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. 



