auriston."

The latter asserts that he added fresh objections to the preceding, and
that, being urged by the emperor, he recommended to him to begin his
retreat that very day, by way of Kaluga. Napoleon, irritated at this,
sharply replied, "that he liked simple plans, less circuitous routes,
high roads, the road by which he had come, yet he would not retrace it
but with peace." Then showing to him, as he had done to General
Caulaincourt, the letter which he had written to Alexander, he ordered
him to go and obtain of Kutusoff a safe conduct to St. Petersburg. The
last words of the emperor to Lauriston were, "I want peace, I must have
peace, I absolutely will have peace only save my honor."

The general set out, and reached the advanced posts of the Russians on
the 5th of October. Hostilities were instantly suspended, and an
interview granted, at which Wolkonsky, aid-de-camp to Alexander, and
Beningsen were present, without Kutusoff. Wilson asserts that the
Russian generals and officers, suspicious of their commander, and
accusing him of weakness, had raised a cry of treason, and that the
latter had not dared to leave his camp.

As Lauriston's instructions purported that he was to address himself to
no one but Kutusoff, he peremptorily rejected any intermediate
communication; and seizing, as he said, this occasion for breaking off a
negotiation which he disapproved, he retired, in spite of all the
solicitations of Wolkonsky, with the intention of returning to Moscow.
Had he carried this into effect, no doubt Napoleon, exasperated, would
have fallen upon Kutusoff, overthrown him and destroyed his army, as yet
very incomplete, and forced him into a peace. In case of less decisive
success, he would at least have been able to retire without loss upon
his reinforcements.

Unfortunately, Beningsen desired an interview with Murat. Lauriston
waited. The chief of the Russian staff, an abler negotiator than
soldier, strove to charm this monarch of yesterday by demonstrations of
respect; to seduce him by praises; to deceive him with smooth words,
breathing nothing but a weariness of war and the hope of peace; and
Murat, tired of battles, anxious respecting their result, and, as it is
said, regretting his throne, now that he had no hope of a better,
suffered himself to be charmed, seduced, and deceived.

It was soon demonstrated that the chief point in which they were all
agreed was to deceive Murat and the emperor; and in this