sally on the Enemy, with 1800 young Men of the Town on Foot, and Four Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons, Commanded by Colonel Harcourt; and in this Action they cut off 500 of the French. The 19th the French began to work on their Line of Circumvallation, having forced in near 20000 Boors or Country People that Inhabit in the Neighbourhood of Mons, employing them as well in working on their Lines, as digging drains for the Marshes, which rendered the Town inaccessible on the side towards France; and for the more effectual draining of the Moras, they brought along with them new Invented Machines, likewise great Planks for their Cannon: They worked very hard in their Trenches, the 19th, 20th, and 21st. On the other side, the Garrison was not Idle: On the 20th, the Inhabitants made a great Fire to destroy the Blinds of the Enemy: And on Sunday the 21st, they made a great Sally in order to demolish a Fortified Mill near the Counterscarp; in which Action 200 French were Killed and Drowned. On the 22d, the French King came into the Camp in Person, being accompanied with the Dauphin, the Duke de Charles, the Prince of Conde, &c. and as the French gave out, That the King brought with him Seven Millions in Gold, to distribute among such as should signalise their Valour in the Siege: It was thought that the Trenches would have been opened this day, but not being ready, the French King made very little stay in the Camp, but returned to St. Guislain, where he has his Quarters; and the Dauphin to his Quarters at Maubeuge. The French King thinking himself so sure of reducing the Place immediately, that while he was in the Camp, he gave the Gevernment of it to the Sieur de Rubenton, a Colonel of his Guards.   

The Second Letter.  
THe Garrison of Mons was Composed of 6 Regiments of Dutch, 2 of Germans, 2 of Walloons, one of Spaniards, and 800 Spanish Horse, making in all about 6500 Men; and the Burghers that bore Arms in the Town were about the same Number, most of them Disciplined and well experienced Men; the Garrison, to prevent their being incommoded by the Enemies Bombs, immediately applied themselves to uncover their Houses, and unpave their Street; the Regular Garrison had generally the Command of the Out-Works, and the Burghers, that of the Ramparts, and in the Town the Magazines; it being their own voluntary desire, and there was always a great Harmony and good understanding between the Burghers and the Regular Troops; there was a Treasonable practise discovered in the Town to have blown up the great Magazine of Powder, which was very near taking effect, the lighted Match being found within few Inches of the Train, several of the Conspirators were seized,( proving to be French Spies;) But the Principal who was an Advocate, and out of whose Garden the Mine was made, made his Escape to the French Army. On the 24th. Colonel Branaccio, and several other considerable Officers got into the Town; At the same time the Prince de Beigne, the governor, sent a Gentleman to the Marquis de Castanaga governor of Flanders, to Inform him of the State and Condition of the Town. On the 25th. Monsieur Lovis sent a Bravado Message to the Magistrates and Burghers of Mons, that in consideration the King had been there in Person, for every day they held out, they should pay One hundred Crowns.  
On the other Hand, A Gentleman got into the Town, with a Message from the governor of Flanders, wherein he acquainted the Magistrates and Burghers, that they should be freed from Taxes for twenty Years if they defended the Place till Relief came; At a council of War in the French Camp, at which were the Famous Monsieur Vaubon, and four other Engineers, they assured the King that he should take the Place in 10 Days, from the time of his Troops first appearing before it; public Prayers were made at Paris, and in all the French Conquests for the Success of the French Army at this Siege.   

The Third Letter.  
ON the 26th. about Eleven a Clock at Noon, the French opened their Trenches with three Batteries, with which they began to play on the Town; their Lines of Circumvallation were of a vast Circuit, extending at least four Leagues, their Trenches were eight Foot deep, and twenty two Foot broad. In the Afternoon of the same Day, the French began to play on the Town, from three Batteries, one near the Gate of Barlemont, the other betwixt the Gates of Havery and Nimy; they continued for three Days, successively, to Fire very furiously, and threw into the Place great Numbers of Bombs, many of which were of 500 l. weight; they continued to Batter the Plac● with 150 pieces of Cannon, most of which were 48 pounders. The French King, at his Arrival in the Camp on the 22th. took a Review of his Army, which was then increased to 48000 Foot, and 20000 Horse, without Reckoning the Army under the Marshal de Humeirs, which lay 4 Leagues from Mons, and consisted of 20000 Men, being designed to observe the Confederates on the cost of Lisle, and, if occasion were, to join the French Army. The French Bombs on the first and second days after the opening the Trenches, set several Houses on Fire in the Town; but by the indefatigable Industry of the Burghers, they were soon Quenched; one of their first Batteries, by reason of the looseness of the Earth, su●●● in, that their Balls could hardly reach the Walls of the City; they kept playing from Morning till Night, and by Night set forward their Approaches. The Enemy on the 27th. made several Attacks on the Outworks, but particularly on a Wind-Mill Hill, and a Redoubt, which stands near the Suburbs, on the River; but were as often, with great Bravery, Repulsed by the Garrison, with the loss of 800 Men, among which were several considerable Officers: But, with their fourth Attack in the Evening, they made themselves Masters of it. But the next Morning the Besieged retook it, who not being able to keep it, blew up the Mill, and retired into the Town: In these four Assaults the French lost 2000 Men.  
On Thursday the 29th, early in the Morning, the Enemy made a great and Vigorous Attack upon an Half-Moon, which was the Outwork that covered the Hornwork that's next the Gate of Barlemont,( on which side chiefly they attacked the Town,) but were received by the Besieged, with great Resolution and Bravery; and after a very sharp Dispute, the French were beaten back with a great Slaughter; and soon after the Besieged made three very successful Sallies; In which, and in the Attack the French just before made on the Horn-work, they killed above 1200 Men, with little loss on the side of the Besieged; The French were likewise observed to carry away above 60 Wagon-Loads of their Wounded Men, to the Camp.   

