attered over the plain.

It was now past eight o'clock; Buelow's Prussians had long been engaged
on the British left, and Bluecher, with indomitable energy, was pressing
forward with all his other divisions. Wellington first sent Vandeleur's
and Vivian's cavalry, still comparatively fresh, to sweep away what
remained of the French reserves, and then ordered a general advance. The
French retreat speedily became a rout, and a rout to which there is no
parallel except that which succeeded the battle of Leipzig. Wellington
and Bluecher met at La Belle Alliance on the high road, just south of the
battlefield, and lately the French headquarters. The British troops were
utterly tired out, but the Prussian cavalry never drew rein until they
had driven the last Frenchman over the river Sambre in their relentless
pursuit. The slaughter had been prodigious, though far short of that at
Borodino. The British army lost 13,000 men, the Prussian 7,000, and the
French 37,000[63] (including prisoners), besides the whole of their
artillery, ammunition, baggage-waggons, and military train. But the
battle was one of the most decisive recorded in history, and was the
real beginning of a peace which lasted over the whole of Europe for
nearly forty years. Grouchy heard the cannonade of Waterloo on his march
from Ligny to Wavre, and was strongly urged by Gerard to hasten across
country, with his whole force, in the direction of the firing. But he
pleaded the letter of Napoleon's instructions, and reached Wavre only to
find Bluecher gone. After an encounter with a Prussian corps, which had
been left behind, he received news of Napoleon's defeat, and ultimately
escaped into France.

[Pageheading: _NAPOLEON'S SECOND ABDICATION._]

The march of the allies into France after the battle of Waterloo was not
wholly unchecked, but it was far more rapid than in 1814. The French
could not be rallied, and in the first week of July Paris was occupied
by Anglo-Prussian troops. The Austrians and Prussians were moving again
upon the eastern frontiers of France, but were still far behind. The
Prussian general and soldiers were animated by the bitterest spirit of
vengeance, and it needed all the firmness of Wellington to prevent the
bridge of Jena from being blown up, and a ruinous contribution levied on
the citizens of Paris. Napoleon himself was now at Rochefort, having
quitted Paris after a second abdication on June 22, but four days after
the battle. No oth