166 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



up too late for Ligny, was massed upon Wavre by the next after- 

 noon after their defeat at Ligny. Their retreat was not only not 

 harassed by the French, but its very line was unknown to them. 

 That it was so was a cardinal error which led directly and con- 

 clusively to Napoleon's overthrow. The more the campaign is 

 studied, the more it appears that all other mistakes on both sides ai'e 

 dwarfed before this one. On Napoleon's side, Ney's inaction, 

 D'Erlon's countei'march, were almost compensated for at the end of 

 the 16th. On Wellington's part, his want of penetration was made 

 up for by the intelligent disobedience of General Perponcher, and the 

 stubborn courage of the British infantry. This error was so serious 

 that its consequences are plainly visible in the grand catastrophe. 

 We are quite unable to account for Napoleon's course of action. 

 We have seen him mass his troops on the 14th, cross the Sambre on 

 the 15th, fight Ligny, and urge on Ney at Quatre Bras on the 16th. 

 We have seen him recognize instinctively the true situation of the 

 Anglo-allied force, and with superior calmness quiet Ney's hesitation. 

 We have seen him hurl at the Prussian army his old guard, a thunder- 

 bolt which laid it prostrate. Up to this point he may be said to have 

 been quite successful enough to satisfy the demands of his proposed 

 campaign, although not so completely successful as his plans deserved. 

 Why did he not press his advantage l There is a mournful interest 

 in contemplating him. We see pass before him his former glories. 

 The Bridge at Lodi, the Pyramids, Austerlitz, Marengo. We hear 

 the chant of the MarseilLiise as they lead the van of the avenging 

 people. We see a cruel system of desj)otic bondage torn away, 

 a wakening of the fresh young life of freedom. The brave soldiers, 

 whose bodies lie scattered in far distant tields, come before us in 

 spirit. We see them approach their chief as he lies asleep, and with 

 mute gesture attempt to rouse and save him from his coming fate, 

 then pass away with dumb anguish as they perceive his lethargy. 

 Brave children of France ! Your zeal for liberty ofttimes outran 

 discretion. You were guilty of many crimes, many follies, but you 

 were faithful to the flag under which you fought, and to the general 

 who led you to triumph. You came in spirit from your graves to 

 congratulate him on his last victory and vainly to warn him of his 

 coming defeat. There is no picture in his history so painful to our 

 mind as the one we contemplate. The mighty emperor, surrounded 

 by his victorious army, justly {)roud of themselves and him, flushed 



