Claros and Rovira attack Bascara and spread dismay along the French frontier--Two Spanish officers pass the Ter and enter Gerona with succours--Alvarez remonstrates with the junta of Catalonia--Bad conduct of the latter--Blake advances to the aid of the city--Pestilence there affects the French army--St. Cyr’s firmness--Blake’s timid operations--O’Donnel fights Souham, but without success--St. Cyr takes a position of battle--Garcia Conde forces the French lines and introduces a convoy into Gerona--Blake retires--Siege resumed--Garcia Conde comes out of the city--Ridiculous error of the French--Conde forces the French lines and escapes--Assault on Gerona fails--Blake advances a second time--Sends another convoy under the command of O’Donnel to the city--O’Donnel with the head of the convoy succeeds, the remainder is cut off--Blake’s incapacity--He retires--St. Cyr goes to Perpignan--Augereau takes the command of the siege--O’Donnel breaks through the French lines--Blake advances a third time--Is beaten by Souham--Pino takes Hostalrich--Admiral Martin intercepts a French squadron--Captain Hallowell destroys a convoy in Rosas-bay--Distress in Gerona--Alvarez is seized with delirium, and the city surrenders--Observations 31 CHAPTER IV. Plot at Seville against the Supreme Junta defeated by lord Wellesley--Junta propose a new form of government--Opposed by Romana--Junta announce the convocation of the national Cortez, but endeavour to deceive the people--A Spanish army assembled in the Morena under Eguia--Bassecour sends cavalry to reinforce Del Parque, who concentrates the Spanish army of the left at Ciudad Rodrigo--He is joined by the Gallician divisions--Santocildes occupies Astorga--French endeavour to surprise him, but are repulsed--Ballasteros quits the Asturias and marching by Astorga attempts to storm Zamora--Enters Portugal--Del Parque demands the aid of the Portuguese army--Sir A. Wellesley refuses, giving his reason in detail--Del Parque’s operations--Battle of Tamames--Del Parque occupies Salamanca, but hearing that French troops were assembling at Valladolid retires to Bejar 55 CHAPTER V. Areizaga takes the command of Equia’s army and is ordered to advance against Madrid--Folly of the Supreme Junta--Operations in La Mancha--Combat of Dos Barrios--Cavalry combat of Ocaña--Battle of Ocaña--Destruction of the Spanish army 67 CHAPTER VI.