On the 16th of June, Ney held the English in play at
Quatre-Bras while we beat the Prussians at Ligny. It is not for
me to say how far I contributed to that victory, but it is well
known that the Hussars of Conflans covered themselves with glory.
They fought well, these Prussians, and eight thousand of them
were left upon the field. The Emperor thought that he had done
with them, as he sent Marshal Grouchy with thirty-two thousand
men to follow them up and to prevent their interfering with his
plans. Then with nearly eighty thousand men, he turned upon
these "Goddam" Englishmen. How much we had to avenge upon them,
we Frenchmen--the guineas of Pitt, the hulks of Portsmouth, the
invasion of Wellington, the perfidious victories of Nelson! At
last the day of punishment seemed to have arisen.
Wellington had with him sixty-seven thousand men, but many of
them were known to be Dutch and Belgian, who had no great desire
to fight against us. Of good troops he had not fifty thousand.
Finding himself in the presence of the Emperor in person with
eighty thousand men, this Englishman was so paralysed with fear
that he could neither move himself nor his army.
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