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with him, and in their own name. Moreover, he announcedthe speedy arrival of the Emperor Napoleon .

The Prince de la Paz (Godoi) being fearful of popularvengeance, and anxious to find himself under the protectionof the French, commanded the garrison of Madrid to marchto Aranjuez . The troops at first refused obedience; butfinally set out, filled with suspicion and indignation. Theroyal guard, stationed at Aranjuez , “ fraternized” with thenew comers from Madrid , and then Ferdinand, putting him-self at their head, arose in open rebellion against his father.Upon this, Murat entered Madrid , in disobedience to theorders of the Emperor , but in the hope of preventing greatcalamities. Ferdinand had compelled his father to depriveGodoi of all his honours and authority, and the onlygenerous action of his life was his placing the man hehated, or rather envied, under the protection of Murat, soas to save him from being massacred by the people.

All those who have written upon the events I am nowalluding to, and consequently the world at large, have, inmy humble opinion, taken an erroneous view of the case.It has been represented as a plot, profoundly woven andarranged by Napoleon , a priori, to obtain possession of thecrown of Spain . It certainly was not so. Events occurredin Spain , proceeding from the nature of things, quite inde-pendent of any direction or intention of Napoleon . TheItalians have a saying, “ Man cannot create circumstances,but he can profit by them.” And so did Napoleon in theaffairs of Spain , brought to a crisis by years of misgovern-ment—and, finally, by the extraordinary and complicatedquarrels of the King, Queen, the heir-apparent, and thePrince de la Paz. Inasmuch as I wish to “ give a reasonfor the Faith which is in me,” I will venture to lay beforemy readers, a letter of instructions from Napoleon to Murat,from which I think the view I take of the case may be

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