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RECOLLECTIONS

THE PENÍNSULA.

BT THB AUTHOR OF

SKETCHES OF INDIA^

(

SECOXD EDITION. > ^

>.-»- LONDON:

PMNTED FOB

UONOMAN, HUUST, HEF-S ORME, BROWK, AND GHEEN, rAlí»KOST£*-ROW.

1824-.

PREFACE.

THE follpwing pages have occupied and amused the leisure of my winter eveninn-s, in a dull uninteresting garrison on home service.

I relate what I saw, thought, and felt, as a man, a traveller, and a soldier, during five ínteresting years.

The style of a soldier can need no apology; it is beneath the notice of a scholar and the critic. We pass our lives in conversing with mankind; they in eonversing with books. We only observe and draw hasty conclusions ; they observe, compare, and study. Ours is a life of aetion; theirs of repose. We write to amuse; they to instruct.

RECOLLECTIONS

OF

THE PENÍNSULA.

HE, to whom the interest of foreign scenes, the animation of the daily inareh, and tlie careless gaiety of camps are familiar, may be cxpected to languish in the solitude of a barrack-room, and to feel rcst- less at a life of dull and wearisorae inaction. Ac- customed to the array of thousands, he turns with indiffèrenee from the parade of a regiment; nor can the ordinary duties of a quiet garrison be supposed to satisfy him, who has served with annies in the fiel d. The life of a soldier abroad is one of foreign travei, as well as of active employment; and it com- bines, therefore, rational enjoyment with honorable scrvice. The campaigns of the Britisli anny, in Spain, had}ieculiarlythat character; for we moved over large traets of country, and our operations werc not, as is oftcn lhe case in war, confined to marches and comi ter marches in particular districts.

ii KECOLLECTIONS OF

The 15 ri tis! i soldicrs, who landed ou tlic banks of the Tagus, visited, in succcssíon, those of the Douro, the Ebro, and the Bidassoa; wcrc encamped IInder the walls of Madrid, and bivouacked ou the Pyrencan monntains. In tliose scenes, and on that service, many of ns expcrícnced fcelings of eontent- ment, joy, and pride, for the rettirn of wbich we may look, perhíips, ín vain. At the distancc of time at whicb I writc, ali that was disagreeable in campaigning is forgotten; wliile that wbich delighted, is, especially in my present frame of mind, very fondly remcmbered.

The unpretendiug volume I offer ia not copious; but the few anecdotes I relate aretrue, the military sketches are faithful, and my descriptions of towns and scenery are, with ali theír imperfections, at least my owu. For the reflections, opinions, and warm (perhaps romantic) expressions of feeling I have scattered through these pages, they are such as naturally arose to me, both as a soldier and a man.

It was in the lastweekof June, 1809, that I embarked at Portsmouth, to follow and join my regiment, whicli liad already sailcd íbr Portuga]. On the tenth morning after my departure from Eng- land, the vessel which bore ine was passing nnder the rock of Lisbon, iinpclledby a favourable breeze, and slic in a very few hours dropped her anchor in the harbour of Lisbon, ncarly abreast oí' Belcm Castle, and ahout a mile from the shore. Few

U

TIIE 1'KN'INSULA. 3

scencs can compare wilh tliat wliicli íbasts the cyc of a travei]cr, who, from the deck of a vessel in the Tagus, first gazes ou Lishon, rising proudly and beautihilly above him. Tlie northern La ok of tlie ri ver, on which th is capital is bnilt, makcs a L a ml- some and swccping curve thronghout the wholc extent of the city, which, including its stibirrbs, covers severa! Iiills, rising more or less abruptly from thatqnarterwhcre its qnays, squares, and some ofits most regular streets are convcniently disposed. The number of palaces, convents, and churches, which crown th is amphitheatre of buiklings; tlie dazzling whiteness of the li ouses; the light appcar- nnce of the windows aiul halconics; the tastefnl arrangenient of plants, flowers, and slirubs on their roofs and terraces; the gohlen ora nge-groves which adorn tlie snbnrbs; and the statcly specimens of Indian or American botany, which are, here and therc, scattercd through the scene, prodnce an eífect which may be felt, and which _may be conceived, but which cannot bc described.

Boats from the shore soon crowdcd round our vessel, and I leancd over li cr side to look, for the first time, at nativos of Portugah The dark-brown eomplexion, bare and muscular throat, expressivo eve, and wlnte tecth, together with the general vivacity of their deportment, strikc an Englishmao, at first, ver}' forcibly t their costume, too, is qnite new to him, and, I think, very pictitresqnc. Short petticoat-trowsers cif white linen, a red sash, and

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■* nKCOIXECTfOSS OF

their legs mi d anus frec anil nakcd, mark very strongly tlie diflerencc betwecn tlie hoatinen of the Tagns and tlie Th ames.

The British troops at Lisbon were at tliís time ali encamped in tlie I'rince's Park, a largc cnclo- sure above tlie suburb of Bel em, carcfully pre- servei!. In an old ruined liousc, tlie onlybuilding in or near tlie encampinent, the mess of my regi- mentstill Iield its social sittingsj anil here, round a rudely constnicted tahle of casks and planks, seatcd ou portmanteans, stones, or knapsacks, \ve enjoyed onr evening far more tlian \ve had oftcn donc at a boaril better provided, and inthemost coinmodioiís mess-room. The convcrsation no longer ran in the same ilull, unvarying strain, on scenes of expensive fòlly and fatigning aimiscment; the dignity of* onr profcssion, which vill naturally in snch scenes glidc from the view, again rose beforc us, arrayed in its best anil brigbtest colours. New prospects and eagcr hopes gave an animation and intcrest to the disconrse, which, seasoned as it was by some excellent wine, madc time fly swiftly, and it was midnigbt before I entered my tcnt. Here a conch of heath, fresbly gathercd, with my knapsaek for a pillow, and a blankct for a covcring, invitcd me to repose; but I was fàr too happy to si cep.

The night was hot: I opcncd the door of my tent, raised ali the walls, and throwing myself on mv bcd of heather, 1 indnlged in waking dreams. We can only eommand the ser vices of sleep when

T1IK VEXÍNSULA. •>

\ve are contentei!, or weary•, but whc» our happiness arises firom thc prospeet of slill greater enjoyment, tlic min d is too active for slumber, a ml tbe vcry body becomes restless. At íbtir in tbe morning I refreshed mvself witli dressiiig, leisurely, in tlie open air; and at fívc tbe corps was under anus, to be inspected by General Catlin Crawtòrd.

One thousand and scventybayonets.all lhie-sizedí efficient meu, tben mustered nndcr our colours. My regiment lias never been very rougbly Iiandled in tbe fiel d, althougb it lias borne bandsome sbare of honourable peril. But, alas! what between sickness, snffering, and tbe sword, few, very fcw of those meti are now in existence. We bad yearly supplies of nien fiam tbe dcpôt; tliey too luive íbr thc most part disappeared.

Our inspcction o ver, I set fortb, witli some com. panions to devote a day to Lisbon. We passei! from tlic bridge of Alcântara, by one continiied street, tbrough tbe subnrbs, to tbe city.

Tbe appcarance of every thing arou ml me was so totally novel, tbat it is impossiblc for me to describe tbe singular, yet pleasing impression produeed on my min d. To find mysclf walking amid a concourse of people, diíTcring in feature, com- plcxion, and dress, so widely from tbe natives of England; to hcar tfie continued sound of a language I could uot understand ; and to find myselÇ thougli a youtliful íbreigner, an object of notice and respect, as a Britisli oflieer, was at once strange

B S

(í KECOLLKCTIONS OF

and dclightnil. The picturesque dress of the com- raon peasants ; the long strings of loaded mulcs; the cabrioleis; the bullock-cars, as rude and ancient in tlieir construction, as those in the frontis- piece to lhe Gcorgics of the oldcst Virgilsj the watcr-carriers; the lemonadc-sellcrs; and, above ali, tíie monks and friars in the habits of their orders: the style of the honses, the handsome en- trances, the elegant baleonies, the rare and beau- tiíul plants arranged in th em, ali raised arou n cl me a scene which, real as it was, seemed almost the deception of a theatre. In the sinall sqnare of San Paulo we stopped, and breakfàsted in a light, cheerfnl room, which lookctl out on the quay. Here, while sippiítg my cofíee, I commamlcd a view of the noble harbour, crowded with vessels; while many pilot and fishing barks, with their largo, handsome Latin sai Is, were coming up or going down the riverj and, nearer the shore, hnndreds of* small neat hoats, with wliite or painted awnings, were transporting passengers from one quay to another, or to the more distant subnrbs of Alcântara and Belém. The whole of th is picture was lighted «p by a sun, such as is only to be ract with in a southern climate, and so bright, that it nppcared to animate every thing on which it shone. Immedi- ately under the windowof our café, some Moorish porters, of whom there are many in Lisbon, were oceupied in their surprising labours. Their her- culean fhimes, small Inrbans, and striking feaíures,

TI1E PENÍNSULA. 7

and thcir prodigious cxertions iti liiting and cany- ing hmnense and wcighty pacRagcs, prcsented us vvitli a ncw and unconimon sccne. My mind natnrally reverted to tliat era in past ages, when tliese Moormen, now so degraded, and, politieally considered, so insignitieant, swayed the sceptre of this beanteons land, and wlicu, froin the very sonree to the month of the golden Tagus, tlie crescent was trinmphantly displaycd. We ])roeeeded, innnedi- ately after brcakfast, to take a snrvey of the city ; and ascending a very stecp, thongh well-built Street, made our way to the chi ir eh of San Roque. My attention was arrested in passing the ínagnificent house, orratlier palace, of the Baron Quintella, by the sight of one of those large groiips of beggars, so common in th is country. Uonnd the gateway, and under the walls of this mansion, they lay, indolently stretched out, and only implorcd onr charity by extending the hand. To fòllow, and importune ns, was an exertion they never drcanicd of; and in this last particular, they inust be allowcd to irritate a passenger far less, than the sturdy beggars occasionally inet with in London, and the more nu- inerous swarms, which infest half the towns in Irei and.

In the southern countries of Europe, openly pro- fessing the Iioman Catliolic religion, tlie gtving of' alms is considered an hnperative duty; and, aecord- ing to their means, ali persons supply the wants of the necessitons. From the gates of .lhe convents,

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8. 11KC0LLECTIOXS 01-*

Iram the kitchcns of the wealthy, fòod is ciai ly d is- tributed to a certain number of inendieants; and tliere is no person, however humble liis condition, if it be above want, who does not give a something in charity, cvery day of his life. Hence, secure of the means to snpport their wretchcd existcnce, they betake tJiemselves daily to their respective stations, await tíie suinmons fiom the porter of the inonastery, or the palace, and thankfully reoeive the small coin of the casual passenger. It is tme, that sueh seenes are painful; bnt we must leam the canse of th em, before we abuse the nation by whieh they are presented. Without poor.laws, or poor rates, without workhouses» or any parish institu- tíons, tliese beggars are, of neeessity, exposed to public vicw, and supported in the eye of day. The numbers of those who snbsist on publie charity in Portugal, as eompared even witb our own eountry, would not be found so great as we might at first imagine; and, indecd, in their mil d cliinate, and witli their peculiar habits, these unfortunate pau- pers might, aíter ali, gain Httle in real happiness by the introduetion of poor hou ses and parish officers.

We entered the ehureh of San Roque justas tlie eonsecrated wafer was held np to view. Tlie low bending posture of a vast eongregation, ali of whom were on their kness, and most of whom beat theú- breasts fervently with their hands, quite startled. me, and I bent my head, with mingled feelings of

THE lMCNINIiU1.il. í)

revcrencc and shamc. Tlicse, howover, werc soou dispcllcd j for when this crowd rose to dcpart, I could see no trace on tlieir featnres oí' serious ini- pression; they ali entered into conversatíon with vivacity and eagerness, and the 1 adies thrcw their brilliant eyes around them, with ali the consciousness of their powcr. Many of the- ladies were followed by black feinalc servants, and some by superior attendants of a certain age, who had ali the appcarance of, and werc, I believe, dncnnas.

When tbc chnrcb was cleared, we walked slowly round it. It was spacions and handsome: the shríncs were ricli, bnt not so overloadcd with gilding as many I aftcrwards saw. The decorations of the high altar werc not remarkable ; but a findy cxeeuted mosaic, o ver onc of the side altars, representing the baptism of our Savionr by St. John, was at once a inost curíous and bcautifnl specimen of art. I have never scen any mosaic work since, half so delicatc, or, indeed, at ali to be comparcd with it.

At a large íbuntain in tbis neighbonrliood we stoppcd for a moment, to view thepatient and indus- trious Gallegos, who, provided with sniall wooden barreis, supply ali the citzens with water, at a trifling cost. Th esc men are natives of the distant province of Gallicia, *in Spain ; they pass the best of their days in this city, and in this hnmble oceu- pation; and rctuni with their small savings torepose in the coimtry which gave them birth, when, through.

10 11EC0LLECTI0.VS OF

age or iníirmity, tliey arc no longer ablo to work. There are, also, many Galhcians. in Lisbon, who act as porters and servante, and they bear a veiy liigh character for honesty and fídclity.

In tlie conrse of our walk we visitcd ali the best parte of the city. Tbe Rocio, or square of thc In- quisition, is a fine spacious place; and near tlie palace of that tribunal, the destructive infinence of which, I lcanied with plcasure, had been very greatly represscd, a .largo detachment of the police guards, both horse and íbot, were parading: tbeir costnmc, appointments, and, in fact, their whole appearance, was soldier-Iikc and imposing. While attentively observing tbem, I was not a little stirprised to see the cavalry disraount, the infântry present arras, and tlien the whole, on one knee, with thcir hcads bare, join as in an act of devotion. Ou turning round, I perceived the procession of the host passing across tlie square, and ali thc ínnl. titude that filled it was knceltng, motionless, and uucovered.

Not far frora hence, in an opcn space near the gardens of the Salitre, a fair or market for the sale of borses is often bel d. The contrast bctween this scene and a horse-fair in Englaud is great indeed : tlie small size, long tails, and flowing inanes of the Portuguese horses; their' paces, etther a slow prancing amble, or a high short gallop; and thc clwmsincss and singularity of th eu- horsc ftirnitiire and saddlcry; — strike an Englishman at first very

T11K 1'KNISSUI.A. 11

forcibly. The collars oí' their mules are of worsted, of tlic most eurious j)attems, of ali colours, anti generally ornamented with bells. The head-stalls and reins of their ridiug-horses are ali studdcd with brass ornaments, and the saddles are heavy woodeu frames, covered with bufflcather, soft, and padded, and having ou the pommel and cant two high pro- jections, so contrived as to wedge in the rider. Their stirrnp is the large woodeu one, covering the foot, and the very same, which was used four centuries ago. • Frotn the horse-fair we passed into the gar- dcii of the Salitre: it is sinall, but affords a cool and shady promenade. Returuing by the Rocio, we walked to the Coinmcrcial Square, which is truly handsome, and very rcgularly built. One front of it is open to the ri ver, and large and convenient flights of stone steps desceud to the very edge of the water. A Iofty piazza runs round two sides of it, and here the merchants meet to learn the news of the day, and transact the bnsiness of the exehange, In the centre is a fine equestrian statue of John the Great, in bronze. Thrce very well-built, uniforni streets, communicate between th is square and thatof the Inquisition; one wholly fillcd with the shops of gol d jewellers and lapida- rdes, anoto cr by silversmiths, and a third by cloth- merchants and embroiderers. The shops are small,

• The Poriugucse gentlcracn have, however, latteriy adoplcd tlie saddles of EDglish form, and in many things now imitate ibe English closely.

12 RECOLI.ECTIONS Of

and lhe windows have a singular appearance, looking like squaie glass cases, detached and plaeed outside for show. The aceommodations in lhe hoiises nbove tliese shops are excellent, each family íiere, as in Paris, occupying a separatc floor.

I purehased some trinkets in Gold Street clicap, and vcryclcgant. Thcir chain-work is delicatc, and tlieir crosses have a character, hotli as to forni and setting, very peculiar, and I think tasteful. We next visited the eastle, and the convent of St. Vinccnt. The fonner is ccrtuinly not reinarkablc for any thing but its site; and tbc soldicrs on duty Jiad nothing martial in their carriage and appearance. I have always a mingled and undefined fírel-' ingof pride and hmndiation, whcn I reflecton what discipline ean do towards tlie formation of an army. I say humiliation, becausc the well-organized hands of a despot can, by skilful dispositions and unity of' effort, always defeat numbers vastly superior, of men, animated, perhaps, by the purest patriotísm that ever wanned or ennobled the heart, but un- assisted by a practieal acquaíntanee with war. I feel proud, however, to think, tiiat by the discipline wegave, to second the eourage they never wanted, the Portuguese were enabled to repel tlieir unprin- cipled invaders; and, by the side of our own gallant troops, to carry the white standard of their country into the fertile region of southera France.

At the convent of St Vincent we were reeeived with the most flatteringpoliteness. The good fathers

TIIE PENÍNSULA. 18

prcsented iis with fniit aiul wíne, and showed ns' tlie building, with an eagerness, perhaps, notwholly frcc from pride. Their apartments, tliongli verv pi ai n !y furnished, were exccedingly comfortable; and ali of tliem opened into a long spacious gallery, at tlie extremity of which a large window commandcd a view of that ever-varying and ever- bcautiful scene, tlie liarbour of Lisbon. Their church was splendidly adorned : the holy vessels, for tlie servi ce of the altar, ri eh and suinptuous ; the organ fine, bnt singular in its construction, the pipos bcing arranged horizontal ly. The vestments for the use of the officiating priests weretruly magnificent. They had a small gardcn, well laid out, and prettily embellishcd with fonntains and busts. Most of the monks herc are well bom, and cdu- cated with some care. They spoke highly of our nation, and of the late successes of Wellington (then Sir Arthur Wellesley) in the north of Por- tugal, and they askcd many intelligcnt questions about the army.

\Ve de])arted, pleased with our cordial reception, and not a little surpriscd at the comfort in which these holy brethren lived. This was tlie first convent I had ever seen; nor could I find it in my heart to apply to its in mates the contemptuous epi- tbets with which tliey are toooften brnnded. Whilc I regret that any govcrnment, or religion, sbould condcmii so inany of its ínembers to a life of checrless eclibacy and useless devotion, I ain far froiii

H> RECOLLECT10NS OF

despising, or even blaming, tlic unhappy victims of ccclesiastical policy and pride: for, believe me, tlie discipline of the wcalthiest orders is sufficicntly austere to shut out ali those enjoymcnts of life which are so generally and so highly prízed ; and there are fc\v, if any of lis, vrho rail at niouks, wh o could consent, even from a sense of duty, to lead tlie insipíd and wcarisome lives of those unhappy mcn.

On our way back to tlie Largo de San Paulo, •\vhcre we dincd, I en tercei many of their churclies, but therc was in general littlc to admire. The decorations were in a tavdry and oflensive taste; and a profusion of badly-cxecuted carved vork, gilt and painted, quite fatigued the eye." One custom of th is, and, I belie%'c, ali Catholic countries, delighted me: at ali bours the gates of the churclies stand open, and in th em, at ali hours, may be seen some individuais pouring forth their hearts in praycr at the shrines of their respective saints. In the hour of affliction, di stress, or terror, hither they come j and here, protected and assisted by the holiness and solemnity of the j)lacc, tbcy reposc their sorrows and their fears in the bosom of tbeír God, and invokc his mercy and fòr- giveness. How many a prostra te penitent have I scen, too much absorbed in his devotions to ca st one hasty glance of curiosity arou n d him, distnrbcd as he must have becn by my approaeh ! Oh! there are, I believe, moments in the life of every mau,

THE PENÍNSULA. 15

when to fly to a consecrated tcmple, and to throw binisclf at tlie íbot of thc altar, iwsiimmoned by any bell for prnyers, hut urgcd solely by tlie tone of his min d, and thc overflowing of bis heart, nuistbe felt as a pnre and a holy pleasure. Occupictl in sucb reflections, Iwalked slowlybehind my companions, wben suddenly raising my eyes, they had disappeared. Several persons, with rcady and natural politeness, by voice and gesture, directed me, and I fbllowed them through tlie gates of the arsenal. Here wc remained a very short time; for to thc eyes of Englishmen, altbough tlie building was fine, the doeks and yard appeared rather those of a private ship-huilder, than tlie grand naval depôt of a nation. Yet it was impossiblc to forget, that th is nation had equipped and sent forth the vessel whieh bore the enterprising Vasco de Gama, and that lier mariners were the firstwho found and followed that path over the trackless ocean to índia, whieh lias since been ploughed by so many keels, freighted with European avance and ambition.

At our dinner, whieh was served at an hotel kept by a Frenchman, I found some of our party had been very differently impressed with the monúng*s ramhle to what I had been. They drew comparisons between London and Lisboa cxultingly, without reflecting that it was impossible to do tliis fairly. Where I had been struck by the fine appearance of somepublic building, or private palace, they had only seen the heaps of dirt lying near the

Ifi ItECOI.l.KCTION-S OF

portais; — where I had gazed, witli plcasure, on some diversified groups of market peasantry, in thcir iiational costume, thcy )iad diseovered a squalid beggar mingling in the erowd ; — while I had seen some expressivo face, leaning o ver a baleony, on one side of the street, and had inhaled the per- fume of some rich and powerfnl exoties, they, on theother, had encounteved a fishwoman fryingSar- dinias at her stall, or been saluted by some unfòr- timate puíf of air, impregnated with garlie: — witli such differcnt cyes do inen look upon the same seenes. Aíler contriving to make a very cxcellent meai, in spite of the clamonrs of my companions at tlie style of the cookery, and the mannerof serving up the dinner, I went with one of them to the theatre, in the Rua das Condes. • Tlie action of the performers, though vulgar, was sufliciently cxprcssive to give me an insiglit intq.the comedy they representedj the snbject of it was very droll, and not unlike our " Bcggar's Opera." To the play succeeded a tolerante ballet: a Madame Brunet, a handsome.woman, and a graceful daneer, formed tiie chief attraetion of it. Tliere was also a grotesque, or comic dance, exe- ented by four clumsy-looking men, whose activity was nevertheless truly surprising, and very loudly applauded by tlie spectators. The form of this

house is ugly and ill contrived, being narrow and long j and the stage too, though snffieiently deep, has no width. The sound of- the Portn<niesc lan-

THE PENÍNSULA. 17

giiagc is vcry unpleasing to foreigners, from thc nasal tone. Tlie instrumental music, however, in their orchcstra, is excellent. Here, as in other parts of the coiitinent, 1 adi es do not dress for the th ca- tre. I saw some very pretty woraen, who seemed, by the way, infinitely more diverted vi th watehing the effects of the representation on ns Englishmen, than the performance" itself. The Portugncse have oftcn been described by travellers as being very negligent about their persons, and very dirty in their drcss nnd appearance. I confess I did not find th em so; on the contrary, I Iiad occasion to remark, thnt ali the middling and npper elasses of socicty were very particular, both as to tlie fineness and whiteness of their linen. Tlie middle-sized pliimp fbrm, black, bright, and expressive eyes, and regular teeth of a dazzling whiteness, are the peeuliar charaeteristies of the beauty of a Por tuguese feinale, and constitute here, as they woidd any where else, a very pretty woman. Neither is the statnre of the men in Lisbon, though ccrtainly lower than that of Englishmen, so diminutivo as it lias been often, and very falsely represented. My fríend and I parted at the door of the theatre, and after taking an ice at the Grotto, a very excellent coflec-room in the Largo de San Paulo, much fre- qnented by English and Americans, I threw myself into one of thc small boats eonstandy plying here, and, ])rotected by an awning from tlie heavy dew, was roved swiftíy to a landing^place below

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18 RECOLLECTIONS OF

Alcântara, and not very distant from.onr camp. It was past the hour of inidnight when I left Lis- bon, and the most perfect stillness reigned in the crowded harbour, save here and thcre at inter vais the bel Is striking the hour, or the hoarse voice of some seaman challenging the passing boat, whose gently plashing oars were fhintly heard.

Tbere is something inexpressibly soothing in the sensations we expcriencc at such an hour, and in such a scene. Its effect on me was too delightful to be ever forgotten. In passing very near the gardén of a handsome residence, in whieh lights were yet burning, my ear eaught the sound of music. I bade ray boatmen rest upon their oars, and distinctly heard a very beautiful air, sung by a sweet female voice, and accompanied by the gnitar.

I thought of England for one short moment with a sigh, and with ali that heavincss of heart whieh a youth ai one can feel, and whieh youthful spirits alone ean conquer. The rapidly foliowing challenges of the British sentinels Hrst awokc me from the reverie into whieh this invisible syrcn had thrown me, and hnrrying to my tent, ali kc pleascd with my day,' and exhaustcd by fatigue, I threw myself dressed as I was, upon iny bed of heath, and slept profoundly. The wholeof the next day I was confiocd by duty to the lines of the encampment; I found my Portuguese grammar the best company possible. Tlie first principies of grammar

THE PRNINSI/Í.A. 19

are every where the same, and as Latiu is. the groiuul-work of both the langiiages spoken w the Peninsnla, I forni d my studies rather amusing than labor ions. I snflêred no peasant, muleteer, or fruit?. woman to pass the door of my tent* unquestioned, and bv paving very particular attentiqn. to theix manncr and tone, I was soon enabled to makç; my own wants and en quiri es intelligiblc, and to comprehend their replies. Charles the Fiftb. lias. wisely observed, the more languages a man can speak, the more freqnently does lie feel himself a, man ; a remark founded on a close observation of htiman nature. The pride of a man of any intellect receives a severe wound, when he is first thrown into a circle of foveigncrs, whose conversation he cannot UH der stand. His very features lose theiç ordinarv intelligence, and like a deaf man ín a crowded and brilliant assembly, he wears the cager look of restless and inortified anxiety, or the more painfnl gaze of cbeerless and vacant stupidity. To a military mau, some acquaintance with the language of the conntry, which is tbe theatre of war, i&almost indispensable, and a more intimate knowledgc of it, if it does not prove, as it oflen has donç, an intra- duction to notice, and a ready and creditable çhaq- n cl to professional distinction, will bc a coiístant sonrce of satisfaction, pleasnre, and advantage. Though daily expeeting a route, our çolumn rç- mained nearly a month in th is çanro. Betw;een visits to Lisbon and Belém, and daity walks inthe

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20 RF.COLLECTIONS OF

neighbourhood, tbc whole oftliis time to me passed very delightfully.

I regrettcd in eoniuion with others, the arrangement which dclaycd us at Lisbon, while we panted to be marching in advance; but to consume time uselessly by thinking and talking of what 1 had not tbe power to remedy, was never in my naturei Besides, there was too mucb variety and npvelty ali around me, forany feclingof tedium and discou- tent to dwell long in my bosoin. Today I would indulge in the imaccustomcd plcasnre of wandering in a spacious orangc-grovc, or seated by some garden íbiintain, under the sbade of a luxuriant fig-trec, leam my self-prescrihed lesson in Portu- guese, wbilc some smiling labonrcr would place tbe ehoicest fruit at my fcet, resisting any attempt of mine to reward him, witb sueh sayings as, " Tbey are my master's; he is hospitablc and generous." " God gives enough for ali." *' Yon are the brave English, our allies: if vou were not liere to figlit for us, stranger hands might reap our eorn, and S]JOí1

our vincyards." Another morning I would go and explore what 1 had lefl unseen. At Belcm there is a Hoyal Mu seu m, small indeed, but well selcctcd. It is indebted for its principal curiosities to South America and índia.

There is, or rather was, a menagerie in the fcing's garden, for at the time I saw it, it contained no- tbing remarkable. In tbe garden are a few shady •walks,.but nothing like space, variety, or arrange-

T1IE l*ENINSULA. 21

niL-nt. Xear it stands a large imfinished palace, of thc fincst masonry, anti built on a scale far more magiiificent than any thing to be mct with in En- gland. I walked, however, throngh the long suit of' loftv chambers witli very little gratification, atui felt tluit comfoit was never likely to be an ininatc tbere. This same comíbrt, tbe household gocl of the Mugi is!) gentlcman, is unknown on the Coiitinent, and never consents to dwell aiuid niar- ble pillars, polished niirrors, and gilt fnrnitiirc. The convent of White Friars at Belém, is a noble Gothic bniidingj its handsoine and vanlted cloís- ters, bcatitiful garden, spaciotis galleries, and convenient chambers, ali bespeak opulence. The grau d entrance of its cliurch is higlily and curiously ornamented in sctilptnred stone. The decorations of tl»e interior corrcspoml inost fully. The shrines, thc liigh altar, the choir, the organ, are ali ri eh, yet elegantly so. Fotir large sarcophagi ofmarble, con- tai ning the ashes of biuied royalty, are placed on eitliL-r si de of the church, not very distant from the high altar, and prodnce a fine and solemn eflect. The good fatlier who accompamed ine, a venerable old inan of seventy, had been nearly half a cen- ttiry a brother of the order, and an ininate of the convent. He had seen it, lie told me, in the day of its glory, when it boasted a nnmerons and respected brotherhood. It was now, lie said, losing members, property, and influence daily; he pointed ont the stone to ine under which lie práyed to

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22 RECOIJ.ECTIONS OF

•rest hís bonés, and told me he hoped that the blessing of death might not long be with hei d. While -he spdke to me, thc tears tremhled in his age d •'eyes, and I could not control a strong expression ■of Sympathy, which at the moment T sincereiy fclt. ©n reflecti on, however, reason and humanity ha de •me rejoice. Perhaps we owe, even to the armies of the àmbitious Napoleon, One blessing. Ecclesi- àstieal government, monastic pride, and the wither-

■ing tyranny of the priesthood, li ave slirunk before them ; and tliough I hear it daily asserted, tbat the ■priests in the Península again exercise theiv bale- -fid influence over the liberty and tlie happiness of the pcople, still I am convinced that the authority òf the church in Spain and Portugal lias received a blow, fròm the effects of which it can rever perfectly recover. The secds of a new, and a betteí

■Order of -tliings liavc been sown, and thongh weeds mayfór a time obstrnet their growtb, that specula- tive and daring hand which cleans the encumbercd fcoil, will Teap an abimdant and a healthy harvest. At some distanee from th esc WíIIIS was a sen ali ■convent of Irish nuns : it is not very richly endow» ed, nor are the sisters many in number. I spokc ■with some of them, bnt cannot say that I fclt half the interest T should wish to have deccived my- Sclf into fceling, at the grate of a nnnnery.

One of the novieiates was -cevtiiinly pretty; she •íisked me, with great innocence, if I did not admire -Pope's Epistle from Eloisa to Abelard; said that she thought ít beautiful; and that she

THE PENÍNSULA. 23

vas indebtcd to .in English officer, who had kindly lcnt hera volume of poetry, for the perusal ofthis põem, and othersl I Icft her, not without some cmotion of pity, for I thought tliat the man who had lent her the book, of which she spoke, ought at least to have accompanied it with a ladder oí ropes, and a promise of assistance and protection. Some evenings I woiild take a boat and row about the harbour, in order to catch views of the city fiom diffcrent points; others, I walked into Lisbon to !ook arotmd me, or to make some trifling purchase, but not a day passéd with ou t enjoyment. I went frequently to the convent of the listrei la to hear the servi ce. The chnrcli is most beautiful •, the building exquisitely fiiiished; and the interior chastely ornaniented. A very elegant and well-proportioned dome, plain handsome altars, adorned with very tolerable paintings, the íinest masonry, and a profusion of ri eh marble, call for th tlie admira ti ou of ali strangers. The ser vice is always decently and solemnly perfòrmed, and the soft nielodious voices of some of th esc nuns, as they chatint the responses, or sing the anthem, totich the very soul. I often returned from tliis service alone, and walked slowly back to the camp, byan unfreqnentetl path-way, which passes exactly imder the grand arch of the famous Lisbon aque- dnct. Tl lis noble arch, the chief wonder, and beauty of this magnificent work, is 840 feet in height, by about 24-1) in breadth, or span. The

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24 RECOLLECTIONS OF

sight of an aqueduct carrics with it to the min d of an Englishman, ímprcssions altogether new. It is a work of utility and grandeur, of which lie lias read in ancient history, and in traveis, bnt which hc prides himself to consider the advancement of seieuce has rendered in most cases useless, and he is therefore ill prepared to wastc any admiration on sncli a work, especialiy where it is not hallowed by antiquity; bnt wlien such an areis, as that of which I spcak, first ineets his eye, hc is struck with astonislnncnt and awc ; it appcars as a proud monument of the power of man, a reco rd of the prodigions labours which man, living in social and happy union with his fel Io w man, can eflect.

I was very anxions, before \vc marched, to visit Cintra, a spot celebrated by ali travellers, and pro- verbial with the inhabitants of Lisbon, for its romantic beauty. Our party, consisting of six, having obtained leave for two days, leít the encainp- ment at four o'ciock one inorning, in three decent cabriolcts, and after a slow, but pleasant drive of two hours, reached Cafuz, a smmner palace of the qucen's, with a small town attached. The country

■throngh which wc passed to Calnz i)resented nothing in its appearance rcmarkable, if I except some fiel d s of Indian com, and some hedges, formed by American aloés of prodigious size, and uncominon beauty. The prickly pear, a very liideous plant, was liere and there scattered among

THE PENÍNSULA. 25

tliem. At Calnz, we visited the palace; tlie biiild- ing is not fine, anti tlie apartments are neither mag- nifieently or elegantly decorated; thcrcare, indecd, some vcry liaiidsome rairrors, bnt thc funiitnre, in general, is in a tawdry and wretched taste. The garden well snits the charactcr of tlie palace; it is lai d ont in a formal, quaint style, trees, hedges, and box, being tortiired into every possible variety of shape. Some clunisy statnes, defaced busts, and ill-designcd fountains, complete the picture,

We hastened back to onr coífee, and, after breakfast, rcsnming onr seats, arrivcd in less than tliree honrs at Cintra, The scenery, as you approach this town, is tnily enclianting. The rich and varicgated wootl, which clothes the si de of the moitntain rising above Cintra, the snniiy brown, or rather the golden tinge of the inossy sward towards the crest of it, and the bare, grey, and rude-shaped rock, which crowns its lofty summit, forni a picture, such as only thc peneiI of a master, or the pen of a poet, could attempt to sketeh with fidelity. The town itself, though considerably elevated, lies far below thc monntain, and ali arotmd is beauty, shade, and repose. Tlie white and furrowed bark, and the fantastic fbrm, and growth of the pale cork tree, thc low dark olive, the green leaf, and golden fruit of the orange, thc trelliced vine, and the wild geraninm, ali here combine to deck the face of natnre with charms, which, to thc eye of a northern visitor, have new

2G UEC0LLECT10NS OF

and irresistible attractions. We soon left our inn, and, mouiitetl on asses, with two spriglitly boys for our guides, set fòrtii to visit the convent, wliich is built nearly at tlie top of tlie Cintra mountain. You lonngc at your case, in any posturc, 011 a large pack-saddle, covered with green elotli, and it is really surprising to see with how mnch safety, and activity, these animais carry you up patlis, rocky, uneven, and dangerously steep. A moiik received us at the gate of tiic convcnt, and conducted us ali over it; it is a vory perfoct, complete thing; but the site of it is, for singularity and boldness, unrivallcd. It is secluded, utterly secluded, from the world; yet herc the eye may range over the vast Atlantic, far as the Strength of mortal vision permits, or may rest on lovely vales, and dark hosomed glens far beneath. The ear, too, may catch, on the one si de, the hoarse voice of the rising storm j or may listen, on the other, to those pleasing and svveet sounds, which speak of rural oceupations and of rural happiness.

If a man, at the age of fifty, stood alone in tlie world, without wife, rolative, or friend, to such a spot as this might he retire for life. When death carries ofTour little store of aflection, by laying its icy hand on the hearts wbere that treasure was hoarded, whither can we go for comfort ? The sad bosom, and the rayless eye, are ill calculated to inspiro new loves, or attract uew friendships. Oh ! I cm imagine many cases, wliere the calm of a

THE 1'EMNSln/A. '-27

retired monasíery would aflbrd consolation to the vouudod spirit. Would that cloistcrs werc only •filled with such children of misfortnnc!

Xot very distant from tbis convent, ou anotber rmlc cminence, stands an ancient Moorish castle, remarkahle for nothing but having contained •Moors. I stood -on it for a quarter of an hour, and my mind's eye peoplcd it -\vitli its tnrbaned de- fenders. I looked out at the noble scene around me; for tbein, too, had tlie occan smilcd, and tlieir eyes bad reposed on the verdant meads, and dark groves ttow sprcad below me. There is a pleasure in the assoei a ti on of ideas, and in the power of conjuring up, as itwere, scenes and images around yon, which ali meu bave felt, but which I shonld labonr in vain to define; from it, however, arises ninch of the charin of travelling. He wh o conld stand ou the solitnry fiel d of Waterloo, withont

■imagining to liimself his gallánt coiintrymen, and their fierce 0])poiicnts ; or who conld pass the Rubicon, withont sceing the cohorts of Caisar, and their dariug leader, shonld return to his parlour and his newspapir. In another part of th is m o untai n, and not so lofty in its situation, is a convent, euriotisly bliilt, among some wihl a ti d romautic rocks ; the walls doors, and furniture, are ali of cork. Some poor humblc Franciscans inhabit it, they bave a j>retty garden, and a small oraugciy -, they presented ns with fruit, were very courteous, and seemed thankfhl for the trifle we

28 RECOLLECTIONS OF

gave tliem. From hcnce we rode by a very Utít&J *grecab]e Patl1 to tlie Quinta of Conlánes, so higlily

celcbrated for its delicious wíne. The vale is most beautiful; in one part of it is a Iionse, built

r/l/rr^ son,e tweiity ycars ago, by an Englisli gentleman of- large fortune. This inansion, surrounded as it is by every thiug to make it a desirable residenee, is in a state of desolation and min. It had been fitted np by tliis wealtliy inan in a style of tlie most princely mngnificenee; bnt riches cannot forbid tlie intrnsion of sorrow, diseontent, sickness, or sliame. Some one of these imbidden guests drove him froin this voluptuous seat, and tlie winds and rains of heaven, as if to inock tlie vain sclieme of human happiness, have nearly destroyed this eostly tem pie of pleasnre.

On onr return to tlie inn at Cintra we found a eomfortable dinner, cooked and served np in tlie plain English fasbion; well cooled wine of Cou- Janes, which very greatly resembles claret; left the epieitre nothing to destro; and fatigued, yet delighted with our day, we retired to e.xccllent beds in elcan, well-furnished ehambers.

I rose early on the following morning and visited the palacc; it is a veiy aneient and cnrioiís bnilding, and bears evident marks of having been erected on the site, and with the materiais of some moorish edifice.

Ali the rooms are floored with large flat tiles of a red colour, ornatnented with a sortof white fio-ur-

THE PENÍNSULA. 29

ing inuch defaeed by time. In one of tlie apartments vou are slíewn a path, worn decp by the hurried and restlcss footstcps of a royal captive, wh o was confmed liere for fifteen years, nearly two centuries ago. Diiríng the wliole period the wretched and dcspicable Alphonso l>ore the empty and valuelcss title of king, whílc the liandsome, boi d, .111 d active Pedro, his younger brother, swayed the scc])tre of li is reahns, and revelled in tlie cliarms of her, to whom a brother li a d been cs- ponsed. It lias been generally reported, however, by historians, that Alphonso was a prince alikc impotent in body and imbeeile in mind. I hope, for the sake of hnmanity, that snch was really tlie case; bnt in conntries, wherc civil and religious liberty is denicd to the snbject, tmth is often strangcly distortccl.

Wc were umvilling to leave Cintra without visit- ingthe liandsome villa of the Marqnis of Marialva. I was nuich gratified with it; it is a superb residence, every way worthy of a noble master. One eliamber struek me as reiíiarkably elegant; the walls were covered with the richest white satin, ali the borders and the cornices of gol d monlding, and the wliole of the íiirnitnre white and gold, to correspond; th cie were also some fine slabs of white marble, of very extraordinary beanty.

Here, or in the adjoining cbamber, the well- known convention of Cintra was signed. That it should ever liavc been rendered necessary, is tlie

80 KEC0LLKCT10NS OF

real, and only just cause of complaint, At thc momcnt that it was signcd, Sir Arthur Wellesley satisfactorily proved to t.he House of Comnions,. that it was a measure alike politic and expedient. I can, however, image to mysclf tlie countenance of Sir Arthur, when lie saw hituself arrested in the carecr of victory, by the arrival of a sénior colr league. It lias been reported, I know not with what truth, tliat the illustrious Wellington, after. delivering his nulitary opinion, on the field of Vimiera, from which the enemy was retiring defeated and discomíited, and after hearing the decision of Sir Hany Burrard, turned Iiis horse's head, and with a cold and coiitemptous bitterness» sai d alou d to his aide-de-camp, " You may think about dinner, tbr there is nothing more for soldiers to do this day." ÔC** r^ J

We rctnrned to Lishon by líèyras, a town ceie- brated for havinsj ffiven the title of count to thc great Marqnis de Pombal; and where the house, aud gardens, long occupied by him, are still shewn. The house merits no description, yet it was im. possible to walk throngh the siient, and deserted chainbers, with ou t awakening the liveliest recollections ofthis great man's politicai carcer. Here, fiom this retired closet, opening on that shady terrace, j>erhaps this wise statesuian sent forth the fiimous decree, which drovc out the intriguing Je- suits, and banished th em from Portugal. Here did he digest those plans for the general improve-

THE PENÍNSULA. 31

ment of everv department of the state, which, !iad tliey been promoted by, or meí with less resista iice from, his successors, would have giveu totliis small kingdom, a far more Iionourabie rank among the na ti on s of Europe, than she has cvcr enjoycd. Th is miiiister's presence of min ti, finnness and activity 011 tliat dreadfnl occasion, when Lisbon was visited by the great earthquake, are wcll known. Whilo the awful ruins of the city were yet tottering around him ; while the shrieks of the wonnded, the widowed, and the childless, pierced his ear; while the Jiorrid grave of thousands, was spread beíbre him; he was seen every where en- couragi ng and ícassn ri ng the people, calnring th eh' fears, and alleviatiug their distress, by ali the mca- sures which wisdom, cnergv, and humanitv could snggest. This man, at the dcath of his royal master, was dismissed from office, and banishetl from court, and ended his days ut the small vilIage of Pombal, in the disregarded obseurity of p ri rate life.

As our carriages drove into the eneampnient, we were sahitecl by tiie joyful intelligeiíce tliat the orders were come, and that we were to mar eh for Spain in two days. The next day was fuH of the bustle of preparation ; our heavy baggage had already been Icft in England, and we now received a fresh order to disencumber onrselves of every thing, not absolutely necessary. My brother sub- altern and I had a small baggage mule lightly

32 RF.C0LLECTI0NS OF

laden, between us, and in tliis, tlie infancy of our Zeal, \vc carried knapsacks; four of us fornicd a small social mess, and liad tlie comfort of a canteen; but neither officers or meu, at tliis period, liad tents, and no one except fiel d officers and ad- jntants were mounted. One mnle per company, with camp kettlcs, tlie fcw baggagc animais of the officers, and the train of the briga de commissariat, formed the whole of our incumbrance. On the morning of Jnly 28. at an eariy hour, we struck, and delivered o ver our tents; three days' provision was issucd-to tlie men, and at about seven, our brigado marched from its ground, to embark íbr Santarém, a town about forty mdes up the Tagns, wh i th cr it was arranged we were to be conveyed by water. I shal! nevcr forget my sensations on marching through the strcets of Lisbon j they were filled with people; the windows crowded witb faces, wcaring the kindest and most animated looks; loud, long, and continued vivas, wcrepour- ed fbrth on every side ; shawls, handkerchiefs, and hands were waving from every balcony, and the woinen threw flowers and garlands on our heads. It was highly pleasing to observe th is expression of pnblic feeling on the part of the Portuguese, and I am persuaded, that, with fcw exceptions, the nation detested the idea of suhmitting to the yokc of Franco. Tliat therc were some of the lugher classes, wh o, corrupted by education, blind- ed by fear, and unstimulated by interest or pa-

THE IT.XIXSLI.A.

trioíism to resist the Frendi armies, both cxpected thcir reínni, and wishcd thcin suceess, is not only ])robable, but certainly tnte. Bnt these forme d a very inconsiderable, and a very worthless part of the po]niIation. I did not forni th is opinion froni the vivas of a crowd, gazing on onr handsome and wcll-appointed troops, bnt froni ali which 1 had observed sincc I ] and ed.

