particular class of beings, at whom they
would not look but with astonishment, to whom they would not listen but
with mingled curiosity and admiration! Crowds would throng about us
wherever we passed; they would catch up our most unmeaning words. This
miraculous conquest would surround us with a halo of glory: henceforward
people would fancy that they breathed about us an air of prodigy and
wonder.

When these proud thoughts gave place to more moderate sentiments, we
said to ourselves, that this was the promised term of our labours; that
at length we should pause, since we could no longer be surpassed by
ourselves, after a noble expedition, the worthy parallel to that of
Egypt, and the successful rival of all the great and glorious wars of
antiquity.

At that moment, dangers, 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!"

Well, comrades, even now, amidst our abasement, and though it dates from
that fatal city, is not this reflexion of a noble exultation
sufficiently powerful to console us, and to make us proudly hold up our
heads, bowed down by misfortune?

Napoleon himself hastened up. He paused in transport: an exclamation of
joy 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 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 that capital, already expressed nothing but
impatience: in it he beheld in imagination the whole Russian empire. Its
walls enclosed all his hopes,--peace, the expenses of the war, immortal
glory: his eager looks therefore intently watched all its outlets. When
will its gates at length open? When shall he see that deputation come
forth, which will place its wealth, its population, its senate, and the
principal of the Russian nobility at our di