The Fourth Letter.  
ON the 30th, the French Troops were observed to be in a continual Motion from one side of their Camp to the other, which plainly discovered their uneasiness, for fear Relief should come to the Town; the next day they ordered a Camp to be Marked out, for 50000 Chosen Men, Commanded by the Dauphin; at the same time they ordered great Numbers of the Boars to be employed in Cutting down Timber-Trees, to be assistant to them, in barricading up the covered Road that leads to brussels. April the first, the Enemies Cannon having widened the Breach in the Half-Moon, of the Hornwork that's next to the Gate of Barlemont, they gave order for the Storming of it a third time, which they did with 7000 chosen Men, a great part of which were swissers; and after a sharp Dispute, wherein they had killed a great many Men, they carried the Fort; the French had killed and wounded in these three several Assaults,( as the Deserters give account) above 3000 Men, among which were many Officers of Note; the first Attack they made was with 4000, the second with 6000, and this last with 7000. By Deserters, that lately arrived in the Town, we understood that the French Army were increased to a vast Body, there being the chief Force and Flower of France, as likewise most of the English Gentlemen and Officers, who were Retainers on the late King James; that the French were judged to be in the whole, that is, in the Trenches before the Place, in their Camp, and upon the Lines in Flanders, about 85 Battalions, and 200 Squadrons; that is about One hundred thousand Men, of which there was already killed, Sick and Wounded about twelve thousand: That the Marquis de Boufler's Head-Quarters were at the abbey of St. Dennis; and those of the Marshal de Luxenburg, the same he had in the year 1678, when the Prince of Orange obliged him to quit the Bloccus of Mons: That the great Officers of the French▪ Army, were mightily surprised at the Vigorous Defence made by the Besieged; for that when they first set down before it, they expected to have carried the Place in few days: That besides Bouflers and Luxenburg, there was in the Camp the Marshal de Duras, and la Fevillade, who Commanded as Generals; and under them Commanded the Prince de Soubize, the Marquis de Foyeuse, the Sieur du Rubantel, the Duke de Vendesme, and the Sieur Rose, as Lieutenant-Generals; and the Marquis de Villars, the Marquis de Congis, the Duke de Bourbon, the Prince de Conti, the Duke de main, the Grand Prior of France, and the Count de mount Chevrevil, as Marshals de Camp.   

