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.

Зміст книги
Налаштування
Фон сторінки
Розмір шрифту
Міжрядковий інтервал
Фразові дієслова
Показати / Приховати меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Сторінка 1893 з 2250