y; but," he added, "that whatever judgment the world might
form of his conduct, he was not at all uneasy about; that his duty to
his troops, and the most mature reflexion, had dictated it to him; that,
finally, whatever might be the appearances, he was actuated by the
purest motives."

Massenbach excused himself for his clandestine departure. "He had wished
to spare himself a sensation which his heart felt too painfully. He had
dreaded, lest the sentiments of respect and esteem which he should
preserve to the end of his life for Macdonald, should have prevented him
from doing his duty."

Macdonald saw all at once his force reduced from twenty-nine thousand to
nine thousand, but in the state of anxiety in which he had been living
for the last two days, any termination to it was a relief.

CHAP. IX.

Thus commenced the defection of our allies. I shall not venture to set
myself up as a judge of the morality of this event; posterity will
decide upon it. As a contemporaneous historian, however, I conceive
myself bound not only to state the facts, but also the impression they
have left, and such as it still remains, in the minds of the principal
leaders of the two corps of the allied army, either as actors or
sufferers.

The Prussians only waited for an opportunity to break our alliance,
which was forced upon them; when the moment arrived, they embraced it.
Not only, however, did they refuse to betray Macdonald, but they did not
even wish to quit him, until they had, as it may be said, drawn him out
of Russia and placed him in safety. On his side, when Macdonald became
sensible that he was abandoned, but without having positive proofs of
it, he obstinately remained at Tilsit, at the mercy of the Prussians,
sooner than give them a motive of defection, by too speedy a retreat.

The Prussians did not abuse this noble conduct. There was defection on
their part, but no treachery; which, in this age, and after the evils
they had endured, may still appear meritorious; they did not join
themselves with the Russians. When they arrived on their own frontier,
they could not resign themselves to aid their conqueror in defending
their native soil against those who came in the character of their
deliverers, and who were so; they became neutral, and this was not, I
must repeat, until Macdonald, disengaged from Russia and the Russians,
had his retreat free.

This marshal continued it from Koenigsberg, by Labiau and Tente. His