The soldiers of Victor and Oudinot could not believe their eyes.  Moved with compassion, their officers, with tears in their eyes, detained such of their companions as they recognised in the crowd.  They first supplied them with clothes and provisions, and then asked them where were their corps d’armee?  And when the others pointed them out, seeing, instead of so many thousand men, only a weak platoon of officers and non-commissioned officers round a commanding officer, their eyes still kept on the look out.

The sight of so great a disaster struck the second and the ninth corps with discouragement, from the very first day.  Disorder, the most contagious of all evils, attacked them; for it would seem as if order was an effort against nature.  And yet the disarmed, and even the dying, although they were now fully aware that they had to fight their way across a river, and through a fresh enemy, never doubted of their being victorious.

It was now merely the shadow of an army, but it was the shadow of the grand army.  It felt conscious that nature alone had vanquished it.  The sight of its Emperor revived it.  It had been long accustomed not to look to him for its means of support, but solely to lead it to victory.  This was its first unfortunate campaign, and it had had so many fortunate ones! it only required to be able to follow him.  He alone, who had elevated his soldiers so high, and now sunk them so low, was yet able to save them.  He was still, therefore, cherished in the heart of his army, like hope in the heart of man.

Thus, amid so many beings who might have reproached him with their misfortunes, he marched on without the least fear, speaking to one and all without affectation, certain of being respected as long as glory could command our respect.  Knowing perfectly that he belonged to us, as much as we to him, his renown being a species of national property, we should have sooner turned our arms against ourselves, (which was the case with many,) than against him, and it was a minor suicide.

Some of them fell and died at his feet, and though in the most frightful delirium, their sufferings never gave its wanderings the turn of reproach, but of entreaty.  And in fact did not he share the common danger?  Which of them all risked so much as he?  Who suffered the greatest loss, in this disaster?

If any imprecations were uttered, it was not in his presence; it seemed, that of all misfortunes, that of incurring his displeasure was still the greatest; so rooted were their confidence in, and submission to that man who had subjected the world to them; whose genius, hitherto uniformly victorious and infallible, had assumed the place of their free-will, and who having so long in his hands the book of pensions, of rank, and of history, had found wherewithal to satisfy not only covetous spirits, but also every generous heart.

CHAP.  IV.