sort of way of going to work to draw the French after us? I think I see you smile, and hear you observe, that when we want to entice any person or any animal to a certain place, we invariably remove, as far as we can, all the obstacles that nature, or art, has put in the way. When sharpers and harlots wish to inveigle a cull into their garrets or cellars, they do not lock the door in his face. When, to come nearer the favourite idea, we wish to catch birds in a trap, so far are we from erecting obstacles and presenting starvation to their view, that we take care to make the course clear, and actually carry to the spot, and scatter along the way, an abundance of that food which they are known to like best. This is what we do when we wish to draw things after us. We draw foxes to a pit-fall, or a trap, by the means of a trail, composed of some article of the food of that brave and sagacious animal; and certainly never dream of attracting them by a destruction or removal of every thing that is likely to entice them.So that, if what the venal men told us was true; if it was the design of Lord Talavera to draw the French after him, he went to work in a way against which both nature and reason set their faces. To return now to the miseries brought upon the Portuguese, we have seen what they were last year, when the French were coming after us; and now let us take a look at what they have experienced while we are going after the French.It was from our own venal prints that we got the description then, and, from the same source will we take it now. He drew the French after him; well, and the French are now drawing him after them. He got the French into a trap; well, and the French have now got him into a trap. He can come away, perhaps, when he will, without being hurt by the French; well, and have not the French gone away (without being hurt by him? The trap that he is in, is in fact, we shall be told, no trap at all, and that those who have got him in cannot touch a hair of him, well, and is not this just such a trap as he got the French into? he laughed, laughed heartily at Massena for having followed him; well, and will not Massena now laugh at Talavera in his turn?It is impossible to get out of this. If we change the meaning of words, the new meaning will be applied on the one side as well as on the other. If Talavera's was not a retreat, neither is Massena's. "What is "sauce for the goose," says the proverb, "is "sauce for the gander.' And thus, if we insist upon the interpretation and construction of the venal men, relative to the movements of Talavera, last year, we must now deny, that the retreat of Massena indicates any dismay, or any ill-boding, or, indeed, any thing but what is of the most prosperous nature; and, in short, we ought to look upon the news of his retreat as being bad instead of good; a subject of lamentation, instead of a subject of joy.The principal point, however, connected with this question of a retreat or a drawing after, is, the miseries, to which these movements, on both sides, have exposed the people of Portugal, whom to protect against the French was the business of Talavera, and whom to deliver from the English was the professed object of Massena. Of these iniseries during the last year's campaign we heard enough; and, I am sure that the reader will bear in mind, that our venal men informed us, that the whole of" vert back to the sudden movement of the the country, through which the French had to follow our army, they found laid waste; that they found all the means of comfort and subsistence and even of shelter, annihilated; that the barns and mills and cornfields were burnt, that the cattle were slaughtered, that the olive plantations" were cut down, that the household goods were burnt or thrown into rivers, and that, in short, all that could not be carried away was destroyed before the French came up, in order that the country might be left desolate and that they might be unable to exist in it.Stop, reader! Does it not occur to you, that this was an odd I am about to quote from the COURIER news-paper of the 16th instant, which gives the following extracts from letters, written, it is said, by officers in our army. LISBON, 30th March 1811.-To re "French. I had been for weeks in view "of Santarem, and saw at last with plea"sure, some indications of their abandon ing it. The first was, setting fire to one "of the principal convents in the upper "town, and part of the lower town; the volume of smoke was immense for three days. On the fourth morning some in"formation to depend on, reached us, and "the bugle of attack roused us from our "pillows. The haze of the morning clear"ing up, we could easily perceive the out"centinels were men of straw, and proved "quite passive. In fact, a better managed "retreat was never executed.-Not a ves 66 "tige of a dollar's worth remained. Being "nearly the whole regiment.