Bruxelles, 15th June, 1815

The 3rd Division to move upon Quatre Bras immediately.

Wellington

Meanwhile some Dutch and Belgian generals in Wellington’s Army had discovered for themselves that the French were at Quatre Bras and were on their way there with the 2nd Netherlands Division. Consequently these generals (whose names were Rebecq and Perponcher) were more annoyed than enlightened when a great mass of songbirds alighted in the trees all around and began to sing:

The Duke’s ideas let us expound

At Quatre Bras the French are found

All his troops must gather round

To the crossroads all are bound

“Yes, yes! We know!” cried General Perponcher, gesturing at the birds to shoo them away. “Be off, d—you!” But the birds only flew closer and some actually settled upon his shoulders and horse. They continued singing in the most officious manner possible:

There reputations will be made

The Duke commands: be not afraid!

All the army’s plans are laid

Go quickly now with your brigade!

The birds accompanied the soldiers for all the remainder of the day, never ceasing for a moment to twitter and cheep the same aggravating song. General Rebecq – whose English was excellent – managed to catch hold of one of them and tried to teach it a new song, in the hopes that it might return to Jonathan Strange and sing it to him:

The Duke’s magician must be kicked

From Bruxelles to Maastricht

For playing tricks on honest men

To Maastricht and back again²

At six o’clock Strange returned Brussels to European soil. Immediately those regiments which had been quartered inside the city marched out of the Namur Gate and down the road that led to Quatre Bras. That done, Strange was able to make his own preparations for war. He collected together his silver dish; half a dozen books of magic; a pair of pistols; a light summer coat with a number of unusually deep pockets; a dozen hard-boiled eggs; three flasks of brandy; some pieces of pork pie wrapped in paper; and a very large silk umbrella.

The next morning, with these necessaries stowed in various places about his person and his horse, he rode with the Duke and his staff up to the crossroads at Quatre Bras. Several thousand Allied troops were assembled there now, but the French had yet to shew themselves. From time to time there was the sound of a musket, but it was scarcely more than you would hear in any English wood where gentlemen are shooting.

Strange was looking about him when a songthrush alighted upon his shoulder and began to chirrup:

The Duke’s ideas let us expound

At Quatre Bras the French are found …

“What?” muttered Strange. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to have disappeared hours ago!” He made Ormskirk’s sign to disperse a magic spell and the bird flew off. In fact, rather to his consternation, a whole flock of birds took flight at the same moment. He glanced round nervously to see if any one had noticed that he had bungled the magic; but everyone seemed busy with military concerns and he concluded they had not.