30 BPvITANNY AND THE CHASE. 



cavaliy (drunk and sober) are destroyed ; the infantry 

 broken and in disorder. The moment for the coup de grace 

 is come, and, on the signal of the Emperor, Ney advances 

 sword in hand at the head of his cohmm. It reaches the 

 foot of the hill under a shower of balls, and Ney, vexed by 

 the pepper, directs a regiment to carry the guns with the 

 bayonet : it is done ; the line of squares is broken and 

 three annihilated (query, which ?) ; the ground groans under 

 the dead and dying ; all is over with the English, - — when 

 Sacre I Diable ! down drop from the clouds the Prussians ! 

 Never were uninvited guests at a select party so unwelcome. 

 So sudden is their appearance, that the French take them 

 for friends, and are about to " donner la main " to them, 

 when instead of civility they receive a volley. This 

 unkind reception is so entirely " impi^evu" that the French 

 think themselves betrayed, and retire in disorder. Ney's 

 column, not having quite enough to do at this moment, 

 begins to look about, hesitates, halts, and stares at the 

 Prussians. Other columns do the same, and old Blucher 

 becomes the very Medusa of the field. Then Wellington 

 makes an effort and plucks up again, by some conjuring at 

 once recovers his destroyed cavalry and his captured ar- 

 tillery, brings into line his runaway infantry, and moves 

 slowly down on the French, pushing them back ; not by 

 hard fighting or superior valour — nothing of the kind, but 

 simply because he happens to be coming dozoji hill, and so 

 (as the book says) " par le seal effet du poids " the French 

 are obliged to " move off," in good fellowship as it were, 

 the English being evidently afraid to stir up the French 

 tiger again ; and if he would go peaceably, so much the 



