Madrid. His vanguard reached the foot of the Somosierra chain on the
30th of November, and found that a corps of 12,000 men had been
assembled for the defence of the pass, under General St. Juan. No
stronger position could well be fancied than that of the Spaniards: the
defile was narrow, and excessively steep, and the road completely swept
by sixteen pieces of artillery. At daybreak, on the 1st of December, the
French began their attempt to turn the flanks of St. Juan: three
battalions scattered themselves over the opposite sides of the defile,
and a warm skirmishing fire had begun. At this moment Buonaparte came
up. He rode into the mouth of the pass, surveyed the scene for an
instant, perceived that his infantry were making no progress, and at
once conceived the daring idea of causing his Polish lancers to charge
right up the causeway in face of the battery. The smoke of the
skirmishers on the hill-sides mingled with the thick fogs and vapours of
the morning, and under this veil the brave Krazinski led his troopers
impetuously up the ascent. The Spanish infantry fired as they passed
them, threw down their arms, abandoned their entrenchments, and fled.
The Poles speared the gunners, and took possession of the cannon. The
Spaniards continued their flight in such disorder that they were at last
fain to quit the road to Madrid, and escape in the direction, some of
Segovia, others of Talaveyra. On the morning of the 2nd, three divisions
of French cavalry made their appearance on the high ground to the
north-west of the capital.

During eight days the inhabitants had been preparing the means of
resistance. A local and military junta had been invested with authority
to conduct the defence. Six thousand regular troops were in the town,
and crowds of the citizens and of the peasantry of the adjoining country
were in arms along with them. The pavement had been taken up, the
streets barricadoed, the houses on the outskirts loopholed, and the
Retiro, a large but weak edifice, occupied by a strong garrison.
Terrible violence prevailed--many persons suspected of adhering to the
side of the French were assassinated; the bells of churches and convents
rung incessantly; ferocious bands paraded the streets day and night: and
at the moment when the enemy's cavalry appeared, the universal uproar
seemed to announce that he was about to find a new and a greater
Zaragossa in Madrid.

The town was summoned at noon; and the officer employed