ient.

Still no answer was received from Alexander. The uneasiness of Napoleon
increased, and his means of distraction diminished. The activity of his
genius, accustomed to the government of all Europe, had nothing
wherewith to occupy itself but the management of one hundred thousand
men; and then, the organization of his army was so perfect, that this
was scarcely any occupation. Here every thing was fixed; he held all the
wires in his hand: he was surrounded by ministers who could tell him
immediately, at any hour of the day, the position of each man in the
morning or at night, whether alone or not, whether with his colours, or
in the hospital, or on leave of absence, or wherever else he might be,
and that from Moscow to Paris--to such a degree of perfection had the
science of military administration been brought, so experienced and well
chosen were the officers, and so much was required by their commander.

But eleven days had now elapsed; still Alexander was silent, and still
did Napoleon hope to overcome his rival in obstinacy: thus losing the
time which he ought to have gained, and which is always serviceable to
defence against attack.

From this period all his actions indicated to the Russians still more
strongly than at Witepsk, that their mighty foe was resolved to fix
himself in the heart of their empire. Moscow, though in ashes, received
an intendant and municipalities. Orders were issued to provision it for
the winter. A theatre was formed amidst the ruins. The first-rate actors
of Paris were said to have been sent for. An Italian singer strove to
reproduce in the Kremlin the evening entertainments of the Tuileries. By
such means Napoleon expected to dupe a government, which the habit of
reigning over error and ignorance had rendered an adept in all these
deceptions.

He was himself sensible of the inadequacy of these means, and yet
September was past, October had begun. Alexander had not deigned to
reply! it was an affront! he was exasperated. On the 3d of October,
after a night of restlessness and anger, he summoned his marshals. "Come
in," said he, as soon as he perceived them, "hear the new plan which I
have conceived; Prince Eugene, read it." They listened. "We must burn
the remains of Moscow, march by Twer to Petersburg, where we shall be
joined by Macdonald. Murat and Davoust will form the rear-guard."--The
Emperor, all animation, fixed his sparkling eyes on his generals, whose
frigid and silent c