the bulk of the people were borne down by tyranny, and impoverished by exactions; but even there the remains of the patriot armies, uniting into bands, kept alive the spirit of resistance. Agriculture and manufactures, the labors of peace, were negJected; the people tilled the ground with reluctance, because they knew their oppressors were to reap the fruits of their toils. No conciliation could obliterate from the minds of the Spaniards the remembrance of the wrongs which the French had heaped upon them; no offers of fraternity could assuage the antipathy which a sense of those wrongs had created. Degraded as they had been by the influence of a despotism in the last stage of corruption and decay, their national pride could ill brook the proposal of a change to be effected by a power which had profited by that corruption and had taken advantage of that decay. They had submitted patiently to domestic tyranny but they could not bend to a foreign yoke. Animated by these high feelings they wanted a leader to direct their energies, and to organize their means of resistance; they wanted a chief endowed with wisdom and intrepidity to preside in their councils and to combine their exertions for the deliverance of their country. A consciousness of this want embarrassed them and gave confidence to their enemy. Napoleon had pledged himself to the world that he would subdue Spain, for he felt assured that his vast and well constituted force was more than adequate to overwhelm a nation whose armies were unskilled in war, and destitute of the means necessary to enable them to act in concert. But the junta of Seville at the beginning of the contest perceived that the real strength of Spain lay in her people and not in her armies. The central junta understood the importance of that irregular and universal warfare for which the nature of the country and the character of the Spaniards were equally adapted. Every day some post of the invaders was surprized, some escort or convoy cut off, some plundering party put to death, booty was recovered, despatches were intercepted, and vengeance was taken

by the destruction of their merciless invaders. In every part of Spain leaders started up, who collected around them small but determined bands of followers. In one El Pastor, the shepherd, was the leader, in another it was El Medico the doctor; El Manco the cripple headed one of these bands, the potter El Cantarero another, and Francisquite or Little Francis became as famous over the whole of Spain for his exploits against the invaders of his country, as Little John in our own for the havoc which he made among the king's deer. Don Juan Martin the Empecinado from the mountains of Guadalaxara, carried his arms far and wide, baffled all the efforts of the French in Madrid, and alarmed Joseph for his safety. He acquired the name of Empecinado, because when his whole family had been murdered by the French, after the women had endured horrors worse than death, in the first agony of grief he smeared himself with pitch, as the Jews were accustomed to strew ashes on their heads, and vowed never to cease from seeking vengeance while a single Frenchman remained alive in Spain. That vow he bravely performed during a long career of dauntless enterprize. Eight of his men were taken in the Guadarrama mountains and nailed to the trees as a warning to their comrades. He nailed the same number of Frenchmen to the same trees, and Bessieres found it necessary to propose that the prisoners should be treated according to the custom of civilized nations. A Spaniard of the name of Rigo after affecting great zeal in the patriotic cause, fled to Madrid, obtained a considerable appointment under the intruder, and became a persecutor of all who were suspected of corresponding with the patriots. The Empecinado obtained intel ligence that he was soon to be married, and that the marriage would be celebrated at a house near Madrid. During the wedding feast the Guerilla chief appeared at the head of a sufficient band in the court yard, and demanded that Rigo should be delivered up to him, assuring the guests that no injury should be done to any other of the party. The unhappy traitor was

