MAEQUINEZ AND LA COLLEGIALA. 165 



Peninsular war, they joined a party of gxierillas, of 

 which they soon became the leaders, and Principe, 

 although inferior in talent and education to his 

 brother-sergeant, Avas the first in command. At the 

 period that Merino disarmed them in the manner we' 

 have described, the partida had acquired considerable 

 celebrity, and although not so well disciplined as the 

 troops of the Cura, had committed no excesses to 

 justify the step taken by the latter. Merino was 

 jealous of their success, and annoyed at the desertion 

 of his men, many of whom had recently left his 

 standard to join that of Principe. As Marquinez 

 had predicted, however, the Regency was excessively 

 angry at the unauthorised and unwarrantable conduct 

 of the guerilla priest, in which it was evident that he 

 had consulted his own interest more than that of the 

 service or of the country. A severe reprimand was 

 addressed to him ; but the war was raging in all its 

 fury, the Junta had its hands full, and Merino was 

 too valuable a partisan to be dispensed with, or even 

 disgusted. Moreover, the mischief done was soon 

 repaired, in great part, by the activity of Marquinez. 

 After the guerilla corps was disbanded by the Cura, 

 the two adventurers who had headed it found them- 

 selves with a mere handful of followers, the remainder 

 either having been sent to their villages, or having 

 joined Merino. Principe and Marquinez agreed to 

 separate, and to reorganise two bands, instead of the 

 one which they had hitherto commanded. Principe 



