800 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



are valiant, and sometimes even 

 rash ; they are not to be terriOed 

 by the greatest dangers; in war 

 they never fly, nor do they ever 

 give up an enterprize. They, the 

 Aragonese, and Galicians, are the 

 best soldiers in Spain. Their bra- 

 very and firmness have been so 

 often proved, that for ages past no 

 doubt has ever been entertained of 

 them ; they have several times dis- 

 played them with the greatest ener- 

 gy, and in the remotest periods; 

 and in the beginning of the 18th 

 century they sustained the united 

 efforts of the armies of France and 

 Spain against Catalonia. 



After what has been just said, it 

 will be easily imagined that they 

 have very violent passions ; in fact, 

 they can encounter any thing to sa- 

 tisfy them. The desire of wealth 

 makes them industrious ; emulation 

 makes them active, leads them to 

 every part of the world, and ena- 

 bles thera to brave the perils of 

 long voyages; and glory blinds 

 them to every kind of danger. 

 When they love, they love warm- 

 ly ; but their hatred is implacable; 

 they have rarely sufficient strength 

 of mind to stifle their resentment. 

 But we are not, therefore, to ima- 

 gine the Catalan disposed to mis- 

 chief; he is not so naturally. He 

 works himself into a rage, and 

 is loud, but seldom commits acts 

 of violence. In a political point 

 of view the Catalan is restless and 

 factious ; he is for ever sighing for 

 a liberty, or rather independence, 

 which he has often attempted to 

 acquire, and which has so frequent- 

 ly impelled him to take up arms. 

 But, as devoted in his attachment 

 as terrible in his hatred, he is ready 

 to make every sacrifice for a prince 



who knows how to gain his love. 

 At the commencement of the war 

 with France, Catalonia made the 

 king an offer to defend him them- 

 selves against all the troops of the 

 enemy. In the number of the vo- 

 lunteers there were thirty thousand 

 monks or priests ; this offer was not 

 accepted, chiefly on account of the 

 nature of the war, which was to be 

 an offensive one, and required an 

 army of regular troops. Catalo- 

 nia, far from having suffered by 

 the campaigns of which it was the 

 theatre, grew rich by the sums ex- 

 pended in the province, and it is 

 obvious that a war with France is 

 as useful to it as one with England 

 is disastrous. 



The Catalans are charged with 

 an eagerness for money, which in- 

 duces them to undergo any labour 

 in the acquisition of it, and to take 

 the greatest care to keep it. But 

 the fact is, they spend as readily as 

 they earn, and are capable of ge- 

 nerosity, of which they gave a 

 striking proof in the unhappy pe- 

 riods of the French revolution. 

 A multitudeof French people, mon, 

 women, and children, of all ranks, 

 found help and consolation in this 

 province. Reuss, Monblanc, Bla- 

 nas, and thefrontiers towardsFrance, 

 particularly distinguished them- 

 selves in that respect. 



The inhabitants of Catalonia 

 have a decided taste for the ceremo- 

 nies of the church, for processions, 

 public feasts, assemblies, balls, 

 dances, and other meetings. The 

 romerias are in great vogue; these 

 are journeys on certain days to so- 

 litary chapels, and to hermitages, 

 whither the people flock in crowds. 

 The bull-feasts have scarcely found 



their way here. 



The 



