by ministers who could tell him immediately, at any hour of the day, the position of each man in the morning or at night, whether alone or not, whether with his colours, or in the hospital, or on leave of absence, or wherever else he might be, and that from Moscow to Paris—­to such a degree of perfection had the science of military administration been brought, so experienced and well chosen were the officers, and so much was required by their commander.

But eleven days had now elapsed; still Alexander was silent, and still did Napoleon hope to overcome his rival in obstinacy:  thus losing the time which he ought to have gained, and which is always serviceable to defence against attack.

From this period all his actions indicated to the Russians still more strongly than at Witepsk, that their mighty foe was resolved to fix himself in the heart of their empire.  Moscow, though in ashes, received an intendant and municipalities.  Orders were issued to provision it for the winter.  A theatre was formed amidst the ruins.  The first-rate actors of Paris were said to have been sent for.  An Italian singer strove to reproduce in the Kremlin the evening entertainments of the Tuileries.  By such means Napoleon expected to dupe a government, which the habit of reigning over error and ignorance had rendered an adept in all these deceptions.

He was himself sensible of the inadequacy of these means, and yet September was past, October had begun.  Alexander had not deigned to reply! it was an affront! he was exasperated.  On the 3d of October, after a night of restlessness and anger, he summoned his marshals.  “Come in,” said he, as soon as he perceived them, “hear the new plan which I have conceived; Prince Eugene, read it.”  They listened.  “We must burn the remains of Moscow, march by Twer to Petersburg, where we shall be joined by Macdonald.  Murat and Davoust will form the rear-guard.”—­The Emperor, all animation, fixed his sparkling eyes on his generals, whose frigid and silent countenances expressed nothing but astonishment.

Then exalting himself in order to rouse them—­“What!” said he, “and are you not inflamed by this idea?  Was there ever so great a military achievement?  Henceforth this conquest is the only one that is worthy of us!  With what glory we shall be covered, and what will the whole world say, when it learns that in three months we have conquered the two great capitals of the North!”

But Davoust, as well as Daru, objected to him, “the season, the want of supplies, a sterile desert and artificial road, that from Twer to Petersburg, running for a hundred leagues through morasses, and which three hundred peasants might in one day render impassable.  Why keep proceeding northward? why go to meet winter, to provoke and to defy it?—­it was already too near; and what was to become of the six thousand wounded still in Moscow? were they then to be left to the mercy of Kutusoff?  That general would not fail to follow close at our heels.  We should have at once to attack and to defend ourselves, and to march, as though we were fleeing to a conquest.”