Urging his masses on the farm of La Haye Sainte, his sanguine temper suggested that he should pierce the British line at its centre, and so cut off its retreat from Brussels! This was no blind presumption; for the Prussians were not yet heard of. The brave German Legion occupied the farm, but after doing their utmost to defend it, even to the death, were deprived of this stronghold. Then it was that Napoleon despatched from the field a courier to Paris with the news that victory was no longer doubtful. A few hours after he had no longer any army left!

Eager to improve what he had gained by the capture of La Haye, and hoping to end the business, which had then lasted incessantly for upwards of five hours, he brought down his powerful cavalry upon the centre of the allies; presently after thick columns of infantry approached-the obvious intention being to force the very point held by Wellington and his staff, and to carry the farm and village of Mont St. Jean. The duke, aware of the danger, led several charges in person, encouraged the soldiers by his presence and exhortations, placed himself repeatedly in the middle of several squares when they appeared to waver, and thus not only gave a check to the rash onset, but drove the enemy from the position they had gained, and recovered the farm of La Haye. To secure this, however, and other advantages, he had employed all his reserves, while the French reserves were all waiting to be called into action; and our great commander, however cool and intrepid, could not conceal from himself or from his staff, that, to ensure a successful result of that arduous day, the Prussian troops must arrive-and so indeed they did. At half-past six o'clock, Bonaparte first heard that they were advancing. "Psha!" he exclaimed, "it is Grouchy ;" and this deception he circulated through the ranks. But, no! it was Bulow's army, faithfully guided by a peasant, marching full upon the enemy's flank; and Grouchy, who had been sent to keep the Prussians in check, was afar off. Napoleon, however, continued to make his hostile move

ments with great and rapid, though not lasting, effect. His final resort had yet to be tried-his own Imperial Invincible Guard were formed into two columns. They fondly imagined that their master would charge at their head; but they had to pass before him; and giving him a last expressive look, they were, many of them, led to their duty and their doom under the command of Ney.

The effect of that tremendous charge was like the lightningshock. It carried all before it; and once more, in this strange and eventful battle, the victory was, to all appearance, Napoleon's. But “the English,” to use an expression of his own which conveyed an unintended compliment, “do not know when they are beaten.” In a hollow ground, immediately in front of the French, and protected from the fire of their artillery, lay a regiment of British Foot Guards. The Duke of Wellington was close behind them. The Imperial Guard approached within a hundred yards; when the duke suddenly gave orders to the Guards to advance, and placed himself at their head. All was soon confusion in the French army, who, from being assailants, became fugitives. The British found it their turn to attack. Justly elated at the welcome advance of the Prussians, they did not fear pushing their columns too far; while the vanquished leader of the enemy, with a face of horror, exclaiming that all was lost, was in an instant on the gallop for Charleroi; and the crowds who remained alive, and who had entered the field under his auspices in the morning, full of high hopes of victory, were now heard to utter that natural but degrading cry, Sauve qui peut (Escape who can!)

The accidental meeting of Wellington and Blucher, after the victory, took place at the farm of La Belle Alliance, so called from this circumstance. The former proposed to pursue the retreating remnant of the French army : he did so; and in this pursuit it is to be regretted that no quarter was shown by the Prussians. The miseries of war had been sufficiently dreadful, without further aggravation on the part of the strong

against the weak. We will not pursue this subject, lest it should lead us into too painful reflections, when our purpose was to furnish facts. We will therefore conclude our memoir in the words of one of the heroes of Waterloo, which he used on the occasion of receiving the thanks of the House of Commons. Of the Duke of Wellington Sir Henry Clinton said " By his constant vigilance, his undaunted firmness, and the exertion of the greatest intrepidity and perseverance, he was able, throughout the well-contested day, to defeat every effort of a powerful and enterprising enemy, and ultimately to gain that victory by which he restored peace to Europe, and increased, to the impossibility of our ever acquitting it, his country's debt of gratitude."

THE PARTING OF HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE.

