Book Ten: 1812 - Chapter XXIX

by Leo Tolstoy

　　On returning from a second inspection of the lines, Napoleonremarked:

　　"The chessmen are set up, the game will begin tomorrow!"

　　Having ordered punch and summoned de Beausset, he began to talk tohim about Paris and about some changes he meant to make the Empress'household, surprising the prefect by his memory of minute detailsrelating to the court.

　　He showed an interest in trifles, joked about de Beausset's loveof travel, and chatted carelessly, as a famous, self-confident surgeonwho knows his job does when turning up his sleeves and putting onhis apron while a patient is being strapped to the operating table."The matter is in my hands and is clear and definite in my head.When the times comes to set to work I shall do it as no one elsecould, but now I can jest, and the more I jest and the calmer I am themore tranquil and confident you ought to be, and the more amazed at mygenius."

　　Having finished his second glass of punch, Napoleon went to restbefore the serious business which, he considered, awaited him nextday. He was so much interested in that task that he was unable tosleep, and in spite of his cold which had grown worse from thedampness of the evening, he went into the large division of the tentat three o'clock in the morning, loudly blowing his nose. He askedwhether the Russians had not withdrawn, and was told that theenemy's fires were still in the same places. He nodded approval.

　　The adjutant in attendance came into the tent.

　　"Well, Rapp, do you think we shall do good business today?" Napoleonasked him.

　　"Without doubt, sire," replied Rapp.

　　Napoleon looked at him.

　　"Do you remember, sire, what you did me the honor to say atSmolensk?" continued Rapp. "The wine is drawn and must be drunk."

　　Napoleon frowned and sat silent for a long time leaning his headon his hand.

　　"This poor army!" he suddenly remarked. "It has diminished greatlysince Smolensk. Fortune is frankly a courtesan, Rapp. I have alwayssaid so and I am beginning to experience it. But the Guards, Rapp, theGuards are intact?" he remarked interrogatively.

　　"Yes, sire," replied Rapp.

　　Napoleon took a lozenge, put it in his mouth, and glanced at hiswatch. He was not sleepy and it was still not nearly morning. It wasimpossible to give further orders for the sake of killing time, forthe orders had all been given and were now being executed.

　　"Have the biscuits and rice been served out to the regiments ofthe Guards?" asked Napoleon sternly.

　　"Yes, sire."

　　"The rice too?"

　　Rapp replied that he had given the Emperor's order about the rice,but Napoleon shook his head in dissatisfaction as if not believingthat his order had been executed. An attendant came in with punch.Napoleon ordered another glass to be brought for Rapp, and silentlysipped his own.

　　"I have neither taste nor smell," he remarked, sniffing at hisglass. "This cold is tiresome. They talk about medicine- what is thegood of medicine when it can't cure a cold! Corvisart gave me theselozenges but they don't help at all. What can doctors cure? Onecan't cure anything. Our body is a machine for living. It is organizedfor that, it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let itdefend itself, it will do more than if you paralyze it byencumbering it with remedies. Our body is like a perfect watch thatshould go for a certain time; watchmaker cannot open it, he can onlyadjust it by fumbling, and that blindfold.... Yes, our body is justa machine for living, that is all."

　　And having entered on the path of definition, of which he wasfond, Napoleon suddenly and unexpectedly gave a new one.

　　"Do you know, Rapp, what military art is?" asked he. "It is theart of being stronger than the enemy at a given moment. That's all."

　　Rapp made no reply.

　　"Tomorrow we shall have to deal with Kutuzov!" said Napoleon. "Weshall see! Do you remember at Braunau he commanded an army for threeweeks and did not once mount a horse to inspect hisentrenchments.... We shall see!"

　　He looked at his watch. It was still only four o'clock. He did notfeel sleepy. The punch was finished and there was still nothing to do.He rose, walked to and fro, put on a warm overcoat and a hat, and wentout of the tent. The night was dark and damp, a scarcely perceptiblemoisture was descending from above. Near by, the campfires weredimly burning among the French Guards, and in the distance those ofthe Russian line shone through the smoke. The weather was calm, andthe rustle and tramp of the French troops already beginning to move totake up their positions were clearly audible.

　　Napoleon walked about in front of his tent, looked at the firesand listened to these sounds, and as he was passing a tall guardsmanin a shaggy cap, who was standing sentinel before his tent and haddrawn himself up like a black pillar at sight of the Emperor, Napoleonstopped in front of him.

　　"What year did you enter the service?" he asked with thataffectation of military bluntness and geniality with which he alwaysaddressed the soldiers.

　　The man answered the question.

　　"Ah! One of the old ones! Has your regiment had its rice?"

　　"It has, Your Majesty."

　　Napoleon nodded and walked away.

　　At half-past five Napoleon rode to the village of Shevardino.

　　It was growing light, the sky was clearing, only a single cloudlay in the east. The abandoned campfires were burning themselves outin the faint morning light.

　　On the right a single deep report of a cannon resounded and diedaway in the prevailing silence. Some minutes passed. A second and athird report shook the air, then a fourth and a fifth boomedsolemnly near by on the right.

　　The first shots had not yet ceased to reverberate before others rangout and yet more were heard mingling with and overtaking one another.

　　Napoleon with his suite rode up to the Shevardino Redoubt where hedismounted. The game had begun.