战争与和平(上)-第149章

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f　his　own　objects；　and　feels　in　his　whole　being　that　he　can　do　or　not　do　any　action。　But　as　soon　as　he　does　anything；　that　act；　committed　at　a　certain　moment　in　time；　becomes　irrevocable　and　is　the　property　of　history；　in　which　it　has　a　significance；　predestined　and　not　subject　to　free　choice。
There　are　two　aspects　to　the　life　of　every　man：　the　personal　life；　which　is　free　in　proportion　as　its　interests　are　abstract；　and　the　elemental　life　of　the　swarm；　in　which　a　man　must　inevitably　follow　the　laws　laid　down　for　him。
Consciously　a　man　lives　on　his　own　account　in　freedom　of　will；　but　he　serves　as　an　unconscious　instrument　in　bringing　about　the　historical　ends　of　humanity。　An　act　he　has　once　committed　is　irrevocable；　and　that　act　of　his；　coinciding　in　time　with　millions　of　acts　of　others；　has　an　historical　value。　The　higher　a　man’s　place　in　the　social　scale；　the　more　connections　he　has　with　others；　and　the　more　power　he　has　over　them；　the　more　conspicuous　is　the　inevitability　and　predestination　of　every　act　he　commits。　“The　hearts　of　kings　are　in　the　hand　of　God。”　The　king　is　the　slave　of　history。
History—that　is　the　unconscious　life　of　humanity　in　the　swarm；　in　the　community—makes　every　minute　of　the　life　of　kings　its　own；　as　an　instrument　for　attaining　its　ends。
Although　in　that　year；　1812；　Napoleon　believed　more　than　ever　that　to　shed　or　not　to　shed　the　blood　of　his　peoples　depended　entirely　on　his　will　（as　Alexander　said　in　his　last　letter　to　him）；　yet　then；　and　more　than　at　any　time；　he　was　in　bondage　to　those　laws　which　forced　him；　while　to　himself　he　seemed　to　be　acting　freely；　to　do　what　was　bound　to　be　his　share　in　the　common　edifice　of　humanity；　in　history。
The　people　of　the　west　moved　to　the　east　for　men　to　kill　one　another。　And　by　the　law　of　the　coincidence　of　causes；　thousands　of　petty　causes　backed　one　another　up　and　coincided　with　that　event　to　bring　about　that　movement　and　that　war：　resentment　at　the　non…observance　of　the　continental　system；　and　the　Duke　of　Oldenburg；　and　the　massing　of　troops　in　Prussia—a　measure　undertaken；　as　Napoleon　supposed；　with　the　object　of　securing　armed　peace—and　the　French　Emperor’s　love　of　war；　to　which　he　had　grown　accustomed；　in　conjunction　with　the　inclinations　of　his　people；　who　were　carried　away　by　the　grandiose　scale　of　the　preparations；　and　the　expenditure　on　those　preparations；　and　the　necessity　of　recouping　that　expenditure。　Then　there　was　the　intoxicating　effect　of　the　honours　paid　to　the　French　Emperor　in　Dresden；　and　the　negotiations　too　of　the　diplomatists；　who　were　supposed　by　contemporaries　to　be　guided　by　a　genuine　desire　to　secure　peace；　though　they　only　inflamed　the　amour…propre　of　both　sides；　and　millions　upon　millions　of　other　causes；　chiming　in　with　the　fated　event　and　coincident　with　it。
When　the　apple　is　ripe　and　falls—why　does　it　fall？　Is　it　because　it　is　drawn　by　gravitation　to　the　earth；　because　its　stalk　is　withered；　because　it　is　dried　by　the　sun；　because　it　grows　heavier；　because　the　wind　shakes　it；　or　because　the　boy　standing　under　the　tree　wants　to　eat　it？
Not　one　of　those　is　the　cause。　All　that　simply　makes　up　the　conjunction　of　conditions　under　which　every　living；　organic；　elemental　event　takes　place。　And　the　botanist　who　says　that　the　apple　has　fallen　because　the　cells　are　decomposing；　and　so　on；　will　be　just　as　right　as　the　boy　standing　under　the　tree　who　says　the　apple　has　fallen　because　he　wanted　to　eat　it　and　prayed　for　it　to　fall。　The　historian；　who　says　that　Napoleon　went　to　Moscow　because　he　wanted　to；　and　was　ruined　because　Alexander　desired　his　ruin；　will　be　just　as　right　and　as　wrong　as　the　man　who　says　that　the　mountain　of　millions　of　tons；　tottering　and　undermined；　has　been　felled　by　the　last　stroke　of　the　last　workingman’s　pick…axe。　In　historical　events　great　men—so　called—are　but　the　labels　that　serve　to　give　a　name　to　an　event；　and　like　labels；　they　have　the　least　possible　connection　with　the　event　itself。
