an event which would soon be unavoidable; in his dispatches home, dis suaded the government from sending out reinforcements, and desired that transports might be ready, at Lisbon and at Vigo, to receive the troops; being fully persuaded that the efforts of England could be of no avail, and that it would be necessary to evacuate the peninsula.

He left Salamanca on the 12th. On the same day, Lord Paget, with the principal part of the cavalry, marched from Toro to Tordesillas; and General Stuart surprised and cut off a party of French who were posted at Rueda. This was the first encounter between the British and French in Spain; and the prisoners all declared that it was universally believed the English army had retreated. On the 14th, when Sir John was at Alaejos, a packet of letters, from the head-quarters of the French army, was brought to him. Some peasantry had killed the officer who had them in charge. Among them was a letter from Berthier to Marshal Soult, directing him to take possession of Leon, drive the enemy into Galicia, and make himself master of Benevente and Zamora. He would have no English in front, it was said; for every thing evinced that they were in full retreat. A movement had been made to Talavera, on the road to Badajoz, which must compel them to hasten to Lisbon, if they were not already gone; and when they had retired, the emperor thought Soult could do whatever, he pleased. It appeared, from this letter, that Soult had two divisions with him at Saldanna; that Junot was collecting another at Burgos; and that another, under Mortier (Duke of Treviso,) had been ordered to march against Zaragoza.

Sir John Moore had intended to march to Valladolid, but seeing that Soult was stronger than had been represented, he thought it better to move to Toro, and unite his army there, Baird doing the same at Beneverte, from whence the two corps might be joined, either by a forward or flank movement, and strike a blow against Soult, before that general should be reinforced. The cavalry, under Lord Paget, were pushed so forward, that their patroles reached as far as Valladolid; and frequent skirmishes took place, in all of which the British displayed that superiority, which, whenever a fair opportunity is given them, they are sure to maintain. In one of these actions, a French officer of chasseurs was cut down. His cloak-bag was found to contain a silver ewer and bason, beaten close together, for more convenient packing, the handles of some silver knives and forks, a great many trinkets plundered from the churches, and an embroidered jacket, with the badge of the legion of honour. Most of our wounded were cut in the head, owing to their fantastic caps, which were worse than useless; for they afforded no protection to the wearer, and by absorbing the rain, being partly made of pasteboard, became almost unbearable in wet weather. The French helmets were not heavier, though lined with a hoop of iron, and protecting the side of the face, either with chain or bar work. On the 20th, the commander-in-chief reached Majorga, where Sir David Baird joined him. The British forces were now united : they amounted to 23,000 infantry, and about 2,300 cavalry, besides some small detachments left to keep up the communications. On the following day, the

head-quarters were advanced to Sahagun: the weather was severe, the roads bad, and covered with snow; and as the soldiers had suffered a great deal from forced marches, the general halted, that they might recover. A co-operation was also completely concerted here between the British and Romana, who was collecting the wreck of Blake's army at Leon. They were in a miserable state,-badly armed, and worse clothed, but they might occupy the attention of a part of the enemy's force, and, if they were defeated, would prove active in completing his destruction.

Soult had concentrated his troops, to the amount of 18,000 men, behind the river Carrion: every arrangement was made for attacking him, and orders were issued accordingly, never more welcome to a British army. The convents in Sahagun were prepared for the reception of the wounded; and the soldiers confidently anticipated a glorious vietory. Their general was less sanguine. "The movement I am making," he said to Mr Frere," is of the most dangerous kind. I not on. ly risk to be surrounded every moment by superior forces, but to have my communication with Galicia intercepted. I wish it to be apparent to the whole world, as it is to every individual of the army, that we have done every thing in our power in support of the Spanish cause, and that we do not abandon it until long

