LII. 1807. Nov. 28. 69. Foy, ii. in Portugal, only to four thousand stragglers, half without CHAP. arms, more like ghosts than the array destined to subdue a kingdom. No words can do justice to the hardships which were undergone, and the disorder which ensued, during the march from the frontier to Abrantes: the firmness of the oldest officers, even in the leading column, was shaken by it, and those which followed hurried along without any order, like a confused horde of robbers.* Their feet, bound up, were nearly all bleeding; their faces pale and emaciated, their muskets broken into staffs for walking. Many battalions subsisted for days together on nothing but chestnuts, and the quantity even of that humble fare was so scanty that, from that cause among others, they lost several hundred men a-day: whole companies and squadrons were washed away in the ravines by the swollen mountain-tor- 1 Thib. 32, rents. At length, after undergoing incredible privations, the 335, 367. leading bands of the French army, only fifteen hundred 36. Napier, strong, approached Lisbon in the end of November, but 1.141. Lond. straggling in such small numbers, and in such deplorable xi. 25, 26, condition, that they resembled rather the fugitives who had 200. Thiers, escaped from a disastrous retreat, than the proud array 337. which was to overturn a dynasty and subdue a kingdom.1 The elements of glorious resistance were not wanting in 19. the Portuguese capital. Its inhabitants were three hun- Conduct of dred thousand its forts strong, defended by a numerous artillery, and garrisoned by fourteen thousand men: an ernment, English squadron lay in the Tagus with Sir Sidney Smith tion of Lisat its head, whose versatile genius was peculiarly fitted crisis. for such an undertaking, and who had shown at Acre, what vigour he could infuse into a besieged population. The English sailors longed to see the work of defence * "It is impossible," says Thiébault, an eye-witness, " to give an idea of the sufferings of the army before reaching Sobreira. In truth, if the leading columns were a prey to these horrors, which nothing could alleviate, it may easily be imagined what must have been the situation of those which succeeded them. The army, in truth, was on the verge of dissolution; it was on the point of disbanding altogether-the general-in-chief was within a hair's-breadth of being left without any followers. Nevertheless, it was indispensable not to halt for a moment; everything required to be risked: we were obliged to suc ceed, or bury ourselves in the mountains with the whole army."-Tuiébault, Campagne en Portugal, 45. Tor. i. 35, i. 33. Abr. Nevis, 190, viii. 329, the Portu guese gov and situa bon at this LII. 1807. CHAP. begin: Sir Sidney offered to bring his ships abreast of the quay, and there, seconded by the indignant populace, dispute every inch of ground with the invader. But the destitute condition of the French army was unknown; and even if it had been fully understood, both the Portuguese government and the English ambassador, Lord Strangford, were aware that Junot's was but the advancedguard of a greater army, which would speedily follow if the first was discomfited; and that any resistance would only serve to give the French Emperor an excuse for measures of extraordinary rigour against the Portuguese nation, without affording any reasonable prospect of ultimate success. The great object was to withdraw the royal family and the fleet from the grasp of the invaders, and secure for them a refuge in Brazil till the present calamitous season was overpast. As soon as they saw the danger approaching, therefore, the Portuguese government took every imaginable precaution to disarm the conqueror by anticipating all his requisitions. A proclamation, as already mentioned, was issued, closing the harbours against English vessels, and adopting the Continental System: and as the march of the invaders still continued, this was followed, a few days afterwards, by another, in which the more rigorous step of sequestrating the property, and arresting the persons of such of the English as still remained in Portugal, was adopted, though with the secret design of indemnifying the sufferers as soon as the means of doing so were at the disposal of government. Though this last measure was known to be exceedingly painful to the Portuguese government, and was evidently adopted under the mere pressure of necessity, yet it was 1A Reg a step of such decided hostility, that it compelled Lord South. i. 96, Strangford to take down the arms of Great Britain from 377, 379. his house, and demand his passports; and soon after, amidst the tears of the inhabitants, he followed the English factory to Sir Sidney Smith's fleet.1 Oct. 20. Nov. 8. Nov. 9. 1807, 280. 97. Foy, ii. Thiers, viii. 338. Although, however, the relations between the two LII. 20. of the court Regent. countries were thus formally broken, yet as it was well CHAP. known that the cabinet of Lisbon had yielded only to unavoidable necessity, and as their tardiness in acceding 1807. to the demand of Napoleon for the instant seizure of Hesitation British property had sufficiently demonstrated the reluc- and Prince tance with which measures of severity had been adopted by them, the British ambassador still remained on board the English fleet, ready to take advantage of the first opening which should occur for the resumption of more amicable correspondence. Meanwhile, everything at Lisbon was vacillation and chaos; and the Prince and his council, distracted between terror at the unceasing advance of Junot, and anxiety about the loss of their colonies and commerce by a rupture with England, hesitated between the bold counsels of Don Rodrigo de Lousa and the Count Linares, who strenuously recommended determined resistance to the invaders, and the natural timidity of a court surrounded with dangers and debilitated by the pacific habits of preceding reigns. At length, however, such information was received as determined the