napoleon bonaparte, v11-第3章

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absorbed　him　so　entirely　that　his　character　seemed　entirely　changed。　　Who
could　believe　it？　　To　the　activity　which　drove　him　on；　and；　so　to　speak；
incessantly　devoured　him；　had　succeeded　a　seeming　indifference　which　is
perfectly　indescribable。　　I　saw　him　lie　on　the　sofa　nearly　a　whole　day；
the　table　before　him　covered　with　maps　and　papers　at　which　he　did　not
even　glance；　and　with　no　other　occupation　for　hours　than　slowly　tracing
large　letters　on　sheets　of　white　paper。　　This　was　while　he　was
vacillating　between　his　own　will　and　the　entreaties　of　his　generals。
At　the　end　of　two　days　of　most　painful　suspense　he　yielded；　and　from　that
time　all　was　lost。　　How　much　better　it　would　have　been　had　he　not
listened　to　their　complaints；　but　had　again　allowed　himself　to　be　guided
by　the　presentiments　which　possessed　him！　　He　repeated　often；　with　grief；
while　recalling　the　concessions　he　made　at　that　time；　〃I　should　have
avoided　many　disasters　by　continuing　to　follow　my　own　impulses；　I　failed
only　by　yielding　to　those　of　others。〃

The　order　for　departure　was　given；　and　as　if　the　army　felt　as　much　pride
in　triumphing　over　the　will　of　its　Emperor　as　they　would　have　felt　in
beating　the　enemy　by　obeying　the　dictates　of　his　genius；　they　abandoned
themselves　to　outbursts　of　joy　which　were　almost　beyond　reason。　　Every
countenance　was　radiant。　　〃We　shall　now；〃　they　repeated　on　all　sides；　〃we
shall　now　see　France　again；　embrace　our　children；　our　parents；　and　our
friends！　　The　Emperor　and　Marshal　Augereau　alone　did　not　share　the
general　light…heartedness。　　The　Duke　of　Castiglione　had　just　arrived　at
headquarters；　after　having　in　some　measure　avenged　on　the　army　of
Bohemia；　Vandamme's　defeat。　　He；　like　the　Emperor；　had　dark　presentiments
as　to　the　consequences　of　this　retrograde　movement；　and　knew　that
desertions　on　the　way　would　add　to　the　number　of　the　enemy；　and　were　so
much　the　more　dangerous　since　these　deserters　had　so　recently　been　our
allies　and　knew　our　positions。　　His　Majesty　yielded　with　a　full
conviction　of　the　evil　which　would　result；　and　I　heard　him　at　the　end　of
a　conversation　with　the　marshal　which　had　lasted　more　than　an　hour；　utter
these　words；　〃They　would　have　it　so。〃

The　Emperor　on　his　march　to　Duben　was　at　the　head　of　a　force　which　might
be　estimated　at　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　men。　　He　had　taken
this　direction　with　the　hope　of　finding　Blucher　again　on　the　Mulda；　but
the　Prussian　general　had　recrossed　the　river；　which　contributed　much　to
give　credit　to　a　rumor　which　had　been　circulated　for　some　time。　　It　was
said　that　in　a　council　of　the　allied　sovereigns　held　recently　at　Prague；
and　at　which　Moreau　and　the　Prince　Royal　of　Sweden　were　present；　it　had
been　agreed　that　as　far　as　possible　they　should　avoid　engaging　in　a
battle　whenever　the　Emperor　commanded　his　army　in　person；　and　that
operations　should　be　directed　only　against　smaller　bodies　commanded　by
his　lieutenants。　　It　is　impossible；　certainly；　to　render　more　striking
homage　to　the　superiority　of　the　Emperor's　genius；　but　it　was　at　the　same
time　stopping　him　in　his　glorious　career；　and　paralyzing　his　usually　all…
powerful　action。

However　that　may　be；　the　evil　genius　of　France　having　obtained　the
ascendency　over　the　good　genius　of　the　Emperor；　we　took　the　road　to
Leipzig；　and　reached　it　early　on　the　morning　of　the　15th　of　October。　　At
that　very　moment　the　King　of　Naples　was　in　the　midst　of　an　engagement
with　the　Prince　von　Schwarzenberg；　and　his　Majesty；　on　hearing　the　sound
of　cannon；　crossed　the　town；　and　visited　the　plain　where　the　engagement
was　taking　place。　　On　his　return　he　received　the　royal　family　of　Saxony；
who　had　come　to　join　him。　　During　his　short　stay　at　Leipzig；　the　Emperor
performed　an　act　of　clemency　which　must　undoubtedly　be　considered　most
meritorious　if　we　take　into　consideration　the　gravity　of　the
circumstances　in　which　we　were　placed。　　A　merchant　of　this　city　named
Moldrecht　was　accused　and　convicted　of　having　distributed　among　the
inhabitants；　and　even　in　the　army；　several　thousand　copies　of　a
proclamation　in　which　the　Prince　Royal　of　Sweden　invited　the　Saxons　to
desert　the　cause　of　the　Emperor。　　When　arraigned　before　a　tribunal　of
war；　M。　Moldrecht　could　not　exculpate　himself；　and；　indeed；　this　was　an
impossibility；　since　several　packages　of　the　fatal　proclamation　had　been
found　at　his　residence。　　He　was　condemned　to　death；　and　his　family　in
deep　distress　threw　themselves　at　the　feet　of　the　King　of　Saxony；　but；
the　facts　being　so　evident　and　of　such　a　nature　that　no　excuse　was
possible；　the　faithful　king　did　not　dare　to　grant　indulgence　for　a　crime
committed　even　more　against　his　ally　than　against　himself。　　Only　one
recourse　remained　for　this　unhappy　family；　which　was　to　address　the
Emperor；　but　as　it　was　difficult　to　reach　him；　M。　Leborgne　D'Ideville；
interpreting　secretary；　was　kind　enough　to　undertake　to　place　a　note　on
the　Emperor's　desk；　who　after　reading　it　ordered　a　postponement　which　was
equivalent　to　a　full　pardon。　　Events　followed　in　their　course；　and　the
life　of　M。　Moldrecht　was　saved。

