HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



175 



testing the most pacific disposi- 

 tion, urged in explanation and de- 

 fence of their vast military prepa- 

 rations, the formation of maga- 

 zines, and the distribution of the 

 Austrian troops, that the military 

 establishment of their neighbours, 

 and of every country of any weight 

 in Europe were augmented in the 

 same ratio, in proportion to their 

 means and the extent of territory 

 to be occupied and defended. The 

 pacific protestations of Austria 

 were continued ; but so also were 

 her measures of defiance and an 

 intention of hostile aggression. A 

 secret correspondence between the 

 patriots and the archduke Charles 

 had been also discovered. Buo- 

 naparte returned from Spain to 

 Paris on the 22d of January, 1 809 ; 

 and his imperial guard, 15,000 

 strong, set out on its march to 

 join him there as soon as possible. 

 When he was " marching," as he 

 told the legislative body, Dec. 3, 

 1809, "on Lisbon and Cadiz, he 

 was undar the necessity of treading 

 back his steps, and of planting his 

 eagles on the ramparts of Vienna."* 

 After the reduction of Madrid in 

 December, 1809, a large force was 

 sent by Buonaparte to Talavera del 

 Reyna, with the view of reducing 

 Cordova, Seville, Cadiz, and Lis- 

 bon. Marshal Soult took posses- 

 sion of Oporto, though occupied by 

 a garrison three times his numbers, 

 witiiout any resistance. Ney, 

 strongly reinforced by general Kel- 

 lerman, with Mortierand Bonnet at 

 Lugo, made progress in Gallicia, 

 Asturias, and Biscay. Ferrol, as 

 well as Corunna, Biiboa, and St. 

 Andero, and all places of most im- 



portance on the northern coast of 

 Spain fell into the hands of the 

 French. On the whole it was 

 evidently the design of Buona- 

 parte, in the last month of 1808, 

 having obtained possession of Ma- 

 drid and the fortresses on the fron- 

 tier, to subdue the whole peninsula 

 by sending corps, or columns, ac- 

 cording to the nature and strength 

 of the different territories, against 

 the most important towns, and 

 into all the vallies, great and 

 small, of the country. But it ap- 

 pears from the whole tenor of 

 Buonaparte's conduct, both mili- 

 tary and political, that it was 

 amongst his leading maxims, never 

 to carry on more than one arduous 

 design at one and the same time ; 

 but to bear with his main force 

 and undivided attention on one 

 object. Wherever the main 

 strength of his enemy lay, thither 

 he bent his most strenuous efforts. 

 If that were once broken, second- 

 ary objects would fall into his 

 hands of course. If that were suf- 

 fered to remain entire, no con- 

 quest could be other than precari- 

 ous and transient. When, there- 

 fore, it became evident to Buona 

 parte, that a war with Austria 

 was altogether unavoidable, the 

 war in Spain assumed a new form. 

 Instead of pushing forward detach- 

 ments into unsubdued provinces 

 or districts, the first care of the 

 French, for the present, was to 

 provide for their own security by 

 concentration. The march on 

 Cadiz and Lisbon was suspended : 

 the French were every where seen 

 drawing nearer and nearer up the 

 Tagus towards Madrid ; or creep- 

 ing 



* Vide speech of ihe emperor Napoleon, at the opening of the meeting of the 

 I-egislative Body. State Papers, p. 803. 