Froni the qnay of the Comraercial Square our men sprung into the boats, and our little fleet was soon sailing up the ri ver, under a fa vou rabie breeze. It m ust have been a beautiful sight, for those on tlie quays and along the banks, to mark our fair array. The polished arms, the glittering cap plates, and the crimson dress of the British soldiers, crowd ed in opcn barks, mu st have prodnced a very fine effèct. And we, too, gazed on a seene far dif- fereut indeed, but raost peacefnl, raost lovely. The nortiicrn bank of the river froni Lisbon to Vil Ia Franca (about six leagues) presents a contimted suceession of rural beauties: convents, chapeis, and quintas, gardens and vineyards, wood and verdure, cattle and groups of vUlagers, ali blended in bright and gay eonfusion, arrest the eye and address the heart. Here you saw, in their eool and shaded cloistcrs, small parties of raonks, in the dark and pietnresque dress of tíieir orders, observing ns as we passeei along; therc sorac happy fainily, parents, children, and servants, wonld hurry to their garden terrace on the water's edge, and salute

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34 UECOLT-KCTION-S OF

us witíi smUes and vivas, while a little farther, in the back ground, you might discern some solitary mm, wh o, from thehigh andgrated casementof ]ier convent, looked out upon the strange and brilliaut show, and hastily withdrew. About two leagues above Villa Franca, the breeze died away, and not a breath of air stirrcd on the water. Our boatmen took to their poles,"and with -ali their exertion, made little more than a league, when the shades of evening closed in, and webrought to near the bank. Here we found a Portuguese tent, which had been pitched for some day-guard, hutwas abandonedfor the night; of this my cheerfnl little mess took possession, and here we ate our cold meat and drank our wine, with ali the gaiety of aparty of pleasure.

After an hour's labour in the morning, findinj; we made little or no way by water, we landed and tnarched to Santarém. The situatíon of this city is very striking j it is huilt on bold elevated ground, hanging directly over tlie Tagus, the southern bank of which it completely commands. The regiment was quartered for the night in a convent, and I received a billet on a private house. At the door of it, I was metby the owner, a gentlcmanlike lookiug

■well-dressed man, of about sixty, and of a very mild pleasing address: he led the way to a neat apartment, and a pretty bedchamber. I was covered >vith dust and dirt, and declined them as toogood; buthowwas my confnsion increased, wben myhost himself brought me water in a silver basin to wash,

THE TKN INSULA. S.>

wliile li is good lady prcsented me witli chocolate, bearjrig it herself on a sal ver. I feared that they li:ul mistaken my rank from my two epaulettes, and I e.xplained to them that I was a simple Licutenant. Xo; they well knew my rank, but did notpay me the less attcntion: they perfumed my ehamber with rose-water, took off my knapsaek with tbeir own hands, and then left me to refresh myself by washing and dressing, and to recover from tlie pleasing astonishment, into which their cordial and polite re- ccption had thrown me. In the evening my party <iined herc, and the worthy bost presentcd us with % some magnums of fine old wine, and tlie choicest fniit. Wc made scniples; lie overrnled th em with trne and unaffected hospítality, and we, in return, pressedon his aeceptance sixbottles of exceli entSan- teme, the remains of our small stock of Freneh wine.

Sueli was my treatment in the first billet I ever entered in Portugal, and such, with very feto exceptions, was the eharacfer of the rcccption given by Portuguese of ali classes, according to their means, at tlie eommeneement of the península struggle to tlie British anny: ri eh and poor, the clergy and laity, the fidalgo and the peasant, ali expressei! an eagerness to serve, and a readiness to honour us. In these early marches the villa, the monastery, and the eottage were thrown open at the appi oach of our troops; the best apartments, the neatest cells, the humblebut only beds, were ali resigucd to the march-woru officers and men, with

» 2

3G RECOLI.ECTIONS OF

undisguised clieerfulncss. It is with pain I ai» eompelledtoconfess,that tlie manners ofmystrange, hut well-meaning countrymen soon wrought a change in the kind dispositions of this people. When tliey saw maiiy assume as a riglit ali which they had aeeorded from po!iteness,and receivc their respectful attentions and cordial services as expressions of homagc, due to the courage, wealth, and power of tlie British nation;—when the simplicity of their manners, their frugal ity, tlie sparencss of their diet, the pecnliarities of their dress, and their

0 religious prejndiees were made tlie subjects of de- rision and rídicule;—when they witnessed scenes of brutal intoxication, and were occasionally exposed'to vulgar insult, froin unedncated and over- bearing Englishmen;—when, I say, ali this occurred, they hegan to examine our individual titles to their esteem ; they were, often, very soondiscn- chanted; and the spirit which we had awakened in them, manifested itself in variousacts of negleet, rudeness, and even resentment The English are admired not only in Portugal, hut o ver ali Europc, as a free, an enlightened, and a brave people, hut they cannot make themselves beloved; they are not content with hcing great, they must he thought so, and told so. They will not bend with good humour to the customs of other nations, nor will they condescend to soothe (flatter they never do) the hanníess self-love of friendly foreigners. No: wherever they march or travei, thev hear with them

TI1F. PENÍNSULA. 3J

a hanghty air oí" conscious super iority, and expect tliat their customs, habits, and opinions sliould su- persede, or at least suspend, those ofall tlie countries through which they pass. Among liberal H mindcd and well-educated Englishmcn, therc will i ever be niany bright cxceptions to th is general pic- tiire; and they perliaps will be thefirst to confess, íhat tli is portrait of my travelling countrymen has J not been too liighly coloured.

Santarém, like ali other cities in Portugal, has its convents, chinches, and chapeis, the natural pride of its çitizens, and the objects which ali idlers and strangers visit. Therc is little rcroarkable in any of them. At their university I passed half an hour in conversation with onc of the professors. He requested me to read for hira a page of Virgil, after the nianncr of my country. I did so; and rcturning the book to hiin, hc also read one: no third person cotild have snpposed, that \vc had been reading the samc language. Our {ironunciation may, and from liabit does undonbtedly soimd the richest to an English ear; but theirs is ccrtainly the nearest to the Italian, and perhaps therefore to the Roman. Thcre are not very many students at th is collcge, and as they are almost ali cdncated íbr lhe chiirch or the cloisler, their stndies are entirely confined to theology, and their reading to the pcrusal of saered biography, such as the lives of tlie saints, niartyrs, and holy men. As the shades of evening closed in, our colunm fonned in the

• i> S

SS KECOLI.KCTIONS OF

phiiti below the towu, and commoieed its march to Golegâo, a large village about four leagues distant.

With a small advaneed guard I entered Golegâo at the head of the regiment, just as early matin-bell was snmmoning the inhabitants to prayers. The . attendanee on piiblie worship throughout Spain and Portugal is extremely regular, and no oceupa- tion, or manner of life, is stiíFered to interfere with this sacred duty. To mass go the muleteers hefore they load their train; and from the door of the chapei the peasants sally forth to their daily labours. The very changing of night into day, a measure rendered neeessary by the extreme heat, earried with it the eharm of novelty. I was well lodged, and hospitably treated, in a humble but clean cottage, and with the night again set forward.

This march, and the following, ora- ronte, whieh passed by Punhete to Abrantes, led us often for mil es along the hanks of the Tagus, and throngh villages built on the very edge of the river. A elear hright sílver moon lighted our silent path; not a lamp burning in any of the cottages; not a human voice to be heard j not a sonnd, save the dull tread of onr weary men, and the gentle tone in which the waters told their eeaseless flow, The moon-beams which played upon the bright arms of our gallant soldiers, shone also on the glistening nets of the peaceful íisherman, which hung spread upon the rocks near hís deserted bark. AH within these

THE PEÍÍJNSULA. 39

hnmble dwcllings was repose, and their happy in- ni ates slumbered sweetly, unconscions that the tide oí" war (hannless and friendly indeed to tliem, yet bearing on its wave not only youth, ambition, and conrage, bnt, pcrhaps, even ferocity and crime,) rolled, in the dead of night, past the vine-clad waíls of their defenceless cots. The town of Abrantes is well situated; it stands lofty, and commands the passage of the Tagus, over which, at this point, a bridge of hoats communicates witb the southern provi nces. We crosscd the ri ver, and occupicd for one night a camp of standing huts, formed inany weeks before by some division of our arnvy, which had halted in that neighbourhood. At smi-rise the following morning we were again in motion, and marched onwards to the village of Gavião. Our road led, in part, through plains covered with Gnmcistns in flower, the frail leaves of which are remarkable for their delicate whiteness; and in part, over upíands ali cíothed with hcath, but a heath so rich in the variety, the beauty, and the fragrance of its plante, that the travcller forgot, or forgave, the absence of the corn-field, the \ineyard, and the cottage.

As the chill de ws of evening were descendi ng on onrbivouack, near this last village, a staff-officer with a conrier, carne galloping into it, and alighted at the quarter of our general. It was soon known among «s, that a severe and sanguinary action had bccn fought by our brother soldiers at Tala vera.

D 4

%y.

ÍO HKCOLLKCTIOXS OF

Disjointcd rumours spoke of a dear-hotight fiel cl, a heavy loss, and a subscquent retreat. I well remember how we ali gathered round our fircs to listei), to conjecture, and to talk aboutthis glorious, hut bloody, event. We ali natnrally rcgrctted that, in the honors of such a day, we had borne no share; and talked long, and with an nndefined pleasnre, about the carnage. Yes, strange as it may appcar, soldiers, and not they alone, talk of tlie slaughter of battle-fields with a sensation, which, though it suspends the Jively throb of the gay and carclcss heart, partakes, nevertlicless, of pleasure. Nay, I will go farther: in the very exposure of the person to the peril of sudden and violent death, cureless wounds, andghastlylaceration, excitement, strong, high, and pleasurahle, fills and animates the bosom: hope, pride, patriotism, and awe, make up this inighty feeling, and lift a man, for such rhoraents, almost above tlie dignity of his nature. Such moments.are more than equal to years of common life. And where, on the 98th of July, when death was gathering her bleeding victims on the field of Tala vera, where then were we?—That very day we were sailing on the Tagus' ample bosom.fcour eyes resting on scenes of sniíling peace and roílantic loveliness, and our hearts beating liigh and liopefully.

Our drum beat two hours before the dawn of day, and at an early hour we reaclied Niza; not, however, before the sun }iad acquired such fiercc

Ti til l'EX INSULA. 41

and burniiig ])0\ver, as to strike me down, thricc, in a very few minutes. During a short halt, I threw myself on the parched np grass, and sleep overcarae me; my hat fel! off, and the scorching rays of tlie sun shone full upon my naked head: awaked by the sonnd of the bugie, I suddenly rose, but immediately fèll senseless; my brother officers re- covered me by the usual means, but on my attempting to stand, the saine violent cffèct was tvice more produeed.

Three days rest at Niza quite restored me, and I was enabled to resume ail my duties. During th is short inter vai the troops had, luckily for me, halted. On the fburtli morning \ve marched to cross the Tagus at Villa Velha, and pursued onr route to Zarza la Major, the first town on the Spanish frontier, in the road to Placentia. Th is movement was made, I bclieve, without any in- struction from Sir Arthur Welleslev; and had for its objects the diversion of Soulfs force, which was known to have arrived in the neighbourhood of Coria and Placentia, andwhieh, it was thought, might act offensively against the British, on their retreaf from Talavera; whieh, encnmbered as they were with wounded, could not have immediately followcd the battle, or bcen eííected with any extraordinary lapidity. The sceneryon tliis inarch, aíler passing the Tagus, is not very remarkable ; but the road froin Niza to Villa Velha is truly romanlic ; and the river, at that ])Oint, forcing its

•1-2 IIECOLLECTJONS OF

narrow, deep, and angry coursc bctwcen lofty and precipitou s banks, which ri se into brown and barren moimtains, forms agrand and imposing picture. We bívouacked daily. It is a pleasing sight to see a coínmn arrive at its lialting ground. The camp is general ly marked out, if circumstances allow of it, on the edge of some wood, and near a river or streara. The troops are halted in open columns, anns piled, picquets and gnards paraded and posted, and, in two minutes, ali appear at home. Some fetch large stones to form fire-places; others hurry oíf with canteens and kettles for water, while the wood resounds with the hl o ws of the bill-liook. Dispersed, uuder the more distant trees, you see the officers; some dressing, some arrangíng a few houghs to shelter them hy night; others kindling their own fires ; while the most active are seen returning from the village, kden with bread, or, from some flock of goats, feeding near us, with a supply of new milk. How often, under some spreading cork-tree, which offered shade, shelter, and fuel, have I taken up my lodging for the night -, and here, or by some gnrgling streain, my bosom fanned by whatever air was stirrin"-, made my careless toilet, and sat d own with raen I both liked and csteemed, to a coarse, hut whole- some meai, seasoned by hunger and by cheerful- ness. The rude simplicity of tliis life I found most pleasing. An enthusiastic admirer of natnre, Iwas glad to move and dwel! amid her grandest-

THE PENÍNSULA. 43

scenes, remote from cities, and unconnected with what is calíed society. Iler monntains, her foiésts, «111 d, sometiines, her bire and bladeless plains, ytelded me a passing home: her rivers, streams, and springs, eooled my brow, and allayed my thirst. The inconvenience of one camp taught me to enjoy the next; and I ícaro ed (a strange lesson for the thoughtless) that wood and water, shade and grass, were luxuries. I sawthe sim set every evening: I saw liim ri se again each inorning in ali his majesty, and I felt that my very existence was a blessing. Strange, indeed, to observe how soou men, delicately brought up, can inure themselves to any thing. Wrapt in a blanket, or a cloak, the head reclining on a stone or a knapsack, covered by the de ws of night, or drenched jierhaps by the thunder-shower, sleeps many a youth, to whom the carpetted chamber, the curtained coueli, and tlie bed of down, have heen from jníàncy familiar.

As \ve forded the river Elga, which, on the road we were marching, divides Portugal and Spain, I promised myseif mu eh pleasure from seeingato-\vn, inhabited by Spaniards, whose languagc, manners, customs, and dress, I knew, differed widely from the Portuguese, and were, from national pride, kept quite as distinct on the frontiers as elsewhere. Our column passed close to tlietown of Zarza, andtook up its ground on a bare roeky eminence, about a mile in front. Not a sou! carne outto meet us, not

44 KECOLLKCTIOXS OF

a sonl íbllowed us to our bivouack. AH was still as at uiiduight, yet the noon-day sim shonc fiercely ilown. No sooner was my regiment dismissed than I hastened into the to\vn, and entered it among the íirst. The streets werc dcsertcd, and the houses bsired; the clinrch alone stood open, but the plate írom the altar and the contents of the saeristy, had been removed. The market-place indeed was fast filling with our Spanish muleteers, and, from their dress and language, you might almost have fancied them inhabitants : but you looked around in vain for women and cliildren to fàvourthisíllusion ; the sound of thcb- soíl and innocent voices was no whcre to be hcard, and in the unmoved features of our muleteers, you could not trace the anxious feelings of the husband and tlie father. I passed out of the town by a narrow lane, which led towards some gardens; as I walked slowly on, fui! of thought, my eye was attracted by the sight of a pair of castanets, which, dropped in the hurry of flight, lay directly in my path : to liow much of innocent delight, youthíid pleasure, and parental pride, had these little symbols of happier and more tranquil times been witnesses!—Oh! England—thou enviable spot—thou " precious stone set in the silver sea," írom liow many of the evils of war do thy rocks and waves pi otect tliee !—I turned aside into a garden, and saw a peasant at the furthcr end of it, who, on perceiving me, fled, and would have concealcd himself: I overíook him, and reassuring

THE 1'F.NINSUÍ.A. 45

Iii]]] bv my voice anil nianner, he becamc comi nu- nica tive. From liim I learnt, that the inhabitants oí' Zarza hadexpected the Frendi that morning, and, drcading their arrival, had ali fled in the course of tlie night, some to Alcântara, others to the woods and momitains. I purchased some veiy fine miisk and watcr-melons from this peasant, paying hiin a trifle more than their value, which appearcd to excite very strongly both his astonislnnent and grati tude.

The scene of this morning made a decp and lasting impression ou me. It is true that I have since witnessed horrors, which nnghtvell have taughtme to think lightly of an oceurrence, which í afterwards found was not uncommon; but first impressions are too jiowerful to be ever forgotten. The greater part of tliis day, too, the thermometer liad becn from ninety-five to ninety-eighr, another reason for remembering Zarza and the scorching unsheltered bivonack, The next morning our General returned from ii conference with Marslial Bcresford, who was in tlie neighbourhood of Pena Garcia and Pena Macor, with a body of Portuguese, and the same evening we retreated acrosstlie Elgu and re-entered Portuga!; a movement rendered prudent, I belicve, by the force and vicinity of the enemy, for we had only six battalions, unsiipported by cavalry or artillery. We iww retracei! our stops to AJemtejo. One of our camps, on this short retreat, was formed ou ground the most wild and picturesqne. Half way

40 UECOLLKCTIONS OF

between Vil la Velha and Niza, the road wimls through a deep and narrow valley, inclosed on ai! sides hy rudely-shaped and rockyhills; through it flows a smalJ streamlet, descending from the hcights in tiie nigged channel ofawintry torrent, and faintly inarking out its course with a silveiy thread of tlie purest water. Here, at night-fall, after heing nearly eighteen hours under arms, we halted : the heights ascend on ali sides of this little vale so steep and pcqiendicular, that it is impossible to preserve any regular fonnation, and tlie meai vrere dispersed in groups ali up the hills. I and my companions spread onr cloaks and kindled our fire upon a rocky ledge, close to the top of that ravine down which the rivillet fell, and thus we overlooked the whole encampraent. The short dry brushwood, though it made bad fires, sent forth hright and heanteons flaines, and the sudden and magic illumination of this rude and warlike scene may he conceived, hut, I feel, it is impossiblc to describe it. The fitful glare which gave to view tlie groups of soldiers, herc only shewing the dark outlines of human figures, and there throwing a fiery light on their arms, their dress, and features, the glow reflected from the stream, and the dark lofty masscs of hill and rock in the back ground, formed a picture such as only the genius of a Byron, or a Southey, could convey to the min d of a reader in the language of de. sciiption.

TtlE PENÍNSULA. 47

We halted at Niza for a fortnight, and hutted in a wood ncar the town. Here, in a tliick well-built bower, with a bed of heath, a Jarge smooth slate to serve for a table, and a bencb of corfc, I lived as comfortably, and, from the novelty, far more eon- tentedly, than I should liave done in tlie best-fur- nisbcd apartments in England.

On the 7th of September we brokc up from Niza, and marehed into cantonments in Spanish Estremadura. Our route passed by' Portalegre, Elvas, Badajos, and Talavera Real. Tlie valley by wlrich you approach Portalegre, is fertile and very beantiful. Quintas, gardens, vineyards, and eorn- fields, cover the last six mil es on your road to the eity, whieh is airy, well-built, and handsomely si tua teci 011 a loíty eminenee, sheltcred to the north by inountains, planted witb vines to their verysumniits, and overlooked on tlie soutli by heights, richly ulotbed with wood to the xcry edge of tlie grey and broken ridges of rock which crown them. To the eastward it cominands a fine and bonndless prospeetover the undulating plains, which stretch in the direetion of Badajos and Elvas. We were billetted for the night in this eity, and, after dressing in a eool retired apartment, which opened into a sinal] orangery, I visited the eathedral: it is handsomc, has a fine-toned organ, and the singing wasswect. It was the evening serviee, and afterwards I bcard a rcquiem ehaunted or sungover the grave of some deeeased person of rank ; there was

4-8 RECOI.LECTIOXS OF

a long procession, and several monks assisted, ali bearing torches ; surrounding the graven stonc, nlí- der which lay the mouldcring remains of this v/eal- thy corpsc, or rather oncc wealthy man, thcvbroke forth into a fine and solcinn strain. The nnmber of deep and powerfulbassvoices, contrasted with the soft and feminino tones of the youthful choristers, produced a very grand effect, far superior to any tliing ever lieard in our cathcdral service. I am frec, howcver, to confèss, that the singing of some individuais in our English clioirs is not easily to be surpassed; still, wc never hear tliat astonishing bass which peais forth from a Iarge asscmblage of priests and friars, and which is, at once, so awful and so truly imposing. The light brigade, under General Robert Crawford, was quartered in Portalegre at this tiine. The regiments composing it were very fine, and in the highest possible order; tliey had liad the mortificátion of joining Lord Wellington's army on the fie!d of Talavcra, the day after the battle. I here saw the parade oí" tlie 95th regiment, a corps, as generally, as it is justly, admired. We con- tinucd our march the nextday, haltingat AiTonches, a small unimportanttown, and from tlience procecd- ed fo]Io\ving the moming to a hivouack under the wallsof Elvas. Near this last town two men in the column died on the linc of march, from the joint effects of heat and fatigue. The thermometer rose, in the conrse of that day, to 100 in the open air. Elvas is a frontier town of strength, and boasts

TI1E 1»BN INSULA. 49

theprotectionofan impregnableont-fort(La Lippe), which is looked upon as a. chef (Fauvre of skill iii the art of fortification. The hospitais of our army werc established in this town 5 and, in walking through the streets or passing the convents appro- ])ríated to th em, my eyes contínnally rcsted 011 meu, who had been woimdcd in the late battle of Talá- veis. As I rcturned the salntcs of these gallant snflèrers, I felt my cheek glow like scarlet. What wonld I not then have given, for the prond privi- lege of being numbered with tbose Officers, whohad commanded them in the field of honotir, and who now, their contracted limbs supported by crutches, or their shattered arms liglitly suspended in black silk handkerchiefs, were moving jndolentlyin the coo! shade, with that eontented look, which tliesen- sation of rctiiriiing health always hestows, and here douhly interesting froni a conscionsncss of the noble canse, which had stretched them on the bed of pain. I followed a large groupe of them into the shop of a Moorisli sntler, called Tamct, and well known to ali the British armyas the Turk. This man sold ahnost every thing which conld be nsefnl to officers 011 serviee, and was civil and liberal, ftr more so than any one, in his sitnation, I cver met with. Here, whilo ranking a few p„rchases, I listened eagerly to the conversation around me. It was of a charactcr to me dceply interesting; for they spoke of our politicai reiations with Spain, of the mihtary character of the Spaniards, and of the prospects of

50 ItECOLLECTIONS OF

the war j but I confcss I quite bhtshed for their want ofinformation and liberality. The contempt with which they spoke of Spanish prowess, was not oiily uncharitable, but nnmerited; the generous aiid fearless ardour, with which the Spaniards first rushed to arms, and intrepidly threw down the ganntletofdefíanceto thatman, before whom Italy, Áustria, Prnssia, aud Rússia had siiccessively bent the knee, and yielded up the ]>alm of victory; the heroic perseveranee, -with which they endured toil, privation, and defeat; the undying resolution with which, thongh daily routed, they stiil presented themselves hefbre the victorious legions of a brave and skilful encmy, and retired from one field, only to offèr themselves, as willing victims on another; the unexampled hcroism with which Zara- goza, and some other towns, werc defendcd by their inhabitants, without distinction of age or sex; ali these were fiicts, which onght to have been known to my feHow-countryineu, and, on the memory of which the impartial soldier, and the good man, will ever dwcll with entliusiasin and delight—I had evidently been uiifortiiuate in the group; for, I believe, that in no army of Europe are so many gentleinen, andmen of education, andindependent feeling, to be found, as in our own. But, the 13 ri- tish army innst not be made responsible for the folly and ignorance of many, who have been too imich honoured by admission into her ranks. \Ve mnst not look to ali, who have fought our battles»

THE PENINSULA. 51

in thc vain hope of meeting heroes; \ve shaU find bui meti, — No, — Sears and decorations can only effectually cmiohlc men of virtue, of sensc, and of conrage.— If, howcver, the romantic illnsions of a youthful and heated faney have becn dcstroyed by observation and inquiry, my attachment to thc profession of arms lias not deserted me; confínned and happy in my choice of it, I now follow it with more silent devotion, more rational liopes, and less obtrusive zcal. I passed the evening of this day under a canopy of luxuriant and shady vines, wlúch stretched tlicir creeping stems- over the trellice- work of a covercd garden-path. Here, by the side of a wcll, our hnmblc repast was spread j the green and pnrple clusters liajiging over our heads, afTorded us an excellent desert; and, after drinking some fine wcll-coolcd winc of Borba, I rolled myself in my clouk and slept soundly, tiU, ronsed by drmns and bugies, I sprung up, and hastened to íbll in with the coiumii, which was on this day to enter Spain. After descending from Elvas, the road to Badajos lies over a brown and levei plain, whicii, extending far heyond tliat city, seems only bounded by the borízon, though here and therc, vil the distance, a fcw blue mountains may be seen; but these only vise like rocky islands in the bcean, and serve rather to mark more strongly the dreary. flatness, tlwn to vary thc fatiguing prospect, or re- licve the aching sight.

A shallow and nameless rivulet inarks the con- E S

52 REC0LLECT10NS OF

fines of Portugal, anti, jiassing tliis strange limif, you enter the kingdom of Spain. A few mil es beyond this, you traverse the city of Batlajos, irt frònt of which wc hivouacked for the night. The town of Baclajos is fòrtifiecl, and, tliough it certainly did n ot j)resent the appearancc of great strcngth, its defenccs werc aflcrwards so much improvcd hy the French, whilc they held it, as to costus in the reduction of it, in 1812, a very heavy and mnrder- ous loss. Many a man smiled in those days at the insignificant appearance of its works, who was

dooined to perish in the assault, wliich rcstored it to our arms. It is in the markct-place, and the strcets of Badajos, that the stranger soon discovcrs- that he is among another pcople, and in a separate, and, \vere it not for the dust of Portuga1 still covering liis dress, lie might almast judge, in a rcmote kingdom. .

A chain of mountains, or a spacious channel, eould hardly prepare him for a greatcr change. Features, carriage, costume, language andmanners, ali proclaim a distinct race. The stylc of building too, diífcrs: fewer w indo ws front the streets, and most of these are gratcd with long hars, curviug ontwards at the bottom. The larger houses have a small squarc court within, omamented with a fomi- tain, and embellished with plants in large pots, or frames of woodj rountl th is court the building runs, piitting forth a covered halcony, into which the windows of the residence look.

THE PENÍNSULA.

The counten ance of tlie Spaniard is noble, li is statnre tall, lais walk crect, bis deportmcnthauglity: Jiis manner of speaking varies greatly; it is generally grave and solem», but on points of deep interest atui fceliug, is animated beyoiul expressioií. Tlierc is verj great variety in tlie costume of Spaniards, for tlie natives of each province are readily distin- gi lished ]>y tlieir dress, and, wbeii you see an as- sem bl age of meu from various parts of Spain, tlie eflect is very siri king. The market-plaee of Bada- jos, which, at tlie time I saw it, was crowded witli strangers, bad ali tlie appearance of a picturesqne, and well-arranged masqueratle. The (Ufferentmodes of dress, aiicienl, and not liable to daily changes, are, «o doitbt, tlie saine they were fbur centuries ago.

The Estreinadnran liimself has a biown jacket without a eollar, and with sleeves, which lace at tlie shoiilder, so that they are reinoved at pleasure. The red sash is universally worn, and a cloak is generally carried on tlie left arm. A jacket and waistcoat profuscly omamented witli silk lace, and buttons of silvei- filigree, theliair clnbbed, and ticd with broad black ribbon, and a neat cap of cloth, or velvet, mark tlie Andalusian. The ass driver of" Córdova is clothed in a complete dress of tlie tawny brown leather of his native province.

The lemoni.de scller of Valência lias a linen shirt open at theneek, a thncy waistcoat without sleeves, a kilt of wliite cotton, white stockings risingtothe

E 3

54> RECOLLECTIONS OF

calf, and sandals. 'Muleteers, with their broadbody- belts of búffleather, their capitam or train masters, with the ancient cartridgè belts, and the old Spanisli gun, were mingled in these groups. Hcre, too, were many ofiíeers and soldiers of the patriot armies, which, raised in haste, were not regularly or uni- formly clothed, if I except some of the old standing force. Of these, you might see the royal cara- bineer, with the cocked hat, blue coat faccd with red, and, instead of hoots, the ancient greaves, of thick hard hlack leather, laced at the sides. The dragoon, in a uniform of ycllow, hlack belts, anda helrnet with a cone of brass. The royal, or Wal» loon guards in their ncat dress of blue and red, with white lace. The cominon soldier in brown : mingled with these was the light-horseman, in a Hussár jackct of brown, and overalls cappcd, Hncd, and vandyked at the bottom with tan leather; here, again, a pcasant with the cap and coat of a soldier, there, a soldier from Navarro, or Arragon, with the bare foot, and the light hempen sandal of his country. There was a pleasure I took in the con- templation of these scenes, which the deep interest I felt ih the fate of the unfortunate Spaniards, very grcatly enhanced. They are people of the most primitive, and uncomipted singleness of heart; d people, whosc national character is very ill under- stodd, and has heen very often, and very cruclly miârepresented. Shut out from the rest of Europc by their geographical position, having long since

THE 1'EN'IN.SULA.

eeascd tobe a commercinl people, and their country, grau d and beautifiil as are its fèatures, being little visitcd, froin its utter want of convcniencc and acconunodatioii for travcllers, the Spaniards, until the late contcst, ha d bcen long lost sight of. The rays of scicnec and oftruth, which had enlightened otlier nations, shonc not on wretched Spain j the inatitutions for civil and religious libcrt)', which had given new dignity and vahie to existence, overhalf Europe, were there unknown, and the Spaniards thetnselves trembled at the march of improveinent, of which thcj heard only, as of a spirit of destruction, from whose wrathful, thongh salutary visit- ations, they were happy tohe spared. Siich apathy was appalling, but it was not incurable j their energies lay dormant, bnt were not dead. Ener- va ted by the conquest of America, a conquest achieved by such high and heroic enterprize, as gives to historical detail ali tlie charm and tlie splendour of romance, but which opened on them the flood- gates of wealth, and its attendant miseries, the .Spaniards neglected to promote domestic trade, manufactures, and husbandry. They had been a inartial people j such are usually averse to daily labour and habitual exertion: the conntries òf Europe, however, had by successfulleaguesshaken their power, and circumscribed their means of in- dnlging tiiis restlcss passion for gloiy. Their swords might then have been tnrned into plonghshares, and they might have becoine peacefully industnous

E *

56 RECOLLECTIONS OF

,and prosperously happy. They were made however by the easy conquest of New Spain suddcnly, and without eftbrt, wealthy, aud írom th is misfbrtune they have never yet reeoyercd.

Let us briefly examine the common charges now preferred againstthein. They are accused of being indolent, and it is true that they are not very Ia- borious, for their wants are few, and th esc by the fruitfulness of their soil are readily suppiied ; but they are not half so indolent, as prejudiced travellers would preteud. It is objected, that^ in many of their provinees, there are spacious traets of land uneultivatcd. On enquiry you will find, that there is no water to assist in fértilizíng many of these deserts, while others have been set apart as pnblie sheep walks, by the authority of the goveniment, for whosc impolicy in sanetioning so absurd a custom, the wretched and powerless inhabitants must not be condcmned. If, however, an appcar- anee of cultivation is the trnc criterion of indnstry, in many of their mountainous districts well suppiied with water, we see vines and frnit trees on the steepest. elifFs, and com produced in small plots of ground, on the summits of precipitous and rocky mountains, inaccessible save to the active goat, and the laborious peasant

The Spaniards are often despised for their igno- ranee. It is trne, that, in the philosophy of nature and metaphysical inquiry, they arefar behind most other nations in Europe % bnt, in such principies of

T11K PENIJÍSULA. 57

moral et li i es, as shoiild rcgulate human conduet, they are well versed, and their practice keeps pace witli their knowledge. Ou such subjects they Iiave a dignifica and forceful eloqnence, wliich wonM coniòimd the mere scliolar. Unpractised in schools, and little acquainted with books, experience and observation íbrin theni, and they can boast of solid characters, and sound jndgments.

The Spaniards are reproached with being very siiperstitions; and they are so. Bnt snperstition is not akcays the parent of crime. Those who would attribute to a willing and consenting nation, the establishment of thatmerciless tribunal, the In- qnisition, greath, err: that barbarous institution originated in the wicked and detestablc policy of cruel rulers and crafty ecclesiastics, wh o biiilt up their iniquitous powcr upon the piety, reverence, andzeal of a devout and cnthusiastic people.

The Spaniards, blessed with a íertile imagination and a livcly fnney, are e.xalted, consoled, or awed, by the strange creations and idols of their snbject niiuds. The arm is nerved with teilfold "gonr, the heart steeled with tenfold courw* the tear of affliction is dricd, or the commission oí crime averted by feelings of irresistible infln. «ice, the offspring of holy siiperatition. In a conntry where the laws are ill administered, this autl.onty of conscience Tules the heart of eacb individua!, and with such slIcceSS, that I do not hesi- ta* to say, I tl.ink there are fewcr atrocions crimes

58 RE JI.I.KCTIOXS OF

committed in Spnin, than i» the British islands: tlicrc is more mauslaughter, but less morder, lcss dclibcrate assassination. Therc are bands of robbers in their ínonntain-passes, and their extensive forests, but, therc are fewer villains in their towns and villages, and crimes are rarely lieard of in the peacc- ííil bosom of their inoflênsive societies.- The Spa- niards are hospitahlc and generons, and vnaffect- edly so: they are good fathers, and husbands, hu- manc, and considerate masters of families. They

,are patriotic and brave, temperate and honest. I am here speaking of the mass of the Spanisli people, of lier citizens, lier yeomen, and her peasantry, not of the nobler and more wealthy classes; for amongthese, alas! manyexamples of degeneracy are to be foimd. Some of these have lost ai), whicli made the Sjianiard respectabJe, without acquiríng that, which has gíven tlie more polished and enliglitened inJiabitants of other countries, their admitted snperi- ority. For myself, I look forward eagerly to that moment, when forced,by the loss of her American colo- nies, to examine her resources at home, and to learn the true value of her possessions in the Península, Spain sliall, once more, exhibit her self in greatness and in glory to astonished Europc;—when shewill forget her ancient maxim, that it is wiser to bear \vith the failings of kings, than to punish tlicm;— when she will have firmness enongh to represent her grievances, and resolution enougli to insist on their redress; —when she wd! abolish the impious

THE I'ENINSULA. 59

and hellisli powersof thc Inquisition, :uul secure to hersclf liberty without licentiousness, and religion without persecution.

These observationsmay scem perbaps inisplaced. It may be so: but I do not follov the order eitlier of a trave]ler or narrator. My traveis and cam- paigus are o ver, and I ain ratlier mingling past and ]>rescnt reflections, than confhiing mysclf* to tlie ordinary dctail of first sightsand first improsskms.

I wandered abont the to\vn for some hours, and valked in the evcning on tlieir alameda, or promc- nade. Here I saw severa! fine and bcautiful \vo- men. The dress of the Spanisli lady is rcmarkably clegant, and gcnerally adorns a very perfect sliapc. Black is the universal colour, and the robe is most tastefully worked and vandykcd. A inantilia, or veil of black silk or lace, and somctimes of wbite lace, istbrown over the head, and, leavingthe face uneovercd, mllsgracefnlly over thc shoulders, and is confined at the waist by th e arnis of the wearer. They are both expensive, and particular in dressing thcir íeet with neatness, and their Jittle shoes fit elosely. The large blaok cye, the dark expressive glance, the soft hlood-tinged olive of the glowing complexion, make thc umvilling Englishman conícss the majesty of Spanish beauty, and, lie feels that hough the soft blue eyc, and delicate lovcliness of

Jus own couutrywomen awakcn more tender feel- mgs oí mterest, he would dciiy, or dispute, in vain, the commanding superiority of these dark-eyed and

GO RECOLLKCTIONS OF

fine-fbrmcd dam seis. The írentlemen and noble- incn, who walked with tlicni had nothing striking in their appcarance; thc cocked liat was uni ver- sai ly worn, and their dress in otlier resjjects, resem- bled tli.it, which thc l*rench worc some thirty years ago. I tnrned witli mnch satisfaction to a group of English officers then passing, "who wcre ali fine-look- ingyoungmen; and I observed several Spaniards of the middling and lower classes (the tnie and pre- per samplcs of that people), drawing comparisons betwecn th em and their o\vn degenerate hidalgôs,

. very grcatly to the advantage of my countrymen. I left thc town highly gratified witli ali I had

secn and heard, yct somewhat disappointed that I had not, with ali my watching and loitering near his quarter, sueceeded in catching one glance at Wellington, whom at that time I had never seen. My comrades had again found a garden ncar the hivouackj and after a very dclightful evening I lay down on a mat, spread for me by one of thc garden ers, without even a cloak, and composed myself to slecp. Such is thc climate of Spaiir.

We reached Torre Major, the village allotted to our brigado, in two days, passing through and bi-

/ n von acking for thc night u earTalavera. Some regi- 4 ments of thc division Hill, to which our brigade

was attached, lay at Montijo, a town in onr route, about four miles from ToiTe Major; among others the twenty-ninth regiment. Jt was the first corps distinguishcdforítsservices, which I hadevev secn

THJi PJCNIXSUF.A. Gl

iinderarms. Xothing eotihl possibly 1)0 worse than thrir clothing; it had becomc neccssary to patch' ft ; and as recl cloth coultl not bc procnrcd, grey, white, and evcn brown ha d bccií used : yet, imder this strikingdisadvantage, they conld notbc viewed by a soldier withont admiration. The perfcct orcler and cleanlinesá of their arms and appointments, thcir stcadiness 011 para de, their crect carritve, and tlieir firm and free marching, exceciled any thing of thc kind which I bad ever seen. Xo corjis of any army or narion, which I have since had an op- })ortunity of seeing, lias come nearer to my idea of what a reginieiit ofinfantry sliould be, tlian tbe old twenty-ninth.

Otir village was a collcction of mud cottages, not a trce near it, and looked, as we approachcd, poor and incan : we were, however, very agreeably surpriscd on entcring it. The dwcllmg of the Spanish peasant is very clean, and owing to the extreme thickness ofthe walls, and tbe smallness of the win- doira» delightfnlly cool. 1 got a comfortablc little room, with a good bed, two or tbrce of tbe little low chair.s, and thesmall low table ofthe conntry. Thc poorer Spauiards sit very low, and their fbod is spread on a table still lower, a cnstom very ancient and very inconvcnicnt. I however thought myselfin liigh liick tobe lord oftlns little sanctnm, and generally retired to resttoo imich fatigned, to find fanít with my thick hard mattrass, and my coarsc thotigh white sheets.

RECOLLECTIOXS OF

The life of the Spanish villagcr is simple, and hot witliout its pleasures. He riscs carly, and aftcr mass goes fortli to labour: a bit of dry bread and a fcw grapes, or a slice of the water-melon, supply li is breakfast: a plain dish of vcgctablcs, general ly a sort of bean, boiled with the smallcst morsel of bacon to flavonr it, fornis the dinncr; and their drink is watcr, or the weak cominou wine of the coiintry. They invariably, whcther in their honscs or in the fields, take their si esta after dinncr, and proceed again to labour in the cool of the evening. In the front of their cottages you may almost always see low benches of stone: on these, after supper, theyseat theinsclves to smoke their scgars; and here, surronnded by their fainilies, they fre- qucntly reinain till a late honr, cnjoying the refresh. ing air of night, and ali the Inxnry of that calm and lovely scason, so grateful and revi vi ng in their wann cl i mate.

How oftcn have I stood apart and gazcd on these happy groups, how oftcn have I listened to their pleasing ditties, the pauses and cadences of which they mark so fcclingly, yct so simply with the liglit guitar!

Oftentimes too, whcn the moon shines brightly, tlicir youth will mect together, and by that soft light, dance to the checríh) sonnd of the merry castanets, the rude but sprightly fandango, or the more graeeful bolero of their country. What is there to despi se or ridicule in a life like this ? Yet

TIIE PENíNSULA. 63

I have often met ainong iny conntrymen, with those wh o wonld langh with contcmpt «t the innocent, and notirrational, aimiseinents ofthis contentei! peasantry.

Some of theb customs in hiisbandry are very fcancic;iit, ainong others, the treading out- of their com with cattle, instead of tbreshing it. This is ali done in the open air, wliere the grain is after- vrards spread to dry and harden j oxen or mares are nsed for this pnrposc, and you may see five or SíN at n time trotting round in a circle, npon the ont-spread wheat in straw. This practice obtained in the very earliest ages of the vorld, and one cannot therefore look npon it, without awakening in the inind, by the natural laws of snggestion, a traiu of tlie most interesting recollections.

I made an uxoursion from our cantonment in this village to the toun of Merida, a place of some note, sitnated on the Guadiana, about four leagnes in front of iis. Myself, a friend, and an acqnanitance from another corps, who has long since been numbered with the slain, set off at an early hour, and after a pleasant ride of two honrs, reached Merida. We procured a billet ior the day, asa place of retreat, and immediately after breakfast, thongh the mid-day heat was •scorclnng and oppressive, walked forth to see tliose monumento of antiquity for which Merida is s„ descrvedly celebrated among well-infonned Span- «rd* h»t of which I never even heard or read,

O* REC0LLECT10XS OF

till accidentally cantoned in Kstraínadura. Tliis city was fonndedhy Augustus, and the lamls arou n d it were granted by him to tlic vetérans of some disbandcd cohorts, wh o had long and faithfully served the empire.

On entering Merida, yo» pass the Guadiana by . a bandsome stone l>ríilgc * of Roínan architecture,-

and in the highest state of preservation ; above it, on gronnil the most elevated in the city, stands a lloman castlet, tlie venerable walls of which, thougli rongh and discoloured, or rather, coloured by the tonch of time, appear secnre and undecay- ed. These antiquities of themselves would Iiave well rewarded our visit, for tlie design of them had probably been given by some celebrated Ro- man architect eighteen centuries before; and con- quered Spaniards, froin whose liands the shield and tlie sword so long, bnt so vainly, opposed to their invaders, had been rehictantly dropped, were employed, perhaps, in raising these monuments of the greatness, the power, and the genins of their victors. Sueli was the policy of the Romans: they ahvays thns, by tlie erection of public works of inagnificence and utility, while tliey recorded their own trininphs, gilt over the very chains they im-

* Thísbridge lias sixty-four arelies, and is one thousand yards in lengtli; lhe anliquary will learn with sorrow, lhat Iwo arelies of tliis old bridge were in tlie spring of 1812, blown up by the Britisb, ín the coursc of lheir military operations in llieprovince of Eslramadura.

■j- This caslic was of great cxlenl, lhe centre área being Iwo Iiundred yards square.

T1IE PENÍNSULA. G.5

posed, and madc thcir provincial suhjccts Icei 1 irou d even of dependency. Mcrida ha d its íIIII- phitlieatrc, its nau machia, its baths, its triíiinphal archcs, its tcmples aiul votivc ai tais.

