had continued five hours since the last accounts came away. The anxiety to know the result of the battle may be imagined.

Between twelve and one, we suddenly heard the noise of the rapid rolling of heavy carriages, in long succession, passing through the Place Royale, mingled with the loud cries and exclamations of the people below. For some minutes we listened in silence, faster and faster, and louder and louder, the long train of artillery continued to roll through the town; the cries of the affrighted people increased. In some alarm we hastily ran out to inquire the cause of this tumult: the first person we encountered was a scared Fille-de-chambre, who exclaimed in a most piteous tone`

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les François sont tout près-dans une

petite demi-heure ils seront ici

nous!

Que ferons-nous, que ferons

il faut

partir tout de suite." Questions were in vain-she could only reiterate again and again,-" Les François sont tout près-Les François sont tout près," and then renew her exclamations and lamentations. As we flew down stairs, the house seemed deserted, every room door was open-the candles were left burning on the tables-every body had run out into the Place Royale, and the solitude and silence which reigned within, formed a fearful contrast to the increasing tumult without. At the bottom of the stairs, a group of affrighted Belgians were assembled consternation picture on their faces. They could only tell us that intelligence had been brought, of a large body of French having been seen advancing

through the woods to take Brussels, that they were within half an hour's march of the city, (which was wholly undefended), and that the English army was in full retreat. "C'est trop vrai-c'est trop vrai, was repeated on every side," and the train of artillery that was passing through (they said) was retreating!" We had soon, however, the satisfaction of being assured that the artillery were passing through to join the army, that they were not retreating, but advancing; and finding that the report of the French being within half an hour's march of the city, rested only on the authority of some Belgians, our alarm gradually subsided-some people indeed took their departure-but as the French did not make their appearance, some went to bed, and others lay down in their clothes, by no means assured that their slumbers might not be broken by the entrance of the French.

In fact between five and six, we were roused by a loud knocking at the door, and the cries of "Les François sont ici-Les François sont ici." Starting up, the first sight we beheld, was a troop of Belgic cavalry-covered-not with glory, but with mud,* galloping through the town at full speed, as if the enemy were at their heels; and immediately the heavy baggage waggons, which had been harnessed from the moment of the first alarm, set off full gallop down La Montague de la Cour, and through every street by which it was possible to effect their escape. In less than two minutes, the great Square of the Place Royale, which had been crowded with men and horses, carts and baggage waggons, was com

* L'Oracle de Bruxelles said, that the Belgic troops had "covered themselves with glory."

pletely cleared of every thing, and entirely deserted. Again were the cries repeated, of "Les François sont ici! Ils s'emparent de la porte de la ville!" The doors of all the bed-rooms were thrown open, the people flew out with their night-caps on, scarcely half dressed, and looking quite distracted, running about pale and trembling they knew not whither, with packages under their arms—some carrying huge heterogeneous collections of things down to the cellars, and others loaded with their property flying up to the garrets. The poor Fille-de-chambre, nearly frightened out of her wits, was standing wringing her hands, unable to articulate any thing but " Les François-Les François!-while the Cuisiniere exclaimed with more dignity, "Nous sommes tous perdus."

In the Court-yard below, a scene of the most dreadful confusion ensued; description can give but a faint idea of the scuffle that took place to get at the horses and carriages; the squabbling of masters and servants, ostlers, chambermaids, coachmen, and gentlemen, all scolding at once, and swearing in French, English, and Flemish; while every opprobrious epithet and figure of speech which the three languages contained were exhausted upon each other, and the confusion of tongues could scarcely have been exceeded by that of the Tower of Babel. made use of supplication, and others had recourse to force; words were followed by blows. One half of the Belgic drivers refused either to go themselves, or let their beasts go, and with many gesticulations called upon all the saints and angels in heaven to witness, that they would not set out-no, not to save the Prince of Orange himself; and neither love nor

Some

money, nor threats, nor intreaties, could induce them to alter this determination. Those who had horses, or means of procuring them, set off with most astonishing expedition, and one English carriage after another took the road to Antwerp.

It was impossible for the people at Brussels, who were wholly ignorant of the event of the battle, and acquainted only with the disadvantageous circumstances under which it had been fought, not to fear that the Enemy might at last have succeeded in breaking through the British, or at least the Prussian lines, or that Buonaparté, ever fertile in expedients, might have contrived to elude their vigilance, and to send a detachment under cover of night, by a circuitous route, to seize the unguarded city, the possession of which was to him of the highest importance. The news of the advance of the French-the alarming reports which had been brought in from all quarters during the night-the flight of the Belgic troops, and above all, the failure of any intelligence from our own army, tended to corroborate this last alarm, and it seemed but too certain that the Enemy were actually at hand. At length after a considerable interval of terror and suspense, an Aid-de-camp of the Duke of Wellington arrived, who had left the army at four o'clock, and, to our unspeakable joy, this was found to be a false alarm. It had been spread by those dastardly Belgians whom we had seen scampering through the town, and who had, it is supposed, met with some straggling party of the Enemy. It was also said, that a foraging party of French had come bravadoing to the gates of the city, summoning it to surrender. A considerable number of French, in

deed, entered the town soon after; but they were French prisoners.* The Duke's Aid-de-camp brought the welcome information, that the British army, though attacked by such a tremendous superiority of numbers, and under every possible disadvantage, had completely repulsed the Enemy, and remained masters of the field of battle. The The cavalry, or at least a considerable part of them, had come up at the close of the action, but too late to take any part in it: thus our infantry had sustained, during the whole of the day, the attack of the enemy's cavalry as well as infantry.

The Duke expected that the attack would be renewed this morning; but the army was now collected, and joined both by the cavalry and artillery, and a more decisive engagement might be expected. The loss of the Enemy in killed, wounded, and prisoners had been great. The defeat which the Prussians had sustained could not, however, be concealed,† and the Belgians were filled with consternation and dismay. The corpse of the Duke of Brunswick had passed through Brussels during the night, and his fate seemed to make a great impression upon the minds of the people. Waggons filled with the wounded

The French themselves acknowledged their loss was nearly equal to ours ; heavy as ours was, theirs was much more severe. Generals Dumoulin and Ambaceres, Aides-de-Camp to Buonaparte, arrived at Brussels as prisoners, 17th in the morning. Editor.

The war took a most ferocious character between the French and Prussians from the very beginning. Before the opening of the campaign, the 1st and 2nd corps of the French had hoisted the black flag. They openly avowed, that they would give no quarter to the Prussians, and in general they kept their word. The Prussian loss, in all the affairs together, is calculated at 33,120 men. E.

In the spirit of the days of Chivalry, the Duke of Brunswick had taken a solemn oath that he would never sheath the sword, till he had avenged the insult offered to the tomb of his father. It is to be lamented, that he should have