The Dynasts: An Epic-Drama of the War with Napoleon Part 139

BERTHIER

The march hereto He has looked on as a retrogressive one, And that, he ever holds, is courting woe.

To counsel it was doubtless full of risk, And heaped us with responsibilities; --Yet 'twas your missive, sire, that settled it [to MURAT].

How stirred he was! "To Leipzig, or Berlin?"

He kept repeating, as he drew and drew Fantastic figures on the foolscap sheet,-- "The one spells ruin--t'other spells success, And which is which?"

MURAT [stiffly]

What better could I do?

So far were the Allies from sheering off As he supposed, that they had moved in march Full fanfare hither! I was duty-bound To let him know.

LAURISTON

a.s.suming victory here, If he should let the advantage slip him by As on the Dresden day, he wrecks us all!

'Twas d.a.m.nable--to ride back from the fight Inside a coach, as though we had not won!

CAULAINCOURT [from the back]

The Emperor was ill: I have ground for knowing.

[NAPOLEON enters.]

NAPOLEON [buoyantly]

Comrades, the outlook promises us well!

MURAT [dryly]

Right glad are we you tongue such tidings, sire.

To us the stars have visaged differently; To wit: we muster outside Leipzig here Levies one hundred and ninety thousand strong.

The enemy has mustered, OUTSIDE US, Three hundred and fifty thousand--if not more.

NAPOLEON

All that is needful is to conquer them!

We are concentred here: they lie a-spread, Which shrinks them to two-hundred-thousand power:-- Though that the urgency of victory Is absolute, I admit.

MURAT

Yea; otherwise The issue will be worse than Moscow, sire!

[MARMONT, DUKE OF RAGUSA [Wellington's adversary in Spain], is announced, and enters.]

NAPOLEON

Ah, Marmont; bring you in particulars?

MARMONT

Some sappers I have taken captive, sire, Say the Allies will be at stroke with us The morning next to to-morrow's.--I am come, Now, from the steeple-top of Liebenthal, Where I beheld the enemy's fires bespot The horizon round with raging eyes of flame:-- My vanward posts, too, have been driven in, And I need succours--thrice ten thousand, say.

NAPOLEON [coldly]

The enemy vexes not your vanward posts; You are mistaken.--Now, however, go; Cross Leipzig, and remain as the reserve.-- Well, gentlemen, my hope herein is this: The first day to annihilate Schwarzenberg, The second Blucher. So shall we slip the toils They are all madding to enmesh us in.

BERTHIER

Few are our infantry to fence with theirs!

NAPOLEON [cheerfully]

We'll range them in two lines instead of three, And so we shall look stronger by one-third.

BERTHIER [incredulously]

Can they be thus deceived, sire?

NAPOLEON

Can they? Yes!

With all my practice I can err in numbers At least one-quarter; why not they one-third?

Anyhow, 'tis worth trying at a pinch....

[AUGEREAU is suddenly announced.]

Good! I've not seen him yet since he arrived.

[Enter AUGEREAU.

Here you are then at last, old Augereau!

You have been looked for long.--But you are no more The Augereau of Castiglione days!