ment added two hundred thousand pounds to its former munificent grants, in order that a palace, not less magnificent than that of Blenheim, might be erected for the general who surpassed the achievements of Marlborough. On the subject of his merits all parties were unanimous. Mr. Whitbread, who had long been remarkable for his hostility to the Peninsular war, and to the other enterprizes in which Wellington was engaged, observed, after relating an anecdote of his intrepidity:-" Had such a trait been recorded in history as having occurred ten centuries ago, with what emotions of admiration and generous enthusiasm would it be read! To see a commander of his eminence throw himself into a hollow square of infantry, as a secure refuge till the rage and torrent of the attack was past; and that not once only, but twice or thrice in the course of the battle, proved that his confidence was placed not in any particular corps, but in the whole British army. In that mutual confidence lay the power and strength of the troops. The duke of Wellington knew that he was safe, when he thus trusted himself to the fidelity and valour of his men; and they knew and felt that the sacred charge thus confided to them could never be wrested from their hands,"

The following is the eloquent description given by lord Castlereagh of this interesting contest, in his speech on the motion for presenting the thanks of the house of commons to Wellington and his brave associates :

"Never" said he, " among the mighty achievements which have swelled our military renown, since the illustrious duke of Wellington has been placed at the head of our army, has it been my lot to submit to parliament a proposition founded on an event so glorious as that which calls for the expression of our gratitude to-day. It is a triumph of such a character, that, without disparagement to those actions in which his great genius has been formerly displayed, it may be truly affirmed that it never happened, even to him, to confer so great a benefit on his country before. It is an achievement of such high merit, of such pre eminent im portance, as never graced the annals of this or any other country until now and when

considered, not only with a view to the immediate loss inflicted on the enemy, but with reference to the moral effect which it must produce on the war now commenced, and in the issue of which the fate of England, of Europe, and the world, are so closely bound up, it opens before us a prospect so cheering, and so transcendently bright, that no language can do justice to the feelings it must naturally inspire.

There was something in the situation of the hostile armies, which, without detracting from the high merit and military skill of the great commanders who placed the allied force in the position that it occupied, gave the enemy a decided advantage. It had been necessary to distribute the combined armies where sustenance could most conveniently be procured, there to await the arrival of the innumerable forces, by which one simultaneous attempt was to be made to crush the power of the enemy. Ere these forces were collected, the enemy had an awful advantage, and might choose on what part of the scattered troops he would direct his first attack. The duke of Wellington and prince Blucher could not concentrate their forces without leaving a large portion of Belgium exposed.

"It was the evident policy of Buonaparte to attack some point of this extended line before the Russians arrived. Whatever might be the risk of assailing the armies under the duke of Wellington and prince Blucher, it is obvious that if he could bring them into action, before they were supported by the armies advancing to co-operate with them, the chance of success would be greater than that which would remain to him after they had actually got up. Buonaparte considered this, and formed his resolve with all that judgment and decision of character which belonged to him, when he determined on the forward movement which terminated so gloriously for the British and their allies. He advanced with the flower of the French army, brought together from all parts of Europe, where they had been prisoners, and concentrated for this desperate attack. They were in a high state of organization before the return of Buonaparte to France; and since his restoration to power, every care and preparation has been accumulated upon them Kk

to add to their efficiency. To this was opposed a young and green army, the greater part of which had never been in action before; an army, composed of different nations, and therefore more difficult to manage; and an army far inferior in numbers to the French. Yet for nine hours did it repulse all the attacks made by the French army, directed by Buonaparte in person. The powerful and often repeated efforts directed against it wholly failed. During the whole of the day, the British stood immoveable, nor was there any species of heroism, or of military science, which could adorn a field of battle, which was not here displayed by the duke of Wellington.

"He owed much to the illustrious war- riors of Prussia. Had they not done as they did, the British commander, consistently with those military principles by which his conduct is regulated, could never have acted on the offensive. Had they not shewn themselves as they had done, to ensure complete success if the attack made any impression, and to prevent disaster if it failed, the duke of Wellington would not have been able to take that course which the energy of his mind prompted, and which was encouraged by the example of his person. It is painful to reflect that that invaluable life was exposed to more danger in this action than that of the meanest soldier. The common soldier had only his local duties to perform, but the duke of Wellington was every where in the heat of the action, and every where in the presence of danger.

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Having remained on the defensive for nine hours, the moment at length arrived, when he saw there was a prospect of acting on the offensive with success. He then ordered the line to advance. The shock was irresistible. The French could not resist our attacks as we had resisted theirs. Their ranks were broken. Their first line was thrown into disorder on the second, and they soon betook themselves to flight, in the greatest confusion. What the final result may be I cannot presume to predict, but it is glorious to reflect, that the duke of Wellington was enabled, at the close of a

day in which he had obtained a most splendid victory, to hand over the pursuit to the Prussian army, which, compared with the English or the French army, was fresh, and ready to receive the charge."

It must, however, be acknowledged, that the plan of Buonaparte, though completely frustrated, was not unwise, for if he could not beat the forces under the duke of Wellington and prince Blucher, while they were unsupported, he could have no hope of finding a more favourable opportunity, when the allied armies had reached the frontiers. But, defeated by the gallantry and military skill opposed to him, he was now thrown back upon France, and new strength was added to the confederated powers.

The following is a list of the duke of Wellington's European victories :Roleia....... Vimiera...... Corunna......

Aug. 17, 1808. Aug. 21,

Jan. 16, 1809.

May 12,

July 27,

Sept. 27, 1810. Oct. 7, March 5, 1811.

