In fact, the capital was to be held only as long as it could be squeezed.
Such were the plans.

They show clearly that the Emperor was impressed with the need of crushing the rising in the north of Spain; for he ordered as great a force against Mina and his troublesome bands as he deemed necessary to watch the Portuguese frontier.

Clausel was charged to stamp out the northern rising, and Napoleon seems to have judged that this hardy fighter would end this tedious task before Wellington dealt any serious blows.

The miscalculation was to be fatal.

Mina was not speedily to be beaten, nor was the British general the slow unenterprising leader that the Emperor took him to be.