to 73,000 men; of these 29,000 were British. The French arrived at their position late in the morning, which was tempestuous, numbering also 73,000 men. At noon a cannonade was opened, under shelter of which Jerome Buonaparte charged on the position of Hougomont; the English guards were not to be moved by this assault—but the Nassau men fell back; while Jerome pushed his cavalry and artillery on Wellington's right, and was received by squares wholly impregnable, whose fire drove the French over the acclivity. The British right formed into squares, having in front 34 pieces of artillery; they were attacked with the utmost fury by the whole force of cuirassiers, who, after several assaults, were compelled to retreat, with a loss of two-thirds of their number. The Prussian columns were now faintly discernible through the woods, and Napoleon prepared his guard, under Ney, for the final encounter; the English poured an overwhelming fire into the flanks and body of the approaching columns; the old guard fought valiantly, but the nerve of the British was too much for them. Napoleon perceived it- "They mingle!" he exclaimed —"All is lost!” and galloped from his post of observation. Blucher coming np from the wood, commenced a cannonade in support of the British: the French fled in all
