of time Napoleon found
himself ready to take the field with an army of one hundred and fifty
thousand men, of whom twenty thousand were highly disciplined cavalry.
The whole army was perfectly equipped, while three hundred pieces of
cannon formed an overpowering artillery. To oppose this well-appointed
force, the Duke of Wellington and Marshal Bluecher had collected an
army of one hundred and eighty thousand men. But although the allied
armies thus exceeded Napoleon's in numbers, his consisted of veteran
troops of one nation, while theirs were composed, for the most part,
of raw levies. That under the duke was "the weakest and the worst;" at
no time did it reach eighty thousand men, and on one-half of these
only could reliance be placed in the day of battle.

"I am going to have a brush with Wellington," said Napoleon, on the
evening of June 11, 1815; and next morning before daybreak he set out
to join his army on the frontiers, taking every precaution to conceal
from Wellington that he was coming. Napoleon's object was to separate
Bluecher from Wellington, then to deal with each singly, and thus to
crush them forever. Then France, rejoicing to see glory once more
resting on her eagles, would again hail him as her emperor.

While at dinner, Wellington received the first news of the advance of
Napoleon. Thinking that this was merely a feint to draw the allies
toward Ligny, while a serious attempt was made upon Brussels,
Wellington, who had already prepared himself for any emergency,
determined to wait till Napoleon's object was more fully displayed;
while, therefore, he gave orders that the troops should be in
readiness to march at a moment's notice, he, with his officers, joined
in the festivities of a ball given that evening by the Duchess of
Richmond.

Bluecher's second courier arrived before twelve o'clock, and the
despatches were delivered to the duke in the ball-room. While he was
reading them, he seemed completely absorbed by their contents; and
after he had finished, for some minutes he remained in the same
attitude of deep reflection, totally abstracted from every surrounding
object, while his countenance was expressive of fixed and intense
thought. He was heard to mutter to himself, "Marshal Bluecher
thinks"--"It is Marshal Bluecher's opinion;"--and after remaining thus
abstracted a few minutes, and having apparently formed his decision,
he gave his usual clear and concise orders to one of his staff
office