The English General had held a conference with Blucher this morning at Bry; and settled with him the ultimate measures to be adopted under whatever course the events of the day might assume; and he now awaited the assault of Ney under many disadvantages.  His troops were vastly inferior in number, and all, except a few Belgians, that were now on the field, had been marching since midnight.  The enemy were comparatively fresh; and they were posted among growing corn, as high as the tallest man’s shoulders, which, with an inequality of ground, enabled them to draw up a strong body of cuirassiers close to the English, and yet entirely out of their view.  The 79th and 42nd regiments were thus taken by surprise, and the former would have been destroyed but for the coming up of the latter.  The 42nd, formed into a square, was repeatedly broken, and as often recovered—­though with terrible loss of life:  for out of 800 that went into the action, only ninety-six privates and four officers returned unhurt.  The divisions of Alten, Halket, Cooke, Maitland, and Byng successively arrived; and night found the English general, after a severe and bloody day, in possession of Quatre-Bras.  The gallant Duke of Brunswick, fighting in the front of the line, fell almost in the beginning of the battle.  The killed and wounded on the side of the Allies were 5000, and the French loss could not have been less.

Blucher fought as stern a battle, but with worse fortune.  With 80,000 men he had to sustain the assault of 90,000, headed by Napoleon; and the villages of Amand and Ligny were many times taken and re-taken in the course of the day.  It is said, that two of the French corps hoisted the black flag:  it is certain that little quarter was either asked or given.  The hatred of the French and Prussians was inflamed to the same mortal vehemence.  It is said that the loss on Blucher’s side was 20,000 men—­and on the other 15,000—­numbers, when we consider the amount of the troops engaged, all but unparalleled.  However, the non-arrival of Bulow, and the successive charges of fresh divisions of the enemy, at length forced Blucher to retire.  In the course of the day the brave old man had his horse shot under him, in heading a charge of cavalry, and was ridden over undetected, by both his own men and the French.  He now retreated on the river Dyle, in the direction of Wavre; but contrived to mask his movements so skilfully, that Napoleon knew not until noon on the 17th what way he had taken.

The bulletins of the Emperor announced two victories of the most dazzling description as the work of the 16th.  Blucher would be heard of no more, they said; and Wellington, confounded and amazed, was already within the jaws of ruin.