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The Dynasts: A Drama of the Napoleonic Wars
The Dynasts A Drama of the Napoleonic Wars Author:Thomas Hardy Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: These, amid their dust and thunder, Form with those, as scarce asunder, Parts of one compacted whole. There is a sound in the darkness as of a rushing throug... more »h the air. SCENE IV THE FIELD OF BORODINO Borodino, seventy miles west of Moscow, is revealed in a bird's-eye view from a point above the position of the French Grand Army, advancing on the Russian capital. We are looking east, towards Moscow and the army of Russia, which bars the way thither. The sun of latter summer, sinking behind our backs, floods the whole prospect, which is mostly wild, uncultivated land with patches of birch-trees. Napoleon's army has just arrived on the scene, and is making its bivouac for the night, some of the later regiments not having yet come up. A dropping fire of musketry from skirmishers ahead keeps snapping through the air. The Emperor's tent stands in a ravine in the foreground amid the squares of the Old Guard. Aides and other officers are chatting outside. Enter Napoleon, who dismounts, speaks to some of his suite, and disappears inside his tent. An interval follows, during which the sun dips. Enter Colonel Fabvrier, aide-de-camp of Marmont, just arrived from Spain. An officer-in-waiting goes into Napoleon's tent to announce Fabvrier, the Colonel meanwhile talking to those outside. An Aide Important tidings thence, I make no doubt ? Fabvrier Marmont repulsed on Salamanca field, And well-nigh slain, is the best tale 1 bring ! A silence. A coughing heard in Napoleon's tent. Whose rheumy throat distracts the quiet so ? The Emperor's. He is thus the livelong day. Colonel Fabvrier is shown into the tent. An interval. Then the husky accents of Napoleon within, growing louder and louder. Voice Of Napoleon If Marmont—so I gather from these lines— Had l...« less