Napoleon, having ascertained the retreat of the Prussian, now committed the pursuit of him to Marshal Grouchy, and a corps of 32,000 men—­and turned in person to Quatre-Bras, in the hope of pouring his main force, as well as Ney’s, on Wellington, in a situation where it was altogether improbable he should receive any assistance from Blucher.  But no sooner was the Duke aware of Blucher’s march on Wavre, than he, in adherence to the common plan of the campaign, gave orders for falling back from Quatre-Bras.  He had before now been heard to say, that if ever it were his business to defend Brussels, he would choose to give battle on the field of Waterloo, in advance of the forest of Soignies; and he now retired thither—­in the confidence of being joined there in the morning, ere the decisive contest should begin, by Blucher.  The day was rainy, the roads were covered deep with mud, and the English soldiery are of all others most discouraged by the command to retreat.  Their spirits, however, rose gallantly when, on reaching the destined field, they became aware of their leader’s purpose; and, having taken up their allotted stations, they bivouacked under the storm in the sure hope of battle.

All his arrangements having been effected early in the evening of the 17th, the Duke of Wellington rode across the country to Blucher, to inform him personally that he had thus far effected the plan agreed on at Bry, and express his hope to be supported on the morrow by two Prussian divisions.  The veteran replied, that he would leave a single corps to hold Grouchy at bay as well as they could, and march himself with the rest of his army upon Waterloo; and Wellington immediately returned to his post.[73] The cross roads between Wavre and Mont St. Jean were in a horrid condition; the rain fell in torrents, and Grouchy had 32,000 men to attack Thielman’s single division, left at Wavre.  Blucher’s march, however, began; and if it occupied longer time than had been anticipated, the fault was none of his.

The position of the Duke of Wellington was before the village of Mont St. Jean, about a mile and a half in advance of the small town of Waterloo, on a rising ground, having a gentle and regular declivity before it—­beyond this a plain of about a mile in breadth—­and then the opposite heights of La Belle Alliance, on which the enemy would of course form their line.  The Duke had now with him about 75,000 men in all; of whom about 30,000 were English.  He formed his first line of the troops on which he could most surely rely—­the greater part of the British foot—­the men of Brunswick and Nassau, and three corps of Hanoverians and Belgians.  Behind this the ground sinks and then rises again.  The second line, formed in rear of the first, was composed of the troops whose spirit and discipline were more doubtful—­or who had suffered most in the action of Quatre-Bras; and behind these lay all the horse.  The position crosses the two highways from