1

the French soldiers. Napoleon, who had been roused by the tumult, hurried to the spot, and when the alarm seemed at an end,2 he retired, not to his former quarters in the suburbs, but to the Kremlin, the hereditary palace of the only sovereign whom he had ever treated as an3 equal, and over whom his successful arms had now attained such an apparently immense superiority. Yet he did not suffer himself to be dazzled by the advantage he had obtained, but availed himself of the light of the blazing Bazaar, to write to the Emperor proposals of peace with his own hand. They were despatched by a Russian officer of rank 5 who had been disabled by indisposition from following the army. But no answer was ever returned.

Next day the flames had disappeared, and the French officers luxuriously employed themselves in selecting out of the deserted palaces of Moscow, that which best pleased the fancy of each for his residence. At night the flames again arose in the north and west quarters of the city. As the greater part of the houses were built of wood, the conflagration spread with the most dreadful rapidity. This was at first imputed to the blazing brands and sparkles which were carried by the wind; but at length it was observed, that, as often as the wind changed, and it changed three times in that terrible night, new flames broke always forth in that direction, where the existing gale was calculated to direct them on the Kremlin.10 These horrors were increased by the chance of explosion. There was, though as yet unknown to the French, a magazine of powder in the Kremlin ;11 besides that a park of artillery, with its ammunition, was drawn up under the Emperor's

window. Morning came, and with it a dreadful scene. During the whole night, the metropolis had glared with an untimely and unnatural light. It was now covered with a thick and suffocating atmosphere, of almost palpable smoke.3 The flames defied the efforts of the French soldiery; and it is said that the fountains of the city had been rendered inaccessible, the water-pipes cut, and the fire-engines destroyed or carried off.5

6

Then came the reports of fire-balls having been found burning in deserted houses; of men and women, that, like demons, had been seen openly spreading flames, and who were said to be furnished with combustibles for rendering their dreadful work more secure. Several wretches against whom such acts had been charged, were seized upon, and probably without much inquiry, were shot on the spot. While it was almost impossible to keep the roof of the Kremlin clears of the burning brands which showered down the wind, Napoleon watched from the windows the course of the fire which devoured his fair conquest, and the exclamation burst from him, "These are indeed Scythians!"9

The equinoctial gales rose higher and higher upon the 10 third night, and extended the flames, with which there was no longer any human power11 of contending. At the dead hour of midnight,12 the Kremlin itself was found to be on fire. A soldier of the Russian police, charged with being the incendiary, was turned over to the summary vengeance 13 of the Imperial Guard. Bonaparte was then, at length, persuaded, by the entreaties of all around

1 vint offrir.

2 lugubre et surnaturelle.—'metropolis;' see page 69, note 13, and page 152, note 4.

3 See page 26, note 2.

4 See p. 8, n. 15-Yet, use the passive here, as in English, instead of on with the active voice; otherwise we should have, in the same proposition, the pronoun on relating each time to a different nour understood,-which is incorrect. 5 See page 23, note 7.

6 See page 3, note 18,

7 sans enquête bien sérieuse.'to shoot,' here, fusiller; see also page 60, note 9.

'to keep clear,' débarrasser. 9 et il lui échappa cette exclamation: "Quels hommes ! Ce sont des Scythes!"

10 de plus en plus la.

11 Turn, 'no human power could any longer (plus).'

12 Simply, 'At midnight.'

13 livré à la vengeance

him, to relinquish his quarters in the Kremlin, to which, as the visible mark2 of his conquest, he had seemed to cling with the tenacity of a lion holding a fragment of his prey. He encountered both difficulty3 and danger3 in retiring from the palace, and before he could gain the city-gate, he had to traverse with his suite, streets arched with fire, and in which the very air they breathed was suffocating. At length, he gained the open country, and took up his abode in a palace of the Czar's called Petrowsky, about a French7 league from the city. As he looked back

6

on the fire, which, under the influence of the autumnal wind, swelled and surged round the Kremlin, like an infernal ocean around a sable Pandemonium, he could not suppress the ominous expression, "This bodes us great misfortune." 10*

The fire continued to triumph unopposed,11 and consumed in a few days what it had cost 12 centuries to raise. "Palaces and temples," says a Russian author, monuments of art, and miracles 13 of luxury, the remains of ages which had passed away, and those which had been the creation of yesterday; the tombs of 14 ancestors, and the nursery-cradles of the present generation, were 15 indiscriminately destroyed. Nothing was left of Moscow save the remembrance of the city, and the deep resolution to avenge its fall."

