a fait de grandes choses, mais
de grandes betises aussi._" He was making war altogether too seriously
for their tastes. Antonio Lizarraga was appointed Commandant-General of
Guipuzcoa about that period, and ordered Santa Cruz to report to him.
Santa Cruz, who was in the field before him, and had five times as many
men under his control, paid no heed to his orders. Lizarraga then sent
him a death-warrant, which is so curious a document that I make no
apology for appending it in full:

TRANSLATION.

(A seal on which is inscribed "Royal Army of the North, General
Command of Guipuzcoa.")

"The sixteenth day of the present month, I gave orders to all the
forces under my command, that they should proceed to capture you,
and that immediately after you had received the benefit of clergy
they should execute you.

"This sentence I pronounced on account of your insubordination
towards me, you having disobeyed me several times, and having taken
no notice of the repeated commands I sent you to present yourself
before me to declare what you had to say in your own defence in the
inquiry instituted against you by my directions.

"For the last time I ask of you to present yourself to me, the
instant this communication is received; in default of which I
notify to you that every means will be used to effect your arrest;
that your disobedience and the unqualifiable acts laid to your
charge will be published in all the newspapers; and that the
condign punishment they deserve will be duly exacted.

"God grant you many years.

"The Brigadier-General Commanding.

(Signed) "ANTONIO LIZARRAGA.

"Campo Del Honor, 28th of March, 1873.

"Senor Don Manuel Santa Cruz."

"Note.--Have the goodness to acknowledge this, my
communication."

This missive was received by Santa Cruz, but he never acknowledged it.
His host permitted me to read and copy the original.

"Is not that arbitrary?" he said to me in English; "very much like what
you call Jedburgh justice; hanging a man first and trying him
afterwards. Lizarraga says, 'This sentence I pronounced'--all is
finished apparently there; and yet he cites the man whom he has ordered
to be immediately executed to appear before him to declare what he has
to say!"

Another phrase in this death-warrant, which escaped the host, impressed
me with its naivete:

"_God grant you