雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第67章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


s　are　continually　moving　in　front　of　each　other。
　　Where　the　infantry　stood　the　artillery　arrives；　the　cavalry　rushes　in　where　the　artillery　was；　the　battalions　are　like　smoke。
　　There　was　something　there；　seek　it。
　　It　has　disappeared；　the　open　spots　change　place；　the　sombre　folds　advance　and　retreat；　a　sort　of　wind　from　the　sepulchre　pushes　forward；　hurls　back；　distends；　and　disperses　these　tragic　multitudes。
　　What　is　a　fray？　an　oscillation？
　　The　immobility　of　a　mathematical　plan　expresses　a　minute；　not　a　day。
　　In　order　to　depict　a　battle；　there　is　required　one　of　those　powerful　painters　who　have　chaos　in　their　brushes。　Rembrandt　is　better　than　Vandermeulen；　Vandermeulen；　exact　at　noon；　lies　at　three　o'clock。　Geometry　is　deceptive；　the　hurricane　alone　is　trustworthy。
　　That　is　what　confers　on　Folard　the　right　to　contradict　Polybius。
　　Let　us　add；　that　there　is　a　certain　instant　when　the　battle　degenerates　into　a　bat；　bees　specialized；　and　disperses　into　innumerable　detailed　feats；　which；　to　borrow　the　expression　of　Napoleon　himself；　〃belong　rather　to　the　biography　of　the　regiments　than　to　the　history　of　the　army。〃
　　The　historian　has；　in　this　case；　the　evident　right　to　sum　up　the　whole。
　　He　cannot　do　more　than　seize　the　principal　outlines　of　the　struggle；　and　it　is　not　given　to　any　one　narrator；　however　conscientious　he　may　be；　to　fix；　absolutely；　the　form　of　that　horrible　cloud　which　is　called　a　battle。
　　This；　which　is　true　of　all　great　armed　encounters；　is　particularly　applicable　to　Waterloo。
　　Nevertheless；　at　a　certain　moment　in　the　afternoon　the　battle　came　to　a　point。


BOOK　FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER　VI　
　　FOUR　O'CLOCK　IN　THE　AFTERNOON
　　　Towards　four　o'clock　the　condition　of　the　English　army　was　serious。　The　Prince　of　Orange　was　in　mand　of　the　centre；　Hill　of　the　right　wing；　Picton　of　the　left　wing。
　　The　Prince　of　Orange；　desperate　and　intrepid；　shouted　to　the　Hollando…Belgians：　〃Nassau！　Brunswick！
　　Never　retreat！〃
　　Hill；　having　been　weakened；　had　e　up　to　the　support　of　Wellington；　Picton　was　dead。
　　At　the　very　moment　when　the　English　had　captured　from　the　French　the　flag　of　the　105th　of　the　line；　the　French　had　killed　the　English　general；　Picton；　with　a　bullet　through　the　head。
　　The　battle　had；　for　Wellington；　two　bases　of　action；　Hougomont　and　La　Haie…Sainte；　Hougomont　still　held　out；　but　was　on　fire；　La　Haie…Sainte　was　taken。
　　Of　the　German　battalion　which　defended　it；　only　forty…two　men　survived；　all　the　officers；　except　five；　were　either　dead　or　captured。
　　Three　thousand　batants　had　been　massacred　in　that　barn。
　　A　sergeant　of　the　English　Guards；　the　foremost　boxer　in　England；　reputed　invulnerable　by　his　panions；　had　been　killed　there　by　a　little　French　drummer…boy。　Baring　had　been　dislodged；　Alten　put　to　the　sword。
　　Many　flags　had　been　lost；　one　from　Alten's　division；　and　one　from　the　battalion　of　Lunenburg；　carried　by　a　prince　of　the　house　of　Deux…Ponts。　The　Scotch　Grays　no　longer　existed；　Ponsonby's　great　dragoons　had　been　hacked　to　pieces。　That　valiant　cavalry　had　bent　beneath　the　lancers　of　Bro　and　beneath　the　cuirassiers　of　Travers；　out　of　twelve　hundred　horses；　six　hundred　remained；　out　of　three　lieutenant…colonels；　two　lay　on　the　earth；Hamilton　wounded；　Mater　slain。
　　Ponsonby　had　fallen；　riddled　by　seven　lance…thrusts。　Gordon　was　dead。
　　Marsh　was　dead。　Two　divisions；　the　fifth　and　the　sixth；　had　been　annihilated。
　　Hougomont　injured；　La　Haie…Sainte　taken；　there　now　existed　but　one　rallying…point；　the　centre。
　　That　point　still　held　firm。　Wellington　reinforced　it。
　　He　summoned　thither　Hill；　who　was　at　Merle…Braine；　he　summoned　Chasse；　who　was　at　Braine…l'Alleud。
