de up his mind to it after a course of
painful hesitation.

At length, on the 3d of August, 1811, at an audience in the midst of all
the ambassadors of Europe, he declared himself; but the burst of
indignation which was the presage of war, was an additional proof of his
repugnance to commence it. It might be that the defeat which the
Russians had just sustained at Routschouk had inflated his hopes;
perhaps he imagined that he might, by menace, arrest the preparations of
Alexander.

It was prince Kourakin whom he addressed. That ambassador having just
made protestations of the pacific intentions of his master, he
interrupted him: "No," exclaimed he, "your master desires war; I know,
through my generals, that the Russian army is hurrying towards the
Niemen! The emperor Alexander deludes, and gains all my envoys!" Then,
perceiving Caulaincourt, he rapidly traversed the hall, and violently
appealing to him, said: "Yes, and you too have become a Russian: you
have been seduced by the emperor Alexander." The duke firmly replied,
"Yes, sire; because, in this question, I consider him to be a
Frenchman." Napoleon was silent; but from that moment, he treated that
great dignitary coldly, without, however, absolutely repelling him:
several times he even essayed, by fresh arguments, intermixed with
familiar caresses, to win him over to his opinion, but ineffectually; he
always found him inflexible; ready to serve him, but without approving
the nature of the service.

CHAP. IV.

While Napoleon, prompted by his natural character, by his position, and
by circumstances, thus appeared to wish for, and to accelerate the
period of conflict, he preserved the secret of his embarrassment. The
year 1811 was wasted in parleys about peace, and preparations for war.
1812 had just begun, and the horizon was already obscured. Our armies in
Spain had given way; Ciudad Rodrigo was taken by the English (on the
19th of January, 1812); the discussions of Napoleon with the Pope
increased in bitterness; Kutusof had destroyed the Turkish army on the
Danube (on the 8th of December, 1811); France even became alarmed about
her means of subsistence; every thing, in short, appeared to divert the
attention of Napoleon from Russia; to recall it to France, and fix it
there; while he, far from blinding his judgment, recognized in these
contrarieties the indications of his ever-faithful fortune.

It was, especially in the midst of those long winter nigh