JET. 31.] AND PENINSULAR WAR. 445 



and 8000 cavalry. He saw them manoeuvre, fire, 

 &c., and speaks highly of them; but Cuesta, he says, 

 is an obstinate, infirm old man. How many of the 

 regiments he saw one does not know, and I daresay 

 they showed him the best. Believe me ever yours 

 most faithfully, H. BROUGHAM." 



TO EAEL GREY. 



" CARLISLE, August 7, 1809. 



" MY DEAR LORD GREY, H. Bouverie writes from 

 Placenzia, July 12, that the French are moving to- 

 wards them, and that Wellesley has been at Cuesta's 

 headquarters concerting measures for attacking them. 

 Victor's force he states at less than in his last letter, 

 but I cannot see whether he calls it 30,000 or 40,000. 

 However, from his saying that the event of the battle 

 will depend on the Spaniards, and therefore must be 

 doubtful, I conclude he means 40,000, for he says 

 our army will amount to 28,000 when joined by 

 Craufurd'g brigade and the horse-artillery, which they 

 are waiting for. Our advanced-guard was ordered 

 to move to meet Victor. 



" C. Stuart is arrived in town, much crippled with 

 rheumatism, &c.* He talks most violently against 

 the ministers for the whole of their conduct in Spain, 

 and says that the article on Spain in the last ' Edin- 

 burgh Eeview' is so true an account of the case 

 respecting Spain, that the resemblance can only have 

 arisen from chance. He and I have long lived on 

 * See above, p. 92. 



