AIDE
The Emperor’s. He is thus the livelong day.
[COLONEL FABVRIER is shown into the tent. An interval. Then the
husky accents of NAPOLÉON within, growing louder and louder.]
VOICE OF NAPOLÉON
If Marmont—so I gather from these lines—
Had let the English and the Spanish be,
They would have bent from Salamanca back,
Offering no battle, to our profiting!
We should have been delivered this disaster,
Whose bruit will harm us more than aught besides
That has befallen in Spain!
VOICE OF FABVRIER
I fear so, sire.
VOICE OF NAPOLÉON
He forced a conflict, to cull laurel crowns
Before King Joseph should arrive to share them!
VOICE OF FABVRIER
The army’s ardour for your Majesty,
Its courage, its devotion to your cause,
Cover a myriad of the Marshal’s sins.
VOICE OF NAPOLÉON
Why gave he battle without biddance, pray,
From the supreme commander? Here’s the crime
Of insubordination, root of woes!...
The time well chosen, and the battle won,
The English succours there had sidled off,
And their annoy in the Peninsula
Embarrassed us no more. Behoves it me,
Some day, to face this Wellington myself!
Marmont too plainly is no match for him....
Thus he goes on: “To have preserved command
I would with joy have changed this early wound
For foulest mortal stroke at fall of day.
One baleful moment damnified the fruit
Of six weeks’ wise strategics, whose result
Had loomed so certain!”—[Satirically] Well, we’ve but his word
As to their wisdom! To define them thus
Would not have struck me but for his good prompting!...
No matter: On Moskowa’s banks to-morrow
I’ll mend his faults upon the Arapeile.
I’ll see how I can treat this Russian horde
Which English gold has brought together here
From the four corners of the universe....
Adieu. You’d best go now and take some rest.
[FABVRIER reappears from the tent and goes. Enter DE BAUSSET.]
DE BAUSSET
The box that came—has it been taken in?
AN OFFICER
Yes, General ’Tis laid behind a screen
In the outer tent. As yet his Majesty
Has not been told of it.
[DE BAUSSET goes into the tent. After an interval of murmured
talk an exclamation bursts from the EMPEROR. In a few minutes he
appears at the tent door, a valet following him bearing a picture.
The EMPEROR’S face shows traces of emotion.]
NAPOLÉON
Bring out a chair for me to poise it on.
[Re-enter DE BAUSSET from the tent with a chair.]
They all shall see it. Yes, my soldier-sons
Must gaze upon this son of mine own house
In art’s presentment! It will cheer their hearts.
That’s a good light—just so.
[He is assisted by DE BAUSSET to set up the picture in the chair.
It is a portrait of the young King of Rome playing at cup-and-ball
being represented as the globe. The officers standing near are
attracted round, and then the officers and soldiers further back
begin running up, till there is a great crowd.]
Let them walk past,
So that they see him all. The Old Guard first.
[The Old Guard is summoned, and marches past surveying the picture;
then other regiments.]
SOLDIERS
The Emperor and the King of Rome for ever!
[When they have marched past and withdrawn, and DE BAUSSET has
taken away the picture, NAPOLÉON prepares to re-enter his tent.
But his attention is attracted to the Russians. He regards them
through his glass. Enter BESSIERES and RAPP.]