scended like a mountain torrent from the Pyrenees, and in less than a fortnight discomfited the three most powerful armies of the patriots, Napoleon had leisure to attend to the operations of the British army, which was, as we have already noticed, in quiet possession of Portugal, after the convention of Cintra. Upon the departure of Sir Arthur Wellesley the command devolved upon Sir John Moore, who was directed to advance through Portugal towards Salamanca; a division, under Sir David Baird, was ordered to land at Corunna, march across Gallicia, and unite with Sir John Moore's army. From some misunderstanding, if not lurking treachery, when Sir David Baird's division arrived off Corunna, he found that no orders had been given, nor preparations made for his reception. Much valuable time was lost before the debarkation could be effected. In January 1809, this gallant little army commenced its march through one of the most difficult, barren, and rocky countries in Spain, and effected its junction with the force under Sir John Moore; but not without some trouble, and more hazard. A small division, with a brigade of artillery, under General Hope, had been pushed forward on the route to Madrid. The force of the whole British army under Sir John Moore, amounted to about 27,000 men. We must now turn our attention to the movements of Napoleon..

The three principal armies of the patriots having been so completely routed as to disable them from offering any resistance to the French army, the important pass of Somo Sierra, on the high road to Madrid, was forced by the French, and on the 1st December, their cavalry arrived on the heights which overlook that city. After some resistance, or rather a show of resistance, Madrid surrendered, and different columns of the French army in this city and its neighbourhood, now increased to 60,000 men, diverged from the capital, by different routes, to complete the subjugation of the Peninsula. But in this, its hour of most extreme peril, it was saved by the intrepid advance of Sir, John Moore, who marched to attack the corps of Soult at Saldanha, which had intentionally retired to allure him into

the snare Napoleon had spread for him; but his greatest danger arose from the machinations of the traitor, Morla; who, when Madrid was actually in the power of the enemy, represented that metropolis as offering a gallant and effectual opposition, and urged Sir John Moore to march to its relief. An ordinary commander would have sacrificed irretrievably the whole British army, and with it every hope of effecting the deliverance of the peninsula, by complying with the invitation; but Sir John Moore was a general worthy of contending with the conqueror of the continent. When his advance towards Saldanha was known at the French head-quarters, their whole disposable force in Spain, estimated at upwards of 150,000 men, was put in motion to intercept and crush him in his retreat. Napoleon quitted Madrid, and marched with all speed towards Benevento, with a large army. Here a brilliant skirmish took place between the French and British cavalry, in which the latter gained a complete victory. Napoleon's march, however rapid, did not secure its aim; and, at Benevento, finding he could not overtake Sir John Moore in time to surround him, gave up his personal pursuit of the British commander, which he committed to Marshal Soult (then Duke of Dalmatia). Napoleon did not remain long in Spain. The advices he received of the hostile preparations of Austria induced him to quit the former country for Paris; and with him, with some few and rare exceptions, departed the glory of the French arms in the Peninsula. We must pause, however, to notice two remarkable decrees promulgated by Napoleon at Madrid, and which, could they have been fulfilled at the time, would have proved some compensation to Spain for the perfidy of his aggression, namely, the abolition of the Inquisition, and the suppression of feudal rights, or rather, feudal wrongs. On reaching Paris, Napoleon quickly perceived that war with Austria was inevitable, and he prepared for it with his accustomed vigour and sagacity. The real ground of the war, on the part of Austria, was the apprehension she entertained

that Napoleon would seize the first favourable opportunity of acting towards her in the same dishonourable manner as he had done to Spain; and the opportunity of aiming a blow at the colossal power of the French Emperor, seemed propitious, inasmuch as the flower of his army was in the Peninsula, and his principal dependence, in the event of hostilities, must be on the troops of the Rhenish Confederation, (80,000 of whom he had taken into his pay), and the conscripts, 160,000 of whom had been required by him of the senate. Aware of the transcendant talents which would be opposed to it, the Austrian Government had made preparations suited to the greatness of the enterprize. The Austrian army was re-organized into corps on the French model, and completed to a full war establishment.

