as he was, by dances, and "a movement which proceeded from the heart;" and if he was not so, it was easy to assert that he was; which in the French school of morality and justice conferred the same privileges and the same rights. The Austrian Generals, however, as we shall by and by see, were too alert for him. They had already got possession of the passes of the Alps, and were ready to burst into the plains of Dauphiny, and along by the course of the Rhone to Geneva. The French armies stationed along the Jura mountains to Befort, and those on the Upper Rhine, from Basle to Manheim, and from thence along the frontiers to Thionville, seemed intended only to act on the defensive. In the Western departments, near the mouth, and around the borders of the Loire, the flames of civil war continued to spread; and notwithstanding the presence of a very considerable number of troops, under Lamarque and other Generals, the cause of the Royalists seemed to gain ground. The actions which took place were numerous; and, considering the numbers engaged in this irregular warfare, attended with considerable loss to both parties. The Royalists were, however, assuming a formidable appearance, and beginning to assemble in considerable armies at various points, notwithstanding the utmost efforts of their enemies. Of the true state of this internal contest, however, we are so much in the dark, as to render any detailed account of the movements and operations impracticable. But these and the operations on all the other points, we must leave for a while and return to a more important and interesting quarter.

From the defile of Mount St. Giubert, Blucher, with the 1st and 2d corps of his army, fell back on the forenoon of the 17th towards Wavre; whither he was followed during the day by Thielman with the 3d corps, and Bulow with the 4th corps, from Genbloux. At the former place the Prussian General took up a position, resolved once more to face the enemy. Lord Wellington, and the army under his command, remained on the field of battle at Quatre Bras. The General was here exposed to the same privations as the meanest soldier. The open field was his pillow. Fatigued and cold towards the morning, he became anxious for a fire, which, after some difficulty, the soldiers of the 92d regiment kindled. Every one was

eager to render him assistance or comfort, and he seemed in these trifling instances to feel greatly the attention of the troops towards him. "By the morning of the 17th," said General Alava," he had collected the whole of his army in the position of Quatre Bras, and was combining his measures to attack the enemy, when he received a dispatch from Blucher," informing him of the unfortunate result of affairs on his side. This retrograde movement on the part of the Prussians, rendered a similar one necessary on the part of the British General. He accordingly quitted Genappe, and, in the middle of the day, fell back with the army under his command to the heights of Mount St. Jean in advance of Waterloo, a village in front of the forest of Soignies, and on the great road to Brussels, within 9 miles of that city. Thus far success appeared on the side of Bonaparte. This ground he had gained at an enormous loss; while the great object which he had in view was, if possible, more distant from his grasp than ever. Yet he does not seem to have thought so. No action of importance took place during that day between the contending armies, except that in the afternoon, a considerable body of French cavalry having followed the British cavalry, under the command of the Earl of Uxbridge, gave his Lordship an opportunity of turning back, and charging them; an operation which the 1st regiment of foot Guards performed with the greatest gallantry and success. The main body of the French army was now directed against the force under the immediate command of the British General, which Bonaparte asserted, that he "drove" to the forest of Ligny, while his right wing went in "pursuit" of Blucher, who was gone to Wavre. The British army thus assembled in front of Waterloo, and the Prussian force in the neighbourhood of Wavre, communicated with each other through Ohain. During the whole of the afternoon of the 17th, the rain fell in torrents, accompanied by dreadful thunder and lightning, as if the elements also had collected to this point all their destructive engines to engage in the mighty conflict. Amidst this terrible tempest, the enemy continued to advance, and the allied armies to fall back: "the hosts retire,

The God in terrors and the skies in fire."

While these elemental convulsions, seemed to assembled nations

as a fearful prelude to the shock which was shortly to take place
on earth. Bonaparte found upon bringing up his troops that it
was too late, for that day, to make any attempt against the
position chosen by his skilful adversary. It would have re-
quired three hours more of day light, said he, to have at-
tacked them; in consequence of which he deferred the attack
till next day. In the evening a sharp cannonade took place
towards Hougemont, but without any result. On the left,
the Belgian troops advanced in parties in front, brandishing
their arms, shouting and firing some cannons, in token of
defiance to the enemy. To this he paid no attention. Wet,
weary, and hungry, the allied soldiers took up their bivou-
ack amidst the dripping corn, mud and water, and in the
open fields, with scarcely any covering. It may fairly be
presumed, that the French army was similarly situated.-
During the greater part of the night, the thunder and light-
ning continued most tremendous, accompanied by a high
wind, and incessant and heavy rain; but toward the morn-
ing, the rain having somewhat abated, the soldiers employ-
ed themselves in cleaning their arms preparatory to the ap-
proaching conflict, which all were convinced must take place
on the ensuing day. This was, in fact, determined on by the
allied commanders. All the army of Wellington was now
collected. He, accordingly, wrote to Blucher, that he was
resolved to accept the battle in that place, providing that the
Field Marshal could spare two corps of his army to assist him.
This the gallant veteran not only agreed to do, but promised, if
necessary, to come with all his army to the assistance of the
British General. At the same time he proposed, that if Na-
poleon did not attack the allies on the 18th, that they should,
on the subsequent day, attack him with all their forces.".
"This," to use his own words, "was sufficient to shew how
little the battle of the 16th had disorganized the Prussian army,
or weakened its moral strength." The French army and
their chief were also eager for battle. The head-quarters of
the latter were established at Caillou,‡ a farm near the village
of Planchenoit, and on the road from La Belle Alliance to
Genappe.

