152 MEMOIRS OF THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMOK

received was communicated everywhere, and soon gained all
the provinces. The Court thus left Madrid for the second
time in the midst of the most lamentable cries, uttered from
the bottom of their heart, "by people who came from town and
country, and who BO wished to follow the King and Queen that
considerable effort was required in. order to induce them to re-
turn, each one to his home.

Valladolid was the retreat of this wretched Court, which
in tho most terrible trouble it had yet experienced, lost
neither judgment nor courage. Meanwhile the grandest and
rarest example of attachment and of courage that had ever
been heard of or seen was seen in Spain. Prelates and the
humblest of the clergy, noblemen and the poorest people,
lawyers and artisans, all bled themselves of the last drop of
thoir substance, in order to form new troops and magazines,
and to provide all kinds of provisions for the Court, and those
who had followed it. Never nation made efforts so surprising
with a unanimity and a concert which acted everywhere at
once. The Queen sold off all she possessed, received with her f

own hands sometimes even as little as ten pistoles, in order to
content tho mil of those who brought, and thanked them with
as much affection, as they themselves displayed. She would
continually .say that she should like to put herself at the head
of her troops, with her son in her arms. With this language
and her conduct, who gained all hearts, and was very useful in
such a Htnin^o extremity. ^

Tho Archduke meanwhile arrived in Madrid with his army.
Ho entered there in triumph, and caused himself to be pro-
claimed King of Spain, by the violence of his troops, who
dragged the trembling Gorregidor through the streets, which
for tho most part were deserted, whilst the majority of the
bouses were without inhabitants, the few who remained having
barricaded their doors and windows, and shut themselves up in
the most remote places, where the troops did not dare to break p

in upon them, for fear of increasing the visible and general
despair, and in the hope of gaining by gentleness. The entry
of the Archduke was not less sad than his proclamation. A