man　who　stands　at　the　head　of　the　movement　grows　with　the　increased
  size　of　the　group。　During　the　ten…year　preparatory　period　this　man　had
  formed　relations　with　all　the　crowned　heads　of　Europe。　The　discredited
  rulers　of　the　world　can　oppose　no　reasonable　ideal　to　the　insensate
  Napoleonic　ideal　of　glory　and　grandeur。　One　after　another　they
  hasten　to　display　their　insignificance　before　him。　The　King　of　Prussia
  sends　his　wife　to　seek　the　great　man's　mercy；　the　Emperor　of　Austria
  considers　it　a　favor　that　this　man　receives　a　daughter　the　Caesars
  into　his　bed；　the　Pope；　the　guardian　of　all　that　the　nations　hold
  sacred；　utilizes　religion　for　the　aggrandizement　of　the　great　man。
  It　is　not　Napoleon　who　prepares　himself　for　the　accomplishment　of
  his　role；　so　much　as　all　those　round　him　who　prepare　him　to　take　on
  himself　the　whole　responsibility　for　what　is　happening　and　has　to
  happen。　There　is　no　step；　no　crime　or　petty　fraud　he　commits；　which　in
  the　mouths　of　those　around　him　is　not　at　once　represented　as　a　great
  deed。　The　most　suitable　fete　the　Germans　can　devise　for　him　is　a
  celebration　of　Jena　and　Auerstadt。　Not　only　is　he　great；　but　so　are
  his　ancestors；　his　brothers；　his　stepsons；　and　his　brothers…in…law。
  Everything　is　done　to　deprive　him　of　the　remains　of　his　reason　and
  to　prepare　him　for　his　terrible　part。　And　when　he　is　ready　so　too
  are　the　forces。
  The　invasion　pushes　eastward　and　reaches　its　final　goal…　Moscow。
  That　city　is　taken；　the　Russian　army　suffers　heavier　losses　than　the
  opposing　armies　had　suffered　in　the　former　war　from　Austerlitz　to
  Wagram。　But　suddenly　instead　of　those　chances　and　that　genius　which
  hitherto　had　so　consistently　led　him　by　an　uninterrupted　series　of
  successes　to　the　predestined　goal；　an　innumerable　sequence　of
  inverse　chances　occur…　from　the　cold　in　his　head　at　Borodino　to　the
  sparks　which　set　Moscow　on　fire；　and　the　frosts…　and　instead　of
  genius；　stupidity　and　immeasurable　baseness　become　evident。
  The　invaders　flee；　turn　back；　flee　again；　and　all　the　chances　are
  now　not　for　Napoleon　but　always　against　him。
  A　countermovement　is　then　accomplished　from　east　to　west　with　a
  remarkable　resemblance　to　the　preceding　movement　from　west　to　east。
  Attempted　drives　from　east　to　west…　similar　to　the　contrary
  movements　of　1805；　1807；　and　1809…　precede　the　great　westward
  movement；　there　is　the　same　coalescence　into　a　group　of　enormous
  dimensions；　the　same　adhesion　of　the　people　of　Central　Europe　to　the
  movement；　the　same　hesitation　midway；　and　the　same　increasing　rapidity
  as　the　goal　is　approached。
  Paris；　the　ultimate　goal；　is　reached。　The　Napoleonic　government
  and　army　are　destroyed。　Napoleon　himself　is　no　longer　of　any
  account；　all　his　actions　are　evidently　pitiful　and　mean；　but　again
  an　inexplicable　chance　occurs。　The　allies　detest　Napoleon　whom　they
  regard　as　the　cause　of　their　sufferings。　Deprived　of　power　and
  authority；　his　crimes　and　his　craft　exposed；　he　should　have　appeared
  to　them　what　he　appeared　ten　years　previously　and　one　year　later…　an
  outlawed　brigand。　But　by　some　strange　chance　no　one　perceives　this。
  His　part　is　not　yet　ended。　The　man　who　ten　years　before　and　a　year
  later　was　considered　an　outlawed　brigand　is　sent　to　an　island　two
  days'　sail　from　France；　which　for　some　reason　is　presented　to　him　as
  his　dominion；　and　guards　are　given　to　him　and　millions　of　money　are
  paid　him。
  EP1｜CH4
  CHAPTER　IV
  The　flood　of　nations　begins　to　subside　into　its　normal　channels。　The
  waves　of　the　great　movement　abate；　and　on　the　calm　surface　eddies
  are　formed　in　which　float　the　diplomatists；　who　imagine　that　they　have
  caused　the　floods　to　abate。
  But　the　smooth　sea　again　suddenly　becomes　disturbed。　The
  diplomatists　think　that　their　disagreements　are　the　cause　of　this
  fresh　pressure　of　natural　forces；　they　anticipate　war　between　their
  sovereigns；　the　position　seems　to　them　insoluble。　But　the　wave　they
  feel　to　be　rising　does　not　come　from　the　quarter　they　expect。　It　rises
  again　from　the　same　point　as　before…　Paris。　The　last　backwash　of　the
  movement　from　the　west　occurs：　a　backwash　which　serves　to　solve　the
  apparently　insuperable　diplomatic　difficulties　and　ends　the　military
  movement　of　that　period　of　history。
  The　man　who　had　devastated　France　returns　to　France　alone；　without
  any　conspiracy　and　without　soldiers。　Any　guard　might　arrest　him；　but
  by　strange　chance　no　one　does　so　and　all　rapturously　greet　the　man
