attack. He had still, however, the four battalions of the Old Guard in reserve. Lord Wellington immediately ordered the whole line to advance to attack their position. The enemy were already attempting a retreat. These battalions formed a square to cover the retreat of the flying columns, flanked by a few guns, and supported by some light cavalry (red lancers).

The first Prussian corps had now joined our extreme left. They had obtained possession of the village of La Haye, driving out the French light troops who occupied it. Bulow, with the fourth corps, had some time previous to this made an unsuccessful attack upon the village of Planchenot, in the rear of the enemy's right wing, and being joined by the second corps (Pirch's), was again advancing to attack it. In the mean time, the square of the Old Guard maintained itself, the guns on its flank firing upon our light cavalry, who now advanced, and threatened to turn their flank. Our light troops were close on their front, and our whole line advancing, when this body, the 'élite,' and now the only hope of the enemy to cover their retreat, and save their army, gave way, and mixed in the general confusion and rout, abandoning their cannon and all their materiel. It was now nearly dark. Bulow, upon being joined by Pirch's corps, again attacked Planchenot, which he turned; and then the enemy abandoned it. He immediately advanced towards the Genappe chaussée, and closed round the right of the French, driving the enemy before him, and augmenting their confusion, His troops came into the high-road, or chaussée, near Maison du Roi, and Blucher and Wellington having met about the same time near La Belle Alliance, it was resolved to pursue the enemy, and give him no time to rally.

The Prussians, who had made only a short march during the day, pursued the enemy with such vigour, that they were unable to rally a single battalion. The British army halted on the field of battle. The French once attempted to make a show of resistance at Genappe, where, perhaps, if they had had a chief to direct them, they might have maintained themselves until daylight, the situation of the village being strong; this might have given them the means of saving at least the semblance of an army. The second Prussian corps was afterwards

detached to intercept Grouchy, who was not aware of the result of the battle until twelve o'clock next day. He had succeeded in obtaining some advantage over General Thielmann, and got possession of Wavre. He immediately retreated towards Namur, where his rearguard maintained themselves against all the efforts of the Prussians, who suffered severely in their attempt to take the place. This served to cover his retreat, which he executed with great ability, keeping in a parallel line to Blucher; and having rallied many of the fugitives, he brought his army without loss to Paris. He had been considered as lost, and his army made prisoners; this belief was a great cause of the resignation of Bonaparte; otherwise, with this army he could have mustered 70,000 or 80,000 men; with the fortifications and resources of Paris, which was sufficiently secure against a coup-de-main, it is not likely he would have so easily submitted without another struggle, after the brilliant defensive campaign he had made the preceding year. There are always some turns of fortune in the events of war; he might at least have made terms. That army, and a great part of the population, would still have been glad to make sacrifices to endeavour to re-establish the sullied lustre of his arms. At least the honour of falling sword in hand was in his power.

The time of the arrival and co-operation of the Prus sians has been variously stated. The above account is perhaps as near the truth as can be. The French writers make it at an early hour, to account more satisfactorily for their defeat. The Prussians also make it somewhat earlier than was actually the case, in order to participate more largely in the honours of the day. Their powerful assistance has been acknowledged to its full extent. They completed the destruction of the French army, after they had failed in all their attacks against the British, which continued upwards of seven hours; after their cavalry had been destroyed, their Imperial Guards driven back, and eagles and prisoners taken, and when their means of farther attack may be considered as exhausted. The British army had suffered severely, and was not in a state to have taken great advantage of the retreat of the French. But its safety was never for a moment compromised, and no calculation could justify the idea that we would have been so easily de

feated and driven from our position, but that the enemy would have been so much crippled, that he could not have taken much advantage of our reverses. Even in such a case the arrival of the Prussians must have obliged him to have retired.

This short campaign of 'Hours' was a joint operation. The honours must be shared. On the 16th, the Prussians fought at Ligny under the promise of our co-operation, which could not, however, be given to the extent it was wished or hoped. On the 18th, Lord Wellington fought at Waterloo, on the promise of the early assistance of the Prussians, which, though unavoidably delayed, was at last given with an effect, which perhaps had never before been witnessed. The finest army France ever saw, commanded by the greatest and ablest of her chiefs, ceased to exist, and in a moment the destiny of Europe was changed.

CHAP. LI.*

The Consequences of the Battle of Waterloo-the Chambers meet, and indicate a wish that Napoleon should abdicate-he abdicates a second Time-repairs to Malmaison; and thence to Rochefort-surrenders to Captain Maitland-arrives at Torbay Decision of the English Government-sails for St. HelenaNapoleon at St. Helena—his Mode of Life-his Death -his Funeral.

THE immediate consequences of the battle of Waterloo were the total loss of the campaign, and the entire destruction of the finest, though not the most numerous, army which Napoleon had ever commanded. That portion of the army which escaped from the field fled in the greatest confusion towards the frontiers of France, and was not re-assembled until it had reached Laon.

Napoleon himself continued his flight until he reached Philipville, and at this point he intended to have placed himself at the head of Grouchy's division, but a report became current that this division also had been destroyed, and that the general was made prisoner. These reports led him to abandon his purpose, and to continue his journey to Paris, whither he carried the news of his own defeat.

On the 19th, the capital had been greeted with the news of three great victories, at Charleroi, at Ligny, and at Quatre-bras; but on the 21st, the third day after the fatal action, it was whispered, and then openly said, that Napoleon had returned alone from the army on the preceding night, and was now at the palace of the Bourbon-Elysée. The fatal truth could not long be concealed -that a great battle had been fought, and that the French army was destroyed.

The two chambers hastily assembled, and passed a series of resolutions; the first, declared the state to be in danger; the second, their sittings to be permanent; the

The whole of this chapter has been added to continue the narrative from the battle of Waterloo to the death of Napoleon; as M. de Bourrienne has not offered any observations connected with that interesting period. The facts are principally taken from the life by Sir Walter Scott.

third, that the troops had deserved well of their country; the fourth, that the national guard should be called out; and the fifth, that the ministers be invited to repair to the assembly. These propositions intimated the fears of the Chamber of Representatives, lest they should be again dissolved by an armed force, and at the same time announced their intention to place themselves at the head of public affairs, without farther respect to the emperor. The resolutions were all adopted, except the fourth, which was considered premature.

The chamber formed itself into a secret committee, before which the ministers laid the full extent of the disaster, and announced that the emperor had named Caulincourt, Fouché, and Carnot, as commissioners to treat of peace with the Allies. The ministers were bluntly reminded by the republican members that they had no basis upon which they could found any negotiations, as the Allies had declared war against Napoleon, and that he alone was the sole obstacle betwixt the nation and peace. All seemed to unite in one sentiment, that the abdication of Napoleon was a measure absolutely necessary; and a committee of five members was appointed to concert measures with ministers. The Chamber of Peers adopted the three first resolutions of the lower chamber, and named a committee of public safety.

It was now evident that Napoleon must either declare himself absolute and dissolve the chambers by violence, or abdicate the authority he had so lately resumed. His brother Lucien recommended him to dissolve the chambers as he had formerly done on the 19th Brumaire ; but times were now very much changed, and he could neither bring himself to adopt desperate measures, nor to make an apparently voluntary resignation. On the evening of the 21st of June, he held a council to which the presidents and vice-presidents of both chambers were admitted, and after an angry discussion, in which his abdication was stated as necessary, the meeting broke up without coming to any decision.

On the morning of the 22d of June, only four days after the defeat at Waterloo, the Chamber of Representatives again assembled, and expressed the utmost impatience to receive the act of abdication. They were about to put it to the vote, that it should be demanded