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unconquerable, their spirits began to droop. Their hero by whom they were commanded, assumed a cheerful tone. In every part of the field, prodigal of his own safety, he animated and encouraged the troops, whilst he concealed his own anxiety with respect to the final issue of the battle. Informed that the fifth division was almost destroyed, and that it could no longer maintain its ground, he said, “I cannot help it, they must keep their ground with myself to the last man. Would to God that night or Blucher was come!" General Delaney, Sir Alexander Gordon, Colonel Ferrier, LieutenantColonel Canning, and Captain Curzon, now closed lives of honourable service by deaths of glory. The disappointment and vexation of Napoleon at the obstinate defence of the British, exceeded all bounds. He observed to the Duke of Dalmatia, "These English are devils. Will they never be beaten? How well they fight: but they must soon give way; do you not think so?" The Duke answered, that "he doubted much whether they would ever give way." "Why?" rejoinNapoleon. They will suffer themselves to be cut to pieces first," was the answer which closed the conversation. French attacks now became more frequent and impetuous.

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At this moment the Prussians, under Bulow, entered the line. Napoleon perceived at once how critical his situation had become, and detached the Count of Labau with the reserve of the right wing and 100 pieces of cannon to repel them: a service which that officer gallantly and successfully performed. Relieved from the immediate pressure of the Prussians, he (Napoleon) formed the imperial guard, the elite of the whole army of France, into a column, led them himself to the edge of a ravine, where he stopped and harangued the troops, who replied to the address by reiterated exclamations of Vive l'Empereur! The advance of this redoubtable body, invincible, but by British troops, was like a torrent sweeping before it, for a short time, all opposition. Their point of attack was the centre of the line, into which they penetrated; but their progress was arrested by the guards, who were stationed in ambush in a hollow way. Immediately behind them was the Duke of

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Wellington, who exclaimed, " Up guards, and at them." The imperial guards paused, but immediately recovering themselves, advanced with great rapidity. At a signal, their artillery filed off to the right and left, and they were on the point of falling on the British with the bayonet, when they were received by two successive vollies, which threw them into confusion: an irresistible charge decided their fate, and with it the last hopes of Napoleon. Vainly did a regiment of sharpshooters protect their flight by a well-timed, but ineffectual attack upon the guards; vainly were attempts made to rally them; they could not be brought within a charging distance. Napoleon, overwhelmed with rage and despair, would himself have led them on to a second attack, but he was dissuaded from the enterprise.

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We now approach the last and decisive scene of this eventful day. The remainder of the Prussian army had at length arrived with Blucher. The French army was outflanked, fatigued, and disheartened by their misfortunes and exertion: they were called to contend with fresh troops, burning to revenge the loss of the battle of Ligny. For some time the combat, become most unequal, was gallantly contested; but the Prussians gained ground. At this moment the Duke of Wellington directed the whole British line, supported by cavalry and infantry, to charge. The shock was tremendous: after a brief opposition, the first French line was broken, the second offered but little resistance; in a moment the French army was plunged into the most frightful confusion. Four squares of the imperial guard, with Napoleon at their head; attempted to cover the retreat, but they were borne away by the torrent. These brave troops, who disdained to surrender, were almost all destroyed. Overwhelmed by the calamity of this irretrievable defeat, Napoleon, finding that he could not rally the fugitives, lost his presence of mind. No point of retreat had been designated: order, subordination, and discipline were no more. The troops who, in the course of the day had shown such heroic bravery, were suddenly transformed into a panic-stricken mob. Artillery, baggage, ammunition, were all abandoned without resistance.

The Prussians undertook the pursuit, which continued for thirty miles during the whole of that distance, but one attempt was made to repel them. Thus terminated the battle of Waterloo, fought between the two greatest commanders of modern times, to decide the destiny of generations yet unborn. The Duke of Wellington had now attained the summit of glory. The splendor of his other brilliant victories was absorbed in the surpassing brightness of this achievement. The vanquisher of Napoleon, at the head of the finest army he had ever conducted into the field, was raised immeasurably above all competition, and all adequate panegyric. What enhances the glory of this victory, is the fact, that many of the foreign troops who were united with the British army were new levies. We have seen the persevering courage, the noble calmness with which, during upwards of seven hours, the British soldiers supported a defensive conflict, under circumstances which would not merely have appalled, but have annihilated an army composed of any other nation; for it is not too much to affirm, that neither the Russians nor Prussians would have maintained that dreadful day. The numbers of each army were nearly equal; the superiority, however, on the side of the French. The loss of the British army (in which number we include the foreigners) was nearly 20,000; that of the French, upwards of 50,000; but it lost its heart, its confidence in itself and its commander.

