Continuation of the war in the eastern provinces—Suchet’s erroneous statements—Sir William Clinton repairs Taragona—Advances to Villa Franca—Suchet endeavours to surprise him—Fails—The French cavalry cut off an English detachment at Ordal—The duke of San Carlos passes through the French posts—Copons favourable to his mission—Clinton and Manso endeavour to cut off the French troops at Molino del Rey—They fail through the misconduct of Copons—Napoleon recalls a great body of Suchet’s troops—Whereupon he reinforces the garrison of Barcelona and retires to Gerona—Van Halen—He endeavours to beguile the governor of Tortoza—Fails—Succeeds at Lerida, Mequinenza, and Monzon—Sketch of the siege of Monzon—It is defended by the Italian soldier St. Jaques for one hundred and forty days—Clinton and Copons invest Barcelona—The beguiled garrisons of Lerida, Mequinenza, and Monzon, arrive at Martorel—Are surrounded and surrender on terms—Capitulation violated by Copons—King Ferdinand returns to Spain—His character—Clinton breaks up his army—His conduct eulogised—Lamentable sally from Barcelona—The French garrisons beyond the Ebro return to France and Habert evacuates Barcelona—Fate of the prince of Conti and the duchess of Bourbon—Siege of Santona 475 BOOK XXIV. CHAP. I. Napoleon recalls several divisions of infantry and cavalry from Soult’s army—Embarrassments of that marshal—Mr. Batbedat a banker of Bayonne offers to aid the allies secretly with money and provisions—La Roche Jacquelin and other Bourbon partizans arrive at the allies’ head-quarter—The duke of Angoulême arrives there—Lord Wellington’s political views—General reflections—Soult embarrassed by the hostility of the French people—Lord Wellington embarrassed by the hostility of the Spaniards—Soult’s remarkable project for the defence of France—Napoleon’s reasons for neglecting it put hypothetically—Lord Wellington’s situation suddenly ameliorated—His wise policy, foresight, and diligence—Resolves to throw a bridge over the Adour below Bayonne, and to drive Soult from that river—Soult’s system of defence—Numbers of the contending armies—Passage of the Gaves—Combat of Garris—Lord Wellington forces the line of the Bidouze and Gave of Mauleon—Soult takes the line of the Gave de Oleron and resolves to change his system of operation 505 CHAP. II.