  they　cursed　the　day　before　and　will　curse　again　a　month　later。
  This　man　is　still　needed　to　justify　the　final　collective　act。
  That　act　is　performed。
  The　last　role　is　played。　The　actor　is　bidden　to　disrobe　and　wash　off
  his　powder　and　paint：　he　will　not　be　wanted　any　more。
  And　some　years　pass　during　which　he　plays　a　pitiful　comedy　to
  himself　in　solitude　on　his　island；　justifying　his　actions　by　intrigues
  and　lies　when　the　justification　is　no　longer　needed；　and　displaying　to
  the　whole　world　what　it　was　that　people　had　mistaken　for　strength　as
  long　as　an　unseen　hand　directed　his　actions。
  The　manager　having　brought　the　drama　to　a　close　and　stripped　the
  actor　shows　him　to　us。
  〃See　what　you　believed　in！　This　is　he！　Do　you　now　see　that　it　was
  not　he　but　I　who　moved　you？〃
  But　dazed　by　the　force　of　the　movement；　it　was　long　before　people
  understood　this。
  Still　greater　coherence　and　inevitability　is　seen　in　the　life　of
  Alexander　I；　the　man　who　stood　at　the　head　of　the　countermovement　from
  east　to　west。
  What　was　needed　for　him　who；　overshadowing　others；　stood　at　the　head
  of　that　movement　from　east　to　west？
  What　was　needed　was　a　sense　of　justice　and　a　sympathy　with
  European　affairs；　but　a　remote　sympathy　not　dulled　by　petty　interests；
  a　moral　superiority　over　those　sovereigns　of　the　day　who　co…operated
  with　him；　a　mild　and　attractive　personality；　and　a　personal
  grievance　against　Napoleon。　And　all　this　was　found　in　Alexander　I；　all
  this　had　been　prepared　by　innumerable　so…called　chances　in　his　life：
  his　education；　his　early　liberalism；　the　advisers　who　surrounded
  him；　and　by　Austerlitz；　and　Tilsit；　and　Erfurt。
  During　the　national　war　he　was　inactive　because　he　was　not　needed。
  But　as　soon　as　the　necessity　for　a　general　European　war　presented
  itself　he　appeared　in　his　place　at　the　given　moment　and；　uniting　the
  nations　of　Europe；　led　them　to　the　goal。
  The　goal　is　reached。　After　the　final　war　of　1815　Alexander　possesses
  all　possible　power。　How　does　he　use　it？
  Alexander　I…　the　pacifier　of　Europe；　the　man　who　from　his　early
  years　had　striven　only　for　his　people's　welfare；　the　originator　of　the
  liberal　innovations　in　his　fatherland…　now　that　he　seemed　to　possess
  the　utmost　power　and　therefore　to　have　the　possibility　of　bringing
  about　the　welfare　of　his　peoples…　at　the　time　when　Napoleon　in　exile
  was　drawing　up　childish　and　mendacious　plans　of　how　he　would　have　made
  mankind　happy　had　he　retained　power…　Alexander　I；　having　fulfilled　his
  mission　and　feeling　the　hand　of　God　upon　him；　suddenly　recognizes
  the　insignificance　of　that　supposed　power；　turns　away　from　it；　and
  gives　it　into　the　hands　of　contemptible　men　whom　he　despises；　saying
  only：
  〃Not　unto　us；　not　unto　us；　but　unto　Thy　Name！。。。　I　too　am　a　man　like
  the　rest　of　you。　Let　me　live　like　a　man　and　think　of　my　soul　and　of
  God。〃
  As　the　sun　and　each　atom　of　ether　is　a　sphere　complete　in　itself；
  and　yet　at　the　same　time　only　a　part　of　a　whole　too　immense　for　man　to
  comprehend；　so　each　individual　has　within　himself　his　own　aims　and　yet
  has　them　to　serve　a　general　purpose　incomprehensible　to　man。
  A　bee　settling　on　a　flower　has　stung　a　child。　And　the　child　is
  afraid　of　bees　and　declares　that　bees　exist　to　sting　people。　A　poet
  admires　the　bee　sucking　from　the　chalice　of　a　flower　and　says　it
  exists　to　suck　the　fragrance　of　flowers。　A　beekeeper；　seeing　the　bee
  collect　pollen　from　flowers　and　carry　it　to　the　hive；　says　that　it
  exists　to　gather　honey。　Another　beekeeper　who　has　studied　the　life
  of　the　hive　more　closely　says　that　the　bee　gathers　pollen　dust　to　feed
  the　young　bees　and　rear　a　queen；　and　that　it　exists　to　perpetuate
  its　race。　A　botanist　notices　that　the　bee　flying　with　the　pollen　of
  a　male　flower　to　a　pistil　fertilizes　the　latter；　and　sees　in　this
  the　purpose　of　the　bee's　existence。　Another；　observing　the　migration
  of　plants；　notices　that　the　bee　helps　in　this　work；　and　may　say　that
  in　this　lies　the　purpose　of　the　bee。　But　the　ultimate　purpose　of　the
  bee　is　not　exhausted　by　the　first；　the　second；　or　any　of　the　processes
  the　human　mind　can　discern。　The　higher　the　human　intellect　rises　in
  the　discovery　of　these　purposes；　the　more　obvious　it　becomes；　that　the
  ultimate　purpose　is　beyond　our　comprehension。
  All　that　is　accessible　to　man　is　the　relation　of　the　life　of　the　bee
  to　other　manifestations　of　life。　And　so　it　is　with　the　purpose　of
  historic　characters　and　nations。
  EP1｜CH5
  CHAPTER　V
  Natasha's　wedding　to　Bezu