This letter, which was intended to convey to NEY a general notion of NAPOLEON's intentions, prescribed to him, at the same time, as a principle, that he was to consider his movements subordinate to those of the Emperor. The latter intimated his purpose of attacking the Enemy at Fleurus, should he find him there, and of pushing on as far as Gembloux, where he would decide upon his plan of further operation, "perhaps at three o'clock in the afternoon, perhaps in the evening;" immediately _after_ which NEY was to be ready to march upon Brussels, supported by NAPOLEON with the Guards, it being the Emperor's desire to reach that capital in the morning. The idea of advancing upon Gembloux, and of capturing Brussels by a _coup de main_, which could only be effected by a vigorous repulse and signal defeat of the Corps of ZIETEN, and by a successful turning and partial dispersion of those of PIRCH and THIELEMANN, as also by the rapid march of a closely collected force under NEY, proves that NAPOLEON had either been insufficiently informed as to the general dispositions of his opponents, or had greatly miscalculated the degree of energy and promptitude required in his movements for the execution of such a design. Very shortly afterwards, NEY received the official Order of Movement to which NAPOLEON adverted in his letter as having been sent by SOULT. It instructed him to put the Second and First _Corps d'Armée_, as also the Third Corps of Cavalry which had been placed at his disposal, in movement upon Quatre Bras; to take up a position at that point; thence to push forward reconnaissances as far as possible on the roads to Brussels and Nivelles, _d'où probablement l'Ennemi s'est retiré_; to establish, should he meet with no impediment, a Division with some Cavalry at Genappe; and to detach another Division towards Marbais, in order to cover the interval between Sombref and Quatre Bras. He was also to desire the General Officers commanding the two _Corps d'Armée_ to assemble their troops, collect the stragglers, and order up all the waggons belonging to the Artillery and to the Hospitals that might still be in the rear. In pursuance of these instructions, NEY despatched Orders of Movement to Counts REILLE and D'ERLON. The former was desired to put the Second Corps immediately on the march, for the purpose of taking up the following position:--the Fifth Division in rear of Genappe, upon the Heights which command that town, the left _appuied_ upon the high road; one or two Battalions covering all the _débouchés_ in advance on the Brussels road; the Ninth Division, following the movement of the Fifth, to take up a position in second line on the Heights to the right and left of the village of Bauterlet; the Sixth and Seventh Divisions at Quatre Bras.