he City, and be
in upon it, if Fate will. An enterprise of almost sublime nature;
very great, if it can succeed. The cliffs all beset to his left hand,
Montcalm in person guarding Quebec with his main strength.

Wolfe silently descends; mind made up; thoughts hushed quiet into one
great thought; in the ripple of the perpetual waters, under the grim
cliffs and the eternal stars. Conversing with his people, he was heard
to recite some passages of Gray's ELEGY, lately come out to those
parts; of which, says an ear-witness, he expressed his admiration to an
enthusiastic degree: "Ah, these are tones of the Eternal Melodies, are
not they? A man might thank Heaven had he such a gift; almost as WE
might for succeeding here, Gentlemen!" [Professor Robison, then a Naval
Junior, in the boat along with Wolfe, afterwards a well-known Professor
of Natural Philosophy at Edinburgh, was often heard, by persons whom I
have heard again, to repeat this Anecdote. See Playfair, BIOGRAPHICAL
ACCOUNT OF PROFESSOR ROBISON,--in _Transactions_ of Royal Society of
Edinburgh, vii. 495 et seq.] Next morning (Thursday, 13th September,
1759), Wolfe, with his 5,000, is found to have scrambled up by some
woody Neck in the heights, which was not quite precipitous; has trailed
one cannon with him, the seamen busy bringing up another; and by 10 of
the clock stands ranked (really somewhat in the Friedrich way, though
on a small scale); ready at all points for Montcalm, but refusing to be
over-ready.

Montcalm, on first hearing of him, had made haste: "OUI, JE LES VOIS OU
ILS NE DOIVENT PAS ETRE; JE VAIS LES E'CRASER (to smash them)!" said
he, by way of keeping his people in heart. And marches up, beautifully
skilful, neglecting none of his advantages. Has numerous Canadian
sharpshooters, preliminary Indians in the bushes, with a provoking fire:
"Steady!" orders Wolfe; "from you not one shot till they are within
thirty yards." And Montcalm, volleying and advancing, can get no
response, more than from Druidic stones; till at thirty yards the stones
become vocal,--and continue so at a dreadful rate; and, in a space
of seventeen minutes, have blown Montcalm's regulars, and the gallant
Montcalm himself, and their second in command, and their third, into
ruin and destruction. In about seven minutes more the agony was done;
"English falling on with the bayonet, Highlanders with the claymore;"
fierce pursuit, rout total:--and Quebec and Canada as good as finished.