CHAP. LXII.--Napoleon divides his Army into four Corps, which leaves Smolensk on their Retreat towards Poland--Cautious proceedings of Koutousoff--The Viceroy's Division is attacked by Miloradowitch, and effects a junction with Napoleon at Krasnoi, after severe loss--Koutousoff attacks the French at Krasnoi; but only by a distant Cannonade--The division under Davoust is reunited to Napoleon, but in a miserable state--Napoleon marches to Liady; and Mortier and Davoust are attacked, and suffer heavy loss--Details of the Retreat of Ney--He crosses the Losmina, with great loss of Men and Baggage, and joins Napoleon at Orcsa, with his Division reduced to 1500 men--The whole Grand Army is now reduced to 12,000 effective men, besides 30,000 stragglers--Dreadful Distress and Difficulties of Buonaparte and his Army--Singular scene betwixt Napoleon and Duroc and Daru--Napoleon moves towards Borizoff, and falls in with the Corps of Victor and Oudinot--Koutousoff halts at Kopyn, without attacking Buonaparte--Napoleon crosses the Beresina at Studzianka--Partouneaux's division cut off by Witgenstein--Severe Fighting on both sides of the River--Dreadful losses of the French in crossing it--According to the Russian official account, 36,000 bodies were found in the Beresina after the thaw, 188 CHAP. LXIII.--Napoleon determines to return to Paris--He leaves Smorgoni on 5th December--reaches Warsaw on the 10th--Curious Interview with the Abbé de Pradt--Arrives at Dresden on the 14th--and at Paris on the 18th at Midnight--Dreadful State of the Grand Army, when left by Napoleon--Arrive at Wilna, whence they are driven by the Cossacks, directing their Flight upon Kowno--Dissensions among the French Generals--Cautious Policy of the Austrians under Schwartzenberg--Precarious state of Macdonald--He Retreats upon Tilsit--D'Yorck separates his Troops from the French--Macdonald effects his Retreat to Königsberg--Close of the Russian Expedition, with a loss on the part of the French of 450,000 Men in Killed and Prisoners--Discussion of the Causes which led to this ruinous Catastrophe, 203 CHAP. LXIV.--Effects of Napoleon's return upon the Parisians--Congratulations and Addresses by all the Public Functionaries--Conspiracy of Mallet--very nearly successful--How at last defeated--The impression made by this event upon Buonaparte--Discussions with the Pope, who is brought to France, but remains inflexible--State of Affairs in Spain--Napoleon's great and successful exertions to Recruit his Army--Guards of Honour--In the month of April, the Army is raised to 350,000 men, independently of the Troops left in Garrison in Germany, and in Spain and Italy, 224