Book 3 Part 1 Chapter 4 (Chapter 168 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Balashof's mission to Napoleon. Cavalier treatment. Interview with Murat. Taken to Davoust.
Briggs: Balashev is sent to Napoleon, and meets Murat, 'King of Naples'.
Maude: Balashev's mission to Napoleon. He meets Murat, 'the King of Naples'
Pevear and Volokhonsky (chapters 4-7): Balashov's meetings with Murat, Davout, and Napoleon

Translation:

IV.

On the 13th of June at the 2nd hour of the night, the sovereign, calling to himself Balashev and reading him his letter to Napoleon, ordered him to take this letter and personally deliver it to the French emperor. Sending Balashev, the sovereign again repeated his words about that he will not make up while remains one armed enemy on Russian land, and ordered it indispensable to deliver these words to Napoleon. The sovereign did not write these words in the letter to Napoleon, because of how he felt with his tact that these words were uncomfortable for delivery at that moment, as making a last try to reconciliation; but he indispensably ordered Balashev to deliver this personally to Napoleon.

Leaving at night from the 13th to the 14th, Balashev, accompanied by a trumpeter and two Cossacks, at dawn had arrived at the village of Rykonty to the French advance posts by this side of the Neiman. He was stopped by French cavalry sentries.

A French hussar noncommissioned officer, in a raspberry uniform and furry hat, shouted at the driving Balashev, ordering him to stay. Balashev did not immediately stop, but continued by step to move by the road.

The noncommissioned officer, frowning and grumbling some swear word, moved forward breast horses to Balashev, took for his saber and roughly shouted at the Russian general, asking him: whether he was deaf that he did not hear what he spoke. Balashev called himself. The noncommissioned officer sent a soldier to the officer.

Not turning to Balashev attention, the noncommissioned officer began to speak with his companions about his regimental case and did not look at the Russian general.

Unusually weird for Balashev after the proximity to higher authorities and power, after the conversation three hours to that backwards with the sovereign and in all accustomed by his service to honors, to see here, on Russian land, this hostile, but the main thing irreverent, attitude to himself from the rough forces.

The sun only began to go up from behind the cloud; in the air it was fresh and dewy. By the road from the village drove out a flock. From the ground one behind one, as bubbles in water, sprinkled with chiming larks.

Balashev looked around himself, expecting the arrival of an officer from the village. The Russian Cossacks and trumpeter and French hussars silently occasionally looked at each other.

A French hussar colonel, apparently only from bed, left from the village on a beautiful, well-fed, gray horse, accompanied by two hussars. On the officer, on the soldiers and on their horses was a view of contentment and panache.

This was that first time of campaigns, when the troops still were found in serviceability, almost equally looking out to peaceful activities, only with a tint of elegant militancy in clothes and with a moral tint of fun and enterprise which always accompanied the beginning of campaigns.

The French colonel with labor held yawning, but was courteous and apparently understood all the matters of Balashev. He spent him past his soldier behind the chain and informed him that his wish to be presented to the emperor will probably immediately and already be executed, so as the imperial apartment, as much as he knew, was near.

They drove through the village of Pykonty past the French hussar hitching posts, sentries and soldiers, giving honor to his colonel and with curiosity examining the Russian uniform, and left to another side of the village. By the words of the colonel, in two kilometers was the chief division, which will accept Balashev and spend him by his appointment.

The sun now lifted and funnily glistened on the bright greenery.

Only how they left for a tavern in the mountain, as towards them from below the mountains appeared a bunch of riders, ahead of which on black horses with a brilliant in the sun harness rode a tall by height person in a hat with feathers, with black, curled by the shoulders, hair, in a red mantle and with long feet, protruding forward, as ride the French. This person went galloping towards Balashev, glistening and fluttering in the bright June sun in his own feathers, stones and gold braids.

Balashev now was in the distance of two horses galloping towards him with a solemnly theatrical face of a rider in bracelets, feathers, necklaces and gold, when Yulner, the French colonel, respectfully whispered: the Neapolitan king.571 Really this was Murat, called now the Neapolitan king. Although it was completely unclear why he was the Neapolitan king, he was called so, and he himself was convinced in this, and because of it was more solemn and important in view than before. He was so sure that he really was the Neapolitan king that when, on the eve of his departure from Naples, in the time of his walks with his wife by the street, a few Italians shouted to him: And hello king!572 He with a sad smile turned to his spouse and said: It is miserable, they do not know that I am leaving them tomorrow!573

Yet despite that he firmly believed that he was the Neapolitan king, and that he regretted about the sorrow of his abandoned subjects, in the latter time, after this as he was ordered again to do service and especially after a meeting with Napoleon in Danzig, when his august brother-in-law said to him: I made you king not so that to reign yours, but mine574— he funnily began behind his familiar business and, as an eating away, but not overweight horse, sensing himself on a sled, played on the shafts and discharged how he could be more colorful and dear, merry and satisfied, galloped, himself not knowing where and what for, by the roads of Poland.

