on no
more, prevail so to disappoint your Grace, to their prejudice as well
as ours. We hope the Dutch have agreed to what your Grace desires of
them, without which the war becomes a jest to our enemies, _and can
end in nothing but an ill peace, which is certain ruin to us_."[7]

Still the English general was not discouraged. His public spirit and
patriotism prevailed over his just private resentment. Finding it
impossible to prevail on the Dutch deputies, who, in every sense, were
so many viceroys over him, to agree to any attempt to force the
passage of the Dyle, he resolved to turn it. For this purpose the army
was put in motion on the 14th August; and, defiling to his left, he
directed it in three columns towards the sources of the Dyle. The
march was rapid, as the Duke had information that strong
reinforcements, detached from the army at Alsace, would join Villeroi
on the 18th. They soon came to ground subsequently immortalized in
English story. On the 16th they reached Genappe, where, on 17th June
1815, the Life-guards under Lord Anglesea defeated the French lancers;
on the day following, the enemy retired into the forest of Soignies,
still covering Brussels, and the Allied headquarters were moved to
Braine la Leude. On the 17th August, a skirmish took place on the
plain in front of WATERLOO; and the alarm being given, the Duke
hastened to the spot, and rode over the field where Wellington and
Napoleon contended a hundred and ten years afterwards. The French
upon this retired into the forest of Soignies, and rested at Waterloo
for the night.

The slightest glance at the map must be sufficient to show, that by
this cross march to Genappe and Waterloo, Marlborough had gained an
immense advantage over the enemy. _He had interposed between them and
France._ He had relinquished for the time, it is true, his own base of
operations, and was out of communication with his magazines; but he
had provided for this by taking six days' provisions for the army with
him; and he could now force the French to fight or abandon Brussels,
and retire towards Antwerp--the Allies being between them and France.
Still clinging to their fortified lines on the Dyle, and desirous of
covering Brussels, they had only occupied the wood of Soignies with
their right wing; while the Allies occupied all the open country from
Genappe to Frischermont and Braine la Leude, with their advanced posts
up to La Haye Sainte and Mount St John. The Allies no