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cause we always expected something new. were often destitute of daily bread; but our comfort in our distress was the hope of an approaching change. When abundance returned to us, we hastened to enjoy it; we lived fast, we replenished our late short commons, and kept in remembrance that our plenty must pass away. When the

thunder of artillery in the distance announced that a battle was near,-when the different divisions hurried to the place of action, and brothers and friends that had been separated distinguished each other, they would stop to embrace and utter a transient adieu, their arms would clash, their plumes would intertwine, and they would tear themselves asunder to rejoin their ranks.

The frequency of danger made us regard death as one of the most common occurrences of life. We grieved for our comrades when wounded, but if they were dead, we showed an indifference about them often even ironical. When the soldiers in passing recognised a companion numbered with the slain, they would say, "He is now above want, he will abuse his horse no more, his drinking days are done, or words to that purpose; which manifested in them a stoical disregard of existence. It was the only funeral oration spoken over the warriors that had fallen.

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The different regiments of our army, particularly the cavalry and infantry, were considerably distinguished from each other in their customs and manners. The infantry having nothing else to occupy their attention but themselves and their muskets, were great egotists, talkers and sleepers. Doomed during war to face death unshrinking, under terror of disgrace, they displayed a pitiles

ness in their hostility, and a disposition to make others suffer when they could, the evils themselves had endured. They were often impertinent, and sometimes even insolent to their officers; but in the midst of almost insupportable hardships, a bonmot would restore them to reason, and set them a-laughing. They forgot all their toils the moment they heard the enemy's fire.

The hussars, and chasseurs à cheval, were accused of being, in the main, plunderers, wasters, and drinkers; and of taking every license in the presence of an enemy. Accustomed, it may be said, to sleep with one eye open, to keep always one ear awake to the sound of the alarm-trumpet, to reconnoitre in a march far in advance of the army, to anticipate the snares of the enemy, to discover the slightest traces of their course, to scour the ravines, and to survey with eagle-eye the distant plains, they could not but acquire a superior intelligence, and a habit of self-management. And yet they were always silent, and submissive before their officers, from the dread of being unhorsed.

Everlastingly smoking to pass away his time, the light-horseman braved in every country the severity of the climate, under his capacious cloak. The horse and his rider, habituated to each other's company, contracted an affinity of feeling. The trooper was invigorated by his horse, and the horse by his master. When a hussar, hardly sober, urged his fleet career among ravines, or in the midst of precipices, the horse usurped all the management which the man in his senses possessed; it would curb its ardour, redouble its caution, shun every danger, and always return, after a few

evolutions, to fill up its own and its master's place in the ranks. Sometimes on a journey, the horse would gently slacken its pace, or even incline itself to either side, so as to retain its inebriated, and sleeping master in the saddle. The hussar awaking from this unseasonable lethargy, seeing his horse breathless with exertion, would lament, vow, and swear never to drink more. For several days he would act the pedestrian, and deprive himself of his own provisions to share it with his fellowtraveller.

When the alarm was given in a camp of light cavalry, by a carabine shot from the videttes, in the twinkling of an eye every horse was bridled, and horsemen might be seen in all directions springing through the bivouac fires, leaping over hedges and ditches, and hastening with the speed of lightning to the rendezvous, to repel the first attack of the enemy. The trumpeter's horse alone remained inactive amid all this tumult; but the instant its master ceased to sound, it stamped with impatience, and strained every nerve to overtake its fellows.

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CHAPTER V.

ABOUT the middle of February, our corps d'armée left La Mancha; and the troops under the command of General Sebastiani, the successor of Marshal Lefevre, came to the neighbourhood of Toledo to watch the fragments of the army of the Duke de l'Infantado. We proceeded to occupy the towns of Talavera, Arzobispo and Almarez on the right bank of the Tagus, confronting the Spanish army of Estremadura. This army had been dispersed on the 24th December by Marshal Lefevre at Arzobispo opposite Almarez, but had since been reorganized and recruited under the command of General Cuesta. It had recovered the bridge of Almarez from the French; and blown up the principal arches, which completely arrested the march of our troops, and unavoidably necessitated us to erect a new bridge over the Tagus, under the very fire of the enemy. We had indeed the possession of two other bridges, the one at Arzobispo, and the other at Talavera; but the route by these was at that time impracticable for artillery. Marshal Victor fixed his head-quarters at Almarez, that he might the better protect the works, and oversee the construction of the floats. Part of our division of light cavalry crossed the left bank of the river, to watch the enemy, and reconnoitre their right flank on the Ibor.

On account of the scarcity of forage and other necessaries, we were obliged to change our cantonments frequently. Almost the whole country occupied by our troops had been abandoned by its inhabitants. Before going, they were wont to build up in a secret place of their dwellings, every thing of value which they could not removes The first thing, therefore, our soldiers did in coming to their empty and unfurnished houses, was to measure like architects the outside walls, and then the inside rooms, to examine if any space had been taken off. Sometimes we found also vessels of wine concealed in the earth. We were thus taught to live on chance-offerings, passing whole weeks without a supply of bread, and even without being able to get barley for our horses.

On the 14th of March, our floats were at length finished; but we could neither launch them, nor construct a bridge, under the fire of the enemy. It was therefore found necessary to dislodge them from the strong position they held before Almaraz, at the confluence of the Ibor and the Tagus. On the 15th of March, part of the first corps d'armée crossed the Tagus at Talavera and Arzobispo, to bear upon the flank and rear of the Spaniards. General Laval's German division first attacked the enemy on the morning of the 17th, at the village of Messa de Ibor. With the bayonet alone, and without artillery, 3000 men of that division routed 8000 Spaniards, who were entrenched on a lofty eminence, and fortified with six pieces of cannon. The 18th was spent in driving the enemy from Valdecannar, and chasing them from one station to another, and from rock to rock,

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