• French official account of the battles of the 16th and 17th.
+ Prussian
French
do.

do.

do.

do.

Thus ended the day of the 17th. The moment was truly important; and upon a general view of the subject, not a little alarming. After twenty-five years of misery and carnage, peace had, during the previous year, spread her wings over Europe. The nations thereof were beginning to taste a blessing so long unknown to them, when the sweet enjoyment vanished. Blood and destruction began again to cover. those countries, from whose frontiers the fearful torrent had commenced its course; and whose divided stream, while it beat against the rock of Gibraltar, on the one hand, at the same moment, on the other hand, bared the banks of the Moskwa, and threatened the confines of Asia. The torrent again let loose, where might it stop? All inquired, because all were interested. A decisive victory obtained by Bonaparte over Wellington and Blucher, would have rsoued to fresh energies the ambition of France, proved of incalculable advantage to him, and been pregnant with incalculable mischief to Europe. It would have called forth the exertions of disaffection in every land; and what was still more to be dreaded, it would have awakened and brought forward fear and despondency to curb the exertions, disunite the councils, and paralize the energies of the people of Europe. The times that were past might thus be "reproduced." The career of victory was begun which would not stop till it had again subjugated Europe. So thought France, and her admirers, in those nations, which were stretching out their hands to bid her welcome. But they reckoned without their host. Napoleon had only been partially successful. His great object remained yet to gain; and which if he did not gain immediately, would have compelled him to relinquish all the advantages which he had previously obtain

ed. Numerous re-enforcements, he was well aware, were at hand to augment the armies of his opponents. Half of the Prussian army, at least three corps, were still not yet up; but at that moment at no great distance, and making every exertion to join their comrades. He had, therefore, no alternative, but to persevere before these corps joined, or to return into France before an equal force; thus, after his boasted victory, covered with shame and disgrace.

This was a mea

sure, however, which he could not possibly be brought to adopt.

It was, in fact, one that if he had followed, after what he had done, could scarcely have failed to have proved as destructive to his power as any common defeat could have been. The formidable stand, however, which his foes had made on the 16th, when attacked on one point unexpectedly, and on all points in a manner of his own choosing, gave him a tolerably correct. idea of what he might expect when they were prepared for him, and had been able to choose their ground as they now were. He must thus have been aware, that the object which he had in view, was a most arduous, and even doubtful, undertaking. Nevertheless, he was resolved to persevere; and believed that, however difficult it might be, still he could carry his point. His self-confidence here led him into one of those errors which had oftener than once before proved fatal to him. He calculated that he had gained much more from the bloody operations of the 16th, than he really had. He believed that Blucher's army was incapable of any further resistance that could be serious, or impede him. "He believed," said the Prussian General," that the Prussian army was retreating on Maestricht."* In truth, he believed this. "The Prussians," said the enemy, "are falling back upon the Meuse in great disorder." Wellington, therefore, alone remained, as he conceived, to offer any serious resistance to his progress. How dreadfully he was mistaken, the sequel will shew us. Still his strength was sufficient to make him confident. His army, after the loss it had sustained, was still from 160 to 170,000 strong. Of these,

135,000 were appointed to attack the Duke of Wellington, before he could receive any assistance from the army of Blucher. The former disposed of, he calculated he should be able to turn a sufficient force against the disordered remnant of the Prussian army, which he made sure of destroying altogether. Accordingly, he dispatched Vandamme and Girard, with the 3d and 4th corps of infantry, and a very large body of cavalry, under the chief command of Grouchy, to turn the left of the Prussian army, attack its rear at Wavre, and be ready to advance upon the road to Brussels; and in the rear of the

Prussian official account of the battle of the 18th.

+ Official account transmitted to Davoust, dated Fleurus, June 17th. Grouchy's dispatch, Denant, June 20th." The heights of Wavre was carried, I was in front of Rosierne, preparing to march upon Brussels, when I heard of the foss of the battle of Waterloo,”