ness in their hostility, and a disposition to make others suffer, when they could, the evils themselves had endured. They were often impertinent, and sometimes even insolent, to their officers; but in the midst of almost insupportable hardships, a bonmot would restore them to reason, and set them a laughing. They forgot all their toils the moment they heard the enemy's fire.

The hussars, and chasseurs à cheval, were accused of being, for the most part, plunderers, wasters, and drinkers, and of taking every license in the presence of an enemy. Accustomed, it may be said, to sleep with one eye open, to keep always one ear awake to the sound of the alarm-trumpet, to reconnoitre in a march far in advance of the army, to anticipate the snares of the enemy, to discover the slightest traces of their course, to scour the ravines, and to survey with eagle-eye the distant plains,-they could not but acquire a superior intelligence, and a habit of self-management. And yet they were always silent, and submissive before their officers, from the dread of being unhorsed.

Everlastingly smoking to pass away his time, the light-horseman braved in every country the severity of the climate, under his capacious cloak. The horse and his rider, habituated to each other's company, contracted an affinity of feeling. The trooper was invigorated by his horse, and the horse by his master. When a hussar, scarcely sober, urged his fleet career among ravines, or in the midst of precipices, the horse usurped all the management which the man in his senses possessed; it would curb its ardour, redouble its caution, shun every danger, and always return, after a few

evolutions, to fill up its own and its master's place in the ranks. Sometimes on a journey, the horse would gently slacken its pace, or even incline itself to either side, so as to retain its inebriated and sleeping master in the saddle. The hussar, awaking from this unseasonable lethargy, seeing his horse breathless with exertion, would lament, vow, and swear never to drink more. For several days he would act the pedestrian, and deprive himself of his own provisions to share them with his fellow-traveller.

When the alarm was given in a camp of light cavalry, by a carabine shot from the videttes, in the twinkling of an eye every horse was bridled, and horsemen might be seen in all directions springing through the bivouac fires, leaping over hedges and ditches, and hastening with the speed of lightning to the rendezvous, to repel the first attack of the enemy. The trumpeter's horse alone remained inactive amid all this tumult; but the instant its master ceased to sound, it stamped with impatience, and strained every nerve to overtake its fellows.

CHAPTER V.

ABOUT the middle of February, our corps d'armée left La Mancha; and the troops under the command of General Sebastiani, the successor of Marshal Lefevre, came to the neighbourhood of Toledo, to watch the fragments of the army of the Duke del' Infantado. We proceeded to occupy the towns of Talavera, Arzobispo and Almarez, on the right bank of the Tagus, confronting the Spanish army of Estremadura. This army had been dispersed on the 24th December by Marshal Lefevre at Arzobispo opposite Almarez, but had since been reorganized and recruited under the command of General Cuesta. It had recovered the bridge of Almarez from the French; and blown up the principal arches, which completely arrested the march of our troops, and obliged us to erect a new bridge over the Tagus, under the very fire of the enemy. We had indeed the possession of two other bridges, the one at Arzobispo, and the other at Talavera; but the route by these was at that time impracticable for artillery. Marshal Victor fixed his head-quarters at Almarez, that he might the better protect the works, and oversee the construction of the floats. Part of our division of light cavalry crossed the left bank of the river, to watch the enemy, and reconnoitre their right flank on the Ibor.

On account of the scarcity of forage and other necessaries, we were obliged to change our cantonments frequently. Almost the whole coun

try occupied by our troops had been abandoned by its inhabitants. Before going, they used to

The

build up, in a secret place of their dwellings, every thing of value which they could not remove. first thing, therefore, our soldiers did in coming to their empty and unfurnished houses, was to measure like architects the outside walls, and then the inside rooms, to examine if any space had been taken off. Sometimes we also found vessels of wine concealed in the earth. We were thus taught to live on chance-offerings, passing whole weeks without a supply of bread, and without being able to procure barley for our horses.

On the 14th of March, our floats were at length finished; but we could neither launch them, nor construct a bridge, under the fire of the enemy. It was therefore found necessary to dislodge them from the strong position they held before Almarez, at the confluence of the Ibor and the Tagus. On the 15th of March, part of the first corps d'armée crossed the Tagus at Talavera and Arzobispo, to bear upon the flank and rear of the Spaniards. General Laval's German division first attacked the enemy on the morning of the 17th, at the village of Messa de Ibor. With the bayonet alone, and without artillery, 3000 men of that division routed 8000 Spaniards, who were intrenched on a lofty eminence, and fortified with six pieces of cannon. The 18th was spent in driving the enemy from Valdecannar, and chasing them from one station to another, and from rock to rock,

1

as far as the defile of Miravette. Our regiment formed part of the left wing of the army, along with Vilatte's division. We ascended the current of the Ibor, easily repulsing the Spaniards, who retained not a single post whenever they saw it turned.

The 19th, being occupied with the launch of the floats, the army made no advance. The portable bridge being completed before night, the troops that remained on the right bank of the Tagus, and the artillery, began to pass over immediately. By the 20th, the whole army had united again at Truxillo. A little before our arrival, there had been an action before that city between the chasà cheval of the 5th regiment, which formed our advanced guard, and the royal carabineers of the enemy's rear guard. The number killed on either side was nearly equal, but the Spaniards lost the commander of a squadron.

seurs

The night was passed by both armies in sight of each other; and an hour before sunrise next morning, the enemy were on their march. We followed them soon after. The 10th chasseurs formed the advanced guard of our division of light horse, which cleared the way itself for all the troops. Four companies of light infantry passed on before us, when we came to a district intersected with forests and hills. Two hours before sunset, our vanguard squadron of chasseurs came up with the rear-guard of the enemy, which, being closely pressed, soon retired on the main body. The Colonel of the 10th, stimulated by a rash bravery, permitted the whole regiment to make a charge, which soon became animated, and they pursued the Spanish cavalry for more than a