The mark could not be effaced, and became in the existing state of public feeling, the severest of all punishments. His example was imitated by the rest of the Spanish chieftains. The common ex pression of the French who returned to their own country, was, "the Spaniardsare not men, but devils." One of the intercepted letters stated, that if a straggler. fell into the hands of the peasantry, they pricked him to death with their knives.. Revenge so merciless, however it may be regretted by the friend of humanity, was natural to a people whose liberty was me-naced, whose property was confiscated or destroyed, whose domestic happiness was. invaded, and whose dearest feelings were wantonly insulted; their wives devoted to the libidinous violence of the soldier, their virgins sacrificed to the brutal sen suality of the officers, and their children pierced by the bayonet, or dashed to pieces on the floor. At La Morta Del Cuervo, they ript open alive one of the most respectable females of the place;: and during the whole night, the church in which the women had sought an assylum. was made a scene of horror which decency forbids me to describe. After the massacre at Madrid, some French officers, observing that the mistress of the house in which they were quartered was in great distress,. affected with flippant cruelty to console her, made her the subject of their jests,. and pressed her and her daughter to drink. with them. She sent her daughter for a bottle, and both the women pledged them first in its contents.. The officers, five in number, drank after them, and then she exclaimed in an agony of passionate and dreadful joy, "We are revenged at last.. You murdered my husband, you murdered my son, and you have worse than murdered my daughter, but you have not an hour to live." In this manner throughout, the whole of the invaded country, were avenged. the atrocities of Ucles, Gerona, and Saragossa..

surrendered, and escorted to Cadiz, where he was executed in the public square. Joseph himself narrowly escaped a fate like that of Rigo. He was dining at La Alameda, six miles from Madrid, on the road to Guadalaxara, with Belliard and some females of equivocal character, when their entertainment was interrupted by tidings that a party of patriots were approaching; they rose from their repast, and hastened as fast as possible to Madrid. The name of Mina, which is not less revered by the nation than that of the Empecinado, belonged to two heroic Spaniards. The first was a student of Navarre, who, after a brilliant but short career, when only twenty years of age, was wounded, taken prisoner, and carried into France. His uncle, D. Francisco Espez y Mina, succeeded to the command of the province. He was at this time between twenty and thirty years old, and his frame both of body and mind had received that stamp which the circumstances of his country required. When he laid down at night it was always with his pistols in his girdle, and the time allotted to sleep seldom exceeded two hours. When his shirt was dirty, he went into the nearest house and changed it with the owner for a clean one. He made his own powder in a cave among the mountains, and established his hospital in a mountain village, which the French repeatedly at tempted to surprise, but always unsuccessfully. He received intelligence from his partisans of every movement of the enemy; and on the first tidings of danger, the villagers carried the sick and wounded upon litters on their shoulders into the fastnesses, where they remained in perfect security till the baffled enemy retired.. When the alcaldes of the villages neglected to inform Mina of the proceedings and requisitions of the French, he went himself in the night, seized them in their beds, and shot them. When an enemy's spy was detected, his right ear was cut off with a sword by one of Mina's guards, whom practice had made expert at the operation, and the culprit was then branded in the forehead with the words viva Mina.

By the revolution which expelled Gustavus from the throne to make room for. Charles, duke of Sudermania, Sweden se cured peace with France, and the restora

tion of Pomerania and other possessions wrested from her in the course of the war. The equivalent for these concessions was an entire subserviency to the continental system. In the decree issued to this effect, the court of Stockholm relinquished the permission reserved in the treaty with Russia, to import colonial produce, and only retained the power of importing salt for home consumption in vessels not belonging to his Britannic majesty, or his subjects. A reconciliation also took place with Denmark, and the ships and property of that power were restored. The king of Sweden, old and childless, was induced to provide a successor to his throne: the person whom he selected for the dignity was Charles Augustus, prince of Augustenburg, who, having repaired to Stockholm, publicly and solemnly took the oaths of fidelity, and received the homage of the states. He devoted himself sedulously to the duties of his station, and endeavored to conciliate the affections of the people. He visited the hospitals and prisons, inspected the public stores destined for the use of the army, and was indefatigable in detecting the peculation of contractors. During a time of scarcity that occurred shortly after his accession to the dignity of heir apparent, he attended to the wants of the poor, and took an active interest in the distribution of provisions for their relief. These acts, while they endeared him to the people, excited the jealousy and resentment of some of the nobles, and particularly of the families of Piper and Fersen, who, apprehensive that the increasing popularity of the crown prince. might destroy their influence in the government, used all the arts of intrigue to bring him into contempt, and to obstruct his elevation to the throne. He did not live to be the dupe and victim of their machinations. On the 29th of May, he was scized with a sudden fit of illness, while reviewing some huzzar huzzar regiments at Bonarp Heath, near Helsingburg, and, falling from his horse, immediately expired. The rumour of his sudden death excited supicions among the people, great crowds of whom assembled on the day of

