4 
20 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 
circumstances in which the Spanish nation was placed ; 
of the difficulties which encompassed this people ; of the 
safety of their native country ; of laurels, and of the god 
of victory ; of enemies with whom they ought to fight ;— 
did not contain the name of France. They availed them-_ 
selves of this omission (will it be believed ?) to maintain 
that it was directed against Portugal. 
Napoleon pretended to believe in this absurd interpre- 
tation; but from this moment it became evident that 
Spain would sooner or later be obliged to render a strict 
account of the warlike intentions which she had suddenly 
evinced in 1806; this, without justifying the events of 
Bayonne, explains them in a very natural way. 
I was expecting M. Biot at Valencia, he having under- 
taken to bring some new instruments with which we were 
to measure the latitude of Formentera. I shall take ad- 
vantage of these short intervals of repose to insert here 
some details of manners, which may, perhaps, be read 
with interest. 
I will recount, in the first instance, an adventure which 
nearly cost me my life under somewhat singular circum- 
stances. 
One day, as a recreation, I thought I could go, with a 
fellow-countryman, to the fair at Murviedro, the ancient 
Saguntum, which they told me was very curious. I met 
in the town the daughter of a Frenchman resident at Va- 
lencia, Madlle. B All the hotels were crowded ; 
Madlle. B invited us to take some refreshments at 
her grandmother’s; we accepted; but on leaving the 
house she informed us that our visit had not been to the 
taste of her betrothed, and that we must be prepared for 
some sort of attack on his part; we went directly to an 
armourer’s, bought some pistols, and commenced our re- 
turn to Valencia. 
