offensive. The table was instantly covered with maps, over which the
emperor pored most attentively for a considerable time. Of what was
passing around him he seemed not to take the smallest notice. The
spectators, of whom I was one, crowded pretty close about him. On
occasion of his visit to the city, a few months before, the French had
discovered that the people of Leipzig were not so malicious as they had
been represented, but tolerably good-natured creatures. They were
therefore allowed to approach unobstructed within twenty paces. A long
train of carriages from the Wurzen road, the cracking of the whips of
the postilions, together with a great number of horse-soldiers and tall
grenadiers, announced the arrival of another distinguished personage,
and called the attention of the by-standers that way. It was the king of
Saxony, with his guards and retinue. He alighted, and a kind salutation
ensued between him and his august ally. The king soon afterwards mounted
a horse, and thus proceeded into the city. Napoleon meanwhile remained
where he was. He sometimes rose from his seat, went up to the
watch-fire, held his hands over it, rubbed them, and then placed them
behind him, whilst with his foot he pushed the wood, consisting of dry
boards and rafters from the nearest houses, into the flame, to make it
burn more fiercely. At the same time he very frequently took snuff, of
which he seemed to have but a small quantity left in his gold box. At
last he scraped together what was left with his finger, and poured it
out upon his hand. When all was gone, he opened the box several times
and smelt to it, without applying to any of the marshals and generals
around him to relieve his want. As the discharges of artillery towards
Probstheide grew more and more general and alarming, and the wounded
kept returning in continually increasing numbers, I was rather surprised
that the commander should, on this occasion, contrary to his usual
custom, quietly remain so far from the field of battle, which was near
ten miles distant, apparently without giving himself the least concern