Chapter Summaries: Dole: Pierre visits Kief. Plans for economic reform. Pierre's wealth. His debts. Pierre's life in the province. Fulfilling his Masonic obligations. Difficulties. Visits his estates. Illusions. The chief overseer's tricks.
Briggs: Pierre visits his southern estates bent on reform, but he is easily duped.
Maude: Pierre goes to Kiev and visits his estates. Obstacles to the emancipation of his serfs
Pevear and Volkhonsky: Pierre goes to Kiev province to visit his estates. Philanthropic intentions towards his serfs.
Translation:
X. Soon after his reception into the brotherhood of masons, Pierre with fullness wrote the leadership about what he should do at his estates left in the Kiev province, where was found the big part of his peasants. Having arrived in Kiev, Pierre called into the main office all his managers, and explained to them his intentions and willingness. He said to them that immediately steps will be accepted for the complete release of peasants from the addictions of serfdom, that to this the peasants must not be aggravated to work, that women with children must not be sent to work, that peasants should be rendered help, that punishment must be used exhortatorily, but not bodily, that at each place must be established hospitals, shelters and schools. Some managers (here were semi-literate managers) listened scared, assuming the meaning of this speech, that the young count was displeased at their management and concealment of money; others, after the first fear, found funny the lisp of Pierre and his new, unheard of them words; the third found it simply a pleasure to listen as the baron spoke; the fourth, the smartest, including the chief manager, understood from this speech how they needed to treat the baron for achieving their goals. The chief manager expressed great empathy to the intentions of Pierre; but saw that besides these transformations it was necessary to do all the business that had been in a bad condition. Despite the huge wealth of Count Bezuhov, and since Pierre received this and was getting, as it was said, 500 thousand of an annual income, he felt himself much less wealthy than when he was getting his 10 thousand from the deceased count. In a common outline he vaguely felt his next budget. In advice he paid about 80 thousand to all his estates; about 30 thousand cost the contents of the Moscow region, the Moscow home and the princesses; about 15 thousand came out in pensions, so much the same to godly institutions; the countess in living expenses was sent 150 thousand; a percent paid for debts about 70 thousand; construction started on churches was worth these two years about 10 thousand; and the rest of about 100 thousand went away — he himself not knowing how, and almost every year he was forced to borrow. Besides this every year the chief manager wrote about fires, then about crop failures, then about needed reconstructions of factories and plants. And so, the first business presented to Pierre was that, to which he had the least of ability and propensity — the occupation of business. Pierre with the chief manager was occupied everyday. But he felt that his lessons or steps did not encourage affairs. He felt that his lessons happened from whatever affairs, and that they did not cling for business and did not force it to move. With one part the chief manager exhibited affairs in a very bad light, showing Pierre the miserable debts to pay and to undertake new forced jobs for the serf peasants, in what Pierre would not agree; with other parts, Pierre demanded attacks to the business of release, at what the manager exhibited misery to pay the duty of the Guardian advice before because of the impossibility of fast execution. The manager did not say that this was completely impossible; he suggested for achieving these goals the sale of the forests in the Kostroma provinces, the sale of the grasslands and the Crimean estate. But all these operations in the speeches of the manager contacted with such the complexity of the process, withdrawals, prohibitions, requests, approvals and so on that Pierre was lost and only spoke to him: "Yes, yes, do so." Pierre did not have that practical tenacity, which would have given him the opportunity to directly take the business, and because he did not love it, he only tried to pretend before the manager that he was occupied by the business. The manager the same tried to pretend before the count that he considered these lessons quite useful for the owner and for himself to be shy. In the big city he found acquaintances; the unfamiliar hastened to become acquainted and welcomed again the arrival of the rich man, himself the owner of much of the provinces. The temptations by relation was the main weakness of Pierre, that, in those he recognized in the time of the reception at the lodge, also were so strong that Pierre could not abstain from them. Again a whole day, weeks, months of life Pierre passed so the same in concern and occupied between the evenings, dinners, breakfasts, balls, not giving him the time to come round, as in Petersburg. Instead of a new life, which Pierre hoped to be lucky with, he lived all again that same life, only in a different setting. From the three