Identifier: historyofallnati17wrig (find matches)
Title: A history of all nations from the earliest times; being a universal historical library
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: Wright, John Henry, 1852-1908
Subjects: World history
Publisher: (Philadelphia, New York : Lea Brothers & company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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t of Rostopshins frightful act, an act so frightful that itsauthor found it expedient subsequently to deny it, was powerful andfatal. To the French the burning gave the signal for a general pillaging(Fig. 42), which not merely dissolved the already relaxed bonds of dis-cipline, but also destroyed a great part of that which the flames hadspared. But Napoleon was now compelled with fearful clearness to per-ceive that the greatest undertaking of his life had utterly failed. Totake INIoscow he had consumed the larger part of liis combative force, onMoscow all his hopes had rested, and now Moscow was no more. Calmreflection must say to him that after such a sacrifice, less than ever coulddependence be placed uj^on any inclination to peace on the part of theRussians ; but he so much dreaded the first step backward, that he clungfast with convulsive obstinacy to the opinion that the taking of Moscowmust bring peace, and this opinion comj^leted the ruin of his army. THE BUBNING OF MOSCOW. 197
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198 THE FALL OF NAPOLEON. For peace did not come. Intelligence of the loss of the holy cityhad produced, in the whole empire, such an immense impression that itcould not be surpassed even by that of the conflagration ; the purposelycherished deception that the French had set Moscow on fire had arousedhatred and vengeance. In the Russian court there was a different feel-ing. Much alarm was experienced. Together with those specially wellinclined to the Frencli, at whose head stood Eumiintzoff, a numerouspeace party lifted up its voice. Even the empress-motlu^r, the warmenemy of Napoleon, now spoke of peace, and the Grand Duke Constan-tine declared it to be inevitable. Alexanders gentle nature seemed atfirst as if borne down by the weight of the blow. But by an unparal-leled destiny there stood one man at his side whose intrepid soul knewneither fear nor wavering. Shortly before the outbreak of the war, theczar had summoned to his court the proscribed Baron vom Stein, that liemight lend

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