424 PENINSULAR WAR [1808. 



" I lament nothing so much as the want of a state- 

 ment such as I once wrote to you about, and feel my 

 conscience smite me for suffering even the law to 

 prevent me from doing it myself. But there is no 

 help for impossibilities. It will be better done by 

 debates. In haste, yours, &c. H. BROUGHAM. 



" P.S. Bulletin from Admiral Young's secretary 

 at Plymouth. 



" News up to December 3d. Junta going to 

 Toledo. No doubt of Hope and Eomana joining 

 Moore. Eomana at Seco, having collected 20,000 

 of Blake's army." 



TO EARL GREY. 



" December 16, 1808. 



" DEAR LORD GREY, The post is just going ; but 

 as there are different rumours about the fatal news, 

 and some deny it, I write this to assure you it is as 

 bad as possible. A letter from Allen, December 1, 8 

 P.M. (Corunna), says that advice had just arrived of 

 Castaiios's total defeat, and Moore and Baird's retreat, 

 the former to Ciudad Rodrigo, the latter to Gallicia 

 ' by directions from Castanos himself !! I copy this 

 literally, with the two (!!). This is the whole letter, 

 and being to Perry (who showed it to me), I am 

 confident Allen did not write it rashly.* 



" Ronald Ferguson saw the people at the offices to- 

 day, and Hope of the Admiralty yesterday. They 



* Perry, well known as the editor of the ' Morning Chronicle/ 



