From one of these hills Napoleon watched the movement of Bennigsen and his army of 30,000. The Russian general believed that a corps of 1,500 men in command at Lannes, stationed at Friedland, was the extent of the forces opposing him. Bennigsen engaged in a skirmish with this corps, and drove it back into the city. The Russian army then followed, and crossed the River Albe. Napoleon waited, feeling assured that Bennigsen would not have time to retreat. Then he brought his army of 60,000 men to the aid of Lannes, and surrounded the Russians, pouring upon them a converging fire which worked disastrous results. The fragments of Bennigsen’s army retreated to the Russian border, whither Napoleon’s forces pursued them. At the Russian frontier Napoleon received a communication from Czar Alexander requesting peace. It was agreed that the two emperors should meet on a floating raft near the city of Tilsit. The result of this conference was the foundation of what has been called “Napoleon’s dream to build a vast European empire.” Whatever may be said of that, it was surely the beginning of his downfall. [Illustration: NAPOLEON IN THE CAMPAIGN OF FRANCE--BY MEISSONIER] RETREAT FROM MOSCOW, from the painting by Meissonier, is the subject of one of the intaglio-gravure pictures illustrating “Napoleon Bonaparte.” THURSDAY DAILY READING IN THE MENTOR COURSE PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION RETREAT FROM MOSCOW Napoleon’s invasion of Russia was one of the most disastrous military enterprises in the history of the world. It was not the Russians that defeated the emperor. During much of his advance he was left alone. Sometimes he was harrassed by skirmish forces. Several great battles were fought, notably that of Borodino. But for the most part he was allowed to go on his way; for his enemies knew that he had greater than human forces to face and battle with,--the vast Russian solitudes and the cruel, killing Russian winter. The terrible story is summed up in the statement that Napoleon invaded Russia with an armed force numbering more than 500,000 men, and that he returned with less than 30,000. Bonaparte had once said, “I will never lead an army to destruction as did Charles XII on the steppes of Russia. My soldiers are my children.” However, when Czar Alexander of Russia refused to accept his terms, Napoleon assembled his grand army of Frenchmen, Italians, Austrians, and Germans and invaded Russia as far as Moscow, a distance of 2,000 miles from Paris.