按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Never retreat！〃
Hill； having been weakened； had e up to the support of Wellington； Picton was dead。
At the very moment when the English had captured from the French the flag of the 105th of the line； the French had killed the English general； Picton； with a bullet through the head。
The battle had； for Wellington； two bases of action； Hougomont and La Haie…Sainte； Hougomont still held out； but was on fire； La Haie…Sainte was taken。
Of the German battalion which defended it； only forty…two men survived； all the officers； except five； were either dead or captured。
Three thousand batants had been massacred in that barn。
A sergeant of the English Guards； the foremost boxer in England； reputed invulnerable by his panions； had been killed there by a little French drummer…boy。 Baring had been dislodged； Alten put to the sword。
Many flags had been lost； one from Alten's division； and one from the battalion of Lunenburg； carried by a prince of the house of Deux…Ponts。 The Scotch Grays no longer existed； Ponsonby's great dragoons had been hacked to pieces。 That valiant cavalry had bent beneath the lancers of Bro and beneath the cuirassiers of Travers； out of twelve hundred horses； six hundred remained； out of three lieutenant…colonels； two lay on the earth；Hamilton wounded； Mater slain。
Ponsonby had fallen； riddled by seven lance…thrusts。 Gordon was dead。
Marsh was dead。 Two divisions； the fifth and the sixth； had been annihilated。
Hougomont injured； La Haie…Sainte taken； there now existed but one rallying…point； the centre。
That point still held firm。 Wellington reinforced it。
He summoned thither Hill； who was at Merle…Braine； he summoned Chasse； who was at Braine…l'Alleud。
The centre of the English army； rather concave； very dense； and very pact； was strongly posted。
It occupied the plateau of Mont…Saint…Jean； having behind it the village； and in front of it the slope； which was tolerably steep then。
It rested on that stout stone dwelling which at that time belonged to the domain of Nivelles； and which marks the intersection of the roadsa pile of the sixteenth century； and so robust that the cannon…balls rebounded from it without injuring it。
All about the plateau the English had cut the hedges here and there； made embrasures in the hawthorn…trees； thrust the throat of a cannon between two branches； embattled the shrubs。 There artillery was ambushed in the brushwood。
This punic labor； incontestably authorized by war； which permits traps； was so well done； that Haxo； who had been despatched by the Emperor at nine o'clock in the morning to reconnoitre the enemy's batteries； had discovered nothing of it； and had returned and reported to Napoleon that there were no obstacles except the two barricades which barred the road to Nivelles and to Genappe。
It was at the season when the grain is tall； on the edge of the plateau a battalion of Kempt's brigade； the 95th； armed with carabines； was concealed in the tall wheat。
Thus assured and buttressed； the centre of the Anglo…Dutch army was well posted。
The peril of this position lay in the forest of Soignes； then adjoining the field of battle； and intersected by the ponds of Groenendael and Boitsfort。
An army could not retreat thither without dissolving； the regiments would have broken up immediately there。 The artillery would have been lost among the morasses。
The retreat； according to many a man versed in the art；though it is disputed by others；would have been a disorganized flight。
To this centre； Wellington added one of Chasse's brigades taken from the right wing； and one of Wincke's brigades taken from the left wing； plus Clinton's division。
To his English； to the regiments of Halkett； to the brigades of Mitchell； to the guards of Maitland； he gave as reinforcements and aids； the infantry of Brunswick； Nassau's contingent； Kielmansegg's Hanoverians； and Ompteda's Germans。
This placed twenty…six battalions under his hand。 The right wing； as Charras says； was thrown back on the centre。 An enormous battery was masked by sacks of earth at the spot where there now stands what is called the 〃Museum of Waterloo。〃 Besides this； Wellington had； behind a rise in the ground； Somerset's Dragoon Guards； fourteen hundred horse strong。 It was the remaining half of the justly celebrated English cavalry。 Ponsonby destroyed； Somerset remained。