irresolution of the cabinet. An ominous line appeared in the Moniteur-"The house of Braganza has Nov. 13. ceased to reign;" and with the paper containing that 1 Hard. x. announcement of the fate which awaited them, Lord 108, 109. Foy, ii. 380, Strangford transmitted to the Prince Regent copies the secret treaty and convention of Fontainebleau, by Moniteur, which the portions assigned to each of the partitioning 1807. powers were arranged.1 of 383. Nev. i. 165, 171. Nov. 13, 21. donment of Portugal at last resolved on. Intelligence, received shortly after the entrance of the Spanish troops into Alentejo and the northern provinces The abanof the kingdom, left no room for doubt that the copies were correct, and that the treaty was immediately to be v acted upon. At the same time Lord Strangford landed, and assured his royal highness, on the honour of the King of England, that the measures hitherto adopted by the Portuguese court were regarded as mere compulsory acts, and had noways abated the friendship of his LII. 1807. Nov. 25. Nov. 26. CHAP. old ally, if he would still avail himself of it. These representations, seconded by the efforts of Sir Sidney Smith, who brought his squadron to the mouth of the harbour, ready alike for hostile operations or pacific assistance, gave such support to Don Rodrigo and the patriotic party, that the court resolved, if the messenger despatched to obtain a stoppage of Junot's advance was not successful, to embark for the Brazils. He entirely failed in arresting the march of the French general, and orders were therefore given that the fleet should, as speedily as Foy, ii. 380, possible, be got ready for sea; and the Prince Regent 1. 37, 39. published a dignified proclamation on the following day, Nev. i. 165, in which he announced a resolution worthy of the former Strangford's heroism of the house of Braganza, and prepared to seek Pamphlet, in Transatlantic climes "that freedom of which Europe had become unworthy."1* 1 Hard. x. 108, 111. South. i. 103, 110. 383. Tor. i. 180. Lord 52, 75. 22. tion of the for Brazil. Nov. 27. The fleet at first was in a state but little prepared for Embarka crossing the Atlantic, and still less for conveying the royal family motley and helpless crowd of old men, women, and children, who were preparing to follow the court in their migration to South America. By great exertions, however, and the active aid of the British sailors, who, overjoyed at this extraordinary energy on the part of the Prince Regent, exerted themselves with unheard-of vigour in giving assistance, eight sail of the line, three frigates, five sloops, and a number of merchant vessels, in all sixand-thirty sail, were got ready on the following day, when the royal family prepared to carry their mournful but magnanimous resolution into execution. Preceded by * "Having tried, by all possible means, to preserve the neutrality hitherto enjoyed by my faithful and beloved subjects; having exhausted my royal treasury, and made innumerable other sacrifices, even going to the extremity of shutting the ports of my dominions to the subjects of my ancient and royal ally, the King of Great Britain, thus exposing the commerce of my people to total ruin, and consequently suffering the greatest losses in the collection of the royal revenue, I find that the troops of the Emperor of France, to whom I had united myself on the Continent with the hope of being no more disturbed, are actually marching into the interior of my dominions, and are far on their way toward this capital. Desirous to avoid the fatal consequences of a defence, which LII. 1807. the archives, treasure, plate, and most valuable effects, the CHAP. royal exiles proceeded in a long train of carriages to the water's edge. Never had been seen a more melancholy procession, or one more calculated to impress on the minds even of the most inconsiderate, the magnitude of the calamities which the unbounded ambition of France had brought on the other nations of Europe. The insane queen came in the first carriage: for sixteen years she had lived in seclusion, but a ray of light had penetrated her reason in this extremity, and she understood and approved the courageous act. "What!" said she, “shall we abandon the kingdom without a blow? Not so fast," addressing the coachman, "they will think we are flying." The widowed princess and the infanta Maria were in the next, with the Princess of Brazil, bathed in tears; after them came the Prince Regent, pale and weeping at thus leaving, apparently for ever, the land of his fathers. In the magnitude of the royal distress, the multitude forgot 1 Nevis, 175, their own dangers; their commiseration was all for the 177. South. august fugitives, thus driven by ruthless violence to a 383, 390. Bign. vii. distant shore, with the descendants of a long line of kings, 28. Thiers, forced to seek, in mournful exile, an asylum from the 340. hand of the spoiler.1 i. 107. Foy, i. viii. 339, 23. grief with Such was the crowd which assembled round the place of embarkation, that the prince was compelled to force Universal his way through with his own hand. There was not a which it was dry eye among all the countless multitude, when they stepped on board; uncovered and weeping, the people beheld, in speechless sorrow, the departure of their ancient rulers. In the general confusion of the embarka would be far more dangerous than profitable, serving only to occasion a boundless effusion of blood, shocking to humanity, and to inflame the animosity of the troops which have entered this kingdom with the declaration and promise of not committing the smallest hostility; and knowing also, that they are more particularly directed against my royal person, and that my faithful subjects would be less exposed to danger if I were absent from the kingdom, I have resolved to retire, with the queen and royal family, to my dominions in America, and to establish myself in the city of Rio Janeiro till a general peace."— Ann. Reg. 1807, 776, State Papers. |