CHAP. LXXXVII.--Preparations for War--Positions of the Allied Forces, amounting in whole to One Million of men--Buonaparte's Force not more than 200,000--Conscription not ventured upon--National Guard--their reluctance to serve--Many Provinces hostile to Napoleon--Fouché's Report makes known the Disaffection--Insurrection in La Vendée--quelled--Military Resources--Plan of Campaign--Paris placed in a Complete State of Defence--Frontier Passes and Towns fortified--Generals who accept Command under Napoleon--He Announces his Purpose to measure himself with Wellington, 157 CHAP. LXXXVIII.--Army of Wellington covers Brussels--that of Blucher on the Sambre and Meuse--Napoleon reviews his Grand Army on 14th June--Advances upon Charleroi--His plan to separate the Armies of the two opposing Generals fails--Interview of Wellington and Blucher at Bric--British Army concentrated at Quatre-bras--Napoleon's plan of attack--Battle of Ligny, and defeat of Blucher on the 16th June--Action at Quatre-bras on the same day--The British retain possession of the field--Blucher eludes the French pursuit--Napoleon joins Ney--Retreat of the British upon Waterloo, 164 CHAP. LXXXIX.--Strength of the two Armies--Plans of their Generals--THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO commenced on the forenoon of the 18th June--French attack directed against the British centre--shifted to their right--Charges of the Cuirassiers--and their reception--Advance of the Prussians--Ney's charge at the head of the Guards--His repulse--and Napoleon's orders for retreat--The Victorious Generals meet at La Belle Alliance--Behaviour of Napoleon during the engagement--Blucher's pursuit of the French--Loss of the British--of the French--Napoleon's subsequent attempts to undervalue the military skill of the Duke of Wellington answered--His unjust censures of Grouchy--The notion that the British were on the point of losing the Battle when the Prussians came up, shown to be erroneous, 174 CHAP. XC.--Buonaparte's arrival at Paris--The Chambers assemble, and adopt Resolutions, indicating a wish for Napoleon's Abdication--Fouché presents Napoleon's Abdication, which stipulates that his Son shall succeed him--Carnot's Report to the Peers, of the means of defence--Contradicted by Ney--Stormy Debate on the Abdication Act--Both Chambers evade formally recognising Napoleon II.--Provisional Government--Napoleon at Malmaison--His offer of his services in defence of Paris rejected--Surveillance of General Beker--Means provided at Rochefort for his departure to the United States--He arrives at Rochefort on 3d July--The Provisional Government attempt in vain to treat with the Allies--The Allies advance to Paris--Chamber of Peers disperse--Louis XVIII. re-enters Paris on 8th July, 195