Buonaparte, in his bulletin, (and who can deny the competency of his judgment in military affairs?) ascribes the loss of the battle to that desperate hit or miss measure, the charge of the Cuirassiers, in such numbers and impetuosity. This is not altogether the fact; for, admitting the troops of the Allied Armies to be as good as his own, which some of them were not, he must have been defeated by numbers, whether the Cuirassiers had made their charge, or not. But nothing could be more plain than that the destruction which followed that charge blasted every prospect of victory. When squares of infantry are formed, and the cavalry is determined to run all risks in order to break them, their prospect, if the soldiers are well disciplined, is little short of ruin. As they advance, they first receive a fire of round shot from the batteries as they come closer the grape brings more down; and when they face the square with endea vours to cut and trample down the men, or make an opening, the first fire of the infantry brings down the horses; the second the men; and then the few, which are left, bave to encounter the whole unimpaired force of their enemy's horse, rushing from their ambuscades. This is the simple bistory of the almost total destruc tion of the Cuirassiers. If, on the contrary, their orders had been positive, not to charge but when the English were going to use the bayonet; and, after they had impeded them by compelling them to form squares, not rashly to expose themselves, retreat, if not victory, would have been secured. Buonaparte was in a hurry; and what is done in a hurry is never done well. Caution is the result of long experience in the art of war; and yet here it failed him. He committed another error" still more fatal. Instead of merely sending a patrole to watch the motions of the retreating Prussians, and reserving Grouchy in communication, he detached him to bring the Prussian army into action. Now it would never have been possible for Grouchy to bring Blucher to a general action if he did not choose it, no more than Buonaparte could have compelled Wellington to do so at Quatre Bras, instead of Waterloo. If a road lies through a large wood, it must be forced, or the pursuer must turn it. In the first case, a comparative handful of men would retard him for hours; and in the other, the loss of time would permit the enemy to gain miles upon him. It would have been better therefore for Buonaparte to have occupied Chain, S. Lambert, &c. with Grouchy's corps. Blucher and Wellington knew that they were too numerous in junclion to think of separation under disaster; and yet he trusted for the prevention of this to a coutingency: almost as absurd as presuming that we are sure to catch a fox if we only set å trap. The French attribute their defeat to two causes the immense loss at Hougomout, and the absence of Grouchy. Their only chance of carrying the first (and that is dubious as to success) would have been by surrounding it, and cutting off the possibility of reinforcements, by moving up Jerome Buonaparte's and Foy's divisions together. As they managed it, they advanced and were cut to pieces in detail. If they had succeeded in carrying this post, they would have enfiladed the line. It must have been' prevented; and the probability was, of the Duke of Wellington's being oblig ed to weaken the left of his centre to preserve it. As to Grouchy's arrival, it could not have commanded victory. The Allies would still have been superior numerically full 30,000 men. Blucher would have merely kept him at bay; while Wellington, with the two divisions for which he stipulated, either pressing upon Buonaparte's rear, or keeping them in support, would have expedited the superb grand charge to relieve Blucher, which, if it succeeded, might have ended in Grouchy's being surrounded and captured. S. Y. E. G. H. W. says, "Goldsmith's mother's name was Jones. How therefore, was Contarine his uncle? See page 21. "The Marquis of Abercorn, see page 94, is erroneously stated to have left lady, Catharine Copley. All his children issue a daughter, Maria, by his first died in his life-time, except one daughter by his second wife, Lady Cecil Hamilton, viz. Cecil Frances, married to Lord Clonmore, son of the Earl of Wicklow. Maria, above-mentioned, died in her father's life-time." Mr. Mr. URBAN, Sept. 1. HE satisfactory account you have THE given, in p. 84, of that intelligent and upright Magistrate, the late Mr. Alderman COMBE, induces me to Readers will not be suppose that your displeased to possess a good Portrait of him. (See Plate I.) The original Painting, in crayons, was presented to the Alderman by Mr. A. Pope, the justly-celebrated Comedian, as a grateful return for favours he had received; and it was engraved by Mr. John Baker, with Mr. Combe's express permission, in the year 1798, when the worthy Alderman was a Candidate for the high and important office of Lord Mayor of London. The paralytic disorder with which he was long af flicted, though it greatly debilitated his limbs, left his vigorous mind almost wholly unimpaired; till, in June 1817, the wanton and cruel insult he received, by the Resolution of a very thinly-attended Common Hall, had a visible effect on his enfeebled constitution. So unexpected a return for long and