That stranger to most councils, here prevailed,627
As sometimes happens in a great extremity;628
And every difficulty being dispelled,
Glory began to dawn with due sublimity,629
While Souvaroff, determined to obtain it,
Was teaching his recruits to use the bayonet.630
LII
It is an actual fact, that he, commander
In chief, in proper person deigned to drill
The awkward squad, and could afford to squander
His time, a corporal’s duty to fulfil;
Just as you’d break a sucking salamander
To swallow flame, and never take it ill:631
He showed them how to mount a ladder (which
Was not like Jacob’s) or to cross a ditch.632
LIII
Also he dressed up, for the nonce, fascines
Like men with turbans, scimitars, and dirks,
And made them charge with bayonet these machines,
By way of lesson against actual Turks;633
And when well practised in these mimic scenes,
He judged them proper to assail the works—
(At which your wise men sneered in phrases witty),634
He made no answer—but he took the city.
LIV
Most things were in this posture on the eve
Of the assault, and all the camp was in
A stern repose; which you would scarce conceive;
Yet men resolved to dash through thick and thin
Are very silent when they once believe
That all is settled:—there was little din,
For some were thinking of their home and friends,
And others of themselves and latter ends.635
LV
Suwarrow chiefly was on the alert,
Surveying, drilling, ordering, jesting, pondering;
For the man was, we safely may assert,
A thing to wonder at beyond most wondering;
Hero, buffoon, half-demon, and half-dirt,
Praying, instructing, desolating, plundering—Now
Mars, now Momus—and when bent to storm
A fortress, Harlequin in uniform.636
LVI
The day before the assault, while upon drill—
For this great conqueror played the corporal—
Some Cossacques, hovering like hawks round a hill,
Had met a party towards the Twilight’s fall,
One of whom spoke their tongue—or well or ill,
’Twas much that he was understood at all;
But whether from his voice, or speech, or manner,
They found that he had fought beneath their banner.
LVII
Whereon immediately at his request
They brought him and his comrades to head-quarters;
Their dress was Muslim, but you might have guessed
That these were merely masquerading Tartars,
And that beneath each Turkish-fashioned vest
Lurked Christianity—which sometimes barters
Her inward grace for outward show, and makes
It difficult to shun some strange mistakes.
LVIII
Suwarrow, who was standing in his shirt
Before a company of Calmucks, drilling,
Exclaiming, fooling, swearing at the inert,
And lecturing on the noble art of killing—
For deeming human clay but common dirt
This great philosopher was thus instilling
His maxims,637 which to martial comprehension
Proved death in battle equal to a pension;—
LIX
Suwarrow, when he saw this company
Of Cossacques and their prey, turned round and cast
Upon them his slow brow and piercing eye:—
“Whence come ye?”—“From Constantinople last,
Captives just now escaped,” was the reply.
“What are ye?”—“What you see us.” Briefly passed
This dialogue; for he who answered knew
To whom he spoke, and made his words but few.
LX
“Your names?”—“Mine’s Johnson, and my comrade’s Juan;
The other two are women, and the third
Is neither man nor woman.” The Chief threw on
The party a slight glance, then said, “I have heard
Your name before, the second is a new one:
To bring the other three here was absurd:
But let that pass:—I think I have heard your name
In the Nikolaiew regiment?”—“The same.”
LXI
“You served at Widdin?”—“Yes.”—“You led the attack?”
“I did.”—“What next?”—“I really hardly know”—
“You were the first i’ the breach?”—“I was not slack
At least to follow those who might be so”—
“What followed?”—“A shot laid me on my back,
And I became a prisoner to the foe”—
“You shall have vengeance, for the town surrounded
Is twice as strong as that where you were wounded.
LXII
“Where will you serve?”—“Where’er you please.”—“I know
You like to be the hope of the forlorn,
And doubtless would be foremost on the foe
After the hardships you’ve already borne.
And this young fellow—say what can he do?
He with the beardless chin and garments torn?”—
“Why, General, if he hath no greater fault
In War than Love, he had better lead the assault”—
LXIII
“He shall if that he dare.” Here Juan bowed
Low as the compliment deserved. Suwarrow
Continued: “Your old regiment’s allowed,
By special providence, to lead to-morrow,
Or, it may be, to-night, the assault: I have vowed
To several Saints, that shortly plough or harrow
Shall pass o’er what was Ismail, and its tusk638
Be unimpeded by the proudest mosque.
LXIV
“So now, my lads, for Glory!”—Here he turned
And drilled away in the most classic Russian,
Until each high heroic bosom burned
For cash and conquest, as if from a cushion
A preacher had held forth (who nobly spurned
All earthly goods save tithes) and bade them push on
To slay the Pagans who resisted, battering
The armies of the Christian Empress Catherine.
LXV
Johnson, who knew by this long colloquy
Himself a favourite, ventured to address
Suwarrow, though engaged with accents high
In his resumed amusement. “I confess
My debt in being thus allowed to die
Among the foremost; but if you’d express
Explicitly our several posts, my friend
And self would know what duty to attend.”
LXVI
“Right! I was busy, and forgot. Why, you
Will join your former regiment, which should be
Now under arms. Ho! Katskoff, take him to”—
(Here he called up a Polish orderly)
“His post, I mean the regiment Nikolaiew:
The stranger stripling may remain with me;
He’s a fine boy. The women may be sent
To the other baggage, or to the sick tent.”
LXVII
But here a sort of scene began to ensue:
The ladies—who by no means had been bred
To be disposed of in a way so new,
Although their Harem education led,
Doubtless, to that of doctrines the most true,
Passive obedience—now raised up the head
With flashing eyes
