had passed through the town of Lugo. At Madrid, November the 23rd, was published the following proclamation: " Spaniards,the central junta of the government of the kingdom, after having taken all measures in its power to defeat the enemy, who, continuing his attacks, has advanced into the neighbourhood of Sornosa, addresses you for the purpose of putting you on your guard against the intrigues with which the perfidious agents of Napoleon endeavour to alarm and deceive you, by increasing the number of the enemy's troops, who hardly amount to 8,000 men, according to the report of the general whom the junta hascharged with the defence of the important post of Guadarama." The letter of the marquis of Castellar, sent to Berthier in the morning of the 4th, produced a peremptory summons to surrender imme. diately. In the evening of the same day, Don Thomas Morla and Don Bertrando Yriatewaited on Berthier, and were introduced by him to Buonaparté: who told them, with a stern countenance, and in a decided tone of voice, that if the city did not tender its submission by five or six o'clock next morning, it would be taken by assault, and every one found with arms in his hands put to the sword. The Spanish troops in Madrid were sent off in the dead of night, by the gates of Segovia and Tudela.

Buonaparte, with affected magnanimity, extended his clemency to the degraded deputation from the junta. To conceal their concert with him, and at the same time to gratify his splenetic humour, he cunningly taunted Morla for his former perfidy in breaking the capitulation with Dupont. "The English," said he," are not renowned

for good faith; but having agreed to the convention of Cintra, they observed it." Morla's fortune and military rank were preserved to him. The same indulgence was shewn to his associates, who having joined him in betraying their country, did not disdain to live under the protection of the usurper. Morla, in a circular letter addressed to the Andalusians, endeavoured to draw them over to the side of king Joseph; who, he told them, was a man of great mildness and humanity of disposition.

Buonaparté addressed a manifesto to the Spanish nation, in which he promised them all good things if they received Joseph for their king sincerely and with all their heart. If not, he would put the crown on his own head, treat them as a conquered province, and find another kingdom for his brother; for God had given him both the inclination and the power to surmount all obstacles.

The troops that had fled from the Puerto, or gate of Guadarama, having arrived, on the 3rd of December, almost under the walls of Madrid, demanded with loud cries to be led to its defence. Their commander, Count St. Juan, who opposed so dangerous an attempt, was massacred.

Though the prerogatives of nature may be often neglected for ages, in the progress of time and events they are asserted sooner or later. Long had men of general views and speculation regretted that so fair a portion of the globe, so abundant in all the necessaries and even luxuries of life, and so well situated for the commerce of the world, as South America, should be suffered to languish under a shortsighted system of tyranny and op.

pression.

pression. The grand interest excited by the state of Spain in 1808, was, the consideration that it would in all probability sever the mother country from the colonies, and open a new theatre on theother side of the Atlantic,thatwouldchange the politicsand improve the condition of the world. The balance of Europe being overthrown, it was a consolation to look to a balance on a grand scale: a balance of the world. It was not indeed the contemplation of a magnificent order of affairs that at first aroused the Spanish colonies to the exercise of their faculties, but that ardent devotion to the mo⚫ narch, by which the Spaniards are particularly distinguished, and in dignation against his cruel and perfidious oppressor. But it was easy to foresee, that the great Spanish continent in America with the adjacent isles, forced into a situation in which it was under a necessity of governing and acting for itself, would never return to such state of dependance and dejection as that under which it had laboured for centuries, even though king Ferdinand should be restored to his throne, which became every day less and less probable.

The central junta, in conformity with the uniform intentions of the central juntas,declared thatthecolonies in Asia and America should not be considered as dependent provinces, but enjoy all the privileges of the metropolis and mothercountry. This wasalsodeclared in the new constitution framed for Spain by Buonaparté.

In the Canaries, in Mexico, and the Floridas, Cuba and the other islands, and throughout the whole of South America, every Spaniard, as if animated by the same soul, breathed the same sentiments of devotion to the king and detestation

of the monster who wished to usurp his throne. The vengeance of many,as is natural in burning climates, would have been wreeked on unoffending individuals of the French nation. In the Floridas the French were so apprehensive of falling victims to the vengeance of the Spaniards, that they fled with their effects into the territories of the United States. But the modera. tion, wisdom, and justice of men in authority, restrained the fury of the populace. The proclamations of the Spanish governors in the colonies, for sense, reason, and justice equal those of old Spain, and for a fervent eloquence, perhaps even exceed them. The proclamation of Marcius Somernelos, commander in chief of the land forces, and governor of the isles of Cuba, in a proclamation 18th of July, exhorts the natives to repress the natural impetuosity of their character, and to let the peaceable French who had sought an asylum amongst them from oppression, find protection. The marquis of Villa Vicensis,commander in chief of the marine, in one of the same date, says, "Let us swear that if every Spaniard in our mother country should fall, which ought not and cannot be feared, Spain, notwithstanding this, shall not cease to exist. Is not this country also Spain? Are not we also Spaniards? And shall not Ferdinand VII and his successors reign over us?-Remember!-The French in Cuba are not mercenary assassins! Not servants or subjects of Napoleon." General Linieres, governor of Buenos Ayres, a Frenchman, in his proclamation upon the state of affairs, after recommending concord, said, "Let us imitate the example of our ancestors in this happy land, who wisely escaped the disasters

that

that afflicted Spain in the war of the succession,byawaiting the fate of the mother country, to obey the legitimate authority occupying the sovereignty." Hostilities were every where else declared against France, and the most liberal and prompt contributions remitted to the patriots in Old Spain. This year the French were driven out of the islands of Porto Rico, Deseada, and Marie Galante.

