1822.] 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
The following Letier has been addressed 
to the Editor by an English gentleman at 
Madrid, to whom he transmitted some in- 
quiries relative to those renowned Spanish 
Patriots, whose names vibrate in the souls 
of all Freemen. It details various eir- 
cumstances hitherto unknown out of Spain, 
which cannot fail to interest the people 
of England. 
Madrid, Jan. 6, 1822. 
OU ask me for some account of the 
heroes of the Spanish Revolution. 
I have been just talking over its perils 
with some of the principal actors in its 
glories. I am now smoking a segar, 
given me by the warm-hearted Qu1- 
ROGA, and, under its inspiration, will 
try to satisfy your desires. 
How shall I begin? Shall I send you 
a portrait of each of these illustrious 
patriots? That I cannot do; but I 
will tell you what a beautiful Spanish 
lady said toa friend of mine, who asked 
for a description of RirGo. “His 
image is so deeply engraved here, 
(pressing her forehead with her hand,) 
that were I apainter, you should have 
his very counterpart. But it is not 
enough to be a painter: one must burn 
with the same sacred fire that is kin- 
_ dled in him. That fireis in my bosom. 
He isnot fair—no! but what does that 
matter? If he has not the beauty of 
form, he has all the beauty of generous 
passion, and that is better. His black 
eyes are always sparkling before me; 
busy, penetrating, enquiring ;—his vi- 
sage is of a pale brown; his lips ex- 
press the delicacy of his sentiments ; 
his hair is nearly black, but mixed 
with grey, though he has only seen 
thirty years to whiten it. His figure is 
of the middle size, but strikingly mar- 
tial. You would fix on him for a hero. 
The love of liberty is in him ever ob- 
vious and ever active; he is alive to all 
its vibrations. You inay read _ his 
thoughts and his affections. That 
gloom which hung upon the brow of 
Napoleon, and which served to cover 
the deep purposes of personal ambition, 
never clouds his countenance. He is 
too ardent to bury himself in long con- 
centrated thoughts. He is the soldier’s 
brother. A sergeant and a man from 
the ranks are always with him. He 
was made a prisoner in the war of in- 
dependence, and remained two years in 
France, where he cultivated his mind 
with continual study. He speaks 
French and Italian admirably, To- 
MonrTuiy MAG, No, 264. 
Letter from Madrid. ae \ 
*9 
wards me (she continued) his conduct 
has been a model of grace and polite- 
ness. When he arrived here, I could 
not separate myself from him, He 
knew that I loved one of the companions 
of his perils and his glories; and they 
say heisa lover. Thisannoys me; He 
will then devote himself to something 
besides his.country: he may then love 
something besides liberty! He should 
never marry; it would be infidelity to 
the nation. Is he not pledged to her ? 
And then—could other women love 
him ?” 
The part which Riego took. in, the 
movements of the Islade Leon—the se- 
ries of melancholy events which dis- 
persed his little band, and left him to 
wander in solitude and despair—are 
such as even now, when the dangers 
are passed and the victory is achieved, 
I can hardly think of without trembling. 
After several vain attempts to enter 
Cadiz, he left Quiroga in San Fernando, 
for the purpose of exciting the public 
feeling in different parts of Andalusia. 
His division consisted of 1500 men, 
with whom he marched upon Chiclana, 
whose authorities fled on his arrival. 
From thence he proceeded to Algesiras, 
in the hope that the friends of freedom 
in Gibraltar would facilitate his objects 
and provide for his wants. In some of 
the villages he was received with ec- 
stasy, inothers with alarm. At Alge- 
siras the people crowded to. welcome 
him, but refused to join his banners. 
The coldness of the Governor of Gi- 
braltar, and the interruption of all com- 
munication with that fortress, disap- 
pointed all his expectations. His troops 
wanted shoes, and horses, and money, 
Some supplies were furnished in the 
midst of immense difficulties by the 
zeal of his friends. In the mean time. 
O’ Donnell approached with the royalist 
army. Riegohad determined to attack 
them, when a letter from Quiroga was 
delivered to him, urging his immediate 
return. In the plains of Taibilla he 
was surrounded by a large body of the 
enemy’s cavalry. They were received 
with shouts of ‘“ Long live the Consti- 
tution !—long live our Country!’ and 
the ranks resounded with that song 
which I will here insert, for it has be- 
come the watch-word of the Constitu- 
tional party, and has been re-echoed a 
thousand and ten thousand times 
through the Peninsula, just like Ca Dra 
and the Marseillois in France. at the 
commencement of the French Revolu- 
tion. 
"B Soldados. 