The battery； which； if pleted； would have been almost a redoubt； was ranged behind a very low garden wall； backed up with a coating of bags of sand and a large slope of earth。
This work was not finished； there had been no time to make a palisade for it。
Wellington； uneasy but impassive； was on horseback； and there remained the whole day in the same attitude； a little in advance of the old mill of Mont…Saint…Jean； which is still in existence； beneath an elm； which an Englishman； an enthusiastic vandal； purchased later on for two hundred francs； cut down； and carried off。 Wellington was coldly heroic。
The bullets rained about him。 His aide…de…camp； Gordon； fell at his side。
Lord Hill； pointing to a shell which had burst； said to him：
〃My lord； what are your orders in case you are killed？〃
〃To do like me；〃 replied Wellington。 To Clinton he said laconically； 〃To hold this spot to the last man。〃 The day was evidently turning out ill。
Wellington shouted to his old panions of Talavera； of Vittoria； of Salamanca：
〃Boys； can retreat be thought of？
Think of old England！〃
Towards four o'clock； the English line drew back。
Suddenly nothing was visible on the crest of the plateau except the artillery and the sharpshooters； the rest had disappeared：
the regiments； dislodged by the shells and the French bullets； retreated into the bottom； now intersected by the back road of the farm of Mont…Saint…Jean； a retrograde movement took place； the English front hid itself； Wellington drew back。
〃The beginning of retreat！〃 cried Napoleon。
BOOK FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER VII
NAPOLEON IN A GOOD HUMOR
The Emperor； though ill and dismoded on horseback by a local trouble； had never been in a better humor than on that day。 His impenetrability had been smiling ever since the morning。
On the 18th of June； that profound soul masked by marble beamed blindly。 The man who had been gloomy at Austerlitz was gay at Waterloo。 The greatest favorites of destiny make mistakes。
Our joys are posed of shadow。
The supreme smile is God's alone。
Ridet Caesar； Pompeius flebit； said the legionaries of the Fulminatrix Legion。
Pompey was not destined to weep on that occasion； but it is certain that Caesar laughed。
While exploring on horseback at one o'clock on the preceding night； in storm and rain； in pany with Bertrand； the munes in the neighborhood of Rossomme； satisfied at the sight of the long line of the English camp…fires illuminating the whole horizon from Frischemont to Braine…l'Alleud； it had seemed to him that fate； to whom he had assigned a day on the field of Waterloo； was exact to the appointment； he stopped his horse； and remained for some time motionless； gazing at the lightning and listening to the thunder； and this fatalist was heard to cast into the darkness this mysterious saying； 〃We are in accord。〃 Napoleon was mistaken。
They were no longer in accord。
He took not a moment for sleep； every instant of that night was marked by a joy for him。
He traversed the line of the principal outposts； halting here and there to talk to the sentinels。
At half…past two； near the wood of Hougomont； he heard the tread of a column on the march； he thought at the moment that it was a retreat on the part of Wellington。
He said：
〃It is the rear…guard of the English getting under way for the purpose of decamping。
I will take prisoners the six thousand English who have just arrived at Ostend。〃 He conversed expansively； he regained the animation which he had shown at his landing on the first of March； when he pointed out to the Grand…Marshal the enthusiastic peasant of the Gulf Juan； and cried； 〃Well； Bertrand； here is a reinforcement already！〃 On the night of the 17th to the 18th of June he rallied Wellington。 〃That little Englishman needs a lesson；〃 said Napoleon。
The rain redoubled in violence； the thunder rolled while the Emperor was speaking。
At half…past three o'clock in the morning； he lost one illusion； officers who had been despatched to reconnoitre announced to him that the enemy was not making any movement。
Nothing was stirring； not a bivouac…fire had been extinguished； the English army was asleep。 The silence on earth was profound； the only noise was in the heavens。 At four o'clock； a peasant was brought in to him by the scouts； this peasant had served as guide to a brigade of English cavalry； probably Vivian's brigade； which was on its way to take up a position in the village of Ohain； at the extreme left。
