ITS t O N 
each of them. Let them declare if they are willing to 
accept this offer.”—After a fhort filence, Don Carlos re¬ 
plied, “ Emperor, I was not born to be a king, but an 
infant of Spain.” Ferdinand was filent, and Bonaparte, 
after a (hcrt paufe, (aid, “ Prince, you muff choofe,. ab¬ 
dication or death.” Six hours were allowed him for 
coming to a determination. King Charles, feconding the 
threat of Bonaparte, ordered his Ton to make an abfolute 
refignation of the crown, under pain of being treated 
with all his houfehold as an ufurper of the throne, and a 
confpirator againff the life of his father. To this propo¬ 
rtion, Ferdinand, being defirous not to involve in Iris 
misfortunes the number of perfons comprehended in the 
threat of Charles IV. affented ; and next clay, in a letter 
to his father, after Hating the circumftances of conftraint 
in which he was placed, he made the refignation which 
was commanded. After this, Ferdinand was deprived of 
his coach of Hate and fword of honour. Fie had no other 
attendant than the commander of the party that watched 
him ; a jew, belonging to the militia or national guards 
of Bayonne. 
The natural confequence of all this moft perfidious ma¬ 
chination, was a treaty of abdication, in which promifes, 
never to he performed, were fet before the eyes of the ap¬ 
parently-deluded Ferdinand and the reft of his family. 
The junta at Bayonne tamely took the oath of allegi¬ 
ance to Bonaparte; and, to clofe the drama, the Spanilh 
princes were carried into the interior of France, there to 
deplore their own folly, and to experience the peculiar 
nature of Napoleon’s promifed affe< 5 lion and kindnefs. 
There we mult leave them, as, indeed, there they remain 
to this day ; while we return to the kingdom they fo un¬ 
fortunately quitted. 
Providence, which fometimes permits nations to be ex- 
pofed to the fcourge, is ever inclined to mercy. Thus it 
was in regard to Spain. After a fhort time of preffure 
under French dominion, the nation began to emerge; to 
ieek for means of revenge; and the French name became 
abominable to the ears of a Spaniard. The kidnapping 
of their kings at Bayonne—their imprifonment in France 
.—a new conftitution forced upon a free people—all con¬ 
tributed to roufe them from their temporary Humber ; and 
the counter-revolution began in moft. of the Spanilh pro¬ 
vinces. A long ftruggle enfued ; and it was then that 
Mr. Sheridan, on the 15th of June, rofe in the houfe of 
commons, and feemed to be nothing lefs than the folemn 
csgan of the public fentiments. In calling the attention 
of the legiflatnre to the affairs of Spain, and their utmolt 
exertions to the alliftance of the Spaniards ; “ I am far,” 
laid he, “ from wilhing minifters to embark in any ralli or 
romantic enterprife in favour of Spain ; but, if the en- 
thufiafm and animation, which now exilt in a part of 
Spain, Ihould fpread over the whole of that country, I am 
convinced that, fince the firft burft of the French revo¬ 
lution, there never exifted fo happy an opportunity for 
Great Britain to ftrike a bold ftroke for the refcue of the 
world. But, I wilh to declare, that, in my opinion, we 
muft not deal in dribblets ; we muft do much or nothing. 
Why do I make this declaration ? Becaufe no cabinet 
which has hitherto exifted in this country—not even ex¬ 
cepting that with which I had the honour of being con- 
nefted—has purfued limply and plainly one clear and dif- 
tinft object. Inftead of linking at the core of the evil, 
the adminiftrations of this country have hitherto con¬ 
tented themfelves with nibbling at the rind. I with, there¬ 
fore, to let Spain know, that we are refolved fairly and 
fully to (land up for the falvation of Europe. If a co¬ 
operation with Spain be expedient, it Ihould be an effec¬ 
tual co-operation. I repeat, that I am far from prompt¬ 
ing his majeliy’s government to engage in any rafh ro¬ 
mantic enterprife; but if, upon afcertaining the ltate of 
the popular mind in Spain, they find it is warmed by a 
patriotic and enthufiaffic ardour, then all I alk is, that that 
feeling Ihould be met here with correfponding energy and 
enthufiafm. Bonaparte has hitherto run a moft victorious 
D O N. 
