Ten thousand men could have defended the road to Brussels, while the Forest of Soignè would have formed a retreat, which it was scarcely possible that Bonaparte could have forced.

The British regiments who fought this day received from their country several distinguished honours and privileges. A grand monument commemorative of the battle, was voted by Parliament. The principal officers were admitted to the most honourable military order of the Bath, and many were presented with the orders of the Allied Sovereigns. About half a million sterling was also raised by voluntary subscription in the united kingdom, for the benefit of the wounded, and the relatives of those who fell in this memorable campaign.

Having thus given a general description of this terrible battle,' as the late Marshal Ney justly and emphatically termed it, we will now return and view the conduct of the great Napoleon, during this dreadful conflict, and the important events that ensued.

Bonaparte was incessantly occupied during the morning of the 18th, in arranging and encouraging his troops, and every where was exhibited the most profound devotion to his service. There was a lofty observatory above a mile in the rear of his position, from which it is said he directed the movement of his army. But this is not true. He walked or rode during the greater part of the action upon an eminence near a cottage called La Belle Alliance. Jean Baptiste La Coste, of this place, about five in the morning, was taken prisoner to serve as guide, and conducted with his hands tied behind him (that he might not escape as a former man had done) to another house belonging to him, opposite to which Bonaparte had slept. Observing the French soldiers plundering and destroying this house, he cried. Bonaparte asked what he cried for? Because your soldiers are destroying all my property, and my family have

no where to put their heads.' Bonaparte said, 'Do you not know that I am emperor, and can recompense you an hundred times as much?" He was placed on a horse immediately between Bonaparte and his Aid-de-camp, his saddle being tied to the saddle of a trooper behind him, that he might not escape. They proceeded a little beyond Belle Alliance, and Bonaparte took the ground on a small eminence on the opposite side; a sort of body guard of twelve pieces of artillery, very light, surrounding them. From this spot, he could command both lines. He first observed: 'How steadily those troops take the ground! how beautifully those cavalry form! Observe these grey horse,' (meaning the Scots Greys, who particularly attracted his attention), 'They are brave men, it is a pity to cut such troops in pieces.' He asked La Coste the particulars of every house, tree, wood, rising ground, &c., with which he seemed well informed, holding a map in his left hand, and intent upon the action all the day, incessantly taking snuff from his waistcoat pocket, in large pinches, of which he violently snuffed up about half, throwing the other from him, with a violent exertion of the arm, and thumb and finger, as if from vexation; this was all the refreshment he took for fourteen hours: he frequently placed his left hand upon the back of La Coste's horse, to speak to the Aid-de-camp on the other side of him. Seeing La Coste flinch at the shower of shot, he replied; Do not stir, my friend, a shot will kill you equally in the back as the front, or wound you more disgracefully.'

Capt. Erskine, who was made prisoner in the battle of the 16th, was brought before Bonaparte for examination. Being asked by Bonaparte Who commands the cavalry?1 he was answered, 'Lord Uxbridge.' 'No, Paget,' replied Bonaparte. The officer then explained that they meant the same person, and Bonaparte nodded assent. He was then asked, Who commanded in chief?" and was answered, the Duke of Wellington;' upon which he observed, 'No,

that cannot be, for he is sick.' It seems that his Grace had received a fall from his horse, on the 14th, and was reported to be indisposed in consequence, and Bonaparte had received intelligence to that effect. The conversation continued in this line for a considerable time, during which Bonaparte showed himself perfectly acquainted with the strength and position of the several divisions of the Allied Armies, and the names of their several Commanders. As they were successively mentioned, Bonaparte occasionally remarked, 'Oh! yes, this division cannot be up in time.--This division cannot be up in a day,' and so on.

At three o'clock, some disorders were observed in the rear of Lord Wellington's line, which appeared very near broken. At this time Bonaparte sent off an express to France, exclaiming frequently to the Secretary, Above all, fail not to say that the victory is mine! So confident was Bonaparte of getting to Brussels, that several bales of Proclamations were found among his baggage, dated from Our Palace at Lacken,' a royal residence near that city.