Every　action　of　theirs；　that　seems　to　them　an　act　of　their　own　free…will；　is　in　an　historical　sense　not　free　at　all；　but　in　bondage　to　the　whole　course　of　previous　history；　and　predestined　from　all　eternity。


Chapter　2
ON　THE　28TH　of　May　Napoleon　left　Dresden；　where　he　had　been　spending　three　weeks　surrounded　by　a　court　that　included　princes；　dukes；　kings；　and　even　one　emperor。　Before　his　departure；　Napoleon　took　a　gracious　leave　of　the　princes；　kings；　and　emperor　deserving　of　his　favour；　and　sternly　upbraided　the　kings　and　princes　with　whom　he　was　displeased。　He　made　a　present　of　his　own　diamonds　and　pearls—　those；　that　is；　that　he　had　taken　from　other　kings—to　the　Empress　of　Austria。　He　tenderly　embraced　the　Empress　Marie　Louise—who　considered　herself　his　wife；　though　he　had　another　wife　still　living　in　Paris—　and　left　her；　so　his　historian　relates；　deeply　distressed　and　hardly　able　to　support　the　separation。　Although　diplomatists　still　firmly　believed　in　the　possibility　of　peace；　and　were　zealously　working　with　that　object；　although　the　Emperor　Napoleon；　with　his　own　hand；　wrote　a　letter　to　the　Emperor　Alexander　calling　him　“Monsieur　mon　frère；”　and　assuring　him　with　sincerity　that　he　had　no　desire　of　war；　and　would　always　love　and　honour　him；　he　set　off　to　join　the　army；　and　at　every　station　gave　fresh　commands；　hastening　the　progress　of　his　army　from　west　to　east。　He　drove　a　travelling　carriage；　drawn　by　six　horses　and　surrounded　by　pages；　adjutants；　and　an　armed　escort；　along　the　route　by　Posen；　Thorn；　Danzig；　and　K？nigsberg。　In　each　of　these　towns　he　was　welcomed　with　enthusiasm　and　trepidation　by　thousands　of　people。
The　army　was　moving　from　west　to　east；　and　he　was　driven　after　it　by　continual　relays　of　six　horses。　On　the　10th　of　June　he　overtook　the　army　and　spent　the　night　in　the　Vilkovik　forest；　in　quarters　prepared　for　him　on　the　property　of　a　Polish　count。
The　following　day　Napoleon　drove　on　ahead　of　the　army；　reached　the　Niemen；　put　on　a　Polish　uniform　in　order　to　inspect　the　crossing　of　the　river；　and　rode　out　on　the　river　bank。
When　he　saw　the　Cossacks　posted　on　the　further　bank　and　the　expanse　of　the　steppes—in　the　midst　of　which；　far　away；　was　the　holy　city；　Moscow；　capital　of　an　empire；　like　the　Scythian　empire　invaded　by　Alexander　of　Macedon—Napoleon　surprised　the　diplomatists　and　contravened　all　rules　of　strategy　by　ordering　an　immediate　advance；　and　his　troops　began　crossing　the　Niemen　next　day。
Early　on　the　morning　of　the　12th　of　June　he　came　out　of　his　tent；　which　had　been　pitched　that　day　on　the　steep　left　bank　of　the　Niemen；　and　looked　through　a　field…glass　at　his　troops　pouring　out　of　the　Vilkovik　forest；　and　dividing　into　three　streams　at　the　three　bridges　across　the　river。　The　troops　knew　of　the　Emperor’s　presence；　and　were　on　the　lookout　for　him。　When　they　caught　sight　of　his　figure　in　his　greatcoat　and　hat　standing　apart　from　his　suite　in　front　of　his　tent　on　the　hill　opposite；　they　threw　up　their　caps　and　shouted；　“Vive　l’Empereur！”　And　one　regiment　after　another；　in　a　continuous　stream；　flowed　out　of　the　immense　forest　that　had　concealed　them；　and　split　up　to　cross　the　river　by　the　three　bridges。　“We　shall　make　some　way　this　time。　Oh；　when　he　takes　a　hand　himself　things　begin　to　get　warm！…Name　of　God！…　There　he　is！…　Hurrah　for　the　Emperor！　So　those　are　the　Steppes　of　Asia！　A　nasty　country　it　is；　though。　Good…bye；　Beauché；　I’ll　keep　the　finest　palace　in　Moscow　for　you。　Good…bye！　good…luck！…　Have　you　seen　the　Emperor？　Hurrah　for　the　Emperor！　