Napoleon gazed at the distant snow-capped peaks, unhesitatingly nudged his horse forward up the slope, and turned to the quartermaster:
"Don't worry about supplies. Have you forgotten the benevolent Saint Bernard Monastery up in the mountains?"
He was referring to the monastery built by the monk Saint Bernard de Mure [Note 1] in the 11th century, situated halfway up the Alps. Over the centuries, it had undergone numerous expansions and now was sizable enough to provide sustenance for thousands of soldiers.
The quartermaster paused for a moment, then hurriedly caught up and said:
"Commander, I must remind you that the Crown Prince strictly forbids us from 'privately requisitioning supplies' in Italian towns."
This so-called "requisition of supplies" was essentially a civilized way of describing looting by soldiers.
Napoleon flashed a sly smile:
"Yes, no requisitioning in Italy, but the Crown Prince didn't prohibit us from accepting the monastery's generosity."
