line.
Once again, as at Albuera and in many a stricken field, the line
proved the conqueror. Overlapping the columns opposed to it, pouring
scathing volleys upon each flank, and then charging on the shaken mass
with the bayonet, the British regiments drove the enemy back beyond
the hedgerows, and were with difficulty restrained from following them
up the face of the opposite hill.

On the right, however, the Brunswickers were suffering heavily from
the cannonade of the French, and were only prevented from breaking by
the coolness of their chief. The Duke of Brunswick rode backward and
forward in front of them, smoking his pipe and chatting cheerfully
with his officers, seemingly unconscious of the storm of fire: and
even the most nervous of his young troops felt ashamed to show signs
of faltering when their commander and chief set them such an example.
Four guns, which at his request Wellington had sent to him, came up
and opened fire; but so completely were they overmatched that in five
minutes two were disabled and the other two silenced.

As soon as this was done two French columns of infantry, preceded by a
battalion in line, advanced along the edge of the wood, while a heavy
mass of cavalry advanced along the Ghent road, and threatened the
Brunswickers with destruction. The Brunswick, Dutch, and Belgian
skirmishers fell back before those of the French. The Duke of
Brunswick placed himself before a regiment of lancers and charged the
French infantry; but these stood steady, and received the lancers with
so heavy a fire that they retreated in confusion on Quatre Bras. The
duke now ordered the infantry to fall back in good order, but by this
time they were too shaken to do so. The French artillery smote them
with terrible effect; the infantry swept them with bullets; the
cavalry were preparing to charge. No wonder then that the young troops
lost their self-possession, broke, and fled in utter confusion, some
through Quatre Bras others through the English regiments on the left
of the village.

At this moment the gallant Duke of Brunswick, while striving to rally
one of his regiments, received a mortar wound. He died a few minutes
later, as his father had died on the field of Jena. The Brunswick
hussars were now ordered to advance and cover the retreat of the
infantry; but as they moved toward the enemy they lost heart, turned,
and fled from the field, the French lancers charging hotly among them.
So closely were th