-These I "at the outposts with the 14th Dragoons "had to forward, and saw little more of and 1st Royals, I entered with them; fighting. But to see the country, is to " and three miserable deserters, who had weep for the horrors of war. Such "hid themselves, were, with one too ill to "horrid excesses I never saw before. move, the only enemy to be found. Every town, village, or cottage, de"Such a scene of horror, misery, and de- stroyed. The growing nursery and the "solation, scarce ever saluted the eye of "wild grove, each havocked for destruc"man. Smoking ruins-the accumulated "tion sake. The pot that refined the oil, "filth of months-horses and human bodies "broken-the wine-press burnt, for burnputrid, to suffocation nearly, caused to" ing's sake-the grape-vines destroyed, "many a vomiting. The houses unburnt," as noxious weeds-the furniture unburnt, "with scarcely a vestige of wood, doors," thrown from the windows, and with car"windows, ceilings, roofs burnt-and "riage, &c. made a bonfire of; the huge "where the sick had expired, there left to "libraries strewed over the land in remdecay. The number left was great."nants of paper; the noble convent in "Every church demolished-the tombs "ashes, and the poor, unhappy, aged in"opened for searching after hidden plate" habitants, unable to flee, hung around as 66 nons, and two priests, were escaping "in a boat;-unhappily they were too "late; and overtaken near Villa Franca, "the priests were one shot and one drown"ed. One only of the nuns was young; "-she was instantly violated, as well as "the rest; and the great age of 65, was "no defence against these savages. These very nuns were thus treated successive"ly by numbers, and confined until dis"ease made them loathsome to the hell"hounds themselves. When a flag of "truce introduced them to us, the sight "was most shocking. Every one tried to "comfort them. And to the immortal "credit of Commissary Aylmer, they "were conducted from Valada, by water, "with all the comfort and consolation every altar-piece universally destroy-" ornamenting the walls,-ten, twelve, in "ed-and the effluvia so offensive, as to a place. To bear the semblance of a "defy describing! In some gardens, the" female, was to be tortured-to be an "miserable heads undecayed, stuck up "infant, to be a sacrifice. One cir"like scarecrows-in some wells, a body" cumstance, almost beyond credibility "floating.-Down a precipice, to which "to be committed by human beings "we were invited by prospect to look, the "in the heart of Europe, and the nine« human and the animal carcases, mingled "teenth century: A convent of eleven "in decay, repulsed our senses, and shud"deringly vibrated the soul at the savage, "horrible, diabolical acts of a French "army. I must here notice one grand "precaution. The hospital was guarded "immediately from entrance; and I believe no serious illness proceeded from "the abominable situation in which the "French left it. From this place, a short "rest obtained, we rode, pressing hard "" upon them, by the goodness of our cat"tle, and the animation of our men, who "were delighted to chace the RUN“ AWAYS. Greater spirits, better discipline, and more order, never attended an "army than this. The French, to con"fuse our plans, had marched in three "columns from Santarem. Two were immediately followed. But no mode or" that war and situation could possibly "means were sufficient to bring them to "battle. Skirmishing was continued, and "prisoners continually sent to the rear ; "until we reached Pombal, where Mas"sena seeing himself so CLOSELY RUN, "halted; and by position kept us in check, "until his baggage had advanced further in "security. We were here all ready for "attack, and waited for the morning; but "the French politely withdrew in the "night, and we complimented them with "our attendance on the following day. On "the Ceira river, we had another facing, "but after some hard firing, our dragoons got to their rear, and they surrendered; 66 give. A thousand more like these I "could recount.No age-no rank-no asylum-met respect. In one convent, "I found three unfortunate females, 70 to "80 years old. They were literally naked, as on entering the world, striving to "conceal themselves under some rushes "and straw.-O glorious happy England! "how blest to be free of this!-Adieu, "for the present, &c. &c.-Thousands "have famished from hunger and disease, "while we are daily discovering wretched "objects at the last gasp from the same "causes. A physician of great activity "and humanity, with the Military Com "mandant of Obidos, merit the gratitude, sary to self-preservation with the French. "of their countrymen. 150 people died When Lord Talavera went away before "in two days at Caldas, and that the the French, the latter, as we have said deaths proceeded chiefly from want, is above, found the country completely laid "proved by the collecting the unfortunate waste before them; and it will be borne in "people, the next day-The deaths were mind, that Massena, in a proclamation to "reduced to 20, and yesterday the 21st, the Portuguese, spoke of this in terms of "of 500, the deaths did not exceed 8.- the greatest korror, and that our venal prints "One example will speak more than a laughed at him, and not only justified page from one hovel was withdrawn most fully, but loudly applauded the devas"the father, mother, son, and daughter, tations and destructions that then took "dead; an infant child had yet survived place.Now, what is to prevent the "this scene of horror-though with worms French from justifying and applauding "of three or four inches in length, crawling what they have done? Are the cases dif"in its flesh-the child will be saved-in- | ferent? How do they differ? "Why, the "fant children who have lost their pa- devastations of last year were for the "rents, and wretched parents who have "good of the Portuguese, and those of "lost their children-wives their hus- "this year are for their harm." If the "bands, and husbands their wives; and French were asked the question of dif"now expiring themselves, if not saved ference, their answer would be precisely "by the late providence of Government, the contrary.But the devastations of "fill the hospitals; but when recovered last year were committed by the friends of how are they to reach their homes and the Portuguese, this year they are comsubsist, till the lands produce again!" mitted by their enemies.