Produced by David Widger
By Anthony Hamilton
"Sir," said the Chevalier de Grammont, "the Prince de Conde besiegedLerida: the place in itself was nothing; but Don Gregorio Brice whodefended it, was something. He was one of those Spaniards of the oldstamp, as valiant as the Cid, as proud as all the Guzmans put together,and more gallant than all the Abencerrages of Granada: he suffered us tomake our first approaches to the place without the least molestation.The Marshal de Grammont, whose maxim it was, that a governor who at firstmakes a great blustering, and burns his suburbs in order to make a nobledefence, generally makes a very bad one, looked upon Gregorio de Brice'spoliteness as no good omen for us; but the prince, covered with glory,and elated with the campaigns of Rocroy, Norlinguen, and Fribourg, toinsult both the place and the governor, ordered the trenches to bemounted at noon-day by his own regiment, at the head of which marchedfour-and-twenty fiddlers, as if it had been to a wedding.
"Night approaching, we were all in high spirits: our violins were playingsoft airs, and we were comfortably regaling ourselves: God knows how wewere joking about the poor governor and his fortifications, both of whichwe promised ourselves to take in less than twenty-four hours. This wasgoing on in the trenches, when we heard an ominous cry from the ramparts,repeated two or three times, of, 'Alerte on the walls!' This cry wasfollowed by a discharge of cannon and musketry, and this discharge by avigorous sally, which, after having filled up the trenches, pursued us asfar as our grand guard.
"The next day Gregorio Brice sent by a trumpet a present of ice and fruitto the Prince de Conde, humbly beseeching his highness to excuse his notreturning the serenade which he was pleased to favour him with, asunfortunately he had no violins; but that if the music of last night wasnot disagreeable to him, he would endeavour to continue it as long as hedid him the honour to remain before the place. The Spaniard was as goodas his word; and as soon as we heard, 'Alerte on the walls,' we were sureof a sally, that cleared our trenches, destroyed our works, and killedthe best of our officers and soldiers. The prince was so piqued at it,that, contrary to the opinion of the general officers, he obstinatelypersisted in carrying on a siege which was like to ruin his army, andwhich he was at last forced to quit in a hurry.
"As our troops were retiring, Don Gregorio, far from giving himself thoseairs which governors generally do on such occasions, made no other sally,than sending a respectful compliment to the prince. Signor Brice set outnot long after for Madrid, to give an account of his conduct, and toreceive the recompense he had merited. Your majesty perhaps will bedesirous to know what reception poor Brice met with, after havingperformed the most brilliant action the Spaniards could boast of in allthe war—he was confined by the inquisition."
"How!" said the Queen Dowager, "confined by the inquisition for hisservices!" "Not altogether for his services," said the Chevalier; "butwithout any regard to his services, he was treated in the manner I havementioned for a little affair of gallantry, which I shall relate to theKing presently.
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