1824.] 



as they would have been, with liberals 

 and national guards. Success was 

 relied upon with so much assurance, 

 that the Count dc Castro Torreno 

 made preparations for the festival that 

 was to celebrate the downfall of the 

 Constitution. In fact, the signal was 

 given, and cries were sliouted of " Long 

 live our absolute monarch — Down with the 

 Constitution." But, whether it was 

 that the people joined but feebly in th« 

 cause, or that the outrages of the 

 troops were soon repressed by the 

 zeal of General Zayas, tlje object 

 failed, and the failure served to rouse 

 the enthusiasm of Madrid, and the 

 other principal towns. The court 

 returned lo Madrid, and the servile 

 faction continued their manoeuvres, 

 while tiie ministry persisted in their 

 lethargy. On all sides, the true libe- 

 rals prepared for self-defence, con- 

 scious that the servile faction would 

 not content themselves Avith tiie blow 

 they had already aimed; and, on the 

 other hand, the servile party were 

 urging on (heir plans. Agitation was 

 at its hcigiit ; but ministers alone 

 remained passive spectators. 



General Morillo had just arrived 

 from Terra Firma, where he had ren- 

 dered himself notorious for his ferocity, 

 want of probity, and a fratricidal war, 

 which he carried on with fanatical en- 

 thusiasm. On his return he passed a 

 few days at Paris, and connected him- 

 self M'ith several personages, who 

 openly ranged themselves against tlic 

 Constitution. The ultra journals of 

 Paris were incessantly occupied in 

 signalizing this man, as one who was 

 to restore tl.e king to his ancient 

 rights, and destroy the influence of the 

 Cortes, yet General Morillo was ap- 

 pointed head-commander of the city 

 and province of Madrid ; and the 

 ministry, not satisfied with this mark of 

 confidence, lavished on him expressions 

 of deference and respect. All the 

 month of .Tune was employed to pre- 

 pare for a fresh insurrection. Tiie 

 Count dc Lagarde was indefatigable 

 ill his preparations ; he was incessantly 

 visiting the king and the ministers ; 

 sending drafts to his banker, and des- 

 patching extraordinary couriers to his 

 cabinet. He was actively assisted by 

 all the foreign diplomatists, and parti- 

 cularly by tiie Count (I'Kriiott, phniipo- 

 fcntiary minister from Denmark, an 

 «il<l liumpbuckcd man, full of preju- 

 (lices and intrigues. 



In the mean time the king had as- 



The Last Hays of Spain. 1 1 



scmbled several abettors, as the Duke 

 de rinfantado, the Marquis de las 

 Amarilias, and the Marquis de Caste- 

 lar. Tliese grandees had a numerous 

 body of dependants, and tlic rabble of 

 Madrid were promised the plunder of 

 the houses of the liberals. 



On the first of July, the king was to 

 prorogue the Cortes in person. On his 

 return, tlie battalions of the guard, 

 which were on duty at the palace, 

 cheered him with loud cries of " Loug 

 live our absolute monarch — Down with 

 the Constitution." The people loudly 

 expressed their dissatisfaction, and 

 the guards immediately fired on the 

 assembled multitude. A Jieutenantof 

 the guard, the brave Landabura, 

 highly esteemed for his liberal senti- 

 ments, who was desirous of restraining 

 his troop, was assassinated by his own 

 men, in the palace court. The batta- 

 lions in the palace openly declared 

 themselves ; they closed the gates, and 

 shut themselves in with the king and 

 his family. The rest of the garrison, 

 and the national guard, put themselves 

 under arms, to defend the public 

 liberties which were in such imminent 



danger. The ])atriots of the city 

 rushed to arms ; the eminent conspira- 

 tors took refuge in the palace ; and the 

 ministers, far from taking some vigo- 

 rous measure, continued going to the 

 palace, which was the focus of rebel- 

 lion, to expedite their ordinary busi- 

 ness, as they would have done in the 

 greatest tranquiility. General Mo- 

 rillo was nominated commander of the 

 royal guard ; so that, being at once 

 commander of the garrison and of the 

 national guard, he was actually at the 

 head of two armies hostile to each 

 other. 



During the five following days, 

 Madrid ])resented an extraordinary 

 spectacle. The king, blockaded in his 

 palace, surrounded by drunken mili- 

 tary, wiio spurned at all lawful subor- 

 dination ; the palace itself besieged by 

 the Constitutional army, and by the 

 patriots, who had taken to arms ; tlio 

 ministers going backwards and for- 

 wards to the palace, as in ordinary 

 times ; Morilio giving orders, as chief 

 commander, at one time to the legiti- 

 mate troops, at another to the rebel- 

 lious soldiers ; the conspirators of the 

 palace jneparing for the solemnity of 

 tiicinstaliution ofthe absolute monarch, 

 and making out a list of the Constitu- 

 tionalists that were to be immediately 

 condemned. Morillo paralyzed, witii 

 astonishing 



