The War of the Spanish Succession broke out in 1701 when England, Holland, and Austria formed an alliance against France and Spain in an attempt to prevent the potential union of the two countries. In 1706, an allied army under the Earl of Peterborough, an English general, laid siege to Barcelona. Peterborough was parleying with the governor of the city at the gates when the foreign soldiers under him burst into the town. The governor accused Peterborough of treachery.
Peterborough was furious, and said, "You do injustice to the English. Permit me to enter the town with my soldiers, and I will repress the outrages, and return to the gates."
The offer was accepted. The earl entered the town at the head of his troops, drove out the pillagers, making them leave their booty in the town, and then returned with his soldiers to the outside of the walls. The Spanish were amazed at the conduct of Peterborough, and capitulation terms were readily concluded.
一七零一年，英國、荷蘭、奧地利為恐法國、西班牙合併，結盟對付這兩個國家，西班牙王位繼承戰爭因此爆發。一七零六年，英國將領彼得伯勒伯爵率領一支盟軍，圍攻巴塞隆納，和巴塞隆納主事官在城門談判，他手下的外國軍人乘機闖進城內。那主事官責彼得伯勒背信棄義。
彼得伯勒十分憤怒，說道：「你這樣說，對我們英國人不公平。請容許我率軍入城，制止惡行，然後再回到城門之外。」
主事官答應了彼得伯勒的提議，彼得伯勒於是率軍入城，把搶掠的士兵逐出，並要他們把搶得的東西留在城中。跟着，他和軍隊就回到城門之外。西班牙人對其所為深感驚訝，不久就協議投降。