Война и мир

Chapter 26

           

           TheFrenchattributedtheFireofMoscowaupatriotismeférocedeRostopchíne,*theRussianstothebarbarityoftheFrench.Inreality,however,itwasnot,andcouldnotbe,possibletoexplaintheburningofMoscowbymakinganyindividual,oranygroupofpeople,responsibleforit.Moscowwasburnedbecauseitfounditselfinapositioninwhichanytownbuiltofwoodwasboundtoburn,quiteapartfromwhetherithad,orhadnot,ahundredandthirtyinferiorfireengines.DesertedMoscowhadtoburnasinevitablyasaheapofshavingshastoburnonwhichsparkscontinuallyfallforseveraldays.Atownbuiltofwood,wherescarcelyadaypasseswithoutconflagrationswhenthehouseownersareinresidenceandapoliceforceispresent,cannothelpburningwhenitsinhabitantshaveleftitanditisoccupiedbysoldierswhosmokepipes,makecampfiresoftheSenatechairsintheSenateSquare,andcookthemselvesmealstwiceaday.Inpeacetimeitisonlynecessarytobillettroopsinthevillagesofanydistrictandthenumberoffiresinthatdistrictimmediatelyincreases.Howmuchthenmusttheprobabilityoffirebeincreasedinanabandoned,woodentownwhereforeigntroopsarequartered.“LepatriotismeférocedeRostopchíne”andthebarbarityoftheFrenchwerenottoblameinthematter.Moscowwassetonfirebythesoldiers’pipes,kitchens,andcampfires,andbythecarelessnessofenemysoldiersoccupyinghousestheydidnotown

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