ow confounded with the mass of disbanded
men who had come from Moscow.

The whole still formed sixty thousand men, but without the least order
or unity. All marched pell-mell, cavalry, infantry, artillery, French
and Germans: there was no longer either wing or centre. The artillery
and carriages drove on through this tumultuous crowd with no other
instructions than to proceed as rapidly as possible.

On the 3d of December Napoleon arrived in the morning at
Malodeczno,[176] which was the last point where the Russian general,
Tchitchakoff was likely to get the start of him. Some provisions were
found there, the forage was abundant, the day beautiful, the sun bright,
and the cold bearable. There also the couriers, who had been so long
kept back, arrived all at once. The Poles were immediately directed
onward to Warsaw through Olita, and the dismounted cavalry by Merecz to
the Niemen; while the rest of the army was to follow the high road,
which they had again regained.

Up to that time Napoleon seemed to have entertained no idea of quitting
his army. But about the middle of that day he suddenly informed Daru and
Duroc of his determination to set off immediately for Paris.

Daru did not see the necessity of it. He objected "that the
communication with France was again opened, and the most dangerous
crisis passed; and that at every retrograde step he would now be meeting
the re-enforcements sent him from Paris and from Germany." The emperor's
reply was, "that he no longer felt himself sufficiently strong to leave
Prussia between him and France. And besides, what necessity was there
for his remaining at the head of a routed army? Murat and Eugene would
be sufficient to direct it, and Ney to cover its retreat.

"His return to France had become indispensable, in order to secure her
tranquillity and to summon her to arms; to take measures there for
keeping the Germans steady in their fidelity to him; and, finally, to
return with fresh and adequate forces to the assistance of his Grand
Army.

"But, in order to effect these objects, it was necessary that he should
travel alone over four hundred leagues of the territories of his allies:
and that he might do so without danger, his resolution should be there
unforeseen, his passage unknown, and the rumor of his disastrous retreat
still uncertain; that he would, in short, precede the news of it, and
anticipate the effect it might produce on them, and the defections to
which it