In a plain near thc city are very grand anil strikiug remains of thc amphitheatrc* Its fonn, except in height, is still preserved; the scatsappear quite perfoct; the vatilted dens where thc beasts wcre confiiied, and which opcn on the arena, are 1111- mjured, anel their arched roofs are strong as ever; lhe whole building is of stone, and the Homan ce- ment used in its construetion, is as hard, and seems to have becn as dtirable, as thc stone itself. Not very distant, you distinctly trace thc nanmachiat; and the iow stone channcl or condnctor, hy which the lioilow space or basin was fillcd with water, may still lie seen. Crowdcd on the scats of tliis atnpliitheatre, or pressing ronnd the sides of the nauniachia, you may still íhncy the hanghty le- gionaries, and the wondering Spaniards, gazing on the magnificent cxhibitions of those splendid ages.

As you pass from tliis secne towards the town, yon are stnick by thc lofty and i)ictnresqne ruins

• Tliis amphitheatrc lias two tiers of seaís, seven rows in the lower, five in the upper. Its diameter is fifty j,aces, anil it is capable of holding willi ease more tlian two thousaml spee-

t Thc basin of tliis nau machia is one hundred paces by «xly, tia forni oval, its depth Iwenlv feet in the centre, and the baiiks for the spcctators rise about tweniy feet above iis sidos.

GO BKCOLLECTIOXS OF

of two aqnedncts", 011c erectcd by tlie Romans, the otlier huilt by tiic Moors. 1 dcfy any man of cominou edncation and fcclhig, to look npon sucli memoriais of otlicr days, unmoved.

í wandered froin my companions, and scating mysclf nnder the si 1 a de of tlie first, fell into a train of thonght, at once solemn and deliglitfnl. ííerc, on tliis very spot, bad tlie Iloinan eaglc becn displayed in tlie day of its pride and glory; lierc, Roman knights and soldicrs, men born perlwps on the lianks of tlie Tiber, and educatcd in imperial Romc, wliose familiar language was that in which a Cicero wrote', and a Virgil snng, and wh o liad served, and fought in Greece and Ásia, laid down their helm and cnirass, and claimed their 11aicltv-c.inic:d icward.

O ver tlie same plain had the rnde and nnlettcred Goths moved as conqncrors, till in tiirn the hanghty and glirtering cresceut rose o'er their drooping banner, and conntlcss Moors, known by their snowy tnrbans, and silken vests, bome on the fleet coursers of Africa, and brandishing their cnrvcd falcliions in ali the insolcncc of trinmph, rode shont- ing to those walls which an Angustus had built, and over which a Trajan had ónce held sway.

There is something infinitely affecting in having

• The Homan .iqueiluct lias ihrcc tiers of arches, lhe ÍMoorisIi only iwo.

TIIK PENÍNSULA. Ç>J

sucli scencs fbrccd upon onr imaginations by the prescncc of ínoimnients, whicli, thongh crumíjling before the eeaseless and consmning powerof time, liave yct sun-ircd for so inany centuries, the perish- abte hands of the mortais who raised thein. Thcre is a plciísnre too, though it is not perhaps a Chris- tian onc : we are griuified, when reflecting on the shortiiess, uncertainty, and obscnrity of onr own hves, to mai-k the silent trinmph of time, alike <'o'cr allthat lias been, o'er ali that is-/' for the very wrecks of antiquity, still scattered over the earth, serve bnt to proclaim, more sadly, the desolating and endnring tyranny of time. In one of the streets of Merida may be seen a large and lofty arch *, said to be atriumphal one, erected in Iionour of Trajan. It bears, howevcr, no ínscription, nor is it in any way adorned with seiílpturo, or relief; it lias nevertheless, the true Roman character; it is handsome m ttsproportions, and solid in itsconstrnetion: very large massivo stones, arranged with the most jnst and admirablc skill, and pnt together without ce- rnem, compose tliis still perfect work.

In another part of the city threc votive altars have been raised one ahove the other, and form a sort of pdiar, on the top of which, some good and dc- vont fathers have very provokingly placed the clnmsy „nage of a saint. Strange revolution! that

F <>

6'8 RECOLÍ.ECTIONS OF

altars sculpturcd and adorned by the liands of hea- thcns and idolaters, shonld now form acolumn to ele vate a statue for Cliristian adoration.

Near this place two sinall chapeis have bcen bnilt out of the materiais, and npon the sites, of Roman tcmplcs; onc oftbese, now dedicated to the Virgin, has thcfollowinginscription in Jargc Roman characters, immediatcly above the entrance: — **'Marli Sctcnem."

The Baths are snrprisiiigly perfect, but not large, thongh thcy have cvidently bcen very handsome. Yon descend to th em by a long flight of stone steps; the subterrancous cbambers are gloomy, and not spacions, but extrcinely cool; tbe basins still contain water, supplied by some spring, but thcy are foul from neglect and disuse. These bathing rooms are lighted from the top of the building, which just above the water is open ; a cornice runs round thesc rooms, most curiously and delicntely finisbed, and the vin c l caves and bnnehesof grapes, thus rc- presented, appear as perfect as if they had not been executed many ycars. There are, doubtless, more vestiges of Roman seulpturc and masonry scattered and lost in the materiais with wliicb several of the private houses in and about Mcrida have bcen erected;' and the foundatíon of many an old building, and the bed of many a garden, ivould well reward the search and labour of an antiquary. Tbe remains whieh I have notiecd, are ali that tbe eager travcllcr can now discover; they are, however, suf-

THE 1'ENIXSULA. Cí)

fiei cn t in nmnbcr, and in teres ti ng cnongh in cita- ra cter, to throw a sacred and indeseribable eliarm arou mi th is smail but venerable city.

In onr billet, whitber we returned to dínner, we found onr patrona not a little fitlgetty and anxious at the idea of onr having ]>asscd tlie liottest hours o}'the day ex]iosccl to tlie burning rays of the sim ; tbe Spaniards thcmsclvcs are very cantions in th is particular, and nsnally shnt up their windows, and confine themselves to tbeir li ouses, ií' not to their beds, during the oppressive lieat of noon. This good lady was civil and fnll oí' conversationt she had two danghters, one of whorn, the youngest, a girl of abont seventeen, was, withoul any exeeption, the most lovely, the most beautifn! woman I saw whiJc in Spain. To a very perfect form, she added a most fanltless and most expressivo countenanee : iicver shall I fbrget her gracefnl elegant movements, and the natural, yet chastened animation with whicli she spoke. I have never seen her sinee the moment tbat we mounted onr horses to return j she leaned graccfnlly over the balcony, and kissed her hand to ns as we rode ofi; wishing us suecess and hononr in war, with ali that noble enthnsiasm whieh stamps the Spanish heroine. In the conrsc of onr conversation, she had expressed herself warrnfy abont the profession of arms, saying repeatedly, that she would accept the hand of no man who had not fought for bis eountry, and who was not a true Spaniard. Was Spain a eountry

F 3

7t> KKCOI.I.KCTIOXS OF

to he sub cl u ed, when sueh was the spirit of hcr daughters ?

As wc passeei out of tlie town, we saw severa! officers, meu, and horses of the heavy brigade of Britisb cavai ry, stationcd there. The cattlc werc in wretched condi ti on, and the men looked sickly. Botli officers and ])rivates were very ill dressed, and their hrown and shapeless hats had a most nnmili- tary appearance. Whoever had scen these regiments in England; in pale, sallow-looking men, and skeleton horses, would hardly liave recognized the third'Dragoon Guards and fòurth Dragoons, two corps enjoying, and deservcdly, awell-caraed namc. Thus, oftentimes, on actual service, vanishes ali that brilliancy which has won the heart and fixed the choice of so many a youth, and which appeared so gay and attraetíve on crowded esplanades at home.

We pursued our way, for a few miles, slowly and silently, for we had too much food for reflection to feel even the wish to talk. Our day had been one of too delightful a character to oílen recur, and bright enough to counterbalance wecks of fatigue and inconvenience. As the shades of night closed in upon ns, we, by accídent, left our track, and, at length, wholly lost our way. After wandering for some time, wc descried a flre on the plain, at a considerable distance, and made towards it. Threc sbepherds were standing near it, and restraining, with diíficulty, two cnormous wolí-dogs, whom our

17

TJIK 1'EXlN'sm.A.

approach had alarmed nml irriíated. The appearance oí" tliítí group was singnlarly picturesijiicj, and wouhl liiivc made a fino subject for a painting. The shephcrds of th esc imiti ense plains wear an upper dress of slieepskin, with the woolly sido out- wards, whicli covcrs the breast and baek, and pro- teeis the thighs. These are made of wliite or black skin, as it niay be; two of the present party had wliite, the otlicr bJaek ; two of thern werc anned willi long Spanish guns, iòr the protection of their ilocks, and the other had lhe ancient crook. Their dogs were of a dun or mouse-colonr, sinooth liaired, partaking, in the form of their lieads, both of the buli and msmttfí', and both taller, and every way Jarger thnn auy I ever saw in England. Wc had disturbed the wholo party, and tlieir Jooks of snr- ])rise and inquiry, together with tlie fierce and eager attitude of their dogs, not a littJe increased the effect. One of thein, good-naturcdly, carne a fuw hundred yards with us, to set tis in tJie right road; and, finding it late, vis spurred quiekly home, well pleased with ali onr adventures, not exceptiug that, which had arisen from our losing onr way, and delayed onr retiirn.

Tlie aatumna] season, in Estremadura, is pro- verbially nnliealthy, and numbers of the inhabitants die amntally of the alarming fever which prevails in the dreaded month of September. The umvhule- some vaponrs, which arise írom the beds of the many síagnant pools scattered over tlie surface of

F 4

72 HECOM.KCTIOXS OF

th esc plaina, and always dricd np by the stimmer hcats, are sai d to produee th is evil. ■ Be tliis as it may, towards the end of September, this insidious and vesistless enemy found bis way into our tran- qnil quarters, crowded our hospitais with sick, and fiiled the chapei vaults with victims, over wh ora we gloomily and stillenly mourned. We wotdd have .resigned th era in the ficld of battlc, perhaps, with a sigh, yet not withont some protid feeling oí' consolation ; but here, to see the cheek hlanchcd, and the arm unnerved hy disease, was a constant sonree of aífíiction and despondeney. Thcre is nothing about which Englishmen are so generally incrcdulons, or to which they appear so indifterent, as any report touehing the danger of a scason or a climatc, and the approach of síckness and mortal ity; for this very rcason, when once au alanning disease appears ainong .them, they are overcome with surprisc, they lose ali elasticity of spirit, hope forsakcs th em, and they sink nnresist- ingly to the grave. This. does not proceed altogether froin weakness of eharacter; on the bed of sickness, the English soldier thinks inorc se- riously of death, .and his accountahility hercafter, than perhaps any other, if we except the Pro- testam soldiers of the north of Germany. The inhahitants of the soutli of Etirope, and the meu wh o composc'the mass of the continental arm i es, are, for the most part, íncmbers of the Roman or Greek ehurch; and, certain it is, that on the licd

TIIF. VENINSULA, ~3

of death ali oí' thcsc rcligions persuasions do np- pear ío entertaiii a confidcncc oí' salvalion, which, to the sobcr-minded and hmnble Protestant, howevcr innocent andhappy a feeling, seems ínistaken, ií'not presinnptuous. Strong in youth and licaltli, and of a sauguinc disposition, I took my dai\yex- erci se, unde r a bu rning sun, with very littlc apprc- hension. Sometimes, indecd, tiie passing corpse, and the painfitl siglit oíits destniclion in tltc vault, wonld gíve a momentary chiII to my blood. A very Icw honrs after dcatli, the Spaniards, in that pro- vinee, are carried to tlie chapei, cast into the vault, their hodies immediately broken with staves, qnick lime tlirown upon th em, and they are soon utterly consuined. Th is is well — as it shonld be, I believe; and, in a hot climate, a most necessary precaution against the danger ofinfection ; but to us, aceustomed as wc were, to a decent interment, and a closed coffin, the praettec was, at first, revolting. On the íburth of October, our division, commanded by General Hill, was reviewed on the plain, ncar Montijo, by Lord Wellington. We had a league to march to the ground, and were kept under arms a considerable time beíbre his Lordship arrived. I was in the highest possible spirits, cager to.behold the hero, and as he passed very slowly down the line, observing the men with a kecn scru- tinizing look, 1 had the íidlest oppommity for in- dulging my curiostty. I waS much struck with his

74 REC0LLECT1ON-S OF

countcnance ; and, in his quick-glancing eye, pro- minent nosc, and pressed lip, saw, very distinctly marked, the ready prcscnce of min d, and imper- turbable decision of character, so essential in a Icader, and hy wbich tlie name of th is great com- mandcr lias becn rendered so descrvedly illustrious. I returned liomc atter tlie revicw, passed a inost clieerful evcning, could talk of nothing but war and Wellington — was tliat night stretched 011 the bed of sickness, and, in a few days, lay at tlie very point of death. Youtb, an excellent constitntion, and high bopefnl spirits, enablcd me to rally, and in three weeks I was prononnced convalesccnt. The old woman of my liousc, wh o had passed many an hour, during my illness, before the small shrine of the saint that adorned her bed-room, and had put up daily prayers for tbe health and conversion of the yonng lieretic, was highly delighted, and considered my recovery as a miraculous proof of ber sainfs power, and a gratifying one of her own wortluness. For myself, during the wbole time, I had been supported by an internai íeeling of the most clieerful confidence j and anticipating both hononr as a soldier, and intellectual plcasure as a traveller, in my prospective service, I was un- willing to behcve that I could be cut off before I had íasted of the former, or half-satisfied my thirst- ing curiosity. Neitíier is tlie sick bed of a soldier lonely or desertei It is true, the anxious carc

TIIE l'EN INSULA. "(5

and tender ofiices of a mother, and the aftèctionate solicitude of a sister, are wanting. Those com- íbrts, which aí home are sure to be provided íòr lhe cl lamber of an invalid, are wanting. Yet, here, some warm-hearted friend will sinooth tbe pillow íòr your fèverish head, will speak to you in the mnnly yet feeling laiigiiage of encouragement; will procure, and ofte» prepare for you some deli. cacy; and, in the dark and silent lionr of evening, will sit qnietly by your sido, consoling you by aflec- tionate pressmes of tlie hand, for pain and suffer- ing, and watching anxiously tbat nothing may interrupt or scare your needful slnmhers. Yes,— sucb a picture is not romantic; in civil life, men liave bornes, parents, wives, children, brothers, sisters ; but in the profession of anus they beconie dependant npon friends. No where is friendship more tine, more warm, more exalted, than in the army j absenee from the mother-country, privation, peril, the pursuit and attainment of honor, are so many ties which bind soul to soul, in bonds brigbt and indestmctible. Although ont of immediate danger, and convalescent, it was thonght prudent tbat I should change the air, and I was ordered, by the staff-surgeon, to Elvas. My cdonel, who was also a great invalid, and was going to appear before a medicai board at Badajos, took me with luai. This board, consisting of physícians to the forces, now changed my destination for Lisbonj telliug me that Elvas wonhl have proved my grave,

7G REC0LLECT10XS OF

and tliat the stafl-snrgeon was highly ccnsurabrc for having so incomiderately disposed of me. 1 had jotirneycd from Torre Major to Badajos on a btillock-car, occasionally rcKcving myself by ínonnt- ing a led horse of the co]one]'s, who rode himself by my srdc. From Badajos to Elvas wc went in a cabriolet; and from tlience I liad sufíèred so mu eh by the motion, botb of the car and carriage, tbat I madean cffort to proceed on horseback. The accom- inodation whichwe metwith on two, ontof thefivc nightswe passcd on the road, is worthyof menti011.

It was ratlier advanccd in the day when wc leffc Elvas, proposing to sleep at Estremos, a town about six 1 cagues distant. From my extreme debi- lity, however, I was unablc to ride. at such a pacc as would have ensnred the accomplishmcnfof our journey before nightfall. •

At tlie distance of two Icagues from Estremos, tite sim set with the most threatening appearances. A sky heaviiy overcast; a brcathless, yet speaking stillness around us; far off, amid the southern hills, a low mnttering sound, that faintly reaclied HS; ali foretold a violent autumnal storm. Being both invalids, we felt not a little anxions about shcltcr, and spurred forward; but strength was denicd me, and I fell on tiie neck of my horse, nearly fainting: the cólonel would not leave me, and bidding me recline on my saddle, made li is groom lead my animal by the bridle. Hcre you mayfrequcntly travei fromone town to-another

TIIE PENÍNSULA. 77

vi t liou t passing a vi II age, a eountry-honse, a cottagc, or indced a li unian bcing. No clean ale-honse, as i» Jínglaud ; no rnstic aubcrgc, as in France, invites you torefreshmentandrcposc. Ifyouarebenighted, and the weather be fine, you mnst betake yonrself to tlie first tree: if it be stormy, and yon liave no baggage, or conveniences for encamping, yon mnst wander on. Luckíly, however, for ns, we espied a light at some distance froin the road, and made towards it. It proceeded ftom a solitary cottage; and a woman, wh o answered to onr knocks, expressed her willingness to receive ns. Wretchcd as was her appeaianee, I never saw more cordial, more fearless bospitality : she heaped np her little fire, killed, and stewed for us two ont of the fcw cliickens slie had, spread for ns two straw mat- tresses near the hearth, and regarded ns the while with looks of the most benevofent pleasure. Seated on a rude bench of cork, near this cottage fire, I thankfnlly partook of the repast she prepared; andwhile tbe thunder bnrst in peais the most loud and awfiil over our heads, and the ponr- ing rain beat rudely on her lmmble dwelling, with a lieartfelt sensation of gratitude I composed myself to rest.

Comfort is ever comparative; and, after ali, if his wishes be moderate, how little does man re- qmre. Sick, hungry, and exhausted, J wanted shclter, food, and repose: I enjoyed ali thesebles- smgs; the storm raged mthout, but not a raindrop

7» RECOI.I.ECTIONS OF

fell on me. I never ate with a keener rclish, I never passed a night in more sweet or refreshing slnmbers. Yet where, let ine ask, was the hotel in England wliich, in the caprice of sickness, would have satisfied a!l my wants and wishes? When wc rose with the morning to depart, our good hostess was resohite in refusing any remn- neration, thoitgh the wretched appearance of her hovel, and the rags on her children, bespoke the extreme of poverty. " No," said she; " the saints guided yon to my threshoUl, and I thank th em. My husband, too, was jotirneying yesterday, perhaps last night, ainid that thunderstorm; lie also knocked at some Christian's door, and found shelter."

\Ve canght one of the children ontside, and forcing some dollars into its little hands, monnted, and rode oif. I shalJ never forget that niglit, or that speech; and no sermon on the charities of life coidd be more instruetive.

At Estremos I was obliged to give up ali idea of riding farther, and was borne the rest of my jonrney on a creaking bullock-car, We stopped for one night at a common posada, about fi\'e leagues from Aldeã Gallega, the town where, in travei ling down by th is ronte, yon genendly embark on the Tagus, and cross to Lisbon. This posada is a bnilding, in size and appearance not mu eh ímlike an English barn. It is very siinply divided. Below is stabling for fifty or sixty imiles,

THE PENíNSULA. 79

ormore; and at t!ie farthest oxtremity, without iinv parti tio» between it and tlie space allotted to íhe animais, is the kitehen. Abovc is a large loft, with one or two eorners boardecl off, dignificd with the name of ehambers, and furnislicd with dirty niattresscs and iron kunps. The stablc was filled with mnles, the kitehen with inuleteers, and the loft: with vormin; yet herc, for want of better aecommodation, were wc compelled to pass the night; I need hardly add, it was a sleepless one. People of any rank or eondition ín life, both in Spain and Portugal, when neeessitatcd to inake journeys, always lodge in privatc liou ses, to which they gain admittance, cither by regular billets, re- commendations, or by liiring ehambers for the night. Thcse posadas, of which í speak, are seldom resorted to by any, bnt mnletcers j for whose aecommodation, and to more cqually divide the journies of their trains, we often 6nd thein built in spots two or three leagues from any town or village.

The life of the ínnletecr is very hardy, and pretty mnch the same in a!l parts of the península, He is exposed to ali weathers, for he is ever 011 the road. Each individua! has the charge of three or fonrmules; and the labour of loading and Hn. loadmg thcni daily, and foraging for them, is not triflmg. The food of the nmleteer is coarse; a large tlisli of chick peas, boiled with a morse! oí pork ; a sausage, or some dry sall fish, fiied iu «trong oil, me his most eommon and fevonrite

80 11TCCOLLECTIONS OF

ilis)ics. He drihks more tlian tlie Spanish peasant, and generally carnes a large leathern bottle or bag, filled with wine. He never undresses at niglit, but sleej>s either in the stable witli bis mtiles, or on tlie floor of the kitchcn ; indeed, in the siimmer, more gene rally in tbc open air, for be often bivouaeks. In ali places, a pack-saddlc is bis pillow, and a mulcclotb bis coverlet. He is an bonest, good- tcinpered, cbecrfnl creature, and you álmost always hear bim singíng on tlie road, A train of mnles is sei dom less tban fifty ; but it is not uncommon to ineet two or three trains, or more, traveiling tbe same road, and ladcn witb tbc samc merebandize. Eacb traiu has its captain or leader, wlio is invariably a trust-worthy man òf tb e best character. ■

Two days after my arrivài in Lisbon, I suflèred a severe relapse, «and was for six wccks confincd to my bed, during one of which my liíc was alto- getber despaircd of. To naturc, and a most carc- ful attendant, I was indebted for tbat favonrable change, wbicli medicine bad in vain labonred to produee, Tliis attendant, a valnable privatc scr- vant of my cólonel's, was placcd over me by bim, with orders never to lcave me till I dicd or reeo- vered :' tbougb bimsclf a delicate invalid, he liad resigned wbat hc most wanted to my service. Sucb kindness I can never forget; and life, preserved to me by such generous frienclsliij), became an increased blessing.

To feel yourself daily regaining bealth and

T1IK 1'KVJNSULA. 81

.streiígtli is, uiitlcr ali circumstanccs, delightful. At Lisbon, tlie j)criod oí' my convalesccnce glided away with the most p leasing rapidity. I dined daily in a most agreeable society; I passcd my monrings in studyiiig tlie Portuguese and Spanish languagcs; and oílentimcs, of an evening, mnffled ii]) as an invalid, I stole, in a cabriolei, to tlie theatre of San Carlos, or tlie Opera Buflíi, and enjoyed tlie swcct music of Portugallo, and tbc pleasing voices and admirable acting of Vaccani and Scaramelli.

Lisbon, too, at the beginning of the year 1S10, independent ofits usual gaiety as a metropolis and a large coimncrcial city, ])rcsented a nove! and in- terestíng spectacle. The note of preparation bad already sounded, and it was wdl known that the invasion of Portugal, a measurc long and avowedly contcinplated by France, could not be ftr distam. The Frendi armies, victoríoiis in the fiel d of Ocaiia, bad bnrst thniugli the vaunted defiles of tlie Sierra Morena, entered Seville, Córdova, Jaen, and Grenada, withont resistance, and two coqis were actually blockading Cadiz, tlie last and only refuge of the patriot government. The most active operations wcre carrying ou in Catalonia by Snclict; and ti-oops froni the corps of Ncy, then stationed betweeii the Tonnes and the Douro wcre marchei! against Lcon and Astúrias, «ith â view to the complete and secura reduetion of those important provinecs. It was plain, howevef, that thouglt tlie armies of France, aided by skill,

o

8Q nECOLI.F.CTIONS OF

courage, and discipline, could march trinmphantly from tiie Pyrenecs to the Pillars of Hercules; and thongli they held the capital for the Usurper, and overawed hoth the Castiles; still it was plain, that tliey could nevèr hope effectually to subdne Spain, or even to retain possession of it, nntil tliey had suhjugated Portuga], and driven out British soldiers from her camps, and British influence from her cabinct. The clouds wcre already gathering, and the storm was distinetly fbretold; subraitting themsclves to the able gui dance, and prudent connsels of tlieir faithfhl, and more experienced ai lies, tlie Portngncse manfully girded their loins for the contest, and resolved bravely to abide the issne of a struggle. The discipline of their army was daily improving. The uncoinmon exertions of Marsh ai Beresford, and the British oflicers under him, werc rcwarded by the praises of ali who witnessed the miracnlous change in the appearance, movement, and general conduet of the soldiers committed to their charge. The old, in- corrigibly indolent, and useless Portuguese oflicers were placed on the retired list, and their commis- sions werc given to young men, fiill of zeal, willing to learn, and able to discharge the active duties required of them. The strcets of Lisbon glittered with unifonns; the shop windows of ali tlie cra- broiderers fumished a grand display of niDitary oníaments. The magazines of the gun-smiths and the sword-cutlcrs werc constantly filled with

TUI-: PE£1NSUI,A. 83

oustomers: even the peacefnl merchants (brmeti tli em solves into corps, anel vohmtecred to per- ibrm tlie d u ti es of the ga irisou. Tliese corps, both liorsc anil foot, werc most handsomely clothed, and appointcd ; tlieir ' cavalry wore hussar jackets of brown, covered witli gol d lace, and wei-e, generally speaking, well mounted. The commercia! regíment of iníãntry fiirnished a grand gnard, dailv, near tlie exchange. I often attended the parading and mounting of their diities, ali which was condneted in the most orderly and soldier-like inanner. Their band was excellent f it was composed entirely of professei! musicians, and they werc ali masters of the instrumente on which they performed. I have had the good fortune to hear many very fine bands; never any, liowever, superior to this.

There wcre, as may be supposed, in the raiiks of tliese commercia] corps, many awkward and un- coiith figures ; but any disposition to smile at them was immediately repressed by the reflection tliat they might, perliaps, in the hour of approachin^ penl, be called upon to prove the sincerity of their patriotism, and the nature of their respect for thosc sacred oMigntions, which a voluntary drawing of the xword had imposed on them.

Abont the elose of the month of Marcli, beinK

perfectly restored to bealth, I rejoined my re^i- ment fhe corps of General Hill, to which itwns attached, lay at this time distribiited in cantou-

o 2

S4 HECOLLECTIONS OF

ments ín tlic proviiice of Alcintcjo. The GencraPs bead-quarters were cstablished at Portalegre, 111 which city two brigades and a half of tlie sccoiid dí vision of infai ítry were q uartered. My regim ei 11 lay detached in Alegrete, a small town, most ro- m anti cal ly situated, in a wild and picturcsqtie country, about.tliree leagues from Portalegre, in tlie direction of Albuquerque. My jonmey to tlie army had quite the character of an excursion for pleasure. We had a small agreeable party, ali convalescents from sickness; and liaving benefited a Httle by experience, we carried witli us many little comforts and conveniences we had the last year neglected or despised. We proceeded up tlie Tagns by water to Abrantes, slceping every night in some town or village ou the banks of the river; and, from Abrantes, we, in four days, reached our destination. The soft season of tlie year, the mil d balmy a ir, the ri eh verdure, and the various fruit- trees, clothed in their beauteous blossoms, ali con- tributed to begirile any sense of fatigue ; and 1 seemed, on the day of my arrival, to have made no exertion since I left Lisbon.

Alas! whcn 1 carne again to stand on the para de, for how many a face did my eye inquire in vain: — in the spaee of fòur short months, my regiment had buried nearly three hundred men, ali in the prime of 15fe, and vigour of their manhood. They had ali fallen victims to the sickly season, in Spanish Estremadura. The officers of the army had not

TI1E PENÍNSULA. 85

siiíleml in proportion to the meu, as tliey wcre enabled ro live more generously; for, at tliat time, winc and spirits wcre never issued rcgiilarly to the sohliers; and the wine, wliich was occasionally procurcd for th em, was very indifterent. Tlierc was, moreover, a very great scarcity of bark, in the regimental hospitais, and numbers perished for tíie want ofit- Some powerful reason of a politicai or inilitary nature, iloubtless, causcd Lord Welling- ton to occnpy and maintain a position, which proved so cruelly fatal to the healtli and efficieney of bis s in ali army.

April, May, and Junc we reinained stationary: oiiec, indeed, we broke np, and bivouacked for a couple of nights abont two leagues in advance, in conseqiiencc of some slight demonstration made hy a moveable column belongingto the corps d'armeé of Regnicr, the» commanding in Spanish Estrema- dura ; but, the cnemy retiring, we returned to our tranquil quarters. There is not a rock, a mountain, a streain, an orange garden, a chapei, a shrine, or a cross near Alegrete, but I know and recollect, and can rccall them ali. At this very moment that I am writing, at the distance of nearly seven years, I can sumnion before me the fort, the church, the square, the okl priest, the peasants, their wives, their children. We had become quite domesticated among tliem; they liked onr men, and they were both kind and rcspectfnl to the officers. Fond of passhig iny mornings alone, each day I took my

« 3

l

8f> I1ECOLLECTIONS OF

solitary ride or ramblc; a practice I tiiink dclightful; and which, I find, makes me doubly enjoy soeiety and conversation in the evening.'

How strongly does the mind attach itself to any spot, where ít has daily resorted to give faney the rein, and snffcred her to range undisturbed throngh the paths of her own fair creation. The trees and shrnbs are as tender-hearted friends, %vho have become acquaintcd with yonr wcakness, bnt care not to espose it. In one of my walks bere, after wandering along the rnde and pathless banks of a clear mountain stream, which now leaped, now run, now rippled, now smoothly flowed along its ever-varying bed, I arrived at a small romantic cliapel, snch a one as yon often find in the Península» a league or more froin any hnman habitation. In the shade, near the door, I observed a small basket, apparently filled only with the most bcautiful flowers; I ap. proached to take one;—when stooping, I bcheld a lovely ínfant abont a year old; it was dressed prettily and tastcfully; thongh pale, I thonght it slept, for its palencss did not appear as of death ; it was, however, cold and lifeless, yct it ha d no- tliíng of the corpse, nothing of the grave about.it. I kissed its deli cate fair face, and thought, not without a sigh, on its parents. A voiee startled me, and tnrning, I beheld a decent looking peasant woman, witli an old man, and two or threc children from ten to rlftecn years of age.—" Are yon the mother of this babe?" said I; " Yes, Senhor.'

THE PENÍNSULA. S~

" l pity yon froiu my heart."—" How so, Senhor? To have borne and buried a Christian, withont sin, 1 look on as a blessing, and I praise tlie Holy Virgin that slie lias vouclisafcd to ta kc lnm to herself'."— I gazed earnestly at tlie woman. Was this insen- sibility ? or was it enthusiastic reverence for, and pious resignation to, the will of God?—I decided íòr the latter; for I saw her bend over her child witli an expression oí" countenance rapturously affectionate. I knelt down, once more, to read its innocent features—Yes, therc was the charm; rc- morse, fear, and donht, could not be traced there. Ali was innocence, and purity, and triith.— " Yonr child," said I, " my good woman, is pcrhaps ere now, a chernhiin in heaven." ** Senhor, you cannot lie a heretic ?" " No, I an a Christian of anotlier sect." " Ah, yon must I)e a Cliristian ; I thought so, but the priests said you English werc ali hereties." So mucli for priests and peasants. The breach between the Roman Catholic and the Protestant church has ccrtainly beon rendered un- naturally, if not impassably, wide, by the stubborn pride and designing policy, of a crafty and into- Ierant priesthood. Though í am here speaking of the Roman Catholic clergy, I cannot but feel that the violence of the early Rcformers, who, in detest- ation of the Romish church, abrogated many thmgs, defiled, pcrhaps, by abuse, but decent in themselves, and allowed in the primitive church, very greatly assisted to produce this cvil. Do we

t? 4

S8 RECOI.LKCTIONS OF

not, I wonhl ask, in cssentials tliink alike ? and is not thc granel and biessed scheme of man's redemp- tion, throngh thc mediation of Christ, thefirst aríi-

•cle of belief, and the rcsting-pJace of faith with us both ? I ccrtainly, in thc conrse of my residenco in Spain, hacl occasion often to reflect that my countrymen were too apt to confound the errors and abuses of thc church govcrnment among the lto- man Catholies, with thc belief and practices of their religion.

Bnt to rcturn to my recollcctions.—In one of my rides, about two Icagnes from the cantou ment, as I was stopping to water my mule in a mill- stream, I heard on the opposite bank the sound of voiees, loud and chcérful as in song, and, at intervals, a note of the gnitar. Riding forward tliroúgh tlie trees, I soon came iipon an opcn green, where I found ahout a hnndred villagers, assembied ncar a small chapei to celebrate thc festival of San Domingo. Tbe mass was over, and they werc ali seated on the gronnd, refreshing tbemselvcs with cakes and wine. They were in their holiday dresses, and those dresses were for the most part exceedingly pictiircsque. At my first appearahce tíierc was a dead silenec; they lookcd as if they dreaded some news which migbt break np their happy mceting; or, at ali events, as if they khew me for an Englishman, and dislikcd my intnision; bnt wben I dismounted, and throwing myself on the ground among th em, asked to be allowed to share

TIIK rENÍNSULA. 89

ílieir mirtli and happiness, no words can desenhe their delighted cordial) ty. I had so accitstonied inyself to converse witli tlic peasantry, tliat wc soo» becatne familiar, and I passed with them síx very pleasant honrs. After their liglit repast, tlie best of which was spread before me and a Capncliin fr-iar, they rose to dance; and tliough there was nothing graccfrtl in their style of moving, still tlie total novelty of tlie pietnre, thedresses, the singing, lhe gnitars, tlie cork-trees, and the chapei, prodnced a very pleasing eflêet; and conld tlie cnrtnin of Drnry Lane ri se and discover snch a seene and such a group, tlie applause would know no bounds. A mi d th is festive party there was onc very }iretty girl, with fair bine eycs and a blooming complexion, beanties very uncommon in Portugal, and tlicse the conscious damsel liad artfully contrived to set ori; by a black hat, lined with pink silk, and a pretty well fancied dress. Her mother, who seemcd very prond of her, askcd me, if slie would rcally bc considercd a pretty girl among EnglishwomenPand on my assuring her, tbat I had never yet secn the spot where she would uot be considercd very band- soinc, tlie old wonian tnniiug fjuickly sai d, " Ab, Senhor, wlicre símil I conceal her froin shame and insult, vehcn the Frcnch come again to ravage onr country?» —«Letus bope," said I, «that God may enable iis to defend yonr conntry." Slie made no reply, bnt shook her head monrnfully: I repressed a sigh, and immediately turned tlie conver-

90 REC0LLECTI0NS OF

satioii; for why sbonld idle anticipation oí" to-inor- 1-ow's misery be suflered to cloud thc innocent gaiety of to-day ? They hrokc np at sun-sct, and ali rctiinied peaceahly to their homcs, witbout u crise, qnarrclling, or in toxica tion. I am free to confess, that I very rauch admire the manuers and customs of these happy peasants, nor bave I ever subscribed to that prejudiced opinion, which af- focts to condem n, or despisc them as senselcss and fWvoIous.

Ou the SOth of Juue, our regitnent was called in from itsadvanced station, and joined its brigade in the town of Portalegre, and ali appearances jus- tificd the bclief, that the campaign was abont to open. Wc remaincd for twelvc days herc; I was very fòrtunate in my hillet. My host, a mil d, well- iníòrmed, venerable old cânon, gave me most excellcnt apartments, and a free acccss to a Httle cabinet, in which hc had a pretty selection of French authors, and some very h and some editions of the classics. The windows of my chamber commanded a most enchanting prospect, and I had no want or wish unsatisfied, if I cxcept the natural anxiety I always felt to take the field, and gain tbe proud exj)crience of a soldier.

At this time the corps of Junot and Ney, under the ordcrs of Massena, occupied positious on or near the Agneda; the troops of Ney, indeed, were carryingon the stege of Cindad Rodrigo. Regnier, with the sccond coq)s ofthe French army lay, can-

THE 1»EN INSULA. 91

toned in Spanish Estremadura, in n statc of the most active preparation, appearíng to menace anel watch ns in Alenitejo.

Ou the ISth of Jnly, we marched to a camp near Alpalhâo, where we iiaited five days, waiting tintil Regnier, who was then drawing near the Tagus, sliould cross thatriver, in order thatwe mightmake ;ui im medi a te and correspondi ng movement. We were here ali reViewed, and I had the satisfáction of seeing, for the first time, a íarge division of Por- tugne.se under arins. The inen were remarkably fine, and, cônsul e-riug the short time that had elapsed sinee their organization, in very liigh order. Twenty-fònr regiments of the line, six of light in. fantry, teu of cavalry, together with a due proportion oi'e.\ce]lcnt artillery.tlien composedthe nntivearmy of Portugal: tlieir efícetive strength inight bc about thirty-five thousand; ofthis nuinbcr, however, many regiments were not yet in a suflicient state of for- wardness to take the field, and remained therefore in garrisons. The total force of British and Por- inguese in the field, ineluding HilPs corps, conld not have execeded nfty-eight thousand; of these twenty.five thousand were Portuguese. About eight thousand British, and six thousand Portuguese, composed the command of General Hill. Ali the otiíer divisions of the army were under the imme- d.atc orders of Lord Wellington, anel lay most ably distnbuted, oppositc the n,ain French force com- munded by Masscna. My object, however, is not

92 IIECOM.ECTIONS OF

to givc a professional sketcli ofthe eampaigns, but to proseiit to the reader as faithfully as I can the varieties and pleasures of a life on active serviee, as they deeply imprcsscd me, though more perhaps as a traveller, and a man of fecling, than as a scientific soldier. Not that I mas indifferent to the interest, wliich cvery intclligcnt min d inusttake in extensive uni li ta ry operations, and in sceing war carried on on a grand scale, tliroughout a series of brilliant eampaigns ; but ai though I was provided with good maps, ai though cager in my inquiri es, intimate with some dever and communicative staff officers, and, from a long habit of military reading, often just, or rather fòrtunate in my eonclusions, still I felt and feel, that, after ali, the best information of a regimental officer of hiunbie rank must be very imperfect. It is a great inisfbrtune for the British army which served in the Península, and for the Duke of Wellington himself, that no man, possessed of the necessary information, anti the ability to work upon h is materiais, lias been íbund to givc a eorrect and valuable history of their eampaigns. It is quite idle to sen d the official documenta and papers required for such a work to the most able writer, and aeknowledged historiai! ofthe day. Such a man, howevcr great his talents, however nervous and ri eh his language, is, and must be, ill- qualified to write a military work, if he be a civil ian, unacquainted with armies, and has never served; he may indeed sueceed in paintíng the

nu: PENíNSULA. .93

noble strugglcs of a patriotic popiilation, he may desenhe \n a glowing straín of manly elocpience such a defcnce as that of Saragossa, or the coura- geons cxploits of JMonntain-GueríIlas; but lie can never ímpart to an account of the opeiations of regular armics, tliat charni and interest ít is certainly capable of receiving •> he will find writíng on the subject at ali, a laborious and paínful task, and will, after ali, perhaps, produec a book, the dry perusal of which disappoints himsclfj and satisfies no one.—No.—A mau mu st, like a Xcnophon, or a PolybJiis, inarch with an army bcfore heventnres to becomc the historiai! of íts cxploits. Wonld that some divisíon general with the pen of a Burgoyne, or a Hntchinson, had inarched and fonght with the Brítish troops.in the Península l

But to returu to our camp. On Jnly 18th, we again broke np, and marching by Niza, towards the Tagus, crossed that ri ver at Villa Velha, and pursned our route through Sarnadas, and Castello Branco, to Atalaya, a considerable village sitnated at the very foot of that magnificent range of raountains called the Sierra de Estrella, to the north of which lay our inain force under the orders of Wel- lington. Instmcted by our last year's wauts, our officers now took the field very comfortablv providcd; manv of us wcre monnted, most of us carricd tents, and experience having shcwn us what would he really nsefuJ, wc had, at onr leisure, procured and planned many Mttlc camp conveniences. My.

91- UKCOLl.ECTJONS OV

self :IIK] my eompanion had onr tcnt, eamp-table, and stools, pai liasses, eanteen, &c., and, after onr servants got accustomed to thc Hfe, providcd the weather was fair, and no especial order of march, or readincss, intcrfcrcd, our meais were prepared and served in bivouacks, tlic most rude and unfrequented, altogether remote from towns or eities, with the greatest rcgiilarity, cleanliness, and comfort. A quarter òf an hour after the halt of thc column, our tent was pitehed, kettle boiled, breakfast cloth spread, and tea-things laid out under some shady tree, thc goats milked, and we were seated iii cornfort at our cheerful meai. The din- 11 er, too, no greatvarietyin the cookery to be snrc, for therc are buí treo dishes seen in a eamp, namcly, soup and bouilli, or an Irish stew, but these with rice, purapkin, tomatis, and a bottle of good country wine, left a moderatc man little to wish for, and nolhing lo grumble at. At the bivouaek, near Vil]a Velha, we took up our ground within a mile of a Spanish division under the orders of General Car- reia, which was marching to Badajos. This was a remarkably fine body of men, though comriictely disorganized hy defeat, and ai most disheartened by theabsence of that hope and encouragcmentwhieli suceess can, alone, cfTectually inspire. They had heen present at the fatal itffair of Alba de Tonnes, and had now just wítnessed the fali of Ciudad Rod- rigo. Upon us they appeared to look with a contempt, .which their ignorance as soldiers, and the ir

TI li" PF.N*liVSUr.A. 95

zeal as Spaniards, made, in some meãs ure, excuse- ablo. They knew littic, if any thing, about the regular praetice of war; they only kncw that \vc liai! not fircd a sliot by their si de, since the battle of Talavera ; that our cora])anions in arins under Sir John Moore hadfled through the strongcoimtry of Gallicia, without fighting, two years before, and their angry and contemptuous looks told us plainly, that they expected wc shonld retire through Por- tugal on the advance of Masscna, with similar precipitation. 1 wasvexed to observe ali this, bui made great allowanees tbr the natural irritation of their íeelings, under so much national distress and ilanger, and foimd it in niy heart to forgive theni. Carrcra, the general, who commandcd thetn, sat luuler some trees with a party of their superior officers, smoking a cigar: bis head was uncovered, and lie had on a light nndress waistcoat: hc was a strikingly handsome inan ; as our well appointed troops filed past this spot towards their gronnd, he regarded thein with the most silent and provoking haughtiiiess. He was not a man of any talent, but he was a yonng, ardent, intrepid soldier, and a true friend to bis countiy. In the year 1811 or 181~» í,e fcI1 »' the streets ofMurcia, coveredwith sabre wounds, having maintained for a short time a most nneijual strngglewith fivcFrcnch dragoons. 1 mentmn the mceting with this Spanish division witli a new to shew l,ow they were oíten led, and how httlc system and method there was in the

9<i IIECOU.KCTIONS OK

march, and movem cnts of* men, who, I shonld have said, werc scattered throngh their bivonaek, with. oiit any regidnrity of fonnation, or any appearancc of discipline and control, and snbjected to the orders of generais, perhaps impeiled in most cases by patriotism, bnt seldom govemed, or even enlightened, by judgment.

In the town of Casteilo Branco there is little remarkablc. Its citadel and walls are in a state of rnin and decay. Althongh not fortified, it is still very important, as a militarystation, for the coini- try aronnd it, especially 011 tlie granel ioad wliieh passes by Sobreirá-Forinosa towards the Zêzere, and abounds in strong and defensible positions : it lias been alsoformerlyaltoman station: andwhereverwe can trace the awful vestigesof thosc al!-conqnering soldiers, the Roman legions, wefeel, Ithink, a very exalted and indefinable satisfaction. From onr eamp near Atalya, the eye ranged over the sonthern face oftheprond Sierra d'Estrella, rising many thousand feet abòve the levei of the sea, traverscd by good roads, fonned with infinite labour over clefts oí rocks, and gemmed with several white towns and villagcs, which lie ncstling and sparklingon its ample bosom. We remained here eiglit days, three of which it rained incessantly, and with great vio- lencc. A bivonaek in heavy weatlicr does not, I allow, present a very eomfortable appearancc. The officers sit shivcring in their wet tents, idle and angry ti 11 dinner time, after which tliey gcnerally

THE PKNINSULA. 97

contrive to kill tlie evening with mulled wine, rouml a camp-kettle lid íílleil vrith hot wood-asbes by way of a firo. The meu, with their forage-eaps drawn over their ears, Inulillc together tinder banks or walls, or crowd romid cheurless, smoky fires, eu rsing their com missarics, the min, and theFrench. Wlieii. Iiowcrcr, the clouds rolleil away, and the sim shonc íbrth again in ali its splcndour, again was sjiread before HS the graud prospect of the Estreito, evtsr the sainc, yet ever vaiying - for who shall paint the bright and ehanging hues, which, at the rise and set of sim, visit sceues liko thcse ?

