70] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



knowledged that there are few in- 

 stances of so momentous a contest 

 supported with less courage and 

 constancy ; and as nothing could 

 be more abject than the first sub- 

 mission of the Royal Family and 

 Nobles to foreign usurpation, so a 

 listlessness and indiffierence was 

 too apparent in tlie subsequent ef- 

 forts of the nation, powerfully aided 

 as it was, to free itself from the 

 yoke. With respect to liberal and 

 enlarged ideas of Government, 

 there is no European nation in 

 which they could be less expected 

 to prevail, than in one so many ages 

 under the sway of arbitrary power 

 and bigotted superstition. The 

 Constitution framed by the Cortes 

 was a merely exotic production, 

 generated in the heads of a few 

 readingand speculativemen, whose 

 notions had little or no correspon- 

 dence with the general feelings of 

 the community. Hence, when 

 assailed by the power of force and 

 opinion always inherent in a mo- 

 narch}', having no effectual sup- 

 port on the other side from popular 

 attachment, it sunk without a 

 struggle. It is affirmed in one ac- 

 count, that as soon as the Governor 

 of Madrid officially published Fer- 

 dinand's Decree, the people joined 

 him with enthusiasm, and the dis- 

 solution of the Cortes did not ex- 

 perience the slightest obstacle. No 

 resistance was made, and in conse- 

 quence, no blood was shed ; but 

 on the night of the 10th, a great 

 number of persons were arrested, 

 whose names comprize almost all 

 those who have rendered them- 

 eelves conspicuous for writings, or 

 speeches favourable to civil liberty, 

 or adverse to ecclesiastical autho- 

 rity, during the reign of the Cortes. 

 The fidelity to the Royal cause dis- 



played by the capital was rewarded 

 by allowing it, in addition to its 

 former titles oi loyal and imperial, 

 to take that of heroic, and iis mu- 

 nicipal body, i\\Q.toi Excellency,— ^ 

 The King nominated a ministry, 

 among whom the first was the 

 Duke de San Carlos, the person 

 who signed this treaty with Buo- 

 naparte. A provisional regulation 

 was issued with regard to the 

 liberty of the press, and the pub- 

 lication of periodical papers, the 

 nature of which may easily be 

 conceived. 



Ferdinand entered Madrid on 

 May 14th ; and from the public 

 accounts it would appear that 

 never was a sovereign received into 

 his captal with greater demon- 

 strations of attachment. The po- 

 pulace are said to have drawn his 

 carriage all the way from Aran- 

 juez to Madrid, seven leagues. 

 He afterwards traversed the whole 

 city on foot, by way of showing 

 his confidence in the people. 

 Arrests meantime continued, but, 

 as was then fondly hoped, rather 

 as a measure of safety than of 

 rigour. It could not be doubted 

 that the church would be the first 

 to profit of this change ; and a 

 royal decree was issued, declaring 

 that the king, being informed of 

 the great scandal occasioned by 

 the poverty and wretchednes of 

 the regular clergy, and considering 

 the advantages which result to the 

 state and the church from their 

 being assembled in their respec- 

 tive communities, orders all the 

 convents, and property belonging 

 to them, to be restored, through 

 the intervention of the archbishops 

 and bishops. Thus was again es- 

 tablished that predominancy of the 

 religious orders by which Spain 



