The Prose Works of William Wordsworth: For the First Time Collected, With Additions from Unpublished Manuscripts. In Three Volumes.Wordsworth, William
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The Prose Works of William Wordsworth: For the First Time Collected, With Additions from Unpublished Manuscripts. In Three Volumes.
Wordsworth, William
English literature -- 19th century
But, further,--even though it should still be thought that, in the three
Provinces which Sir J. Moore saw, there may have been some failures with
the people,--it is to be remembered that these were the very three which
had never been the theatre of French outrages; which therefore had
neither such a vivid sense of the evils which they had to fear, nor so
strong an animation in the recollection of past triumphs: we might
accordingly have predicted that, if any provinces should prove slack in
their exertions, it would be these three. So that, after all, (a candid
inquirer into this matter will say) admitting Sir J.M.'s description to
be faithful with respect to what he saw, I can never allow that the
conduct of these three provinces shall be held forth as an exponent of
the general temper and condition of Spain. For that therefore I must
look to other authorities.
Such an inquirer we might then refer to the testimonies of Gen. Leith
and of Capt. Pasley for Biscay and Asturias; of Mr. Vaughan (as cited by
Lord Castlereagh) for the whole East and South; of Lord Cochrane
(himself a most gallant man, and giving _his_ testimony under a trying
comparison of the Spaniards with English Sailors) for Catalonia in
particular; of Lord W. Bentinck for the central provinces; and, for all
Spain, we might appeal even to the Spanish military reports--which, by
the discrimination of their praises (sometimes giving severe rebukes to
particular regiments, &c.), authenticate themselves.
But, finally, we are entitled--after the _actions_ of the Spaniards--to
dispense with such appeals. Spain might justly deem it a high injury and
affront, to suppose that (after her deeds performed under the condition
of her means) she could require any other testimony to justify her
before nil posterity. What those deeds have been, it cannot surely now
be necessary to inform the reader: and therefore the remainder of this
note shall be employed in placing before him the present posture of
Spain--under two aspects which may possibly have escaped his notice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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