remove all prejudices against trade, among the nobles. Meritorious
as these reforms were, it would give a false impression to
represent them as wholly successful. The regeneration of Spain was
by no means accomplished, and many of the abuses which had been
growing for centuries, survived the attempt to effect their
annihilation. One of the chief causes of this failure was the
corruption and ignorance of the lower officials; and a large
portion of the population remained, to a great extent, sunk in
sloth and superstition, in spite of all that was done in their
behalf.

During the inglorious reign of Charles IV. (1788-1808), who left
the management, of affairs in the hands of the incapable Godoy,
(at once the queen's lover and the king's prime minister), a war
broke out with Britain, which was productive of nothing but
disaster to the Spaniards. Charles finally abdicated in favor of
his son, the Prince of Asturias, who ascended the throne as
Ferdinand VII. Forced by Napoleon to resign all claims to the
Spanish crown, Ferdinand became the prisoner of the French in the
year of his accession, and in the same year, Joseph, the brother
of the French emperor, was declared King of Spain, and set out for
Madrid to assume the kingdom thus assigned him. But Spanish
loyalty was too profound to be daunted even by the awe-inspiring
power of the great Napoleon. For the first time he found himself
confronted, not by terrified and selfish rulers, but by an
infuriated people. The rising on Spain commenced the popular
movement which ultimately proved fatal to his power.

In July, 1808, England, on solicitation, made peace with Spain,
recognized Ferdinand VII. as king, and sent an army to aid the