History of the Peninsular War, Volume 1 (of 6)Southey, Robert
History
History of the Peninsular War, Volume 1 (of 6)
Southey, Robert
Peninsular War, 1807-1814
The first sitting was employed in forming an address to King Joseph,
and the business of the second was to present it. The glorious task
which had been imposed upon them, they said, was to lay the foundations
of durable happiness for their beloved country; was it not then their
first duty to come before the chief of the Spanish nation, the centre
of all their hopes, and devote themselves in his presence with the
utmost zeal and ardour to the work? They noticed the disturbances in
Spain as momentary troubles, occasioned by the error of the people, who
never reflect, and who are worthy of commiseration when they return to
their duty. The Intruder replied, that he wished to remain ignorant of
these tumults, and to find none but Spanish hearts beyond the Pyrenees.
In quitting a people who did justice to his government, he had made
the greatest of sacrifices, he said; but, from his own feelings, he
anticipated the love of the Spaniards. He knew the wisdom and the
loyalty of the Castillian character. He would visit his provinces,
bearing with him the heart of a father, and he should meet with none
but his children. The enemies of the Continent (so in his brother’s
manner he designated the English) were endeavouring to detach the
colonies from the mother country, but the agents and instruments of
this crafty hatred should not be spared. He concluded by desiring them
in their deliberations to regard nothing but the good of the country,
and to reckon upon the blessings of the people, and upon his entire
satisfaction.
♦THE BAYONNE CONSTITUTION.♦
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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