THE ENGLISH ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLES IN FLANDERS.

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Waterloo June 19th, 1815.

MY LORD,-Buonaparte having collected the first, second, third, fourth, and sixth corps of the French army, and the imperial guards, and nearly all the cavalry, on the Sambre, and between that river and the Meuse, between the 10th and 14th of the month, advanced on the 15th and attacked the Prussian posts at Thuin and Lobez on the Sambre, at day-light in the morning.

I did not hear of these events till the evening of the 15th, and I immediately or dered the troops to prepare to march; and afterwards to march to their left, as soon as I had intelligence from other quarters to prove that the enemy's movement upon Charleroi was the real attack.

The enemy drove the Prussian posts from the Sambre on that day; and general Ziethen, who commanded the corps which had been at Charleroi, retired upon Fleurus; and marshal prince Blucher concentrated the Prussian army upon Sombref, holding the villages of St. Amand and Ligny in front of his position.

The enemy continued his march along the road from Charleroi towards Bruxelles,

and on the same evening, the 15th, attacked a brigade of the army of the Netherlands, under the prince de Weimar, posted at Frasne, and forced it back to the farm-house on the same road, called Les Quatre Bras.

The prince of Orange immediately reinforced this brigade with another of the same division, under general Perponcher, and in the morning early regained part of the ground which had been lost, so as to have the command of the communication leading from Nivelles and Bruxelles, with marshal Blucher's position.

In the meantime, I had directed the whole army to march upon Les Quatre Bras, and the fifth division, under lieutenant-gen. sir Thomas Picton, arrived at about half-past two in the day, followed by the corps of troops under the duke of Brunswick, and afterwards by the contingent of Nassau.

At this time the enemy commenced an attack upon Prince Blucher with his whole force, excepting the first and second corps; and a corps of cavalry under general Kellerman, with which he attacked our post at Les Quatre Bras.

The Prussian army maintained their position with their usual gallantry and perseverance, against a great disparity of numbers, as the fourth corps of their army, under

ge.

neral Bulow, had not joined, and I was not able to assist them as I wished, as I was attacked myself, and the troops, the cavalry in particular, which had a long distance to march, had not arrived.

We maintained our position also, and completely defeated and repulsed all the enemy's attempts to get possession of it. The enemy repeatedly attacked us with a large body of infantry and cavalry, supported by a numerous and powerful artillery; he made several charges with the cavalry upon our infantry, but all were repulsed in the steadiest manner. In this affair, his royal highness the prince of Orange, the duke of Brunswick, and lieutenant-general sir Thomas Picton, and majorgeneral sir James Kempt, and sir Denis Pack, who were engaged from the commencement of the enemy's attack, highly distinguished themselves, as well as lieutenant-gen. Charles Baron Alten, major-general sir C. Halket, lieutenant-general Cook, and major-generals Maitland and Byng, as they successively arrived. The troops of the fifth division, and those of the Brunswick corps, were long and severely engaged, and conducted themselves with the utmost gallantry. I must particularly mention the twenty-eighth, forty-second, seventy-ninth, and ninety-second regiments, and the battalion of Hanoverians.

Our loss was great, as your lordship will perceive by the inclosed return; and I have particularly to regret his serene highness the duke of Brunswick, who fell, fighting gallantly, at the head of his troops.

Although marshal Blucher had maintained his position at Sombref, he still found himself much weakened by the severity of the contest in which he had been engaged, and, as the fourth corps had not arrived, he determined to fall back, and concentrate his army upon Wavre; and he marched in the night after the action was over.

This movement of the marshal's rendered necessary a corresponding one on my part; and I retired from the farm of Quatre Bras upon Genappe, and thence upon Waterloo, the next morning, the 17th, at ten o'clock.

The enemy made no effort to pursue marshal Blucher. On the contrary, a patrole which I sent to Sombref in the morning, found all quiet, and the enemy's videttes fell

back as the patrole advanced. Neither did he attempt to molest our march to the rear, although made in the middle of the day, excepting by following, with a large body of cavalry brought from his right, the cavalry under the earl of Uxbridge.

This gave lord Uxbridge an opportunity of charging them with the first life guards, upon their debouche from the village of Genappe, upon which occasion his lordship has declared himself to be well satisfied with that regiment.

The position which I took up, in front of Waterloo, crossed the high roads from Charleroi and Nivelles, and had its right thrown back to a ravine near Merke Braine, which was occupied; and its left extended to a height above the hamlet Ter-la-Haye, which was likewise occupied. In front of the right centre, and near the Nivelles road, we occupied the house and garden of Hougoumont, which covered the return of that flank; and, in front of the left centre, we occupied the farm of La Haye Sainte. By our left we communicated with marshal prince Blucher, at Wavre, through Ohain, and the marshal had promised me that in case we should be attacked he would support me with one or more corps, as might be neces

sary.

The enemy collected his army, with the exception of the third corps, which had been sent to observe marshal Blucher, on a range of heights in our front, in the course of the night of the 17th, and yesterday morning; and at about ten o'clock he commenced a furious attack upon our post at Hougoumont. I had occupied that post with a detachment from general Byng's brigade of guards, which was in position in its rear; and it was for some time under the command of lieutenantcolonel Macdonald, and afterwards of colonel Home; and I am happy to add, that it was maintained throughout the day with the utmost gallantry by these brave troops, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of large bodies of the enemy to obtain possession

of it.

This attack upon the right of our centre was accompanied by a very heavy cannonade upon our whole line, which was destined to support the repeated attacks of cavalry and