his interment to witness the ceremony. On the 20th of June, the funeral procession reached Stockholm. It was led by count Axell Fersen, in a carriage drawn by six horses. When the corpse had reached the street called Nigatau, the populace began to hiss and hoot the count, who did not suppose the indignity to be intended for him, until, on a stone being thrown into the carriage, he put his head out of the window. By his look and gesture, it was understood that he designed to overawe the mob; this exasperated them to such a degree, that they discharged a volley of stones at the carriage, one of which struck him in the face. The count immediately ordered the postillions to stop, and, with difficulty, took refuge in the nearest house. At that moment baron Silversparre, the adjutant-general arrived, and, on demanding the cause of the riot, the general acclamation was, "Count Fersen has murdered the crown-prince." Silversparre then said, that the king had ordered him to declare that the count should be arrested and tried. The mob then huzzaed, and began to disperse. The carriage had in the mean time ad vanced a little, and stopped in the square. Some space of time after, the count came out of the house, and, on approaching the carriage, the mob suddenly rushed upon him, tore the star from his coat, pelted him with stones, and murdered him. Their vengeance was still unsatiated; they tore the clothes from the corpse, and exposed it naked in the streets. The life-guards came up; the people disdained every warning to disperse; they pelted the officers, and, becoming more outrageous by the effect of menaces, used the most abusive language against the countess Piper. The soldiers fired and killed many of the insurgents. The council of state assembled. Countess Piper, the sister of count Fersen, was arrested, as well as Mr. Rossi, principal physician of the deceased crown-prince, and sent to the fortress of Wrexholmn. These proceedings becoming known, and the re signation of count Fabian Fersen, lord chamberlain, being announced to the

Populace, partially appeased them. Other disturbances took place which required the interference of a strong military force; and it was not without severe measures that tranquillity was restored in the Swedish .capital.

How far this extraordinary event was connected with the plans which the French government had formed respecting Sweden, it will not be difficult to calculate when we consider the proceedings which shortly afterwards took place. On the 15th of August the king in council proposed Jean Bernadotte as a proper person to be chosen heir of the Swedish crown. His proposal was generally approved by the assembly, and an ambassador was sent to Paris to announce their decision to the emperor and to the prince elect. No tumult, no expression of popular discontent followed this signal overthrow of the independence of Sweden; there is too great reason to conclude that the body of the people were attached to the French, and that partly from interest and partly from fear, they intrusted the reins of their power to the guidance of Buonaparte's minister. Every precaution was, indeed, taken to render the affair popular among the Swedes, and the strongest assurances were held out to them that the sole object of their adopted chief would be the general welfare of the state. As earnest of his good intentions, the estates in Pomerania which had been distributed among French officers, were repurchased; and a voluntary loan of 8,000,000 of francs at an interest of four per cent. was proposed to be appropriated to the reduction of the national debt, and to the extension of commerce. Still farther to flatter the prejudices and partialities of the Swedes, Barnadotte professedly changed his religion, and adopted the Lutheran tenets of the Swedish church. His reception in the kingdom was said to be auspicious, and the people hailed his progress to the capital with loud expressions of joy. On the 1st of November the ceremony of his installation took place in presence of the assembled members of the diet. His speech was only remarkable for its plausible

ingenuity and refined sycophancy. The king had wished to propose him as successor to the throne; the representatives of the Swedish nation had confirmed that choice by an election free and unanimous. He felt these favors the more deeply because they were 'unexpected, and he was firmly resolved to fulfil the obligations they imposed upon him with zeal and integrity. "Bred in camps," he declared, "I bring you a frank and loyal soul, an absolute devotedness to the king my august father, an ardent desire to do every thing for the happiness of my new country; with such intentions I hope to do good." Peace, he added, was the only glorious object of a wise and enlightened government; the laws, the industry, the national spirit of a state, and not its extent, constituted its strength and independence. It behoved the Swedes to persevere in maintaining their honor untarnished, and while submitting to the decrees of providence, to recollect, that it had left them a soil suf ficient to supply their wants, and iron to defend it.

