Foiled in his varied and repeated attacks upon Hougomont, NAPOLEON had now recourse to incendiary projectiles. For this purpose he had ordered a Battery of Howitzers to be formed, from which shells were thrown so as to descend into the Buildings. The Great Barn, the outhouses on the north side of the Château, the Farmer's House, and finally the Château itself, were speedily set on fire. Dense volumes of smoke, enveloping the whole Post and its defenders, were wafted slowly towards the Anglo-Allied Line; the roofs of the Buildings soon fell in; and, shortly before three o'clock, the flames burst forth with great brilliancy. Many of the wounded had been carried, or had crawled, into the Buildings; but although their comrades entertained the most distressing apprehensions for their safety, the stern sense of duty and of honour prescribed that of the Post itself as paramount to every other consideration. Invested as the place was by an Enemy so overwhelmingly superior in numbers, and so unceasingly on the alert to seize upon any advantage that might offer; not a man could be spared to assist in extricating the sufferers from their perilous situation. Obedience to the natural dictates of humanity was necessarily sacrificed to that which was due to the severe demands of discipline. Thus several perished in the flames. Others, who had contrived to crawl into the open Courts, could scarcely breathe in the scorching and suffocating atmosphere. Many who had sought shelter, or had been laid, in the Chapel, and whose terrors were excited as they heard the crashing fall of burning timbers, or the frequent explosion of shells around them, at length beheld the flames penetrating the door of the sanctuary. The prayers that had been fervently, though silently, offered up from that holy place, had surely been accepted--the fire, reaching the feet of the wooden image of the Saviour of Mankind, that stood above the entrance, seemed to feel the sacred presence; for here its progress terminated; and this, without the aid of human efforts. The conflagration did not occasion a moment's relaxation in the heroic exertions of the brave defenders of Hougomont. The courage and devotedness of the men kept pace with the zeal and intelligence of their Officers; and no sooner did new difficulties arise than they were met and overcome by the most judicious arrangements, combined with the most consummate gallantry. * * * * * It was now about half past three o'clock. The Anglo-Allied Line continued compact and unshaken in its original position. Its Advanced Posts of La Haye Sainte and Hougomont had successfully resisted the most formidable assaults.