28 BRITANNY AND THE CHASE. 



that is said of battles with the English. Indeed, they now 

 and then praise the bravery of the former ; but as to the 

 latter, even when they are victorious they will oiot give 

 them the palm. It is evident where the shoe'pinches. As 

 to Waterloo, they cannnot deny the fact ; but what then, — 

 *' We were beaten, but not by the English ; it was the 

 Prussians that did it. Besides, were you not 160,000 

 against 60,000, and four nations against one — Prussians, 

 Germans, Belgians, and English ? who could stand against 

 that ? As for you English, all the world knows that you 

 were dead beaten by four o'clock in the day, and Wellington 

 preparing to retreat." But, as an old naval friend once 

 said, the only retreat he made was upon Paris. I have a 

 detailed and authorised account of the battle by Yalaubelle 

 (Paris, 1845), where these facts are enlarged upon and 

 others added for variety, as the preface states that the 

 truth had not been yet declared on the subject. It gives 

 the number of the French as 65,000 with a small artillery, 

 against 160,000 with a full park of guns, but complacently 

 states that Wellington had chosen such a had position as, in 

 some degree, to neutralise the diiference in force. Having 

 a wood in his rear is the chief part of this '^ faute liorrihle''^ 

 of Wellington ; but it has always struck me as a great 

 excellence, as in case of a defeat it rendered pursuit by the 

 enemy's cavalry impossible, and w^ould give time to the 

 scattered troops to rally. Besides, a great wood is like a 

 fortress ^or defence. Hdugoumont is stated to have been 

 carried by assault at two o'clock, and the style is truly 

 Napoleon's. They come to him to report that the English 

 resist well. He says " Bon ! " and reflects a minute ; 



