182t.] [ 41 ] 



BIOGRAPHY OF EMINENT PERSONS. 



SKETCH of the LIFE </gF.NEKAL KICGO. 



HATEVER truth was in the 

 wily answer of that sootlisaycr 

 wlio counselled the death of Philip, in 

 the promise that, with the uame of 

 this coiiquercr, should descend to the 

 latest posterity the name of iiis slaugh- 

 terer also, on the (ongue of impcrisha- 

 IjIc fame ; it has received a considera- 

 blc enlargement of application diiriiij? 

 the age we live in. To have striiuglod 

 ill any exertion, however brief, gentle, 

 or unavailing, for any change for the 

 good of his country, and the happiness 

 of its people, is to many a subject in 

 these days amply sufficient toinsure the 

 vengeance of kings ; and, by the 

 cruelties of their displeasure, com- 

 mand the sympathy of his compeers 

 and the pity of their ciiildren. 

 Amongst the many men of worthy 

 spirit who have fallen witliin our own 

 memory under such respect, no one, 

 perhaps, deserves more generous men- 

 tion than the Spaniard whoae name 

 entitles this page. 



General Ricgo was a man of great 

 talents and high energy : the good of 

 his country was sincerely in his heart; 

 and he laboured for lis alliiinmcnt, 

 and the real service of his king, most 

 aspiringly. In this ardr.oiis task, far 

 from personal insult or wrong, he bad 

 the grace to lay tlie monarch, who 

 notwithstanding willed his ikatli, un- 

 der particular obligation. He pro- 

 tected in danger, and spurcl in mis- 

 l4)rtunc ; he was brave, hont st, inge- 

 nuous ; and yet hung from a giblict! 

 But the infamy of that fate presses 

 not on his mouldering bones, but lies, 

 like a stain, on the honours of three 

 nations;* and the cry of his blood to 

 heaven for retribution, may fall with 

 greatest justice in its return upon the 

 heads of three men. 



Rafael Ricgo was noldy descended, 

 and born at Tuna in Asturias in the 

 year 1780. His education, wliich in- 

 cluded a knowledge of- Latin, and 

 some inipi;rfect sciences, was superin- 

 tended at Ovi(;do, where his father 

 was I)irecl(jr General of Posts. At 

 the period of the I'rench invasion, dur- 

 ing the administration of tiodoy, the 



• If ia not to be diippo.snd that the King 

 of France,- or liii nephew, wanlfj any 

 lliiii:; l)iit the will to save Ki(';;o't) lill'. 



jMuNrH).y Mao. Nu, J^2. 



Prince of Peace, he was remarked in 

 the uniform of the 13ody Guards. It 

 is well known that the unprovoked' 

 nature of that war, amongst other 

 consequences of popular indign»tion, 

 excited a tumult at Aranjucz, which, 

 in one night, put an end to the rule of 

 the guilty minister. On that niglit, 

 Ricgo happened to be on guiird ; and, 

 although he took a share i:i the object 

 of the insurrection, yet made himself 

 conspicuous by his exertions to save 

 the life of the prostrate favouiife. For 

 tiiis part he was consigned, with many 

 of his comrades, to the Escurial by 

 Mnrat. He soon, however, effected 

 an escai)e ; and clad in skins, which 

 make the common covering of the 

 Spanish peasantry, traversed, with 

 much hardshij), towards his native 

 province; there, in spirited resistance 

 to the invading trooj)S, was forced by 

 superior numbers to retreat, again 

 arrested, and at length rewarded by a 

 captaincy in one of the many patriotic 

 bands the Asturias armed for that 

 memorable occasion. The commander 

 happened to be a particular friend fo 

 bis brother Miguel, canon in the catlic- 

 dral of Ovicdo, and made the new 

 captain his aid de-camp. Overcome 

 by years, that soldier was obliged to 

 travel slowly in his carriage, escorted 

 by a small troop, which was suddenly 

 attacked and routed by a superior 

 force. To a man, the old general was 

 <Icsertcd by his recruits, except Ricgo, 

 who placed his patron op. his own 

 horse, was made ])risoner himself in 

 consequence, and detained captive in 

 Erance until peace ensued. 



How, after that occurrence, the Con- 

 stitution given on the spur of danger 

 was broken in the (irst moments of 

 security ; and the men who enacted 

 the most generous deeds for the 

 safety of their country, were meanly 

 crowded together in the expedition 

 collcctcij at Cadiz ("or thO subjugation 

 of the libel alive coloidcs, that they 

 might undo, in one cliiiie, the welfare 

 they had (l(»ne in anotlier, and so pass 

 unre.-.pcctcd and forgotliiu in the dis- 

 tance ; how disease thinned the num- 

 bers, and discontent marred the des- 

 tiny, of that army ; and after a pau^c, 

 though brief, yet a>\l'ul, from the sup- 

 posed means of slavery, sprung up the 

 seeds of rcgcucrated freedom; are all 

 G tacts 



