Chapter 14

           

           Itwouldbedifficulttoexplainwhyandwhitherantswhoseheaphasbeendestroyedarehurrying:somefromtheheapdraggingbitsofrubbish,larvae,andcorpses,othersbacktotheheap,orwhytheyjostle,overtakeoneanother,andfight,anditwouldbeequallydifficulttoexplainwhatcausedtheRussiansafterthedepartureoftheFrenchtothrongtotheplacethathadformerlybeenMoscow.Butwhenwewatchtheantsroundtheirruinedheap,thetenacity,energy,andimmensenumberofthedelvinginsectsprovethatdespitethedestructionoftheheap,somethingindestructible,whichthoughintangibleistherealstrengthofthecolony,stillexists;andsimilarly,thoughinMoscowinthemonthofOctobertherewasnogovernmentandnochurches,shrines,riches,orhouses—itwasstilltheMoscowithadbeeninAugust.Allwasdestroyed,exceptsomethingintangibleyetpowerfulandindestructible.

           ThemotivesofthosewhothrongedfromallsidestoMoscowafterithadbeenclearedoftheenemyweremostdiverseandpersonal,andatfirstforthemostpartsavageandbrutal.Onemotiveonlytheyallhadincommon:adesiretogettotheplacethathadbeencalledMoscow,toapplytheiractivitiesthere.

           WithinaweekMoscowalreadyhadfifteenthousandinhabitants,inafortnighttwenty-fivethousand,andsoon.Bytheautumnof1813thenumber,everincreasingandincreasing,exceededwhatithadbeenin1812.

           ThefirstRussianstoenterMoscowweretheCossacksofWintzingerode’sdetachment,peasantsfromtheadjacentvillages,andresidentswhohadfledfromMoscowandhadbeenhidinginitsvicinity.

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