ut with the honours of war," to be sent prisoners to France,
while the possession of their property and the exercise of their
religion were guaranteed to the inhabitants.

The first burst of popular enthusiasm in Spain, however, was followed by
a withering lethargy. Even with the assistance of Lord Collingwood and
his fleet, with arms from Malta and Sicily, and with the regiments that
had been released by the convention of Cintra, and which had by this
time joined the patriots, the Spaniards were unable to prevent the
capture of Rosas. After the fall of this place everything seemed to go
wrong. Though in considerable force, the Spaniards dispersed whenever
the enemy appeared, and although they were continually making
application to the English for money, arms, and ammunition, they made no
use of them when they were supplied. Their very navy was left to rot in
the harbours of Cadiz and Carthagena, although money was advanced by
the British government, and the assistance of its seamen offered to fit
them out for sea. But for the co-operation of the British fleet Spain
would have been, after the capture of Saragossa, easily conquered, for
the Spaniards, though lions in their fortresses, acted like women in the
field.

It was not the English fleet alone that defended Spain from the arms of
the French. While that nation was thus on the verge of ruin, Sir Arthur
Wellesley arrived in Portugal to take the command of the British army,
which by re-enforcements amounted to 30,000 men. At this time, in April,
the French had obtained possession of Ferrol, Bilboa, and all the most
important places on the northern coast of Spain. Soult had even advanced
into Portugal, and had taken possession of the city of Oporto. Sir
Arthur Wellesley's first business was to dislodge the French general
from this place, and on the 11th of May Oporto fell into his hands.
Soult retired by Amarante, with the intention of passing through
Tras-os-Montes into Spain. He left behind him all his sick and wounded,
with many prisoners, and much artillery and ammunition. Sir Arthur wrote
to him, requesting that he would send some French medical officers
to take care of his sick and wounded, as he could not spare his own
army-surgeons, and as he did not wish to trust to the practitioners of
the town of Oporto. It does not appear, however, that Soult was able
to respond to his request, for there was murmurings and discontents,
arising from defeat, among his troops