Ou the thirtietli we marched from Atalaya, carrying with us, I reiíicinbtr, a good suppiy of tbê deliciou» wine of Alpedrinha, a mountain village abo.it a league from our eainp. We halted for the inght at Tenelhas, and the following day marclied for .Sazcdas, a small town, with afine position near it for a eamp. As we did not get our orders to march from the bivouack atTenelhas, until late in the after- nocu, we did „ot expect to reach our gronnd before nig itfnl ; for large bodies of troops, cneumbered with art.H,ry and baggage, of uecessity move slow; but, as not .mfrequently happened, the troops were halted for the uight, rigiit and left of the road, in

"T "' rf ",arCh : n° ""Wg* "o eloaks, no •s 'Ppe. , bu an nnconifbrtable, fitful, broken do*. sleep, m a heavy dew. I give both sUIes rf £ Picture i because the pleasures and joys of anv Efe - ti-y e*,.t only by comparison, so they ca^arise

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98 RECOLLECTIONS OF

only ont of its varietics. We linlted uutil the seventeenth of August at Sazedas, whcrc the division was regularly and comfbrtably luitted.

Whenevcr we remained a wcck or a fortnight stationary, the sutlcrswho fbllowed the army overtook and opened thcír tcmporary shopsin the towiis near us, or in our very camps; and thus we werc often well, tliough dcarly, suppliedwith many comforts, such as tea, sugar, brandies, wines, segars, &c. In thcse sort of camps, we fclt two serious wants, Iallow; books, and the society ofwomcn. It is tnie that in the Península we never cnjoyed cither the one or the other in pcrfection ; yct in qnarters we could often procure a féw odd volumes of Latiu or French, whicli served to beguile, and often use- fnlly to occnpy our time j and for female societ)' you frcquently met with agreeablc and intercsting girls in your"billet. Indccd I remeinber at Porta- legre we used to írequent the gratcs of two n mi- nérios, and ali the sisters seemed flattercd by onr attentions. A military band was often bronght down to the outer court of their sacred prisons, tbr their amusement, and soinc of tbc officers would sit for hours in the convent parlours, talking with the nuns, whom a donble row of thick gratings, so con- trivcd that you could only síiake hands in the space between the two rows, scparatcd from tbeir gay in- namoratos. Some of thcse unibrtnnatcs wereyoung and engaging: one, a very prctty interesting girl, in the convent of Santa Clara, dicd befbrc we leít

THE ]'liMINSULA. 99

tiie city. She was passionateJy iit love with a Bri- tísli offieer, who was liimself at the time inuch aífbcted by her loss. I considered her deatb a mercy; for slie must have either lived a life of hopclcss iniscry, or dared to rend asnnder the saered tie which bound her to her conntty, her family, and her convcnt, and liavc survived, perhaps, after ali, the very flr.me to which shc had so innocently given birth.

In another convcnt in that city, r rcmeinber a sister, neidier yoimg nor beaiitifnl, biit so intercsting as to rivet attcntion and awakcn ali oue's synipa^ thy. Slie was not always herself; and wlien in the fit of her strange mclancholy, shc would come to the grate and sing; sweetly indecd, but with a wildiioss, tliat filled tlic cyes of those who heard her witli tears. Shc never wept hcisclf; butsmded oíten, and most Jiioiirnítilly. Slie had been disap- ponited in love early in liíè, and sent into the convcnt ; at lcast we heard so. I shonld like to have known her history; but on this she never spoke, and I rcspected her sorrow too inneli to pain her by an iinguanled cp.estion. She was very fond of the hnghsh officers; in whosc conntenances, atleast »' inany, she might have observed an expression of ■»anl.V pity, which soothed pcrhaps her wonnded lieart.

But if snch opportnnitics of occupying the mind and mdnlging the feelings were not to be met with 'n a ca.np, still it had its peculiar pleasurcs. You

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100 RECOLLECT10S-S OF

rose witb tlie sim daily, and you had a fine martial scene constantly beíbre your cyes; you walked and rode through a beantiful country, planning schemes of future liappiness, or cherishing natural (it mat- tcrs not how vain) li opes of future distinction : nor is tlie precious "Far nienté" to be forgotteu ; for it is 11 ot necessary to liave tlie genius, or tlie passion of Rousseau, to appreciate tliis enjoymcnt. Ali persons wh o li ave feeling, andrfancy, know how de- liffhtful are the unconnccted and confuscd revcries of solitude, and tlie idle cxercise of tliought. Tlie romantic scencry of tlie Península assists and pro- metes such feelings. Often too, in our camps, \vc received papers and letters from dear Old England, and our eager politicians assembled round tbe appointed tent or tree, allotted as our news-room. Often wonld we dine togetlicr, in small convivial parti es, to talk over past scenes, _and future prospects. At times, as the sun set, and the sliades of evening fell around ns, walking on soine upland near the camp, you miglit catch the mellowed and softened tones of a distant band, breathing fortli some sweet and toncluiig air, with wliicli you had been from hoyhood acquainted.

Oh, inemory! how puré, how cxquisite, are thy pleasures ! To tbee and to tby sister, Hope, the bright handmaids who support us througb the rude path of existence, how deeply are ali inen indebted !

On tbe seventeentli of Augnst, our battaliou and

T1IB l'KN INSULA. 101

anothcr were movcd to a camp at San Domingo, about tive mi los in advanco of Sazedas, as a support to some Iight iiifantiy and cavalry, which lay dctached in froiit of ns again, occupying Castello Branco and the adjaccnt viIIages. Our bivouack hcrc was a very dclightíiil ouc : the trees were large and buiiutttiil; a most transparent brook of sweet water ran past our lincs ; and the men were Imtted with great comforf, neatncss, and regidarity. Our general occnpjed a small chapei by the road sido, the only bnilding near us; and peasants from the distance of two or three 1 cagues, hearing that our discipline was strict, and that we paid liberally for every thing, soou established a market in our camp, and brought us constant supplies of bread, milk, oggs, poultry, honey, and excellcnt country wine. Ile who lias fed 011 coarse ration beef and hard biscuit, anil that for two or three weeks at a time, will express no surprise at my noticing these tnfles; and lie, who lias ncver scrved, may smile at the mention of them, provided hc does so with gooil humour, and eiuls by excusing me.

While we rcmained here an afluir of cavalry took place in ftont of us, in which some of our ISth Iight dragoons captured a foraging party of the enemy. The prisoncrs were marched past oiir ground to head-q.uu-tcrs. I J]ad never as yet, thongh upwards of a yuar in the country, secn a Frencli sol. dier; and I walked outaloneto meet the escort. I know not how it was, but I had certainly connected

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102 ItECOI-LECTIONS OF

veiy strange ideas with tlie appearanee of the Frendi soldiery. What I expected to see I cannot at ail define; not, certainly, men of fair, fresh eoru- plexions, tal], well made, and handsome. Stich, however, were the prisoners : they were chasserirs, about stxty in nnmber, clotlied in neat green unifonns, with very bccoming íbrage-eaps. Some oí' thcm seemed cast down and depressed, a few irritated and indignant; but the greater part gazed around them with fbarless and careless curiosity, while their laughing blue eycs certainly indicatcd any tliing rather than eruelty. It is tme these men were veiy few of them natives of France; but although Germans, they were soldiers of theFrench army — marched with it, fought with it, and were enemies whom we ofien eneountered. Much of NapoIeon's cavalry was composed ofGermans; and the very numherecl regimente of France, of ali arms, contained Italians, Belgians, Duteh, and other foreigners.* They were, therefore, samples of the foe with whom we were to contend. Among them, indeed, was one man, whose horrible and íerocious conutenance I shall never forgct. He was of the

* Thougb the detachment herc named was composed ofGer- mans, I must say, from subsequent cx pertence, that I have never seen finer men than among the native troops of France. We certainly Iiave, in England, strange prejudíees even about the personal nppearance of Frenchmen ; nor are they at ali confined to the lowest classes: few Englishmen of educa ti on are at ali prepared, whcn theyfirst croas the channel, for the sight of such fine, athletic, we!l-formed men, as are often to be met with in France.

Tlin PEN" INSULA. 103

middle sizo, stotit and muscular; thc hair of hís hrad and his immcnse mustacliios were perfectly M-hite, li is face paíe, his eycs small and somewhat red, and thc cxprcssion of his look was at oncc nnnaturai and pitiless. His fellow-soldiers seeined to shnn liini; and, ou my questiomngthem, I found ti Kit hc was a na tive of some province de- pendcnt ujion Áustria. His langnage, they said, was hardly inlelligibío to th cm : hc was quite a savage, thev added; but a brave one, and good food for powdcr. I shnddcred at the very thought that such a man should be a soldier. To sucli a wretch, thought 1, thc weepingfemalcwonld kncel in vain: thesmile of tlie liefplcss habc, the groan of tlie wonndcú" warrior, woidd ncver stay that nplifted anu. He was the only individual of the party wounded, for there had been little, ifany resistance; but such a man was tobe disabled, before he conld be disarmed.

On the sccond of September, our hattalion re. tnrned to Sazcdas; on the twclfth we broke up, and .marched upon Sobrica-formosa, whcre we c haltcd for five days. Though the face of the country was mountainous, the wcather was oppressivcly hot: we wcre, howevcr, protectcd by sprcading ho.se-chesnuts, the fincst, I think, I ever saw.

A Poitiiguesc division was cncamped here, very near us: at their evening parade, I walked down their Ime. Thc timc.seemed fhst approaching, when we might probably fight s5de by side ; and, on their efliciency, the possibility of prolonging the

« t

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104 RECOLLECTIONS OF

glorious struggle in thc Península, would vcry greatly depcnd. The grcnadiers of the brigadc of Algarve particularly attracted jny notice: they werc alJ fine-sized, soldierJike meu ; and tlíeir brown complcxions, black mnstachios, and large dark eyes, gave tliem a truly inartiai appearance. I here, for the first time, heard them sing their cvening hymn: the companies were fbnned in circles round their officers atsunset, and chaunted forth tliis their evening service in a strain which was, to me, alike novel, solemn, and pleasing. On tlie morning of the seventeenth, \ve were again put in niotion, and marchcd rapidly to the Mondego, on the southern bank of which, somcwherc near tlie Ponte de Mur- cella, we halted. In onr routc wc crosscd the Zêzere, near Villa dei llcy; onr bivouack near which town was wretched in tlie extreme. It raincd in torrents, and thc tent was hardly any protection : thunder too, and lightning, which frightened our cattlc, and a liigh winrt heating ngainstour canvass, compktcd our misery. And yet witli a min d amuscd and spirits elated we suffer little, and these discomforts are felt as nothing. I well reco!leet mycompanion mulled some winefor me, and I aflerwards crept under iny blankcts, and throwing an oil-clotli o ver me, contrived to forget the tempest andits miseries, in a very sound and uniiiterrupted si cep. With the snn I rose; and what a change to reward us! Tlie morning was hcavenly, thc weather mild, tlie trees and ficlds ali glittering with rain- drops, and the face of nature looked gay and re-

TíIK l'ENIS-SUI,A. 10.5

frcshctl. Our march for the first two leagues, after fortling the Zczcrc, lay through a very pretty coimtry, well cultivated, with many neat-looking cottages and vi nevar tis, ali blushingwith fniit. As wc passed along, the pcasants brought out wine anti peaches, pi tinis anti grapes, selling cheaply to the officeis, and giving fruit gcncronsly to many of the men for notliing. We cncani]>ed near some fine plantatiotis of fir on that niglit, and made large and most brilliant fires; the next evening, justas we bati li.nlted and began cooking, we received orders to march forward again in an honr, and con- timicd in motion the whole nigbt, over very bad roads, which greatly tlelayed the guns, and rendered our march a slow and fatigning one.

Our men ha ti received lately ratlier a short al- lowanec of bread ; and although they were ali gaiety and gootl linniour, this forced march a little tired thein. I shall never fbrgct the specch of one of our men to bis comrade, asthey toiletl on stumbling in the tlark, jnst befbre me, anti it eertainly doe° desenhe a soltlier's share of campaigning very wit- tily; " Bill," sai d lie, " the parliamcnt and the great men at home, they do know ali ahout the inove- mciits of the army and the grande lortl, l>ut they don't know any thingabout indivijals (individuais), for instance, now, they don't know that vou are damneilt.red, and that 1 hac got no pong * » (paõ).

* "Pag,1*-hi Poriuguese, "bread.'" Tl.e Englisl» soldiers vuigariy pronounced it •« pong."

10(5 RECOI.I,ECTIONS OF

There is more iii such a speech than at firststrikes npon the ear, and the mau of reflection might phi- losopliise on it vi th advantage.

We took up our gronnd near a sina 11 village be- liind the Sierra de Murcella, on the twenty-thírd, and remained tliree days stationary; onr picquets occnpying posts ou the very crests of those stu- pendons mountains, and overlooking an immense and beautiful tract of eountry to the north-east. I was twenty-four hours at one of th esc posts. Un- less the clevation of a mountain is so considerable, as to enable' you to look down upon the eountry below you, as npon a map drawn bynature, I eon- fess I am no great admirer of what are ternied open and extensive prospects : the eye is strained and fatigned, and the faney never niuch delighted. But here, to look down upon the winding course of the caíra and tranquil Mondego, and to watcli the roínantie Alva hurryiug gladly along to pour its tributar}' waters intb her pcaeeful bosora, was a scene beautifnl, as rare. Conld a day pass heavily, where the eye might rest on such a landscape ? ira- possible ! — Nor is a night on outline picquet without its charms: vhen ali aronnd, or near you, is hushedand silent; vhen no soti-nd meetstheear, but the soft foot-fall of your watchful sentries, — the niiud, rejoicing in its freedom, and undiverted by any ontward objeets, looks in upon itself witb grateful rapture. Ali is still, yet you se em to listen to many awell-known voíee; ali isdark, yet the features of the absent, whom you love, beam brigbtly upon

Til li 1'KN INSULA. 107

yo», and liappv :uid distant scenes ri se busily bcfore vou, and gild tliese lonely lionrs witb pleasurcs the niost enviable, and the most refhied.

Ou tbe twcnty-sixtb wcagain moved, andfording tbe Mondego, clinibed the lofty Si erra de Buznco 5 and íòinid otirselves ou the right of WelIin<rtoii's ariny, and in order of battle. Our position extended nearly eigbt miles along this mountahtous and rocky ridge, and the gromid 01» which \ve fòrmed inclining witb a síope to our own rear, most admirably conccaled both tlie disposition and tlie nnmbers of our íbrce. Mv regiinent bad no sooner pUed arms, tban I walked to the verge of tbe monntain on which we lay, in tbe hopc that I migbt d is eo ver sometbing of tlie ciiemy. Littie, however, was I prcpared for tlie magnificent scene which burst on i»y astonished sight. Far as tlie eye conld streteb, tlieglittering of stecl, and clouds of dnst raised by eavahy and nrtiHcry, prodaimed tbe imircli of a comitless army; while, immediately below me, at the feet of thosc precipitous beigbts, 011 wliicb I stood, tbeir picqncts were ai- ready posted: thousands of tliein were alreadv halted in tbeir bivouacks, and coluinn too after co". '""«1, arriving in quick suecession, reposed «pon the gron.ul allotted to the.n, and swelled theblack and enonnous masses. Tbe nnmbers of the enemy were, at thu lowest ealculation, seventy-five thoil- sand, and this bost fòrmed in tbree distinct and lieavy coluram j while to tbe rear of tbeir left, at a more considerable distance, you migbt see a large

H) RECOLLECTIONS 01'

eneampment of their cavairy, and tlic whole comi. try behind tlicni seenied eovered with tlicir trai», tlicir am bui ai ice, and tlieír commissariat. Tliis, then, was a French army: Iiere Jay, beforc me, the nien who ha d once, for nearly two years, kept the whole coast of England in alarm; who liad con- qucred Italy, overrun Áustria, shonted victory on the plains of Austerlitz,and hmnbled, in oneday, the power, the pride, and the martíal renown of Prússia, on the fiel d of Jena. To-morrow, methought, I may, for thefirst time, hear the diu of battle, behold the work of slaughter, sliare the honours of a hard- fought fiel d, or be n u mb er ed with the slain. I retnrned slowly to the line j and, after an evening passed in very interesting and animated eonvers- ation, thongli we had ueither baggagc nor fires, we lay down, rolled ín our eloaks, and with the stony surface of the m omitam for our bed, and the sky for our eanopy, slept or thought away the night. Two liours before break of day, the lme was nnder ârros; but tlie two hours glided by rapidly and silently. At last, just as the day dawned, a few distant shots were hcard on our left, and were soou followed by the discharge of cannoii, and the quick, beavy, and continned roll of musquetry. We received orders to move, and support the trocas attacked : the whole of HhTs eorps, ainounting to fonrteen thousand inen, was thrown into open column, and moved to itslcft insteady donble quiek, and in the highest order.

TIIH VV.SINSULA. 100

•Wbirii withiji abouta furlong of one of tbe points ofattaek, from whicli tlie enemywasjust tlien driven by tlic seventy-fourtb regimcnt, I ca st my eye back to see if I could discover the rear ofour divisions: cleven thousand meu were following ; ali in sight, ali in open cobnnn, ali rapidly advancing in double íjnick linií'. No one, but a soldier, ean pi cri ire to himself siich a sight; and it is, even for him, a rare and a gnr.id one. It certainly mnst bave bad a very strong eftect on sucli oí' tíie oiiemy as, from tlie siimniit of tlie ridgc, which they bad most intrepidly ascended, bclield it, and who, ignorant of Hiirs presence, thouglit tliey liad been attacking tbe extreme of the British rigbt. We were halted exactly in rear of that spot, from wbich tbe seventy-foiírtli regimcnt, liaving just repulsed a coliiiiin, was retiríng in line, witb tbe most bean- tiíul regniarity, its colours ali tom witb shot. Here a few sbells flew barmlessly over our line, bnt we bad not tlie lionour of being engaged. Tlie first wounded man I ever bcheld in tlie field was carried past me, at this nioment: be was a fine young Englislnmin, in tlie Portugnese serviço, and lay liclplessly in a blanket, witb botli bis legs sbattered by cannon-sliot. He looked pale, and big drops of perspiration stood on bis manly forebead ; but he spoke not—bis agony appearcd nnnttcrable. I se- cretly wished him deatb ; a mercy, I believe, that

7* ! w n-'°' ,0ng WÍthhe,(L About this time> Lord Wellington, witb a nnmerous staff; gallopped

110 RECOLU2CTIONS 0F

up, and delivered his orders to General Hill, immediatcly in fronl of our corpsj I thcreforedistinctly overheard liitn- "li* tliey attempt th is point again, Hill, you wfll give th em avolley, and cbarge bayonets; but don't let yonr p copie foi lo w th em too far down the hill." I was particularly struck vi th the style of th is br der, so deeided, so manly, and breathing no doubt as to the repulse of any attack ; it confirmed confidence. Lord Wellington's simplicity of nianner in the delivery of orders, and in comnumd, is quite that of a» able man. He has nothing of the truncheon about him j nothing íiill- mouthed, important, orfussy: his orders, 011 the fiel d, are ali short, quick, clear, and to the pur- ]>ose. The French, however, never moved us throughout the day : their two desperate assaults had beeu successfully repelled, anil their loss, as compared to ours, exeeedingly severe. From the ridge, in íront of our present ground, \ve could see them far better than the evening before; anus, appointments, uniforms, were ali distinguishable. They oceupied them sei ves in removing their wounded from the foot of our position j but as none of their troops broke np, it was generally con- cluded that they would renew their attacks on the morrow. Li the conrse of the day, our men vent down to a small brook, which flowed between the opposing armies, for water; and French and Englisb soldicrs inight be seen drinking out of the same narrow streain, and even leaning over to sbake

THE 1'BNJNSULA. 111

hauris with each other. One ji ri vate, of* my own rerriíncnt, actually exchanged foragc-eaps with a soldier of thc cnemy, as a tokcn of regará and good-will. Sueli courtesies, if tlicy do not disguise, at least softuii thc liorrid features of war; and it is thns \ve Icarn to reconeile onr minds to secnes of blood and carnage. Towards sunset, onr picquets vero sent down thc iiill, and 1 plainly saw thcni posted among the corpses of thosc vho liad fallcn in the moriiing. Nothing, however, imtnediatcly noar us, presenteei the idea of recent slanghter; for thc loss, ou onr sirie, was so partia], and considering the extent of onr li no, so trifling, tiiat therc was little, if any, vestige of it: not so the enemy's; bnt as they suftcred prineipally on their rctreat down the hill, their siain lay towards the bottom of it i from whence, indeed, they had becn removi n» their wonnded.

The view of the cnemy's camp by night fã,- ex. cceded, in grandeiir, its imposing aspect by day. Inin.merable and brilliant fires illuminated ali thc country S])read below us: while thev yet fhimed briglitly, the shadowy figures of men and horses and tlic- glittering piles of arms, were ali visiblc' Herc »„d there, indeed, the vicw was intemipted by a ín, dark patches of black fir, which, by a gloomy eontrast, heightened the effèct of the nic- turc; but long oftcr the flames expired, the red «nbun. stdl emitted the most rich and glowinn; rays, and seemeri, like starS, to gein the dark

112 RI; :OLLECTIONS OF

bosom of tlie carth, conveying the sublime ideasof a firmament spread beneath our feet. It was long beíbre I could tear inyself froin tbe contempla- tion of th is sccne. Earncstly did I gaze on it; deeply did it impress me ; and my professional life may never, perhaps, again present to me any military spectacle more truly magnificent. Every one was fully j)ersuaded that tlie morning would bring with it a general and bloody engagement. Our line was in a constant state of preparation: the men lay, with their accoutrements on, in a regnlar column of companies, front and rear ranks head to head, and every man's firelock by his si de. As early as three o'clock we were roused, and stood to arms, at our posts. In a sort of goige, between twoofthose rude misshapcn ridges of rock which ri se on tlie Sierras, my regiment was stationccl, with another battalion. Th is gorge was considered one of the most vulnerable points of the whole line; and it was thought that the main efforts of the eneiny would be directed again st it. At about half past fonr, the picqnets sent word that the cnemy was getting under arms : the picqnets were immediately and silently withdrawn, and one staff-officer remained on the look-out. About five, he carne quickly up ; and, as lie passed the coinmandcr of our line, sai d, " Be preparcd, sir; they are certainly coming on. A very heavy column has just advanced to the foot of the position, and you may expect an attack every moment."

THE 1'ENINSUT.A. 113

My bosom beat quick, very quick; it was possible, that tlie few minutes of my existence were alrcadv iiumbered. Such a thought, however, thongh it will.it inust,arise, in the first awfhl moment of ex- pectation, to the inind of him who lias nevcr bcen engaged, is iiot either dangerous or despicablc, and will rather strengtlien tban stagger the resolution of a manly heart. And now, thought I, as the first note of an enemy's trumpet struck my ear, now they come: but no; it ceased that thrilling sound, and proved only a parley, with a flag of truce, to deíiver some trifling message. Tbe sun shone forth, but not on a field of blood; tbe French coliinins returned to tbeir ground, and appeared, tliroughout the day, to busy themselves in hutting: towards evening some of them were seeii moving, and, at imdnight, it was asccrtained, that they were ai) in motion. to tnrn our right, Wc now immediately broke up, and, desccnding from our for- midable position, re-erossed the Mondego, and our corps of the army marched on San Miguel. Wcall natnrally felt the deepest disappointinent at having thus marched and toiled, withoutthat sveetreward for which youth and ambition always sigh j maay ntonths, however, were yet to elapse beforc the valued prinlege of discharging the importam, perilous duties of our profession, was yet to be aceorded tous. But, as a lesson in the art ofwar, none, perhaps, was ever more mstructive and interesting than this memorable campaign. Our army, inferior botb in num.

114 IIECOLI.ECTIONí; OF

bera and compositioh to that opposcd to ns, couhl only hope for success from the prudent measurcs, and able guidance, of a wise and valiant general.

Froin the moment that Almeida ícll, thc.dispositions and movemcnts of Wellington excited universal admira ti ou. He availed himself, most ably, of the only advantage which, with an army like ours, it would, perhaps, liave bcen possible to obtain. He, by a inost rapid and skilíul manoeuvre, thrcw ns into a ))osition at Buzaeo, so strong and command- íng, as to bc alike secnre from the artillery, and inaceessible to the cavalry of the enemy. Hcre, from the lofty ridge of one of their Tiative Sicrras, lie first showed to the Portnguese.lcvies the array of their formidablc invaders; and here he allotted to thein the easy task of repalsing, by the side of British soldiers, one of tbose desperate and bope- less assaults, which his knowledge of the Frcnch charaeter encouraged liim to expect. By th is mastei-stroke of military skdl and sound policy, the Porttiguese wcre inspired with a eonfidence in him, and in tliemselves, which never aftenvards forsook them. But Lord Wellington clearly saw, that in playing for so migbty a stake as the politicai existence of a nation, the fiite of the war shoidd never be suffered to depend on the glorious bazards of a battle; as soou therefore, as he found the ]>osition of Buzaco no longer tenable, he deeided on retíring to lines ncar Lisbon, which had becu longfortifyingwith caicandtheretodefendthc

TTIF. rv.s INSULA. 1],5

seatof thegovernment, ítndthccapitalofthecoiintry. To givc cffèct, however, to th is pia» of dcfencc, it was necessary, not only that the allied array should retire to the fortified position of Tones Vedras, but tliat the whole country betwccn it and the frontier, which it was at ali probahle the enemy might occii})y, should be abandoned by ali classes of inhabitante, and that evcry thing which miglit contributc to the snbsistence, or facilitate the progress of their troops, shoidd be carefully removed. My pai altogcther fhils me,—I feel that no powers of description can convey to the inindof myreader, the aíllicting sccncs, the checrless desolation, we daily witnessed 011 onr march from the Mondego to the lincs. Wherevcr we moved, the mandate, which enjoined the wrotched inhabitants to forsakc their homes, and to remove or destroy their little property, had gone befbre us. The villages were deserted; the churches, retreats so often, yet so vaiiily confided in, were einpty ; the mountain cottages stood open and untenanted; the millsln the valley, but yesterday so bnsy, were motionless and silent. We bivouacked on tlie 4th of October, near Thomar: the neighbourhood of this place is exceedingly pretty, and the town itself regularly built, and beautifully clean. It had counted, a few days before, a popnlation of nearly 4000 ; the moming we entercd it, a few hundreds only remaincd, and these were fearfidly hnrrying their departnrc.

Therc was a remarkably fine convent in this i 2

llfí IÍECOLI.ECTIONS OF

town, of the order of Christ, richly cndowcd, anel very superb in its eh urdi, buildings, and every thing eonnected witli its establisliment. I had no occasion to ask for admission ; I followcd a group of noisy muleteers, who had chosen it for their nighfs lodging, and whose mui es were alrcady drinking out of the marble fountain, or trampling over the ncat garden, round which ran handsome, high-arched, and cchoing cloisters, —yesterday ro- sponsive only to the pacing of some thoughtful monk, nowresomiding witli the boisterous huighter, and coarsejests of rude, merry muleteers. In the kitchen, some lay servants of tlie eonvent yct Jingeicd, and thetabie in tlie refectory was covered with tlie crumbs of the last meai, which the hauished fathers had that morning partaken of. The chureh, however, large, magnificent, and gloomy, still inspired reverence and awe; and the muleteers, who walked thither with me, sunk into silence, and erossed themselves, as they knelt before the high altar, round which, lamps, trimmed by soine pious hand, were yet burning. The streets, through which I hastened back to my home, (for cannot a tent beeome our home?) had an air of loneliness, quite oppressivc to the heart: no one stoodon the thresh- olds, — no face looked from the casements,—not a voice was to be heard.

Tbe flanks of. our line of marcli from th is place were literally covered with the flying popidation of the country. In Portugal there are, at no time,

TI1B PENÍNSULA. \IJ

niany facilitics for travelling, and tliesc few the oxigencics of lhe army hail very greatty dhninished. Hicli indeed were tliose in good íbrtune, as in possession, vho still rctaincd a cabriolet and mules for its scrricc. Tliose who liad bidlock-cars, asses, or any mode of transporting thcir íhmilies and property, looked contented and grateful ; for respect- ablc raen anti delicate women, of the second class, iniglit 011 every side be secn walking slowly and painfnlly 011 foot, cnctimbcrcd by hcavy burthens of clothes, bedding, and food. . •

We bivonacked near Santarém on the eveningof the sixtli. Crowds of the inhabitants, who til] oiir arrival were nmvilling to believe that the enemy . would be suffcrcd to penetrate so far, were now, withasilent and inournfnl activity, preparing for" flight. I walkcd slowly towards the hotise where I had bccn oncesohospitablytreated: the doors were barred; the cascmentó shut i„ ; the kind- liearted owncr had forsaken it I climbeil the gar- dai wall, and saw beneath it the plants and flowers, oí wlncb hnnsclf and his good wife had appcared «o proud, arrangcd as he bad probably left thci» not two days bcfore, and bearing evidcnce of his latcst carc. -

wiLTT110 ti,e camp hya circiiitous p-ti», «h eh cd acro» a vineyard. Here the order l,ad sud< cnly brokcn in npon and suspended the cheer- fid labours of the vintage. In one part the vines "cre yetteemmg with ÍKiit; in another, large heap.s

i 3

11S RECOLI.KCT10NS OJ-"

of grapes gathcrcd, but not carried to tlie wine- press, lay dcadcning in thc sun, with baskets half- filled nearthem; and the printof //7/Ze feet between the vinc-rows showed that children had been shar- ing tlie líght and pleasing toil, which at that happy soason cmploys their parents. On tlie íbllowing morning our columns traversed tlie city, and, dc- scending into the Lisbon road, continued their roíite.

Immcdiately bclow the town the bank of the rivcr was crowded with fugitives, waiting to be transported across, and thc most affecting gronps of iàmilies sat weeping on tlie grountL I well remember a serious thonghtfal-looking man, of about fifty, seated on a horse, and carrying before him a vcry aged mother, wh o had been bedriddcn for many years, and who lay upon his ann so helplessly, and with an aspect so pale and witliered, that yon might have thought the grave had yielded tip its dead. Here monks, gcntlemen, pcasants, and mcn- dicants, wcre ali crowded togctlier: tlie silent nun and tlie complaining dam sei sat sidc by si de. There was a strange, yet natural, familiarity among them : natural, for it was the offspring of miscry. How soon can tlie arrows of misfortune levei thc paltry distinctions of this world! Here vanity was stifled, rank forgotten: ali was agitation, anxiety, and alarm.

Tliis melanchoíy picture was forcibly contrasted by thc gay and carcless seciirity of ojir checrfn!

18

T1IF. PENíNSULA. 119

soldiery. For wh.it, let me ask, does the soltlicr suffcr, compareci to the wretched inhabitant whose conntiy is made the theatre of war ? The sol d i cr's wants are ali provided for: lie is fed and clothed ; lie sleeps, too, in comparativo tranquillity; for, wrapt in his watch-cloak, hc reposes in a camp, snrrounded by a rins and coinrades, and cver pre- parai for rcsistance, which may indeeil bring with it death, but a death always honorable, seldom unre- veiiged. But to see our dwellings burnt, our danghters insulted, anil ourfamiliesdriven forth houseless, this is miscry, this is the curse of war; and if as men we are roused up to rcsist and (lie, our death is aggravated by ali the horrors of acute mental snf- íering and fearful anxicty. Oh! we hardly suspect, imtil the dreadful inoment of separation ar- rivcs, how dear is the roof, be it of marble or of straw, which has, froro infàncy, been our home. Good Godl how much does thatone word convey! The clianibcr in which wc have slept, the festive boani rouml which we have so ofien assembled, the ganlen in which we have strayed, the many little holidays of the heart we have there enjoyeil. It is not the sohlier, tlie mariner, the merchant, or perhaps evcn the Engíishman, with his boasted hresule, who can fccl this so fully as the contented anil happy residents in less civilized conntries, who iiavmg little necessity, anil little opportunity for travclling, contract no habits of restlessness, anil teci not a wish, dream not of a pleasure beyond the

i •!•

120 ItECOLLECTTONS OF

mountain or the vale, on which tlieír cyes íTrst opened. Moreover, tlie vcry practíces of theh- religion in the Península, to th em appear to sanc- tify their dwellings; for. ali their cottages have their little shrines, saints, and crucifixes, which are regarded hy the pcople with the same affectionate revcrcnce,that raarked the attachmentof the ancient Romans for their houaehold gods.

. On the aflenioon of the eighth we entered Al- handra, a small pretty town on the hanks of the Tagus, about four leagues from Lishon. It lay immediately in front of the right of our celebrated lines, and was occupied as a sort of advanced post by one brigade of our divisiou, during the whole time that the French remained before them. .This town too was descrred; and hcre, to our very great coni- fort, we were put under covcr, for the weather hegan to be wet, cold, and disagrceahle. In this plaec a most strange tliough comfoitahle lodging fell to the lot of myself and my comrade. We took up our quarters in the sacristy of a chureh. ThLs chamber was lofty, spaeíous, and gloomy : twelve figures, as large as life, the imagcs of some departed saints, were placed in niches ali romid the walls ; they were hahited, too, in the black dresscs of some monastic order; and wliat with the glare of their eyes, the stirring of their robes, and the faint glim- mcring of our lamp, they seemed ahnost to live and move, and frowu upon tis. They could not, however, repress the inirtli, íiighten away lhe apputite,

THE PENÍNSULA. ]<2J

or scare tlie shunbers of meu so chcerful, so hungry, and so tired as we were. Onr cloaks, I remem ber, and some of our blankets, were cxces- sively damp, which might perbaps have made onr njght's rcst somewhat uncomíbrtable; luckfly for ns, howcver, thc pricsts had left the drawers in the sacristy fui] of their vestmcnts; and with gay and heavy pontificais spread beneath and over ns, we slcpt as sound as any cânon in the doses of York or Durliain,

The day after we marchcd in herc, a fev prisoncrs, taken in a cavalry skinnish near Azi rabuja, were brought in. They bdonged to the Frendi lieavy dragoons, and I thought their appearance particularly martial. The brazen hdmet, with the lofty cone, black horse-hair, and tiger-skin band looked very noble; and the thick wiry mustachoes of the weather-beaten men who bore them, and who wcrc ali wonnded, Well became these warfike casques. The head-dress of 0„r own dragoons has smce becn greatly improved „pon the Frcnch modcl; but at thc time I speak of; they still WOrc awkvranl shapeless hats,

About nine o'clock on the evening of the tenth" HS I K« turnn.g into my strange bed, Wc received orter,.to mareh immcdiatdy for some fortified

gl.t: about a league and a half to the rear and hfi- The ram ,„ r0rtllgal is a]most as ,

and o\envhcIinina; torrents- it «•••>.- .,1. b IUMLIUS, n wjí, jjiao uncoin-


monly dark, and I think we were abont six honrs groping our way as inany mil es. In the small mountain village where we lialted, I got into alittle cottage with my company; but tbe place was so confined, that we could neither lie down nor eveii sít, and we remai nedon ourfeet, crowded togetlier till daylight, whcn we divided ourselves among the miserable hovels more cqually. The posts and bat~ teries in the neighbourhood, with the defence of whicb we were charged for three days, were by no means in a perfectly servieeable condition j as in soine, no guns were at the time mounted, and in others, the necessary ammnnition had not been provi ded. »

I confess, when I revert to this period of the campaign, I am more and more astonished that Massena never attempted to force our position. The French infantry, which was concentrated in front of us at Buzaco, might certainly, withont any very prodigious exertion, bave reached our lines by the tenth, and on that, or the ensuing day, might have attaeked th em. I sball ever be of opinion, that if the enemy had determined to sacrifico every thingto tliegrand objectof penetrating our bne, and marching on Lisbon, they might very possibly have cffected their purpose. It is not be denied that our position was provided witli formidablc redoubts and batteries; nevcrtheless it was a very extensive one, and the defence of it would not altogether have depended on the abilities of Wellington, or

Til li PEX1NSUL-A. 123

lhe bmvery of tlie army. Tlie coníitsion or mis- apprehension of any onc general as to what he was ío provi tle for anti protect» the fear of responsibi- Yity, and the absencc of discretion in a common brigadier, might have neutralized both the talents of the leader, and the courage of the men, and proved fatal to our Impes. Wc shonld have been more particular!y liable to sucli a misfortunc, in the hnrry of the two or three first days after wc entered the liues, and before the graimnar of their defencc was thoroughly understood by ali our generais. A well-condneted assault wonld have borne with it the character of a coup de main, and must have been decided by musquetry and the bayonet: Massena, howevcr, delayed for his artillery,suflerecl the goldcn opportunity to escape him; nor did he, when his guns arrived, venture to attack ns.

On the thirtcenth my regiment again moved to Bueellas. Near tliis town ran the second line of defence, and the post being eonsidered highly important, six British battalions werc stationed in it in reserve. The whole time that wc remained hera our linc was regularly nuder arms two hoursbefore break of day every morning; and when the sun appcared above the horizon, we generally manceuvred for an honr before we werc dismissed. For a few days on our first arrival in this quarter, my friend and I pitehcd our tent in the markct-place. Hcre I took my meais, but slept with my company in a church, in whicli abotit two hundred of our meti werc ac-

124 UECOLLECTIONS OF

commodated. Tlie sénior oflícer liad the sacristy, I the next a little ehamber or recess behind the high I altar, and the rest of tis made ourselves trnly com- 1 fortablc in the large organ-loft I nsed often to I lean out of this gallery, and contemplate the strange I scene below me. How a sober citizen from St I Paul's church-yard would have stared to see a ser- I jeant of grenadiers writing liis reports on the com- j munion-table, a fifer lounging at liis ease in the pnlpit, and praetising his favourite quick step, and the men dividing and calling off their rations of raw beef on tombs of polished marble. Such, however, is but too faithful a picture of an every-day oceurrence on actual service.

Lisbon, after the first alarm, became as it were intoxicated by a strong feeling of security: there never was a period when tliis city was more crowded with objects of misery, or when provi si ons » were more extravagantly dear; yet at no time liad their theatrês been better filled, their societies more gay and brilliant, than when seventy thonsand J vindictive enemies lay within sixteen miles of the city, panting for tlie plunder of.it. It is but justice to add, that every thing which prudence and huinanity conld suggest was dane by tlie iiihabitants of Lisbon, to allsviate the pnblic misfortune. The ]>ort was open to ali vessels laden with provisions, the magazines were filled with them, cliaritable institntions were set on foot, and food was daily distributed to such of th o fugitivos as were neces-

TI1E PENÍNSULA. Í2.5

si tons a» d helplcss, while laboni w:is provi d cd for tlie otliers. The police, too, of tlic city was most aclive; and whatever secret and trcasonable spirit existed among tlie disaffectcd, was compelled to remam inactive and liarmless. Still, I thonght it strango to see snch fearless and inconsistent gaiety among peoplc wlio might, in the coursc of a fèw sliort Iionrs, be placcd at the mercy of a conqueror: but tlie tnith is, wc are ali the creatures of custom, and a VCJV sbort experience wil] reconcile ns to any thing. Hence it is, that tlie inhabitants of Portici sleep tranquilly undcr the burning Vesuvius; and mariners singjovially while rocked npon the restless waves, in which the starting of a single plank ímVht ingulph tlicm for ever!

From a lofty height, abont balf a league from Bcicellas, I could command a view of the Tagus ; and here I frcqnently walked, and distinct!y°saw thegun-boats stationed on the right of our position, exchanging their fire with the French cannon at Villa Franca. Tlie immediate neigbbourhood of Vi lia Franca is covered witb handsome quintas, and on some of them I had gazed, on my passage »p the Tagus in Jt.ly 1809, mtli pardonable envy. How little did my mind, at that time, associate witíi sccnes so siniling, the idcas of devastation and death!

Our army, during the wholc of this period, WaS

supphcd with provisions from the commissariat

I2G *RECOLLECT10NTS OF

stores at Lisbon; and tliese were conveyed to us, at times, in a manner amusingly novel.

I remember well, one day, seeing a file of about one hnndred cabriolets, laden \vith sacks of biscuit and flourj and tlie evening's amnsement of many a fair lady was by the absenee of her carriage 011 th is coarsc, but nseful service, altogether dcstroyed. Wliile we r emaiii ed in th is cantonment, a Portu- guese officer died in the town j I attended the funeral, and was vcry much impressed with the cercniony. The custom of exposing the body, dressed as in life and health, on an o]>cn bier, may, by its frequcncy, produee little effect on the nativos of Portugal; hut to the eye of an English- man it carries with it an air of solemnity, painful yet salutary; and I defy him to look upon the pale features of a clay-eold corpse with the same light- hearted indifference,' that he too often regards the passing hearse in England.

T have more tlian once distinctly stated, that it is not my intention to olfer a professional view of theprogress and conduct of tlie war,'or to enterat ali upon a regular detail of movements and positions. My humble wish is to draw a picturc of campaigning; and if I succeed in recalling one scene of interest to the mind of any veteran who served in the Península, or if I kindle one spark of enthusiasm in thebosom of ayouthful soldier, however feebly I may have written, I feel that I shall

THE PENÍNSULA. \Qj

not liavc written in vain. I liave tlecmed it necessary to repeat this, tliat it may not be supposed that a mau, with any knowlcdgc ofi or attachment to liis profession, eonld be inattentive to the reiative situations of tlic opposing armies,- so extraordinary at the period of which I write, and on which it might be expected I sliould comment and enlarge. No ; such a task would far cxcced the limits of a liglit trifling work like tbis, and would, moreover, be presumptuous in an offieer of my age and rank. I eonsider the Peninsular war to have been a most instruetive course of military studyj and I have, in common with other officers, trea- surcd np the lessons it afForded with care, and the hope of future advantage.

'On the night of the 14th of Noveinber, the enemy rctired frora the position they had so loug oceupied inourfront; and on the 1.5th, aboutmid- day, on r column moved from Bucellas: wc marclied six leagues, passing tlirough Alhandra, VillaFranca, and Vdla Nova, and halted at Caregada. The day was wet and stormy, and the roads deep and heavy; hut our line of march was ali gaiety and animation. To follow up a retreating army is at ali times amusing; bnt when yon do so, for the first time, your curiosity and pleasure are almost puerile.

On approachiug Vil la Franca, our eycs wcre ali busily cngaged in marking the traces of the Frcneh. Here, to the Icft, was a path woru by tbeir sen-

198 fcKCOLLECTIONS OF

tries; here, again, had lain the main body of their picquet: therc, to the right, they had planted two guns, instead ofsand-hagsorgabions; several large painted garden tubs.with the plants that onceadom- ed them ctit away, had been piled np to forni a bat- tery. At the entrance of Vi lia Franca, the street was barricado ed; chests, wine-easks, and mat- tresses, fonned the strange barrier: here, on one of the very first h ouses, a eh ai k scribble showed it had been the quarter of a company of French grenadiers; there had bcen the billet of a chefde bataillon ; in that neat-lookiiíg mansion with green window-shutters and unbroken windows, had lodged, as appeared by a scribble over the door, a chef d* êtat major. In short, look where you would, you saw spots that were yesterday peopled with your enemies; men wearing a different dress, speaking a different language, and ready to fight and bleed in a different cause.

