Meantime Roguet had been recalled to the field of battle from Maliewo.  The enemy kept pushing columns across that village, and was extending more and more beyond our right in order to surround us.  The battle then commenced.  But what kind of battle?  The Emperor had here no sudden illumination to trust to, no flashes of momentary inspiration, none of these great strokes so unforeseen from their boldness, which ravish fortune, extort a victory, and by which he had so often disconcerted, stunned, and crushed his enemies.  All their movements were now free, all ours enchained, and this genius of attack was reduced to defend himself.

Here therefore it became perfectly evident that renown is not a vain shadow, that she is real strength, and doubly powerful by the inflexible pride which she imparts to her favourites, and the timid precautions which she suggests to them who venture to attack her.  The Russians had only to march forward without manoeuvring, even without firing:  their mass was sufficient, they might have crushed Napoleon and his feeble troop:  but they did not dare to come to close quarters with him.  They were awed by the presence of the conqueror of Egypt and of Europe.  The Pyramids, Marengo, Austerlitz, Friedland, an army of victories, seemed to rise between him and the whole of the Russians.  We might almost fancy that, in the eyes of that submissive and superstitious people, a renown so extraordinary appeared like some thing supernatural; that they regarded it as beyond their reach; that they believed they could only attack and demolish it from a distance; and in short, that against that old guard, that living fortress, that column of granite, as it had been styled by its leader, human efforts were impotent, and that cannon alone could demolish it.

These made wide and deep breaches in the ranks of Roguet and the young guard, but they killed without vanquishing.  These young soldiers, one half of whom had never before been in an engagement, received the shock of death during three hours without retreating one step, without making a single movement to escape it, and without being able to return it, their artillery having been broken, and the Russians keeping beyond the reach of their musketry.

But every instant strengthened the enemy and weakened Napoleon.  The noise of the cannon as well as Claparede apprised him, that in the rear of Krasnoe and his army, Beningsen was proceeding to take possession of the road to Liady, and cut off his retreat.  The east, the west, and the south were sparkling with the enemy’s fires; one side only remained open, that of the north and the Dnieper, towards an eminence, at the foot of which were the high road and the Emperor.  We fancied we saw the enemy covering this eminence with his cannon:  in that situation they were just over Napoleon’s head, and might have crushed him at a few yards’ distance.  He was apprised of his danger, cast his eyes for an instant upon it, and uttered merely these words, “Very well, let a battalion of my chasseurs take possession of it!” Immediately afterwards, without paying farther attention to it, his whole looks and attention reverted to the perilous situation of Mortier.