第535章

第535章moscowwaswithoutitsinhabitants，andthesoldiersweresuckedupinher，likewaterintosand，astheyflowedawayirresistiblyinalldirectionsfromthekremlin，whichtheyhadenteredfirst.cavalrysoldierswhohadenteredamerchant’shouseabandonedwithallitsbelongings，andfindingstablingfortheirhorsesandtospare，yetwentontotakethehousenextdoor，whichseemedtothembetter.manytookseveralhouses，chalkingtheirnamesonthem，andquarrelledandevenfoughtwithothercompaniesfortheirpossession.soldiershadnosoonereededinsecuringquartersthantheyranalongthestreettolookatthetown，andonhearingthateverythinghadbeenabandoned，hurriedoffwhereobjectsofvaluecouldbecarriedofffornothing.theofficersfollowedtocheckthesoldiers，andwereinvoluntarilyluredintodoingthesame.incarriagerowshopshadbeenabandonedstockedwithcarriages，andthegeneralsflockedthithertochoosecoachesandcarriagesforthemselves.thefewinhabitantswhohadstayedoninvitedtheofficersintotheirhouses，hopingtherebytosecurethemselvesagainstbeingrobbed.wealththerewasinabundance：thereseemednoendtoit.everywhereallroundthepartsoccupiedbythefrenchtherewereunexploredregionsupiedbeyond，inwhichthefrenchfanciedtherewereevenmorerichestobefound.andmoscowabsorbedthemfurtherandfurtherintoherself.justaswhenwaterflowsoverdryland，wateranddrylandalikedisappearandarelostinmud，sowhenthehungryarmyenteredthewealthy，desertedcity，thearmyandthewealthofthecitybothperished；andfiresandmaraudingbandssprangupwheretheyhadbeen.

thefrenchascribedtheburningofmoscowaupatriotismeférocederastoptchine；therussianstothesavageryofthefrench.inreality，explanationsofthefireofmoscow，inthesenseoftheconflagrationbeingbroughthometothedoorofanyonepersonorgroupofpersons，therehaveneverbeen，andnevercouldbe.moscowwasburnedbecauseshewasplacedinconditionsinwhichanytownbuiltofwoodwasboundtobeburned，quiteapartfromthequestionwhethertherewereorwerenotonehundredandthirtyinefficientfire-enginesinthetown.moscowwassuretobeburned，becauseherinhabitantshadgoneaway，asinevitablyasaheapofstrawissuretobeburnedwheresparksarescatteredonitforseveraldaysinession.atownofwoodenhouses，inwhichwhenthepoliceandtheinhabitantsowningthehousesareinpossessionofit，firesareofdailyoccurrence，cannotescapebeingburnedwhenitsinhabitantsaregoneanditisfilledwithsoldierssmokingpipes，makingfiresinsenate-housesquareofthesenate-housechairs，andcookingthemselvesmealstwiceaday.intimesofpeace，whenevertroopsarequarteredonvillagesinanydistrict，thenumberoffiresinthedistrictatonceincreases.howgreatlymustthelikelihoodoffiresbeincreasedinanabandonedtown，builtofwood，andoccupiedbyforeignsoldiers！lepatriotismeférocederastoptchineandthesavageryofthefrenchdonotcomeintothequestion.moscowwasburnedthroughthepipes，thekitchenstoves，andcamp-fires，throughtherecklessnessoftheenemy’ssoldiers，wholivedinthehouseswithoutthecareofhouseholders.eveniftherewerecasesofincendiarism（whichisverydoubtful，becausenoonehadanyreasonforincendiarism，andinanycasesuchacrimeisatroublesomeanddangerousone），thereisnoneedtoacceptincendiarismasthecause，fortheconflagrationwouldhavebeeninevitableanywaywithoutit.

soothingasitwastothevanityofthefrenchtothrowtheblameontheferocityofrastoptchin，andtothatoftherussianstothrowtheblameonthemiscreantbonaparte，orlaterontoplacetheheroictorchinthehandofitspatriotpeasantry，wecannotdisguisefromourselvesthattherecouldbenosuchdirectcauseofthefire，sincemoscowwasascertaintobeburnedasanyvillage，factory，orhouseforsakenbyitsowners，andusedasatemporaryshelterandcooking-placebystrangers.moscowwasburnedbyherinhabitants，itistrue；butnotbytheinhabitantswhohadlingeredon，butbytheinhabitantswhohadabandonedher.moscowdidnot，likeberlin，vienna，andothertowns，escapeharmwhileintheoccupationoftheenemy，simplybecauseherinhabitantsdidnotreceivethefrenchwiththekeys，andthebreadandsaltofwelcome，butabandonedher.