It was late in the evening when we arrived at Caregada, and the town was already filled with our troops, principally artillery and cavairy. The houses and stables were ali oceupied ; and into these last, some of our officers and men, with great diíBculty, got admission. By far the greater proportion of us, however, passed this dark and dreary night in the open strcets. In a town which had been for weeks deserted by its ínhabitants, and so lately evacuated by an enemy, asmay readily besup- posed, there was no want of dry fuel, and we made

THE PENÍNSULA. 129

large fires, withont beirig very scrupulous in oiir choice of wood; old planks, palings, doors, and window-shutters, were consumed with very little hesitation. Many of ns sent to borrow cliairs from tiiosc houses already occnpied, and sat loimging round our fires till day-brcak. The scene was altogether diverting: we Iiad no cooking, for íhe baggage was not up, and there was of course nothing to be had in an empty town : a little biscuit, and a draught of conntry wine from a soldier's wooden canteen, was my supper; and I leaned back in a chair my corporal had got for me, ali cushioned with blue damask, and ornamented with gilding, and attempted, but in vain, to sleep. The continued rain kept my shoulders wet and chilly, while tlie blazing fire scorched my legs, so that it was impossible to preserve the same posture for five minutes. - At length day carne ; the cavairy and artillery moved, and in a few minutes I tbought myself highly fortim ate to get into a room with fourothcrs : a room which had once, perhaps, been handsomc and comfortable; but had then neither furniture, doors, or caseraents. • After enjoying the luxury of a basin of hot tea, I visited a small camp, which had been constructed by the enemy, near the town; for two brigades of French infantry had been hutted in the immediate vicinity. These huts were exceedingly neat, well- built, and arranged in a regular line, witli a fine piece of ground well-clcared to the front The

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130 RECOLLECTIOXS OF

liuts of the ofiicers wcrc large, and very comino-' dious, having many little ingenious contrivances for comfort and convenience. I was miicli struck by onc tliing I obscrved here, and •\vhich", .no doubt, a good Catholic would have considcrcd as a most daring and iinpions -proíànation : a Frendi, officer had torn ont a large scripturc painting,, which had bcen the altar-piccc of some chapei, aud had spread it, with the snbject ontwards, over his hat; and here he had lain, sheltered from the rain by canvass, wliich the representation of some holy secne, or miraculous event, had rendered sacred in tbe eyes of the people, and before which many a knee liad been bent, and many a head bowed in reverence for the space, perhaps, of a century before. In onc small neat little bower I fonnd"lying on the ground a small Paris edition of " St. Pierre's Studies of Natnre \" it had apparently been mu eh read, and had probably charmed and consolcd the solitary honrs of some amiable man, whom attachment to the profession of arms had led to mar eh nnder the eagles of Nap oleou. Ycs, in the French army, as in ali otbers, the good bearts far ontnumber the bad ; mu eh tbat we bear of the ferocity and cruelties of armies is nn- true, much exaggerated. It is true, that soldiers (I shall not speak of officers) bave a blameable disposition to waste and destroy; but it is the beedless and mischievouswantonnessofthc school- boy, not the vindictive malice of tiie man. Sol-

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THF. PENÍNSULA, 131

diers are oftcn placed in sitnations, whicli, fjom their naturc and their novelty, givc birth to áii elevation of spirits ít is difficult to controul. I have seen common men distributed throiigh a suite of rooms in the enipty palace of a noblcman ; tbey have been snrrounded by mirrors and marhle, and I have observed in their countenances a jocu- lar eagemess to smash and destroy th em. But this does"not arise out of crnclty. No: in such a case, a soldier feels himsclf lifted, for a moinent, above his low and ordinary condition; while the banished owner of tlie prond mansion, in which lie lodges, appcars hiunbled below him ; and that min d mu st be superior to human infínnity, which did not, at such a tbought, c:irelessly cxult. But I am persuaded that the sndden appearance of the sufferer, and his weeping family, in ninety-ninc cases out of a hundred, would reproduce the gc- nerons feelings of pity and forbearance. Again, on the subject of plunder, setting aside assanlts or battles, the soldier is oftcn harassed with toil and hunger, iinpatient and pennyless. It is the object and tlie end of discipline to prevent and punish plunder under circumstances like these j for it is seldom in any other that a soldier, in any anny, (even a French one,) turns marauder. But wlien troops are ncither fed, clothed, or pai d witb regularity, they are tempted heyond their strength; and the military man, who has served, 1 canis how and when to inake allowances for those disorders,

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132 HEC0LX-ECT10NS OF

which the world is ever too forward to charaeterise as barbarous and licentious. My opinions of the moral cxcellence of soldicrs is vcry superior to tliat generally cntertained j and I think that we 'should find as much virtue, and as many amiablc qualities, among ten thousand soldiers, as among a similar number of individuais taken, without selectioii, from the bosom of civil soeiety. It will he rc- marked by those who live among soldicrs, that thcy are charitablc and gcncrous, kind to children, and fond of dumb animais: add to this, a frequent cxposure to hardship, privation, and dangcr, make them frienclly, and ready to assist each other. Nor are they without a just and laudable pride. The worthlcss characters wlio are to bc met with in every regiment (and soeiety) are generally simn- ned; nor have I ever seen an expression of discontent on their countenances at the just punish- ínent of a moral oífender.

We marched íbrwards the next morning to Azimbuja; here we lcarned that the enemy had taken up a position at Santarém, that Lord Wel- linírton had halted at Cartaxo, and that our force, nnder Hill, was to cross immediately to the sou th hank of the Tagus. About four hundred French prisoners, taken in front, passed through this place for Lisbon. Thcy were ali infantry, for the most part weak and sickly stragglers, and a few incau- tious marauders; these last alone retained the appearance of soldiers. The French foot usually

4

THE PES!NSULA. 133

march and fight in tlieir great coats; a practiee certainly convcnient and eeonomtcal, but carrying with it a very dull and dirty appearance. Their cap, however, is always soldier-likc and handsome ; and when they do wear their full nniform, I think the general effect good. The red worstcd epaulettes give brcadth to the shonlders; and the coat, with the facings bnttoned back, and the skirts sloped away above the hips, give lightness and Iheight to the wholc figure.

In Azimbuja I had a pretty little chamber, with doors, windows, and some little furniturc preserved, prohably by the chef d'escadron, wh o had lodged here beíbre me, and wh o had left hehind him, ín a favourite quotation, which I found scribbled every where on the walls, a pretty fàithfnl sample of hts spirit: —

" Le premier, çuijkit Roi,Jitit un soldai heureux."

On the 19th we werc transported across the Tagus by the hoats of the fleet, which had been sent up the ri ver, with a propor ti on of oflicers and seamen for that purpose. Admirai Sir Th ornas Williams and Captain Beresford superintended the passage of the troops ; and this important servi ce was performed for us by the navy witli their aceustomed order, expedition, and regularity. From this period, until the latter end of Fehruary, we were stationed at Almeyrim, a small country town, abont two mil es from the left bank of the Tagus,

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13-1' «ECOLLECTIONS OF

and directly oppositc Santarém, the head.quarters of tlie Frcneb anny. Almeyrim would, in itself, have been ínsupportably dull, as there were no families in the plaee abovc tlie middling class in lifc, and the sccncry around was not vemarkable for its heauty; but from the rei ative position of the armíes, it proved exceedingly ínteresting: for, altliongh we remained neariy three months nn- molested by the encmy, and inactivo onrselves, we could none of us feel cortam that we should eon- tinne so. We shonld never have been surpriscd, had the alarm druin, at mídríight, roused ns from onr beds; and the idea that this was possihle, took from the insipidity of a life, in other respects, mo- notonous. Our píequets lay on the bank of the ri ver, and conld plainly observe, with tlie nakcd eyc, every motion of the cnemy in the Jower town * of Santarém, and on the roads wiiich led ont from the city, On that leading to Cartaxo, we every day saw their picqncts posted, and their fatigue parties felling trees to forni abbatis, digging en- trenchments, or constrneting breast-works j while on that to their rear, forage parties, detachments, or orderlíes, were constantly going out and rc- tnrníng.

AH this was to me an inexhaustible sonree of ainusemcnt; I oflen walked ont with my glass, and passed whoie mornings in watehingthem : here I would sce a troop of their dragoons exerci si ng on the plain below the town ; there a general

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T11E PENÍNSULA. 135

offiecr riding out with his staff; hcre some field- officer visiting his guards and piequets, and there sevcral of theirmcn washing and elcaningtheir arms and appointments on the very hrink of the stream. You eonstantíy heard the sound of their voiecs ; and, 011 a still day, might rcadily distinguish what they said. "We often, indeed, convcrscd conr- teously with thcir officers, uutil the prating impru- denec of some individual eansed sueh intereonrsc to be forbiddcn, most properly, X admit; for sim- pliêity and indiseretion might have produeed in- caleulable inischief.

About a mile from AJmeyrim, embosomed among trees, but eommanding a fine view of the towers andbuildings of Upper Santarém, stood a beantiful quinta, in his happier and innocent days the resi- denec of the Marquis de Aloma, a nobleman of Portugal, once a general in her arinies; but one wh o, deeeived or eorruptcd by the French, had "fied his countiy, openly espoused their cause, and had now rcturned as the guide and eounsellor of their legions. This miscrable mau was, for three months, resident in Santarém; a town in whicli lie had often, no doubt, heen grected with affection and respeet, by a sinilhig and a happy population ; "but wherc his eye now eneountered, on every side, the glanec of suspieion, contempt, or indignation from foreigners, who, notwithstanding thcir own bold and lawless aggrcssions, may sometimes rever- enee the patriot who opposes theni, but will ever

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distrust and despise the very traitor who serves th em. The quinta de Alorna was at this time occupied by some servants, who Iield it for tlie erown; and many a morning did I pass there, reading in the lihrary, walking on the terraee, and wandering in the grounds. I learned, from some of the peasants, that the marquís had been a kind landlord, a tender hnshand and father, and had passed many months every year in this pleasing retreat. What must such a man have felt, when, from the window of his chcerless billet, he looked down upon this family man si cm, and knew that he was banished from ít for ever! I can hardly image to myself a situation more painíul: — he must have regarded the quinta as a fearful monument of days of peace, gone by for ever} as the tomb of his honour and happiness, the grave of ali his hopes. Of ali criminais, I look upon the traitor as one, whose punishment in this life is the most certain ; for it is a punishment which the smiles of fortune and of power can neither avert or soílen : it is a restless poison of the min d, an ever-aching void in the desolatc and lonely heart:—kindred, friendship, love, ali cast from their hlessed hosoms the wretch who has betrayed his conntry.

About the middle of Fehruary, as I was one day walking by the ri ver si de with three or fbur companions, we observed an unnsnal crowd on the opposite hauk, and several French officers. They saluted us, with a "Bonjour, Mcssieurs ;" andAve

THE PENíNSULA. 137

soon fell into eonverátion'. ■ Theywere exceedingty courteous. They spoke in the highest terms of Romana, who liad lately died, calling him " Le seul general Espagnol digne de son grade." They asked after Lord "Wellington ; saying he had done wonders with the Portuguese, and praistng him greatly íòr his eonduet of the campaign. They next enquired, if our king was not dead; and on our replying that he was not, one of them spoke, but inaudibly; nnother, in a louder voiee, repeated " Le general dit, qiie tout le monde aírae votre Roi George, qu'il a été hon père de fainille, et bon pòre de son peuple." We werc thus, at onee, let into the rank of one of their party, and not a little delighted at the raanner in which they had spoken" of our excellent and unfortunate sovercign. A great deal of good humour prevailed ; we qutezed each other freely. They asked us how we liked haeallâo and azete, instead of English roast beef ? and we, what they did at Santarém without the restaurateurs, cafés, and salles de spectacle of their dear Paris? They replied, laughing, that they had a theatre; and asked us to come over, and witness the performance of that evening, which would be, " L'Entrée des François dans Lisbon." A friend of mine most readily replied, that he recommended to them " La repetition d'une nouvelle piéce, ' La

\ Fuite des François.' " They burst into a long, loud, and general laugh : —the jokc was too good, too home. Their general, however, did not think

13S RECOLLECTIONS OP

itwiseto remain longer; but lie pulled ofí'his hat, and wishing ns good day witli perfect good humour, wcnt up tlie hili, and tlie group iminediately dispersed.

On the 21 st of Fehruary some alarm was excited by a party of the enemy crossing over to n large is]and in tlie Tagus, about a league abovc Santa- rém, and immediately opposite Alpiaça, a small town oiTthe south bank. . They, however, only foraged it, and retired, without attempting to cs- tablish any coinmunication with Alemtejo; but wc, in consequence, fixed a post on tlie island, to seeure it against fhrtber insult. I was one of the party stationed here from the lst to the 5tb of Marcb. A loop-holed chapei, a circular pig-stye, dignified with the name of a rcdouht, and a few miscrahle hovels, formed the defences and eanton- ments of our little garrison, whieh eonsisted of two companies of infantry and twelve dragoons. On the night of the 4th of March, as I was' going my rounds, my ear caught some unusal noise on the French hank ; and approaehing to tlie edge of the water, and lying down, I distinctly heard the trampling of horses, the sound of wheels, and tlie cracking of whips. For three hours I lay perfectly still, Kstening to those truly grateful soimds. It was now evident that a second camjjaign was about to opcn j and that we sliouid leave the narrow limits we had ocenpied sínce October, for some new and more interesting sccnes. Tlie next day

THE PENÍNSULA. 139

our detachment quittcd thc island j and it was known that thc cncmy liad brokc np froni Santa- rém, and was in full retrcat.

On tbe sixth, about noon, we marched from Alpiaça, in the highcst possible 'spirits. After inoving íbr four days throngli a very pretty country, our brigadc was lialtcd in a small ncat village of Alemtejo, about one leaguc froni Abrantes. I had forgot to mention, Uiat tlie eominand of ali thc troops on the south bank of thc Tagus bad, in the absence of General Hill, wh o was ordercd home for the recovery of his health, been entrusted to Marshal Bercsford. This officer had, by thc direetion of Lord Wellington, taken with him a considerable detachment of his army eorps, and pursued tbc retreating divisions of Massena, in the direetion of Th ornar; wbere, it was inferred irom bis first movements, hc bad some intention of col- Jecting a force. The Frencb comniander, however, procèeded for tbe Mondego, and was followed by the main body of the allics, headed by Welling- ton in person. The proposed operations of our little anny, in Spanísb Estremadura, wcre, froni tliese dispositions, of necessity snspendcd, untilthe return of the Marshal and his detachment Dnring this short interval we reinained stationary in onr

I quiet cantonment. The cottages in whieh we wcre qnartered were pleasingly scattercd over the face of the country; had ali their little gardens, in the midst of which they stood, and their walls,

140 RECOLLECT10NS OF

clothed with tlic crceping vine, which extended itself ovcr their humble roofs, or spreading along a sort of liglit trcllis-work, formcd grateful and shady porticoes before their doors. Tlic season of the year, too, was warm and delightful as an English May. Some orange groves in the neighbonrhood were in bigh beauty, and presented us with a sight altogether novel. The same tree, from whicli yon pluck the ripe and juicy orange, prcscnts you, on the neigbbouring branch, the delicatc blossora, and agajn, on another, tbe unripe frnit, grecn and flavourless. There were the most bcautiful walks and rides in every direction around us, and nothing could be more rural than the scene constantly before our eyes. Nor was the pleasnre at ali dimin- ished hy seeing two distinct classes of society, very strongly eontrasted': to observe, on the same spot, the peaceful demeanour of hnsbandmen, and tlie tumultuous gaiety of soldiers; to hear the tinkling guitar, silenced by drums, trumpets, and bugies, sounding thehour of rest; to seethe rusties going quietly fortli, at sun-rise, to their daily labour, and the soldiers coming, fully armed, from vine- covered cottages, and hurrying witb brisk steps to the fiel d of exercise; to mark the gay confidence of our meu, and the silent humility, ycteagerwon- der, of the peasants. AH this gave a man something to think of in his walks, which made himforget the want of a book, or a conipanion. The soldiers too, seemed to feel ali the ordinary delight which such

THE PENÍNSULA. 141

a scene, ín the soft season of spring, naturally in- spires, even in uncultivated minds, and they were ali health and high spirits.

On the eigbteenth of the month we were agaín in motion, and inarched, hy Portalegre, to Arron- ches, where we rested three days. When Massena hroke np from Santarém on the fifth, we, on the sou th bank, had calcnlated on nuirchiiig to the relief of Badajos, an important fortress in Spanish Estremadura, at that time besieged hy the Duke of Dalmatia. Th is design, with the execution' of which wc should certainly have been charged, was frustrated by the governor, who suddenly sur- rendered the place to a weak corps of the enemy, on terms the most disgracefuL The fali of Bada- jos was immediately followed hy the attack and capture of Campo Mayor; a place not capable of any resistance, and from which, indeed, we ourselves drove the enemy, two days alter they bad entered it.

It was on the afternoon of the twenty-fifth that we halted in a very pretty bivouack, on the banks of the Caya: our cainp lay in a beantiful valley surronnded hy hills; on the sides of these the infantry took np their ground, while our cavalry occnpied the vcrdant flat on the hanks of the stream. On the morning of the twenty-sixth we marched upon Campo Mayor; and, at the distance of about two miles from its walls, we halted to let the cavalry pass to the front. They were about 2000

142 RECOLLF.CTIOiíS OF

iii' number; they movcd past us in fite at a hrisk trot: their cattle were in beautiful condition, and occasionally broke into a proud pranciug canter.

It is at such a moment, and in such a situation, that an infantry oííicer cari no t nltogcther suppress a fèeling of eiivy. It is true, that to liis servicc belongs the tug of war, and that more men are killed in one hour by a liot firc of musquetry, than in one day of galloping and sabring; for the injury of a sabre-cut, as compared to a gun-shot wound, is, in nine cases outoften, trifling; still the lieart will follow the trampling of a squadron of cavalry, the rattling of ali their appointmente, and the noble animating sound of their brazen trumpets. On tliis particular day I felt this very strongly: we knew that there was every probabUity of a handsome aflhir %vith tlie enemy, who wonld, of course, eva- cuate the town, and retire upon Badajos ; hut the nature of tlie gronnd was so favourable for the operations of horse, that it was also veiy likely the engagcment would be entirely confincd to troops of.that ann. Our suspicions were not ill-fonnded; tlie French were no sooner apprized of our advance, than they hastily fonned behind the town. Four regiments of their cavalry prescnted a frout to our people,' while their infantry (a column of about 1200) commenced its retreat, carryiug with it several pieces of artillery. A most brilliant chãrge was inade upon the enemy's dragoons by our thirteenth light, suppòrted by the Portuguese.

-THE PENÍNSULA. 143

Our peoplc behaved withgreat intrepidity; bnt the afiàir was altogether coiiducted, on our part, with such a total absence of skill, that the French secured tlie retrcat of thcir infantry andguns, sustain- íng indeed a loss*, but a Joss vcry little heavierthan oar o WH. Our fine brigade of lieavy cavalry was never brought up to thc enemy, and our cohimns of infantry followed slowly in the rear. At cvery half milc wc met some mark of this ill-conducted contest, which was carried on to tlic very gates of Badajos; near which, several of our nicn,-who, côn- sul ti ng only their conrage, had pursued wíthont any ordcr or regularity, and, indeed, with the main body of the French cavalry mar chi ng on in thcir rear, were captured. In spite of thc interest ex- cíted on such a day, it is mortifying to a man of" spirit, and painfnl toa man of fccling, to follow,in cold-blood, and gaze npon the piteous spectacle of deâd and dying, scattcred in your path. I reraem- ber well, among the evcnts of this day, having rc- marked oue fine nianly coqjse vcry partícnlarly, j it lay a few yards from thc road-side, alone, nakcd, the face aucl breast downwards, and on the back ofthe head a deep and frightful cleft, inflicted by the sabre; ali around the spot where it lay the grouiul was deeply indented with the" print of horses' fect, who appeared to have gone over it at a furious pacc. The sky was clondy, and thc wind high; the body was cold and pale, the fine-

* Àbout 300 killed, voiroded, and taken.


forméd limhs stiffand motionless; the spírit, which had animatcd it, not an boiír bcfore, had indeed fled; yct, I know not how it was, the very corpse madc a foreihlc appeal to the feelings, and seemed to suflcr, it looked so comfortless, so humbled, so deserted. An English dragoon, leading a wounded horse, and conducting two prisoners, one of whoni had sahrc-cuts on the eheek and shoulder, passed me wh He I was contemplating tliis scene. "Do yoii recollect," said I, " friend, what took plaee here ?" " Yes, sir; they shewed us a front here, and we charged and drove them; hut this man, who was an oíficer, tried to rally them, and was cut down hy our adjutant, as I think." At this moment, one of the French horsemen, leaning down, exclaimed, "Cest Ie colonel." "Comment di- ahle," said the other. " Cest hien lui," said his comrade; " il est mort. Ah! qu'il etoit hrave sol- dat, ce vilain champ de bataille n'est pas digne d'nn tel victíme." They passed on. What! this ear- case, on which the flies wcre already settling, whicli ]ay, ali spurned and hlood-stained, on the rude and prickly heath, had heen, but one short hour bcfore, a man of rank, perhaps also of talent, fortune, conrage, whose voice breathed command, whose eye glanced fire, whose arm shook defiance :■—evenso, such is war!

The same day a yonng French officer was taken hy the falling of his horse; lie was of the compag- 11 ie d'elite of the twenty-sixth dragoons; a hand-

THE PENÍNSULA. 145

some youth, with a fine fair complexion; a serjeant escorted hiin past our cohumi, which was, at the time, halted. I shall never forget the mortified and moumful dejecíion of his countcnance: lie suffered the bridle of his horse to bang on its neck, and sat in the saddle, thougbtfully careless. As he passed us, some of our ôfficers moved their hats to him ; he returned their saJute, taking ofFhis large bearskin cap with much gracc, but I could see that his cyes were filled with tears. A very few yards hehind us, he had to j)ass a Portuguese column, whose ôfficers crowded forward to look at him, with a sort of triumphant cnriosity ; though 'his back was to me, I saw that th is awakened ail •his pride and spirit, for he placcd himself erect in his seat, spurred and reined up his horse, and rode slowly and hanghtily hy tliem. Two days after the affair, a flag of truce carne to Elvas, to bring th is young man some baggage and money. The French captain wlio carne, remained with his • young friend for half an hour, in the ôfficers' guard room, at one of the barriers. The trumpeter, who accompanied the flag, was a vieux moustache, of about forty, with the cheverons of twenty years service on his arm. This man, when the two friends carne out, and the captain mounted, rode up to the young officer, and cordially grasping his hand, put into it a purse of money, and rode off. The purse, I found, had been made up among the privates of the compagníe d'élite, who had charged

14-íi IIKCOLLECTIONS OF

the old trumpeter witb its delivery. This was too strong a testimony, both of the amiability and gallantry of this youth, not to ereate a deep feeling of interest for bim; and it was sorrowful to think, that he might be doomed for years, perliaps, to pine away, in an obseure garret at some depôt of prisoners in England ; bis professional hopes and prospects blasted, and the brightest season of his Hfè chilled by poverty, and eonsumed in inaetion. But, to retmn — After being in motion the whole day, alternately amused by the sight of prisoners and captured horses, and our own dragoons displaying the curious contents of the valises they had plundered, and, again, shocked by the sight of slain and wounded, we retraeed onr steps to Campo Mayor, and eneamped close to its walls.

The ncxt day we marched to Elvas, where we lialted till the fh-st of April, when we moved.to Borba, a very pietty town, about six leagiies fróm Elvas, and highly celebrated for its rich and exccllent wine. While we were thus disposed of ín cantou ments, our engineers were busily employed in throwing a bridge over the Guadiana at Juru- menha. This work proeeeded but slowly,from the great want of materiais, and was rendered. extremely difficult, from the heavy and sudden rises of the ri ver, caused by the melting of the snows. A flying bridge was, however, at length established, and onr arrny was transported to the Spanish bank in safety, and without opposition, on the-night of

TIIE TENINSULA. 147

the fifth of April. Ou the sixth we moved about three miles, and took tip our ground on a plain covered with Gumcistus; a small village, lying a little to the rear of our right, was occupied hy the head-quarters and staff. Here a most extraordinary accident occurred, for which it is difficult to account satisfactorily. A hody of the enemy eluded the vigilance of some 1'ortuguese outposts, and snrprised a squadron oí* English dragoons, ali of \vhom they captured. These dragoons liad hcen, for twenty-four hours previous, on out-linc picquet, and were dcsired to consider themselves released from duty, though they were still kept dose to the line of picquets ; an arrangement by which, combined with the uttcr want of caution in the outposts, they were taken. But this was not ali: the enemy arrived at Marsh ai Beresford's quarter in the village, and the first aiann was given by the fire of a serjeant's guard, posted o ver the person of the marshal. They took se ver ai horses belonging to the staff from their stables ; and if they had not been unnecessarily alarmed, to find that they had penetrated so far, they might have carried off the whole of our head-quarter staff, for they returned themselves unmolested.

On the moraing o£ the eighth we movcd to in- vest Olivença, in which the enemy had shut up a

-small garrison. The occupation of this place was ahsolutely necessary to us as a depôt, or place ã'armes ; for the French had a very strong garrison

L2

14S REC0I.LECT10NS OF

in Badajos, which might ávail itsclf of our march to the front, to insnlt, or altogethcr interrnpt, ouf Communications; and, for the same reason, wecon- structed a tête chi pont at Jurumenha.

The order of our march, on the morning of the eighth, was very heautiful. We moved in four parollel columns, atwell regulated intervals. The two flank columns wcre of cavai ry, wh o march cd wíth advanced guards and flankers; the two central columns were divisions of infantry, with their guns. The skirmishers of the tSth dragoons moved on some eminences to the left of our líne of march, and kept an eager look-out on the Bada- jos road j while the advanced guard of the heavy cavalry, on the right, pursued one of the roads which led directly on the town of Olivença, our ncar appioach to which was announced by the sound of its cannon. From the nature of the country we passed over, ali the columns had a fine distinct view of each other, and we ali carne in sight of the fortress nearly at the same moment; and halt- jng on the heights which overlooked it, just ont of gun-shot, had a full view of the place while the summons went in.

On a day like this, every one seems on the "qid vive." Ali faces are cheerful, ali eyes strained; spy- glasses are out; and every one looks plcased who has been lucky enough- to 'distinguish a brazerr helmet, a broad toppcd cap, or, in fact, any thing Frendi. Tlie governor rèjecíing lhe summons,

7

riIB PENÍNSULA, 149

General Cole was Ieft with the fourth division to conduct the siege, and on the afternoon of the tenth the army advanced. I was on the rear guard j and as tlie main body moved two hours before us, it was already dark when we reachcd the bivouack. Tbere was a something so strikingly beautifnl in the appearance of it, tliat I shall never forget the picture. The night was exccssively dark, and, nnder such circnmstances, the cominou eamp fircs wotdd of" themselves havc produced a fine eflèct; but, they liad been for the most part made in hol- Iow cork-trees, of which great numbers were scattered through the ground ; and to see the red fires in their fàntastic cavities, and the bright .and con- sumi ng flames issuíng from thcir tops, illuminating the pale branches, causing a red atmosphere above, and showing to great advantage the troops, their arms and liorscs, was a scene so picturesque, so magicai, that no dcscription could do it justice.

Olivença, which was only provided with a garrison of four hundrcd inen, fell as soou as ever it was possible to bring guns to bear on it, and was occupicd by the division which besieged it: the rcst of us pushed many leagucs southward. At Los Santos de Maimona, another aflair took place between otir cavairy and a small body of the cnemy's horse. Our people killed and wounded severa], aud took about seventy prisoners ; but were certainly not successful, to the extent we might have been, had they been more vigorously pushed. These

L3

150 REC0LLECT10NS OF

prisoners were hussars, very handsomely clothed and appointed, particularly those of tlie tentb French. Th is corps wore a jacket and pelisse of light hlue, or French grey, neatly ornamented witb white lace and black fur: their caps, boots, and accoutrements, excellent: their hair clubbed in a manner not unbecomíng; and tbeír whole appearance soldier-like.

We lay for a few days at Zafra, a clean good city, on the route to Andalusia. We looked forward with eager hope to the chance of a triumphant march over the Sierra Morena, that rude and majestic barrier of southern Spain. The towers of fair Seville already seemed to ri se before us; and, in imagination, we werc already wandering amid the romantíc scenery on the banks of the far-famed Guadalquivir. Badajos, however, was first to Be. gained j a fortress, the possession of whicb was to us raost important, whether we looked to ofFensive operations in Spain, or to the mere defence of Portugal.

We broke up from our cantonments 011 the third of May ; the same evening our division arrived at Talavera Real, a town on the high road to Badajos, and distant from it about ten miles. It was just at the dawn of day, on the fourth, that tbe heads of ali the columns, destined to besiege Badajos, crowned every Uttle eminence round the city, and formed the investment of the place. Our previous night march had becn well arranged as to time; and th is

TIIE PENÍNSULA. 1.51

operation, which is at ali times interesting, was executed, on th is oceasion, with admi rabie skill, and in tlie most beautiful ordec. The sky was cloud- less and serene, tlie morning air mil d and pleasant. The eneiny's picquets skirmished prettily with our advance, and they threw both shotand shells from the town, bnt with little or no eíFect. They sent out tlie few dragoons they had, to assíst in reconnoitering our force; and tbese men períbmied their duty, with adegree of coolnessand intrepidity, which could not nave been surpassed. I saw individuais ride up with i n pistol-shot of our infantry skirmishers; and one man galloped boldly as near to a column, not very distant from the heíght on which my regiment was formed. The scene was quite a review one: tlie walls of Badajos were crowded with spectators ; and from the top of the castle the tri-coloured standard, an ensign which has spread terror over half Europe, was ealmly floating. Our regiment lay for four days in a sinal 1 narrow deli, under cover of their fire, but within gun-shot of the city.

On the night of the eiglith, our brigade broke ground; at so considerable a distanee, however, tliat we sustained no loss, but opened the íirst parai lei; and covered ourselves bcfore break of day. I re- gard the operation s of a siege as highly interesting: the daily progress of tlie labours; the trcnehes filled with men, wbo lie secure within range of the garrison ; the fire of the battcries ;" the beautiful

L 4

132 RECOLLFCTIONS OF

appearance of the shells and âre-balis by night j the challenges of tlie enemy's sentries; the sonnd of tlieir drums and trumpets; allgivea continued eh ar tu and animation to this service. But the dutiesof a besieging force are both harassíng and severe; and, I know not how it is, deatb in the trenches never carries with it that stamp of glory, whieh seals the memory of those, wh o perish1

in a well-fought field. The daily exploits of the' northeru army under Lord Wellington, and Gra- nareis victory at Barrosa, made us restless and mortified at our comparativo ill fortune ; for as yef we had struggled only with privation, hardship, and disease. On the ISth, in the aftcrnoon, while lounging in our eamp of ease, about four miles from the trenches, we were stirprised by an order, to hold ourselves in readiness to ínarch, at the shortest no- tiee. Reporte soon began to circulate, that Soult was raoving rapidly, at the head of a considerabíe force, tosuccourBadajosj that a corps of Spaniards, under the orders of Blake, was marehing from Aya- monte, to eo-operate with us; that the siege was to be inmiediately raised ; and that a battle might be shortly expected. On the 14th we broke up, and marched upon Valverde; halted for the night, and moved forwards at mid-day, on the 15tb, to Albuera, whieh place we reaehed about íive in the evening. Our cavalry had already retired upon this post; tlie enemy's ltorsc, wlio were vastly superior in nuinber, having pushecl th em from Santa

THE PENÍNSULA". 153

Martha in the raorning. Albuera, the scene of ar

most murdcrous and sanguinary conflict, it may not be amiss to desenhe. It is a sinall inconsiderable villagej uninhabited, and in ruins: it is sitnated on astream from wbich it takes its name, and over which there are two bridges; one abont two hundred' yards to tbe rigbt of the village, large, handsome, and hutlt of hewn stone; the other, close to the left of it, small, narrow, and incommodious. Tlús brook is not above knee-deep: its banks, to the left of the small bridge, are abrupt and uneven j and, on that side, both artillery and cavalry would find it diífi- cult to pass, if not impossible; but, to the rigbt of the main bridge, it is accessibte to any description' of force. The enemy oceupied a very large extensive wood, about three quarters of a mile distant, on' tbe other side of the stream, andposted their picquets' close to as. The space between the wood and the brook was a levei plain; but on onr side the ground' rose considerably, though there was nothing which could he called a height, as from Albnera to Val- verde * every inch of ground is íavourable to the1

operations of cavalry — not a tree, not a ravine, to internipt their movements.

I shall here interrupt tny private Recollections, to give a rapid and general sketch of the battle, which took placc on the morrow.-— On the morn-

* I consíder the wood, neur Valverde, as too distant from the scene of action at Albnera to be consídered, in any way, when speaking gcnerally of the face of the country.

154 RECOLLECTTONS OF

ing of the lOth our people were disposed as íol- lows: The Spanish army*, under the ordcrs of. General Blake, was on the right, in two Unes; its left rested on the Valverde road, on which, just at the ridge of anascent, rising from the inain hridge, the right of-our dívision (the second) was postéd, the left of it extending to the Badajos road, ou ground elevated above the village, wliich was occupied hy two battalions ofGerman riflemen, Gene- ral Harailton's Portnguese dívision being on the left of the whole. General Cole, with two brigades of the fourth dívision (the fusileer hrigade and one of Portuguese), arrived a very short time. before the action, and formed, with th em, our second line. These dispositions the enemy soon compelled us to alter. At eight o'ciock he began to move; and menacing, with two columns, the village. and bridges, under cover. of his cavalry, he filed the main body of his infanlry over the rivulet, heyond our right, and attacked that flank with very superior numbers and with great impetuosity. The greater part of the Spaniards hastily formed front to the rigbt to meet the attack j and, after a short and gallant vesistance, were overpowered and driveu fromtheir ground. The enemy now commanded and raked our whole position: the fire of his artillery was heavy, hnt, fortunately for us, not very well directed. It became now imperiously neces-

* It joined u3 on the night of the 15th.

THE TESTINSULA. J55

sary to retalie, at any pricc, the impoitant post, un-. fortunately, not blameably, lost by the Spaniards. The tbree brigades of tbe division Stewart marched on it in double quick time, led by that General. The first, or right brigade, commanded by Coloncl Colborne, was precipitated into actiou under cir- cumst.inces tlie most iinfavourahle: it deplcyed by corps as it arrived near the cnemy, fired, and was in tbe act of gallantly charging with tlie bayonet on a heavy column of tlieir infantry, when a body of Polish lancers, having galiopped round upon its rear in tbis mostunfortunate moment, (fora charge is often a movement' of exulting confusion), over- threw it with a great and cruel slaughtcr. The SI st regimen t, not having deployed, escaped tliis mtsfortune j and tbe third brigade, under General Houghton, and second, under Cólonel Abercrom- by, successively arriving, re-established the hattle, and, widi the assistance of tbe fustleer brigade un. der Sir William Myers, the fortunes of this bloody day were retrieved, and the French driven in every direction from the field. I should not omit to* mention, that, during the whole of tbe day, there was very heavy skirmisbing near the village, which was occupied and held, throughout tbe contest, by ' the German light infantry, under tbe orders of Major-General Alten. General Lumley, who commanded the allied cavalry, displayed great ability, and foiled every attempt of the enemy's horse to

1ÔO BECOLLECTXONTS OF

turn our right *, wh o were in that arm very superior, and who directed their eíforts repeàtèdly to that object. The Portuguese troops, with the ex- ception of one brigade, were very little engaged in this afiair, and numbers of the Spanish troops never carne into aetion. The brunt of the battie fell ou the British, who .lost 4,103 killed and wounded, including in this number 120 of the German legion. The Portuguese lost ahout 400; the Spaniards 1,S00: making a total of ahout 6,500. TheFrench lost, at the lowest calculation, 9,000. Soult had about 24,000 ; and we were, perhaps, in point of numbers, a little superior to htm attogether, but had only 7,000 English. The two British brigades, who more particuiarly distiriguished themselves oh this glorious day, where theFusileer brigade, cbm- manded and led by Sir William Myers, and the

third brigade of the second division, lieaded by General Houghton. The first of these, coinposed of two battaltons of the 7th regiment and one of the 28d, lost upwards of 1,000 men ; and the other, composed of the 29th, first 48th, and 57th regiments, lost 1,050 inen killed and wounded, havinsr entered the field ahout 1,400 strong. This last brigade went into aetion ied by a major-general, and with its due proportion of field officers and

* This may sound inconsistent; but it will be uuderstood that the. order of battie was ciianged from its comraencemcnt; and again, the Polish hor&e were but a small body, detached for a particular object.

T1IE PENÍNSULA. . 157

captains. I saw it at three in the aftcrnoon : — a captain eommanded the brigade; the ó"7th and 48th regiments werc eommanded by Hcutenants; and the júnior captain of the 29th regiment was the sénior effective officer of l>is corps. Not one of these six regiments lost a man by the sabre or the lance ; they were never driven, never thrown into confusion ; tbey fought in line, sustaining and rcplying to a beavy firc, and often charging; and when the enemy at length fled, the standards of these heroic battalions flew in proud, though mournful triumph, in tbe centre of their weakened but victorious lines. I have read the annals of •modem warfare with some attention, and I know of little, which ean compare with, nothing, which has surpassed, the entbusiastic and unyielding bravery, displayed by these corps on the field of Albuera. Yet this dear-bonght, and, let me add, not useless vietory, won by vnaided courage, graced with no trophies, and followed by no proportionate result, has almost sunk into oblivion, or is remembered only, and spoken of, as a day of doubtful success, if not of positive disaster. It was certainly not useless, because the object of Marshal Soult, which was the relicf of Badajos, and the expulsion of onr troops from Spanish Estremadura, >vas wholly defeated j but it bad yet a higber, a nobíer, a more undying use, it added one to tbe many bright examples of British heroism ; it gave a terrible and long-remembered lesson to the


hanghty legions of France; and, wlien Soult rode by the side of his Imperial mastcr on the field of Waterloo, as the cheering of the English soldiery struck upon liis car, Albuera was not forgotten, and he could bave whispered hini, that tliey were men, who could only be defeated, by being utterly destroyed. So much for the battle, generally con. sidered: I would now relate wbat fell under my own observatíon, and describe, if it be possible.my feelings on tbat day. We stood to our arms an hour before break of day: it was a brilliant siglit, at sun-rise, to see the wbole of the French cavalry moving on the plain; but in a short time tbey rctired into the wood, leaving their picquets as before. Tbe battalion being dismisscd, I breakfasted, and iminediately afterwards sct out to walk towards the Spanisb troops, little dreaming, that day, of a general action. But the sound of a few

■ shots caused me to return ; and I found our line getting bastily under arms, and saw the enemy in .motion. The prelude of skirmishing lastcd about an hour and a half; and our division lost a few men by random gun-shot; ali this time we were standing at ease, and part of it exposed to a beavy, chilling, and conifortless rain. Sounds, however, which breathcd ali the fierceness of battle,

. soon reached us; tbe continued rolling of mus- qnetry, accompanied by loud and repeated dis- charges of cannon on our extreme right, told us, convincingly, that the real attack was in that

THE PENÍNSULA. 159

quarter. The brigades of our division werc successively called to support it. We formed in open column of companies at half distance, and movcd in rapid donble quick. to the scene of action. I remember well, as we .movcd down in column, shot and slicll flew over and through it in quick successíon; we sustained little injury from either, but a captain of the twenty-ninth had been dreadfully Iacerated by a hall, and lay directly in our path. We passed close to him, and he kriew us ali; and the heart-rending tone in which he called to us for water, or to kill him, I sliall never forget. He lay alone, and we wcre in motion, and could give him no succour; for on th is trying day, such of the wounded as could not walk lay unattended where they fell: —ali was hurry and struggle j every arm was wanted in the field. "When we arrived near the discomfited and retiring Spaniards, and formed ourlineto advance through them towards the enemy, a very noble-looking young Spanish officer rode up to me, and hegged me, wíth a sort of prond and brave auxiety, to explain to the English, that his countrymen were ordered to retire, but were not flying. Just as our line had entirely cleared the Spaniards, the smoky shrond of hattle was, by the slackcning of the fire, for one minute blown aside, and gave to our view the French grenadier caps, their arms, and the whole aspect of their frowning masses. It was a momentary, but a grand sight; a iieavy atmo-

160 IIECOLLECTIONS OF

sphere of smoke again enveloped us, and few objects couid be discerned at ali, none distinctly. The coolcst and bravest soldier, if lie be in the heat ofit, can make no calculation of time dnring

•an engageraent. Interested and animated, he marks not tbc flight of thc hours, but he feels that,

Come wliat come may, Time and the hour run through the roughcst da}-."

This murderous contest of musketry lasted long. We wcre the whole time progressively advancing upon and shaking the enemy. At the distance of about twenty yards from tliem, we received orders to charge ; we had ceased firing, cheered, and had our bayonets in the charging position, when a body of the enemy's horse was discovered nnder the shoulder of a rising ground, ready to take advantage of our impetnosity. Already, however, had the French infantry, alarmed by our preparatory cheers, which always indicate the charge, broken and fled, abandoning some guns ánd howitzers about sixty yards from us. The presence of theiv cavalry not permitting us to pnrsue, wc halted and recommenced firing on them. The slaughter was now, for a few minutes, dreadful; every shot told; their officers in vain attempted to rally them; they would make no effort. Some of their artillery, indeed, took up a distant position which mu eh annoyed our line ; but we did. not move, until we had expended every

TIÍE TVXlitSVLA. 161

rolmd of our aimuutiHion, and tlien retired, in the inost perféct order, tó a spot sheltered froni tíieir guns, and lay ilown iu line, ready to repulse any fresli attack with tlie bayonet. To describe my íeelings throughout th is \vi!d scene with fidclity, wonld be impossibJe: at intervals, a shriek or groan tolt! tbat raen wcre fali mg arou ml ine; but it was not alwayá tliat tlie tumult of the contest sufFered me to catch tliese sounds. A coustant feeling to the centre of the line, and the.gradual diininution of our front, more truly bespoke the havock of deatli. As we moved, though slowly, yet ever a little in advance, oiir ówn killed and wounded lay behind us; but we àrrived amoiig tliose of the encmy, and those of the Spaniárds who had fallen in the first onset: we trod among the dead and dying, ali reckless of thcm. But liow shall I picture the Jiritish soldier going into action ? He is neither heated by braudy, stimn- lated by the liope of plunder, or inflamed by the deadly íeelings of revenge; hè does not even indulge in expressions of animosity agãinst Íris foes ; lie inoves forward, confident of vietory, ncver dreams of the possibility of defeat, and braves death with ali the accoinpanying horrors of Iacera- tion and torture, with the most chéerful intrepidity. Enotigh ofjoy and triumph. The roàrof íhe bâttle is huslied ; the hurry of action is o ver ; let us walk over the corse-encumbered field. Look aroiind, — beliold thonsands of slain; thousaiids of wounded,

u

16a RECOLLECTIONS OF

writhing with anguish, and groaning with agony and despair. Move a littlc this way, liere He four officers of the French hundredtb, ali corpses. Why, tíiat boy cannot have numbered eightecn years ? Howbeautiful, howserene a countenance! Perhaps, on the banks of tbe murmnring and pcaceful. Loire, some mother thinks anxiously of this her darling child. Hcre fought the third briga de; herc the fnsileers: how tliick these heroes lie! Most of the bodies are already strípped ; rank is no longer distinguished. Yes: this must have been an officer j look at the delicate whiteness of his hands, and observe on his finger the mark of his ring. What manly beauty; what a smile still plays upon his lip! He fell, perhaps, "bencath his colours ; dicd easily; lie is to be envied. Here charged the Polish lancers j not long ago, the trampling of horses, the shout, the cry, the prayer, the death- stroke, ali mingled their wild sounds on this spot; itjs now, hut for a few fitfbl and stifled groans, as silent as the grave. What is this ? A battered trumpet y the breath which filied, this morning, its hanghty tone, has fled, perhaps, for ever. Ánd here again, a hroken lance. Is this the muscular arm that wielded it ? - 'Twas vigorous, and slew, perhaps, a victim on this fiel d ; it is now unnerved by deatb. Look at the contraction of tliís body, and the anguish of these features; eight times has some lance pierced this frame. Here again lie beàdless trunfe, and bodies torn and struck down

TI1F. PKN INSULA. 168

by cannon sliot; such death is sudden, horrid, but 'tis merciful. Wh o are these, tliat catch evcry ino- inent at our coats, anel cling to our feet, in sncli a humble attitude? The wounded soldiers of thc enemy, who are imploring British protection from the exasperated and revengefnl Spaniards. What a proud compliment to our country !

