A TEEXCII PICTURE OF AVATEKLOO. 29 



then taking up a map, and pointing to a certain spot, 

 adds, " Qu'on y prenne du canon et huit obusicrs, et 

 que tout cela finisse ;" or (as if he were an enchanter), 

 " Place cannon and eiglit howitzers ilierCf and finish all 

 this ; " and, adds Valaubelle, " In half-an-hour after this our 

 infantry drove out the English, and were established in the 

 position." Every well-informed man knows that this is a 

 flat falsehood, as Hougoumont was never taken, but remained 

 in our possession to the end of the fight. But the book 

 goes on : '• At two o'clock, the first line of the Engllsli being 

 overthrown, and many regiments of infantry being in full 

 retreat on the Brussels road, Wellington saw the necessity 

 of doincp somethino; strona;, and ordered some dragoons to 

 charge the French infantry. A distribution of brandy was 

 made to these dragoons, and the curbs of the bridles taken 

 away. The dragoons rush on, and all necessarily gives 

 way to the furious shock of these horses, whose half- 

 drunken riders could no longer direct their course; but the 

 confusion in the French ranks was soon restored," &c. &c. 

 And this is the new version of the splendid charge of our 

 heavy brigade, which captured two standards and made 

 2000 men prisoners ! The idea of taking off the curbs- 

 and making the men drunk is quite French. But (as 

 pursues the book) the fight waxes warmer and we get 

 worse and ivorser; six standards taken from us (query, from 

 what regiments ?) are presented in due form to tlie Em- 

 peror, and all are impatient for the magic touch which is 

 to finish the work. The Duke's iron face begins to melt like 

 butter; he is '' visiblement alarme.^'' The English artillery- 

 men grow funky, and run for shelter into the squares ; the 



