also had been begun, but they had all been abandoned, and
we experienced not the slightest resistance.

At length the last eminence only remained to be passed: it is contiguous
to Moscow, which it commands. It is called _The Hill of Salvation_,
because on its summit the inhabitants, at sight of their holy city,
cross and prostrate themselves. Our scouts soon gained the top of this
hill. It was two o'clock: the sun caused this great city to glisten with
a thousand colors. Struck with astonishment at the sight, they paused,
exclaiming, "Moscow! Moscow!" Every one quickened his pace; the troops
hurried on in disorder; and the whole army, clapping their hands,
repeated with transport, "Moscow! Moscow!" just as sailors shout "Land!
land!" at the conclusion of a long and toilsome voyage.

At the sight of this gilded city, of this splendid capital, uniting
Europe and Asia, of this magnificent emporium of the luxury and arts of
the two fairest divisions of the globe, we stood still, in proud
contemplation. What a glorious day had now arrived! It would furnish the
grandest, the most brilliant recollection of our whole lives. We felt at
this moment that all our actions would engage the attention of the
astonished world, and that every movement we made, however trivial,
would be recorded by history.

At that moment dangers and sufferings were all forgotten: was it
possible to purchase too dearly the proud felicity of being able to say
during the rest of life, "I belonged to the army of Moscow!"

Napoleon himself hastened up. He paused in transport: an exclamation of
delight escaped his lips. Ever since the great battle, the discontented
marshals had shunned him; but at the sight of captive Moscow, at the
intelligence of the arrival of a flag of truce, struck with so important
a result, and intoxicated with all the enthusiasm of glory, they forgot
their grievances. They pressed around the emperor, paying homage to his
good fortune, and already tempted to attribute to the foresight of his
genius the little pains he had taken on the 7th to complete his victory.

But in Napoleon, first emotions were of short duration. He had too much
to think of to indulge his sensations for any length of time. His first
exclamation was, "There at last is that famous city!" and the second,
"It was high time!"

His eyes fixed on this capital, already expressed nothing but
impatience: in it he beheld in imagination the whole Russian empire. Its
w