Seeing the Russian general, he royally, solemnly, threw back his head with curled by the shoulders hair and interrogatively looked at the French colonel. The colonel respectfully delivered his majesty the matters of Balashev, whose last name he could not pronounce.

— Balmashev!— said the king (his determination overcoming the difficulty presented by the colonel) very nice to become acquainted with you, general,575 — he added with a royal and gracious gesture. As only the king started to speak loudly and fast, all royal dignity instantly left him, and he, himself not noticing, moved to the peculiar to him tone of good-natured familiarity. He placed his hand on the withers of the horse of Balashev.

— Well, what, general, the business seems to be going to war,576 — he said, as if regretting about a circumstance which he could not judge.

— Sire, — was the response of Balashev, —the Emperor of Russian does not wish it, as your majesty will be pleased to see, 577 — spoke Balashev, in all cases using your majesty,578 with inevitable affectation the more frequent the title, turned to the face for whom this title was still new.

The face of Murat shone in foolish contentment at that time as he listened to Monsieur de Balachoff (Mister Balashev). But royal rank has its responsibilities:579 he felt miserable to talk with the messenger of Aleksandr about state deeds, as a king and ally. He tore from his horse, and taking below the hand of Balashev and walking away to a few steps from the respectfully awaiting suites, began to walk with him back and forward, trying to speak much. He mentioned about how the Emperor Napoleon was offended by the requirements of withdrawal of troops from Prussia, in particular when this demand was made known to all and when by this offended the dignity of France. Balashev said that in this demand nothing is insulting because of how... Murat interrupted him:

— So you consider the instigator not to be Emperor Aleksandr? — he said suddenly with a good-naturedly stupid smile.

Balashev said why he really believed that the initiator of the war was Napoleon.

—Ah, kind general, — Murat again interrupting him, — I want from throughout my soul, so that the emperor finishes the business between himself so that the war, started against my will, is over as soon as possible,580 — he said in the tone of a conversation with a servant that wishes to stay kind friends, despite the quarrel between gentlemen. And he moved to questions about the great prince, about his health, and about memories of fun and amusement carried with him in a time at Naples. Then suddenly, as if remembering about his royal dignity, Murat solemnly straightened up, becoming in that same pose in which he stood at his coronation and, waving his right hand, said: — I will not hold you up more, general; I want your success at the embassy,581 — and fluttering the red sewn mantle and feathers, and glistening jewels, he went to the suit, respectfully waiting for him.

Balashev went farther, by the words of Murat assuming quite soon to be presented to Napoleon. But instead of a fast meeting with Napoleon, the sentries of the infantry corps of Davout again so the same detained him at the next village as in the cutting edge of rows, and called the adjutant commander of the corps to spend him in the village to Marshal Davout.

571 "Le roi de Naples". ("The king of Naples.")

572 "Viva il re!"

573 "Les malheureux, ils ne savent pas que je les quitte demain!" ("The unfortunate ones, they don't know that I'm leaving them tomorrow!")

574 "je vous ai fait Roi pour régner à ma manière, mais pas à la vôtre" ("I made you King to reign in my manner, but not to yours")

575 De Bal-machevе! charmé de faire votre connaissance, général, (De Bal-machevе! Charmed to meet you, general,)

576 Eh bien, général, tout est à la guerre, à ce qu’il paraît, (Well, General, it's all about the war, it seems,)

577 Sire, l’Empereur mon maître ne désire point la guerre, et comme Votre Majesté le voit, (the Emperor my master's desires do not point to war, and as Your Majesty sees it,)

578 Votre Majesté, (Your Majesty,)

579 royauté oblige: (royalty obliges:)

580 Eh, mon cher général, je désire de tout mon coeur que les Empereurs s’arrangent entre eux, et que la guerre commencée malgré moi se termine le plus tôt possible, (Hey, my dear general, I desire with all my heart that the Emperors arrange between them, and that the war started in spite of myself ends as soon as possible,)

581 Je ne vous retiens plus, général; je souhaite le succès de votre mission, (I'm not holding you back, General; I wish the success of your mission,)

Time: two o'clock of the night of the 13th of June (...fourteenth of June in Dunnigan, Pevear and Volokhonsky, and Mandelker. between the 13th and the 14th), daybreak (dawn in Dunnigan, Pevear and Volokhonsky, and Mandelker)

Locations: village of Rykonty
Mentioned: France (and French), Russian, Nyeman, Naples, Italians, Dantzic, Poland, Prussia

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Balashov is sent with the letter to Napoleon, but is accosted and “It was extremely strange for Balashov, after his closeness to the highest power and might, after his conversation three hours earlier with the sovereign, and generally in the habit of being honored in his service, to see here, on Russian soil, this hostile, and above all disrespectful, treatment of him by brute force.”

