The bombardment continued, and, by the first week in May, ' every building within the walls was reduced to ruins excepting a casemate, which contained one and twenty beds. This place

served for an hospital, but, being insufficient to accommodate all the sick and wounded of the garrison, the remainder were lodged in a mine, and the garrison had subterraneous quarters. Estrada determined never to surrender; and having the example of O'Don nell before him, he concerted with that intrepid officer on the means of forcing his way through the enemy's lines. The supplies which had been thrown in about the middle of the siege were exhausted, and all the cisterns destroyed; no time was therefore to be lost in making arrangements for the enterprise.

Marshal Augereau had arrived to witness the taking of this small fortress, which had resisted him for four months, and, on the evening of the 11th of May, he sent in a last summons, offering the same terms as he had granted to the garrison of Gerona; he gave Estrada two hours for consideration, declaring, that if the fort was not then given up he would put every man within it to the sword. Estrada called a council of his officers; and they, with one voice, rejected all idea of submission, but thanked the French General for naming them with Gerona.

In order to call off the attention of the besiegers, and facilitate the object of the garrison, O'Donnell sent a detachment to the side of Orsavina and Monnegre, and another on the southern skirts of Monseny, towards Breda; he also ordered some vessels to approach Areus de Mar, the nearest part of the coast. This deceived the enemy, who concluded that Estrada would make for that part of the coast where the vessels lay; they, therefore, on the 12th, judging, from the bustle within the fort, that some attempt would be made, strengthened their post at Tordera, which was on their right.

The fortress was situated on a craggy height, which, together with the resolution of the garrison, secured it from being taken by assault; and every necessary measure being taken, at ten, on the night of the 12th of May, the garrison marched out, and descended the glacis on the side of the high road of St. Celoni, guided by the light of the moon; two advanced parties, to the right and left, attacked the enemy's picquets with the bayonet--very few escaped to give the alarm, and before any efficient means could be effected to cut off their retreat, they had ascended to St. Jacinto, and pushed onward toward St. Felin de Buxaleu.

The garrison, although reduced by famine and continual fatigue

to a state of physical weakness, continued its retreat in different directions, after having routed an encampment of the enemy about six leagues from Hostalrich, and repulsed the attack of another body of 2000 men, stationed on the road to Arbucias; unfortunately, however, one division lost its way, and many of them dropped on the road, unable to proceed.

Julian de Estrada, who had so well earned the name of a hero and a patriot, was among the number of those who, from the above misadventure, fell into the hands of the French: this was a far greater loss to his country than the fortress he had so well defended.

In the course of two days different parties arrived at the town of Vich to the number of 800, having, by the utmost exertions of skill and courage, accomplished their retreat. It was asserted by the French that every man was either killed or taken.

In such an enterprise it was impossible to bring off the sick and wounded; and the comptroller of the hospital, D. Manuel Miguel Mellado remained to deliver up the ruins, and provide, in some degree, for their safety.

Such of the invalids as were able to mount guard undertook that duty; the gates were closed, the draw-bridges raised, and, in this situation, Mellado waited the result. Between eleven and twelve o'clock a brisk fire of musketry was poured in upon the flanks of the ravelin and of St. Francisco; Mellado called to the enemy to cease firing, for the fort was theirs, and requested them to wait till the morning, that he might deliver a letter, from Estrada, to the French General. They refused to comply with his request, and ordered the gates to be instantly opened, otherwise they would enter by ladders, and put every man to the sword. He refused; and the French, setting up a loud shout, renewed their fire, and prepared to put their sanguinary threats in force.

Mellado ventured to the bulwark of St. Barbara, where he judged the escalade would be made, and there found that the enemy were endeavouring to grapple the drawbridge with a ladder of ropes; but, either from the weight of the rope, which rendered it difficult to throw, or because the irons were not sharp enough toʻlay hold, their attempts were ineffectual.

Mellado, however, hastened to the nearest of the enemy's works, and called aloud to the Commandant to recal the assailants, and allow him a conductor to the General, that he might deliver the letter of Estrada. The party who were flanking the ravelin, on hearing his voice, fired a volley towards it: upon this Mellado, without waiting

for a reply, passed on to the nearest French centinel, and the Captain of the guard conducted him to the French Commandant in the town. This officer was a humane man; he immediately suspended the assault, and Mellado was conducted to the General.

In the morning the gates were thrown open-the French enteredand Mellado had abundant proof that the fears he had entertained for the safety of his wounded and defenceless countrymen were not without grounds: their beds and blankets were taken from them by the French soldiers, and they were shortly afterwards conveyed to Gerona. Mellado, having seen the removal of the hospital, and finding it was the intention of the French to detain him a prisoner, took the first opportunity to escape.

(To be continued.)

A Prayer of Prince Eugene; which all Officers under the Duke of Marlborough had by heart.