The great affairs of Europe in 1808 are exhibited in the contest between Spain and Portugal, with their ally Great Britain, on the one part; and the ruler of France, aided by his vassal princes and kings, on the other. The annals of other countries sink almost into provincial history. What is most prominent and important in the history of Spain, Great Britain, and France, during that period, has been seen in the present narrative. To what concerns France, however, it may be proper to add, that in the beginning of the year Buonaparté, as a preparation for the farther extention and consolidation of his empire, annexed to France, and took possession of the military posts of Kehl, Wesel, Cassel on the Rhine, and Flushing. It was probably with similar views that he established and endowed a Greek bishoprick in Dalmatia. The state of the French empire in its internal as well as external relations, as exhibited by the ministers of Buonaparté, will be found in another part of this volume.* Such papers, notwithstanding their false colouringandmisrepresentation of facts, disclose the spirit and views

* State Papers, p. 553.

of government. The most remarkable article in the statement is the creation of hereditary nobility, which is declared to be essential in an hereditary monarchy. The main drift of Buonaparté, in his internal regulations, seems to be to root out all memorials of liberty, and to esta blish in France a despotic government, a military costume, and a military spirit. Sweden in the beginning of the year might have made her peace with France and Russia. The king, with the general voice of the nation, chose a braver, but more impolitic part. After the basest attempts on the part of the Russians, tutored, it would seem, in the school of their allies the French, to seduce the Swedish nation from their allegiance to their king, and their duty to their country,† and a rapid succession of the most sanguinary battles, where the Swedes were bending, and ready to fall, never to rise again, under the overwhelming power of Russia, the Swedish government signedaconvention on the 7th of November, by which Finland, the granary of the kingdom, was virtually given up to Russia. The heroic king of Sweden was not deserted in this extremity of fortune by his ally, Britain. Á naval force under admiral Keats drove the Russian squadrons into their ports, where they were held in a state ofblockade. A land force of 10,000 men, under the command of Sir John Moore, was sent in the month of May to assist Sweden, against a combined attack from Russia, France, and Denmark. On the 17th of May, this army reached Gottenburgh,

Gottenburgh, but was not permitted to land. Sir John Moore repaired to Stockholm to communicate his orders, and to concert measures for the security of Sweden. He there found, to his surprise, that though the Swedish army was quite insufficient for even defensive operations, his majesty's thoughts were wholly intent on conquest. It was first proposed, that the British should remain in theirships, till some Swedish regiments should be collected at Gottenburgh, and that the combined forces should land, and conquer Zealand. Upon an examination of the plan, it was found and admitted, that the island of Zealand, besides several strong fortresses, contained a regular force, far superior to any that could be brought to bear against it and also, that the island of Funen was full of French and Spanish troops, which could not be prevented from crossing over in small parties. It was next proposed that the British alone should land on Finland, storm a fortress, and take a position there. But Sir John Moore represented, that ten thousand British troops were wholly insufficient to encountertheprincipal force of the Russian empire, which could quickly be brought against them at a point so near Petersburgh. -Sir John escaped from the resentment of his Swedish majesty in disguise, and conformably to his instructions, brought back his little army to England. In consequence of the disastrous and menacing aspect of affairs in Sweden, Lewis XVIII of France, with the queen and the duchess of Angoulême, took refuge, in the month of August, in England.

As the Russians acquired an extension of territory on the one hand

by the acquisition of Swedish Fin land, they still kept a steady eye on the long-meditated project of extending their empire to the Bosphorus, by the acquisition of Moldavia, Wallachia, and Bessarabia, The number of their troops in Moldavia and Wallachia, in the autumn of 1808, was raised to upwards of 80,000 men. To face these, a great number of Turkish troops marched from time to time from Constantinople and other places, to the Danube: and of these no inconsiderable number had been trained in the European manner, and taught the use of the bayonet. The reigning sultan had been deposed, and a new one placed on the throne, under the influence of Mustapha Bairactar, a rigorous, bold, and, for a Turk, an enlightened man. Notwithstanding the many examples of the destruction of those who attempted innovations, he dared, with an energy that showed no mercy, to give of fence to the janissaries, by the introduction of important regulations into the army, which he proceeded in new modelling, as well as increas. ing its numbers. He was equally attentive to the strength and improvement of the Turkish fleet. He demanded a certain number of hands, not only from all trading vessels, but also from fishing boats. The career of Bairactar, in proportion to its vigour and audacity, was of short duration on the 14th of November, at day-break, the janissaries fell upon the siemens, principal officers of the Nizommi Gedid,* and massacred all the partizans of the grand vizier that came in their way. The siemens were forced to submit, after a long resistance. On the 15th, the janissaries assaulted the high walls of the seraglio. Imme

diately