Buonaparte (says the historian of the battle of Waterloo*) was the first to quit the field of battle, and as he ran the fastest, he reached Genappe at about half past nine. The single street of which this village is composed was so encum

"An historical account of the battles of Ligny, Quatre Bras, and WATERLOO, by W. Mudford, Esq." This most interesting and important work ought to find its way into the libraries of those who wielded the sickle of death in that terrible but glorious harvest which it is intended to commemorate. For minute details, therefore, of the three last great battles, and the merest trifles connected with events, which have conduced to the welfare and pacification of Europe, cannot fail of being regarded with curiosity, we must refer our readers to Mr. M.'s volume, the style and arrangement of which is every way worthy the stupendous facts of which he has undertaken the record.

bered with baggage, cannon, &c. that an hour elapsed before he could effect his inglorious escape, by passing alongside the houses. Having at length got through, he hurried on towards Quatre Bras, often looking back in terror to see whether the Prussians were at his heels. After he had passed Quatre Bras he recovered his courage, and at Gosselies even ventured to dismount, walking the remainder of the road to Charleroi, which he traversed on horseback between two and three o'clock. He did not stop till he reached a meadow called Marcinelle, at the other end of the town. Here a large fire was made, and the imperial runaway partook of some wine with his officers. At a quarter before five o'clock, having taken another guide, to whom he transferred De Coster's horse, he remounted, made a slight bow, and rode off, continuing his expeditious journey to Paris. De Coster's reward was a single napoleon, given him by General Bertraud; and he was left to find his way back on foot. Buonaparte scarcely spoke a word from the moment he commenced his flight, till he reached the meadow of Marcinelle. Many were the wretched expedients he employed to divest himself of the troublesome attachment of his soldiers, whose fidelity he feared might prove a beacon to guide the enemy in their pursuit. "There is the Emperor! Look at the Emperor !" exclaimed his men, as they saw the hero galloping along: a recognition which never failed to quicken his speed. At the gates of Phillipeville he underwent a humiliating examination by the sentinel, who, though the Emperor disclosed himself, refused to let his Majesty pass, till the governor of the place identified the timorous suppliant. When the scattered wreck of his army knew that he had sought refuge in this fortress, they began to form a sort of encampment round it for his defence. The prudent fugitive, however, who dreaded lest their presence should attract his pursuers, contrived to disperse them by a noble stratagem. He sent out some emissaries, who ran towards the camp, exclaiming "The Cossacks! the Cossacks! save yourselves!" This trick was successful, and Napoleon was enabled to outrun his followers."

On the 19th, the British troops began their march towards Paris, by way of Nivelles. The Duke of Wellington, who was in constant correspondence with Louis XVIII., and who justly conceived that his Majesty's presence would have a beneficial influence, invited him to repair to Cambray, whither he accordingly proceeded with his court and troops on the 26th. From this place, two days after his arrival, he issued a proclamation, in which, while he pronounced pardon to the nation, he declared vengeance to the guilty few by whom it had been betrayed. The allied generals, meanwhile, continued their march towards the French capital. The army of Blucher was one day's march before the British, in consequence of the Duke of Wellington being obliged to halt for his pontoons and stores, besides the delay incident upon the capture of Cambray and Peronne. On the 29th, Blucher was in the front of the lines between St. Denis and Vincennes, (which the enemy had repaired, and occupied with their whole disposable force,) and the Duke of Wellington at Orville.

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This was the day on which Buonaparte quitted Paris, never to return. He arrived at the Palais d'Elysée towards the evening of June 20th, accompanied by his brother Jerome, General Drouet, and other officers. Great part of the night was consumed in preparing the bulletin, which announced to the French the extent of their calamities. With 60,000 disciplined troops Napoleon was now to meet the shock of confederated Europe; for at Waterloo he had encountered little more than its advanced guard. It would be absurd to attempt a narration of the altercations and disputes of the two legislative bodies. The majority demanded the abdication of Napoleon, who, unwilling to wait until compulsory measures were proposed, agreed to abdicate the throne of France in favour of his son, (declaring that his own "political life was terminated,") whom he proclaimed under the title of Napoleon II. On the 23d a commission of government was appointed, consisting of five individuals, Fouché, Carnot, Caulincourt, Grenier, and Quinette. The next day, a proclamation announced that plenipotentiaries had set off from

VOL. VI.

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