prescriptions of freemasonry Pierre was aware that he did not carry out that which was prescribed for each mason as the pattern of a moral life, and of the seven virtues completely did not have in himself two: kindness and love of death. He comforted himself by that he carried out other prescriptions, — reforms of the human family and had other virtues, love to neighbor and in particular generosity. In spring of the year 1807 Pierre decided to go back to Petersburg. On the road back, he contemplated going around to all his estates and to personally make sure that what he prescribed was done and in what position were those people now, which were trusted to him by the Lord, and to which he sought to do good. The chief manager considered all the ventures of the young count almost madness, a disadvantage for himself, for him, for the peasants — and made concessions. He must present the business of release as impossible, he ordered construction in all of the estates of large buildings for schools, hospitals and shelters; for the arrival of the baron everywhere prepared meetings, not lush or solemn which he knew Pierre would not like, but was so religious and thankful, with images, bread and salt, it was so that as he understood the baron, must act towards the count and to deceive him. The southern spring, the calm, fast journey in a Viennese carriage and the privacy of the roads happily acted on Pierre. The estates, at which he had still not been, were — one more picturesque than the other; people everywhere were presented as prosperous and were touchingly grateful for his good deeds. Everywhere were meetings that although bringing embarrassment to Pierre, in the depth of his soul called forth a joyful feeling. In one location men brought him bread and salt and the form of Peter and Pavel, and requested permission to honor his angel Peter and Pavel, and in a sign of love and thanks made for his good deeds, erected a new chapel and church. In another location he met a woman with a child at her breast, thanking him for deliverance from heavy work. At the third estate he was met by a priest with a cross, surrounded by children, which he by the favors of the count taught literacy and religion. In all his estates Pierre saw with his own eyes by his plans alone now were erected stone building hospitals, schools, almshouses, which must be, in a time soon, open. Everywhere Pierre saw the reports of the managers about corvee works, reduced against the former, and heard for that the touching thanksgiving deputations of peasants in blue caftans. Pierre only did not know that where he was brought the bread and salt and was built the chapel of Peter and Pavel, was a trading village and a fair on Petrov day, that the chapel was already built a long time ago by rich men, and that in the village that appeared to him nine tenths of the peasants of this village were in the greatest ruin. He did not know that owing to his order stopping the sending of women with children at their breast to corvee that children were carrying the most difficult work. He did not know that the priest, meeting him with the cross, weighed down the peasants with his own extortions, and that the gathered to him students with tears were given away to him, and for a large amount of money were redeemed to the parents. He did not know that the stone, by the plan, building was erected by his own workers and increased the corvee of the peasants, reduced only on paper. He did not know that there, where the manager pointed out to him by the book the decrease of his quitrent to one third, half of corvee service was added. And because Pierre was delighted by his travel to his properties, and returned quite in that philanthropic mood in which he left from Petersburg, and wrote enthusiastic letters to his mentor brother, as he called the great masters. "How easy, how little effort is needed, so that to do so much good, — thought Pierre, — and how little we care about this!" He happily was displaying his gratitude, but ashamed of taking it. This gratitude reminded him in how much more he still was in the condition to do for these simple, kind people. The chief manager, quite a daft and сunning person, completely understood the smart and naive count, and played him, as a toy, seeing the action produced in Pierre by the prepared tricks, more resolutely turned to him with arguments about the impossibility and, the main thing, unnecessary release of the peasants, which without this were completely happy. Pierre secretly in his soul agreed with the manager in how difficult it was to represent in himself people more happy, and that God knows what awaited him in his will; but Pierre, although reluctantly, insisted in what he counted true. The manager promised to consume all of his forces for the execution of the commitment of the count, it was clearly understood that the count would never be in the condition to believe him not only whether this used all the steps for the sales of forests and estates, for the redemption of council, but will never probably ask and recognize that the built building sits empty and the peasants continue to give work and money all that they give in others, i.e. all that they may give.
