he chief sources of her success. She subdued her passionate and
intense nature--her wild impulse and eager heart--employing them only
to impart to her fancy a more impressive and spiritual existence. She
clothed her genius in the brightest and gayest colors, sporting above
the precipice of feeling, and making of it a background and a relief
to heighten the charm of her seemingly willful fancy. Song came at her
summons, and disarmed the serious questioner. In the eyes of her
country's enemies she was only the improvisatrice--a rarely gifted
creature, living in the clouds, and totally regardless of the things
of earth. She could thus beguile from the young officers of the
Spanish army, without provoking the slightest apprehension of any
sinister object, the secret plan and purpose--the new supply--the
contemplated enterprise--in short, a thousand things which, as an
inspired idiot, might be yielded to her with indifference, which, in
the case of one solicitous to know, would be guarded with the most
jealous vigilance. She was the princess of the tertulia--that mode of
evening entertainment so common, yet so precious, among the Spaniards.
At these parties she ministered with a grace and influence which made
the house of her father a place of general resort. The Spanish
gallants thronged about her person, watchful of her every motion, and
yielding always to the exquisite compass, and delightful spirituality
of her song. At worst, they suspected her of no greater offence than
of being totally heartless with all her charms, and of aiming at no
treachery more dangerous than that of making conquests, only to deride
them. It was the popular qualification of all her beauties and
accomplishments that she was a coquette, at once so cold, and so
insatiate. Perhaps, the woman politician never so thoroughly conceals
her game as when she masks it with the art which men are most apt to
describe as the prevailing passion of her sex.

By these arts, La Pola fulfilled most amply her pledges to the
Liberator. She was, indeed, his most admirable ally in Bogota. She
soon became thoroughly conversant with all the facts in the condition
of the Spanish army--the strength of the several armaments, their
disposition and destination--the operations in prospect, and the
opinions and merits of the officers--all of whom she knew, and from
whom she obtained no small knowledge of the worth and value of their
absent comrades. These particulars, all regul