The command of the Austrian army in Germany, immediately opposed to Napoleon, was intrusted to the Archduke Charles, having under him some of the archdukes, his brothers. A powerful force was assembled on the borders of Italy; and a third army menaced the electorate of Saxony. Such was the disposition of the Austrian army at the commencement of hostilities. The first operation was the invasion of Bavaria by the Archduke Charles, whose army proceeded up both sides of the Danube. In proportion as he advanced, the French, commanded by Massena, (Duke of Rivoli,) and Davoust, (Duke of Auerstadt,) retired. Napoleon was no sooner informed that the Austrians had passed the Inn, than he left Paris, and in four days reached Donawert; a distance of about 500 miles. His head-quarters were transferred to Ingolstadt. On the following day, 18th April, he commenced offensive operations. At Pressig, an Austrian division was overthrown, and a similar fate attended another division; but those successes were partial. On the 20th, Napoleon, having reconnoitered that portion of the Austrian army on the south side of the Danube, which was commanded by the Archduke Louis and General Hollen, posted at Aberberg, immediately perceived that their line was enfeebled by too great an extension; he accordingly resolved

to assail it in front, while the Duke of Rivoli penetrated into the rear and cut off their communication with the army of the Archduke Charles on the north side. Before, however, he attempted this brilliant manœuvre, he addressed the Bavarian and Wurtemberg troops, (who supplied, on this occasion, the place of the imperial guards, not yet returned from Spain,) in a long and energetic speech, which was interpreted to them by the Hereditary Prince of Bavaria. The effect of this harangue, combined with the confidence he reposed in them, fully corresponded with his hopes: the troops formed into columns, advanced to the charge with the utmost ardour. The Austrians were driven from their position, and compelled to retreat with great loss, in a direction which completely exposed their left flank. Following up his advantage, Napoleon proceeded the next day to Landshut, and renewed the attack, which terminated in the total discomfiture of the Archduke and his colleagues. The losses sustained by the Austrians on these eventful days were computed at 27,000 prisoners, 42 pieces of cannon, and 8 standards. Alarmed at these ruinous defeats, the Archduke Charles suddenly crossed the Danube with an army of 110,000 men, entered Ratisbon, where he took prisoners a body of French, and advancing in a direction which threatened the rear and flank of the French army, resolved to encounter his great rival. Buonaparte left the pursuit of the remains of the force under the Archduke Louis, and advanced to Eckmuhl on the 22d. His military eye discovered an imperfection in the position of the left wing, which was assailed by Marshal Victor, (Duke of Montebello,) whilst Napoleon attacked his front. The combat was long and bloody: the Austrians, animated by the example of their heroic commander, fought with the greatest courage; but the superior skill of Napoleon prevailed; the Austrians were finally driven from the field, and the Archduke himself narrowly escaped captivity. The next day they attempted to make a stand at Ratisbon, but were overwhelmed, after an obstinate conflict: the Austrian cavalry withstood three different charges,

but were at length broken. The city itself, so renowned in the annals of diplomacy, as the seat of the German Diet, and whose neutrality had been respected in the most desperate war by all parties, was the scene of a furious action, the French having entered it through a breach in the fortification. A garrison, consisting of six Austrian regiments, were killed or taken prisoners; and, finally, the Archduke retreated in the direction of Bohemia, followed by the Duke of Auerstadt. The loss of the Austrians during these trying days has been calculated at 20,000 prisoners and 50 pieces of

cannon.

Having thus expelled the invaders, Napoleon proceeded by rapid marches to Vienna, followed on the other side of the Danube by the Archduke Charles. A division of the French army was detached, under the Duke of Dantzic, to observe the Austrian corps stationed on the frontier of the Tyrol, when an extraordinary ferment prevailed in the minds of the inhabitants of that beautiful and romantic region. Their affection for the House of Austria was a singular phenomenon: it was certainly entirely gratuitous.

The march of the French Emperor was not vigorously opposed, excepting at Ebersberg, where a corps, under General Claparede, having pursued the Austrian rear guard, the town was set on fire, and some of the detachments were exposed to the most imminent danger, from which they were with difficulty extricated. On the 10th May, Napoleon appeared for a second time before Vienna, and summoned the garrison to surrender. The Archduke Maximilian, who commanded, demurred to the summons, upon which a slight bombardment took place, and the town capitulated. On reaching Vienna, Napoleon issued a proclamation to the Hungarians, inviting them to throw off their allegiance to the Emperor of Austria, and choose a sovereign for themselves. He had not leisure to witness the effects of this document, for the arrival of the Archduke Charles, on the other side of the Danube, opposite to Vienna, was the signal for another battle, more