After the short absence of seven weeks, having travelled, as already described, more than two hundred and thirty miles, and nearly recovered from the effects of my fever, I rejoined our first brigade quartered in Madrid, as well as the third division; the second brigade was stationed two leagues from the town, in support of those troops cantoned in the line of the Tagus. Here I received the welcome information, that since I had quitted the division they had not seen the enemy. The troops were quartered in the various convents and monasteries, and the officers were billeted on the most splendid houses; many of these had white papers stuck on the windows, to denote that the former occupiers of them had followed the fortunes and court of El Rey Joseph, thereby deserting their country's cause.
One of my friends, whom I had left under a tree, I found occupying the house of a marquis, and decorating and perfuming himself before a splendid toilette, previously to making his bow to the beautiful and attractive object of all his desires, who had invited him to spend that evening at her house. He described to me their proud entry into Madrid as a conquering army; then the variegated drapery hanging from the windows, the acclamations of the people, and all the beauty of the place welcoming them, striking guitars, tambourines, and castanets, with eyes beaming love and admiration in a manner indescribable, known and felt only by those who have won the battle, after having been wandering under the heaven's bright blue canopy for sixty days, and traversing hundreds of miles over burning plains. Another officer reposed his limbs on a bed of down, (enveloped by white satin curtains edged with long gold bullion,) encompassed by mirrors, the whole surmounted by a gilded helmet, adorned with a noble plume of ostrich feathers. The rest of the furniture in this superb mansion was composed of the most costly materials.
Madrid is a compact town; the lower windows of all the monasteries and houses are defended by iron bars; many of the streets are spacious, and the whole of them are remarkably clean. The Plaza Major is a square of lofty houses, many of them stained of various colours; the windows are very close together, out of which hang mats and drapery of a variety of striped patterns, to shade the rooms from the mid-day sun. Here is the principal market for vegetables and other commodities, and it invariably presents a bustling and busy scene. The Royal Palace is of a square form, and surrounds an interior court-yard, which has two gateways. The grand staircase rises out of the court-yard near the principal entrance; it is a most splendid work, wide and lofty, leading into the principal suite of rooms, magnificently furnished. As we passed through them, I noticed the man in charge locking the doors after us: when, therefore, the curiosity of the admiring spectators was satisfied, we were ushered into another, and again made prisoners for the time being. A picture, beautifully executed, represented Napoleon in his younger days crossing the Alps, at the head of his bare-footed army, and was considered, by those who had seen him, to be an exact likeness; the face was extremely handsome. The Callé Major and Alcala are the principal streets of the town; the latter is wide and spacious, lined by large buildings, leading direct into the Prádo, which is much admired for its broad walks, divided into avenues by rows of trees, and running the whole length of one side of the town, being terminated at each end by gates leading from it. On the north side stands the Buén Retiro, encompassed by temporary works, (which had been thrown up by the French,) gardens, and pleasure grounds.
The fountains stand at certain distances from each other in the middle of the walks, and are framed after antique models. The water from one of them is esteemed the best in the town; the broad walk in the centre is adorned by these cascades, and is crowded every evening by the best company. It is here the stranger may examine, with advantage, the costume, style, and gait of the Spanish ladies. Their dress is composed of a mantilla or veil, gracefully thrown over the head, a long-waisted satin body, black silk petticoats, fringed from the knee downwards, white silk stockings, with open clocks, kid shoes, of white or black; they carry a large fan in their little hands, which they open and shut as they glide along; it serves to shade them from the sun, or to salute their different acquaintances as they pass, which they do by shaking the fan rapidly, and simpering an affable smile.
At sunset the bells of the convents and churches give notice for offering up the evening prayer to the Virgin; instantaneously the crowd becomes stationary, the Caballeros take off their hats and remove the cigars from their mouths, the Señoras cover their faces with their fans, while they inwardly mutter a short prayer. At the expiration of a few minutes, the profound silence is broken, when all again are in motion. In this place, dedicated to pleasure, our time was so divided as to be occupied night and day, either in dancing or at the tertúlias; public balls were also held twice a week at the Callé de Baños and el Principe.
