149 
atrocious acts,committed by the French 
soldiery on this occasion in Spain; but 
T have been well assured, that the com- 
niissioners in Portugal who examined the 
plunder of Junovs army, found in the 
Knapsacks fingers with rings on them, 
A friend of mine, who was at Lisbon 
just at that time, tells me, that, while the 
French were in the city, it was custo. 
mary for the officers to receive invita- 
tions to ‘dinner, and to card-parties, 
among the inhabitants; and that, on one 
of these occasions, the lady of the house 
Yad ventured, contrary to the advice of; 
her friends, to decorate herself with 
trinkets, &c.; in the course of the even- 
ing, the French general, who-was pre- 
sent, was observed to notice them, and 
it was concluded that the lady would 
soon be obliged to part with them. On 
the following morning a polite note was 
received from the general, requiring. 
their delivery to the bearer; which, of 
necessity, the fair owner was compelled 
‘to comply with. 
Untit the last summer, you may re- 
collect, this place had been garrisoned a 
considerable time by the Fren¢hy, as well 
as many other parts of Spain, utider the 
pretence of attacking Gibraltar, “What- 
ever the grand motive might have been, 
the government was so weak as not. 
to be able to resist it; and the Prince 
of Peace so base as to promote it. I 
do not know that I can better describe: 
to you the yielding disposition of the 
Spanish cabivet to the will of the French 
emperor, and the burdens and losses 
which it has sustained 1 consequence of 
it, than by quoting to you the words of 
Don Antonio de Campany, secretary to 
the Academy of History, from an excel+ 
lent little pamphlet which he has lately 
ublished, and dedicated to Lord Hol- 
hind, entitled, the ‘* Centinel.” 
«Po assist an intimate friend and 
ally, (Napoleon) or rather to obey him, 
we have had our navy destroyed in less 
than six years, by the loss of eight three- 
deckers, twenty-six of the line, and as 
many frigates; our arsenals plandered to 
the amount of many millions, and the 
Joss Of twenty thousand. sailors. Na- 
poleon forced from us the maintenance 
of troops in money, to the amount of 
twelve millions of dollars a-year; and he 
exacied them with the authority of a 
sovereign ; and, on the least delay of pays 
ment, threatened us with conquest. 
His sovereiynty increased with his power, 
our timidity with our weakness; and in 
the three first months of the war with 
England, the nation lost in ships, car. 
Journal of a recent Voyage-to Cudiz. 
(ach ty 
goes, and money, upwards of forty mil-, 
lions of dollars.” Campany pleasantiy, 
says, “ that it is time the people should, 
be undeceived, and be told of the de- 
prayed intentions of the atrocious Cor- 
sican, who, under the title of an ally, had. 
left them without a shirt; and with that, 
of protector, would take away their skin, 
which was all that remained belonging 
to them.” - 
We may hete say with Addison : 
“¢ With what a dreadful course he rushes-ony 
From war to war. In vain has nature, 
formed 
Mountains and oceans to oppose his passage 3 » 
He bounds o'er all; victorious in his march, - 
The Alps and Pyreneans sink before him 5 
Thro’ winds, and waves, and storms, he works 
his way, 
‘Impatient for the battle.” 
During this period, the French having, 
the principal command of the country, 
the people were treated as those of-a 
conquered nation, and not as allies, 
whose blood and treasure were appro~ 
priated to them. The custom-houses, 
and public offices were filled by their 
appointments, and the courts of justice 
were directed by their will. An instance 
occurred which shews the authority of 
the French influence; wherein the con-. 
sul, Monsieur Roxant, the resident here, 
seized, and procured to be condemned, a. 
Dutch merchantman, with its cargo, be-. 
cause a mahogany table was on board 
of English manufacture; pretending, for , 
this reason, that the cargo was, and must 
be, for British account. 
The printers used to publish in praise 
of the French, they dared not do other- 
wise; and the battle of Trafalgar, they 
were forbidden to relate, with all its cire 
cumstances, although it occurred within 
their sight and hearing; the shopkeepers. 
bent to the times, and for awhile every 
thing was made French. A _ watch. 
maker, with more policy than prudence. 
perhaps, altered his sign, and signified 
that he had learnt his profession at 
“Paris ;” but he has since changed this 
notice, and has actually written that he» 
is a watch-maker from ‘ Madrid.” 
The people have now changed their 
tone; a Frenchman. scarcely exists in 
Cadiz, (the few that are permitted to 
remain dare not stir abroad, and they 
have the national lock and seals afixed 
to their doors). It is dangerous, and par- 
taking of treason, to speak the French 
language, especially in the streets, OF UL 
guardedly among those by whom one 1s, 
not known. r ' 
oth AG Aa Y.ROCEa, 9, FORRCUMAG SA 
beta sie 
