Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 19, Scripture-SUG

Spam.
184
itement
the
S P A
an oppofitlon to the meafures of Bonaparte
niards thould turn their eyes towards that nation, by
whom alone the ambitious views of that potentate had
been fuccefsfully combated. A peace and alliance with
Britain was evidently not only a meafure of policy, but
would afford them the moft effectual affiflahce in the
formidable druggie in which they were about to engage.
Accordingly, deputies were diipatched to Great Britain
from feveral of the provinces, to folicit the aid and
friendlhip of that country, and to concert meafures with
the Britifh miniftry for executing the plans which had
been contrived for freeing the kingdom from the French
yoke. The junta of Seville iffued a declaration of war
with France, and declared the Spani'h nation on terms
of peace and amity with Britain. The Spanith de¬
puties were empowered to folicit fupplies of arms, am¬
munition, clothing and money; but it wras thought that
a fupply of Britilli troops would be unneceffary, the
Spaniih patriots confidering themfelves as fully equal to
the defence of their country. The caufe of the Spanidi
patriots was eagerly embraced by the court of London,
and by the Britifli nation at large, and the moft adlive
meafures were quic kly taken to fend them effedlual aid.
While thefe preparations were making on the part of
the Spaniards, the French forces were collecting in
ench andgrea{- numbers, both on the frontiers, and in the neigh-
milb or‘bourhood of the capital. Above 25,000 men, under
the command of Beftieres and Laffoles, threatened the
provinces of Afturias and Bifcay, or occupied the plains
of Caftile. Ten thoufand men were fhut up in the
citadel of Barcelona ; and, to relieve them, a ftrong
body of French* troops had marched from the fron¬
tiers, and laid fiege to Zaragoza. A confiderable body
under General Moncey attacked the city of Valencia ;
while the grand duke of Berg, after having detached
General Dupont at the head of 20,000 men, to quiet
the infurreftion of the fouthern provinces, held Madrid
with about 15,000 troops. Junot, with about 25,000
men, had entered Portugal, and taken poffeffioh of the
capital. The whole French force at this time in Spain
cannot be computed at lefs than 100,000 men. Thefe
were oppofed by a very numerous, but undifcipliried
force, commanded by generals of acknowledged bra¬
very, but differing widely from each other in experience
and military prudence. General Palafox commanded
in Aragon ; General Caftanos in the fouthern provin-
181; ces ; and General Blake in the north.
I'ceffes The ftrft exertions of the Spanifh patriots were emi-
i nently fuccefsful, though they have been greatly exag¬
gerated in the newfpapers publifhed under authority of
the juntas. The harbour of Cadiz, which contained a
numerous and well-appointed fleet, was under the com¬
mand of the marquis de Solano, a man notorioufty at¬
tached to the French intereff ; and here lay a French
fleet, confifting of five (hips of the line and a frigate.
One of the firft: efforts of the patriots was, to obtain
poffeflion both of Cadiz and the French fleet, and in this
they completely fucceeded. Solano was arrefted and
put to death, and Don Morla was appointed in his
room. In the beginning of June the French fleet was
fummoned to furrender, and on the admiral’s refufal,
was furioufly attacked bv the batteries on fhore, and
obliged to capitulate. The force detached by Murat,
under Dupont, was attacked near Baylen on the
22d July by Major-general Reding, fecond in com-
sjjand under Caffanos, and after having been defeat-
4 •
pa.
its.
[ 52 S' 1 SPA
the Spa- ed, was compelled to furrender at diferetion. The Spain^
French force befieging Zaragoza, was repeatedly attack- '~~'i *
ed by General Palafox, and buffered coniiderable Ioffes,
while that city held out with the moft heroic bravery.
Perhaps there are few inftancesin the annals of modern
warfare, in which fuch perfevering and iuccefsful cou¬
rage has been difplayed, as by the defenders of Zara¬
goza. All the means of attack which were in poffeffion
of the French, directed by the {kill with which their
long experience and iuccefs had fupplied them, were
made ufe of. The inhabitants were obliged continually
to be upon their guard, and to be prepared to refill the
moft unexpefted and feeret, as well as the moft open
and violent aflaults. The city was frequently bombard¬
ed in the middle of the night, at the fame time that the
gates were attempted to be forced, under cover of the
{hells. More than once the French got into fome
parts of the town; but they were received with fo much
coolnefs and bravery, that they were never able to pre-
ferve what they had with fo much difficulty and lofs
acquired. The women vif'd with their hufbands, funs,
and brothers, in the difplay of patriutifm and contempt
of danger: regardlefs of the hre of the enemy, they
ruftied into the very middle of the battle, adminifter-
ing fupport and refreftiment to the exhaufted and wound¬
ed, and animating, by their exhortations and example,
all ranks to fuch a difplay of firmnefs and bravery as
long fecured this important city. When it is recol-
ledled, that the attacks of the French were numerous
and varied, that they were conftantly repeated with
frefh, and generally with increafing forces, and that the
foie defence of the city retted with its fpirited inhabi¬
tants and the army of Palafox; fome idea may be formed
of the difficulties they muff have undergone and fur-
mounted, and of the glory to which they are fo juftly
entitled. The patriots had gained poffeflion of moft of
"the tea ports in the bay of Bifcay, and headed by the
biffiop of St Anderp, repulled the French in feveral at¬
tacks. The French force under General Moncey was
alfo repulfed before Valencia, and the patriots vvere
equally fuccefsful in feveral other quarters ; fo that by
the end of July there did not remain above 40,000
French forces within the Spanifti territory. iStf
In the meantime preparations were making at Madrid Arrival and
for the reception of the new fove reign Jofeph ; and Murat,
under pretence of ill health, quitted the capital, to give
way to the brother of his mailer. Jofeph Bonaparte
arrived at Madrid in the latter end of July, with a
guard of 10,000 men ; but foon after his arrival the
news of the defeat and capitulation of Dupont reached
Madrid, and threw the new court into the utmoft con-
fternation. They underftood that the victorious army
of Caftanos was on its march towards the capital; and if
he did not fpeediiy retire from fo dangerous a poiition,
King Jofeph dreaded either falling into the hands of the
conqueror of Dupont, or of being intercepted in his re¬
treat by the army of General Blake. In this fituation
lie.found himfelf under the neceflity of quitting the ca¬
pital which he had fo lately entered, and before the end
of the month he had reached Burgos m his precipitate
flight towards the frontiers. Thus, within the fpace
of two months, did the people of Spain behold their
country almoft entirely freed from the prefence of the
French ; and this glorious and happy iffue had been
brought about bv their own intrepidity. At a time
when their fituation was the moll difpiriting and for¬
lorn :