The officers of our division were anxious to display their powers as actors to their beloved señoritas; therefore, among other things, they were occupied in ordering dresses, and studying their theatrical parts. "The Revenge" was fixed upon as the tragedy to astonish the Spaniards. Capt. Kent, of the rifle corps, played the part of Zanga, in El Teátro del Principe, with due solemnity, and the piece went off in silence, until he began to move backwards and forwards, like the pendulum of a clock, his sinewy arm and clenched fist, cased in a black silk stocking, or glove, encircled by a shining bracelet—which caused the muleteers in the gallery to roar with laughter. The señoras tittered, and held their fans to their faces. During the remainder of the evening poor Zanga was treated more like a comic than a tragic character, and whenever he raised his arm, which he had frequent occasion to do, the same round of salutations greeted him on all sides, such as "Arré Múlo," &c. &c. At the conclusion of the piece, a Spaniard and a girl danced a bolero, in inimitable style: both of them were habited in male attire; the black hair of the female was clubbed up behind, and tied with a bunch of ribbons hanging down her back; she wore a richly embroidered silk jacket, white kerseymere breeches, fitting tight to the shape, white silk stockings, shoes, and buckles. She rattled the castanets exquisitely, and beat admirable time with her pretty little feet.
On the 21st of October our division was hastily concentrated, and first moved to some lonely villages, and then to Alcala de Henarez, one of the principal universities of Spain. On the night of the 21st the Marquis of Wellington raised the siege of the castle of Burgos, and slowly retired on the Douro, followed by Gen. Souham. Joseph and the Duke of Dalmatia had also formed a junction, and were making various demonstrations on the line of the Tagus. On the 22nd, the second division was put in motion on that river to observe the enemy's movements. On the 24th, the third division, which had continued in Madrid, moved towards Pinto, on the road to Aranjuez, in support of the fourth and second divisions. On the 26th, the second division crossed to the right bank of the Tagus, and extended its left on the Jarama. On the same day we marched four leagues and a half from Alcala, and entered Arganda, which is situated on the high road from Valencia. The enemy continued to make such a variety of movements, that it was impossible to ascertain positively whether he would attempt his grand push on the south or east side of Madrid, which obliged General Hill to show front on two sides of a square, for the protection of the great roads leading towards the capital, across the rivers Tagus, Jarama, and Henarez.
At ten o'clock at night (of the same day we had entered Arganda,) the bugle-horns sounded the assembly, which never occurred without the most urgent necessity, as it was not customary for the horns to sound when manœuvring near the enemy, except under peculiar circumstances. The orderlies usually passed round, and gave the word to pack up and accoutre, no farther questions being asked either by officers or soldiers, and all repaired to the alarm post, and patiently awaited farther orders; and that so often without seeing an enemy, owing to the variety of marches and countermarches in war, that such orders had ceased to be a novelty or any surprise to us. The division soon fell in: I had to precede the column on duty with another officer, who was mounted on a sorry lank pony, which, on being touched on the near or off side, kicked out with one leg at every mule that passed him, in the most singular manner. I never recollect laughing more heartily; the muleteers cursed and swore, and particularly one who received a severe kick on the leg.
This class of men wear a large hat, or a pocket-handkerchief of various colours, tied tight round the head, with the corner hanging down their backs, and a sort of red Moorish sash round the loins, dark blue, or green velveteen breeches, open at the knee, and leather gaiters, (with innumerable buttons up the sides,) open in the middle, so as to show the calf of the leg to advantage. The mules are very gaily caparisoned, with bells at the head, and the backs closely shaved; the tails tied up in bunch, with red or other coloured worsted binding; and when they are loaded, the men sit on the top astride, singing boisterously. They usually bivouac in the woods, when the day's journey is finished, cover themselves with a tarpauling, and allow their mules to browse about all night. These muleteers robbed the English army of hundreds of mules during the war. I lost two myself, and, during the time the light division was quartered in Madrid, the ladrones caused false keys to be made to fit the stable-doors, and actually, in the middle of the day, took the animals clear off, which were never afterwards heard of.