-Unhappy peoThis infant child living, and likely to ple! Both friends and enemies find it live, though with worms, three or four necessary to lay waste your country; or, inches long, in its flesh, is a little too much at least, lay it waste they do ; and, whether for even the fool part of the Anti-Jacobins the thing is pleasanter for coming from to swallow. The knace part will laugh in the hands of a friend I must leave the their sleeve at it; but, it is, I think, a reader to judge.- -We are told in the little too gross even for the fool part.- above extracts, and, indeed, in all the However, not to occupy our time with dis- publications upon the subject, that the putes about premises that never can be satis- French ran away upon this last occasion. factorily adjusted, let us admit all that is here We are not told about drawing after. They asserted to be true. I dare say, that much have run away in disgrace? Their retreat of it is literally true; and, that, though has been called a disgraceful flight. The there are, without doubt, some exaggera- whole account places them in a state of tions, there are, on the other hand, many constant and imminent peril. In this acts and scenes, which, I dare say, would state it is that they have devastated the beggar all description, and would set at de- country, destroyed every thing they could fiance the most eloquent pen or tongue regard as likely to be useful to their purthat ever moved.At any rate, let us suers, laid all waste, made their route a suppose, that all that is here said is true; scene of havock.This is very terand then, let us endeavour to make a just rible; but, must not the Portuguese estimate of it, in order to ascertain, if we have naturally expected it, when they can, what effect the committing of these saw the country, last year, laid waste behorrible cruelties will have upon the fore the French? And, observe, too, that, Portuguese, and how far the cause of our if what our venal men told us was arms is thereby likely to be aided. For, true, the devastations were then not necesas to an estimate of these acts, in any other sary to self-preservation; for, we were not way, it would be perfectly useless to any running away; we were not engaged in a man who does, or any one who does not, disgraceful flight. Nay, if what these venal hold them in horror. The former could men told us was true, the retreat, or drawnot think worse of the cause of theming, of Lord Talavera was a plan, maturely than he already does, and the latter can have no feeling at all.In order to form an opinion as to what is likely to be the effects of these devastations upon the minds of men in Portugal, we must consider how far devastation became neces taid from the outset of the campaign; and, as the devastations accompanied the drawing, they also, upon the supposition of its being a plan, made part of that plan; the devastations were contrived beforehand as well as the trap at Torres Vedras.—— At any rate, if we did not run away, if we were not compelled to retreat, if we were in no fear of the pursuers, as the venal have always asserted; if this was so, the devastations which then took place had not self-preservation to plead for them; and, if what we are now told by the same persons be true, if the French be so closely pressed, if they be in fear of their lives of us, self-preservation will certainly put in a word for them, as far as the devastations were calculated to retard the progress of their dreaded pursuers.- -We were told, indeed, that the devastations of last year were committed with the entire consent and approbation of the Portuguese, and, indeed, with the assistance of the owners and inhabitants, who were, we were told, more eager than our army to lay waste their country. Now, if this was true, the French must have been fully convinced of one of two things: either that the laying waste of the country was a matter not very painful to the people; or, that the people bore them so mortal a hatred as to prefer death by starvation to the possibility of affording them any aid or comfort; either of which conclusions was not very well calculated to make the French extremely sparing when it became their turn to devastate and lay waste.We are told, that the French have committed great cruelties and excesses, such as our army never committed. It is very likely they have; and, I trust, that our army never will, in this respect, become their imitators. Nothing can justify, or palliate, cruelty, at any time, or in any case, or by any body; and, the cutting off of ears and the splitting of noses by the French in Portugal are not to be justified any more than the same cruelties by the Judges of the Court of Star-Chamber in England, who used to cut and hack and burn, as if they had been the agents of the infernal regions, and who would not want for men to supply their place, if the