The Fifth Letter.  
HIS britannic Majesty, having received an Account at Loo, by an Express from the Marquis de Castanaga, That on the 15th past, the City of Mons was Invested by the French Cavalry, prepared for his speedy Return to the Hague; and in the mean time gave Orders for the drawing together, with all possible diligence, the Troops of Holland, brandenburg, Liege, &c. and that they should March directly to the Neighbourhood of Brussels. On the 21st, in the Evening, the King arrived at the Hague: Prince Waldeck waited on His Majesty that Night; and having received His Orders, went the next day to Brussels. On the 26th, the King left the Hague, taking his Journey to Flanders, by the way of Breda: The Duke of Zell followed His Majesty on the 27th, accompanied with the Baron de Chanvet, of the Lunenburg Forces. His Majesty, before His departure from the Hague, declared the Count de Solms General of the Foot; the Earl of Portland, Monsieur Overkirk, Monsieur Opdam, and Monsieur Zulestine, Monsieur Holsoppel, Count Tilly, and Monsieur Ittersum, mayor Generals of the Horse; and Count Walraet of Nassau, Monsieur Zobel, Monsieur du Tel, and Count Noyelles, mayor Generals of Foot. On the 26th, in the Evening, the King arrived at Bred● where he was received with all possible demonstrations of Joy& Respect: His Majesty continued there till Sunday-Morning; at which time He set forward for Vilvoord, in his way to Hall, in order to put himself at the Head of the Confederate-Army, that was Rendezvouzing there; which Place is about six English Miles from Brussels, in the Road to Mons. On Saturday the first of April, the King set forward for Vilvoord, and Arrived there late that Night. On monday His Majesty viewed, and on Tuesday Mustered His Army, and Encamped in the Neighbourhood of Brussels. On Wednesday the Army Marched to Hall, where they expected the coming up of the Troops that had not joined them, as well as part of the Artillery. On Thursday the 6th, about Three in the Afternoon, at which time, all the Troops and Artillery were not come up; but the King viewed then 30000 Foot, and 15000 Horse: The Train of Artillery is composed of 71 Pieces of Cannon, and 14 Mortars. This Evening the Scotch Regiments of Infantry, and the Spanish Cavalry, arrived in our Camp, to the Number of about 7000 Men. Great numbers of swissers daily Desert, and come into our Camp from the French Army; they give an Account of the hard Treatment they have received in this Siege, from the French King; That they were always forced on the most desperate Attacks, and yet refused the Exercise of their Religion: They likewise tell us, that a most Malignant Flux raged much in the French Camp, great number of wagons, with Sick and Wounded Men, going daily from the French-Camp to the adjacent Towns; and likewise, That the French had lost many of their best Officers and Engineers in the Siege.   

The Sixth Letter.  
BY Deserters that lately come into the Town, from the French-Camp, we received an Account, That the Sieur Megrim, a Famous Engineer, having been Wounded in both his Arms, the French King had given Orders for his immediate carrying to tourney, and given directions for some of his own chirurgeons to take care of him: That the King had forbid all the great Officers of the Army to quit their Posts; not being without his Fears, that he should be attacked by the King of Great Britain: He likewise Commanded the Duke de charters, not to go into the Trenches without his Order: That on the 18th some of our Deserters came into the French-Camp; who assured them, That we had abundance of all things in the City; and that every day some entred the Town, by the Marshes; and that we were daily in expectation of Succours: on which they ordered the Marshes to be more narrowly Guarded; and that they would make their utmost Efforts, for the more speedy carrying the Place: that the Duke de main, and the Grand Prior of France, were killed in the Trenches; and that the Marquis de Boufflers, and the Duke de Vendosme, were dangerously Wounded: That in the several Attacks they made on the Half-Moon of the Horn-Work, they had lost above 6000 Men. We cannot sufficiently express the Courage of the Besieged; the Parents could scarce keep their Children, the Wives their Husbands, and those of the most Wealthy of the Inhabitants, from running into the greatest dangers, through Fire and Power. And as the Garrison consisted of divers Nations, they striven with a kind of Emulation, every one to signalise himself for the Honour of his Country.  
Last Saturday Night, the Enemy made a great Assault upon that part of the Counterscarp, that lies between the Horn-work, and the Two Half-Moons, but were beat back with very great loss; having besides 2000 private Sentinels and Subalteran Officers, Fifteen Captains Killed, out of Twenty that Commanded the Party; but the Town having so bravely repulsed the Enemy in so many Attacks, and particularly on Saturday the 7th, at Night; the next day being Sunday, they made another Attack, more furious than the rest; and, after some hours Dispute, with a great Slaughter to the French, they carried the Fort; the Taking of which being of so great Importance, rendering their Approaches and Access to the Town very easy: That the next Morning, being the 9th, the Burghers, being animated by the Clergy, without the Governors or Garrisons knowledge or consent, caused a White-Flag to be hung out( to prevent the Effects of the Enemies intended Storm) and a Cessation of Arms being agreed on, and Hostages exchanged on both sides, the Articles of Capitulation were Signed about Two in the Afternoon; whereas before that, the French Army was ready to draw off, despairing of Taking it by Force.   
FINIS.   

ADVERTISEMENT.  
AN Impartial Relation of all the Transactions between the Army of the Confederates, and That of the French King, in their Last Summers Campaign in Flanders: With a more particular Respect to the Battle of Fleury. The Character of the Generals, and the Reasons of that most unhappy Miscarriage. With a List of the Great Officers Slain. Also, Observations on the late Grand-Consultations at the Hague; and the New Measures that are taken, for the Opening the ensuing Campaign, compared with Those of the Last. To which are added, Brief Instructions and Encouragement to those English Gentlemen, that are going to Serve in the approaching Campaign: Also, A short Description of the Spanish Netherlands. By W. Sawle, Chaplain to One of Their Majesties Regiments in Flanders. London, Printed, and are to be Sold by Randal tailor, near Stationers-Hall. 1691.