In the meantime, Wellington’s troops were fast moving on Nivelles and Quatre-Bras. Lord Uxbridge’s Cavalry and Clinton’s Division were ordered to move on Braine-le-Comte, and Steedman’s Division with Anthing’s Brigade from Sotteghem to Enghien at daybreak. Picton’s Division started from Brussels for Quatre-Bras at 2 A.M. The Duke of Brunswick, with 5,000 Brunswick infantry, left at 3 A.M. At 3 A.M. also Perponcher reached Quatre-Bras with his First Brigade of Dutch-Belgians, under Bylandt. The Prince of Orange arrived at Quatre-Bras at 6 A.M., reconnoitred Ney’s position, and pushed Perponcher’s troops further forward. He gave orders that as great a show of strength as possible was to be made, but a close or premature engagement with the enemy was to be avoided. Thus at 7 A.M. the Prince had 9 battalions of Dutch-Belgian troops, and 16 guns, holding Quatre-Bras; Ney opposite, with Piré’s Division of Lancers, Bachelu’s Division of Infantry, and Lefebvre-Desnouette’s Cavalry of the Guard, in all 9,700 men, and the remainder of Reille’s Corps in support at Frasnes! Wellington himself arrived at Quatre-Bras at 11 A.M., inspected the position, saw that the French were not preparing an immediate attack, and complimented the Prince of Orange on his dispositions. He then rode off to the mill of Bussy, where he met Blucher. It is not necessary to go into the details of this interview. Suffice it to say that Wellington agreed with Blucher that he would come to the latter’s assistance at Ligny, _if he was not himself attacked_. At 11 A.M. Ney received from Napoleon a letter giving him detailed instructions as to the movements of the French army. The Emperor told Ney that he intended attacking the Prussians at Ligny, driving them back on Gembloux. Ney was then to march on Brussels, and Napoleon, marching by the Sombreffe-Quatre-Bras road with his Imperial Guard, would support him. Thus, according to the letter, Ney’s movements were to wait upon Napoleon’s. This interpretation was some cause of Ney’s delays on the 16th. Soon after the receipt of Napoleon’s letter, Ney received an order from Soult, chief of the Staff, directing him to move the First and Second Corps, and Kellermann’s Cavalry, on Quatre-Bras, drive back the enemy, and reconnoitre as far as he could towards Nivelles and Brussels; also to push a division to Genappe, and another towards Marbais, so as to open communication with Napoleon’s left between Sombreffe and Quatre-Bras. Napoleon’s intention was to reach Brussels by daybreak on the 17th, having defeated the Prussians, and Ney having defeated the English! In accordance with this order, Ney sent instructions to Reille and d’Erlon. These were to the following effect:--The First, Second, and Third Divisions of d’Erlon’s Corps were to move to Frasnes; the Fourth Division of that Corps, with Piré’s Cavalry, was to move to Marbais; Kellermann’s Cavalry Corps to Frasnes and Liberchies.