imagined that he was setting out for a most desperate contest. He
settled himself for the night, with the 6,400 guards which still
remained to him, at Staroi-Borizof, a chateau belonging to Prince
Radzivil, situated on the right of the road from Borizof to Studzianka,
and equidistant from these two points.

He passed the remainder of that night on his feet, going out every
moment, either to listen, or to repair to the passage where his destiny
was accomplishing; for the magnitude of his anxieties so completely
filled his hours, that as each revolved, he fancied that it was morning.
Several times he was reminded of his mistake by his attendants.

Darkness had scarcely disappeared when he joined Oudinot. The sight of
danger tranquillized him, as it always did; but on seeing the Russian
fires and their position, his most determined generals, such as Rapp,
Mortier, and Ney, exclaimed, "that if the Emperor escaped this danger,
they must absolutely believe in the influence of his star!" Murat
himself thought it was now time to think of nothing but saving Napoleon.
Some of the Poles proposed it to him.

The Emperor was waiting for the approach of daylight in one of the
houses on the borders of the river, on a steep bank which was crowned
with Oudinot's artillery. Murat obtained access to him; he declared to
his brother-in-law, "that he looked upon the passage as impracticable;
he urged him to save his person while it was yet time. He informed him
that he might, without any danger, cross the Berezina a few leagues
above Studzianka; that in five days he would reach Wilna; that some
brave and determined Poles, perfectly acquainted with all the roads, had
offered themselves for his guards, and to be responsible for his
safety."

But Napoleon rejected this proposition as an infamous plan, as a
cowardly flight, and was indignant that any one should dare to think for
a moment that he would abandon his army, so long as it was in danger. He
was not, however, at all displeased with Murat, probably because that
prince had afforded him an opportunity of showing his firmness, or
rather because he saw nothing in his proposal but a mark of devotion,
and because the first quality in the eyes of sovereigns is attachment to
their persons.

At that moment the appearance of daylight made the Russian fires grow
pale and disappear. Our troops stood to their arms, the artillerymen
placed themselves by their pieces, the generals were observing