faithful services he was but ill prepared to sustain; and he relinquished in consequence his seat in Parliament, and all his civic honours. I am happy to add, that he has left a handsome provision for his numerous Family. The will has been proved by his eldest son, as sole executor; and though the personal effects do not exceed 140,000l. there are real estates sufficient to complete the second plumb. Yours, &c. AN OLD LIVERYMAN. COMPENDIUM OF COUNTY HISTORY. MONMOUTHSHIRE. "I saw young Harry with his beaver on, And witch the world with noble horsemanship. And, all admiring, with an inward wish You would say it had been all-and-all his study: Turn him to any cause of policy, The Gordian knot of it he will unloose Familiar as his garter: that, when he speaks, The air, a charter'd libertine, is still, And the mute wonder lurketh in men's ears What should I say? His deeds exceed all speech: SHAKESPEARE's Henry of Monmouth. SITUATION AND EXTENT. Boundaries. North, Hereford: East, Gloucester: South, the Severn West, Brecon and Glamorgan. Greatest length 33; greatest breadth 26; circumference 110; square 516 miles. Province, Canterbury. Diocese, Llandaff, excepting 3 parishes (Welsh Bicknor, Dixon, and St. Mary's) in Hereford; and 3 (Cwmyoy, Llanthony, and Oldcastle) in St. David's. Circuit, Oxford. British Inhabitants. ANTIENT STATE AND REMAINS. Roman Province. Britannia Secunda. Stations. Blestium, Monmouth: Burrium, Usk: Gobannium, Abergavenny: Isca Silurum (head-quarters GENT. MAG, September, 1818, of of the second legion, and seat of government for Britannia Secunda), Caerleou: Isca Silurum, Caerwent. Saxon Heptarchy. This county, called Gwent or Gwentland, was not subjugated by the Saxons. Antiquities. Roman remains at Caerleon (the walls were 530 yards by 460), and at Caerwent (walls 505 yards by 390).-Inscribed stones at Moins Court and Tredonuoc church." Harold's stones" and "Cryg y Dyrn," tumulus at Trelech, Encampments of Billingstock or the Lodge, Campston, Campwood, Castell Taliurum, Coed y Bunedd, Craig y Gaercyd, Craig y Saesson, Cwrt y gaer, Gaer fawr (the largest in the county), above Mayndec house, Peuros, Pen y Parc newydd, Pen y Pil, Porthskewydd, near Rumney bridge, St. Julian's wood, Sudbrook, Trelech, near Trewyn house, ou Twyn Barlwn, Walterston-Castles of Abergavenny, Caerleon, Caldecot, Castell Glas or Green Castle, CHEPSTOW, Dinham, Grosmout, Llanfair Iscoed, Llangibby, Monmouth, Newport, Pencoed, Penhow, RAGLAND, Scenfrith, Striguil, Usk, and White or Llandeilo.-Abbeys of Gracedieu, Llantarnam, LLANTHONY, and TINTERN. Priories of Goldcliff, Kynemark, Monmouth, and Usk. Churches of Abergavenny, Caerleon, Caldecot, Chepstow (West door a very beautiful receding Saxon arch), Grosmont, Malpas, Newport, Rumney, St. Thomas at Monmouth, and Welsh Bicknor. Wrunston chapel.-Abergavenny bridge 13 arches; The Munnow gate and bridge, Monmouth. Houses of Mathern, Moins Court, Perthir, and Theowen. In Abergavenny church are monuments of Sir William ap Thomas (father of Herbert the first Earl of Pembroke of his family), and of Gladys his wife, daughter of David Gam, and widow of Roger Vaughan. Gam and Vaughan were knighted whilst dying at Agincourt by Henry V., whose life they had preserved by sacrificing their own. Among the monuments of the Herberts, whose original residence was at Werndec near this town, is that of Sir Richard Herbert of Coldbrook, distinguished for his valour at the battle of Banbury, 1469. Caerleon was long the capital of the British dominions, and is described by the bards as equalling Rome in splendour. Geoffrey of Monmouth says, that at the time of the Saxon invasion it contained 200 Astronomers! It was the principal residence of Arthur and his knights, "full famous in Romautic tale." This town was also the metropolitan see of the Britons; and Dubricius, the great opponent of the Pelagian heresy, was its first Archbishop. He was succeeded by David, uncle of the famous Arthur, and the Patron Saint of Wales, who removed the See to Menevia in Pembrokeshire, which has since been called St. David's. At Caerleon were buried St. Aaron and St. Julius, who suffered martyrdom here in the reign of Dioclesian. Llanthony abbey (length 212, breadth 50, transept 100 feet) was built on the hermitage of St. David the Patron of Wales, where, according to Drayton, "He did only drink what chrystal Hodney yields, And fed upon the leeks he gather'd in the fields, The Welchman on his day that sacred herb do wear.” But Shakspeare gives it a later origin, as he makes Fluellin say to Henry V. "Your grandfather of famous memory, and please your Majesty, and your great uncle Edward the Plack Prince of Wales, as I have read in the Chronicles, fought a most prave pattle here in France. If your Majesties is remember'd of it, the Welchmen did goot service in garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps; which, your Majesty knows, is an honourable padge of the service: and, I do believe your Majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day." To which the King replies, "I wear it for a memorable honour: for, I am Welsh, you know, good countryman." Newport castle was erected by Robert Earl of Gloucester, natural son of Henry I. celebrated for his patronage of literature, and for his skill and valour |