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That same day a council of war had been held in which all the

members of the Hofkriegsrath and both Emperors took part. At that

council, contrary to the views of the old generals Kutuzov and

Prince Schwartzenberg, it had been decided to advance immediately

and give battle to Bonaparte. The council of war was just over

when Prince Andrew accompanied by Boris arrived at the palace to

find Dolgorukov. Everyone at headquarters was still under the

spell of the day's council, at which the party of the young had

triumphed. The voices of those who counseled delay and advised

waiting for something else before advancing had been so

completely silenced and their arguments confuted by such

conclusive evidence of the advantages of attacking that what had

been discussed at the council-the coming battle and the victory

that would certainly result from it-no longer seemed to be in the

future but in the past. All the advantages were on our side.