Time: Soon after Pierre's initiation in the Masonic lodge, the spring of 1807
Locations: Kiev, estates, village
Mentioned: his suburban estate, his Moscow house, Kostroma, lowlands (river lands in Dole. bottomlands in Pevear and Volkhonsky. the land lower down the river in Maude and Briggs), Crimea (Crimean in Maude, Briggs and Pevear and Volkhonsky), St. Petersburg, Viennese
Pevear and Volkhonsky: We’ve flipped back to Pierre now (so far this part has been Pierre, then “society”, then Andrei, now back to Pierre).
Briggs: Pierre visits his southern estates bent on reform, but he is easily duped.
Maude: Pierre goes to Kiev and visits his estates. Obstacles to the emancipation of his serfs
Pevear and Volkhonsky: Pierre goes to Kiev province to visit his estates. Philanthropic intentions towards his serfs.
Translation:
X. Soon after his reception into the brotherhood of masons, Pierre with fullness wrote the leadership about what he should do at his estates left in the Kiev province, where was found the big part of his peasants. Having arrived in Kiev, Pierre called into the main office all his managers, and explained to them his intentions and willingness. He said to them that immediately steps will be accepted for the complete release of peasants from the addictions of serfdom, that to this the peasants must not be aggravated to work, that women with children must not be sent to work, that peasants should be rendered help, that punishment must be used exhortatorily, but not bodily, that at each place must be established hospitals, shelters and schools. Some managers (here were semi-literate managers) listened scared, assuming the meaning of this speech, that the young count was displeased at their management and concealment of money; others, after the first fear, found funny the lisp of Pierre and his new, unheard of them words; the third found it simply a pleasure to listen as the baron spoke; the fourth, the smartest, including the chief manager, understood from this speech how they needed to treat the baron for achieving their goals. The chief manager expressed great empathy to the intentions of Pierre; but saw that besides these transformations it was necessary to do all the business that had been in a bad condition. Despite the huge wealth of Count Bezuhov, and since Pierre received this and was getting, as it was said, 500 thousand of an annual income, he felt himself much less wealthy than when he was getting his 10 thousand from the deceased count. In a common outline he vaguely felt his next budget. In advice he paid about 80 thousand to all his estates; about 30 thousand cost the contents of the Moscow region, the Moscow home and the princesses; about 15 thousand came out in pensions, so much the same to godly institutions; the countess in living expenses was sent 150 thousand; a percent paid for debts about 70 thousand; construction started on churches was worth these two years about 10 thousand; and the rest of about 100 thousand went away — he himself not knowing how, and almost every year he was forced to borrow. Besides this every year the chief manager wrote about fires, then about crop failures, then about needed reconstructions of factories and plants. And so, the first business presented to Pierre was that, to which he had the least of ability and propensity — the occupation of business. Pierre with the chief manager was occupied everyday. But he felt that his lessons or steps did not encourage affairs. He felt that his lessons happened from whatever affairs, and that they did not cling for business and did not force it to move. With one part the chief manager exhibited affairs in a very bad light, showing Pierre the miserable debts to pay and to undertake new forced jobs for the serf peasants, in what Pierre would not agree; with other parts, Pierre demanded attacks to the business of release, at what the manager exhibited misery to pay the duty of the Guardian advice before because of the impossibility of fast execution. The manager did not say that this was completely impossible; he suggested for achieving these goals the sale of the forests in the Kostroma provinces, the sale of the grasslands and the Crimean estate. But all these operations in the speeches of the manager contacted with such the complexity of the process, withdrawals, prohibitions, requests, approvals and so on that Pierre was lost and only spoke to him: "Yes, yes, do so." Pierre did not have that practical tenacity, which would have given him the opportunity to directly take the business, and because he did not love it, he only tried to pretend before the manager that he was occupied by the business. The manager the same tried to pretend before the count that he considered these lessons quite useful for the owner and for himself to be shy. In the big city he found acquaintances; the unfamiliar hastened to become acquainted and welcomed again the arrival of the rich man, himself the owner of much of the provinces. The temptations by relation was the main weakness of Pierre, that, in those he recognized in the time of the reception at the lodge, also were so strong that Pierre could not abstain from them. Again a whole day, weeks, months of life Pierre passed so the same in concern and occupied between the evenings, dinners, breakfasts, balls, not giving him the time to come round, as in