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the Ministers of the King of Spain, the King of Portugal and the English and Dutch Ambassador and Envoy. Being thus fetter'd by such positive Orders, which I must comply with, this has again made me offer the King's Proposals about Barcelona, and use my utmost Efforts to gain the consent of a Council of War; declaring then, as I do now, that I would most willingly engage in any attempt, which could have been agreed to in a Council of War, having received his Majesty aboard the Fleet, with Resolution to serve and obey him in all things in my Power.»
In the Council of War of the 25th, the Generals remained firm in their Opinion of the hazard of the Siege, and the Earl of Peterborough in his Resolution for undertaking it; but on the 26th they all came to the following Resolution in Council.
«Since the King of Spain is resolved to lay the whole stress of his Affairs upon making an Attempt on Barcelona for eighteen Days, (specify'd in his Letter to us) notwithstanding all our unanswerable Arguments to the contrary at three several Councils of War, and tho’ we have reason to fear the result will too much justify our Opinions, yet in regard that our General, the Earl of Petersborough has comply'd with the King's desire, as likewise the Brigadiers St. Amant and Stanhope, and that we are extreamly pressed to do the same by the King and his Ministers, who still continue to give positive assurance of their Intelligence from the Place, being resolved that no blame be imputed to us.
»We are willing to comply with the King's desire for the abovementioned Attempts; tho’ at
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