to remain for the ball,
provided that he joined his regiment early in the morning. Several of
ours took advantage of it.

Brussels was, at that time, thronged with British temporary residents;
who, no doubt, in the course of the two last days, must have heard,
through their military acquaintance, of the immediate prospect of
hostilities. But, accustomed, on their own ground, to hear of those
things as a piece of news in which they were not personally concerned;
and never dreaming of danger, in streets crowded with the gay uniforms
of their countrymen; it was not until their defenders were summoned to
the field, that they were fully sensible of their changed
circumstances; and the suddenness of the danger multiplying its
horrors, many of them were now seen running about in the wildest state
of distraction.

Waiting for the arrival of the other regiments, we endeavoured to
snatch an hour's repose on the pavement; but we were every instant
disturbed, by ladies as well as gentlemen; some stumbling over us in
the dark--some shaking us out of our sleep, to be told the news--and
not a few, conceiving their immediate safety depending upon our
standing in place of lying. All those who applied for the benefit of
my advice, I recommended to go home to bed, to keep themselves
perfectly cool, and, to rest assured that, if their departure from the
city became necessary, (which I very much doubted,) they would have at
least one whole day to prepare for it, as we were leaving some beef
and potatoes behind us, for which, I was sure, we would fight, rather
than abandon!

The whole of the division having, at length, assembled, we were put in
motion about three o'clock on the morning of the 16th, and advanced to
the village of Waterloo, where, forming in a field adjoining the road,
our men were allowed to prepare their breakfasts. I succeeded in
getting mine, in a small inn, on the left hand side of the village.

Lord Wellington joined us about nine o'clock; and, from his very
particular orders, to see that the roads were kept clear of baggage,
and everything likely to impede the movements of the troops, I have
since been convinced that his lordship had thought it probable that
the position of Waterloo might, even that day, have become the scene
of action; for it was a good broad road, on which there were neither
the quantity of baggage nor of troops moving at the time, to excite
the slightest apprehension of confusion. Leaving us hal