24 MAY 1902, Page 16

THE LEGEND OF WATERLOO.

[TO THE Eorrou OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—One of your correspondents writes (Spectator, May 10th) that if at Waterloo Wellington had had the veteran bands he commanded during the Peninsular War the battle would have been won in four hours. Wellington had seventy thousand veterans at Toulouse, the best trained army the world ever saw, after the army Napoleon headed at Austerlitz, and he failed to dislodge Soult from his position in front of Toulouse, although the latter had only forty thousand raw levies under his order. When these two battles are viewed impartially I think the argument used by your correspondent falls entirely to the ground.—I am, Sir, &c., E. DE LAYRIL