essed the vehemence. The effect was correspondent.
Their chief, whom they elect themselves, proved himself worthy of his
station: he put down his name at once for 50,000 rubles.[133] It was
two-thirds of his fortune, and he paid it the next day.

These merchants were divided into three classes, and they proceeded to
fix the contribution for each; but one of the assembly, who was included
in the lowest class, declared that his patriotism would brook no limit,
and he immediately subscribed a sum far surpassing the standard
proposed: the others all followed his example more or less closely.
Advantage was taken of their first emotions. Everything was at hand that
was requisite to bind them irrevocably while they were yet together,
excited by one another and by the words of their sovereign.

The patriotic donation amounted, it is said, to two millions of rubles.
The other governments repeated, like so many echoes, the national cry of
Moscow. The emperor accepted all; but all could not be given
immediately; and when, in order to complete his work, he claimed the
rest of the promised succor, he was obliged to have recourse to
constraint, the danger which had alarmed some and inflamed others having
by that time ceased to exist.

Sec. 2. Alarm in Moscow at the advance of the French army; preparations for
destroying the city.

After the reduction of Smolensk,[134] and when Napoleon reached Viazma,
a town about one hundred and seventy miles from Moscow, consternation
reigned in Moscow. The great battle had not yet been lost, and already
people began to abandon that capital.

In his proclamation, the governor-general, Count Rostopchin,[135] told
the women that "he should not detain them, as the less fear there was,
the less danger there would be; but that their brothers and husbands
must stay, or they would cover themselves with infamy." He then added
encouraging particulars concerning the hostile force, which consisted,
according to his statement, of "one hundred and fifty thousand men, who
were reduced to the necessity of feeding on horseflesh. The emperor
Alexander was about to return to his faithful capital; eighty-three
thousand Russians, recruits and militia, with eighty pieces of cannon
were marching towards Borodino, to join Kutusoff."[136]

He thus concluded: "If these forces are not sufficient, I will say to
you, 'Come, my Muscovite[137] friends, let us march also! We will
assemble one hundred thousand men; we wil