　　The　centre　of　the　English　army；　rather　concave；　very　dense；　and　very　pact；　was　strongly　posted。
　　It　occupied　the　plateau　of　Mont…Saint…Jean；　having　behind　it　the　village；　and　in　front　of　it　the　slope；　which　was　tolerably　steep　then。
　　It　rested　on　that　stout　stone　dwelling　which　at　that　time　belonged　to　the　domain　of　Nivelles；　and　which　marks　the　intersection　of　the　roadsa　pile　of　the　sixteenth　century；　and　so　robust　that　the　cannon…balls　rebounded　from　it　without　injuring　it。
　　All　about　the　plateau　the　English　had　cut　the　hedges　here　and　there；　made　embrasures　in　the　hawthorn…trees；　thrust　the　throat　of　a　cannon　between　two　branches；　embattled　the　shrubs。　There　artillery　was　ambushed　in　the　brushwood。
　　This　punic　labor；　incontestably　authorized　by　war；　which　permits　traps；　was　so　well　done；　that　Haxo；　who　had　been　despatched　by　the　Emperor　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　to　reconnoitre　the　enemy's　batteries；　had　discovered　nothing　of　it；　and　had　returned　and　reported　to　Napoleon　that　there　were　no　obstacles　except　the　two　barricades　which　barred　the　road　to　Nivelles　and　to　Genappe。
　　It　was　at　the　season　when　the　grain　is　tall；　on　the　edge　of　the　plateau　a　battalion　of　Kempt's　brigade；　the　95th；　armed　with　carabines；　was　concealed　in　the　tall　wheat。
　　Thus　assured　and　buttressed；　the　centre　of　the　Anglo…Dutch　army　was　well　posted。
　　The　peril　of　this　position　lay　in　the　forest　of　Soignes；　then　adjoining　the　field　of　battle；　and　intersected　by　the　ponds　of　Groenendael　and　Boitsfort。
　　An　army　could　not　retreat　thither　without　dissolving；　the　regiments　would　have　broken　up　immediately　there。　The　artillery　would　have　been　lost　among　the　morasses。
　　The　retreat；　according　to　many　a　man　versed　in　the　art；though　it　is　disputed　by　others；would　have　been　a　disorganized　flight。
　　To　this　centre；　Wellington　added　one　of　Chasse's　brigades　taken　from　the　right　wing；　and　one　of　Wincke's　brigades　taken　from　the　left　wing；　plus　Clinton's　division。
　　To　his　English；　to　the　regiments　of　Halkett；　to　the　brigades　of　Mitchell；　to　the　guards　of　Maitland；　he　gave　as　reinforcements　and　aids；　the　infantry　of　Brunswick；　Nassau's　contingent；　Kielmansegg's　Hanoverians；　and　Ompteda's　Germans。
　　This　placed　twenty…six　battalions　under　his　hand。　The　right　wing；　as　Charras　says；　was　thrown　back　on　the　centre。　An　enormous　battery　was　masked　by　sacks　of　earth　at　the　spot　where　there　now　stands　what　is　called　the　〃Museum　of　Waterloo。〃　Besides　this；　Wellington　had；　behind　a　rise　in　the　ground；　Somerset's　Dragoon　Guards；　fourteen　hundred　horse　strong。　It　was　the　remaining　half　of　the　justly　celebrated　English　cavalry。　Ponsonby　destroyed；　Somerset　remained。
　　The　battery；　which；　if　pleted；　would　have　been　almost　a　redoubt；　was　ranged　behind　a　very　low　garden　wall；　backed　up　with　a　coating　of　bags　of　sand　and　a　large　slope　of　earth。
　　This　work　was　not　finished；　there　had　been　no　time　to　make　a　palisade　for　it。
　　Wellington；　uneasy　but　impassive；　was　on　horseback；　and　there　remained　the　whole　day　in　the　same　attitude；　a　little　in　advance　of　the　old　mill　of　Mont…Saint…Jean；　which　is　still　in　existence；　beneath　an　elm；　which　an　Englishman；　an　enthusiastic　vandal；　purchased　later　on　for　two　hundred　francs；　cut　down；　and　carried　off。　Wellington　was　coldly　heroic。
　　The　bullets　rained　about　him。　His　aide…de…camp；　Gordon；　fell　at　his　side。
　　Lord　Hill；　pointing　to　a　shell　which　had　burst；　said　to　him：
　　〃My　lord；　what　are　your　orders　in　case　you　are　killed？〃
　　〃To　do　like　me；〃　replied　Wellington。　To　Clinton　he　said　laconically；　〃To　hold　this　spot　to　the　last　man。〃　The　day　was　evidently　turning　out　ill。
　　Wellington　shouted　to　his　old　panions　of　Talavera；　of　Vittoria；　of　Salamanca：
　　〃Boys；　can　retreat　be　thought　of？
