against, as well as prevented, King William went over into Flanders, and our regiment thereupon received orders for their immediate return. Nothing of any moment occurred till our arrival at our old quarters, the Camerlins, where we lay dispersed amongst the country boors, or farmers, as heretofore. However, for our better security in those quarters, and to preserve us from the excursions of the neighbouring garrison of Furnes, we were obliged to keep an out-guard at a little place called Shoerbeck. This guard was every forty-eight hours changed, and remounted with a captain, a lieutenant, an ensign, and threescore men.

When it came to my turn to relieve that guard, and for that purpose I was arrived at my post, it appeared to me with the face of a place of debauch, rather than business; there being too visible tokens, that the hard duty of both officers and soldiers had been that of hard drinking, the foulest

error that a soldier can commit, especially when on his guard.

To confirm my apprehensions, a little after I had taken possession of my guard, the man of the house related to me such passages, and so many of them, that satisfied me, that if ten sober men had made the attack, they might have fairly knocked all my predecessors of the last guard on the head, without much difficulty. However, his account administered matter of caution to me, and put me upon taking a narrower view of our situation. In consequence whereof, at night I placed a centinel a quarter of a mile in the rear, and such other centinels as I thought necessary and convenient in other places; with orders, that upon sight of an enemy the centinel near should fire; and that upon hearing that, all the other centinels, as well as he, should hasten in to strengthen our main guard.

What my jealousy, on my landlord's relation, had suggested, happened accord

ingly; for, about one in the morning, I was alarmed with the cry of one of my centinels, Turn out, for God's sake! which he repeated, with vehemence, three or four times over. I took the alarm, got up suddenly, and with no little difficulty got my men into the ranks, when the person who made the outcry came running in, almost spent, and out of breath. It was the centinel, that I had luckily placed about a quarter of a mile off, who gave the alarm ; and his musket flashing in the pan, without going off, he endeavoured to supply with his voice the defect of his piece. I had just got my men into their ranks, in order to receive the enemy, when by the moon-light, I discovered a party advancing upon us. My out-centinel challenged them, and, as I had precautioned, they answered, Hispanioli; though I knew them to be French.

However, on my survey of our situation by day-light, having marked in my mind a proper place for drawing up my men in

case of an attack, which was too narrow to admit of more than two on a breast, and which would secure between us and the enemy a ditch of water, I resolved to put in practice what had entertained me so well in the theory. To that purpose I ordered my first rank to keep their post, stand still and face the enemy, while the other two ranks stooping, should follow me to gain the intended station; which done, the first rank had orders to file off, and fall behind. All was performed in excellent order; and I confess it was with no little pleasure, that I beheld the enemy, for the best part of an hour, in consultation, whether they should attack us or no. The result, nevertheless, of that consultation ended in this; that, seeing us so well upon our guard, it was most advisable to draw off. They soon put their resolution into practice, which I was very glad to see; on examination a little before, having found that my predecessor, as in other things, had failed of conduct in leaving me a garrison without am

munition. Next morning I was very pleasingly surprised with a handsome present of wine, and some other necessary refreshments. At first I made a little scruple and hesitation whether or no to receive them; till the bearer assured me, that they were sent me from the officers of the next garrison, who had made me a visit the night before, as a candid acknowledgment of my conduct and good behaviour. I returned their compliment, that I hoped I should never receive men of honour otherwise than like a man of honour; which mightily pleased them. Every of which particulars the Ghent Gazetteer the week after published.

We had little to do except marching and counter-marching all the campaign after; till it was resolved, in a council of war, for the better preserving of Brussels from such insults, as it had before sustained from the French during the siege of Namur, to fortify Anderlech; upon which our regiment, as well as others, were commanded from our more pacific posts to attend that work. Our whole