I BELIEVE in thee, O my God! do thou strengthen my faith. I hope in thee: confirm my hope.-1 love thee: inflame my love more and more.—I repent of all my sins: do thou encrease my repentance. As my first beginning, I worship thee; as my last end, I long for thee; as my eternal benefactor, I praise thee; as my supreme protector, I pray unto thee-that it may please thee, O Lord! to guide and lead me by thy providence; to keep me in obedience to thy justice; to comfort me by thy mercy; and to protect me by thy Almighty Power.-I submit unto thee all my thoughts, words, and deeds; as well as my afflictions, pains, and sufferings: and I desire to have thee always in my mind; to do all my works in thy name, and for thy sake to bear all adversity with patience.-I will nothing but what thou willest, O God! because it is agreeable unto thee.

O give me grace, that I may be attentive in my prayer, temperate in my diet, vigilant in my conduct, and immoveable in all good purposes.-Grant, most merciful Lord! that I may be true and faithful to those that have entrusted me with their secrets; that I may be courteous and kind towards all men; and that both in words and actions I may shew unto them a good example. Dispose my heart to admire and praise thy goodness; to hate all vices and evil works; to love my neighbours, and despise the world. Assist me, good Lord!

in subduing lust, by mortification; covetousness, by liberality; anger, by mildness; and lukewarmness, by zeal and fervency.-Enable me to conduct myself with prudence in all transactions, and to shew courage in danger; patience in adversity; and in prosperity an humble mind.

Let thy grace illuminate my understanding-direct my willsanctify my body---and bless my soul. Make me diligent in curbing all irregular affections; zealous in imploring thy grace; careful in keeping thy commandments; and constant in working out my own salvation. Finally, make me sensible, O God! how little is the world; how great thy heavens; how short time, and how long will be the blessed eternity.---O that I may prepare myself for death! that I may dread the judgment! that I may avoid the torments of hell! and obtain of thee, O God! eternal life, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.---Amen.

The King of Prussia's Instructions to his Officers of Cavalry relative to the COUP-D'ŒIL.

THE art of measuring with a coup-d'ail the extent of a position, of discovering the advantages which it possesses, and the defects which it conceals,--to take advantage of the accidental circumstance of the ground to the prejudice of the enemy,-to determine the principal points from whence the batteries may be most effectual, and those places most appropriate for the different posts; all these circumstances essentially belong to the perfection of military science.

To acquire this knowledge, a favourable disposition, assisted by much practice and experience, will be necessary; but, as we are not always at war, imagination may be called in aid to acquire, during peace, the coup-d'œil, and instructions necessary for service in the field.

The commander of a regiment may, in time of peace, form the coup-d'ail with all the officers under his command, by running over any particular tract of country. He may suppose, for example, that the enemy occupies any determinate position, and find out that which he should himself occupy, either for attack or defence.

He should estimate the distances with his eye, that he may be able to fix the moment and extent of the charge, or to make a proper estimate of the ground which separates him from any covered place

which may be occupied by the enemy's infantry. The fire of the infantry never begins to have any effect until within the distance of five hundred paces. After having estimated aright how many paces there are between one given place and another, the distance should afterwards be measured, in order to ascertain whether he has not been deceived, and thus to rectify his coup-d'œil.

The commanding officer may suppose a cordon to be formed in front of an advanced post, and should examine whether the position of the videttes of the small guards and the main guard, the places of alarms, &c. have been judiciously chosen, according to the principles established for the guard and defence of advanced posts.

To habituate the officers, and those under them, to patroles, re connoitrings, and ambuscades, he should order out a detachment, which should follow some determinate direction; he should leave it discretionary in the commanding officer of this detachment to take post either at greater or less distances, in such manner as he pleases. An hour after the Commander-in-Chief should order out another detachment, which should be ordered to patrole in the same direction, and to communicate intelligence of the enemy.

The success of ambuscades depends on so many different combinations, that a chapter on this subject must be always incomplete; the coup-d'ail and the genius, which grasps every circumstance, can never be properly developed but by practice, and, in this respect, there can be no better lesson.

The officer who passes an ambuscade, without having reconnoitred, will be blamed for having fallen into the snare. He should be particular not to entertain ridiculous or exaggerated suppositions, and that the instructions so founded should not become a subject of quarrel and jealousy amongst the troops who are employed in executing them.

The Commander-in-Chief should order different reports, in writ ing, to be brought to him-sometimes according to a precise instruction which he will give, and frequently agreeable to the patroles and reconnoitrings, suggested according to the fancy, either of the place or the circumstance: he may judge, from the perspicuity of this report, and the manner in which it is drawn up, of the degree of intelligence of those persons who have been entrusted with the performance of this duty; and thus will be enabled to distinguish those men whom he may employ, in preference, in services of this nature: he should be particularly attentive to correct every thing that may appear defective in the details, and habituate himself to