Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/168

 138 HIS JUDGMENT AFFECTED. CII A P. VI. its apparent effect en Ilia judgment during nearly eight days. Changes daring the intei < ;<i undergone by Teis- sier's mind. rible sacrifices of men he had made and was going to make would receive no sanction in France from the constituted Chief of the State. Writing to the War Minister, he declared himself to be 'afflicted' by the course that the Emperor was taking against him.* It is true that the torture of mind thus endured by Pedissier did not bend him by even a hair's-breadth in the direction of the Emperor's wishes, but — perhaps by interfering with sleep — it seems to have weakened his judg- ment, and this at a critical time, extending over eight days, from the close of the 10th of June. Of course, men are free, if they choose, to ques- tion the simple inference which sees in torture ol mind close followed by ailing judgment the rela^ tion of ' cause and effect' ; but, whatever brought about such a change, the lowered degree of ability displayed by Pedissier in t'.e course of those anx- ious ' eight days ' is brought under so strong a light by contrasting it with the really great quali- ties he showed to the world both before and soon after the interval that this difference has become a proved fact — a proved fact making it certain that, whilst the brief interval lasted, he did not retain full command of the powers that Nature had given him. It was during this interposed period of no more than eight days that Pdlissicr's mind underwent three ill-omened changes of purpose, and impelled him besides in one instance to tear himself loose from the bonds of concerted action with a reck-
 * 16th June 1855. Rousset, vol. ii. p. 256.