第652章

第652章in1812and1813kutuzovwasopenlyaccusedofblunders.thetsarwasdissatisfiedwithhim.andinarecenthistoryinspiredbypromptingsfromthehighestquarters,kutuzovisspokenofasadesigning,intriguingschemer,whowaspanic-strickenatthenameofnapoleon,andguiltythroughhisblundersatkrasnoeandberezinaofrobbingtherussianarmyofthegloryofcompletevictoryoverthefrench.suchisthelotofmennotrecognisedbyrussianintelligenceas“greatmen,”grandshommes;suchisthedestinyofthoserareandalwayssolitarymenwhodiviningthewillofprovidencesubmittheirpersonalwilltoit.thehatredandcontemptofthecrowdisthepunishmentofsuchmenfortheircomprehensionofhigherlaws.

strangeandterribletosay,napoleon,themostinsignificanttoolofhistory,whonevereveninexiledisplayedonetraitofhumandignity,isthesubjectoftheadmirationandenthusiasmoftherussianhistorians;intheireyesheisagrandhomme.

kutuzov,themanwhofromthebeginningtotheendofhiscommandin1812,fromborodinotovilna,wasneverinonewordordeedfalsetohimself,presentsanexampleexceptionalinhistoryofself-sacrificeandrecognitioninthepresentoftherelativevalueofeventsinthefuture.kutuzovisconceivedofbythehistoriansasanondescript,pitifulsortofcreature,andwhenevertheyspeakofhimintheyear1812,theyseemalittleashamedofhim.

andyetitisdifficulttoconceiveofanhistoricalcharacterwhoseenergycouldbemoreinvariablydirectedtothesameunchangingaim.itisdifficulttoimagineanaimmorenobleandmoreinharmonywiththewillofawholepeople.stillmoredifficultwoulditbetofindanexampleinhistorywheretheaimofanyhistoricalpersonagehasbeensocompletelyattainedastheaimtowardswhichallkutuzov’seffortsweredevotedin1812.

kutuzovnevertalkedof“fortycenturieslookingdownfromthepyramids,”ofthesacrificeshewasmakingforthefatherland,ofwhathemeanttodoorhaddone.hedidnotasaruletalkabouthimself,playednosortofpart,alwaysseemedtheplainestandmostordinaryman,andsaidtheplainestandmostordinarythings.hewroteletterstohisdaughtersandtomadamedesta？l,readnovels,likedthecompanyofprettywomen,madejokeswiththegenerals,theofficers,andthesoldiers,andnevercontradictedthepeople,whotriedtoproveanythingtohim.whencountrastoptchingallopeduptohimatyautskybridge,andreproachedhimpersonallywithbeingresponsibleforthelossofmoscow,andsaid：“didn’tyoupromisenottoabandonmoscowwithoutabattle？”kutuzovanswered：“andiamnotabandoningmoscowwithoutabattle,”althoughmoscowwasinfactalreadyabandoned.whenaraktcheevcametohimfromthetsartosaythatyermolovwastobeappointedtothecommandoftheartillery,kutuzovsaid：“yes,iwasjustsayingsomyself,”thoughhehadsaidjusttheoppositeamomentbefore.whathadhe,theonemanwhograspedatthetimeallthevastissuesofevents,todointhemidstofthatdull-wittedcrowd？whatdidhecarewhethercountrastoptchinputdownthedisastersofthecapitaltohimortohimself？stilllesscouldhebeconcernedbythequestionwhichmanwasappointedtothecommandoftheartillery.

thisoldman,whothroughexperienceoflifehadreachedtheconvictionthatthethoughtsandwordsthatserveasitsexpressionareneverthemotiveforceofmen,frequentlyutteredwords,whichwerequitemeaningless—thefirstwordsthatoccurredtohismind.