race, Flitherto he has had to contend againft princes 
without dignity, and minifters without wifdom. He ha3 
fought againft countries in which the people have been 
indifferent as to his fuccefs ; he has yet to learn what it 
is to fight againft a country in which the people are ani¬ 
mated with one fpirit to relilt him. So far from bringing 
forward a motion prematurely to embarrafs his majefcy’s 
government, I folemnly declare, that, if the opportunity 
to which I have alluded of a vigorous interference on the 
part of England Ihould arife, the prefent adminiftration 
fliall have from me as cordial and as lincere a fupport as 
if the man whom I moft loved were reftored to life and 
power. — Is this a vain difcuflion ? Let thofe who think 
fo look at the prefent Hate of Europe. Will not the ani¬ 
mation of the Spanilh mind be excited by the knowledge 
that their caufe is efpouled, not by minifters alone, but 
by the parliament and the people of England ? If there 
be a difpofition in Spain to relent the infults and injuries, 
too enormous to be defcribed by language, which they 
have endured from the tyrant of the earth, will not that 
difpofition be roufed to the molt fublime exertion, by the 
aflurance that their efforts will be cordially aided" by a 
great and powerful nation ? I think this a moft impor¬ 
tant criiis. Never was any thing fo brave, fo generous, 
fo noble, as the conduct of the Afturians. They have 
magnanimoully avowed their hoftility to France, they have 
declared war againft Bonaparte ; and now they have no 
retreat; they muft conquer, or perifn in the grave of the 
honour and the independence of their country. It is 
that the Britifh government may advance to their aflift- 
ance with a firmer ftep, and with a bolder mien, that I 
have been anxious to afford this opportunity to the Britifh 
parliament, of exprefling the feelings which they enter¬ 
tain on the occafion. 1 move, therefore, that an humble 
add refs be prefented to his majelty, that he will be gra- 
cioufly pleafed to dire£! that there be laid before this 
houfe, copies of fuch proclamations as have been received 
by bis majelty’s fecretary of ftate for foreign affairs, and 
which have been iffued fince the arrival of the French 
army at Madrid ; whether by the Spanilh government, 
the French commander-in-chief, or by perfons fince 
claiming to a< 5 t on behalf of the Spanilh nation.” 
The duke of Norfolk, in the houfe of lords, fpoke moft 
eloquently to the fame purpofe, on the 30th of the fame 
month ; and the conlequence was, that, on the 4th of 
July, W'hen the lord-chancellor, in his majefty’s name, 
prorogued the parliament, the concluding and indeed the 
greater part of the fpeech turned, as was natural, on the 
Spanilh nation, loyally and nobly ftruggling againft the 
tyranny and ufurpation of France, and therefore no longer 
to be confidered as an enemy, but as the ally of Great 
Britain. 
The avowed protedfion of the Britiffi government ani¬ 
mated the Spanifh patriots, and created an enthufiafm 
which was evinced in feveral aftions, and more efpecially 
at the fiege of Saragoffa ; and enabled them to become fo 
formidable, that king Jofeph was obliged, for the firft time, 
to learn the art of flying, an ufeful art which he has fince 
had occafion to recur to. Like the kings of a ftrolling 
band of mountebanks, Bonaparte’s crowned heads feem 
to be indifferent as to what fort of boards they perforin 
upon, fo long however as they are allowed to perform the 
trumpery parts of would-be fovereigns. The hope of a 
peace with Spain, after its deliverance from French fub- 
jugation, became every day more and more interefting to 
the trade of the metropolis, and therefore the livelieft 
attention was excited by the news which came from the 
peninfula. 
On the 4th of Auguft a grand dinner was given to the 
Spanifh deputies, by the merchants and bankers of the 
metropolis, at the City of London Tavern.—This fump- 
tuous feaft, indicative of the fympathy which England 
felt (and ftill feels) in the glorious caufe of Spain, was at¬ 
tended by a company of noblemen and gentlemen, com¬ 
prehending a very large proportion of the mercantile 
wealth 
