In effect, he and 20,000 soldiers laid down their arms at Baylen, on condition that they should be transported in safety into France.

The Spaniards broke this convention, and detained them as prisoners--thus, foolishly as well a wickedly, imitating the perfidy of Napoleon's own conduct to Spain.

This battle and capitulation of Baylen were termed by the Emperor himself _the Caudine forks_ of the French army.

He attributed the disaster to treachery on the part of Dupont: it was the result of the rashness of the expedition, and the incompetency of the conductor.

The richest part of Spain was freed wholly of the invaders: the light troops of Castanos pushed on, and swept the country before them; and within ten days, King Joseph perceived the necessity of quitting Madrid, and removed his headquarters to Vittoria.
In the meantime Lefebre Desnouettes, whose early success in Arragon has been alluded to, was occupied with the siege of Zaragossa--the inhabitants of which city had risen in the first outbreak, and prepared to defend their walls to the last extremity.