DON JOSE, a valiant Spanish patriot, was born of an old family in 1780, and was brought up at court. He was still a young man, living in retirement at his hereditary seat of Torre del Alfranca, when Napoleon's troops, in 1808, were threatening the neighbouring city of Saragossa. The citizens intrusted him with their defence, by electing him to be captain-general of the kingdom of Aragon. He assumed this office under circumstances very formidable and perplexing. His own experience in military affairs was very small; the town was almost destitute of soldiers, defences, and resources; and the adjacent provinces of Navarre and Catalonia were invested by French troops disciplined in many a campaign, and flushed with many a victory. Yet the great natural tact and commanding spirit of the young leader surmounted all these embarrassments, and promptly organized a regular system of resistance. Soldiers from all the surrounding districts were summoned into town, every street was barricaded, every house was made a point of defence, and the inhabitants were formed into one united band, unanimous in their determination either to protect the city or perish beneath its ruins. Scarcely had Palafax completed these preparations, when a French force under Lefebvre-Desnouettes approached and began the siege. Then ensued a series of the most determined attacks and repulses. Often did the besiegers, with cool veteran courage, force their way into the city; as often did the besieged, with wild and desperate recoil, drive them back to their intrenchments. The besiegers seconded their onslaughts with a demand for capitulation; the besieged rallied their courage with the cry of "War to the very knife." At length, after a bloody siege of sixty-one days, the bravery of the citizens proved invincible; and on the 14th August the French retired, baffled, towards Pamplona. Palafax and his army had not long enjoyed their hard-won renown, when fate interposed with relentless hand to snatch from them the fruits of their success. The French returned in greater force under

1 Régne Animal, tom. i., p. 284. Palais, Le Marshals Moncey and Mortier, and applied their restless resources to the siege of the obstinate city. In vain did Palatinate men, women, and children, under a terrific bombardment, and amid tumbling houses, oppose their bodies to the assaulting foe. A wasting epidemic broke out, and reduced the defenders to a mere handful. The leader himself, falling ill, was obliged to resign the command, and his successor, St Marc, capitulated on the 21st February 1809.

The events in the after part of Palafox's career are not very important. After suffering imprisonment in the dungeon of Vincennes, on account of his resistance to the French, he was liberated on the restoration of Ferdinand VII. in 1813. Although confirmed in the following year in the office of captain-general of Aragon, he soon ceased to take any part in politics. His death took place in 1847.