The French guards had kindled a large fire at a small distance from the house.  The wind, being high, drove not only sparks but great flakes of fire towards it.  The whole court-yard was covered with straw, which was liable every moment to set us all in flames.  I represented this circumstance to an officer of high rank, and observed that the emperor himself would be exposed to very great risk; on which he ordered a grenadier belonging to the guards to go and direct it to be put out immediately.  This man, an excessively grim fellow, refused without ceremony to carry the order.  “They are my comrades,” said he:  “it is cold—­they must have a fire, and dare not go too far off—­I cannot desire them to put it out.”—­What was to be done?  I bethought myself of the duke of Vicenza, and applied directly to him.  My representations produced the desired effect.  He gave orders, and in a quarter of an hour the fire was out.  I was equally fortunate in saving a building situated near the house.  It had been but lately constructed and fitted up.  The young guard were on the point of pulling it down, with the intention of carrying the wood to their bivouacs.  Their design was instantly prevented, and one single piece of timber only was destroyed.  A guard was sent to the place, to defend it from all farther attacks.  It had been burned down only last summer, through the carelessness of some French dragoons.

Late at night the king of Naples came with his retinue from Stoetteritz.  He was attended by a black Othello, who seems to serve him in the same capacity as Rustan does his brother-in-law Napoleon.

By day-break the emperor started with all his retinue, and took the road to Wolkwitz.  The king of Naples had already set out for the same place.  All was quiet during the day, and towards night the emperor returned.  Several French officers had asserted, the preceding night, that a general engagement would certainly take place on the 15th.  How imperfectly they were acquainted with the state of things, I could perceive from many of their expressions.  In their opinion the armies of the allies were already as good as annihilated.  By the emperor’s masterly manoeuvres, the Russians and Swedes—­the latter, by the bye, had not yet come up—­were according to them completely cut off from the Austrians.  A courier de l’empereur was honest enough to tell me plumply that they had done nothing all day but look at one another, but that there would be so much the warmer work on the morrow.

Very early indeed on the morning of the 16th, I remarked preparations for the final departure of the emperor.  The maitre d’hotel desired a bill of the provisions furnished him.  I had already made out one, but that would not do.  It was necessary that the articles should be arranged under particular heads, and a distinct account of each given in.  I ran short of time, patience, and paper.  All excuses were unavailing, and there was no time to