Petersburg. Instead of a new life, which Pierre hoped to be lucky with, he lived all again that same life, only in a different setting. From the three prescriptions of freemasonry Pierre was aware that he did not carry out that which was prescribed for each mason as the pattern of a moral life, and of the seven virtues completely did not have in himself two: kindness and love of death. He comforted himself by that he carried out other prescriptions, — reforms of the human family and had other virtues, love to neighbor and in particular generosity. In spring of the year 1807 Pierre decided to go back to Petersburg. On the road back, he contemplated going around to all his estates and to personally make sure that what he prescribed was done and in what position were those people now, which were trusted to him by the Lord, and to which he sought to do good. The chief manager considered all the ventures of the young count almost madness, a disadvantage for himself, for him, for the peasants — and made concessions. He must present the business of release as impossible, he ordered construction in all of the estates of large buildings for schools, hospitals and shelters; for the arrival of the baron everywhere prepared meetings, not lush or solemn which he knew Pierre would not like, but was so religious and thankful, with images, bread and salt, it was so that as he understood the baron, must act towards the count and to deceive him. The southern spring, the calm, fast journey in a Viennese carriage and the privacy of the roads happily acted on Pierre. The estates, at which he had still not been, were — one more picturesque than the other; people everywhere were presented as prosperous and were touchingly grateful for his good deeds. Everywhere were meetings that although bringing embarrassment to Pierre, in the depth of his soul called forth a joyful feeling. In one location men brought him bread and salt and the form of Peter and Pavel, and requested permission to honor his angel Peter and Pavel, and in a sign of love and thanks made for his good deeds, erected a new chapel and church. In another location he met a woman with a child at her breast, thanking him for deliverance from heavy work. At the third estate he was met by a priest with a cross, surrounded by children, which he by the favors of the count taught literacy and religion. In all his estates Pierre saw with his own eyes by his plans alone now were erected stone building hospitals, schools, almshouses, which must be, in a time soon, open. Everywhere Pierre saw the reports of the managers about corvee works, reduced against the former, and heard for that the touching thanksgiving deputations of peasants in blue caftans. Pierre only did not know that where he was brought the bread and salt and was built the chapel of Peter and Pavel, was a trading village and a fair on Petrov day, that the chapel was already built a long time ago by rich men, and that in the village that appeared to him nine tenths of the peasants of this village were in the greatest ruin. He did not know that owing to his order stopping the sending of women with children at their breast to corvee that children were carrying the most difficult work. He did not know that the priest, meeting him with the cross, weighed down the peasants with his own extortions, and that the gathered to him students with tears were given away to him, and for a large amount of money were redeemed to the parents. He did not know that the stone, by the plan, building was erected by his own workers and increased the corvee of the peasants, reduced only on paper. He did not know that there, where the manager pointed out to him by the book the decrease of his quitrent to one third, half of corvee service was added. And because Pierre was delighted by his travel to his properties, and returned quite in that philanthropic mood in which he left from Petersburg, and wrote enthusiastic letters to his mentor brother, as he called the great masters. "How easy, how little effort is needed, so that to do so much good, — thought Pierre, — and how little we care about this!" He happily was displaying his gratitude, but ashamed of taking it. This gratitude reminded him in how much more he still was in the condition to do for these simple, kind people. The chief manager, quite a daft and сunning person, completely understood the smart and naive count, and played him, as a toy, seeing the action produced in Pierre by the prepared tricks, more resolutely turned to him with arguments about the impossibility and, the main thing, unnecessary release of the peasants, which without this were completely happy. Pierre secretly in his soul agreed with the manager in how difficult it was to represent in himself people more happy, and that God knows what awaited him in his will; but Pierre, although reluctantly, insisted in what he counted true. The manager promised to consume all of his forces for the execution of the commitment of the count, it was clearly understood that the count would never be in the condition to believe him not only whether this used all the steps for the sales of forests and estates, for the redemption of council, but will never probably ask and recognize that the built building sits empty and the peasants continue to give work and money all that they give in others, i.e. all that they may give.
