1827.] Notes/or the Month. 287 



becomes a Constitutionalist, which his opinions would incline him to do, 

 he stands in the situation of a traitor, or at least a rebel, against the exist- 

 ing government. If he supports the party of the Faith, he must become 

 a party in atrocities, which even his anxiety for order cannot reconcile him 

 to take a share in. This choice only of evils in which the oldest con- 

 nexions, and even members of the same family, often choose different sides 

 produces dn uncertainty of life and property in Spain worthy of the meri- 

 dian of Constantinople. Every third person that is mentioned throughout 

 Signor Van Halen's work, there comes a note directly afterwards, at the 

 bottom of the page that he was killed, on such a day, in such a commo- 

 tion or that his property was confiscated, by such a decree or that, at 

 such or such a place, he was executed or that he fled the country, to 

 avoid being so ! The same causes, which puts almost every man's life, 

 from hour to hour, at the mercy of his neighbour, lead necessarily also to 

 a state of morals and feelings throughout society, such as an Englishman 

 has no comprehension of ; and which baffles all the rules by which men 

 calculate probabilities or events : the most monstrous acts of perjury and 

 treachery, for which the system offers a premium, and which of course 

 abound on the one hand, are met by the most inconceivable examples of 

 fidelity, and devotion, and disinterestedness, on the other. A few para- 

 graphs, however, from the Narrative of Senhor Van Halen himself, will 

 illustrate this condition of things better perhaps than our own description 

 could do. 



Don Juan Van Halen, who, at the time when he writes this book, has 

 seen at least a great variety of service (and of wretchedness) began life 

 as an officer in the Spanish navy, and continued in that profession up to 

 the date of the battle of Trafalgar. On the invasion of Spain by the 

 French, we are compelled to state that he was one of that party which 

 joined King Joseph " believing," as ho says, " that no resistance, how- 

 ever heroic, could be successful." And, afterwards, when Joseph was 

 driven out believing " that his power had ceased, and he would never be 

 able to recover it," he availed himself of the decree of 1813, and joined 

 the national army of Spain, under the Regency, again. The manner in 

 which this last change of service was brought about deserves to be 

 described, as it shews that Don Juan was not a particularly scrupulous 

 politician. While he was living retiredly at Bordeaux, he says, in 1813, 

 he received the decree of the Regency, in which most of the Spaniards 

 who had espoused the cause of Joseph were invited to return to their 

 country. Accordingly, resolving to avail himself of the opportunity, he 

 demanded of the French Minister at War a passport to proceed to Barce- 

 lona, where Marshal Suchet had his head-quarters; still under his former 

 character of officer in the service of Joseph ; and, on his arrival at Bar- 

 celona, wrote to the Spanish government, announcing his intention to 

 return. As a man, however, who changes sides should do something 

 to make himself acceptable to the new friends he joins, it occurs to 

 our Spanish friend still protected by a French passport, and in his 

 " former character of officer in the service of Joseph" that it would be 

 well if he could in plain words bring something away with him, to 

 shew the sincerity of his conversion; and, after having for a long time 

 vainly endeavoured to decide what this should be, it strikes him that some 

 mportant service might be rendered to the country by his bringing away 

 u a copy of the French general's seal T Having at length, with some 

 trouble, got this token into his power which was difficult, as the original 