after the Spaniards had abandoned us." The truth is, that nothing had been done for the Spanish cause. This, indeed, was not imputable to Sir John Moore; it was not his fault that the army had been sent too late, and to the wrong part of Spain; nor was it his fault that many of the 27,000 Frenchmen who ought to have been cut off in Portugal, were at this time between Vittoria and Burgos, under their old general, rapidly advancing against him: but he was disgusted with the misconduct of the Spanish government, and he had no faith in the patriotism of the people: his own judgment would have led him to fall back from Salamanca; and he only advanced because he knew what would be the feelings of the English public, if its army had retired without attempting any thing. Offended with Mr Frere, for having given his opinion, when he himself had asked it, he did not deem the wise suggestion of that minister, as to making a stand at Astorga, worthy of consideration. It was at once rejected, as futile; and he advanced against this detachment ofthe French, "bridle in hand," as he himself expressed it," and expecting to have a run for it,"-not thinking that any possible benefit could result from a victory, but seeking an excuse which might appear valid to the people of England, for evacuating the peninsula, and leaving Spain and Portugal to their fate.

Ar the hour appointed, Dec. 23. the whole force was under arms, the right column had begun its march, and the rest were in high spirits, expecting the word of command:-just at this time came a letter from Romana, with intelligence that the French were advancing from Madrid, either to Valladolid or Salamanca; and information to the same purport was received by other messengers, and also, that considerable reinforcements had arrived at Carrion from Palencia. Orders were immediately issued that the troops should go back to their quarters, and by day-break next morning, be again under arms. "In my life," says one who heard the order, "I never witnessed such an instantaneously-withering effect upon any body of living creatures! A few murmurs only were heard, but every countenance was changed, and they who, the minute before, were full of that confidence which ensures victory, were at once deprived of all heart and hope." The next

morning, General Hope fell back to Majorga, on the road to Benevente, with his own division and with Ge neral Fraser's. Sir David Baird was ordered to pass the river at Valencia; and, on Christmas-day, the commander-in-chief followed General Hope, with the reserve and the light brigades; and the cavalry, under Lord Paget, followed the reserve on the 26th. Sir John Moore had made up his mind to lose some of his bag. gage, and not to fight, if he could avoid it. Astorga was to be his rallying point: there he informed Romana he should stand, as his retreat from thence, if necessary, would be secure, and he should be in the way to receive the supplies and the reinforcements which he expected from England. At the worst, he could defend himself, and, with Romana's aid, defend Galicia." You may rest assured," he added, "that I shall not retreat a foot beyond what is necessary to secure my supplies from being intercepted." But his dis patches from Benevente, on the 28th,

show that this intention, if it had ever been seriously entertained, was abandoned. His force, he said, when he reached Astorga, would be about 27,000: Romana could not have above 8,000. The troops moving against him he estimated at not less than 50,000; and it was said that Buonaparte himself was coming, with 10,000 of his guards. His intention was not to stop longer at Astorga than to secure the stores, and then retreat to Villa Franca, where he had been told there was a position. Romana had intimated to him, some time ago, his intention of retiring into Galicia by this route, but Sir John begged it might be left open to the English, as being the only communication they had for their retreat or supplies.

From the 22d to the 24th, Soult received such reinforcements as made his army superior to the British. Junot had advanced to Palencia, and threatened their right flank. Buonaparte was hastening on in person from Madrid, with his imperial cavalry, and all the disposable force in that quarter. The force under Lefebvre (Duke of Dantzic) was counter-ordered from the road to Badajoz, and directed towards Salaman

ca.

