" Februanj 15th, 1853.-1 spent much of the day in
the drawing- room in order that the Admiral might not feel his loneliness, and thereby heard much that was interesting of his recollections. On the table were lying, as they always do, that which had formed the clasp of the cloak of Napoleon Bonaparte, when he fled from Waterloo, to save his life ; and left, probably, all which would have encumbered flight ; so the cloak was cut off, and this im- portant part of it was out away by Major Henry Percy, aide-de- camp to the Duke, who gave him the glorious office of conveying to England the despatches containing the account of that greatest of victories. The clasp I have mentioned above is formed of two- gigantic bees connected by a serpent link. Major Percy set out, it may be supposed with what speed, and without allowing him- self time to change the coat in which he had gone to the Duchess of Richmond's ball, which had been so awfully interrupted by the summons to the battle. In those days steam was not, but speedily as a sailing-vessel could convey him, he was transported from Antwerp to Dover, where he landed in the afternoon. A rumour, not only of a battle but of a victory had preceded him,—how that had arrived was never known. The con- firmation of the report was welcomed with tremendous accla- mation. The posting then on that line to London was entirely in the hands of one person, MN. Wright, master of the Ship Hotel at Dover, who instantly despatched an express to order horses at each stage to be ready for Major Percy, pro- viding his carriage with four of his best horses. It was found that the captured Eagles he carried could not be contained in the post-chaise; they were placed so that their heads appeared out of the front windows ; a better announcement there could not have been of the glorious news, which was received with every species of joyful, thankful welcome everywhere. Major Percy drove straight to the Horse Guards. The Commander-in-Chief. then the Duke of York, was dining out. He proceeded to Lord Castlereagh and heard the same account at his door, and finding that he and the Duke were at the same dinner, given by a wealthy widow lady in St. James's Square, there he went, heard that the Prince Regent was also of the party, requested to be shown into the dining-room, which he entered with his despatches and Eagles, covered with dust and all the marks of the battle in which he had been engaged, although not wounded himself. The dessert was coining upon the table ; at the same moment the Prince Regent commanded the ladies to leave the room, which they did. He extended his hand to- the bearer of these glad tidings : Welcome, Colonel Percy.' 'Go down on one knee,' said the Duke of York, and kiss hands of the stop you have gained.' Before the despatch could be read, he was anxiously asked after many distinguished officers, and had to answer 'Dead' or Severely wounded' so often, that the Prince burst into tears. The Duke, though much moved, was not so completely overcome. Meantime, Colonel Percy was sinking from fatigue, and begged permission to go to' his father's house in Portman Square. The throng was so great he had difficulty in reaching it, and was no sooner there than it was surrounded by multitudes of anxious inquirers. He had not power to say more than that the victory was complete, and that the loss in killed and wounded heavy. He would answer all demands the next day, and so he did. The agony of suspense and affliction which be witnessed was intense ; his own words were, he could only feel the awful price of a victory. The heart-rending grief he had to inflict upon so many made his ear deaf to the sounds of joy and triumph with which London resounded. In one instance, he announced what proved not to be true. It was believed that Sir William Ponsonby was killed ; in that awful list his name had been returned. Ho had fallen, covered with wounds ; met with cruelty on one hand, and kindness on another. The thrust of a spear had been given to terminate his life by a French soldier ; another poured some brandy from his own can- teen down his throat, and thereby, humanly speaking, preserved him. His name was asked and mentioned. Afterwards, when Sir William Ponsonby was recovered and with the Army in Paris, he used every effort to discover that soldier, but never succeeded. He probably had perished after saving the life of an enemy. Colonel Percy never recovered all he had gone through in the service.
"February 16th.—The Admiral told me much of former service, and of his conveyance of Junot from Portugal (where he had intended to make himself King) to Rochelle. He spoke freely of his own early life, and of having been the son of an ' Avocet ; ' he could read and write, however, which in those days was an honourable distinction in the French Line, and gained him hie first step in the service. After having acted as Napoleon's secre- tary on HOMO field, and under his dictation written on a drum- head, a ball threw up the earth very near to him. 'None ne manquons pas de la poussiere,' was his remark. He traced his career from that time when, he said,' Napoleon was a Colonel and
I a Serjeant in the same regiment. Now I am a Duke and he is an Emperor.'—'Not acknowledged in England, mon Gbn6ral,' replied Captain Percy, and still less do we acknowledge that he has a right to confer rank and titles in another Kingdom, more especially when that rank and title belong to a native of it.' At that time there was a Portuguese Marquis d'Abrantes. Not- withstanding such plain speech, they reached the coast of France as host and guest, and parted on good terms. An invitation came to dine with the officers of the French Navy ; declined by the Captain on the ground that he might not be permitted to return to his ship. Junot him- self came off to urge the acceptance, saying he would pledge his honour all would be right. Would you pledge your honour that if orders arrived from headquarters at Paris to secure me and detain my ship, you would not obey them ?' Junot replied he could not promise that, and retired. Ms visit was followed by a letter from the French Admiral to the same purpose, and answered by the English Captain, that although he confided thoroughly in the honour of a French Officer when pledged, I do not acknowledge your Emperor, and will not trust his Govern- ment, and therefore beg to decline the invitation bestowed upon
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