Some readcrs will call th is scene romantic, others disgustíng : no matter; it is faithful ; [and it would be well for kings, politicians, and generais, if, while they talk of victories with exultation, and of de- feats with philosophical indifference, they would allow their fancies to wander to the theatre of war, and tlie field of carnage. íncredible as it may appear, Marshal Beresfòrd evidently thought ã renewal of their attack, on the 17tb, very possible ; for hc had us under arms two honrs before break of day, and made arrangements, which certainly indieated any tliing rather than intention to advance. It is to be presuraed, tliat could the marshal bave guessed the dreadful slaughtcr he had made in the ranks of the enemy, and their eonsc- quent disorganization and discontent, hc would have entered the wood, to which they retired on the evening of the sixtecnth, and thus have achieved a more complete triumph than any up to that period gained in the Península. Report said, that Blake very strongly urged this raeasure. Our army. was indubitably equal to an aíEiir on the

M 2

í6í RECOI.r.F.CTIONS OV

evening of the sixteenth : we had been reinforced by a British brigade nnder tbe orders of Colonel Kcmmis, who arrived after the battle; tbe casualties of otir German light battalions liad been trifling; our Portuguese division was quite fresli, as were two Spanisb divisions; and onr cavalry, an arm most ably cominandcd by General Lumley, bad sustained little or no loss; and ali the troops were mucb aniinated by what they had witnessed. Had Wellington commandedon thisday, he would have altogether destroyed tbe army of Sonlt, and captured the wholeof his 7natériel; and the men, 'who fought in the ranksof the two distingui shed brigades I had occasion to parti cnlarise, in my general sketch of the action, would notnow, perhaps, have had the mortification of walking, un- noticed and undecorated, by tbe si de of the more fortunate heroes of Wateiloo. The whole of the seventeenth we never ventured across the stream, but stood looking at the enemy's picquets, and videttes, posted impudently on the little plain between. ns and their bivouack. On the eighteenth tbey retired, destroying the contents of many of their tumbriis and aimnnnition cars, to facilitate tbe conveyance of their wonnded j and they were followed, at a respectful distance, by our eavalry and light infantry. It was not until tbe nineteenth, that is tbiec days aftcrtlie battle, that weoccupied the wood to which the- enemy, after their bloody

THE PENÍNSULA. 165

dcfeat, had been driven in discomfiture and confusion.

Our wounded were removed with as much ex^ pcdítion as possiblc, to Valverde; but the fiel d. hospitais, fortwoorthreedays afterthecngagement, presente d scenes, at the recollection of which humanity quite shtulders. I ncver can forgct seeing, on the twentieth, the small chapei at Albuera íiiled with Frcnch wounded, very great numbcrs of whom had suffered amputatton, and who lay on the hard stones, without even straw, in a dirty, comfortless state j ali which was unavoidably the case, forwe had notliing to give thein on the spot, and, owing to the want of conveyances, they were forced to wait till our own people had been carried to the rear.

This sameday I again wcnt down tothat partof the fie!d, which was covered witli the slain ; they lav gbastly and unburied : here and there, indeed, you might rcmark a loose-made grave, w^eresome

■officcrs or soldiers had been to perform an act of privatc fricndship. I was much strnck with one affecting, though siinpleproof of the attachmentof our peninsular aliies : the hands, of vast numbers of the liritish corpses, had been clasped together in the attitudeofprayer, and placed by the Spaniards in the manner they superstitiously imagine it im- portãnt to lay out tbeir dead.

On the 22d we marched upon Solano, and the 23d resumed our old quarters at Almendra-

M 3

166 11EC0LLECTI0NS OK

Iejo. Wc found hcre three lumdred Frendi • soldiers, aii wounded, wh o ha d been left in a convent, and recommended to otir protection. Soveral hundred prisoners were made, at thé difle- rcnt cantonments of the army, under similar circumstances; hut General Gazan carrieri four thonsand wounded to Seville in safety. The Hon. William Stewart, our division general, paid great attention to such of the enemy as were left in AU mendralejo; lie almost daily visíted their hospitais, and satisâed himself, by personal inquines, whether they were properly taken care of. I have more than once been present at these visits, and the gratitude of these poor fellows was strongiy pictured on their countenances, and in every thing they said. In speaking of their own commanders, they called Soult blood-thirsty, and avaricious, saying that he cared not how lie sacrificed his mcn, and that lie was wholly bent on the pursuit of dig- nities and w cal th.

On the 25th of May, General Lumley had a- brilliant affair with the enemy's cavalry, near Usagre; and conducting it, as he did evcry thing, both with skill and intrepidity, lie overthrèw and routed them, tliongh very superior in nuinber, sabriug severalon the spot, and taking nearone hundred prisoners. The detachment captured was composed entirely of French heavy dragoons, of the 4th, 20th, and 2Gth regiments: inany of them were severely cut over the head and face; but they

THE PENÍNSULA. 1C7

were, with few exceptions, fine soldier-like looking men, who had apparently seen a great deal of ser- vicej and they ali wore that warlike helmet, which I have before mentioned, and which we have since adopted.

During the whole time that we remained stationary at Almendralejo, the siege of Badajos was carried on, under the direction of Wellington in person, by two divisions of the army of the north, which had come from Beira to strengthen us ip tliis

" quárter. Two gallant assaults were made on the fort of San Christõval, the possession of which would have secured the reduction of the place. Our troops displayed great courage, but were repulsed.* On the lOth of June the siege was raised; for it was known that Marchai Marmont was breaking up from the environs of Ciudad Rodrigo, and ahout to form a junction witli Soult, for the relief of Badajos. Ori the llth we retired from Almen. dralejo, on the 14th and 15th we bivouaeked

■near Albuera, and on the 17th we forded the Guadiana, ahout three leagues to the south of Badajos, and marched upon Elvas. Ou the line of march this day, I saw a body of the Estrc maduran legion ; a corps raised, clothed, and commanded by a General Downie, an Englishman, who had formerly been a commissary in our service.

* Their repulse was caused by obstacles which no valour

could overeome. M 4

*PS REC0L1.ECTI0NS OF

Any tliingso wliimsical or ridiçiilousas the dress of this corps, I never beheld ; itwm meant tobe an inji- tation of tlie ancient costume of Spain. The turned- up hat, slashed douLlet, and short mantle," might lave figured very well in the play of Pizarro, or at un exhibition of Ast]ey's • hut in the rude and readv biyouack, theyappeared absurd anti ill-choscn. In tlic inidst of our misery and discomfort, the same evenmg, we could not avoid laugjiing at the rccol- léction of thesepoordevils, who, in thèir fantastic dresses, mnst have been exposed to tlie saine vio- lem storm which extinguished our fires, soaked our groiind, and, forcingits way through ourtenta, drenched us to theskin.

On the latli we were moved into Elyas, to get a drying and a nighfs rest under cover. Many of our wounded oflicers and men were in hospital, or hillets in th is town, and the day was of conrsé quite a lioliday of the beart to us ali. It was a strange thing to see, in the crowded wards of the hospitais, Fnglish and 'Frendi soldiers lying lielp. lcssly side by side, or here and there perfòrming little kind offices for each other, wítb a wiHingand a cheerful air. Their wants and thoughts, I ohserved, they commnnicated to each other in phrases of Spamsh, which language many 6f the French privates spoke fluently, and our men understood welí cnough for ali common purposes.

On the 19t!i we marched to the banks of the Cava, and were placed in position at a spot called

T11K 1'KNINSULA. lf>9

-Torre'-de-'Moro, abont two leagues from Elvas, and directly ou the frontier. We remained liere until the 21 st of Jnly, Ieading a regular, healthful, pieas- ing cámp life. For one week, indeed, our regiment béing ori an advanced post, and distribnted in three very pretty gardens; thefootof alãrge thick-spreading mulberry-tree, a fonntain of clear water sparkling near it, was my bappy and trànquil restinga place. Disposed of in Campo May o, or bivouacked in situations to admit of their being readily bi ought togerher, lay almost ali the divisions of the ailied army ; and on tlie banksof the Caya, I imagine, we should certainly have fought, had the enemy attempted to pass tliat ri ver. Their superiority of numbers, however, especially in cavalry, had rendèred it impossible for us to hazard any thing on tlie plains of Spanisli Estremadura.

On the 22d of June, Soult and Marmont made a strong rcconnoissance; but their objectin saving Badajos having been gained, tliey made no further demonstration. About tlie middle, of Jnly, Mar- mont returned with his -people to the north; and Lord Wellington, crossingthe Tagus at Villa Velha, maiched to Beira, ieaving the troops under General liiíl cantoned in Alentejo. From the 22d of July to the tliird of September, our division lay at Villa Viçosa, a liandsome well-built town, about five leagues from Elvas. A hunting-paíace; a fine large preserve, wallcd in, and filled with decr and game ; wide streets, liandsome houses, a roya! çhapçl, and

170 REC0IXECTI0N5 OF

several churches and convents, attest the former rank of this town, which was once a favourite country retreat for the court of Portugal. Our billets here were very comfortable; the walks and rides in the park, which,.from the inequalities of the ground, and the thickoess of the underwood, had ali the characterof a wilderness, were strikingly beautiful; the markets well supplied, and the vineyards of Borba, so celehrated for its wine, lay within two miles of us. One of my daily amuseraents was atten dance at the royal chapei, where the music aad singing were hoth very exceli ent. Ofteo, indeed, woiild the organist introduce into his volun- tàries the most touching airs, and, sometimes, aírsof too tender and voluptuous a character for the solemnity of a church. During my stay in tbis town, I was one day attracted by the sight of an uousual crowd at the chapei of a convent, and on entering it 1 found, that a lady, having completed her year as noviciate, was then taking the veil. I arrived so late, and was so distant from the altar, that I saw nothing of the ceremony; hut I hcard the faint sound of a soft pleasiug voice ; the utterance was tremulousand indistinct; the words were quite lost. A bystander told me thatthe unfortunate female had then pronounced her vow. The most hreath- less silence had prevailcd' while the noviciate had spoken ; the deep voice of a priest replied, and seemed to confirm her vow hy a short prayer. To this suecceded an anthem, swectly sung by the

THE PENÍNSULA. 171

sisters, and in parts of which, ali tlie priests and raanyofthe congregation devoutly joíned. The notes of praíse and thanksgiving soundcd proud

' and joyous. The altars, shrines, and walls of tbe cliapel were ali decorated with flowers; and, as the crowd carne out, you might observe ali the relations of the youthful victim dressed gaily, as on a festival. I fclt quite oppressed with melancholy; and the hriiliant scene, and animated music, so ill according with a sacrifice at the altar, like that I had just witnessed, struck me to the very soul. In the grave we only deposit the lifeless and insensihle body, butwhen we devote youth, affection, and reason to the ebeerless cloister, webury andentorah the heart. Such is the cruel perversion of monastic jnstitutions ; in whicb, if they served only as the retreats of deserted age, disappointment, and sorrow, we should find little, perbaps nothing, to condemn.

Frora Villa Viçosa we moved to Portalegre, a favonrite and often-visitedqnarter. Abouttbís time, some movements of a French division under the órders of General Girartl, wh o had crossed the Guadiana at Merida, and was insulting and foraging tbenorthern district of Estremadura, ren- denng it necessary for us to take the field, the division was assembled in bivouack, near the village of Codiceira, on the <22à of Octoher. The weatlier, I well remember, was on «that niglit so severe, that threc Portuguese soldiers died ou the

172 RECOLLECTtONS OT

ground from the effect of the heavy and pouring rain. After some marches and manoeuvres, which were wcll and quietly conducted, we arrived at dusk, on the evening of the 27th, at the villàge of Alcnescar, distant only fonr miles from tlie sraall town of Arroyo de Molinos, where the division of Girard slept tbat night, in fearless hut mistaken security. We lay upon our arms, withont fires, about six hours ; and at two in the morning of the 28th, we moved forward, in profound silence, by a narrow bad road, upon Arroyo de Molinos, near which town wc halted, at half-past six, on ground highly favourable both to our formation and con- cealmcnt. We were here divided into three co- Inmns. The first brigade was directcd straight forwards on the town; our own, with one of Por- tuguese, inade a rapid circuitous marcli to the right of it, and arrived, undcr cover of fog and rain, within a few yards of the road, by which alonc the enemy could retire, and on which he was then fonning, preparatory to his mareh, in profound ignorance of our approach: our cavalry moved in the centre, ready to aet as occasiou might require*

The checrs of the first brigade, which entered the town charging, and bayouetted, drove, or cap- tnred his rear-guard, first aunou nced to thecnemy his imniinent and unexpected danger. He would havc rapidly retired, in vain ; our cavalry galloped fbrwards, dispcrsed, sabred, and roade prisoners his few horse, wlio, aftcr attempting some formatioti.

THE 1'BJI INSULA. 173

on tíie left of the infantry, whicli stood for a moment in a posture of defence, fled in great confusion. About two hundred yards hehind tlie spot, where the cnemies columns werc formed on the plain, rose the rocky and precipitous Sierra de Montanches, and to this, on secing our brigade advancing rapidly irpon thení, they ran with un re- sisti ng panic. We folio wed th em closely, and scrambling among the rocks, quite mixed with them, and made prisoners at every step, until tlie íiuraberof pursuers beuig dimhiished by exhaustion and fatigue;" and bei 11 g encumbered with arms, am- ínunition, and knapsacks, ali which, such of tlie enemy as cseaped, threw from them, we desisted from the pursuit. A general of cavairy, the Prince d'Are mb erg, (a colonel of chasseurs, aiid a connection of Napoleon's) a chief of the staff, two lient.-colonels, thirty officers, and about twelve hundred privates, taken prisoners, together with the capture of a half brigade of artillery, and ali their baggage, rewarded our fatigues and pri- vations, and we returned in high spirits to Arroyo. The French sustained some loss from the fire of the first brigade, and.some from the guns, which accompanied that column; but our share of the business, among the rocks, was a scene of laughter and diversion, rather than of bloodshed and peril ; for though some of the enemy's grenadiers dis- charged their muskets at us before they broke them, still our loss was very trifling, and the dan-

174 RECOLLECTIONS OF .

ger too inconsiderable to he thought or spoken of. We had liere a most amnsing speciraen of French character : in thc French column one of thc regi- mentswasnumheredthirty-four; intlie Britishcolumn alsothe thirty-fourth regimentledthepursuit,andgot quite rnixed with the enemy. Several of the French officers, as they tendered their swords, embraced the officcrs of the English thirty-fourth, saying, — « Ah, Messieurs, nous sommes des frères, noas sommes du trente-quatrième régimenttoiís dcux." — " Vous êtes des braves."—" Les Anglois se battent toujours avec loyauté, et traitent bien leurs prisonniers."— " Ah, Messieurs, la fortnnc de la guerre est bien capricieuse."—Under any circumstances, however unfortunate, this people will find some method of disarming wrath, courtíng favour, and softening their fate : — they have spirits, too, wonderfully elastic ; and have the rcadiest ingcnuity in framing excuses for any disaster, or disgrace, which may befall them. I was on dnty over the prisoners, a few days after the affair ; at the close of the day's roarch a chapei was allotted to them for tjhe night, and to have seen them take possession of * it, one really would have thought that they were still marching free, and in arms ; they entered it, singing, " Grenadiers, ici; grenadiers, ici" — " Volti- geurs, )à, là; voltigcurs,là, là*'—-andran tumultu- ou sly, the grenadiers to the altar, and the voltí- geurs to thc gailery. In ten minutes ali were at home—some playing cards, some singing, some

THE PENÍNSULA. 175

dancing—hcre a raan was performing punch, behind a great coaí, with infinite drollcry there agaii), quieter men were occupiedin repairing their clothes, or shoes, while in one part of the chapei a self-elected orator was addressing a groupe on their late capture, in such terms, as, " Messieurs, vous n'étes pas déshonorés" — " On notis a trompé ; cet espion, cet Espagiiol, nous a reodu." — " Et comment I <jui vous a dit cela ?" said a rough voice. " Monsieur," replied my orator, « vous me per. raettrez de savoir. Je suis de Paris même, et je connois Ia guerre." — This speech was highly approved ; for several vociferated — " Ah! oui, il a raison j nous avons été vendus par ce vilain espion." "Nous aurions battu les Anglois dans une aflàire rangée, mais certainment," said my little Parisian; and just then, the rations making their appearance, they ali hurried to the door, and linging some song, the chorus of which was " Bonne soupe, honne soupe," they eageriy took their meat, and set about preparing it.

I should lose sight, however, of the Frencb military character, if I omitted to notice, that several of the serjeants and old soldiers who were decorated and wore the cheverons of service, appeared exceedingly sulky, and vented their aiiger in a sortof muttering smothered swearing. Those who have seen a ferocious Frencliman utter from between bis closed teetli his favourite oath of M Sacré Dieu!" wul agree that there are few tbings

17(> RECOLLKCT10.VS OF

more savage and oftensive. The trooj)3 taken at Arroyo were ali remarkably fine men, selected for the service 011 which they had-been employed. Girard escaped himself witli the small remains of a* brigade; and, uiost fortimately for him, the tirst brigade of bis division had marched at five in the morning under General Remond, or it would probably bave shared tbc same fate as that under hís immediale command. Soult placed Girard in arrest when lie rejoined the army of the south, and made a most severe report of bis neglect and misconduet to the emperor; bnt Girard was a' favourite with B nona parte, and got through th is affair without the loss of bead or còmmission. Napoleon understood the eliaracter of his oflicers, and knew when and whom to párdon, foreseeing whose grati tnde and services would be vai nuble,

At the battle of Lutzen, in the year 1813, General Girard displayed great ability, and gave á bright example of his zeal, devòtion, and courage ; for, although severely wounded and covered with blood, he refused to be taken from the fiel d, declaring aloud, that the monient was then arrived, when every true Frenchman should conquer or die on the ground 011 which he fonght. One thing in our suecess at Arroyo de Molinos gratified our division highly ; it was a triumph for our general, a triumph ali his oa-?n He gained great credit for this well-conducted enterprizgtand be gained what, to one of bis mild, kind,' and humane cha-

THE PJ;N*JN*SUI.A. i?7

racter, was still more valuahle, a solid and a blood- less victory ; for it is certainly the tniest maxim in war, " that conrjuest is twice achieved, where the achievcr brings home full numbers."

After these operations, our division returned to Portalegre, and, towards the close of November, an order from England to proceed to índia, called me for a time, from a corps, a service, and a country, to ali of which I felt a vcry strong attachment. With spirits much depressed, myself aiid a brother officer, dcstined also to join the first battalion, set out on our sorrowful jonrney to Lisbon, on the morning of the 27th of November. If I except the adventnres of one evening, our route to Lisbon presented no occurrence of sufficient interest to impress my memory.

In attempting to ride a nearer road from Gar- fete to Abrantes, than that which led by Gavião, we lost our way, and were obliged to put up for the night in a poor goat-herd's hut, ~\Ye here, however, witnessed a scene of domestic bappiness and patriarchal manners, which gave us reason "to rejoice tliat we had slept under such a roof, The family consisted of a venerable old peasant, his dàughter, a woman of ah out four-and-thirty, and her five children : the eldest, a most hcautiful girl of flfteen; and the youngest, a fine black-eyed boy of eight Th^liusband of this woman was absent on a jonrney; the old peasant was not within ; and when we firstentered, the mother and her children

N


were at supper : they pressed us to partake of it $ wc declined, hutprocured from thcm some fine rich goafs milk ; and hoiling it up with bread ofIndian com, made an cxccllent meai. It was Iate when the old man carne in from liis labour ; lie cxpressed great deligbt at our having rested in liis cot, as, hc said, therc was no Iiousc within two leagues of that spot, tlie night dark and stormy, and the road bad and dangerous. Asmall wooden bowl of vegetable soup was brought him for his supper; hc crossed himself and said a short grace ; but my astonish- roent was not a little excited, by observing, that during the wbolc time be was eating bis frugal meai, the family alJ stood up; and with tbcir hands closed and lifted up, and their eyes raised towards the crucifix, prayed ; not with extravagant fervo»r, nor as if it were a tame unmeaning form, but with much natural feeling, and seemed to iu- voke blessíngs on the head of tliis, the respected clder of their cottage.

The old man, too, however habitual it migbt be, appeared deeply impressed with the ceremony, and took bis food with a sort of quiet, solemn thank- fulness. The expression of tlie granddanghter's countenance, who seemed much attacbed to liim, was really seraphic; and I thought the whole scene quite a suhject for a painting. In general, the beauty of people, in a common class of life, carnes with it a stamp of vulgarity, for which it is diíTicult to account, but which checks admiration.

9

THE PKXINSULA. 179

Herc it was far othcrwise. An expressive eve of the deepest blue, an elegant contour of eounte- nanee, dark clnstering ringlets, and a perfect forni, wonld havc madc th is cottage girl reinarkable any where; and shc wonld havc bcen gazed on with interest as well as pleasure, amid the most brilliant assemblies of a capital or a court. When we lay down for the night, ali the ehildren kneltatthc feet of their grandfathcr and received his hlessing, sealcd by htm with a kiss upon their young fere- bcads. I slept with a sort of swect aud super- stitions confidence under this happy roof; so much, and so pleasingly, had I beeu affectcd by the simplieity of inanners, among its poor contented in mates.

In the niorning, after literally foreing on th em a small present, we set forward highly gratifíed, and to ok a very pleasant bridle path to Abrantes, wherc we embarked for Lisbon. Here we wcre detaincd a considevablc time waiting for a passage, a circnmstance inost vexatioiís and provoking; for with the prospect beforc us of a long hanishment and a remote service, we were naturally eager to avail ourselves of every spare inoment we might enjoy in England, prior to the sailing of the fleet for índia.

Ourdetention atLishon,tIiongh duringthe greater part of December, gave us an opportunity of being present at the gay and splendid festival of Christ- mas eve. At the dark and dootnv hour of inid-

x •z

180 KECOLLECTIONS OF

night, on the 24th of Deeemher, tlic whole popu- latíon, of tliat crowdcd city.is alcrt and in motion. Tapcrs blaze ín evcry hand, and, dressed in thcir gayest attire, ali pcrsons hasten to the churehes, which are c-pen, fancifully decorated with superb hangings, and hrilliantly ílhiminated. Hcre, the natal day of our Saviour is ushered in with ali the peculiar) ti es and poinp of Catholie worship. The music, tlic incense, the innumerable lights, the delighted devotion of the kneeling multitudes, and the loud and swelling hymns, which close the ceremony of tliis mídnight mass, produce an effeet, which acts too powerfully on the senses. The more I sce of the Roman Catholie religion, the less am I surprised, that the peoplc of sou th em Europe, who are certainly both impassioned and imaginative, should attach themsclves to a church, the forms and ceremoníes of which, addressing both the senses and the faney, inake, to them, the attendance on public worship a business of pleasure, as well as of duty. The scenic representations of Gospel history, which, on high fasts and festivais, are to be met with in almost ali the churehes of the Península, however ridiculous they may appear, are not without theír use ; for to them (most inadequatc, I admit, to their purpose) the poorer classes are, nevertheless, indcbted for mu eh of the instruetíon they receive, concerning the life and miracles of the divme Founder of our blessed. faith.

THE PENÍNSULA. 181

It was on the 29th day of December, 1811, that I sailed from the Tagiis for England, and it wasearly irí thcmonth of Augiist 1812, that, having escaped my banishmcnt to índia, by a fortunate and well- timed promotion, I landcd once more on the Quay of Lisbon. The glorious news of the victory of Salamanca greeted me on myarrival. Thejoy of the Portugucse at this signa! triumph, so honourable to tlieir troops, as well as our own, knew no bounds. Masses, processions, illuminations, and new overtures and marches in honour of it, performed night after night, in crowded tbeatres, bespoke their patriotic pleasurc. The consummate skil! displayed by Wellington in this memorable engagement, was to a soldier again about to enter eamps under liis eomnnand, a proud and flattering augury of sueeess; and, ín spite of ali the croaking I had been eompellcd to listen to in England, made melookforwardwith a confident hope, to an honourable and glorious conclusion of this interesting war. Nor, as an ardent admirei" of the Spanish eharacter, was my opinion of their courage and constancy at áll shaken. It is true their ar mies and their garrisons had met with great, but not surprizing misfortunes; I say not surprizing, beeause the military man of professional experience coufd not have expected, that the half-organized and ill-commanded ar mies of Spain would successíiilly oppose the victorious and vetcran legions of a renowned military power in the open field, or in the more diflicult'

s-3

182 RECOLLECTI0NS Oí"

operations of regular warfare. Their armíes were beaten in almost every engagement, and their fortresses, though often bravely defended, fell one after tlie other into the bands of tlie invaders. Wantof skill in some of their leaders, and treachery in others, to whose repnted talents tbey had blindly and helplessly yíelded up the task of directing their coufage, led to these fatal misfortunes; but Spain, that is, tlie country, the people, still resisted. The inhabitants of towus and cities occupied hy the French, seeretly contributedmoneyfortbis purpose, and were ever ready to convey useful infonnation to their brethren in arms. The brave peasants inha- biting ali their monntainous districts, disbanded soldiers, and spirited volunteers, from every part of Spain, rallied around chieftains, whose hearty and valiant eíforts in the cause were daily erowned with partial, but highly useful suecesses. In Catatonia, Navarre, Arragon, and Biscay, Eroles, Lacy, and Mina commanded largebodiesof Guerrillas, equally íbrmidablefroin their surprizing activity, atui their undaunted courage. In the very heart of Spain, limpeciíjado, at tíie liead of a bold and loyal pea- santrj', spread terror to the very gates of Madrid ; while Dou Julian Saucbez led his enterprizing horsc into Old Castile, and, though surrounded hy their principal establishments, daily captured their convoys and supplies, and kept their cantonments in a constant state of anxtety and alarin. No—the. eífortsof tbeSpauiards todcli\ eithemselves fromthe

1HE PENÍNSULA. 183

yoke of France must never be forgotten 5 and no man of generosity or of candonr wonld wilHngly" cast a shade over their heroic excrtions. They had no government, no ministers, no generais; yet, undcr ali these disadvantages, they ever remained truc to the canse; and it is to their partial and con- tinuai struggles against the Frendi detacliments scattered over the face of their country, that we are indehted for onr ultimate suecess. Had not the forces of the enerny been so constantly emploj-ed, and their Communications so often menaced by the active hatred of the Spanish people, it is vain to snppose, that even the ability and genius of a Wel- lington, or the discipline and intrepidity of a British anny, (which, however excelient in composition, was numcrically feeble,) could have long resisted- the combinations of eight marshals of France, and the efforts of two hundred thoiisand soldiers.

While my mind thus fondly dwells npon the patriotism of the Spanish people, how does my heart sink within me to think of their prés ent wrongs, their wrctchedness, their degradation ; and ali this lieaped upon their heads by the very monarch they bled to liberate and restore. Bsit I ain consoled by the firm belicf, that the Spaniards will soon awaken the eyes of their monarch to the injustice, the crnelty, and the misruleofhis detestedadvisers; or will, by onc mighty effort, free themselvcs from his odious tyranny, and place the sceptre of their beauteoiis 3and in abler and more virtuous handsr

H 4

184- RECOLLJSCTIO.VS or

The ncws of this battle of Salamanca iiiade me iiiixíoiis to joi» my regiment, stiJl under General Híll, with as niiicli expcdition as possible, for ít was natural to suppose tiiat this evcnt, and Lord Wel- lington'» advance into the very heart, of Spain, wonld either compel Souít to raise the siege of Cadiz, and retire frorn Andalusia, or would lead to some offensive movements on our part to free the south from the presence of tlie enemy. I leít Lisbon for Estremadura, happily nnincumbered hy. any detachment. At Abrantes I met a coliimn of three tiiousand of the prisoncrs taken at Saiamauca. Tbey were in :i very exhaustcd state, from the length of their march, theheat of the weather, and the want oi'shoesand other necessaries; and, unlike my friends at Arroyo-de-Molinos, they had neither a word or a laugh to disguíse their mortification. I neversaw Frenclnncn more thoroughly cut down j and, wliat appeared not a little to incrcase their vexation, they were escorted byfour hundredawk- •ward-lookiug, ill-appointedPortugucse militia-men; ■\vhose air of pride and importance, as they regulated the motions of tuese "vainqueurs d'Ansterlitz," was truly cntertaining. lt is not generons to cxult over falicn foes, but it is difficult to pity tliem, when your cyes liave rcstcd bn scenes of desolatiou and min caused by many, perhaps, whose appearance would otherwisc intercst you ín their íavom*. Not a town or a village had I passed, on my routc from Lisbon, but affecting traces of the invasion of

THE PENÍNSULA. 185

this smiling country wcre, every where, tò bu seciu Cottages ali rooflcss and untenanted, the unpruned vine, growing in rank lnxurianee over their ruined walls, neglected gardens, the sbelJs of fine houses, liai/' destroyed by fire, convents and churehcs, too solid to be dcmolishcd, standingopeuand neglected, with the ornamental wood orstone work, whichonee adorncd them, broken down and defaced ; ali pro- claimed silcntly, but forcibly, that I was travelling thiougb a country which had been the theatre of war, and exposed to the ravages of contcnding armies. Sueh.are the scenes which, not only in Portugal, but throughout Spaiu, arrest the cyc at every step, and make the Briton, while. he sigbs over the miseries of the pcaceful citizens, and laborious peasants, whose towns and viIIages have been i thus visited by violence and rapine, ofter up ínany a grateful prayer for tlie secure and beaveii-' deiended position of his happier country meu.

From Abrantes I traveiIed alone, and in great comfort; every morning, afterjourncyingabouttwo 1 cagues, in some pleasant spot, under a shady tree, • near a streani, or by some solitary chapei or íbun- tain, I halted foran hour, had my baggage unloaded, my animais unsaddled and fed, and niaking a fire to boil ray kettle, sat down in great comfort to my breakfast. I carried up the country with me this time a collection of about fifty volumes, which my friend and messmate bad directed me to purchase for him in London. Tbe best ol' the British poets

186 REC0LLECT10NS OF

and classics were of the number, and oftentímes would I loungc overa favourite author till the lieat of the day was gone by, and pursue my route to the town, where Iproposed sleeping, inthc cool of the evening. A large wood, on my road from Altera de Chaõ to Monforte, was said to be mu eh infested by robbers, and I was advised not to ride tbat stage alone; however, I felt protected by my uni for m, and set forward, haltíng midway to breakfast, as usual. I took a post in a most romantic and sequestered spot, about a quarter of a mile from the road-side, near a natural fòuntain, from which the water wcllcd forth with a soft and soothing sonnd. It was not until I was already seated at my breakfast, that I discovered at the fòot of a dark mass of rock stone, very near me, one of those rude wooden crosses, always erected inthiscountry, to denote the "spot where accidental, sudden, or violent death lias overtaken some wretched traveller. It had scratched on it a very recent date, and, in spite of the attractions ofJohnson's Rasselas,and a good breakfast, I will own that I swallowed my meai with what haste and appetitel could, and again set forward. However, my day's ride passed o ver very quietly ; I had not the bad fortime, or good, as some woidd have considered it, to meet with any banditti, or even an adventure, ífl except encoun- tering, in a dark and narrow glen, a monk and a muleteer, who carne pricking on at a sober pace, and gave me fnll time to decide, that they inight

THE 1'ENINSULA. 187

have sat very well for Schedoni and Spalatre-, and would li ave made an ad mi rabie frontispiecc to Miss RadcliftVs Italiau.

Jt was not without a feeling of deep and mournful interest, tliat, on the evening I h ai te d at Bada- jos, I walked ronnd the walls of tliat dearly-pur- çbased fortress. At the time I saw it, the works were rapidly repairing; but tlietown presented a wretched appearance, most of the loftier buildings, and ali thosc near the breaehes, baving been de- mo] ished by the fire of our batteries. The murderous assault of the 6th of April must have been dreadful to loofc upon. At the main breach alone, upwards of two thousand men are sai d to have ia lie n, and, at this point, not one soul penetrated into the town. Some of our officers, who were wounded, and taken on the breaeh, and carried throughit, representeditasprovided witli defènces, through which the most intrepíd soldicrs could never have forced their way j a ditch, cutthig it offfrom the body of the place, a breast work, and stiong chevaux de frize of sword-blades were the obstacles opposed to us, and to th esc must be added a heavy and. incessant fire of musquetry. The escalade at the castle was a fine boi d effbrt, and was indeed eminently successful. Some outworks also were carried at the bayonefs point iu a gallant style ; and the division, which penetrated into the town by the basti on of San Vincentc, deserves uncommon credit. I leant long and silently over the

18S JIECOLLECTIONS OF

parapet at that angle by wbicli it ascended. What a scene, on tlie nightof the 6th of April.must these walls liave presented! Blazing cressets, fire balis, rockèts, the explosion of shells, and the red flashes ofcannon, and musquetry, innst have spreadaroúnd a terrific illumination ; terrific, for it lightecl up a scene of wild confusion and reeking slaughter. The reporte of cannon, the rattle of mnsquetry, the shouts of the assailants, and the dmms and trumpets of the garrison, were tlie sounds which, that night, scared sleep from the pillows of the wretched citizens ; and the huzza of victory wasto th em the prelude of a scene of violence and plunder. Happy are ye, my countrymen, who read only ofthesc things, and are spared such tiials! How chcerful, IJOW grateful should ye be to that presiding Power, which keeps from your hnmble, and boasted castles, war and its dark train of miseries ! In the morning, before I left the city, as I was passing a large church, I heard the sound of liaminers and anvils, and, on entcring, I found that th is handsome building had heen converted hy the Fiench, during the siege, into a work-shop ; by us it had still heen applied to tlie same purpose, and tbere, where a peaceful congrega tio n had often met to offcr up their prayers, blacksmiths, ar- mourers, and carpenters, were now busily occupicd in their noisy labours.

On iny roa d to Zafra I stopped, for one houra

in the vuined viliage of Albuera, anel walked aloné

THE PENÍNSULA. 189

over the field. Some redoubts had becn lately constructed on it by General Hill, as a raeasure of precaution, in the event of bis corps ever being compelia! to fight npon thisgroundj butfortbese works, there was nothing vrhich spoke of war, or soldiers. Ali was rural, and sunny, and siletit. No

marks of feet, or hoofs, upon the plain ! the grass grcw thick and strong, and wild flowers were springing from that turf, which had been moist- ened by valour's purcst blood. Not a vestige of the memorable battle reraained. As I was mounting to pnrsue ray journey, a rude inscription, scratch ed with charcoal on the chapei wall, caught my eye; it ran thus :—

" La Guerre en Espagne est la Fortune des Gencraux, 1'Ennni des Officiers, et le Tombeau Ses Soldats."

It was in th is same chapei, fifleen months before, that I had seen several hundred French prisoners, many of whom were dying, and ali of whom were dreadfully wounded, stretched in their last ago- nies, and groaning with anguish. How painfully, and faithfully illustrative of the truth of th is brief inscription, was the scene with which my memory then supplied me. I passed the night at the pretty village of Almendra!; near th is place, as I leãfned from my host, a wealthy intelligent peasant, a French corps, under the orders of Marshal Mor- der, had bcen for some wceks bivouacked in the year 1811. In speaking of the strict discipline

190 IIECOLLECTIONS OF

-maintained by Morticr, and of the protection lie gave them, and tlieir property, my host used a vcry strong expression ; for he styled him the father of the peasants. Th is quite eorresponded with the J angu age of the French soldiers about this samé Marchai, and hearty was the blessing which I be- stowed on this respected name. Yes, although we shrink from the mention of -some French leaders, wh o appear to have gloried in oppression, and cruelty, it eannot be denied that many high- minded, and honorable men have marehcd with the arraies of Francc 5 and while some of my countrymen invcigh against ali the French military with undistinguished severity, they would do well to recollect, that a soldier eannot, under any government, choose his ser vice, or be held responsible for the justice of that war, in which lie may chance to he eraployed. How many Englishmen served 011 the expedition against Copenhagen, with distinction and honor, who may Jiave considered it a daring aet of aggrcssion, justifíahle on the doe- trineof expedieney alone? an argiimeut weseldom admit when speaking of the aetions, or politics of an enemy.

At the village of Santa Martba, I again entered the high road. This wretehed place was in a sad condition; for it liad been occnpied, alternately, by French, and English, several times in the course of the spring and summer, and its resourees were completely cxhausted. Provisions were dear and

T11K TENINSULA. " 191

scarce ; and, on every side, poverty and want as- sailed you with imploring prayers. It was really heart-breaking to look upon the squalid appearance of the children, which isalways more affecting than that of grown beggars ; for cbildhood is the season of careless, and playful joy, and to see the roses on their young cheeks blighted hy the icy touch of famine, is peculiarly distressing.

On the road from Santa Martha to Zafra, yon pass a town called Feria, which is beautifully situated on the side of a lofty liill on yonr right, from the summit of which a Moorisli fort, and tower, still frowning though decayed, look nobly down, and speak to the reflecting travei ler, of men, and days, and deeds, now, as a tale, gone hy.

In Zafra, I once more embraced my brotlier ôfficers, and found myself at home. Wander v:herehe wilí, a regiment is cver, to a single man, the best of bornes. There is no manner of life, which so effectually conceals from us the cheerless- ness and the helplessness of celibaey, as the de- sultory life of a soldier. For hiin, wh o by the want of fortune or other controlling circumstances, is debarred the exqnisite happiness of reposing his aching heart on that blessed resting-place, the bosom of a wifc, — for such a man there is no life, save one of travei or of military occupation, which can excite feelings of interest or consolation. The hazard of losing life, which a soldier is often called on to cneonnter, give to his existence, as ofteu as

192 RECOLT.ECTtOMS OF

it is prescrved, a valuc, it would, otherwise, soou cease to possess. Frequcnt chahge of country and of scene, enlivcn and divcrt your thoughts; and if it is painful at a certain age, to tfiink, that, when vou fali, no widow, no chi! d, will drop a toar o ver your grave,—it is, on"the other hand, a comfort to know, tliat none are dcpendent on your existence ; that none will be left unprovided and in misery at your death.

Zafra is a fine town, built at the foot of a high and stcep hill, from the summit of which you command a very extensive view of inountain scenery. Near Zafra are the remains of a largo and handsome convent, once the pride and the boast of the city. The French have entirely destroycd it; on one ofits rutned walls, I saw " Compagnie d'elite du vingtseptieme dragons," marked in chalk. Th is monastery, however, was one of those which had heen erected within the last century, was not hallowcd by antiquity ; and the siglit, thereforc, of its tottering ruins excited no feeling, but one of pleasure, unmingled with regret, and nndisturbed by any recollection of interest,

, The evening after my arrival in this quarter I went to a balJ, gíven by some British officer of rank. The country.dances now in use among the Spaniards, and introduced, I imagine, either by the French or Gcrmans, are ali in waltz time and to waltz movements j they are uncommonly graceful.

T11E PENÍNSULA. 103

Tlierc were some very pretty womcn at this assembly. My worthy countrymen do not shine in the soft and plcasing movements of the waltz j they deserve, liowever, to be laughcd at, for why do they not. sít still ? I really quite piticd some of the Spanish girls, whosc eyes, heads, anus, and, indeed, whole framcs, seenied to move in voluptuous unison with the music, when I saw their waists encircled by the arms ofawkward, ungraccfnl partners. In the course of the evening, a handsomc young Spaniard and a prctty.made Httle girl, danced for us the bolero. This beantiful danceis too well known to need description ; it lias mnch of the ballet character ; is very expressive, and tells quite a little tale of love. The sound of the castanets, too, with which the motion of it are ahvays accompanied, is both cheerful and ani- matmg.

I found by the news bere, that Lord Wellington had entered Madrid on the 12tli, in triumph 5 and that Joseph Buonaparte had retired npon Valência. Soult was making preparations to evacnate An- dalusiaj and it was conjectured, that lie wonld march through Grenada and Mureia, and probably join the King.

On the 28th of Augnst, we marched 011 the Seville road, to Bienvenida. On the following day, ve proceeded to Ilerena; we here received accounts, that Colonel Skerret had entered Seville, and that the French had taken the route of

19't JtECOM.ECTIOíS OF

Córdova. Our movement sonthward was stoppcd at the small town ofAylloncs; and \ve counter- marchcd on lhe Guadiana, passing by Magoilla, el Campillo, and Zalamea, to Quintana, where wc halted three, and thcn to a vi II age abont ten mil es from the Guadiana, where wc remained seven days. ■ Th is short halt was probably to await the instructions of •,Wellington.

On the 13th, the corps was again in motion ; and my bvigade marched to the city of Medellin. On the higli groitnd, before you descend to the ri ver, on which tliis cily is built, you enjoy one of those grand and sublime vicws, which fix themselves for ever in the imagination ; and of which the recollection is so lasting and delightful. To the right is seen the hold Sierra de Guadalupe, and behind it, many a lofty range of mountains, which ri se onc above the olher in rude majesty, ever varying to the cye of the moving traveller, in form, and height, and huc. To the left, less distant and not so lofty, ri se the abrttpt and precipitou s Sierras de Montanches; below you, the rich vale of the Guadiana, populons and fértile, lies smiling with com fichls and vineyards, among which, se ver ai white towns and villages are scattered, in the most ])leasing sites. The town of Medellin is very ancient, and not well built. A large citadel which it once boasted, is now a heap of useless ruins ; it is famons, howcver, for having giveu birth to the'cclebratcd Hernan Coitcz, the

TITR TEN INSULA. 195

bold and adventurous conqueror of México. They pretend to shew the very li ouse in which he was bom, and ín wliich, threc hundred years ago, he played nbont a disregarded child ; as ayoung man, being idle, dissipated, and nnruly, he so irritated bis father, that the old man drove him in anger from his peaceful roof. Such was the origin, and such the carly life of this wonderful man, npon whose cxploits poster ity has, dwclt with so miich admiration, and for whose atrocities it has so often índignantiy blushed.

In the evcning, I walked over that field, which, in the spring of 1809, proved so fatal to tlie Spaniards. This battlc was most raslily and pre- snmptuously courted on disadvantageous ground ; and as naturally as deservcdly lost. The victims in this disastrons battle wcre never bnried j no charitablc hands were near to per forni this last kind office ; at every step, liuman bonés, bleached by tlie sun and wind, lay scattered in my path. It was painfui and hnmiliating to carry the mind back to the slow decay of the manly bodies which once covered them—bodies, in which the full tide of yonth, and hcalth, and spirits, was stoppcd suddcnly, and for evcr, and which had lain ali exposed to the wolf of the mountains, and the eagle of the rock, who Icft the cavem and the clifl> to make tlieir feast on man!