"16

1 See page 32, note 8. 2 gage.

3 Use the plural.

4 See page 7, note 7.

5 des rues au-dessus desquelles les flammes formaient une arche. il arriva en pleine campagne. 7 Leave this word out.

8 See page 6, note 13.

9 les flammes, qui, augmentées (or, activées) encore par... . &c.,

*

Napoleon entered Russia June 24, 1812, with an immense host, numbering half-a-million of men. Of this great army it has been calculated that 125,000 perished in battle, 132,000 died of fatigue, hunger, and cold, during their retreat after the burning of Moscow, and 193.000 were taken prisoners, including 48 generals and 3000 inferior officers.

The fire raged till the 19th with unabated violence, and then began to slacken for want of fuel. It is said, fourfifths of this great city were laid in ruins.2-(W. SCOTT, Life of Bonaparte.)

SCENE FROM "THE CRITIC."

(Dangle, Sneer, and Puff.)

4

Puff. (entering.) My dear Dangle, how is it with you? Dan. Mr. Sneer, give me leave to introduce Mr. Puff to you.

Puff. Mr. Sneer is this? Sir, he is a gentleman whom I have long panted for the honour of knowing; a gentleman whose critical talents and transcendent judgment

Sneer. Dear sir

Dan. Nay, don't be modest,5 Sueer; my friend Puff only talks to you in the style of his profession. Sneer. His profession!

6

Puff. Yes, sir; I make no secret of the trade I follow : among friends and brother authors, Dangle knows I love to be frank on the subject, and to advertise myself viva voce. I am, sir, a practitioner in panegyric; or, to speak more plainly, a professor of the art of puffing, at your service, or anybody else's.

8

Sneer. Sir, you are very obliging. I believe, Mr. Puff, I have often admired your talents in the daily prints.

Puff. Yes, sir; I flatter myself I do as much business in that way, as any 10 six of the fraternity in town.11 Devilish hard work,12 all the summer, friend 13 Dangle!

Use 'the,' in French. 2 reduced to (en) ashes.'

3 comment vous va ?-familiar. • présenter.

5 Point de modestie.

et mes confrères les auteurs.

7 de vive voix.

8 dans l'art du pouf.

9 'business,' here, ouvrage ; 'way,' genre.

10 Leave this word out.

11 in this town.'

12 J'ai eu diablement l'occu pation.

13 l'ami.

Never worked harder! But, hark ye !-the winter managers were a little sore, I believe.1

Dan. No: I believe they took it all in good part.

Puff. Ay!2-then that must have been affectation in them; for, egad! there were some of the attacks which there was no laughing at !3

Sneer. Ay! the humorous ones; 4 but I should think, Mr. Puff, that authors would in general be able to do this sort of work for themselves.

6

8

Puff. Why, yes;5 but in a clumsy way. Besides, we look on that as an encroachment, and so take the opposite side. I dare say, now, you conceive half the very civil paragraphs and advertisements you see, to be written 9 by the parties concerned, or their friends? No such thing: 10 nine out of1l ten, manufactured by me in the way of business. 12

Sneer. Indeed!

Puff. Even the auctioneers now—the auctioneers, I say, though the rogues have lately got some credit 13 for their language-not an article of the merit theirs! Take them out of their pulpits, and they are as dull as catalogues! No, sir; 'twas I first enriched their style; 'twas I first taught 15 them to crowd their advertisements with panegyrical superlatives, each epithet rising above the otherlike the bidders in their own auction-rooms! From me 16 they learned to inlay their phraseology with variegated