When Napoleon got possession of the resources of Spain and was able to issue his decrees through the corrupt government of Godoy, he sought to weaken those resources in order that Spain might fall an easier prey when the time was ripe. With this object the Marquis of Romana was ordered to march with fourteen thousand men, being the best troops in the Spanish army, to the other end of Europe. This was in August 1807, when Romana’s force was quartered at Hamburg and Lubeck. The Spanish contingent was intended to form part of a Franco-Danish army under Bernadotte for the invasion of Sweden. The Spanish regiments were then placed in garrisons at Aarhuus, Ebeltoft, Mariager, Aalborg, and Randers in Jutland, in the island of Funen, and two regiments in Zeeland. They were closely watched and cut off from all intercourse with Spain. But an English squadron under Saumarez effectually prevented an invasion of Sweden. When the whole of Spain rose against the usurping government of Joseph Bonaparte it became a matter of the utmost importance to communicate the news to Romana and his troops, and to restore them to their country. But it was a service of extreme difficulty. The French cut off all communication and vigilantly intercepted letters; while the Spaniards in Denmark were informed that all their countrymen were unanimous in their allegiance to Joseph. A priest named Robertson, an accomplished linguist, was selected by Mr. Frere to convey the news to Romana. To give him written credentials was too dangerous; but Mr. Frere hit upon a way of convincing Romana that the message was genuine. Robertson was to quote to him a line from the poem of the ‘Cid,’ with an emendation. When Romana and Frere were at Madrid together, the former advised his English friend to read that poem. One day Romana called upon his friend, when Frere had just made a suggested emendation in the line: Aun vea el hora que vos _merezca dos_ tanto. Frere suggested _merezcades_, and Romana concurred in its propriety. No one but Romana and Frere knew of this; so that, on quoting it, the Marquis was convinced that Robertson came from Frere. Romana then first heard the real situation of his country. They conversed in Latin. The Spanish general at once resolved to effect his escape from Denmark with his troops, if he could obtain the help of the British naval commanders. So Robertson found his way to H.M.S. _Victory_, the flagship of Admiral Saumarez in the Baltic, and told his story. The Admiral at once saw that the matter was urgent, and sent a squadron under Keats, his second in command, to communicate with Romana.