Alexander turned to the
Grand-duke Constantine, his brother, and seizing his hand to introduce
him to Napoleon, he exclaimed enthusiastically, "What a man! what a
genius! Ah, my brother, had I but known him sooner, how many blunders he
might have spared me! What great things we might have accomplished
together!"
CHAPTER XXVIII.
QUEEN LOUISA.
While Frederick William repaired with Alexander to the headquarters of
the army, the queen and her faithful attendants remained at Memel. There
she received the news of the battle of Friedland, and bewailed the
misfortunes and disgrace of Prussia. The king was not with her, to
comfort her; he was still at the mill of Puktupoehnen, where, after the
disastrous battle, he and the Emperor Alexander had retired. Alexander
had left for Tilsit. The king had refused to accompany him, preferring
to remain at his humble lodgings, far from the proud conqueror. While
Alexander was the perpetual companion of Napoleon, a daily guest at his
table, without returning this hospitality, indulging with him in
fantastic dreams about the future political system of the world,
Frederick William pursued his lonely path gravely and silently, only
looking for means to relieve as much as possible the sufferings his
subjects were undergoing, and, by remonstrances and arguments, trying to
protect his monarchy from utter destruction.
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