JET. 31.] PENINSULAR WAR. 45 1 



of finance, war, interior government, &c., subject in 

 important points to the control of the whole body. 

 Old Jovellanos is an excellent and amiable man, of 

 enlarged views and the most patriotic dispositions; 

 but he is quite unfit, both by his temper and habits, 

 for political management and intrigue, even that 

 portion of it without which no government can be 

 conduct ed.* His influence, of course, is not very con- 

 siderable; and though there are some others, parti- 

 cularly Garay, the secretary of the Junta, and Calvo, of 

 good talents and dispositions, with more activity than 

 Jovellanos, yet, upon the whole, ihefeebles and pro- 

 crastinators may be said to prevail. So much for 

 their civil affairs. With respect to military talents, 

 the want of them is sufficiently apparent in the whole 

 scheme of their campaign, and almost in every battle 

 that has taken place. Of all their generals, Blake, 

 one of the most unfortunate, is supposed to be their 

 best. Cuesta is much beloved by the soldiery, bra.ve 

 and regardless of personal danger; but he is near 

 seventy, of a violent temper, and of no military 

 talents. They are anxious at Seville to get rid of 

 him, and to supply his place by Albuquerque, a young 

 man of high rank and great spirit, but without any 

 military character. 



" With respect to Portugal I have heard them say 



* Don Gaspard Melchior de Jovellanos (or properly Jove-Llanos), 

 born 1744, died 1811, a statesman and author. He translated part of 

 Milton's * Paradise Lost' into Spanish. His name frequently appears 

 in the political and literary correspondence of the time, though it is 

 now nearly forgotten. 



