ment in which our army does not, at least, equal that of any other and well might the Earl of Liverpool lately boast in the House of Lord, that in our infantry, in cavalry, in our artillery, and engineering, and even in our commissariat, in the Peninsula, our superiority had been strikingly apparent. Such, as he justly added, was the effect of the excellent military discipline established at home, and put in practice and in action there, by the admirable judgment of the Earl of Wellington; a superiority not only enjoyed by the British, but also severely felt by the enemy.

The good consequences of all this it is almost unnecessary to point out. There was no end of French boasting of driving us into the sea; and of inviting us from our ships to the contest on land: but we have taught them to respect and fear us. In some points, though we have sacrificed much, yet the advantages gained have been equal to that sacrifice. Even the defence of Portugal, the possession of the ports of Spain, or at least their occupancy and preservation by the Patriots, and the neutralization of the Spanish Fleet, are objects of high importance, when we consider the facilities which the possession of all these things would have afforded to France. The stimulus, too, thus give to the population of Spain and Portugal, the military ardor infused into their bosoms, the love of liberty thus ingrafted into their hearts, will all tend to form and establish a new era in those countries, and in Europe, which may be expected to lead to the future internal welfare of each, and to the future equalization of political power, and consequent extension of liberty and promotion of peace.

We must now close this slight sketch with one observation on the character of fellow-citizen. If we look at him, as wil fied in the course of this work, whether or commanded, we shall always find the ness of mind, whether checked in his p moment of victory, as at Vimiera, by th superior; or prompted to delay the accon brilliant measures, where victory was cert to spare the blood of his gallant comrades

INTRODUCTION.

If it is by experience that we gain wisdom, and by a comparison of nearly similar events that we can best form an accurate judgment, it will not be irrelevant, in our introductory part, to take a slight sketch of the causes and conduct of a former war carried on by Great Britain in the Peninsula; and that, by a very curious coincidence, nearly in the very corresponding years of the preceding century. In the conduct and issue of that war, and in the conduct and probable issue of the present one, there has, indeed, been a great contrast; for there we were merely as auxiliaries though now we have acted more immediately as principals. At that period, too, we were in opposition to that branch of the House of Bourbon whose rights we are now defending; and in our objects we were unsuccessful, though without tarnishing the honor of the British name.

When in the year 1701, Charles II. of Spain, a branch of the House of Austria, deceased without issue, Philip Duke of Anjou, grandson of Lewis XIV. being second son of the Dauphin of France, assumed the Spanish crown, according to the will of the deceased monarch; but the Emperor of Germany having put up one of his own family as a claimant, it was considered as the interest of Great Britain to support him, in order to prevent the accession of such power to France, by her Royal Family thus coming into possession of the immense possessions and resources of

the Spanish empire. There was also a party in Spain inimical to the French interest; and it was hoped that, by spirited measures, an Austrian prince might be established on the throne of Spain.

Charles III. the Austrian claimant, arrived in England in 1703; and, in 1704, an auxiliary force of 12,000 British and Dutch troops was sent to Portugal; the English under Duke Schomberg, and the Duch under General Fagel. King Charles immediately published a manifesto, setting forth his right to the crown of Spain; and on tne arrival of the expedition at Lisbon, the Portuguese having already joined the grand alliance against France, the King of Portugal published a declaration in which he vindicated the claim of Charles, and gave his own reasons for taking up arms in his defence and support. The Bourbon prince, under the title of Philip V. was not backward in preparing for hos tilities, but immediately declared war against his competitor, and also against the King of Portugal and his other allies; and, having hastily assembled an army, proceeded to the Portuguese frontier, when he captured Segura, Salvatierra, and some other places.

It being understood that the Catalonians were partial to the cause of the allies, Sir George Rooke, with a British squadron, proceeded with the Prince of Hese Darmstadt and a force of 2500 men to Barcelona, where he landed the troops; but being disappointed in his expectations of a flattering reception and co-operation, the army was again embarked,

and the squadron proceeded towards Toulon.

In June of the same year, (1704) the Portuguese were

found to be very dilatory in furnishing the proper supplies which they had promised, so that nothing could be done. There was also a great want of cordiality amongst the ge nerals of the three nations, English, Dutch, and Portuguese, so that the Duke of Schomberg, weary of his command, was anxious to be recalled, and was superseded by Henry de Ruvigny, Earl of Galway.

The

The Spanish monarch in July put an end to his short campaign, on account of the heat of the weather, and return ed to Madrid, having put his army in cantonments; and, fearing that it would be impossible to retain his petty conquests, destroyed all their fortifications, except those of Salvatierra and Mervan, and abandoned them to their fate.

Though our troops were thus left in idleness, yet our admiral was determined to do something; accordingly he returned from Toulon towards Gibraltar, and captured that fortress on the 10th of July, after a siege of three days, having landed the Prince of Hesse with only 1800 men. On the 13th of August the combined English and Dutch fleets defeated the united French squadrons from Toulon and Brest, and obliged them, in a most shattered condition, to retire to Toulon; a part of them, however, was enabled soon after to proceed to the southward when the combined squadrons had left the Streights, and the Sieur de Pontis, with a considerable force, blockaded Gibraltar by sea, the Spaniards having commenced the siege of it in September.

In 1705 Gibraltar was relieved by Sir John Leake, who surprized and defeated the French squadron; and in May, the Portuguese and confederate forces having commenced the siege of Alcantara, took it by storm after six days; Salvatierra and Albuquerque being soon after retaken. In the same month the Earl of Peterborough was sent from England, with 5000 additional troops, in a fleet commanded by Sir Cloudesley Shovel; after touching at Lisbon, where King Charles embarked along with him, they proceeded to Gibraltar, and afterwards to Altea Bay,where a manifesto was published; and the advices from Barcelona being very encon raging, the earl was induced to proceed there, where he landed the troops, accompanied by the king, and was soon reinforced by great numbers of Spaniards. On the 3d of September, Monjuick was taken after a siege of three days, but the gallant Prince of Hesse fell in the attack; in three weeks after