If　they　make　me　Governor　of　the　Indies；　Gérard；　I’ll　make　you　Minister　of　Cashmere；　that’s　settled。　Hurrah　for　the　Emperor！　Hurrah！　hurrah！　hurrah！　The　rascally　Cossacks；　how　they　are　running。　Hurrah　for　the　Emperor！　There　he　is！　Do　you　see　him？　I　have　seen　him　twice　as　I　am　seeing　you。　The　little　corporal…I　saw　him　give　the　cross　to　one　of　the　veterans。…Hurrah　for　the　emperor！”　Such　was　the　talk　of　old　men　and　young；　of　the　most　diverse　characters　and　positions　in　society。　All　the　faces　of　those　men　wore　one　common　expression　of　joy　at　the　commencement　of　a　long…expected　campaign；　and　enthusiasm　and　devotion　to　the　man　in　the　grey　coat　standing　on　the　hill　opposite。
On　the　13th　of　June　Napoleon　mounted　a　small　thoroughbred　Arab　horse　and　galloped　towards　one　of　the　bridges　over　the　Niemen；　deafened　all　the　while　by　shouts　of　enthusiasm；　which　he　obviously　endured　simply　because　they　could　not　be　prevented　from　expressing　in　such　shouts　their　love　for　him。　But　those　shouts；　invariably　accompanying　him　everywhere；　wearied　him　and　hindered　his　attending　to　the　military　problems　which　beset　him　from　the　time　he　joined　the　army。　He　rode　over　a　swaying　bridge　of　boats　to　the　other　side　of　the　river；　turned　sharply　to　the　left；　and　galloped　in　the　direction　of　Kovno；　preceded　by　horse　guards；　who　were　breathless　with　delight　and　enthusiasm；　as　they　cleared　the　way　before　him。　On　reaching　the　broad　river　Niemen；　he　pulled　up　beside　a　regiment　of　Polish　Uhlans　on　the　bank。
“Vive　l’Empereur！”　the　Poles　shouted　with　the　same　enthusiasm；　breaking　their　line　and　squeezing　against　each　other　to　get　a　view　of　him。　Napoleon　looked　up　and　down　the　river；　got　off　his　horse；　and　sat　down　on　a　log　that　lay　on　the　bank。　At　a　mute　sign　from　him；　they　handed　him　the　field…glass。　He　propped　it　on　the　back　of　a　page　who　ran　up　delighted。　He　began　looking　at　the　other　side；　then；　with　absorbed　attention；　scrutinised　the　map　that　was　unfolded　on　the　logs。　Without　raising　his　head　he　said　something；　and　two　of　his　adjutants　galloped　off　to　the　Polish　Uhlans。
“What？　what　did　he　say？”　was　heard　in　the　ranks　of　the　Polish　Uhlans　as　an　adjutant　galloped　up　to　them。　They　were　commanded　to　look　for　a　fording…place　and　to　cross　to　the　other　side。　The　colonel　of　the　Polish　Uhlans；　a　handsome　old　man；　flushing　red　and　stammering　from　excitement；　asked　the　adjutant　whether　he　would　be　permitted　to　swim　across　the　river　with　his　men　instead　of　seeking　for　a　ford。　In　obvious　dread　of　a　refusal；　like　a　boy　asking　permission　to　get　on　a　horse；　he　asked　to　be　allowed　to　swim　across　the　river　before　the　Emperor’s　eyes。　The　adjutant　replied　that　probably　the　Emperor　would　not　be　displeased　at　this　excess　of　zeal。
No　sooner　had　the　adjutant　said　this　than　the　old　whiskered　officer；　with　happy　face　and　sparkling　eyes；　brandished　his　sabre　in　the　air　shouting　“Vive　l’Empereur！”　and　commanding　his　men　to　follow　him；　he　set　spurs　to　his　horse　and　galloped　down　to　the　river。　He　gave　a　vicious　thrust　to　his　horse；　that　floundered　under　him；　and　plunged　into　the　water；　making　for　the　most　rapid　part　of　the　current。　Hundreds　of　Uhlans　galloped　in　after　him。　It　was　cold　and　dangerous　in　the　middle　in　the　rapid　current。　The　Uhlans　clung　to　one　another；　falling　off　their　horses。　Some　of　the　horses　were　drowned；　some；　too；　of　the　men；　the　others　struggled　to　swim　across；　some　in　the　saddle；　others　clinging　to　their　horse’s　manes。　They　tried　to　swim　straight　across；　and　although　there　was　a　ford　half　a　verst　away　they　were　proud　to　be　swimming　and　drowning　in　the　river　before　the　eyes　of　that　man　sitting　on　the　log　and　not　even　looking　at　what　they　were　doing。　When　the　adjutant；　on　going　back；　chose　a　favourable　moment　and　ventured　to　call　the　Emperor’s　attention　to　the　d