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Chapter 18

           

           Thenwearetoldofthegreatnessofsoulofthemarshals,especiallyofNey—agreatnessofsoulconsistinginthis:thathemadehiswaybynightaroundthroughtheforestandacrosstheDnieperandescapedtoOrshá,abandoningstandards,artillery,andninetenthsofhismen.

           Andlastly,thefinaldepartureofthegreatEmperorfromhisheroicarmyispresentedtousbythehistoriansassomethinggreatandcharacteristicofgenius.Eventhatfinalrunningaway,describedinordinarylanguageasthelowestdepthofbasenesswhicheverychildistaughttobeashamedof—eventhatactfindsjustificationinthehistorians’language.

           Whenitisimpossibletostretchtheveryelasticthreadsofhistoricalratiocinationanyfarther,whenactionsareclearlycontrarytoallthathumanitycallsrightorevenjust,thehistoriansproduceasavingconceptionof“greatness.”“Greatness,”itseems,excludesthestandardsofrightandwrong.Forthe“great”mannothingiswrong,thereisnoatrocityforwhicha“great”mancanbeblamed.

           “C’estgrand!”*saythehistorians,andtherenolongerexistseithergoodorevilbutonly“grand”and“notgrand.”Grandisgood,notgrandisbad.Grandisthecharacteristic,intheirconception,ofsomespecialanimalscalled“heroes.”AndNapoleon,escapinghomeinawarmfurcoatandleavingtoperishthosewhowerenotmerelyhiscomradesbutwere(inhisopinion)menhehadbroughtthere,feelsquec’estgrand,*(2)andhissoulistranquil.

           *“Itisgreat.”

           *(2)Thatitisgreat

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Roboto Lora
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Сторінка 1972 з 2250