enemies of public freedom could have their will.These acts of cruelty should be left to such men, and should not be practised by soldiers. They are suitable to the character of Star-Chamber Judges; but are disgraceful to the name of soldier.. Still, however, we must bear in mind, that, as we have all along been assured, the Portuguese do mortally hate the French; that all the people in the country are hos tile to them; that they are in an enemy's country; and, the reader will not forget, that, during the last campaign, our venal men told us, that, such was the hatred of the Portuguese to the French, the former, when they caught one of the latter unarmed, INSTANTLY CUT HIS THROAT, and that Lord Talavera was obliged to issue a proclamation to threaten with death those who should continue in such prac tices. This the reader will not fail to remember; and, if it was true, the alledged cruelties of the French are less to be wondered at, though, even in that case, not less to be abhorred.--Now, from a review of all that has passed, with regard to devastations and cruelties, I am of opinion, that those alledged to have been committed by the French will not produce the effect that is expected from them. They are calculated to excite horror; but Portugal has supped of horrors. The minds of the people have little to do with the matter. Force, sheer compulsion will, in the end, prevail. There are two armies contending for the possession of the country; and, I am much disposed to believe, that, any further than the parties can pay them, the people will remain indifferent spectators.--As to the future operations of the two hostile armies, I shall give no opinion. I hope that, wherever Englishmen are engaged with the enemies of England, they will be victorious; and I hope, of course, that the war in Portugal will end without any disgrace to the English character. But, I am not to be made believe, that it is, as yet, nearly at an end. I am not to be persuaded, that Napoleon will, without further and greater efforts, give up a contest, on which so much may ultimately depend; nor do I believe, that the French army has suffered in any such degree as has been stated in our parasitical prints. There has not appeared to me any proofs or marks of discomfiture. The retreat of Massena, though a severe mortification to him and his master, does not seem to have been attended with any considerable losses; and, I should not be at all surprized, to see him turn about and make a stand where he will not be assailed.--If this should be the case, another, and, perhaps, another campaign, will be the consequence. cost of these will be enormous to us, while, in all likelihood, they will leave Portugal a perfect desert. The longer the war lasts the worse for us and for Portugal, whether we finally succeed or not. If we are not to succeed in the end, the sooner that end comes the better; for, we shall be so exhausted and crippled, if the war continue The long, and shall be so wearied out, so disappointed and disgusted, that it would be impossible to rouze us to any new exertion, if the occasion required it.It is said, in defence of this Portuguese and Spanish war, that we are there fighting the battles of England; that it is there where we are, by anticipation, repelling an invasion of Ireland or England. This idea is clearly expressed in the following passage of the Times news-paper, where the writer speaks of the ravages committed by the French in Portugal. "These," says he, "are the blessings, which the ruthless ty"rant has diffused over the Continent. "Spain is suffering in like manner; and "France, too, we may add, in the person "of that part of her population which has "been sent into the Peninsula. And sent thither with what view? To uphold na"tional honour, or avenge public wrong? --to paralyze the faculty of aggression, "OR ANTICIPATE THE INTENTION TO AT"TACK? No: for none of the objects that "have usually, as it were, hallowed war by the plea of justice, or rendered vic"tory glorious by the utility of its conse"quences, is Buonaparte now contending: his aim is to bend an independent race "of men to a foreign yoke by violence"to propagate tyranny by devastation and "murder: that is, to accomplish the most "detestable of purposes by the most "dreadful of means."--Now, if this be so; if we are, as we have often been told, defending England in Portugal; if we choose that country wherein to anticipate the intention to attack, the French, I am afraid, might put in their word upon the occasion; for, if we are fighting for England on the land of Portugal, the French, of course, are fighting against England upon that same land. People ought to look well at assertions before they put them forth, especially when they are intended to maintain what it is so difficult to maintain.This writer was in a hobble. He had gone on condemning Napoleon for sending French troops into Portugal, 'till it occurred to him, that we had troops there too; and that it was necessary to disarm his censure of all application to us. Therefore, he talks of the thing being justifiable, where required to "uphold national honour;" to " avenge pub"lic wrong" to "paralyze the faculty of "aggression," or to "anticipate the intention "to attack;" and these objects he, of course, leaves the reader to regard as those by which we are animated.- -As to upholding national honour or avenging pub- |