　　Think　of　old　England！〃
　　Towards　four　o'clock；　the　English　line　drew　back。
　　Suddenly　nothing　was　visible　on　the　crest　of　the　plateau　except　the　artillery　and　the　sharpshooters；　the　rest　had　disappeared：
　　the　regiments；　dislodged　by　the　shells　and　the　French　bullets；　retreated　into　the　bottom；　now　intersected　by　the　back　road　of　the　farm　of　Mont…Saint…Jean；　a　retrograde　movement　took　place；　the　English　front　hid　itself；　Wellington　drew　back。
　　〃The　beginning　of　retreat！〃　cried　Napoleon。


BOOK　FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER　VII　
　　NAPOLEON　IN　A　GOOD　HUMOR
　　　The　Emperor；　though　ill　and　dismoded　on　horseback　by　a　local　trouble；　had　never　been　in　a　better　humor　than　on　that　day。　His　impenetrability　had　been　smiling　ever　since　the　morning。
　　On　the　18th　of　June；　that　profound　soul　masked　by　marble　beamed　blindly。　The　man　who　had　been　gloomy　at　Austerlitz　was　gay　at　Waterloo。　The　greatest　favorites　of　destiny　make　mistakes。
　　Our　joys　are　posed　of　shadow。
　　The　supreme　smile　is　God's　alone。
　　Ridet　Caesar；　Pompeius　flebit；　said　the　legionaries　of　the　Fulminatrix　Legion。
　　Pompey　was　not　destined　to　weep　on　that　occasion；　but　it　is　certain　that　Caesar　laughed。
　　While　exploring　on　horseback　at　one　o'clock　on　the　preceding　night；　in　storm　and　rain；　in　pany　with　Bertrand；　the　munes　in　the　neighborhood　of　Rossomme；　satisfied　at　the　sight　of　the　long　line　of　the　English　camp…fires　illuminating　the　whole　horizon　from　Frischemont　to　Braine…l'Alleud；　it　had　seemed　to　him　that　fate；　to　whom　he　had　assigned　a　day　on　the　field　of　Waterloo；　was　exact　to　the　appointment；　he　stopped　his　horse；　and　remained　for　some　time　motionless；　gazing　at　the　lightning　and　listening　to　the　thunder；　and　this　fatalist　was　heard　to　cast　into　the　darkness　this　mysterious　saying；　〃We　are　in　accord。〃　Napoleon　was　mistaken。
　　They　were　no　longer　in　accord。
　　He　took　not　a　moment　for　sleep；　every　instant　of　that　night　was　marked　by　a　joy　for　him。
　　He　traversed　the　line　of　the　principal　outposts；　halting　here　and　there　to　talk　to　the　sentinels。
　　At　half…past　two；　near　the　wood　of　Hougomont；　he　heard　the　tread　of　a　column　on　the　march；　he　thought　at　the　moment　that　it　was　a　retreat　on　the　part　of　Wellington。
　　He　said：
　　〃It　is　the　rear…guard　of　the　English　getting　under　way　for　the　purpose　of　decamping。
　　I　will　take　prisoners　the　six　thousand　English　who　have　just　arrived　at　Ostend。〃　He　conversed　expansively；　he　regained　the　animation　which　he　had　shown　at　his　landing　on　the　first　of　March；　when　he　pointed　out　to　the　Grand…Marshal　the　enthusiastic　peasant　of　the　Gulf　Juan；　and　cried；　〃Well；　Bertrand；　here　is　a　reinforcement　already！〃　On　the　night　of　the　17th　to　the　18th　of　June　he　rallied　Wellington。　〃That　little　Englishman　needs　a　lesson；〃　said　Napoleon。
　　The　rain　redoubled　in　violence；　the　thunder　rolled　while　the　Emperor　was　speaking。
　　At　half…past　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he　lost　one　illusion；　officers　who　had　been　despatched　to　reconnoitre　announced　to　him　that　the　enemy　was　not　making　any　movement。
　　Nothing　was　stirring；　not　a　bivouac…fire　had　been　extinguished；　the　English　army　was　asleep。　The　silence　on　earth　was　profound；　the　only　noise　was　in　the　heavens。　At　four　o'clock；　a　peasant　was　brought　in　to　him　by　the　scouts；　this　peasant　had　served　as　guide　to　a　brigade　of　English　cavalry；　probably　Vivian's　brigade；　which　was　on　its　way　to　take　up　a　position　in　the　village　of　Ohain；　at　the　extreme　left。
　　At　five　o'clock；　two　Belgian　deserters　reported　to　him　that　they　had　just　quitted　their　regiment；　and　that　the　English　army　was　ready　for　battle。　〃So　much　the　better！〃　exclaimed　Napoleon。
　　〃I　prefer　to　overthrow　them　rather　than　to　drive　them　back。〃
　　In　the　morning　he　dismount