HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
~ Spain continued to languish in 
servitude and obscurity, under the 
@ebasing administration of the prince 
of the peace, while that minion rose 
dlaily in power and importance, 
through the undeserved favour and 
misplaced confidence of his abused 
and besotted sovereign. The prince 
of Asturias, heir apparent of the 
crown, though less an object of jea- 
lousy and hatred to his ‘mother 
and her paramour since the death 
of his wife, was still carefully ex- 
cluded from any share of the go- 
vernment, and scandalously left 
without influence or authority in 
the kingdom, over which he was 
destined one day to reign, unless 
prevented by the criminal projects 
of those, whom the ties of nature 
and obligations of duty ought to 
have made the mest faithful guar. 
dians and steadiest supporters of his 
rights. Men of virtue and talents 
lamented in exile or retirement the 
degradation of thetr country ; while 
the nation at large, animated with a 
noble ambition and emulation of 
its ancient glory, contemplated its 
fallen state with surprise and indig- 
nation, and could hardly suppress 
its resentment against the authors 
of such intelerable disgrace and hu- 
miliation. ‘To one who knew well 
the temper and character of the 
Spanish people, it was evident that 
a mass of combustible matter was 
collecting in that kingdom, which a 
spark only was wanting to light up 
to the astonishment and admiration 
of Europe. 
When certain intelligence reached 
Spain of a negotiation for peace be- 
tween France and: England, the 
self-importance of the prince of the 
peace was offended that he had not 
‘treme. 
591 
been consulted in the matter, nor ine 
vited to become a party to the ne- 
gotiation; and when the secret ar. 
ticles transpired of the treaty con- 
cluded between France and Russia, 
by which it appeared that Bona. 
parte had transferred the Balearic 
isles to the duke of Calabria, with. 
out the formality of even communi- 
cating his intention to the court of 
Madrid, his indignation became ex- 
In the first transports of 
his wrath, he issued proclama- 
tions *, calling upon the loyalty and 
patriotism of his countrymen, and 
ordering a considerable augmenta- 
tion of the Spanish army and milis 
tia, while he privately opened a 
confidential intercourse with the 
court of Lisbon, preparatory, as 
was supposed, to a renewal of 
friendly communications with Great 
Britain, But his designs of eman. 
cipating his countrymen from the 
French yoke, if they ever assumed a 
definite form, were extinguished, 
before they had matured into ac- 
tion, by the disasters of Prussia. On 
the news of the battle of Auerstadt, 
‘the levies that had been ordered 
throughout Spain were hastily coun. 
termanded ; and to conceal the real 
object of the armament, a ridiculous 
tale was fabricated, of a project said 
to have been entertained by the 
English government, of invading 
Andalusia with an army of Moors, 
to prevent which, it was pretended, 
these extraordinary preparations had 
been made. So flimsy a pretext 
was not calculated to impose upon’ 
Bonaparte; but occupied as he was 
at that moment with his designs on 
Poland, he judged it pradent to dis- 
semble his resentment, and wait for 
some more favourable epportunity 
* October 9th and 11th. 
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