nce of this
Napoleon filled the north of Spain with his troops in 1808, and sent a
third army across the mountains without pretence of their being needed in
Portugal. No protest was made against this invasion of a neutral nation.
The court of Madrid was helpless with terror, and, with the hope of
propitiating Napoleon, admitted his legions into all the cities of
Catalonia, Biscay, and Navarre.

Only one thing more was needed to make the French masters of the whole
country. They held the towns, but the citadels were in possession of
Spanish troops. These could not be expelled by violence while a show of
peace was kept up. But Napoleon wanted them, and employed stratagem to get
them into his hands.

In two of the towns, St. Sebastian and Figueras, a simple lie sufficed.
The officers in command of the French garrisons asked permission to
quarter their unruly conscripts in the citadels. As the court had ordered
that all the wishes of the emperor's officers should be gratified, this
seemingly innocent request was granted. But in place of conscripts the
best men of the regiments were sent, and these were gradually increased in
numbers until in the end they overpowered the Spanish garrisons and
admitted the French.

At Pamplona a similar request was refused by the governor of the citadel,
but he permitted sixty unarmed men daily to enter the fortress to receive
rations for their respective divisions. Here was the fatal entering wedge.
One night the officer in charge, whose quarters were near the citadel
gate, secretly filled his house with armed grenadiers. The next morning
sixty picked men, with arms hidden under their cloaks, were sent in for
rations. The hour was too early, and the French soldiers loitered about
under pretence of waiting for the quartermaster. Some sauntered into the
Spanish guard-house. Others, by a sportive scuffle on the drawbridge,
prevented its being raised, and occupied the attention of the garrison.
Suddenly a signal was given. The men drew their weapons and seized the
arms of the Spaniards. The grenadiers rushed from their concealment. The
bridge and gate were secured, French troops hastened to the aid of their
comrades, and the citadel was won.

At Barcelona a different stratagem was employed. A review of the French
forces was held under the walls of the citadel, whose garrison assembled
to look on. During the progress of the review the French general, on
pretence that he had been ordered from