La Seca, July 10, 1812.
It is a terrible thing to be tanned by the sun. I have been half grilled for the last month, which has cost my nose and lips a great deal of flesh. It is expensive on the score of skin, but it is in a good cause, and my nose suffers like a martyr. It has completely spoiled all complexions, and made us like hideous creatures. I shall not burn your letters—if my baggage should be taken, the French will derive great amusement from them, and being of Political importance we shall have them in the Moniteur with notes! I have no news to tell you of the Army. The French are on one side of the river, and we are on the other. Both parties are very civil to each other, and both seem on the qui vive for fear the other should cross and attack him. It is comical enough to see hostile troops quietly watering their horses, or washing, within 30 or 40 yards of each other, like perfect good friends. We are forbid to talk to them for fear of spoiling our French, and are therefore highly profuse in bows and dumbshow. I hate the very sight of the villains, but it is no use for either party to annoy the other when nothing is to be gained by it.
We are quartered in a very nice town, about two leagues from the river, where the people are very civil to us. I am quite well, though much thinner for our marching, and I do not believe that anybody is sorry for the week’s quiet halt we have had.
La Seca, July 13, 1812.
My Dear Father,
I have to thank you for your letter of the 17 ultmo. and your very interesting communications on the domestic politics of the country, and also for the printed correspondence. Your letter, etc., did not arrive till by last packet, and should have done so by the former, and I therefore had seen all these discussions between parties in the newspapers, and the only conclusion I have drawn is that there is no public spirit in any party. Each acts from its own particular prejudice, or party spirit, and they care little about the country, unless they can serve it exactly in their own way. I am glad of anything that saves us from a Grenville administration, and am therefore not sorry the present Ministry have been continued, though I have not much confidence in them, and should have preferred one that included Ld. Wellesley. The first measures of this administration plainly say, we have not strength to act up to our own principles in certain leading questions. We will therefore act contrary to our principles to keep our places. This appears to be the real state of the case, though as to the measures themselves to which I refer, except with regard to the Americans, I hope great good from them, but though most decidedly for the admission of the Catholics to all rights we possess ourselves, I am not for granting them one bit more. Their Church in temporal matters must be subordinate to the King. The King’s rights with regard to the rejection or nomination of their Bishops must be the same as our own, and which is nearly the same as in Portugal, Spain, France (formerly), and almost every other Roman Catholic country. None of those countries ever thought of a clergy independent of the crown, or that the Pope had any power whatever in the Temporal arrangements of any kingdom. The Consistory (Claustro) assembled at Salamanca on this very subject of Irish Emancipation in, I think, 1789, declared that any country which admitted such a principle would be a traitor to itself, of whatever sect the Sovereign might be, Protestant or Catholic. If therefore the R. C. of Ireland insist on greater rights and liberties, in their religious liberty, than the rest of their fellow subjects possess, or object to the veto (at least) in the King, I shall strongly suspect that they have other purposes in their discontent, and shall think any concession dangerous.
We continue here much in the same state as when I wrote to you last week. Since then the enemy have been joined by Bonnet from the Asturias with about 4 to 5000 men, but do not show at present any disposition to attack us. They have manœuvred a good deal. Indeed they seem to keep their people in constant motion. Till lately they seemed to be drawing everything to their right towards Toro, and the position of our troops was altered from perpendicular to parallel to the Douro, the 5 and 6 Dns. moving to Nava del Rey, the 4th to Foncastin. The 3rd and Spaniards continue at Pollos, and the 1st and 7th at Medina del Campo, the advance guard and Lt. Cavalry at Rueda and this place, and our Picquets watch the fords of the Douro and of the Adaja. Yesterday morning we saw a large column of about 4000 returning towards Tordesillas, from whence they had marched the evening before towards the fords at Herreros and Torresilla de la Abadessa, but to what end all this marching and countermarching of theirs can be, I cannot guess. If they mean to harass us they do not succeed, for though we narrowly watch every movement they make, Ld. Wn. is not easily humbugged, and lets them wear out their shoes as much they please without disturbing his army.
The enemy’s Hd. Qrs. are, I believe, at Tordesillas, where they have one or two Divisions, 1 at Simancas, 1 opposite Pollos and Herreros, 1 at Toro. In short they extend along the river from Simancas to Toro, and have their reserves and Depôt at Valladolid. As to the exact disposition of their troops it is impossible to say, as they are continually moving.