Page 587 - les-miserables

therefore, speak of Waterloo coldly from both sides. Let us
render to chance that which is due to chance, and to God
that which is due to God. What is Waterloo? A victory? No.
The winning number in the lottery.
The quine[11] won by Europe, paid by France.
[11] Five winning numbers in a lottery.
It was not worth while to place a lion there.
Waterloo, moreover, is the strangest encounter in history.
Napoleon and Wellington. They are not enemies; they are
opposites. Never did God, who is fond of antitheses, make a
more striking contrast, a more extraordinary comparison.
On one side, precision, foresight, geometry, prudence, an
assured retreat, reserves spared, with an obstinate coolness,
an imperturbable method, strategy, which takes advantage
of the ground, tactics, which preserve the equilibrium of
battalions, carnage, executed according to rule, war regu-
lated, watch in hand, nothing voluntarily left to chance, the
ancient classic courage, absolute regularity; on the other, in-
tuition, divination, military oddity, superhuman instinct,
a flaming glance, an indescribable something which gazes
like an eagle, and which strikes like the lightning, a pro-
digious art in disdainful impetuosity, all the mysteries of
a profound soul, associated with destiny; the stream, the
plain, the forest, the hill, summoned, and in a manner,
forced to obey, the despot going even so far as to tyrannize
over the field of battle; faith in a star mingled with strategic
science, elevating but perturbing it. Wellington was the Ba-
reme of war; Napoleon was its Michael Angelo; and on this
occasion, genius was vanquished by calculation. On both

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