"THE PLAINS OF WATERLOO."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9322, 24 August 1908, Page 2

"THE PLAINS OF WATERLOO."

A QUAINT OLD BALLAD. June 16 marked the anniversary of Quatre Bras. The following ballad, which was written by a sokiier in one of the Highland regiments, will be new to most readers. Each corps had a poet, and history tells how Sergeant Anton, of the 42nd, kept a journal in verse of all he saw during the Peninsula war. On the sixteenth day of June, my boys, In Flanders, where wo la}-, Our bugles the alarm did sound Before the- break of day. The British, Belgians, Brun3wickers, And Hanoverians, too, All Brussels left that morning For the plains of Waterloo. By a forced march we did advance Tiil three in the afternoon; Each British heart with ardour burned To pull th© tyrant down. At Quatre Bras we met the French. — Their form to us was new, For in steel armour they were clad On the plains of Waterloo. Napoleon to his men did say, Before the fight began, " My heroes, if this day we lone, Our nation is undone; The Prussians we've already beat, We'll beat the British, too. And display victorious eagles On the field of Waterloo." . Our. immortal .hero, Wellington.' No speech to us did ma-ke; • W«- were Peninsular heroes, . And oft had made them quake ; At Vittoria and Salamanca, . Toulouse and Burgos, too, They beheld their former conquerors On the plains of Waterloo. In bright array Britannia stead And viewed her sons that day, Then to her much-loved hero went. And thus to him did say: " If you the wreath of laurel grasp From yon usurpers brow, Through ages a-11 shall you be cal'ed The Prince of Waterloo." The bloody fight then soon began, The cannon loud did roar; We being short of cavalry, They pressed on u& dull sore; Three British cheers we gave them, With volleys' not a few, "Which. made them wish themselves in France, And far from Waterloo. For four full hours cr longer Wo sustained the bloody fray, And during a long- and l darksome night Upon our arms we lay; , The orders of our General Next day we did pursue, And retired in files' for near six miles To the plains of Waterloo. Thia day both armies kept their ground, And 1 soarce a shet was fired; The French did boast a- victory gained Beoause we had retired. This splendid act of generalship Them from their strongholds drew. Then we'd some share of fighting fair On the plains of Waterloo. On the eighteenth, in tie mori:iug. Both armies did advance; On this side stood brave Albion's sons, On that th© pricte of France; The fate of Europe in his hands, Each man his sabre drew, And "Death or victory!" was the word On the plains of Waterloo. Upon our right, they did begin Prince Jerome led the van; The Imperial Guards and' Cuirassiers Thought none could them withstand; But British steel soon made them yield, Though our numbers were but few ; Prisoners we made, but more lay dead On the plains of Waterloo. Then to our left they bent their course In disappointed rage; The Belgian line fought for a- time. But could not stand' the clmrge : Then Ca-ledone took up her drone. And loud her chanter blew— Played Marechal Ney a new strathspey To the tune of Waterloo. Before tlie tune was half played o'er Tiro French had danced their fill; Ten thousand of her warriors Lay dead upon the field; Ten thousand prisoners we took, Imperial eagles, too; Oh British valour was displayed On the plains of Waterloo. A health to George, our Royal King! Long nifly h«. live to r*i*rn ! Likewise the Duke of Wellington, That noble son of EnnF Two years they added' to our time. With pay and pension 100. And now we are recorded all As " men of Waterloo. (For many years after the battle or Waterloo thr«» verses were in great favour with the street Tjaljad-inoiirere, who sang them— alone with last dying speeches " and other such hteratnre Z_nTitil the cheapening of nempaners in the fifties gradually put an end to their occupation.)