An Englishwoman married to a Portuguese shopkeeper informed my servant that the British sick and wounded were to be put to death on that night, and that the people were to attempt to take the different forts and declare in favour of the French. He lost no time in making me acquainted with this news, which I laughed at as a nonsensical story. Later on, two officers who were billeted opposite me entered my apartment and told me that the soldiers were under arms, that the British ships of war were shifting their moorings with their broadsides towards the town, and that a number of Marines had been put on shore to co-operate with the soldiery. A number of Frenchmen had clandestinely entered Lisbon, and had succeeded in hatching a plot, which was luckily found out before it came to maturity. Several of the principal families were connected with them in it. By this incident I became acquainted with two officers, who visited me frequently, and made my days pass away more agreeably than before. The ringleaders in the plot were taken up, and terror and confusion were produced amongst the rest of them. So this business blew over and was soon forgotten. [Sidenote: 1810 Sept. 17th] I removed to Pedroso for the convenience of sea-bathing, my thigh being much better, which enabled me, with crutches, to move about. (The house belonged to a Frenchman named Chapellon.) Lieutenant Harry Smith[14] was also with me. I found great benefit from the sea-bathing. I became acquainted with a merchant's wife, who frequently sent me milk and butter. She was an Englishwoman, her husband being also of the same country. They were in Lisbon when the French under Marshal Junot entered it, and having the whole of their property there, they determined to stay and abide the consequences. She told me that she expected every moment to see her husband dragged away to prison. A colonel and a captain came to their house with a billet. They were glad to lodge them and their servants and feed the whole of them, which was done in such good style, that the two officers interested themselves on behalf of the English family and prevented any harm falling upon them. In a little time they became very good friends, and the French captain would call the lady to the window and say, "Look at my fine company of soldiers; have you got anything like them in England?" Her pride being hurt, she answered, "Yes, indeed we have plenty." "Well, madam, I hope one day or other to meet them in the field. I have fought in many battles, but never against the English, and really I have no good opinion of them as a military nation." "You may learn, sir, to think differently ere long," she observed to him. Time passed away and the French had completely reduced the Portuguese to obedience, when one day, suddenly, during High Mass, the French were informed that the English had landed on the coast. All the authorities were assembled at the church and the people were keeping holiday, so that the inhabitants