第495章

第495章theywentawaybecausetorussiansthequestionwhethertheywouldbecomfortableornotunderthegovernmentofthefrenchinmoscowcouldneveroccur.tobeunderthegovernmentofthefrenchwasoutofthequestion;itwasworsethananything.theyweregoingawayevenbeforeborodino,andstillmorerapidlyafterborodino;regardlessofthecallstodefendthecity,regardlessoftheproclamationsofthegovernorofmoscow;ofhisintentionofgoingwiththeiverskyvirginintobattle,andoftheair-balloonswhichweretodemolishthefrench,andallthenonsensewithwhichrastoptchinfilledhisplacards.theyknewthatitwasforthearmytofight,andifthearmycouldnot,itwouldbeofnousetorushoutwithyoungladiesandhouse-serfstofightnapoleononthethreehills,andsotheymustmakehasteandgetaway,sorryastheyweretoleavetheirpossessionstodestruction.theydroveawaywithoutathoughtofthevastconsequencesofthisimmensewealthycitybeingabandonedbyitsinhabitants,andbeinginevitablytherebyconsignedtotheflames.toabstainfromdestroyingandburningemptyhouseswouldneveroccurtotherussianpeasantry.theydroveaway,eachonhisownaccount,andyetitwasonlyinconsequenceoftheiractionthatthegrandeventcametopassthatisthehighestgloryoftherussianpeople.theladywhoinjunesetoffwithhernegroesandherbuffoonsfrommoscowforhersaratovestates,withavaguefeelingthatshewasnotgoingtobeaservantofbonaparte’s,andavaguedreadthatshemightbehinderedfromgoingbyrastoptchin’sorders,wassimplyandgenuinelydoingthegreatdeedthatsavedrussia.

countrastoptchinatonetimecriedshameonthosewhoweregoing,thenremovedallthepublicoffices,thenservedoutuselessweaponstothedrunkenrabble,thenbroughtouttheholyimages,andpreventedfatheraugustinfromremovingtheholyrelicsandimages,thengotholdofalltheprivateconveyancesthatwereinmoscow,theninonehundredandthirty-sixcartscarriedouttheair-balloonmadebyleppich,atonetimehintedthatheshouldsetfiretomoscow,atonetimedescribedhowhehadburnthisownhouse,andwroteaproclamationtothefrenchinwhichhesolemnlyreproachedthemfordestroyingthehomeofhischildhood.heclaimedthecreditofhavingsetfiretomoscow,thendisavowedit;hecommandedthepeopletocaptureallspies,andbringthemtohim,thenblamedthepeoplefordoingso;hesentallthefrenchresidentsoutofmoscow,andthenletmadameaubert-chalmey,whoformedthecentreoffrenchsocietyinmoscow,remain.fornoparticularreasonheorderedtherespectedoldpostmaster,klucharov,tobeseizedandbanished.hegotthepeopletogetheronthethreehillstofightthefrench,andthen,togetridofthem,handedamanovertothemtomurder,andescapedhimselfbythebackdoor.hevowedhewouldneversurvivethedisasterofmoscow,andlateronwrotefrenchversesinalbumsonhisshareintheaffair.

thismanhadnoinklingoftheimportofwhatwashappening.allhewantedwastodosomethinghimself,toastonishpeople,toperformsomeheroicfeatofpatriotism,and,likeachild,hefrolickedaboutthegrandandinevitableeventoftheabandonmentandburningofmoscow,tryingwithhispunyhandfirsttourgeon,andthentoholdback,thetideofthevastpopularcurrentthatwasbearinghimalongwithit.