At five o'clock； two Belgian deserters reported to him that they had just quitted their regiment； and that the English army was ready for battle。 〃So much the better！〃 exclaimed Napoleon。
〃I prefer to overthrow them rather than to drive them back。〃
In the morning he dismounted in the mud on the slope which forms an angle with the Plancenoit road； had a kitchen table and a peasant's chair brought to him from the farm of Rossomme； seated himself； with a truss of straw for a carpet； and spread out on the table the chart of the battle…field； saying to Soult as he did so； 〃A pretty checker…board。〃
In consequence of the rains during the night； the transports of provisions； embedded in the soft roads； had not been able to arrive by morning； the soldiers had had no sleep； they were wet and fasting。
This did not prevent Napoleon from exclaiming cheerfully to Ney； 〃We have ninety chances out of a hundred。〃 At eight o'clock the Emperor's breakfast was brought to him。 He invited many generals to it。
During breakfast； it was said that Wellington had been to a ball two nights before； in Brussels； at the Duchess of Richmond's； and Soult； a rough man of war； with a face of an archbishop； said； 〃The ball takes place to…day。〃 The Emperor jested with Ney； who said； 〃Wellington will not be so simple as to wait for Your Majesty。〃
That was his way； however。 〃He was fond of jesting；〃 says Fleury de Chaboulon。
〃A merry humor was at the foundation of his character；〃 says Gourgaud。 〃He abounded in pleasantries； which were more peculiar than witty；〃 says Benjamin Constant。
These gayeties of a giant are worthy of insistence。
It was he who called his grenadiers 〃his grumblers〃； he pinched their ears； he pulled their mustaches。
〃The Emperor did nothing but play pranks on us；〃 is the remark of one of them。 During the mysterious trip from the island of Elba to France； on the 27th of February； on the open sea； the French brig of war； Le Zephyr； having encountered the brig L'Inconstant； on which Napoleon was concealed； and having asked the news of Napoleon from L'Inconstant； the Emperor； who still wore in his hat the white and amaranthine cockade sown with bees； which he had adopted at the isle of Elba； laughingly seized the speaking…trumpet； and answered for himself； 〃The Emperor is well。〃
A man who laughs like that is on familiar terms with events。
Napoleon indulged in many fits of this laughter during the breakfast at Waterloo。
After breakfast he meditated for a quarter of an hour； then two generals seated themselves on the truss of straw； pen in hand and their paper on their knees； and the Emperor dictated to them the order of battle。
At nine o'clock； at the instant when the French army； ranged in echelons and set in motion in five columns； had deployed the divisions in two lines； the artillery between the brigades； the music at their head； as they beat the march； with rolls on the drums and the blasts of trumpets； mighty； vast； joyous； a sea of casques； of sabres； and of bayonets on the horizon； the Emperor was touched； and twice exclaimed； 〃Magnificent！
Magnificent！〃
Between nine o'clock and half…past ten the whole army； incredible as it may appear； had taken up its position and ranged itself in six lines； forming； to repeat the Emperor's expression； 〃the figure of six V's。〃 A few moments after the formation of the battle…array； in the midst of that profound silence； like that which heralds the beginning of a storm； which precedes engagements； the Emperor tapped Haxo on the shoulder； as he beheld the three batteries of twelve…pounders； detached by his orders from the corps of Erlon； Reille； and Lobau； and destined to begin the action by taking Mont…Saint…Jean； which was situated at the intersection of the Nivelles and the Genappe roads； and said to him； 〃There are four and twenty handsome maids； General。〃
Sure of the issue； he encouraged with a smile； as they passed before him； the pany of sappers of the first corps； which he had appointed to barricade Mont…Saint…Jean as soon as the village should be carried。
All this serenity had been traversed by but a single word of haughty pity； perceiving on his left； at a spot where there now stands a large tomb； those admirable Scotch Grays； with