Zaragoza. English Read online

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  Saragossa

  _When the other events of the Spanish war shall be lost in the obscurity of time, or only traced by disconnected fragments, the story of Zaragoza, like some ancient triumphal pillar standing amidst ruins, will tell a tale of past glory, and already men point to the heroic city and call her Spain._

  NAPIER'S "_Peninsular War_"

  SARAGOSSA

  A Story of Spanish Valor

  AUTHORIZED TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL

  OF

  B. P?REZ GALD?S

  BY

  MINNA CAROLINE SMITH

  BOSTON

  LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1899

  _Copyright, 1899_, BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY

  _All rights reserved_

  University Press JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

  TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION

  "Saragossa" is the sixth volume in the brilliant series of historicalnovels by B. P?rez Gald?s, which begins with "Trafalgar" and closeswith "The Battle of the Arapiles," embracing "The Court of Carlos IV,""Gerona," and "Napoleon in Chamartin."

  B. P?rez Gald?s, possibly known best in the United States as the authorof "Do?a Perfecta," may be called the Walter Scott of Spain. He is,however, truer to history than Scott, and the characters he createsmove in an atmosphere of reality rather than romance. "Saragossa"is one of the most powerful, impressive, and popular of the twentynovels wherein he tells the gallant story of his native land. Thistale of the second siege of the ancient Aragon city by the generals ofNapoleon is a work of art, one that stirs the blood with admirationof the indomitable valor of the Spaniards; yet is it not also adocument of special pleading for the world's peace? "Saragossa" rankswith Tolstoi's "War and Peace," and Zola's "La D?b?cle," among greatdramatic war novels. Herein also are at least three of the best drawncharacters in international literature,--the masterly miser Candiola,his beautiful daughter Mariquilla, and that valiant and lovablecitizen, Don Jos? de Montoria. Manuela Sancho appears as a minorcharacter, the "Maid of Saragossa" whose bravery is honored in a streetnamed for her in her native city. She is a type of the daughters ofSaragossa, for more than one of them, in the exaltation of the terrificstruggle against the French, extended their patriotic services beyondthose gentle ones usual to women in besieged cities, rallying soldiersand serving guns.

  The events leading up to the siege of Saragossa are a part of thehistory of Spain in her struggle for continued national existenceagainst the encroachments of Napoleon. Although it was nationalwarfare, each province and strong provincial city made its ownindividual stand. Therefore words like those quoted on a precedingpage from Napier's "Peninsular War" have an especial significance.The English general's words are doubly striking when read inconnection with these of Gald?s, "Men of little sense--without anyon occasion--the Spanish to-day, as ever, make a thousand blunders,stumbling and rising in the struggle of their inborn vices with theeminent qualities which they still preserve. Providence holds in storefor this people great advancings and abasements, great terrors andsurprises, apparent deaths and mighty resurrections."

  The threatened loss of her nationality was the terror which hung aboveSpain in the dark days of 1808. Her court was rent with factions;her royal house was divided against itself. Three parties had madedissension in the palace and among the people. One was the party ofthe King Carlos IV; one was that of his son, Prince Ferdinand; thethird, of a most insidious power, was that of Don Manuel Godoy, whoseambitions and pretensions were supported by the queen. A corrupt courtand an intriguing priesthood had promoted the troubles of Spain,causing king, prince, and favorite, each and separately, to makeapplication to Napoleon for protection, and for the support of theirvarious plans. The imbecility of the Spanish Bourbons at such an hourin European history was inevitable in its influence upon the Emperor ofthe French. His ambition grew with this new opportunity. Under the maskof operating with Spain against Portugal, Napoleon filled the Peninsulawith French troops under generals like Junot and Moncey and Lannes.The Spanish king and prince were already in France, and practicallyin durance there, before the people realized the danger which wasclose upon their very existence as a nation. Popular insurrections atToledo and Madrid followed immediately upon the appointment of Muratto a place in the government. The abdication at Bayonne of Carlos IVin favor of Napoleon, and the appointment of Joseph Bonaparte as kingof Spain, with the consent of ninety-one Spanish nobles, roused thePeninsula into a spontaneous and determined revolt. War against theFrench invaders was already raging in every province when King Josephwas crowned at Madrid on July 24. Thus in the virtue of her peoplebegan the long struggle of Spain for independence as a nation,--astruggle which was destined not to end until England came to her aid,and the Duke of Wellington delivered her from the power of France.

  Saragossa, although situated in an admirably strong strategic positionbetween the French border and the Spanish capital, was not occupied bythe French in force at first, because the character of the Saragossansmade it unwise to attempt to place a small body of foreign troopsamong them, and Saragossa--Zaragoza in Spanish--had no citadel.Napoleon himself could not foresee what a tremendous defence wouldbe made, nor that fifty thousand dead would yet speak from this cityof Aragon to arouse the courage of Spain. The first siege lasted frommid-June to mid-August, and was raised not only because the defencewas fierce, desperate, and unflinchingly prolonged, and because thebesieging army under Verdier was greatly weakened, but also becausedisasters to the French arms elsewhere made its abandonment imperative.After the invaders had been victorious at Tudela, Aragon was open tothem. Forty thousand French troops--General Napier says thirty-fivethousand--besieged the capital of the province whither a large partof the army of Casta?os and many other fugitives had fled after theirdefeat.

  The second and successful siege, with whose events this novel isoccupied, continued for two long and fatal months, from the twentiethof December of that same dark year until the twenty-first of thefollowing February. During this time of horror and of bravery, therewere also laughter and song, dancing and love-making in Saragossa, andsuch an idyl of tenderness and passion as this story of Augustine andMariquilla which is now offered to readers of English.

  M. C. S.

  SARAGOSSA

  A STORY OF SPANISH VALOR