第421章

第421章atthetimewhenthiswastakingplaceinpetersburg,thefrenchhadpassedthroughsmolensk,andweremovingcloserandclosertomoscow.napoleon’shistorian,thiers,likeothersofnapoleon’shistorians,triestojustifyhisherobymaintainingthathewasdrawnontothewallsofmoscowagainsthiswill.heisasrightasanyhistorianswhoseektheexplanationofhistoriceventsinthewillofaman;heisasrightastherussianhistorians,whoassertthatnapoleonwasluredtomoscowbytheskilfulstrategyoftherussiangenerals.inthiscase,apartfromthelawof“retrospectiveness,”whichmakesallthepastappearapreparationforthesubsequentfacts,theelementofmutualinteraction,too,comesin,confusingthewholesubject.agoodchess-player,whohaslostagame,isgenuinelyconvincedthathisfailureisduetohisblunders,andheseekstheblunderatthecommencementofthegame,forgettingthatateverymoveduringthewholegamethereweresimilarerrors,thatnotonepiecehasbeenplayedasperfectlyaspossible.theblunderonwhichheconcentrateshisattentionattractshisnoticesimplybecausehisopponenttookadvantageofit.howmuchmorecomplexisthegameofwar,whichmustbeplayedwithincertainlimitsoftime,inwhichthereisnotonewillcontrollinglifelesstoys,inwhichthewholeistheresultantoftheinnumerablecollisionsofdiverseindividualwills！

aftersmolensk,napoleontriedtoforceonabattlebeyonddorogobuzh,atvyazma,andthenattsarevo-zaimishtche.buttherussianscouldnotgivebattle,owingtoinnumerablecombinationsofcircumstances,tillborodino,onehundredandtwelveverstsfrommoscow.fromvyazmanapoleongaveinstructionsforanadvancestraightuponmoscow.

“moscow,theasiaticcapitalofthisgreatempire,theholycityofthepeoplesofalexander,moscow,withitsinnumerablechurchesintheformofchinesepagodas！”

thismoscowwouldnotletnapoleon’simaginationrest.onthemarchfromvyazmatotsarevo-zaimishtchenapoleonwasridingonhiscream-colouredenglishhorse,accompaniedbyhisguards,andsentinels,andpages,andadjutants.thecommanderofthestaff,berthier,haddroppedbehindtoputquestionstoarussianprisonertakenbythecavalry.accompaniedbytheinterpreter,lelormed’ideville,hegallopedafternapoleon,andpulledhishorseupwithanamusedexpression.

“well？”saidnapoleon.

“acossackofplatov’sdetachmentsaysplatoviseffectingajunctionwiththemainarmy,andthatkutuzovhasbeenappointedcommander-in-chief.heisveryshrewdandtalkative.”

napoleonsmiled,andbadethemgivethecossackahorseandbringhimbeforehim.hewishedtotalktohimhimself.severaladjutantsgallopedoff,andwithinanhourdenisov’sserflavrushka,whomhismasterhadleftwithrostov,rodeuptonapoleon,sittingonafrenchcavalrysaddle,wearinganorderly’sshortjacket,andlookingsly,tipsy,andmirthful.napoleonbadehimrideathissideandbeganquestioninghim.

“areyouacossack？”

“yes;acossack,yourhonour.”