Page:Historyoffranc00yong.djvu/213

 I X. J THE GREA T RE VOL UTION. 1 89 now made a separate peace and joined the Rhenish Con- federation with the title of king. Alexander of Russia sent his forces, and at Preuss Eylau, on the 8th of February, 1 807, was fought a most tremendous battle with terrible slaughter and doubtful success. In June followed another such battle at Friedland, when the Russians, after fearful losses, had to retreat, though in perfect order. This battle gave Konigsberg to the French, and obliged Alex- ander to treat. By the Peace of Tilsit, in July, 1807, the King of Prussia gave up all his territory west of the Elbe, which, with some other German territory, was made into a Kingdom of Westphalia for Napoleon's brother Jerome. The other German dominions of Prussia were left to their own king, except that Danzig was made a republic. The Polish dominions of Prussia save a small part which was given to Russia, were made into a Duchy oj Warsaw^ which was given to the King of Saxony. France and Russia were now for a while on good terms. Alexander and Buonaparte might seem now to have divided Europe between them. Buonaparte went back to France, where the last check on his despotisrri was taken away by the abolition of the Trilaunate. 26. Beginning of the Peninsular War, 1807. — While Spain was the ally of France, Portugal was, as it had always been, an ally of Pmgland. At this time it had an insane queen, Maria I., and was governed by her son John. Portugal refused to carry out the Berlin decrees against her English ally ; so Buonaparte proposed to Godoy, the minister of Charles of Spain, a scheme for the par- tition of Portugal. For this end he was allowed to send his troops through Spain. At the approach of the French General Junot, the Portuguese royal family took ship for Brazil, the great colony of Portugal, leaving their European kingdom to its fate. Buonaparte meanwhile, instead of partitioning Portugal, seized one Spanish fortress after the other, till the people of Madrid took alarm, rose against his dupe Godoy, and caused the king to abdicate in favour of his son, Fefdinand VII. But as Murat marched into the city, and would not acknowledge the new king or the old, both were induced to come to Bayonne to meet Buonaparte and plead their cause. There being both in one net, the father and son were each induced to resign the crown. Napoleon kept them both as prisoners, filled Spain with his troops, and when his brother Lucian indignantly refused