God, yes!--Even here Pitt's guineas are the foes: 'Tis all a duel 'twixt this Pitt and me; And, more than Russia's host, and Austria's flower, I everywhere to-night around me feel As from an unseen monster haunting nigh His country's hostile breath!--But come: to choke it By our to-morrow's feats, which now, in brief, I recapitulate.--First Soult will move To forward the grand project of the day: Namely: ascend in echelon, right to front, With Vandamme's men, and those of Saint Hilaire: Legrand's division somewhere further back-- Nearly whereat I place my finger here-- To be there reinforced by tirailleurs: Lannes to the left here, on the Olmutz road, Supported by Murat's whole cavalry. While in reserve, here, are the grenadiers Of Oudinot, the corps of Bernadotte, Rivaud, Drouet, and the Imperial Guard. MARSHAL'S VOICES Even as we understood, Sire, and have ordered. Nought lags but day, to light our victory! VOICE OF NAPOLEON Now let us up and ride the bivouacs round, And note positions ere the soldiers sleep. --Omit not from to-morrow's home dispatch Direction that this blow of Trafalgar Be hushed in all the news-sheets sold in France, Or, if reported, let it be portrayed As a rash fight whereout we came not worst, But were so broken by the boisterous eve That England claims to be the conqueror. [There emerge from the tent NAPOLEON and the marshals, who all mount the horses that are led up, and proceed through the frost and time towards the bivouacs. At the Emperor's approach to the nearest soldiery they spring up.] SOLDIERS The Emperor! He's here! The Emperor's here! AN OLD GRENADIER [approaching Napoleon familiarly] We'll bring thee Russian guns and flags galore. To celebrate thy coronation-day! [They gather into wisps the straw, hay, and other litter on which they have been lying, and kindling these at the dying fires, wave them as torches. This is repeated as each fire is reached, till the whole French position is one wide illumination. The most enthusiastic of the soldiers follow the Emperor in a throng as he progresses, and his whereabouts in the vast field is denoted by their cries.] CHORUS OF PITIES [aerial music] Strange suasive pull of personality! CHORUS OF IRONIC SPIRITS His projects they unknow, his grin unsee! CHORUS OF THE PITIES Their luckless hearts say blindly--He! [The night-shades close over.] SCENE II THE SAME. THE RUSSIAN POSITION [Midnight at the quarters of FIELD-MARSHAL PRINCE KUTUZOF at Kresnowitz. An inner apartment is discovered, roughly adapted as a council-room. On a table with candles is unfolded a large map of Austerlitz and its environs.