Byron's epic poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage was published in four parts between 1812 and 1818. The third canto includes a vivid description of the Duchess of Richmond's ball, which took place in Brussels on 15 June 1815. While at the ball, Wellington received word of Napoleon’s advance. The mood of those attending as they heard the news was vividly described by Byron, one of a number of writers to be inspired by the event.