These lessons of submission were soon put in practise. Towards the middle of November M. Alquier, the French minister of state at Stockholm, presented a note to the Swedish government requiring a full and explicit adherence to the principles of the continental system, and demanding a de cisive reply within a specified time. The Swedish government replied by issuing a declaration of war against Great Britain and Ireland. All navigation, trade, and intercourse of every kind were prohibited the importation of colonial goods of whatever origin or under whatever flag they might arrive, was especially interdicted. Thus while Napoleon was extending his dominion along the southern coast of the Baltic, he effected a no less important acquisition in the north by virtually appro priating the strength and resources of a kingdom, qualified to control the whole navigation of that sea. The influence he had acquired over Denmark was for a time impaired, by the authority he had assumed. in giving a prince to Sweden, in defiance of the claims or expectations of the Danish

Sovereign; but any misunderstanding on this point would be speedily adjusted by the inposing power of one party, and by the weakness and necessities of the other. But the state most likely to take alarm at the rapid progress of French influence in the north, was Russia. That empire was too mighty to receive the law from France and yet too ill governed to present a wise and politic resistance to her machinations. With a vast territory greatly exceeding the efficient force it contained, she resembled a giant, unwieldy in size and of inactive strength. Hence though continually apprehensive of fresh dangers, she remained a passive spectator of the encroachments of her rival. Probably her internal affairs engrossed the attention of her statesmen; the finances were at this moment in a deplorable condition, the government paper was at an alarming discount, and the stagnation of commerce had created the most serious embarrassments among the productive classes of the empire. A change of ministers took place in the early part of the year, and with it a change in the form of administration. It was ordained that there should be a supreme administrative, council consisting of thirty-two members and four presidents. The emperor was to preside in person when present at their meetings, and in his absence a commissioner, who was to be changed every year. The commissioner for the first year was count Ramanzof. The whole of the adınınistrative council was to consist of thirty-six persons, divided into four sections; 1st, of legislature; 2nd, of the administration of justice in spiritual and temporal affairs; 3rd, of military affairs, by sea and land; 4th, of the internal economy, comprising the finances, commerce, manufactures, agriculture, medical superintendence, public instructions, &c. Each of these four sections had a distinct president, and there was assigned one imperial secretary for the whole. The chief director of the chancery was appointed imperial secretary. He was constituted the bearer of all communications between the monarch, the upreme council, the respective sections composing it, and the

colleges of government. The presidents of the four sections were count Sawadowski, prince Lopuchin, count Araktschejef, and M. Mordivinoft, formerly minister of mafine.

One of the first results of this change of system was an important regulation relative to the finances. By an ukase issued on the 7th of February the bank notes were declared to be a national debt, and all the territorial riches of the empire were considered as mortgaged for them. Their number was not to be augmented. To reimburse the national debt a loan was to be opened; the conditions of which were to be fixed by a specific decree. As this limitation in the issue of bank notes necessarily diminished the resources of the crown, the most rigid economy was introduced into all branches of the public service. To meet the necessary expenses of government the imposts were to be brought back to the value they held previous to the discredit of the bank notes To this end an increase was made on the capitation tax, and the other imposts were proportionally augmented.

The collection and movements of French troops on various parts of the frontiers could not but occasion much inquietude to the Russian government, but although some indications of defence were consider ed necessary, there did not prevail any great degree of energy and zeal for the public welfare. A bloody and harassing war with Turkey occupied and exhausted her military force; and by reducing the strength and dominion of her adversary facilitated the designs of France agamst both. To detail the operations of this campaign, from the contradictory reports of the Russian and Turkish armies, would be almost impossible; the success various and the result indecisive. The Turks brought numerous bodies of brave but undisciplined troops to the field; and their incorrigible bigotry and stubborn prejudices prevented them from adopting their system of tactics to that scale of improvement which the art of war has attained. The enemy that opposed them were but a few degrees higher in point of