Leipzig；　at　this　period；　was　the　center　of　a　circle　in　which　engagements
took　place　at　numerous　points　and　almost　incessantly。　　Engagements　lasted
during　the　days　of　the　16th；　17th；　and　18th；　and　his　Majesty；　as　a　poor
return　for　his　clemency　towards　M。　Moldrecht；　reaped　the　bitter　fruits　of
the　proclamation　which　had　been　scattered　in　every　direction　through　the
efforts　of　this　merchant。　　On　that　day　the　Saxon　army　deserted　our　cause；
and　reported　to　Bernadotte。　　This　left　the　Emperor　a　force　of　only　one
hundred　and　ten　thousand　men；　with　an　opposing　force　of　three　hundred　and
thirty　thousand；　so　that　if　when　hostilities　were　resumed　we　were　only　as
one　to　two；　we　were　now　only　one　to　three。　　The　day　of　the　18th　was；　as
is　well　known；　the　fatal　day。　　In　the　evening　the　Emperor；　seated　on　a
folding　stool　of　red　morocco　in　the　midst　of　the　bivouac　fires；　was
dictating　to　the　Prince　of　Neuchatel　his　orders　for　the　night；　when　two
commanders　of　artillery　were　presented　to　his　Majesty；　and　gave　him　an
account　of　the　exhausted　condition　of　the　ammunition　chests。　　In　five
days　we　had　discharged　more　than　two　hundred　thousand　cannon…balls；　and
the　ammunition　being　consequently　exhausted　there　was　barely　enough　left
to　maintain　the　fire　for　two　hours　longer；　and　as　the　nearest　supplies
were　at　Madgeburg　and　Erfurt；　whence　it　would　be　impossible　to　obtain
help　in　time；　retreat　was　rendered　absolutely　necessary。

Orders　were　therefore　given　for　a　retreat；　which　began　next　day；　the
19th；　at　the　end　of　a　battle　in　which　three　hundred　thousand　men　had
engaged　in　mortal　combat；　in　a　confined　space　not　more　than　seven　or
eight　leagues　in　circumference。　　Before　leaving　Leipzig；　the　Emperor　gave
to。　　Prince　Poniatowski；　　who　had　just　earned　the　baton　of　a　marshal　of
France；　the　defense　of　one　of　the　faubourgs。　　〃You　will　defend　the
faubourg　on　the　south；〃　said　his　Majesty　to　him。　　〃Sire；〃　replied　the
prince；　〃I　have　very　few　men。〃〃You　will　defend　it　with　those　you　have。〃
〃Ah；　Sire；　we　will　remain；　we　are　all　ready　to　die　for　your　Majesty。〃
The　Emperor；　moved　by　these　words；　held　out　his　arms　to　the　prince；　who
threw　himself　into　them　with　tears　in　his　eyes。　　It　was　really　a　farewell
scene；　for　this　interview　of　the　prince　with　the　Emperor　was　their　last；
and　soon　the　nephew　of　the　last　king　of　Poland　found；　as　we　shall　soon
see；　a　death　equally　as　glorious　as　deplorable　under　the　waves　of　the
Elster。

　　　　　＇Prince　Joseph　Anthony　Poniatowski；　born　at　Warsaw；　1762。　　Nephew
　　　　　of　Stanislas　Augustus；　the　last　king　of　Poland。　　He　commanded　the
　　　　　Polish　army　against　Russia；　1792；　and　served　under　Kosciuszko；　1794。
　　　　　He　led　an　army　of　Poles　under　Napoleon；　1807　and　1809；　and　commanded
　　　　　a　corps　in　the　Russian　campaign。　　Had　Napoleon　succeeded　in　that
　　　　　campaign；　Poniatowski　would　have　been　made　king　of　Poland。　　Wounded；
　　　　　and　made　a　marshal　at　Liepzig；　he　was　drowned　on　the　retreat。＇

At　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　the　Emperor　took　leave　of　the　royal　family
of　Saxony。　　The　interview　was　short；　but　distressing　and　most
affectionate　on　the　p