My early adventure during the peninsular campaigns of Napoleon

14 October 1806

Battles of Jena and Auerstedt

MY ADVENTURES

seem the extent of an ambition that was real- ly boundless. Strange and singular man ! raised up for no common purpose, serving no common end, it might seem that even he had been sent into the world to teach men the v/isdom they are so slow to learn ! He had left no state on the continent of Europe capable of opposing his daring projects, or counteracting his ambitious schemes : no treaties could hold, no faith could bind, no religion restrain him. Italy was conquered — the Pope stripped of the temporal power to obtain which, his predecessors had toiled, and panted, and sinned against God and man : the ancient empire of Charlemagne was reversed, and the title of Emperor of Germany existed no longer among the list of monarchs : the power of Austria had been nearly annihilated — the battle of Jena had been fought — the martial pride of Prussia subdued, and its king, wnth the remnant of his army, driven into the last fortress that he possessed in his own dominions. The fairest and richest countries had been desolated — the freest and bravest subjugated ; mountains and rocks, rivers and forests, had afforded no sanctuary to the spirit of freedom, no bar- rier to the insatiable rage of conquest, the fury of wild ambition. Spain and Portugal alone, still resisted the usurper, and struggled with the tyrant j and even their struggle, but

IN PORTUGAL.

‘ But what will it matter those who fall to- morrow,’ said Charles, ‘ that they have uttered the shout of victory on Austerlitz — that they have swept victorious over Jena, and Wagram, and Friedland ; and that over all the names they are now proudly recalling to mind, their eagles have flown undauntedly ? What will it value them when they go to appear before their God, that they have reversed states, deposed kings, putting down one and setting up another — and what use will it then be to them that they pursued their fame until it expired with themselves on the field of blood.’

22 July 1812

Battle of Salamanca

CHAPTER XII.

A FEW evenings previous to the battle of Salamanca, Courtenay and 1 had been en- gaged in attending to our division : when our business was done, J remarked that he ap- peared unusually serious. He did not deny the charge, for the smile that moved round his mouth as I spoke, amounted even to melan- choly.