On the 14th we marchcd to Escnrial, on the IJtli to Santa Cruz. The sitnation of this last village is

oS


Very beautiful, and the neiglibourhood highly picturesque. Above it rises a proud majestic raoun- tain, whose broad sides, towards the base, are clothed with the olive and the vine in rich profusion, while the higher region has a crown of heath, and rock-stone, inost beautifully variegated with colour- ings, siteh as the art of the painter would in vai ri altera pt tó imitate. On the l6th we mareia ed to Truxillo,once a considerable city, filled with palaces and convents, and rcckonirig above eight linndred inliabited liou ses. It. had been one of the richest and most flourishing commercial citiesin the interior of Spain. The decay of trade gave the fírst blow to its prosperity, and the French, in a three montlis residence/completed its destruetion. Of seventeen palaces only two remain inhabited, and five hundred houses empty, deserted, and fast falling to decay, only remind you of what it once was, what it no longer is. It still, bowever, looks nobly in the distance, and, ere you reach the walls, yon imagine you are about to enter a magnificent city. On a hill above it stand the solid remainsof a Roman castle, said by the priests to have been built by Julius Ca?sar. Nbw, to be sure, the priests in Spain know very little about these matters ; but it matters not whether 1 was deceived ; I, for the time, enjoyed the pleasure of fancying, as I walkedover the vuin, that the foot of Casar had once rested wh ere I trode. The tottering walls of some later works adjoining it, shewthat it has, since thosc days, been

THE PENÍNSULA. 197

a station of the Moors. In the square of Truxillo stinds alarge, nobledooking m ansiou, onee the residence of the family of Pizarro, and built, probahly, out of the ri eh and precious spoils of injured and insulted Peru. The scnlpture and relief whieh adorn the front of th is hnilding, tell, with fidelity, the tale of the founder, hut in a manner very revolting to the feelings of an Englishman. Peruvians kneeling, and prostrate, in ali the attitudes of terror and supplication ; their wrists and aneles bound by mana eles and fetters, the chains of whieh appear to weigh tli em down, are, every where, represented in stone-work. The origin of Pizarro, one of the most enterprising and intrepid soldiers, and, at the same time, the most merciless conqueror, whose actions are recorded in.the page of modem history, is yet more extraordinary than that of Cor tez. In a wood, under the walls of tliis very city, of whieh he was afterwards the most wealthy and distinguished noble, he, as a hoy, tended swine, and followed for years that mean and lmmhle oecupation.

On the 19th, \ve marched to Jaraieejo, and, on the 20th, to Almaraz. The magnifieent scenery for the last two leagues of the road to Almaraz, quite overpowers the mind. You inove along a high ridge, and descend gradually from it to the Tagus. On the right, large hroken m asses of wild, untrod- den mountains, elothed in those tints for whieh there is no name, and whieh language would in vain deseiihe, bound yoiir view. Far, very far

o 3

3 98 RKCOI.LECTIONS OF

helow you, on either side, lie valleys, Iiere verdant with grass, thereyellow with corn, and here again, so deep and narrow, that the sun never lights upon their dark and cheerless glens. We crossed the Tagus by a pontoon bridge. The motion of a bridge of this sort, the first time you ever stand on one, is very unpleasant; you stagger, as at sea, and feel quite giddy. We marched o ver it in files four deep. It is, to bc surc, surprising in modem war, to see with what fácility an army moves. Is it thought tliat moiintains can impede your march, or that a ri ver can oppose an obstacle ? Vain barriers! Cannon are dragged uprocky and precipitous paths, over whieli no mountain-peasant ever ventured to lead bis car j and, in a few hours, a bridge is thrown over a river, beforc impassable, and a wholc army has deíiled by it. We now marehed by Naval - Moral, and Calzada, toOropesa, wbere \vc balteda fcw days. To the left of our line of mareh, the long cbain of the lofty Si erra de Ávila, its clefts, ravines, and ruggcd sides, though leagnes from you, ali, from the cleamess and purity of the atmosphere, distinctly visible, invite and reward your gaze.'

Near Naval-Moral we met a Spanish family of rank travelling, a sight very uncommoo. The ladies and female attendants were seated in a large, Jieavy, old-fashioned carriage, covered with carved work, and tarnished gilding. This vehicle was drawn by eight mui es, whicb two fine-looking men on foot guíded, solely by the voiee, calling out

THE PENÍNSULA. 199

their names, to which they appearedby their movements to answer with great dócil ity. The gentle- mcn of tlie party rode with the male servants, ali conversing faniiliarly togcther; and these last often put their li eacl si rito tlie carriage-window, and spoke to the ladies. The Spaniards, I liave often observed, however exalted their rank, are exceedingly kind and affàble to their servants and inferiors. And; indeed, the lower classes have much natural politeness; nor is there any thing in their language, or manner, which disgusts or ofíènds. They have no vulgarity in their freedom, no servility in their respect. I liave often sat round the fire of a Po- sada, amid Spaniards of ali classes, whom chance has assembled together; and have been quite charraed to mafk the general good-humour,andthe easy, uneinbarrassed propriety of behavionr of the cominou peasants. Tala vera de la Reyna, where wc halted forone night, on the 27th, was, orrather had been, a fine town, fainous for its manufactures of silk and porcelain. "The country round Tala- vera is very pleasing; there are many írees and gardens, and a great deal of ri eh verei ure. The memorable and bloody battle of July 2S, 1809, was fought nenr th is town ; :md I walked with a very prond feeling o ver the left of the position, which our countrymen so bravely and succcssfully maintained th ro ughont that arduons ti av. I look npon the battle of Talavera to have been one of the most important that. was fought in the península -f

o 4

'200 RECOLLECT10NS OF

and the real and bestfruitof which was tlic gaining of time; time invaluablc, and precions beyond ali ordinary calcnlation; for if that battle h.ad not been fonght, Portugal wonld eertainly li ave bcen invaded a year earlier than it was, and could not have been effectually defended.

There is a wide and exeellent road from Tala- vera to CevolJa, which borders on the Tagus the whole way, and the country you pass through is covered with olive-grounds, and ri eh, extensivo vineyards. At a village wbere we slept on the 29th, distant about fifteen mil es from Toledo, the inhabitants received us with the liveliest demonstrations of joy : we were the first British soldiers they had ever seen, and they treated us with very great hospital ity. In the evening, and indèed throughont tbe niglit, guitars and castanets were sounding in Iront of every cottage, and tbe cheerful peasants gaily testified their joy by dance and song. Their fandangos and seguidillas are very pleasing; and so long did I linger viewingthese happy groupes, that the men were alveady asscinbling for the mar eh, before I had tasted of repose.

The approach to Toledo, whither we marched in the morning, is fine, and the situation of that interesting city very remarkablc. It stands on a cónica! rock ofgranite, the base of which is bathed, ontwo sides, by the Tagus. The appearancc of this penín- sula, crowded with spires, and turrets, and masses of loCty bnildings, when scen at the distance of

THE PENÍNSULA. 201

about Uiree miles is nohle and imposing. ¥e marched into it amid tlieloud and continued accla- mations of a patríotic multitude — were most cordial ly welcomed, and hilletted in the hest liou ses. My host was a rosy-looktng eanon, wh o lodgcd me superhly, and treated me most eourteously. After dressing, and takingagobletof delieiouswhitewine, I sallied forth to gaze round me, and see ali I could before sunset; for with tbe dawn of day we were again to march forward. The cathedral of Toledo is deservcdly thc first object of attention with every stranger. I passed three hours ín it, but must not alteinpt a minute description of it. It is upwards of four bundred feet in lengtb, and more than two huudred in width. It is built entirely of íreestone and marble. Its gates are of bronze, most curiously wrought. Tbe interior of tliis magnificent temple is riehly and splendidly decorated, and cor- responds most fully with tbe noble appearance of its exterior. I speak not, however, of shrines rcfulgent with gol d, and sparkling with jewels; of silver statues, eostly plate, and embroidered vestments covered with pearls and precious stones. The treasures and wealth of th is eathedral, inferior, perbaps, only to those of the famed Lo- retto, bave disappeared. Tbey have been torn íòrth by tbe daring hand of plunder, a cireum- stance no one can rcgretj for íhey may now, eventually, benefit society, hy encouraging in- dustry, and rewarding exertion. I speak of orna-


ments which still remain, because their removal would bave been impossible, and their desíruction nseless. Of grand monnments, of tombs, sçreens, and ai tais adorne d with seulptnre, or carved with the most dtílicate and elaborate execution. A fine sercen of marble, which is upwards of fifty feet iu heiglit, and covered with relief, representing the Ascension, attracts and rivets theattention of every beholder. Many of the best pictures this church conld onee boast the possession of, have becn removed ; but in the cloisters are several fine Scrip- turepaintings byBayeu, whose designs and colour- ing are very pleasing. I heard mass, bnt was not struck with any thing so grand in the ceremonial, as I bad, in such a placc, expected. The organ, indeed, was excellent, and the singing good ; but hacl it not been for the noble pile of bnilding ubove me, I could hardly bave supposed the servicc to be that, at which the primate of ali Spáin hacl been wont to assist. The trnth, however, was, that the day of the pomp, pride, and powerof this catliedral was gone by. Six hundred ecelesiastics once belonged to the ser vice of jt, and they wére ali well provided for. Tbe present nnmber of officiating priests is inconsiderable; nor are they now either powerful *or wcalthy. The memory of the great and good cardinal Xiinenes is greatly venerated in Toledo, and a prayev for bis soul is repeated daily at the close of high mass.

One word more } this venerable church bas been

THE PENÍNSULA. 20J

built nearly nine liuiulred years ; lias becn successively possessed by JMoors and Christians, and was once surrounded by the habitattons of two bundred thousaud people, among whom, arts, sciences, and manufactures were busily promoted and encouraged. Of ehurches, colleges, convents, liospitals, and chapeis, upwards of nincty once adorned the streets and.squares of this city. It now reckons about six thousand liou ses, and thirty thousaud inhabitants.

I walked from the catbedral to the Alcazar, a palace built on the site of the ancient residence of the Gothic Kings by Charles the Fifth, and long oceupied by bim. Its grand staircase and spacious gallery, no longer erowded with guards and courtiers, are now dirty, deserted, and silent. This edifice, however, tíiough neglected and decaying, still wears a stately and imposing aspect; and its handsome front, immense qnadranglc, and elegant colonnade, declare it to have becn the pride and ornament of a happier period. Its situation is very commanding; it stands on the edge of a rocky precipicc, nearly perpendicular ; at the hottom of which, but full five bundred feet bclow it, the Tagus flows. As I toiled through the steep, narrow, inconvenieiít streets, I never felt one move- ínent of impatience ; for the extreme antiquity of this city, gives it an irresistible cbaracter of interest; and the religio loci ahvays operates most delightfully on lhe faney. ílannibal won this spot

204' RnCOLLECTIONS OF

for Carthage ; Romans dwclt in ít; Gothic kings reígned in it; Moors havc possessed it, and some of the turrclted walls still surrounding it, were built by them; Spantards, with*their blood, last purchased, and still hold it. "What a flígiit for tlie imagination! to travei back, to conjure up the various scenes acted in the city, and to see sove- reigns, warriors, and prejates, whosc mouldcring dust now sleeps beneath your feet, pass in rcview bcfore you! So wondcrful, however, are the powers of the human min d, that such an indulgence of thought is not only possible, but easy ; nor is it denied even to one, wh o has burst half-educated froin the study, and carried with him to the camp little but the imperíect, though fond, recollections of liis earlier pursuits.

In the afternoon, I diued with a friend in his billet; and we, wh o had taken our meais the day before in a cottage cltainber not eight feet square, were now seated in an apartmeut, hung with the richest crimson damask, filled with heavy an tique furniture, and, indeed, so gloomily magnificent, as to very greatly interfere with comfort, if not to oppress the spirits.

In tbe evening we went to the theatre ■. the play was over, but we were ínuch cntertained with a broad, ridiculous farce of two or three seenes, which was acted with some spirit; a boy and girl daneed some boleros and fandangos prettily; but upon the wliole, the amusements hardly repaid yon for the

THE PENÍNSULA. ' 205

annoyance of sitting in a dirty, nnadorned, and ill- lightcd theatrc, and for thc poor and wretclied ap- peararice of almostall tlie performers. OnJeaving the theatre, we bent onr steps to the Archbishop's palace, where a bali was given in honoitr of our arrival. The strcets werc ali illuminated ; thc íàçadc of the palace, and the doom of the cathedral, most brilliantly and tastefully lighted up, produced a very fine eftect. Ainong the dark sparkling eyes, and olive complcxions of the I adi es, wh o were dancing in tlie ball-room, one girl with light blue eyes, and exceedingly fair, attracted universal notice. Ou enqniry I found that she was an orplian, the daughter of Irish parents, who had lived and dicd in Madrid ; and that she had been sent by thc government to the Coliegio de Don- cellas, in this city; a very noble institution, where im fortim ate young 1 adies of rank are supportcd with com for t and elegance; educated with great liberality, and portioned and given in mar ri age by the crown. The bali was kept up with great spirit till a late hour, and though I could not venture to join in the waltz, I sat very happily, busied in contemplating the cheerful scene. I felt great inter cst about the pretty orphan, who I heard, sometimes, attempt a little English to her partner, but with a very íbreign accent. How fond sucha girl must necessarily become of the husband of her choice ;—no bosom to lean upon but his ;—no parents, no brothers, no sistcrs, to claim a share in

20G RECOLLECTtONS OF

thegenerous affèctions of lier youthful heart. 1'oor girl í I Iiave not íbrgot the sbades which, at times, even in thc lively movements of the dance, stc-Je over your mild conntenance; and the purest pleasure I enjoyed that evening, was pitying you.

lt was very late when I rctnrned to my billet, butl had ali the luxuryof a short, deep slumber in a capital bed, with shects of the finest linen, and trimmed with broad muslin borders. In two hours tlie bugie roused me ; in my anti-chamber, neatly laid out on a marble s!ab, I found chocolate, frnit, and sweet biscuits ; and my good cânon already up, and waiting to take leave of me. I. drank his chocolate, shook hiin cordially by the hand, mounted, and rode oíf; and found myself before midday, in a vile, open, unshcltcrcd bivonack, with very little, and very bad water, and not a breath of air stirring around. Snch were the varieties, which not unfrequently presented themselves during ouv marches in the península. Thc next day, again bronght us into excellent quarters in thc small town of Yepes, where we haltcd for three weeks j during the whole of which period I had the undisturbed possession of three very handsoine apartments.

At our entrance into Yepes, a deputation of the principal inhabitants and the elergy, carne ont to offer a congratulatory address to our general j and in the evening, they lighted bonfires and made great rejoieings. This small town is quite sur-

Tl IH 1'ENIN'SULA. 207

roímded by vineyartls, anil celebrated for a vcry delicious whitc wine. It was the seasoh of tlie vintage when we arrivcd ; and, for the first wcek, we saw nothing but cars and mui es, laden with baskets of ripe luscious-looking grapcs, and surrounded anel followed by gronpes of vintngers of both sexes and ali ages, smiling and singing, and looking eontented and happy. In th is town also, in addition to clieap and plcntiful markets, we eould procure the finest red wine from Vai de Penas, in La Mancha. Long strings of asses, re- markahlc for their size and beauty, brought tbis, every iveek, from the interior of the provinec -f

and we were enabled, during our stay, to kecp tables quite Inxurious. Aranjuez, a place well worth visiting, lay witbin ten miles of us ; and as it was witliin so short a ride, we made frequent excursions to it. Until dose to tlie spot yon are little prepared, by the appearance of the surionnding conntry, for the bcautiful vale you are about to descend into. Ali around, and in front, as fíir as the eye can reach, plains, not indeed barren, but unadomed with trees, and brown, and parched by the snmmer and autumnal Mins, extend and bound the borizon. Such is the view as you ride towards Aranjuez ; but, on a sudden, you find yourself on the very edge of a green valley, filled with groves, and parks, and gardens; and in th is enchanting situation, stand the palace and tlie town.

The palace is not a magnificent bnilding, but a

gm. The garden round the palace is with smaller trecs, shrubs, and

SOS ItECOLLECTIONS OF

truly comfortalile residence, and a rural and shady retreat frota the cares and fatigues of royalty. The gronnds are extensive, and contain severa! avenucs of lofty and shady elms, nearly thrce mil es in length. heautiful, is filled underwood ; and is, perhaps, rather improved to the eye of taste, by having heen of late neglected. The parterres and thelong alleys, have lost mnch of their forniality; and though many ofthe statues, busts, anel íbnntains, liave heen hroken and defaced, still nature has found a robe to conccal this deformity; for, in many parts, luxuriant ivy and numerous other creepers, have spread themselves over the ruined fountains, filled the vacant niches, and covered the empty pedestais; and several of the mutilated statues, which are yet standing, are half-coatcd with a mouldering green. AH this almost encourages you to faney tltat you are walking ainid academic groves hallowed hy antiquity.

Theinterior of this palace, like ali others,has long suites of apartinents, some of which are hung with pictures. The best, are a few of the Flemish and Dutch schools, representing dead game, and subjects of still life; but there are no landscapes or histórica! pieces at ali striking. The chapei, in-

_ deed, is adorned with some good paintings in fresco, by Bayeu ; the same, whose works I saw and admired, in the cloisters of the cathedral at

THK PKNISSU1-A. <209

Toledo. Some of the ceilings, too, have fine allegorical paintings, evidently designed and executed by some ar ti st of the Italian school. Some of the chambers in the palace are fitted up in a taste curious, perhaps, but not, I think, pleashig. One, for instance, is entirelypannclled with square tiles of China; another, with looking-glass. í did not at ali admire them. Ahout two mil es from the palace stands a building, called Casa dei La- brador, erected in 1803, by Charles the Fourth; and íntended as a retreat stilí more private than tbe palace. The architecture of this royal farm- house is not fine, thongh the pórtico and terrace, ornamented with statues and bnsts, from the antique, have a handsome appearance ; bnt the interior is fitted up in a style more ri eh, costly, and clegant, than any thing I ever beheld.

In the vestibnlc"all is marhle: the staircase is the finest mahogany. The rooms above are ali diffèrent, as to the style of their decoratíons; but ali superb. Some are of marhle, with the richest gold moiild- ings: some of the most precious woods beautifully carved and inlaid, some hung with the best modem tapestry; while others are covered with landscapes, delicately and curiously wrought in needle- work. I was more struck myself with the rích- ness and variety of the marbles, (ali of which weré from diffèrent provinces in Spain,) than with the more costly and valuable ornaments. However, for my part, I was not sorry to quit the *pot; for

p

210 RECOLLECTIONS Of

you grow fatigued and restlcss with gazing on the' dazzling splendour of such apartments. My companion was envyingthe possession of thisvoluptuous reside rice, till I reminded him, that the late owner had raet with infidelity in his quecn, ingratitude in his sou, treason in his counseilors, and contempt among his people; and that while we were ranging, without care or fear, through thesc peaceful groves, the miserahle Charles was dweliing in captivity beyond the Appenines. We retumed through the town j it is modem, and regularly butlt at right angles; the streets are wide and spacious, some adorned with fountains, and some of th em having a douhle row of trecs in the centre j the h ouses, too, are very nniform; most of th em are white,and have thcirwindow-shuttcrspaintcdgrcen. We entered one large magniticeiít house, which had formerly heen the habitation of a grandee, but was now fiíled with soldiers. The ceiiings and sides of the iarge spacious apartments, in which they lay, were ali painted elegantly in fresco. How little did the mistress of this stately mansion suppose, that, within so short a periody her company saloons, so often filled with youth, and heauty, and fashion, and unsuspecting pride, would be converted, by the fate of war, into barraaks. These revolutions in the common order of tliings are strange ; but to none do tbey appear so strange as to an Englishman, wh o, through ou t his whole lifc, never distantly con- templatcs the possibility of heing driven from the

THE PENÍNSULA. 211/

shelter of his own roof. The present dulness and desertion of Aranjuez is felt the more, from the modern and gay style of its buildings; and from the recollection, that it was not very long ago a place of the niost fashionable resort, and.ftlled, dnringthe summer, with noblcs and courtiers.

The situation of public affairs did not long pcr- mit us to remain quiet in onr excellent cantou-' ments. In the north, Burgos, very successfully, resisted ali attcmpts to reduce it; and the army under Clausel, which had taken shelter behind the Ebro, began to recover strength and confidence, and to menace snch of onr forces as wcrc covering or conducting the operations against that fortrcss. On onr si de Soult, wh o had effectcd his jitnction with Josepli Bnonapartc, at Almanza, on the borders of Valência, was advancing with powerful forces to Madrid, while Ballasteros, who might have rendered the most important services by har- assing Soult on his ronte, and uniting his people to ours on the Tagus, obstinately halted in Gre- nada. Ballasteros was a man who wanted neither courage nor ability; but his silly pride would not allow him to receive the orders of Wellington; and, by his ridicnlons vanity, the cause was very much' injured at a inost criticai moment, and it becaine ini- possible for us to maintain ourselves in the licart of Spain, or to defend Madrid. On the níght of the 22d of October, our brigade marched from Yepes to Aranjuez: on the 26th we- crossed the Tngos»

p 2

212 RECOLLECTIOXS.OF

ánd manceúvred until the SOth 011 that ri ver ánd- the Jarama. An attempt was made by the enemy on' the SOth to possess themselves of the Puente- larga,- on the Jarama river; they were, however,: repnlsed by a British brigade, under Cólon el Sker- rett, with a trifling loss on botli sides.

•In tlie night of the SOtli we commenced our retreat; and at nine o'elock in the morning of the SI st our eoiumns were passing under the walls of Madrid. This city I had never seen, and orders were very properly, but provokingly issued, tliat no one should be allowed to .leave the columns, and no one, on any acconnt, be permitted to enter. the city. I was literally burning with curiosity, and would almost have faced a volley of musketry to sée Madrid ; in fact, I am a friend to discipline, but I eould not resist. I stoie froin the column, rnâde my way over a bridge, and passe d lialf an Iiour in riding through the streets and squnres. Only haif an hour!—Wliat conld you, exclaims my reader, wíiat couhl you see in the time? Vhy I saw the new palaee, a most noble building, which has immortaiized its.arehitect Sacchetti. It is qua- drangular in its form — each front 4-70 feet iu léngth, and 100 in height, from base to eorniee, with a most elegant balnstrade above; it certainly yields the palm to no edifice it has íáilcn to my lot to.see, but the Louvre. I went slowly down the Calle-ancha, a wide, handsome, and magnifiecnt »treet. I looked into thé Pjado, stood under'the

THE PF.NJX9ULA. «13

Puerto d'Alcaia, a gate, or barríer of the city, lhe central arch of which is seventy feet in height. I alighted in the grand square, and had coffbe served to me in a Jarge saloon, nlied witli the gentlemen of Madrid. One of thero, approaching me, said, with tearsin his eyes, « I know the Eng- lish are brave, and loyal —I kuow this retreat is a measure of necessity ; hut why, why did you come hither, if you couJd not calcuJate on maintaining possession ? You little know the raisery and terror which at this moment íill the bosoms of the inhabitants of this city. A few hours raay deliver thein up to the vengeance of Spain's deadly enemies, and the disaffected traitors within these walts have watched us well: tl)ey wii] represent evcry act of loyalty as a crime, every viva as a cry of insurrec- tion against the odious government of Joseph." My lieart quite sunk within me, as he spoke ; I could only reply, that the policy of the French would never suffer them to punish offences so general; that they would feeí their own stay uncertain, and must calculate on our return at some future periodj that this mortifying ahandonment of the capital was never contemplnted wlien we advanced, and, evcn now, was only rendered necessaryby.thê .folly of their own countryman, Ballasteros. He pressed my hand, uttered a » viva mi! ânuos" as I mounted my horse, and I was soon.out of his

.sight. The people, though dreadfully dejected, shewed no signs of anger or indignation, but were

r 3

{21't RKCQLI.ECTIONS OK

respectful and friendly to tlie last. I left tlie city, cncountcrcd no General to put me under an arrest, a punishment I am frec to confess I deserved, and reached the camp higlily delighted at having seen Madrid; for, after ali, is it not possible to see in one half hour a scene of interest vrhich may he remembered for ever? I would certainly have given much to have examined Madrid at my leísurc; bnt for tlie general effect of the superb paíace, the streets, the squares, the ontward picture of that city, I have seen, admired them, and can speak, as to the impression produced, as well as a man who lias passed iveeks tbere as a resident.

Our bivouack, on tlie evening of the firstof No- vember, comnianded a clear but distant view of the town and palace of Escurial. Though within 'tvro leagues of us, I could not visit them ; but I was well reconciled to tliis disappointment, for I examined the palace attentively with my glass, and could discover that the royal residence, and con- yent attached to it, formed a sliapeless, and fright- íul pile of building. What, indeed, could be expected, when a whiinsical monarch commanded hís architect to take a gridiron for bis model, and ih the erection of the edifice, and the disposition of its various parts, to conform most strictly to this strange plan ? The convent of San Lorenzo was, in its day, exceedingly wealthy, and could once boast a valuable library of thirty thousand volumes, and a very fine collection of paintings, among which

9

THE PENIKSULA.- «15

were several mastcrpieces of the famous Títian : th is celebra ted and exquisite pai n ter resided for upwards of five years in Spain, and left many precious works hehind hiin. Indeed, at one period of her history, Spain, from her intimate connection with Italy, was not only emhellislied by the labours of Italian arebitects, but the saloons of her kings and nobles were furnished with many a rieh pio- ductíon of the Italian peiíeil. The na mes of Michael Angelo, Raphael, Guido, Leonardo de Vinci, and the Caraccis, were well known in Ma- drid, while the works of Murillo, and other natives of Spain, attest, that there was a time when the divine art of painting met with honour and encouragement, among Spaniards of rank and affluence.

On the 2d of Novemher, after a delightful mareh through a romantic country, we took up ourground at the foot of the Guadarama pass; on the following morning we ascended these rude • mountains, and moved upon Villa Castin. The ascent to the top of the pass is fbur miles, but the royal roa d is so fine, and so admirahly lai d down, that your cannon meet witli no obstacle, which an additional pair of horses, or a drag-rope, cannot overeome. The descent into the plains of old Castile is not less than eight miles, and eight raore bring you to Villa Castin. Descriptions of scenery

* Tiie most elevated points of the Sierra de Guadarama are eight thousand feet above the lerei of the sea,

P4

21Ô KKCOLLKCTIO.VS ÒF

are, at best, but feeble, for to describc material objects with tlie peu is'difficiilt, if not ímpossiblé. I shaii thciefore content myself with saying, that the southern face of the G nadaram a mountains is bare. brown, and rock)*, but the northern side most majestically.wjld ; large projccting masses òf rock,'dark, and thick plantations of the mountain firj titmbling torrcnts, and steep patchés of the liveliest verdure, ali boldly blended, are the features of this grand and tmcommon scene. Our march this day was rendered still more interesting by the distinct view, which, from the top of the pass, you enjoyed of the various cohimhs, defiling by the beautifully winding róad, on which not less than thirty thousand men might be seen in motion. The plains of old Castile are very extensive, and their extreme flatness is fatiguing to the eye, but they are in general well cultivated, and filled with towns and vi 11 ages. We traversed them rapidly. On the Sth we were in coinmnnicátion with Lord Wellington, who had brokcn iip from before Bur- gos, and was' retiring on Salamanca, followed by Clausel.

On the rjth we balted, forone day, on theheights of Cantaracilla, reached Alba de Tormes on thf eveniná of the scventh,'and the whole of theallies were posted on the eighth in and near Salamanca, and along the line ol the Tormes, oecnpying the 'tóVn of Alba on the riglit, with "some British, and a division of Portugué*:e. The Fiench arniies of

THE ÍENINSULA. 2lt

ihe north, south, and centre, which had Ibllowed ua from Burgos on the one side, and Madrid on the other, succcssively arríved in our front; and 5t was generally thought, that Lord Wellington would try the fate of a battle. On the lOtli, a column of infantry, with cannon, attacked the town and castle of Alba ; it was repulsed. On the 14th, Soult, who cominanded for Joseph, caused an itnmensc force to pass the Tormes above Alba. Our division immcdiately íell back, on íts right, from that neighbourhood, and drew nearer Salamanca. From a high rocky ridge, behind which our division was ibrmed in contiguous dose columns, we saw the enemy's infantry, occupying a low wooded height, about a mile from us. They showed about íive thousand of their horse on tlie pJain below us, while on that to onr rear, the whole of our cavalry was ibrmed and ready to act. There was some skirmishing and cannonading, but no arfai r of momcnt. On the fiftecnth, at daylight, the whole of our army was in ordcr of battle ; onr division was posted behind the Arripeles, and every one anti- cipated a fiercc and general engagement. The Frendi had ninety thousand men, and nearly two hundied pieces of artillery. Our division had npt been present at the glorious victory of Salamanca, and longed eagerly for the battle j.for they naturally thought that a brilliantand successful contest, on a much grander scale, and on the same gromid, would give them a right to speak of the field of


Salamanca with a soldícr's pride. This jealousy of fame, this "avarice of praise," is common in camps; and I need hardly add, incalculably useful to sove- reigns and commanders-in-chief. Soult, howcver, had no intention of figbting ; he dcelined the chal- lenge, mancenvred on our right, and threatening our communication with Portugal, compelled us to retreat. It is evident that Lord Wellington, wh o, from thc 8th to the 15th, kept ali his forces concentrated on the Tormes, anxiously desired and expected a general engagement. Indeed, it lias been said, and is probahle, that on the morning of the 15th, co til d lie have supposed that Soult would refuse fighting, he would himself have been the assailant, and have marched boldly on the heights of Mozai-bes. It was not until ten o'clock in the forenoon that the retreat was ordered, which, had it been the original intention of his Lordship, would» no doobt, have been entered-opon six hours earlier. About two in the afternoon, our coJumn, having moved by its right, arrived on the high road to Ciudad Rodrigo, and marched towards the Águeda. About noon, on this day, the rain hcgan to fali in torrents, wctting us to the skin, yet not heing without its use, for it most admii-ably inasked our movcments.

I have in the course of these pages often painted the hivouaek as a scene of enjoyment and pleasure, and many will aecuse me of exaggcration; but I have spoken as I felt, and I can truly declare that,

THK VKN1NSUI.A. 219

in nine cases out of teu, \ve enjoy rather tlian suffer. But it is not to be dcnied, that we oecasionally en. dure what a person, unaequainted with service, can ill coneeive, and would, with difficulty, be persuaded to credit. From the I5th to the evening of the 1 Qth, onr sufferings were of th is dcscription. On ourraarch we wcre deluged with rain, the roads were deep and miry, and we had repeatedly tofordrivcrsand streamsj some oí which were breast high. In our bivouacks the ground was soaked,no dry woodto be had, and onr fires, if any, were smoky and cheerless. In addition to this, we were miserably provided, having neither bread, biscuit, nor fiour.* Lean bullocks, which travelléd with us, were slanghtered daily, as we halted, and pntting your miserable ration on a stick, or the point of yonr sword, you broiled it on wood-ashcs, and ate it greedily, half-smoked3 and half-raw, withont knife, fork, or any conveniences, the whole of onr baggage having, of eourse, pre- ecded us. On the lGth, indeed, my regimcnt was posted as a picquet on a sinall plateau, just above

* Sueli was tlie scarcity of bread, that a friend of ininc, n paytnasler, who lost our coluinn, and was wandering for two dava on anolhcr rosul, overtook a Spanisb peasant, who was joiír- neying witli his wife and cbildrcn lowards Ciudad Rodrigo, and seeing a loaf of bread 011 the mule he was leading, he begged to pnrchitse it, but the inan refiised to sell it. Faiiit aod almost wild with hunger, he pulled out a doubloon, and oflered it as the prire of the loaf, but the inan slilt declincd, saying, pithily, " My little ones caunot eat gold.1' 'What n' lesson for the pam* pered citizen, who ifaink; lhere is iiothing gold cannot bny !

220' REC0LLKCTIOXS OF

thè villagé of Matilla, and we certainly had som* prospect of comparative comíbrt. In this hamlet, thongh there was no bread, we luckily fonnd.a few potatoes, which having eagerly purchased, we were- boiling at a tolcrable fire, in a mean hovel, and chuckling at our good fortune, when the sound of a few shots caused us to run out, and we found about two squadrons of our German Hussars retiring before a large body of the enemy's horse. As we had only piled arms in colinnn at quarter distance, we were instantaneously formed, and the enemy halted about musket-shot from ns. We stood, for about fiftecn minutes, calmly looking at each other. They were about two thousand in num. ber, ali covered with large white cloaks, and looked remarkably well. It certainly was a sight, which, on any ordinary cccasion, it would have been worth losuig a dinner for; but hungry and cxhausted as we were, the bustle they caused was very unseason- able. They suflèred us to retire through the viIIage, a 11 d across the plain to the wood, where our division lay, unmolested ; for as they had na guns, it would have been a ticklish afiair to attempt any thing against a steady battalion of infàntry; but they pushed down about six squadrons to the left of the village, and had a trifling brush with some of our cavairy, who carne up hastily from their camp, after which they retired, and occupicd for tlieniglit Matilla and the heights» • In our bivouack on the l?'th, a caimonade, di-

THE PENM.VSULA.Í 221'

rected against the right coluinn, arid very distant from us, caused us to stand to onr arms shivering. for two hours, after which we broiled our ration, and lay down in a swamp, nearly ancle-deep in water, to repose. Th is same day, Sir Edward Paget, onr second in coinmand, was taken, while quíetly riding in an intervai between two divisions, one of which was marching in bis rear. A few Polish lancers had adventurously straggled through the wood on our flank, and coming down upon the road,' carried him off through lhe forest undiscovered.

On the night of the 18th the rain ceased for a short time; but jnst as we were composing ourselves for sleep, a handfnl of Indian cora was issued to each man, and they ali im medi atei y began pounding it between large stones, which strange hand-mills tlien passed from one to the other, keep- ing np such a noise throughout the whole night, that no one in camp could possibly have closed bis eyes. Sueli were the.little additions to our annoyance and misery, The sufferings of min d, however, on a retreat, are far less endurable than privation and fatigue: these last, animated hy the hopes which a forward movement never fails to inspire, we cheerfully bear; but it is dístressing to feel, that.if you drop from inanition and exhaustion, you fali an casy and unresisting prey to the enemv. The loss of our arrav on this retreat was very considerable, fnlly equal to the .casualties of a general action, and, thanks to the supineness of

222 nECoi-uscnoN* OF

the Frendi, who never vigorously pushed us, that it was hot douhled.

On the night of the 20th, our corps of the army wasdistributed in mountain villagea, sotith of the Sierra de Francia, and here we halted for eight days. Here, too, we were restored to our baggage, and under cover. Miserahle as were the hovels in which we were qnartered, our gaiety in th esc chim- ney-corners, where we sat roasting chcsriuts, and boiling potatoes, would not a Httle have snrprised our friends at home, could they by magic have becn transported frora their curtained and carpeted drawing rooms to thcse mountain.cots, and have seen the aceomraodation we thought ourselves so fortnnate in procuring.

On the 28th, the whole of Hill's corps marched for the province of Coria. Our route lay through that mountainous region, which divides the Partido de Ciudad Rodrigo from that of Alcântara, in Es- tremadura. The scenery, as is ever the case in such a country, was truly raagnificent: the passage of the rude and lofty Sierra de Gata, and the descent from the top of the pass to the town, abound with snbjects for the pencil of a Salvator Rosa. A rugged and dangerons road winds amid tlie thickest brushwoodj and arotind the boldest rocks; below it, on one si de, are precipices the most frightfnl, while, above, on the other, huge masses of mountain-stone terrifically impend, and seem to tlircaten the traveller witli instant destrnetion.

THE PENÍNSULA. 2231

We were very fortunate in our day, and saw this country to great advantage. In the very loftiest regions of the Sierra, a veil of míst enveloped us, which, as we descended, gradually cleared away, and gave to our view plaius, and woods, and vil* lages, ali lighted by a glorious sim, and smiling as in summer. The little town of Gata lies immediately at the foot of these mountains, most romau- tícally sítuated, and half-concealed by tbick groves of chesnut trees, whicli grow there to a handsome and prodigious size, are found in great abundance, and whose chesnuts are indeed the principal food of the poorer inliabítants. The march, to a man of any mind or feeling, always presents enjoyment,' especially when it lies among mountains,'those grand features of scenery, which are, throughout romantic Spain, thrown every where by the bold hand of naturc in the richest and wildest profusion.

" Oh ! there is sweetncss »n the mountain-air, And Hfe that bioated ease can ne«rer hope to sliare."

BYKOíí.

My regiment lay at a small village in the neighbourhood of Coria, from Nbvcinber to the middfe of May. When settled in our winter-quarters, Lorcl Wellington addressed a sweeping and angry circular to the troops, reproaching them with haviíig displayed a greater want of discipline o» their retreat " than any ariny with which," said li is Lord- ship, " I.have ever served, or of which I have ever


read." In tliis aame circular, the men wcre told tiiat they had snftered no privation which couhl justify the least irregular ity, or acconnt for the Sosses which had heen sustained, and they wcre bitterly reproachcd for uot cooking with the same. expedition as the French soldiery. As to the first charge, I am confident that his Lordship was never made acquainted with the extent of their priva^ tions; and for the latter, raost satisfactory rcasons might have heen given for our com parati ve tar- diness in preparing our food. The French soldiers mess by twos and threes, and have small kct- tles -, the English, at that time, had laige camp- kettles of iron, one to every ten men. The French took wood of ali sorts, and wherever they found it; our orders, on this head, were properly, but parti- cnlarly strict. Neither were the irregularitics, though great, by any means general: there were" corps, and many corps, who maintained their. discipline, and whose casualtíes were comparatively trifling, and most satisfactoríly accounted for. I believe the interior economy of British regimcnts, and the discipline of a British company, in a regiment well commanded, to be superior to that of any army in the world; and sure I am, .that the Duke of Wellington, who, since that period, has served with some, and seen troops of ali the othcr armies in Enrope, is now of the same opinion. The army felt ali this deeply, though they made every allowance for the_ severe disappointment

TIIE PENÍNSULA. 225"

whicli the failure hefore Burgos, and tlie loss of ground in the heart of Spain, must have naturally produced in the hosom of that commander through whose ahility, and valour, their situation in the fore- going August ha d heen rendered so transcendantly brilliant.

Coria, the head quarters of Sir Rowland Hill throughout the winter, from 1812 to 13, is "a" small town of about 600 houses, pnettily situated on thé river Alagonj has a cathedral, and is" furtlier adomed by the fine remains of a inoorish tower, and castle. Wherever you move in Spain, the vestiges of tliese warlike moors are to be" traced. It is strange that more is not known, amòng us, about the state of Spain, under their dominion, for they were certainly a civilized, and polished people, and introduced. many arts and sciences ainong the natives of Spain, which, till their arrival, were unknown : they had knowledge of agriculture, skill and taste in architecture; had their learned nien, poets, and nien of science, and from what we know of the costliness of their dress, and arms, must have had precious, and flourishing manufactures. " Even as late as the beginning of the sixteenth centur}', a million of Moriscoes, who doubtless, if they did not retain the dress, customs, and manners of their ancestors, had. many cherished traditions concerning their grcatness and their li is- tory, still dwelt in Spain, yet nothing is known. I sbould anxiously have desircd to visit those pro-


vincesin the south, whieh the moorsso long occupied, and where tliey have left behind th em sucli noble memoriais, as the Alhambra of Grenada, the Mosque of Córdova, and ollier magnificent ruins found south of the Sierra Morena. Cheerfully would I thus liave employed iny winter leisure, but a military man is spared the trouble of exer- cisiuglúswíll inthesematters. Ithereforeremained, Hke others, quiet under the roof of an honest peasant» and made myself as contented as I eould. In the neiglibourhood of our cantonment, the Alagon, a river, whose waters were more beautifully clear than any I ever behcld, pnrsued íts tranquil course; behind us rose some rocky heights well wooded, wherèthe walks were exeeedingly pretty, and many leagues in our front, the eyc might ever seek, and rest upon the stupendous mountains of Bejar, covered with eternal snow. Many as were the weeks we passed in the same small village, I never looked upon that finely formed Sierra, but with a feeling that almost repressed the wish to wander. The season too. of winter is in that province mild as an English spring; our tables were well supplied with game and wine : we ha d books and newspapers ; tliese last contained long details of the Ilitssian campaign, and were tlierefore highlyinteresting. . To be sure, insucli a situation a sigh for the fire-side, the evening concert, the bali, the play, the well remembered gaieties of Eng- land, will intrude ; yet liow many were the social

THE PENÍNSULA. 227

evenings, how many the Iiappy Iiours of rational and lively converse, wlúeh I enjoyed in that quict vil 1 age, witli men, whom death, wounds, and distant ser vice have now torn from my side.

Rapidly did time glide by till spring again returned, and bronght with it ncw hopes, and the prospeet of anothcr interesting campaign. Every effort had bcen made, during our Ioiig lialt, to ren- der tlie variou s corps efficient in discipline, fiel d exercise, and equipincnt. An order of Lord Wel- lington^ directed, that three tents per company sbould be carried for tlie men, on the bat mules, hithertoappropriatedto the conveyance of the large irou camp kettles, the use of which was discon- tinued, and small ones substituted, to be carried by the soldiers themsclves.

The twentieth of May found ns again iu the fiel d, bivouacked at the foot of the Puerto de Banos, through which, a better road tlian that of Gata, runs from.Plascncia to Salamanca. The sun was shining fiercely upon our tents in the vale, while immediately above us, at an immense elevation, rose the snowy and frozen peaksof the Sierra de Bejar. The fbllowing morning we climbed the pass; the ascent commences atBaiíos, a small town, very poor, and in ruins, having been plundered, and half destroyed by a corps of the Frendi iu 1809. It is famous for a rcmarkably fine natural liot bath,- and wasit not seated in so wild and rude a country, would doubtless have been much frequented by

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â-iii RECOLLECTÍOXS OF

invalids. We balted, for one night, at the very top of the pass; tbe march down into Casttlc is romaríttc and beautiful in tbe extreme ; below, mcadows clothed witli tlie ricbest verdure, watered with in- numerablcstreams, and enclosedwith hedge rows, as in England, promise you delightful sitnations foi" encamping; and, ever as you raise your eye to tbe rigbt, and above you, are maj estie mountains co- yéred with eternal snow ; and, at tbe rising and setting of tlie sun, ali bright and varying witb hues and tints of tbe most heavenly dye.

We traversed a very interesting country to Sala- manca, where we anived on tbe twenty-sixtb : tbe enemy's rear guard, consisting of 400 cavalry, 3000 infantry, and fòur guns, evacuated the town as we approached. We did not march into tbe city, but forded the Tormes a inile to the right of it. The Frendi tíred a few shots at our ieadin? brigade of cavalry as it formed after passing the ri ver, and then rapidly retired along the Tormes towards Babila Fuente. They were pursued, can- nonaded, and much pressed by our cavalry, and borse artillery, and sustained a loss of ahout 200 killed and wounded, and as many taken. We were, this day, in commumeation with the column which m ar eh ed under tbe order of Wellington, who was himself present at the affair witb the enemy's rear guard.

There is scarcely a place in ali Spain, the name óf which is so familiar to ourears as Salamanca.

