LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

[Smugly disguised as putting trust in God,

       A habit with these English folk]; whereby

       A headstrong blindness to contingencies

       Carries the actor on, and serves him well

       In some nice issues clearer sight would mar.

       Such eyeless bravery Villeneuve has not;

       But, Sire, he is no coward.

      NAPOLEON

       Well, have it so!—What are we going to do?

       My brain has only one wish—to succeed!

      DECRES

       My voice wanes weaker with you, Sire; is nought!

       Yet these few words, as Minister of Marine,

       I'll venture now.—My process would be thus:—

       Our projects for a junction of the fleets

       Being well-discerned and read by every eye

       Through long postponement, England is prepared.

       I would recast them. Later in the year

       Form sundry squadrons of this massive one,

       Harass the English till the winter time,

       Then rendezvous at Cadiz; where leave half

       To catch the enemy's eye and call their cruizers,

       While rounding Scotland with the other half,

       You make the Channel by the eastern strait,

       Cover the passage of our army-boats,

       And plant the blow.

      NAPOLEON

       And what if they perceive

       Our Scottish route, and meet us eastwardly?

      DECRES

       I have thought of it, and planned a countermove;

       I'll write the scheme more clearly and at length,

       And send it hither to your Majesty.

      NAPOLEON

       Do so forthwith; and send me in Daru.

       [Exit DECRES. Re-enter MONGE.]

       Our breakfast, Monge, to-day has been cut short,

       And these discussions on the ancient tongues

       Wherein you shine, must yield to modern moils.

       Nay, hasten not away; though feeble wills,

       Incompetence, ay, imbecility,

       In some who feign to serve the cause of France,

       Do make me other than myself just now!—

       Ah—here's Daru.

       [DARU enters. MONGE takes his leave.]

       Daru, sit down and write. Yes, here, at once,

       This room will serve me now. What think you, eh?

       Villeneuve has just turned tail and run to Cadiz.

       So quite postponed—perhaps even overthrown—

       My long-conned project against yonder shore

       As 'twere a juvenile's snow-built device

       But made for melting! Think of it, Daru,—

       My God, my God, how can I talk thereon!

       A plan well judged, well charted, well upreared,

       To end in nothing!... Sit you down and write.

       [NAPOLEON walks up and down, and resumes after a silence.]

       Write this.—A volte-face 'tis indeed!—Write, write!

      DARU [holding pen to paper]

       I wait, your Majesty.

      NAPOLEON

       First Bernadotte—

       Yes; “Bernadotte moves out from Hanover

       Through Hesse upon Wurzburg and the Danube.—

       Marmont from Holland bears along the Rhine,

       And joins at Mainz and Wurzburg Bernadotte...

       While these prepare their routes the army here

       Will turn its back on Britain's tedious shore,

       And, closing up with Augereau at Brest,

       Set out full force due eastward....

       By the Black forest feign a straight attack,

       The while our purpose is to skirt its left,

       Meet in Franconia Bernadotte and Marmont;

       Traverse the Danube somewhat down from Ulm;

       Entrap the Austrian column by their rear;

       Surround them, cleave them; roll upon Vienna,

       Where, Austria settled, I engage the Tsar,

       While Massena detains in Italy

       The Archduke Charles.

       Foreseeing such might shape,

       Each high-and by-way to the Danube hence

       I have of late had measured, mapped, and judged;

       Such spots as suit for depots chosen and marked;

       Each regiment's daily pace and bivouac

       Writ tablewise for ready reference;

       All which itineraries are sent herewith.”

       So shall I crush the two gigantic sets

       Upon the Empire, now grown imminent.

       —Let me reflect.—First Bernadotte—-but nay,

       The courier to Marmont must go first.

       Well, well.—The order of our march from hence

       I will advise.... My knock at George's door

       With bland inquiries why his royal hand

       Withheld due answer to my friendly lines,

       And tossed the irksome business to his clerks,

       Is thus perforce delayed. But not for long.

       Instead of crossing, thitherward I tour

       By roundabout contrivance not less sure!

      DARU

       I'll bring the writing to your Majesty.

       [NAPOLEON and DARU go out severally.]

      CHORUS OF THE YEARS [aerial music]

       Recording Angel, trace

       This bold campaign his thought has spun apace—

       One that bids fair for immortality

       Among the earthlings—if immortal deeds

       May be ascribed to so extemporary

       And transient a race!

       It will be called, in rhetoric and rhyme,

       As son to sire succeeds,

       A model for the tactics of all time;

       “The Great Campaign of that so famed year Five,”

       By millions of mankind not yet alive.

      SCENE II

       THE FRONTIERS OF UPPER AUSTRIA AND BAVARIA

       [A view of the country from mid-air, at a point south of the

       River Inn, which is seen as a silver thread, winding northward

       between its junction with the Salza and the Danube, and forming

       the boundaries of the two countries. The Danube shows itself as

       a crinkled satin riband, stretching from left to right in the

      

Скачать книгу