He paused. Then raising his right hand in the air with a swift strenuous movement Napoleon pronounced the oath:
“You swear to sacrifice your lives in their defence: to maintain them by your courage ever in the path of Victory! You swear it?”
The vast gathering stood as though spellbound. For one instant all remained motionless and silent, held down as it were by overmastering emotion.
Then, all together, with one accord, the soldiers found their voices. With a thundering shout that seemed to shake the air, the Army made its response, answering back in one deep chorus:
“WE SWEAR IT! WE SWEAR IT!”
“Nous le jurons!”—“We swear it!”
One and all enthusiastically re-echoed the words; while the colonels excitedly brandished and waved aloft the Eagles. In a frenzy of martial ardour the entire assembly, at the top of their voices, again and again declaimed, “We swear it! We swear it!” A wild prolonged outburst of cheering followed, and exuberant shouts of “Vive l’Empereur!”
Before the cheering had abated, the drums broke in again. The sharp clash and rattle recalled all to order instantly. Again a dead silence fell over the great host, standing now with recovered arms.
Up once more went Murat’s marshal’s bâton. The next moment the dense-set columns were standing stock-still like rows of statues, with arms at the shoulder.
Napoleon resumed his seat on the throne, and as he did so yet once more a wave of enthusiasm swept over the vast array. Redoubled shouts of “Vive l’Empereur!” burst wildly forth, the soldiers pulling off their hats or helmets, and hoisting them on the points of their bayonets, excitedly waving them, while they shouted themselves breathless.