Pope.

pre-sa-ging...foreboding, fore- | tri-umph'-ant

knowing of evil

me'-ni-al

..of servants pen'-sive...wrapped in thought blame'-less ..virtuous, free from harm or guilt de-ject-ed...cast down, subdued and mournful la-boured .....heaved and sank de-creed' ...appointed, marked

..victorious,

supreme in battle trans-cends' ...outdoes, eclipses fra'-grant...perfumed, sweetly smelling

chas-tised' ...tempered, turned into sorrow

com-pas-sion ...sorrow, tender feeling

pur-sued...continued, resumed his speech

an'-te-date.

..fix at an earlier

..increases in

shining

in-dulged'

.gave vent to

.offered up

..heavenly

this case, of grief)

mon-u-ment'-al...heaped up as a record of his place of burial il-lus'-tri-ous.renowned, famous

scared .....frightened, alarmed

daz-zling...brilliantly polished

glit'-ter ing

pre-ferred

e-the'-re-al

pro-phet'-ic ...foreboding,

foreseeing the future

in-fec'-tion.........contagion (in

Hector now passed, with sad presaging heart,
To seek his spouse, his soul's far dearer part.
At home he sought her, but he sought in vain ;
She, with one maid of all her menial train,
Had thence retired; and, with her second joy,
The young Astyanax, the hope of Troy,
Pensive she stood on Ilion's towery height,
Beheld the war, and sickened at the sight :
There her sad eyes in vain her lord explore,
Or weep the wounds her weeping country bore.

Hector, this heard, returned without delay;
Swift through the town he took his former way,
Through streets of palaces and walks of state,
And met the mourner at the Scæan gate.
With haste to meet him sprung the joyful fair,
His blameless wife, Aëtion's wealthy heir.
The nurse stood near, in whose embraces prest,
His only hope hung smiling at her breast ;
Whom each soft charm and early grace adorn,
Fair as the new-born star that gilds the morn.
Silent, the warrior smiled; and, pleased, resigned
To tender passions all his mighty mind.
His beauteous princess cast a mournful look,
Hung on his hand, and then, dejected, spoke ;
Her bosom laboured with a boding sigh,
And the big tear stood trembling in her eye.

In answer to Andromache's remonstrances and fears for his safety Hector replies:

"Still foremost let me stand, to guard the throne,
To save my father's honours and my own !—
Yet come it will, the day decreed by fates,

(How my heart trembles while my tongue relates!)
The day when thou, imperial Troy ! must bend,
Must see thy warriors fall, thy glories end.
And yet no dire presage so wounds my mind,

My mother's death, the ruin of my kind,
Not Priam's hoary hairs defiled with gore,
Not all my brothers gasping on the shore,
As thine, Andromache !-Thy griefs I dread !
I see thee trembling, weeping, captive led,
In Argive looms our battles to design,

And woes of which so large a part was thine :
There, while you groan beneath the load of life,
They cry-Behold the mighty Hector's wife!'
Some haughty Greek, who lives thy tears to see,
Embitters all thy woes by naming me.

The thoughts of glory past, and present shame,
A thousand griefs shall waken at the name !
May I lie cold before that dreadful day,
Pressed with a load of monumental clay !
Thy Hector, wrapt in everlasting sleep,
Shall neither hear thee sigh nor see thee weep."

Thus having spoke, the illustrious chief of Troy
Stretched his fond arms to clasp the lovely boy.
The babe clung, crying, to his nurse's breast,
Scared with the dazzling helm and nodding crest.
With secret pleasure each fond parent smiled,
And Hector hastened to relieve his child;
The glittering terrors from his brows unbound,
And placed the beaming helmet on the ground;
Then kissed the child; and, lifting high in air,
Thus to the gods preferred a parent's prayer:

"O Thou, whose glory fills the ethereal throne, And all ye deathless powers, protect my son! Grant him, like me, to purchase just renown, To guard the Trojans, to defend the crown, Against his country's foes the war to wage, And rise the Hector of the future age! So when, triumphant from successful toils, Of heroes slain he bears the reeking spoils,