CHAP. II. Danger of Sicily—Averted by Murat’s secret defection from the emperor—Lord William Bentinck re-embarks—His design of attacking the city of Valencia frustrated—Del Parque is defeated on the Xucar—The Anglo-Sicilians disembark at Alicant—Suchet prepares to attack the allies—Prevented by the battle of Vittoria—Abandons Valencia—Marches towards Zaragoza—Clauzel retreats to France—Paris evacuates Zaragoza—Suchet retires to Taragona—Mines the walls—Lord William Bentinck passes the Ebro—Secures the Col de Balaguer—Invests Taragona—Partial insurrection in Upper Catalonia—Combat of Salud—Del Parque joins lord William Bentinck who projects an attack upon Suchet’s cantonments—Suchet concentrates his army—Is joined by Decaen—Advances—The allies retreat to the mountains—Del Parque invests Tortoza—His rear-guard attacked by the garrison while passing the Ebro—Suchet blows up the walls of Taragona—Lord William desires to besiege Tortoza—Hears that Suchet has detached troops—Sends Del Parque’s army to join lord Wellington—Advances to Villa Franca—Combat of Ordal—The allies retreat—Lord Frederick Bentinck fights with the French general Myers and wounds him—Lord William returns to Sicily—Observations 33 CHAP. III. Siege of Sebastian—Convent of Bartolomeo stormed—Assault on the place fails—Causes thereof—Siege turned into a blockade, and the guns embarked at Passages—French make a successful sally 65 CHAP. IV. Soult appointed the emperor’s lieutenant—Arrives at Bayonne—Joseph goes to Paris—Sketch of Napoleon’s political and military situation—His greatness of mind—Soult’s activity—Theatre of operations described—Soult resolves to succour Pampeluna—Relative positions and numbers of the contending armies described 86 CHAP. V. Soult attacks the right of the allies—Combat of Roncesvalles—Combat of Linzoain—Count D’Erlon attacks the allies’ right centre—Combat of Maya—General Hill takes a position at Irueta—General Picton and Cole retreat down the Val de Zubiri—They turn at Huarte and offer battle—Lord Wellington arrives—Combat of the 27th—First battle of Sauroren—Various movements—D’Erlon joins Soult who attacks general Hill—Second battle of Sauroren—Foy is cut off from the main army—Night march of the light division—Soult retreats—Combat of Doña Maria—Dangerous position of the French at San Estevan—Soult marches down the Bidassoa—Forced march of the light division—Terrible scene near the bridge of Yanzi—Combats of Echallar and Ivantelly—Narrow escape of lord Wellington—Observations 109 BOOK XXII. CHAP. I. New positions of the armies—Lord Melville’s mismanagement of the naval co-operation—Siege of St. Sebastian—Progress of the second attack 179 CHAP. II.