He grants its overwhelming immensity, but he establishes its triviality; and he does more than spit upon it. Borne down by numbers, by superior force, by brute matter, he finds in his soul an expression:
"Excrement!"
We repeat it,-- to use that word, to do thus, to invent such an expression, is to be the conqueror!◢本◢作◢品◢由◢思◢兔◢在◢線◢閱◢讀◢網◢友◢整◢理◢上◢傳◢
The spirit of mighty days at that portentous moment made its descent on that unknown man.
Cambronne invents the word for Waterloo as Rouget invents the "Marseillaise," under the visitation of a breath from on high.
An emanation from the divine whirlwind leaps forth and comes sweeping over these men, and they shake, and one of them sings the song supreme, and the other utters the frightful cry.
This challenge of titanic scorn Cambronne hurls not only at Europe in the name of the Empire,--that would be a trifle:
he hurls it at the past in the name of the Revolution.
It is heard, and Cambronne is recognized as possessed by the ancient spirit of the Titans. Danton seems to be speaking!
Kleber seems to be bellowing!
At that word from Cambronne, the English voice responded, "Fire!" The batteries flamed, the hill trembled, from all those brazen mouths belched a last terrible gush of grape-shot; a vast volume of smoke, vaguely white in t