第642章

第642章onemighthavesupposedthatthehistorians,whoascribetheactionsofthemassestothewillofoneman,wouldhavefounditimpossibletoexplaintheretreatofthefrenchontheirtheory,consideringthattheydideverythingpossibleduringthisperiodofthecampaigntobringabouttheirownruin,andthatnotasinglemovementofthatrabbleofmen,fromtheirturningintothekalugaroaduptotheflightofthecommanderfromhisarmy,showedtheslightesttraceofdesign.

butno！mountainsofvolumeshavebeenwrittenbyhistoriansuponthiscampaign,andinallofthemwefindaccountsofnapoleon’smasterlyarrangementsanddeeplyconsideredplans;ofthestrategywithwhichthesoldierswereled,andthemilitarygeniusshowedbythemarshals.

theretreatfrommaleyyaroslavets,whennothinghinderednapoleonfrompassingthroughacountryabundantlyfurnishedwithsupplies,andtheparallelroadwasopentohim,alongwhichkutuzovafterwardspursuedhim—thiswhollyunnecessaryreturnbyaroadthroughdevastatedcountryisexplainedtousasduetovarioussagaciousconsiderations.similarreasonsaregivenusfornapoleon’sretreatfromsmolensktoorsha.thenwehaveadescriptionofhisheroismatkrasnoe,whenheisreportedtohavepreparedtogivebattle,andtotakethecommand,andcomingforwardwithabirchstickinhishand,tohavesaid：

“longenoughihavebeenanemperor,itistimenowtobeageneral！”

yetinspiteofthis,herunsawayimmediatelyafterwards,abandoningthedividedarmyinthereartothehazardsofdestiny.

thenwehavedescriptionsofthegreatnessofsomeofthemarshals,especiallyofney—agreatnessofsoulthatculminatedinhistakingacircuitousroutebytheforestsacrossthednieper,andfleeingwithouthisflags,hisartillery,andnine-tenthsofhismenintoorsha.

andlastly,thefinaldepartureofthegreatemperorfromhisheroicarmyisrepresentedbythehistoriansassomethinggreat—astrokeofgenius.

eventhatfinalactofrunningaway—whichinhomelylanguagewouldbedescribedasthelowestdepthofbaseness,suchaseverychildistaughttofeelashamedof—eventhatactfindsjustificationinthelanguageofthehistorians.

whenitisimpossibletostretchtheelasticthreadofhistoricalargumentfurther,whenanactionisplainlyopposedtowhatallhumanityisagreedincallingrightandjustice,thehistorianstakerefugeintheconceptionofgreatness.greatnesswouldappeartoexcludeallpossibilityofapplyingstandardsofrightandwrong.forthegreatman—nothingiswrong.thereisnoatrocitywhichcouldbemadeagroundforblamingagreatman.

“c’estgrand！”crythehistorians;andatthatwordgoodandbadhaveceasedtobe,andthereareonly“grand”andnot“grand.”“grand”isequivalenttogood,andnot“grand”tobad.tobegrandistotheirnotionsthecharacteristicofcertainexceptionalcreatures,calledbythemheroes.andnapoleon,wrappinghimselfinhiswarmfurcloakandhurryinghomeawayfrommen,whowerenotonlyhiscomrades,but（inhisbelief）broughttherebyhisdoing,feelsquec’estgrand;andhissouliscontent.

“dusublimeauridiculeiln’yaqu’unpas,”hesays（heseessomethinggrandinhimself）.andthewholeworldhasgoneonforfiftyyearsrepeating：sublime！grand！napoleonthegreat.

“dusublimeauridiculeiln’yaqu’unpas.”

anditneverentersanyone’sheadthattoadmitagreatness,immeasurablebytheruleofrightandwrong,isbuttoacceptone’sownnothingnessandimmeasurablelittleness.

forus,withtheruleofrightandwronggivenusbychrist,thereisnothingforwhichwehavenostandard.andthereisnogreatnesswherethereisnotsimplicity,goodness,andtruth.