THE fENINSULÀ. 229-

Le Sage, in Íris ad mi rabie Gil Blas, lias immor- talized it, and we ali feel acquainted with the students of Salamanca; but we looked for thcm in vain, as we walked under the liandsome stone piazza of the most noble looking square in Spain. These were, indeed, filled with a motley crowd of people, bnt we could discern no youthful scholars in theif academic habits; many thousand once stndied in this university. A few, with some of theold pro- fessore, still lingered in the deserted collegés, of might be seen pacing in the spacious aisles of the elegant cathedral. But war spares neither the abode of piety, nor the seat of learning; mimbers of the students, at an early period of the war, obeyed the sacred call of their country, and left theif peaceful collegés for the tumnltuous camp. In the year 1812, two convehts in Salamanca were fortified and garrisoned by the French, hesieged and taken hy the British ; thus, an open and qniet city becamc a scene of contest, confusion, and bloodshed. Monks yielded np their celIs to soldiers; ali the houses, for a certain space round thesè convents, were razed; while the more distant were injured, and beat down by the heavy fire of the French batteries, and many of the streets and lanes were enfiladed by their cannon ; heaps of ruins every where presented themselves to my sight; and, tired of gaziug on poor Salamanca in such a state of degradation, I returned to_ my tent and my blanket. On our line of march, the followng

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280 HKCOLLECTIOJíS OV

morriing, the Britisli and Portuguesc divisions of infantry, in thccorps of Sir Rowland Hill, passed Lord Wellington in review ; we li a d upwards of 14,000 ba}Tonets, and made a very fine appcarance. There is something very pleasing to real soldiers in bcing reviewed in th is ready convenient manner, without fuss or prcparation, and to a general there must be something, I tliink, gratifying in looking at his men ali rougli and dusty with the march, cven as they wotild go into battle.

Our division encamped the same evening in a wood, iiear Oibada, about sixteen miles in front of Salamanca; hcre, and distributed in the neiglibourhood, the right wing of the army halted, while the left, in pnrsnance of Wellington's able dispositions, was gaining the enemy's right by the route of Miranda and Carvajales. On the third of June, we were again in motion, and, on the fourth, we passed the Douro, near Toro, without opposition, for the cnemy, out-manoeuvred and alanned, was compelled to abandon the line of that river, without an effòrt, and hastily retixed, destroying the bridges j that at Toro we repaired with a tempo- rary platform, and our infantry crossed it by files} the cavalry, artillery, andhaggage passing at a ford about a quarter of a milc abovc the town. Toro is a fine handsomc old city, and is adorned with a very large and beautiful towcr of Moorish construction, in the highest preservation ; there are also conve- nientpublic walks aHroundthewalls, thickly planted

THE PENÍNSULA. 231

with trees. We bivouacked for the night, in a good pine wood, near the village of Moral es, and close to the ground where the day previ ou s our finssars had had a very brilliant afFair with a superior body of French heavy dragoons, sabring great nurabers, and taking about two hundred prisoners. We continued our tnarch across the fertile plains of the province of Valladolid ; on the sixth wesaw that city, at a distahce, and halted within two 1 cagues of it on the sèventh, but I had no opportunity of visiting it; on the cighth we took up our ground neár a ruined village ; out of two hundred houscs, only ten remained habitable. Tliere was a church in this place, which had been most curiously and ingeni- ously fortified by the French, as a post for a detachment; platfortns were construeted herefor ali their sentries, só raised and protected, as to secure them from snrprise : such was the state of watchfulness and prepara tion, which, even amid the plains occupied by their armies, traversed by their coluinns, and scoured by their cavalry, ali the small detachments of the enemy wcrc compelled most strictly to observe. These things are proofs of the resistauce of the Spanish nation, and the active hatred of the people ; for if such was the situation of the enemy, in the very plains, where discipline may, and often does most successfully oppose both conrage and numbers, what must it have hcen amid the more mountainous districts, abounding in fastnesses, and rócky passes,known to, and tehable by, a brave and

Q 4"

2S2 REC0LLECT10NS OF

patriotic peasantry. The Guerrilla system had certainly a inost powerful, a most material influence in the salvation ofSpain. May the same. system, acted upon by the ablest partizans among tlie « Li- berales," again save her &om the worst, the most formidableof enemies, a domestic tyrant, a monarch who may have the right to govern, but not the right to oppress her.

It was not until the lQth that wesawthe enemy; and so cleanly had they retreated, that we had'met with no stragglers, and, since the affair of cavalry at Toro, had taken no prisoners. Our march and movements on the 12th were rather interesting. Sír Rowland Hill's corps hfoké up froni Manzana at five o'clock in the mòrning, and moved forwards in two columns, the right on Celada, the left, in which I was, on Hornillo, through Juntana. The enemy skirmished very prettily with our cavalry at Hormasa, a small village, on a river of that name, and made a short stand to favour"the retreat of the main body of their rear guard ; they then retired slowly up the heights, above Hornillo, whither we followed them. They had at Hormasa about four squadrons and three battalíons. Their infantry formed line on these. heights, and, as wè ascended on their flank, tbrew itback, changingitsdirection, but still pj-esenting us a frout. At last, perceiving thatwe were in great strength, and had large bodies of cavalry up, they threw themselves into squares, and retiring over the river Arlanzon, joined the

T«E PENÍNSULA. 233

remainder of the French corps underCount Reille, and the whole took the road to Burgos. These troops manoeuvred very rapidly and steadily; and effected their retreat in most beautiful order, in the face of our cavalry, and under the fire of some of our artillery, which, however, did very little execution. At the dose of thís affair, I had the gratification of seeing on th esc hcights, nearly the wholc of the British cavalry. Most of the hri- gades passed us in columns of half squadrons, as they were returning to take up their ground for the uight. The masses of heavy dragoons, with their brazen helmets, horse-hair plumes, and long crimson cloaks, had a most superb and martial appearanee; and were happíly contrasted hy the light, ready, and active look of the hussars, whose equipment and dress were neat and hecoming.

Our infantry columns returned also, and encamped on the line of the Hormasa ri ver, leaving strõng.picquets on the heights. One of these picqnets I eommandedj it hegan to rain heavily towards the evening, and poured for several hours. To add to our eomfort we had nothing to eat, and on these bare hills tliere was no wood for firing. 'The morning, however, brought with it eonsolation; for, •at early dawn, while gazing with my glass at the distant castle of Burgos, I had the satísfaction to see.it suddenly enveloped in thick whitc smoke,

• and the sound of atremendous explosionannounced to me that the enemy had hlown up, and would of

234 REC01XECT10NS OT

course abandon it. In ten minutes a second explosion followed, and, in about a quarter of an hóur, I could distinctly see the yawning ruins.

A very largc Frendi army was now collected on the Ebro; for Josepb, with ali the troops who had been at Madrid, Segóvia, &c. had marched rapidly by the pass of Somosierra, on Avanda and Burgos* and were now moving in front of us. Al- though there was no longer a Burgos to besiege or blockade, to havc forced the pass of Pancorro, and havè crossed the Ebro at Miranda had been impossible. Wellington moved as rapidly by the left, on an unfrequented road, and passing the Ebro by the Puente de Avenas, marched directly on Vitto- ria, whither the enemyretired. Our column moved on the evening of the 18th to Villorejo. The roail lay through a very pretty valley, filled with smalJ, neat.looking villages; com and meadowdand, pop- lars and willows, gave it quite an English character. Ori the whole of the 15th, as we traversed the plain to Villascusa we had a fine distinct view of the Sierras of Astúrias on our left.

On the I6th, we dcscended by a steep and íocky road into a lòw secluded valley, through which thfe Ebrò, here narrow and inconsidcrable, winds its way, and crossing the ri ver by a stone bridge of five arches, turned to the left, and followed a road running, for nearly two miles, along the bank of the Ebro, and almost on a levei with its waters. The view of this valley ori your descent to it, the vale

T11K 1'ENINSULA. 235

itself, anti the singnlarly picturesque roaJ by which you pass ont from it, are atnong the tnost enchanting scenes it lias ever fallen to íny lot to contemplate. Here yon may imagine yourselftransported to the happy retreat described in Rasselas. On every side mountains incJose and shelter th is fa- •voured spot; ali the passes leading to and from it are concealed from you ; the fiel d s ali teem with cultivation, and the orchards ali blush with frnit; the ash, the beech, and the poplar, the woodbine; the rose, and a thousand shrubs, shade andadorn the rural d wel 1 ings. Th e n arrow wheel track, hy wh ich you leave this elysium, runs curving at the foot of impending precipices, so boi d and varied in the ir forms, and the character of their heauties, that no pen could desenhe them justly. Here they are clothed with rich and shaggy hrnshwood, there naked to their blue or grey summits, which frown above you ; and here, again, from the rude clefts and fissures of thè rock," grow solitary trees and pJants, where no hand can ever reach them, whiJe, in some places, thick wreaths of ivy half cover the projecting crag3. The ri ver hrawls along hetween these clifts, often impeded by iinge masses of mountain stone, which have fallen in some wintry storm, or heen detached hy some violent convulsion of nature, and now form isiands in its hed. In a scene so lovely, soldiers seemed quite inisplaccd, and the glittering of arms, the trampling ofhorses, and the loud voices of the meu, appeared to ínsult

£36 RECOLLECTIONS OF

its peaeefulness. On the three following days our bivouacks were detiglitful; fine wood and water, and grand scenery, ali combined to make us -cheerful and contented. • At half-past seven on the morning of the 21st, our colnmn entered the high road running from Miranda to Vittoria, and marching through the small town of Fuebla, amid the vivas of theinhabit- ants, with our music playing and colours flying, we, in half an honr more, halted in thepresence of the French army, which was formed in order of battle, on a position of great strength. Their right was stationed near the city of Vittoria, their centre commanded the valley of the Zadorra, and their left rested on the lofty heights which rise above Pnebla.* The battle array of a large army is a most noble and imposing sight. To see the hostile lines and columns formed, and preparedfor action; to observe their generais and mounted offieers riding smartly from point to point, and to mark every now and then, one of their gnns opening on your own staftj reconnoitering th cm, is a scene very animating, and a fine prelude to a general engagement. On your own side, too, the hammering of flints and loosen- ing of cartridges ; the rattle of gnns and tumbrils, as they come careering up to take their appointcd stations; and the swift galloping of aid-de-camps in

* On a very steep and commanding helghl "on lhe right of the enemas centre, flew a white standard, said to mark the heud-quarters and i!ie prescnce of Joscph Bonaparte.

T1IE PENÍNSULA. 237

every direction, liere bringing reports to their generais, thereconveying orders to theattackingcolumns, ali speak of pèril and death, but also of anticípated vjctory; and socheeringly, that a sensation of proud liope swells the hosom, which is equnl, if not superior, to tlie feeling of exultatiou in the secure moment of pnrsuit and triumph. With the excep- tion of the sixth, which was detained at Medina, ali the divisions of the Anglo-Portuguese army, and those of the Spanish under the orders of Giron, Longa, and Mu ri II o, were present in th is fiel d. We could not Tiave had less than 74,000 men, and the French about G0,000, with a numerous artillery. -

The corps of Sir Kowland Hill, in pursuance of the general arrangements, began the action hy attacking the enemy's left. From the moment tliat we passed Puebia, a Spanish brigade, under the orders of General Murillo, was sent up the heights, rising above that town, and was aflerwards supported by the 71 st regiment, some light companies, and a battalion ofPortuguese caçadores, ali commanded by the Honourable Colonel Cadogan, of the 71 st. These troops were heavily eogaged long before the action became general, and sustained gréat lossj but, at length, succeeded in gaining possession of these important heights, and in dis- lodgíng and driving down the enemy. My brigade marched upon the village ofSubijana de Alava, in front of the line, and had orders to carry it with the bayonet. The enemy opened upon us with four- teen pieces of artillery, from their position, as we

<2S8 RECOLLECTTONS OF

moved down, but with little cffect. í eould ncver persuade mysclf that they would rcsign so iwportant a post as thc village without a struggle ; and when we got elose to it, and hegan to find the ground difficult and" intersectcd with walla and hanks, I expeetcd every momcnt to be saluted with a murderous discharge of musquctry, and to sec them íssue forth; and I had preparcd my men to look for, and disregard sueh an attack. Not a sonl, however, was in the village, but a wood a few hnndred yards to its left, and the ravines above it, were fillcd with Frcnch light ínfantry. I, with my eom- pany, was soon engaged in smart skirmishing among the ravines, and lost about eleven men, killed and wounded, out of thirty-eight. The English do not skirmisb so wcll as the Germans or the French; and it really is hard work to make them preserve their proper cxtcndcd order, eovcr themselves, and not throw away their fire ; and in the performance of this duty, an offieer is, I thmk, far more cxposcd than in lincfigliting. 1 enjoyed, however, from my elevatcd post, a vcry fine view of the field; Below me, it was really dreadful to see bow the other rcgiments, which skiriníshed

•opposite the wood, suffcred from the fire of the Frendi vóltigeurs. It was about two o'clock wben the fourth and light divisions crossed the Zadorra, by a bridge opposite Nanclarcs, deployed, and advaneed boldly against the enemy's centre and town of Ariiiez. About the samc hour, the third and seventh divisions forecd the bridge of the Puentes,

THE PENÍNSULA. 239

and attacked, and drove liis right. AH thís time there was a tremendous fire of artilléry on both sides j but, as th is slackened, the enemy was seen preparing to retire ; and he soon abandoned every village, height, and position, ín great confnsion. Wc marched rapidly in pursuit, but to little purpose; and halted in the evening in a bivouack about two mil es in front, and to the right of Vittoria. Here, news abont the general result of the hattle carne pouring inevery momentj and we íbnnd, that the cnemy, having been cut offfrom the Bayonne road by Sir Tliomas Graham, (who, with the British and Spanísh divisions under his orders, had dislodged him, after a sharp conflict, from Gamarra Mayor, and Abeclnico,) had fled in the direction of Pampehma, abandoning the whole of his baggage and artilléry. One hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, 415 caissons, their military chest, and upwards of 3000 carriages, waggons, and cars, laden with stores, treasure, and phinder, had fallen into onr hands. Our loss had been about 5000 killed and wounded; and that of the Frendi not more considerable. I confess, I was disappointed with the result, and had looked for more solid, and less high sounding advantages. It is true, the capture of ali their artilléry and materiel was a brilliant triumph ; and in those days when generais would have sacrificed an army for their preServatíon, would have been regarded with- wonder and admiration. For my part, I would-

24-0 RECOLLECTIOXS OF

mucii sooner liave licard of heavy casnaltics in tlie Frericli ranks, and liave secn a good solid column of them prisoners. I was smiled at, and called un- reasonable} but this very army, deprived' of its artillery, stript of its haggage, and driven into France in twelve days after the victory, in eighteen niore, rcsumcd the oflfensivc, assanltèd our positions in the passes of the Pyrenees, penetrated to within a Iéague of Pampeluna, and fought a battle for its lelief. After ali, howcvcr, when I reflect, that our army was brought, in five and forty days, from the frontiers of Portugal to the confines of France, a distance of 400 triiles; and that a pover-' ftil enemy was driven before us, through the defiles of the lower Pyrences, I am lost in admiration of the talent of Wellington; andshould, perhaps, feel ashained to own my disappointment on the fiel d of Víttoria. . In this battle, one regiment of our division, the 71st, suffered severely, losing 400 inen, and tlieir gallant commander, the Hon. Cólonel .Cadogan. This brave oílicer, itis reported, raortally wounded, and fully aware of his sitnation, begged to he carried to a higher point tlian that on which lie fel!, that he might see how the battle went, and gaze to the last, on the advance of our victorious troops. This trait of patriotism would have figured well in Greek or Roman story; as.it is, it remains a camp aneedote, related or listened.to wíth pleasure, but without wonder, hy men, :who

THE PENÍNSULA. 541

have seeti common British soldiers, covered with wounds, expire inthe very act of cheering. I am onè, wbo suspect, that three hundred British grenadiers would have held the pass of Thermopyla? as stoutly as the Spartans ; and liave considered it as the siinple discharge of a perilous and important duty, to die on the ground on wbich they fought. Not that I think less highly of the ancients ; but only as highly of the modems. Insensible to a tale of heroism I can never feel j and I admit, that sucli a tale is ever hallowed by the remoteness of the age in which the action it relates lias been perforraed ; but I conderan those, wh o rave abont Greeks and Romans ; and becausc division and regiment do not sonnd quite so clássica! as legion and cohort, would persuade us, that muskcteers are not as brave as hastati ; or British captains worthy to be classed witb Roman centurions.

On the morning of the 22d, tlie army marched forwards, leaving a captain's detachmentfroro every regiment in Vittoria. I was seht on this unpleasant duty. The streets of the town, as rnay be imagined, were ali bustle and confusion : here, cars, filled indiscriminately with French, English, and Portu- guese wounded, were conveying their groaning burtliens to the convents allotted for their hospitais. There, officers wounded and pale, their uniforms ali bloodstained and dirty, were riding towards their billets at a slow pace ; their servants leading the animais by the bridle, and ofte.n supporting

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24-2 JIECOLLECTIONS OF

their drooping and suflèring masíers, to whom the ngony of motíon appeared intolerable. Here, a few groups of Frendi' prisoners stoód, eagerlyjooking out from the door of the church where they were confined ; there, our detachments lay halted in tlie street s, waiting for orders; while long trains of com- inissariat mui es iaden with biscuit, were filing past ns to follow' the army. From the gate, Spanish troops were marching in to garrison Vittoria, while astonishment was painted 011 the features of the inhahitants ; to whom, having bcen so long undcr tlie doniinion of the French, their present situation appeared nove], andv tlieir 1 iberation almost in- eredible. . For two or three days, I was employed with strong fatigue parties, collecting the guns and caissons scattered on tlie roads, and among the fields to the north of the town. We dragged into park 174 cannon ; of theso, ninety were field pieces, ali foul monthed from reeent use. The ground, for nearly a square league, was covered with" the wreck of carriages, cars, chests, and haggage; and, here and there, whole fields were 1 iterally white with thickly scattered ]>apers. In their search for money and valuables, the soldiers had ransacked evcry thing; they had torn out the lining of the carriages, and ent open the padding ; they had broken ali the correspondenee chests of the various military and civil offices, and had strewn out papers, returns, and official documents,

THE PENÍNSULA. 243

that liad been, for years, pcrbaps, accumulating. You saw tbe finest military hooks and maps trod under foot, and utterly spoiled by tlie rain, tliat had faílcn the day after the battle. In eme part, very near a Iia]f destroyed barouclic, I found a very interesting and beautiful letter, written in English, and addressed to his wife from Naples, by a Monsieur Thiehault; who, it appeared, had been treasurer to Joseph Buonaparte. With a Httie trouhle, I discovered not less tban twenty written by the same person, and in the same ainiahle and affectionate strain; tíiey were dated frorn various places in Italy and Spain, and contained many natural and pleasing descriptions. I gathered them up, and returned home, rejoicing in my treasure. In the evening I went to a café, and seeing there several of the Frendi officers taken, I asked one of them, if he knew a Monsieur Thiebault, the king's treasurer; he replied, extremely well, that he had been killed by a chance shot among the haggage on the 21 st. ; that his son wasa prisoner *,and quite disconsolate; and that his wife, a most sweet woman, and a native of Scot-

* I inade .a packet of tlie ietters, and sent them to the son, aecompanied by a note, to wliich. I did not sign my name, that he might not be distressed, by knowing or meeting one who had read this niícctionate corresnondenec ; and I had the happiness of learning. that the reco very of these papers, these precions memoriais of an amiable parent, have prored the groatest consolation to this íinhappy yonng man. R'2"' ■ "■"

244- 11EC0LLECTI0XS OF

land, had left Vittoria for Bayonne on the 20th, and was still ignorant of lier irreparable loss.

Wlien the history of atiy individual, who has fallen, isthus brought before us, \ve feel deeply, but wauder o ver grotind, covered with corpses, abo II t whom \ve know nothing, with com parati ve indifferenee ; yet, if \ve knew theliistory attached to eacli lifeless body, on whicb we gazed, with what tales of sorrow si» ou I d we not beeome acquainted. It woutd be, perhaps, diffieult to select a more painful aneedote connected "with the battle of Vit- toria, than the following :—A paymaster of a regiment of Britisíi Jnfantry, had twosons, lieutenaiit» 211 the corps in which lie served j he was a widower, and had no relations besides these youths; they lived in his tent, were his pride and delight. The civil staff' of a regiment usually remaín with the baggage when the troops engage, and join them with itatterwards. In the evening, whenthis paymaster carne up, an oíBcer inet him. " My boys," sai d the old mau, *' liow are they ? Uave they- done their duty ?" " They have behaved most nobly j but you havelost"—-"Which of thein?" " Alas! hoth ; they are uuinbered with the dead." • If th is page should ineet the eye of a man visited with affliction, let liiin think how heavily the arrows of misfortune lighted upon tliis grey head, and be resigne d.

A friend of mine, helonging to anotlier corps, lay wounded in Vittoria. 1 heard of it, and baf-

io

TMK PENÍNSULA. 245

tened to his billet. ífound him reelining on a sopba, and looking, as I thought, remarkahly well. He received me cordially and cheerfully. " I rejoice," said I, « to sce you smiling 5 your injury is of course slight." " You are mistaken 5 my wound is mortal, and niy honrs, I believe, are almost mim- bered. I sball never leave tliis rooin but as a corpse ; but these are events which should never take a soldíer by surprise." With bim the hnrry and excitement of the eonquered field liad been exchanged for the calm, the awful calm of the chamber of death; he had been but yesterday in the season of his yontb, his strengtb, and hishope; he was now gazing steadily upon, and advancing tovrards bis grave. He dicd in two days. I saw him laid in the garden of a convent. Returning from his funeral, I met a serjcaiit of my regiment, wh o had come with an escort from the division. ** How are they ali, serjeant?" said I, " We have lost Mr. " " How? in an aflàir?"—"No ; we had dreadf ul storm among the inountains, and in one of the narrowest passes, himself and his horse were struck by lightning, and killed on the spot." Th is too was a noble-minded zealous ofiicer, one wh o had braved many a scene of peril, and whoso ambU tion it had ever been to perish in the field, You grow familiar on service with death and sorrow; you do not weep — but if he have an eye to observe, and a heart to feel, few men see or suífer more than a soldier.

1; y

2*^ HECOLLKCTIOXS OF

In Vittoria I found an excellent hookséHer'3 shop, and procured some of the dassics, and tlic hest Frcnch authors—Paris editions, and -pocket sizc, uncommonly cheap. This bookseller assnred me tliat he had sold more books to the British in the course of one fortnight, tlian lie had disposed of for tiro years to the Prench constantly passing through that city; and expressed great surprise, that among our officers so many reading meu should he found.

It is ccrtainly true, that in EngJand the education of our militai? men appears, hy comparíson with those wlio study for tlie learned professions, ncglectcd and imperfect; hut the British officers have better manners, more extensive information, and more cultivated minds, than those of any army in the worid. I speak not of scientific attainments, for I helieve, the study of fortificatíon, gunnery, and military mathematics, is more general with' Frendi and foreign officers than our own. One notion, howcver, is very prevalent in England about the French army, which is exceedingly erroneous. It is thought, that theirmarshals, their generais, and chiefs of the staff) are almost always mathematicians, draftsmen, tnen of scicnce, and perfect tacticiaus. This is by no memis the case. Zeal, intrepidity, ready intelligence, fearlessness uhder responsibiHty, and a practical acquaintance with- \var> are the qualities, which have recommended, andlifletf to houourandrenown, thciuost

tlIE l'EX INSULA. 247'

distinguished offieers of Frãnce. Genius directs, science obeys. The man of a daring and intelligent mind eommands an anny ; the men of science labonr, unseen, in the lower departmcnts, and assist its operations. By their exertions, the face of a country is accurately mapped. Elevations and dis- tances are correctly given; bridges are constructed, military roads traced up the pathlcss mountain, and fortresses breached ; but, to decide upon tlic marcb, the assault, or tlie battle, belongs to the mind of a leader, to whom success with the cora- pass and the pencil may have been denied ; and, doubtless, abler draftsmen, and abler mathematicians than themselves, havc marcbed under the orders of a Wellington and a Napoleon.

Ou the 5th of July, the detachments of our division marched to rejoin the army. I must not leave Vittoria witliout remarking, tbat it is a very clean town, lias a very handsome square, excellent boúses, good sliops, and a well supplied market. The complexion of the inhabitants was much fairer than any I had before seen ; some of the women, indeed, had blúc eyes, and the brown haír and healthful check of our own countrywomen, whicli is not surprising, for tlie climate is cool and pleasant. The country, which \ve traversed, to Pampeluna, lias a bold and interesting charactef. You are constantly inoving through défiles. and amid mountains. In the, neighbourhood of tlie villagcs, tlie. eye rests with pleasurc- orj-yineyàrds

it 4

2+8 KEC0LLECT1O.VS OP

and corn-fields, overhanging each otiier on the sloping sides of the Joftiest heights, and streams and rivnlets sparkle ali around.

In a village aboutthree leaguesfiomPampehwa, where I passed the night, I met with a very fine man, a native of Arragon, and a Gtierrilla. He was wounded in the leg, and of coiirse for a time inca- pahle of service. The circnmstances of his situation, the fate of his family, and his language, will explain the iiatnre both of the formation andfeelings of many of these Guerrilla corps, better, perliaps, than a far longerand more detailed acconnt ofthem. I asked hhn where he lived, and .under whom hc served. " Senhor," said hc, " I have no home, no rclations, nothing save my eountry and my sword.

■My father was led out, and shot in the market- place of my native village ; our cottage was bnrned, my inother died of grief; and my wife, yrho had been violated by the enemy, fled to me, then a volunteer with Palafox, and dicd in my arais, in a hospital in Saragossa. I serve under no particular chief. I am too iniserabíe, I feel too revengeful to support the restraint of discipline and the delay of manceuvre. I go on any enterprize I hear of; if I am poor, on foot; if chance or pi under has made me ricli, on horseback ; I follow the boldest leader ; but I have sworn never to dress a vine or plough a field til! the enemy is driven ontof Spain." Suchwas the desperate, the undying hatred tp the French .-whicli many of these Guerrillas cherished—.a hatred

THK PENÍNSULA. 249

which often had its source in wrongs and losses like those I have related. I have often heard my prejudiced countrymen speak of tliese Giterrillas as irregular and lawless banditti, wlio ouly fought for, and who subsisted on, plundcr. It is trueihey did. subsist on plundcr, bnt it was the pluiuler of their enemies. They were not paid, and couki not live without support. Feelings, deadly feelings of revenge, drove them to excliange tíie plougli and the pruning-foook for the sword and the lance ; and as their free and haughty spirits rejected the idea of serving in the ranks as soldiers, in no way conld they give up their time to war, bnt hy pltiudering where they conqnered.

At the time I passed Pampehina, it was hlockaded by onr troops. It is the chief city of Navarre, and one of the finest and niost perfect fortresses in Spain. The road hy which onr detachments filed towards Villa Alba, ran along the face of a height witliin one mile of the place, and commanding a fine view both of the city and works. It was a summer afternoon ; there was uo stir, no bustle, no firing ; it was a scene of still life. There is something infinitely grand in that air of stern repose and warlike security, which hangs over tlie grey walls of a íbrmidable fortress, round wliich blockading foes lie idly in their scattered camps, and attempt nothing. Such was the aspect of Pampeluna: it frowned defiance, and was to be starved into sah- mission, I looked with uncómmon interest upon

25 Ú 1U2C0LI,ECTI0NS ÒF

this scene. Groups of people were promenading" the walls. Female figures leaníng fromthe balco- nies ; Frendi soldiers lay indolently stretched outon the glacis, and on the grass near them cattle were fceding, whilc the soundof the convent andchurch hells, conveyed the ideaof profound peacefulness.

In my hillet a little beyond Vil]alba, I met witli cxcellent treatment, and my host presented me with some fine wine, of a tawny forhidding colour, but of most exquisíte flavour. Our ronte írom hence to Ortíz was singularly bcautiful. There is a constant succession of verdant fertile valleys. Hcdges of myrtle, and a fine clear stream, whose banks are ali gaily and wildly decked with shrubs and flowers, give them a most rural and romantic character. It was painful, however, to sec, that wherever in the space, on cither si de of the roa d, the ground had been flat and covered with com, ali was trodden down by the marcli of the retiring French army. Between Ortiz and Lanz, tlie scenery is fine, and you pass a most magniíicent forest of oaks. From Lanz to Bcrroeta the road, which is diftícult and rocky, ascends a lofty mountain, so lofty, indeed, that Barretti says it is full as high as.MountCenisI "We were three hours descendirig to.Berroeta, by a narrow and broken road, by which, however, some Pprtuguese artillery, under the direction of.a most active andintelligent oflicer, did contrive to pass. When this was reported to the French officers, they were perfectly incredulous,:declaringthat theyliad

THE PENÍNSULA. 251

viewed tliat road as altogethcr irapassahle for guns; At Berroeta we entered the beautiful vale of Eli- zondo.or, as it is often called, San Esteran. It ex- tends about two leagues and a half, and is bonnded to the north by the Lower Pyrenees, which rise just above the village of Maya. The vale itself is so elevated that you are, perhaps, rather disappointed at first, hy the appearance of the mountains which surround you. They are; indeed, hold and grani), and their sídes are intersected hy numberless wild and rugged ravines; some of th em, too, have erests ofgrey and jagged rock; yet, again, the tops of 111 any are round, smooth, and verdant, and seem to invite ascent. We passcd through the small town of Elizondo, where the head-quarters of Lord Hill werc established; through that of Maya, the tlivi- síon head-quarters ; and striking oíF here to the right, ivith a guide sent from tiie regimen t, I pursued the path with my detaehment towards a lofty mountain, on the very summit of which, I discerned tlie white tentsof my corps, like small flakès of snow, lying still unineited on its top. I had now done with roads and vil)ages. The face of the country grew boi der every step. We moved up a path so perpendicular and rocky, that it was wonderful how amule with any burthen could make its way. For two hours and a half we toiled and toiled, til! at length the greeting shout of our comrades, who crowded round us with welcoming hands and voices, told us, Uiat rough and rugged as werc


these mountain-wilds, tliey contaiued foros a home.. I was not allowed a moment's repose. Two companions caught me by tlie hands, and hurryingme forward to au elevated spot a few huudred yards in front of our encampment, bade me» as a reward for my fatiguing mareh, look on the scene below me; and what a sccue of loveHness, cultivation, and verdure ! France lay stretched out beneatb us; our view was only bounded by tlie horizon. From the point at wfaicli we stood, the arid aud sandy deserts of tlie Landes were hid from us by a fine screen of mountain, wliilc the lovely plains of southern France, ali carpeted with com and pastore, woods and vineyards, lay spread before us, finely contrast- ing tlieir riclt produce and smiliug villages with the air of desolation, lonelhiess, and grandeur, that reigned more immediately around us ; for here the ehain of tlie Pyrenees was in part diseoverable. To the right, lofty peaks, white with the snows of ages, bold and varied in their fornis, and with hues ever changing, as the light or shadow rested on th em, rose ahove each other in rude majesty. Never was a nobler barrier plaeed hetweeu twonations hy thehand of Heaven, than this chain of the Pyrenees, againstwhose western point, the rough and restless waters of the J3ay of Biscay are ever íierecly beating, while the Mediterranean gently washes the feet of its eastern eliffs. It is trne these raountains are not so lofty as the Alps ; Mount Perdn, the highest of them, not being quite 12,000 feet above the

THE PENíNSULA. 253

levei of the sea. But like the Alps, they have their glaeiers, their icy caverns; likcthera aresubjcctto the avalanche, anti donbtless ali the wonders of nature, which have so charmed the visitors of Alpine scenery, would be met with in the central and eastern Pyrenees, were they as caref iilly explored. Our camp lay full seven thonsantl feet above the levei of the sea, but was quite free from snow, except here and there in some cleftsafewpatchesremained, nor were we, except towards the dawn of morning, at ali i n com mo de d by cold. The corps presented here a very novel appearance. From the great want of shoes, many of the men had been provided with the light henipen sanda), made and worn by the natives of this province, and well adapted to the steep and slippery heights by which they are surrounded; the becoraing cap, too, of these moun- taineers, was quite the fashion with our officers. Butthe natural grace and agilityof thefinely-formed raee of men whõ inhabit these mountain-vales, are not to be acquired by him wh o has been bom in cities, and nurtured on the plain. Their light- step in ascending the loftiest mountains, their activity in leaping froin one fragment of rock to another, as they cross the wild ravines and tumbling torrents which often intercept their path, and the secure, yet fearless rapidity of their course down the most dangerous steeps, are truly astonishing to the eye of a stranger:

From the vale of Elizondo there is a pass which


leads hy Maya, through the village of Urdax, into France ; and there are three moimtain-paths on the rigbt, callcd the Puertas de Aríete, Espcgne, and Lareta." With the defence of the Espeguc pass our corps was charged when I joined j and in a spot, about half a mile froin our camp, we daily mounted a strong picquet.

I shall never forget the rude path which led to it, or the happy days I passed there ; the dash of torrente and the scream of eagles were the only sounds heard in tliat wild region. At times, the picturesque figure of one of tlie herdsmen or hnnters of those solitudes was scen hurrying past, wh o smiled on and salutcd us. How wonderfully hath Providence ordered our desires, whcn it can make the mountaineer look from his barren portion of rock and snow, upon the golden vales heneath him without a sigh, and live contentedly a life of peril and privation, while one of comparative easc and plenty is oíFered to his choice; and, thus it is with us ali. He wh o lias a cultivated min d and a

s rich imaginatiori delights to travei, and store his min d with images, tlie recollcction of which may brighten his hours of retirement and reflection; but ask the Englishman, as he climbs the Alps, gazes on the Rhine, pauses amid the ruins of ancientltome, or views the splendid scenery of the Bay of Naples,—ask him iflie will become a dweller in any of th esc countries^r cwer—these countries, rich .in scen es which he contemplates., witli .en-

THE PENÍNSULA. 255

thhsiasin, and for which,in his own gloomy eliinate, lie may look in vain. He would laugh at the simplicity of the question. No ; the sarae power, which has allotted such smiling paths of creation to others, has girt in his own precions country witli roek and sea ; and lias, by a thousand advantages," endeared to hím a land,from the tame sceuery and clouded atmosphere of whieh, the tiatives of ro-* mantie Switzerland and hrilliant Italy would turn aside, aimostwith a feeling of disgnst.

In a very fcw days iny regiment clianged its ground for a bivouaek in front of the víllagc of Mayá. As we wound down the mountain, a friend told me an anecdote of Spanish conrage, which I liave pleasure in recording. In a skhmish witli the enemy, ou the 7tli of July, lie ohserved, tliat a peasant, armed only with a horse-pistol, had introduced himself among his skirmishers; seeino" that the" pistol couid not possihly take effeet, lie" thankcd him, praised him for Jus courace ' but advised him to go away. " Mascerca pue-' do mater?" (Can I kill nearer?) said the man / eagerly. " Si," said my friend smiling. The man iminediately ran considcrably in front of the line of skirmishers, flred, returned to load ao-ain, went forward, and continued so to %ht in company with onr inen ; eseaping, I rejoice to add, uni hurt. To this anecdote, I may add one of British generosity of sentiment: I heard a seetion of our men speaking ínterins of great admiratíon ofthe gallantry of a French officer, who, it seems, had

256 ItECOLLECTIONS OF

made himsclf very conspicuous in a late skirmish, in tryiiig to bring on his men. "I was sorry to see him drop, poor fellow," said one. " Ah l" sai d another, " he carne so close there was no missing him ; I did for him !" " Did yon ?" re- joiíied the first speaker; " by God, I could not have pulled a trigger at him. No j damn me, I like fair fighting and hot fighting; but ] could not single out such a man in cold hlood."

My regiment and the brigade now lay bivouaeked, for some time, in rear of the Maya heights ; anda steep and toilsome ascent of tvvo míles anda half separated us froin that part of the heights, with the defenee of which we were charged, and, on which, we daily mounted a picquet of eighty men. About one inile in rear of the picquet post lay the light companies of the brigade, as a post of communication and a support.

On the 25th of July, the enemy attacked and carried the pass ofMaya with an overwhelming force.

It was a day of brave confusion. It was a surprise, and it was not a surprise. It was one, because the nature of the country favoured the near approach and concealed advance of large bodies of the enemy ; and the troops who were destined to defend the right ofthese heights were two miles and a half distant, and had not time to arrive and form. Only one regiment, in fact, arriving at ali in sufficient time to fight on the important ground ;

THE PEXIXSDLA. ■■257

-ai)d th is corjis, breathlcss with exertion, and cn- gaging by gronps, as they ca me up. Again, it was not a snrprise, beca use no afláirwns ever ntorc xcgnlarly opened and contcsted by tlic picqnet and light conipanics, than that of tlie 25th of July. It was not a day to be casily fbrgottcn by me; íòr it tlirew ine into tlie hands of the eiieniv, and d is- .appointed nte of tlie liononr of marching nnder Brittsh colónia, íearlcssly, nay, tritinipliantly, dis- .played into some of thefinest provinccs of soutbcrn France. Sueli a day ofmy lifc 1 shail give as one of strangc recollectiòns.

Tt was a pi casa nt arbonr on tlie banks of a mountain strcani, tliat 1 breakfasted on that very moming (ayc, jnid 1 well remembcr, with a volume of the Rambler íòr a companion). At soven o'c]ock, I rclieved tlie picqnet on tlie May a Heights, and learncd from tlie captain of'it, tliat !ic bati secn a gronp of horscand a cokimn of troops, pass along tlie fiicc of a distant liill, at dawn, and disappear. T reqnested liim to make a special report of this wlien hc rcaclied thccamp, which lie did. A depuly quartermaster-generaf carne up soou aftcr; rode a littie in front, said, that tbere was, indeed, a small column discernible abont three miles off' .in a vale, but that it was only a cbange of bivonack, or some trifliug movement of no consequence.

] tliought othenvise, and the event proved 1 was not místaken. The liglil conipanics wcre, indeed,

s

258 UKCOLLF.CTIONS OF

ordercd up by th is officer, as a mcasurc of precaution ; how very wcak and insuffieient a one, will be seen. In less than two hours, my picquct and tlic light companies werc hcavily engaged witli thc cncray*s advanee, which was composcd entirely of voltigeur companies, unincumbcrcd by knapsacks, and led by a cboscn officer. Thesc fellows fouglit witli ardour, but we disputcd our gronnd with tliem bandsomely, and caused tlicm severc loss; nor liad wc lost tlie position itself, though driven from thc advances of it, whcn joined by tbc bastily arriving grou]>s of thc rigbt corps of our brigade, (my oxvn regimenf).

The enemy's nurabers now, howcver, increased cvery momento they covered the country iinmc- diately in front of, and aronnd, us. Thc sinuosities of thc monntains, thc ravincs, tlie water-courses, wcre filled with thcir advaneing and ovcrwhelming force.

The contest now, if contest it could be callcd, was very uncqual j and, of coursc, short and bloody. I saw two-tliirds of my picqnct, and numbers,hoth of the light companies and my own regiinent, destroycd. Among othcr bravc victiins, onr captain of grenadiers nobly fell, covered with wounds; our coloncl desperately wonndcd, and inany others j and sur- viving th is carn age, was mysclf ma de prisoner. 1 owe thc preservaiian of a life, about which I íelt, in that irritating moment, regardless, to the inter- ference of a FrenelS officer, wh o beat up tlie

T11E PENíNSULA. 259

mtiskets of his leading section, already levellcd íbr my destruction ; which must, (íbr I was within six or scvcn paces of tliem,) have annihilatcd me. This noble féllow, with some speech about " uti François sait respecter les bravos," embraced me, and bade an orderly conduet ine to Connt d'Erlon.

Tlie col u m ti by wliich I was taken was composed of the Stli and 75 th regimen Is of the Frendi line, Good God! how sudden a cliange! A minute before I liad been uttering, and listening to the cry of " forward ;" now I hcard ali aiound me " en avant," "en avant," "vive Napoléon," " vive 1'Empereur," I was in the mi d st of these men; they passed me hurried, and roughly. None insultcd, none attempted to plunder me. Bitt in a ravinc, full of rascai !y sculking stragglers, wlio are always the cowards and phmderevs of an arniy, i was robbed by the very fellow, wh o, willing to leave the fight, liad volunteered to conduet me. Tlie appea rance of some slightly-woiinded inen retuming froin the front, and of a serjwint-major, caused him lo rim off' witli liis booty, and by the serjeant-major I was condncted to Connt d'Erlon, who was on horsebaek, on a commanding height ncar, surrotinded by a large group of staff officers, " Un capitam e Anglois, general," sai d my con- diictor. The count took offhis hat instantly, and spoke to uie in a manner tlie most delicate, and the most flaltering, asking no questions, bnt compli-

s 2

IGd nF.cor.r.ECTioKs DP

menti ng híghly the bravc, resistance which had been oflercd to him.

ít was a strangc sccnc — Frendi faces and.tmi- forms allnronnd me; and two columns of his reserve halted-jnst bel li ml him. They were not here ilisarmed, ragged, looking spiritlcss, or affbcting" misplaced gaictv. Their clothing wasnearly new, their appointments exccllent, and tlieir wliole appearance clean, steady, and soldier-Iike.

One of the ofHcers of the counfs staff' dis- moimted, and oflercd me "la goiítte" from liis-

.leathern bottle, which I declined. The eneiny snffered scvcrely; slightly-wonnded men were passing- every minute, and 011 the face of the heights lay very many of the killed and scvcrely wonndcd. Sm ali parti es of the English prisoners, too,.inight be secn bringing in from the lcft of the Alava Heights, and from the rear, where they still contended inahravc,disjointed maimer^vitliont snpport. The coiint soon disniisscd me, saying he had no horsc to ofrer me, bnt that the town wbitbcr he had ordercil the prisoners was not very distout; and, tnrning to the serjeant-major, he bade him condnct bimself towards the English oflicers takcn, (for two otbers were brought np while I was with him) as he wonld to Frenchmen of the samc rank.

In the rear of the colinnn of reserve, ali the English token were collected; and bera I met a br ot li cr ofhcer, a liciitenant of onr ligbt companv.

TIIE PRN INSULA. '<>Gl

who had mnch distingui si íed himself throughont the ilay, and was takcn in anotlier pait of tlie fiel ti, and not many minutes after íny ca|)titrc. He was my ir> ost in ti ma te and valued frieml, and mceting him uiuler stich circtimstances overcame me. I slied tears. " ltcgardez donc," said a vulgar-looking French officer, who was observing us, " re- gardez comme ils sont des enfans ces Anglois; ils plenrent." " Ali, mon ami," said liis companion, " vous ne connoissez pas les Anglois: ces ne sont pas les 1 armes de Penfancc qi^ils versent."

Otir party now set forward, condtieted and folio wed by but few; for as there was no ])0ssibility of escape, we were giiidcd rather than escorted. There were 140 Fnglish in ali, hut not more than 40 of any one regiment, and only íbur oflicers. As we passed along, we inet more French troops coming-up along the narrow moiintain roa d. None of the soldiers offered to insnlt us; many of the officers indeed salutcd ns, thongh here and there a decorated officer smoothed his mustachoes as he looked upon us, with an a ir of impatient brnsquerie. It was quite amusing to see the rapidity with which a lie had been framed, and passed down their files. Mysclf, and one of the oflicers takcn as battation offieers, wore epaulettes of bullion. As the leading sections of tliis French brigado passed ns, we hcard th em say, " deux cliefs de hataillon prisonniers;" but, as the rear carne up, they were crying otit " eu avant," " 1'afíàire va bieii"—

262 RliCOLLECTIOXS OF THE PENÍNSULA.

"deiix bataillons priscs aux ennemis." It was in. vain I said "Je ne suis que capitamc;" still the cry ran, " vive Napoléon," " deux bataillons prises aax ennemis."—"Battrc une fbis ces Auglois ce seroit un plaisir," muttered an eldcrly-looking, hard-fcatured colonel, as lie passed us, bowing gravcly, unconscious, no doubt, that we understood this nega tive acknowledgment of our past and repeated suecesses.

THE END.

Losnos : Trinlcd by A. & R. Spoltísuoodc,

Ncw-Strccu&iunrc.

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