“This was that initial period of a campaign when the troops still find themselves in good order”

On Murat: “Though it was completely incomprehensible why he was the Neapolitan king, he was called that, and he was fully convinced of it himself, and therefore had a still more solemn and important air than before. He
was so sure that he was indeed the Neapolitan king, that when, on the even of his departure fro Naples, while strolling with his wife through the streets of the city...he had turned to his wife with a sad smile and said “The
poor fellows, they don’t know that I’m leaving them tomorrow!”

“He, having dressed up as gaudily and expensively as possible, cheerful and content, went riding down the roads of Poland, not knowing where or why himself.”

The entire conversation of Balashov and Murat is comic. “So you don’t consider the emperor Alexander the instigator?” he said unexpectedly with a good-naturedly stupid smile. Balashov told him why he actually supposed
that the initiator of the war was Napoleon.”

Characters (characters who do not appear, but are mentioned are placed in italics. First appearances are in Bold. First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):

Alexander (also “sovereign” and “Russian emperor”)

Balashof (he is accompanied by a “bugler and two Cossacks”. Also called a “Russian general” and Murat calls him “De Bal-ma-cheve” (though Maude and Wiener do not use the second hyphen with Bell not using hyphens
at all. Also called “Monsieur de Balachoff”, though Dunnigan doesn’t use “de”. Edmonds uses “...Balacheff.)

Napoleon (also “French emperor”)

Iulner (the French colonel. “Julner” in Mandelker, Briggs, and Garnett.)

Murat (also “Le roi de Naples” or “the King of Naples”. Also his wife is mentioned.)

The Grand Duke

Marshal Davoust (as in Dole, Bell, and Garnett. could go either way on whether he is a mentioned character or in the chapter, probably just mentioned because he doesn’t actually appear and gets the big introduction of
his character in the next chapter. “...Davout” in Briggs and Wiener.)

(also “A non-commissioned officer of hussars/subaltern” that meets and “greets” Balashov. Also his comrades the French Hussars and some Italians mentioned in an episode about Murat. Also Davoust’s infantry corps
and the aide of the corps commander.)

Abridged Versions: Page 24 in Bell is scanned poorly and unreadable. No break of any kind in the chapter.
Gibian: Chapter 4.

Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.

Komroff: Entire chapter is cut.

Kropotkin: Some of the descriptive detail is removed, but pretty well preserved without a break of any kind.

Bromfield: Chapter 6: The French colonel is given the name Julner.
Simmons: Chapter 4: only the opening paragraph is kept. The rest of the chapter is cut and replaced with "Adjutant General Balashev, bearing a letter from Alexander I to Napoleon, encounters on the way the amusingly
vainglorious French General Murat.

Bienstock and Martel: The naming system of the act and scenes are either strangely labelled, or more likely, there is a mistake in the printing, as this is considered "Act 2 Scene 3", though the Act 2 scene was

considered scene 2.

As Napoleon is dictating a letter about how he is unhappy with a Monsieur de Voyer d'Argenson, he hears of the arrival of Balaschov. Murat comes in and with Napoleon discusses the Police cavaliers scene.

Davoust discusses the losses the French have had so far, but Napoleon is confident they will cut the Russians off. Balaschov and Napoleon have their conversation about the passports and peace and more

than most of the conversations in the play, it is quoted word for word in almost its entirety.

Additional Notes: Briggs: “Bal-macheve: This mispronunciation of Balashev’s not-too-difficult name has an amusing ring, suggesting ‘a ball (bullet) that finishes me off’ (‘balle m’acheve’).”

This chapter actually takes place in modern-day Lithuania, near the city of Vilnus (the town in Lithuanian is called Rykantia and is still a very small village).

Johnson: Page 113: “Naples...Murat...much of the ruling was left to Caroline, who, though selfish and treacherous, was better at it.”

Segur/Gay: Page 54: "in his outward appearance, his language, his clothing, his superstitious practices, there was much that reminded one of Suvarov--something of the ancient Muscovite, a strong national identity which endeared him to the Russians...For such as Murat: a stage king in studied elegance of his attire, a real king in his bravery and inexhaustible activity, equal to any attack and always armed with an air of superiority and menacing assurance--the most dangerous of all offensive weapons."