o'clock in the afternoon that Napoleon advanced with sixty thousand
men to attack the Prussians at Ligny, while at about the same hour the
column under Ney advanced from Frasnes against Quatre Bras. The delay
was fatal to Napoleon's plans.

Had the battles commenced at daybreak, Ney could have brushed aside
the defenders of Quatre Bras, and would have been at Mount St. Jean by
the time the English came up. The Prussians would have been beaten by
noon instead of at dusk, and before nightfall their retreat would have
been converted into a rout, and on the following day Napoleon's whole
army would have been in a position to have fallen upon the only
British divisions that Wellington could by that time have collected to
oppose him, and would probably have been in possession of Brussels
before night.

Thus, while the delay in sending news to Wellington prevented the
allies combining against the French on the 16th of June, the delay of
Napoleon in attacking that morning more than counterbalanced the
error. There was the less excuse for that delay, inasmuch as he had
himself chosen his time for fighting, and should not have advanced
until he had his whole force well up and ready for action; and as the
advance during the first day's fighting had been so slow, the whole
army might well have been gathered at nightfall round Fleurus ready to
give battle at the first dawn of day.

Fighting as he did against vastly superior forces, Napoleon's one hope
of success lay in crushing the Prussians before the English--who, as
he well knew, were scattered over a large extent of country--could
come up, and his failure to do this cost him his empire.

The artillery fire ceased in front before the column continued its
march for Mount St. Jean. The Prince of Orange had paused in his
advance when he saw how strong was the French force round Frasnes, and
Ney was not yet ready to attack. Therefore from eleven until two there
was a cessation of operations, and the ardor of the troops flagged
somewhat as they tramped along the dusty road between Mount St. Jean
and Genappe.

The Prince of Orange was having an anxious time while the British
column was pressing forward to his assistance. As the hours went by he
saw the enemy's forces in front of him accumulating, while he knew
that his own supports must be still some distance away Nevertheless,
he prepared to defend Quatre Bras to the last. He had with him six
thousand eight hundred and thirty-t