Romana. Without a moment's hesitation Ney was now
despatched to the southeast in order to fall on Castanos's rear, while
Lannes was to unite Moncey's corps with Lagrange's division and attack
his front. The Spanish general was posted, as has been said, on the
Ebro between Calahorra and Tudela. Before the twentieth the two moves
had been executed and all was in readiness. The Spaniards fled before
Lannes's attack on the twenty-third, but Ney with his cavalry remained
inexplicably stationary, and did not cut off their retreat. They were
therefore able to reassemble at Siguenza, while Palafox withdrew to
Saragossa. This was seemingly an easy triumph for Napoleon's matchless
strategy; his plan worked without real resistance, for his
self-sufficient and ignorant enemy was scattered. Nevertheless, it
will be observed that the execution was deficient and the result
disproportionate. Neither Soult on the right nor Ney on the left
showed such vigor or promptness as of old; there was no general
surrender by the Spaniards, nor was any portion of their force
annihilated. All that was gained--and for a common general it would
have been much--was the ability to take another step.

The capitulation at Cintra, the affair at Bayonne, and the uprising of
the Spaniards had combined to intensify rebellion in Portugal. She was
now in full sympathy with Spain, and her people were scarcely less
bitter or less active than the Spaniards. The easy terms secured by
Junot had infuriated England, and not only Dalrymple and Burrard, but
Wellesley himself, had been recalled to give an account of their
conduct. The last was triumphantly vindicated; but while the others
were not convicted of dereliction in duty, they were virtually
withdrawn from active life. Sir John Moore was now in command of the
English troops in the Peninsula. He had been reinforced with ten
thousand men, and feeling sure of Portugal, had advanced into Spain.
To Napoleon it seemed evident that his intention was to seize Madrid.

This was a mistake. The jubilant Spaniards, expecting to treat
Napoleon as they had treated Dupont, had summoned the English to join
them. Moore's orders were to assist them, and he prepared to obey,
although he well knew what would be the consequences of Spanish
hallucination. With one column he reached Salamanca on November
thirteenth; the head of the other was at Astorga. His own division
numbered only fifteen thousand men; the other was even smaller-