514 
way to Paris; if the rolls of destiny 
had not designated for us a doom re- 
plete with the most melancholy: de- 
tails. 
A different species of feeling quickly 
prevailed; a spirit: as terrifying as 
Death himself, the ‘horrible genius of 
Want; soon after appeared. By such 
an harbinger, we were introduced to 
all the sufferings, the most dreadful 
evils, ‘that adversity can describe, or 
mankind suffer. The cold every day 
became more intense, provisions be- 
gan to fail; in trying to run; we 
wearied ourselves without acquiring 
heat. As to the horses, they perished 
by thousands ; our great guns we were 
forced to leave behind. In conse- 
quence of this discouragement, dissa- 
tisfaction and mortification, on disco- 
vering our situation, on finding our- 
selves thus personally entangled, were 
echoed round, and became the order 
of the day. Indeed, despair in many 
cases was approaching so near to us, 
—famine, also, in different instances, 
being known to be making a contem- 
porary progress, that numbers threw 
away théir fusees, contrary to all the 
usual laws of military regimen. 
Poland, which had appeared so 
frightful: to the army in the winter of 
1807, was now commonly spoken of 
throughout with respect as a paradise. 
Poland was all the cry. 
In the mean time, distress, while it 
’ huddled us along, like a swollen 
enraged torrent, tearing away every 
thing in its rapid course, had annibi- 
lated one half of our bravos ; the other 
half; debilitated by continual fighting, 
by numbers of the men daily taken 
prisoners, by hunger, and by diseases, 
had no more of an army than the 
name: and even the chilling naked- 
ness of a Poland winter was far 
enough from being within our ken. 
‘Threatened, as we now were, with 
an universal deluge. of miseries, de- 
structive in their career, and not able 
to find vent for any little expression of 
hope, in some individuals there would 
still remain the solid features of a calm 
intrepidity, which commanded the 
admiration of every public observer 
or ordinary beholder. . As an illustri- 
ous pattern of unrivalled excellence, 
long sanctioned, also, by his fame, as a 
most able professor, &c. in the art of 
war, the unfortunate Marshal Ney 
shone conspicuous. At the passage of 
the Berezina his tactical knowledge 
was distinguished, and it failed not to 
Travels and Adventures of the Brothers Bacheville. 
(Jan, 1, 
increase his reputation; but, as if jea- 
lous of every species of glory, and 
wishing to signalize his energy and 
sensibility no less than his 'valour, this 
man did every thing in his power to 
alleviate the sufferings of the soldiers, 
by sharing all fatigues and privations 
with them, by constantly marching at 
their head, on foot, his: fusee in’ his 
hand, by raising up those that fell, by 
encouraging others, and by appearing 
as invulnerable, or insensible to hard- 
ships, as he was fearless of danger. 
With respect to: Napoleon’s Body 
Guard, it was composed of selected 
men; and, of all other‘corps, it main- 
tained the most respectable attitude in 
the retreat. The emperor, who was 
ever with us, had taken precautions in 
our favour, the absence of which, no 
doubt, accelerated the dissolution of 
other corps. Such as’ had lost their 
horses were formed into a troop, and 
continued to serve as infantry. Of the 
latter, such as had suffered too much 
from cold to serve in the ranks, were 
removed to a sort of depét, under 
officers that conducted them, either on 
foot or in traineaux ; and a day or two’s 
refreshment was often sufficient to 
re-establish them. ‘The emperor’s 
commendations or censures were of 
efficacy to strengthen the feeble, to 
heal the sick, and to animate all with 
hopes, by anxiously taking notice of 
each one in his station. Astomy own 
feelings, my feet and nose were frozen ; 
and I should gladly have spent some 
time at the depét, if certain words of 
Napoleon had not been ever sounding 
in my ears, in which he developed with 
all the frankness of a philosopher, that 
it is only great minds that are capable 
of braving the raging tempests of ill 
fortune. I continued to serve under 
the pressure of evils, -which it now ¢x- 
cites my astonishment) that I was 
capable of enduring. None but a 
person endued with! such a force of 
mind, such fine acquirements, such 
military virtue,. as the emperor pos- 
sessed, could thus influence; he first 
raised us in our own esteem, and we 
could not descend from that height so 
as to sink, afterwards, in his, or fo 
generate any cause of indiflerence or 
coldness; He walked, always; on 
foot, in the midst of us, supporting 
himself on a large batoon, and often 
giving his arm to King Murad. If he 
happened to fall, like another indivi- 
dual, he would recover himself with a 
laugh, vowing vengeance with a me- 
nacing 