Of the numbers that were advancing against him, Sir John Moore was not informed; and so little idea was there of flying when he began his retreat, that it was determined to carry off the prisoners which had been taken, and they were accordingly stowed in covered waggons. A thaw came on the day when they first fell back, and on the following it rained heavily, without intermission: the soil in that part of the country is a heavy loam, and the roads were above a foot deep in clay. The proclamations of the French

travelled faster than the British army: these were, as usual, full of promises which would not be fulfilled, and menaces which would. They were come, they said, to deliver Spain; to emancipate the people from the yoke of a tyrannical nobility and a fanatic priesthood. All persons who remained quiet in their houses, or who, having forsaken them, speedily returned, should receive no injury; but otherwise, all that belong. ed to them should be confiscated. Unhappily, the conduct of our people now began to give effect to these hand-bills. The soldiers were indig nant with the Spaniards, for, their apparent supineness; they were exasperated by the conduct of some poor wretches, whose carts had been pressed to carry the sick and wounded, and who, as many of them as could, had taken their mules, and run away in the night, partly from natural selfishness, still more because the movements of a retreating army exposed themselves to imminent danger, and their beasts to certain destruction. Weary and disheartened, in want of rest and of food, disappointed of their confident hopes of victory, and indignant at turning their backs upon an enemy whom they would so eagerly have met in the field, it was a relief to them to give vent to these feelings, in the shape of anger, upon the only objects within their reach. In this temper they began to plunder and commit havoc wherever they went; and the officers, many of whom already murmured at the rapidity of their retreat, and were discontented with the total silence which the commanderin-chief maintained respecting his future measures, did not exert themselves as they ought to have done, to prevent these excesses.

Sir David Baird, who took the shorter line to Astorga, by way of Valencia, effected his march without molestation. The sick and wounded, following the same track, halted at the latter place, to pass the night. Hardly were they provided Dec. 26. with the necessary food, and laid to rest, before the alarm was sounded, and they were again hurried into the waggons. The night was cold, misty, and exceeding dark, and the Ezla was to be forded, some little distance from the town. The ford is dangerous, because of the rapidity of the stream, occasioned by two narrow banks of shingles, which form an angle in the middle; and at this time the river was fast rising, from the melting of the snow upon the mountains. A serjeant's guard had been left by Sir David Baird on the opposite bank, to assist the waggons in passing, and skuttle two ferry-boats, when they had effected their passage. They kindled a fire with grass and rushes, for the sake of its light, but the materials were wet, and the wind soon extinguished it. A Spanish muleteer attempted to cross, to guide them over the ford his mule tript in the mid stream, he was thrown, and saved by a soldier, when just in the act of sinking. Perilous, however, as the ford was, the passage was accomplished, without other loss than that of some baggage-waggons, which broke down.

Sir John Moore, meantime, with the other division of the army, reached Benevente, and there found it necessary to issue general Dec. 27. orders, which reflected severely upon the conduct

both of his men and officers. "The misbehaviour of the column which had marched by Valderas exceeded," he said, "what he could have

believed of British soldiers. He could feel no mercy towards officers who neglect, in times like these, essential duties, nor towards soldiers who disgrace their country, by acts of villainy towards the people whom they are sent to protect. Alluding then to the discontent which was manifested at the hurry of the retreat, and the mystery which was thrown over their proceedings, he said it was impossible for the general to explain to his army the MOTIVES of the movements which he directed; he could, however, assure them, that he had made none since he left Salamanca which he did not foresee, and was not prepared for; and, as far as he was a judge, they had answered the purposes for which they were intended. When it was proper to fight a battle he would do it, and he would chuse the time and place which he thought most fit. In the mean time, he begged the officers and men of the army to attend diligently to discharge their parts, and leave to him, with the general officers, the decision of measures which belonged to them alone." Strong as this language was, it had no effect, and the havoc which had been committed at Valderas was renewed at Benevente. The castle there is one of the finest monuments of the age of chivalry; we have nothing in England which approaches to its grandeur;-Berkeley, Raby, and Windsor are poor fabrics in comparison. With Gothic grandeur, it has all the wildness of Moorish decoration; open galleries, where Saracenic arches are supported by pillars of porphyry and granite; cloisters, with fountains playing in their courts; jasper columns and tesselated floors, niches, alcoves, and seats in the wall, over-arched in various forms, and enriched with every