s the
occasion, excited him in vain: he could not induce him to stir.
Transported with indignation, he called him traitor, and declared that
he would instantly despatch one of his Englishmen full speed to
Petersburg, to denounce his treason to his Emperor and his allies.

This threat had no effect on Kutusoff; he persisted in remaining
inactive; either because to the frost of age was superadded that of
winter, and that in his shattered frame his mind was depressed by the
sight of so many ruins; or that, from another effect of old age, a
person becomes prudent when he has scarcely any thing to risk, and a
temporiser when he has no more time to lose. He seemed still to be of
opinion, as at Malo-Yaroslawetz, that the Russian winter alone could
overthrow Napoleon; that this genius, the conqueror of men, was not yet
sufficiently conquered by Nature; that it was best to leave to the
climate the honour of that victory, and to the Russian atmosphere the
work of vengeance.

Miloradowitch, left to himself, then tried to break the French line of
battle; but he could not penetrate it except by his fire, which made
dreadful havoc in it. Eugene and Davoust were growing weak; and as they
heard another action in the rear of their right, they imagined that the
rest of the Russian army was approaching Wiazma by the Yuknof road, the
outlet of which Ney was defending.

It was only an advanced-guard: but they were alarmed at the noise of
this fight in the rear of their own, threatening their retreat. The
action had lasted ever since seven in the morning; night was
approaching; the baggage must by this time have got away; the French
generals therefore began to retire.

This retrograde movement increased the ardour of the enemy, and but for
a memorable effort of the 25th, 57th, and 85th regiments, and the
protection of a ravine, Davoust's corps would have been broken, turned
by its right, and destroyed. Prince Eugene, who was not so briskly
attacked, was able to effect his retreat more rapidly through Wiazma;
but the Russians followed him thither, and had penetrated into the town,
when Davoust, pursued by twenty thousand men, and overwhelmed by eighty
pieces of cannon, attempted to pass in his turn.

Morand's division first entered the town: it was marching on with
confidence, under the idea that the action was over, when the Russians,
who were concealed by the windings of the streets, suddenly fell upon
it. The surprise was complete an