Chapter 9

           

           Bilíbinwasnowatarmyheadquartersinadiplomaticcapacity,andthoughhewroteinFrenchandusedFrenchjestsandFrenchidioms,hedescribedthewholecampaignwithafearlessself-censureandself-derisiongenuinelyRussian.Bilíbinwrotethattheobligationofdiplomaticdiscretiontormentedhim,andhewashappytohaveinPrinceAndrewareliablecorrespondenttowhomhecouldpouroutthebilehehadaccumulatedatthesightofallthatwasbeingdoneinthearmy.Theletterwasold,havingbeenwrittenbeforethebattleatPreussisch-Eylau.

           “SincethedayofourbrilliantsuccessatAusterlitz,”wroteBilíbin,“asyouknow,mydearprince,Ineverleaveheadquarters.Ihavecertainlyacquiredatasteforwar,anditisjustaswellforme;whatIhaveseenduringtheselastthreemonthsisincredible.

           “Ibeginabovo.‘Theenemyofthehumanrace,’asyouknow,attacksthePrussians.ThePrussiansareourfaithfulallieswhohaveonlybetrayedusthreetimesinthreeyears.Wetakeuptheircause,butitturnsoutthat‘theenemyofthehumanrace’paysnoheedtoourfinespeechesandinhisrudeandsavagewaythrowshimselfonthePrussianswithoutgivingthemtimetofinishtheparadetheyhadbegun,andintwotwistsofthehandhebreaksthemtosmithereensandinstallshimselfinthepalaceatPotsdam.

           “‘Imostardentlydesire,’writestheKingofPrussiatoBonaparte,‘thatYourMajestyshouldbereceivedandtreatedinmypalaceinamanneragreeabletoyourself,andinsofarascircumstancesallowed,Ihavehastenedtotakeallstepstothatend.

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