< Proclamation to the Belgians and Inhabitants of the left Bank of the Rhine.

you

for a

The ephemeral success of my enemies detached moment from my Empire; in my exile, upon a rock in the sea, I heard your complaint, the God of battles has decided the fate of your beautiful provinces; Napoleon is among you; you are worthy to be Frenchmen; rise in mass, join my invincible phalanxes to exterminate the remainder of these barbarians, who are your enemies and mine: they fly with rage and despair in their hearts.'

'At the Imperial Palace of Lacken, June 17, 1815.' NAPOLEON.'

'(Signed)

"By the Emperor,'

The Major-General of the Army,'

· COUNT BERTRAND.'

However averse the Belgians in general might be to French domination, there were several prepared to welcome them as conquerors. One nobleman at Brussels, had pre

pared a splendid supper for the Emperor, and a list of eighty other gentlemen were found amongst his baggage, whose houses were to be protected from the soldiery. La Coste says, that he often expressed surprize that the Belgic troops did not come over to him. It is certain that wherever the French encountered them, they called to them, 'Come over to us brave Belgians, and do not fight against your Emperor! He had formed the idea of arming the Belgic peasantry, and a considerable depot of muskets was at Lisle for that purpose.

Bonaparte continued to give his orders with great confidence and animation. He is reported to have said, "These English fight well, but they must give way soon' and asked Soult if he did not think so." Soult said, that he much doubted whether they would ever give way. And why?" said Napoleon with his usual quicknes. Soult replied: 'he believed they would sooner be cut to pieces.' Still Napoleon seemed to entertain the fullest confidence of vic tory, and at six o'clock jocularly observed that they should arrive at Brussels in good time for supper. This boast is not to be ascribed to a want of military foresight, for the Duke of Wellington admitted, that he never had fought so hard for victory, and never from the gallantry of the enemy, had he been so near beaten.'

When Bonaparte perceived Blucher's troops deploying, he pretended to believe that they were Grouchy's corps; and he even caused this false report to be spread through the line. Not that he could himself be so far deceived as to mistake the Prussians, for his own troops, but he concluded that they were closely pursued by Grouchy; and that he should be able to rout the English before they could attack him seriously. Determined therefore to make a great effort, he instantly ordered the reserve of his guard to advance. This formidable column led by Ney, answered the order with a shout of triumph, and followed their beloved chief

with confidence. But when he arrived within 400 yards of the British line, Generals Bertrand and Drouet threw themselves before him, and exclaimed in a pathetic accent 'Ah! Sire, what are you going to do! Consider the safety of France, and of the army, depends entirely upon you, All is lost if any accident should happen to you.' Bona parte yielded with apparent reluctance to their entreaties, and stopping at the bottom of a hillock, smiled and addressed expressions of confidence and encouragement to the corps that passed him. The march of these old warriors was very firm, and there was something solemn in it.--Their appearance was very fierce. A kind of savage silence reigned amongst them; and in their looks there was a mixture of sur prize and discontent, at finding Bonaparte was not at their head.

An in

These terrible warriors being repulsed by warriors still more terrible, rushed back in confusion. Cries of all is lost, the guard is driven back, were heard on every side. universal panic seized the army, which sought safety in stant flight; and as the Prussians had out-flanked the right wing, it is highly probable that many did cry Sauve qui

* Mr. Simpson, who has published some particulars respecting Waterloo, visited the rope walk erected by Bonaparte at Antwerp, which had been converted into an hospital for 1500 wounded French prisoners. Here he learned, and reluctantly confesses, several instances of their phrenetic zeal' for the Emperor. He saw one man who had tossed up his amputated arm in the air with a feeble cry of Vive l' Emperor. Another at the moment of the preparations to take off his leg, declared that there was something he knew of which would cure him on the spot, and save his limb, and the operator's trouble. When asked to explain this strange remark, he said 'a sight of the Emperor! The indispensible amputation did not save him. A singularly wild and almost poetic fancy, was the form in which another bore his tes timony; he was undergoing, with great steadiness, the operation of the extraction of a ball from his side; in the moment of the greatest suffering, he exclaimed an inch deeper and you will find the Emperor! Many others shewed similar acts of heroic devotion, and died with the Emperor's name on their lips.