Napoleon is well regarded as stating, prior to Soult's assault on the Pratzen Heights at Austerlitz, words to the effect of:
When your opponent is making a false move, it is wise not to disturb him.
The earliest English language rendition of the quote I have found is from G. Twemlow's Considerations on Tactics and Strategy (1855)
The enemy is making a false move, why should we interrupt him?
Similarly, William S. Walsh's Napoleon's Marshals (1891) renders the quote as:
When the enemy is making a false move, it is well not to interrupt him.
Can anyone locate the original French attribution for this quote, as well as the earliest known French rendition for it?
Courtesy of sempaiscuba in a comment below:
The earliest English version is actually in History of Europe from the Commencement of the French Revolution in 1789 to the Restoration of the Bourbons in 1815, Volume 5 by Archibald Alison pp228-229, first published in 1836.
In that case let us wait twenty minutes; when the enemy is making a false movement we must take good care not to interrupt him.
The reference to twenty minutes is in consequence to Soult's response on the length of time it would take for his men to scale the Pratzen Heights from their obscured (by mist and smoke) location at its base.
Update - Dec. 18, 2018
Jomini appears to be the oldest extant French recollection of the quote - but was in the Tyrol at the time of Austerlitz on Ney's staff. (see below) Any updates on this would be appreciated.
According to historyofwar.org Dumas was Napoleon's quartermaster during the Austerlitz campaign, and thus quite likely was an eyewitness to the conversation with Marshal Soult. Perhaps Jomini perfected the phrasing of an off-the-cuff remark not immediately recognized by others as profound.
