Chapter 19

           

           Amaninmotionalwaysdevisesanaimforthatmotion.Tobeabletogoathousandmileshemustimaginethatsomethinggoodawaitshimattheendofthosethousandmiles.Onemusthavetheprospectofapromisedlandtohavethestrengthtomove.

           ThepromisedlandfortheFrenchduringtheiradvancehadbeenMoscow,duringtheirretreatitwastheirnativeland.Butthatnativelandwastoofaroff,andforamangoingathousandmilesitisabsolutelynecessarytosetasidehisfinalgoalandtosaytohimself:“TodayIshallgettoaplacetwenty-fivemilesoffwhereIshallrestandspendthenight,”andduringthefirstday’sjourneythatrestingplaceeclipseshisultimategoalandattractsallhishopesanddesires.Andtheimpulsesfeltbyasinglepersonarealwaysmagnifiedinacrowd.

           FortheFrenchretreatingalongtheoldSmolénskroad,thefinalgoal—theirnativeland—wastooremote,andtheirimmediategoalwasSmolénsk,towardwhichalltheirdesiresandhopes,enormouslyintensifiedinthemass,urgedthemon.ItwasnotthattheyknewthatmuchfoodandfreshtroopsawaitedtheminSmolénsk,northattheyweretoldso(onthecontrarytheirsuperiorofficers,andNapoleonhimself,knewthatprovisionswerescarcethere),butbecausethisalonecouldgivethemstrengthtomoveonandenduretheirpresentprivations.Soboththosewhoknewandthosewhodidnotknowdeceivedthemselves,andpushedontoSmolénskastoapromisedland.

           ComingoutontothehighroadtheFrenchfledwithsurprisingenergyandunheard-ofrapiditytowardthegoaltheyhadfixedon.

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