Time: Soon after Pierre's initiation in the Masonic lodge, the spring of 1807
Locations: Kiev, estates, village
Mentioned: his suburban estate, his Moscow house, Kostroma, lowlands (river lands in Dole. bottomlands in Pevear and Volkhonsky. the land lower down the river in Maude and Briggs), Crimea (Crimean in Maude, Briggs and Pevear and Volkhonsky), St. Petersburg, Viennese
Pevear and Volkhonsky: We’ve flipped back to Pierre now (so far this part has been Pierre, then “society”, then Andrei, now back to Pierre).
This is Pierre’s, ultimately failed, attempts to reform the peasantry.
“Some of the stewards (there were half-literate managers among them) listened fearfully, taking what he said to imply that the young count was displeased with their stewardship and their concealing of money; others, after the first
fright, were amused by Pierre’s lisp and the new words they had never heard before; a fourth group, the most intelligent, the head steward among them, understood from his speech how they ought to treat the master in order to
achieve their own aims.”
fright, were amused by Pierre’s lisp and the new words they had never heard before; a fourth group, the most intelligent, the head steward among them, understood from his speech how they ought to treat the master in order to
achieve their own aims.”
The detail about where all of Pierre’s money goes.
“The first thing facing Pierre was that for which he had least ability or inclination--business matters”
“He felt that his busying did not move things one step forward.”
The head steward works against Pierre’s plan of liberation and makes things so complicated that Pierre has to hand things over to him.
“Instead of the new life Pierre had hoped to lead, he still lived the same life as before, only in different surroundings.”
The false welcoming and news Pierre gets followed by the details of the oppression of the peasants that Pierre doesn’t and seemingly can’t, know about.
“This gratitude reminded him how much more he could do for these simple, good people. The steward, a very stupid but cunning man, understood the intelligent but naive count perfectly and played with him as with a toy…the count
not only would never be able to check on whether all the measures had been taken for selling the woodlands and estates, so as to pay off the Council, but would probably never ask and never find out that the buildings constructed
were standing empty and that the peasants went on giving in work and money all that peasants gave other masters--that is, all they could.”
not only would never be able to check on whether all the measures had been taken for selling the woodlands and estates, so as to pay off the Council, but would probably never ask and never find out that the buildings constructed
were standing empty and that the peasants went on giving in work and money all that peasants gave other masters--that is, all they could.”
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 *):
Count Pierre Bezukhoi
The chief overseer (both with and without a hyphen and also “head overseer” in Dole. “the head steward” in Dunnigan. “Chief steward” in Edmonds, Bell, and Maude. “Chief superintendent” in Wiener.)
The Grand Master (also “preceptor-brother”. “Brother-instructor” in Mandelker, Wiener (no hyphen), and Maude. “Brother and mentor” in Briggs. “Preceptor and brother” in Garnett. "brother-preceptor" in Dunnigan and Edmonds.)
(Peter and Paul should not be considered characters as biblical personalities. Many peasants show up here. Including a priest carrying a cross.)
Abridged Versions: Chapter 21 in Bell. No break.
Gibian: Chapter 8.
Gibian: Chapter 8.
Fuller: entire chapter is cut.
Komroff: some detail is removed, including quite a bit about Pierre’s finances and what the head steward was doing to trick him before he went back. The end of the chapter, with its rather powerful look at Pierre’s inner soul and
the analogy of how the overseer had played him, and how the serfs would continue to give all they have, is cut and followed by a line break.
the analogy of how the overseer had played him, and how the serfs would continue to give all they have, is cut and followed by a line break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 6: Chapter is preserved.
Simmons: Chapter 8: some of the information, such as Pierre's money, his interaction with the steward, and the actual condition of the peasants, is shortened.
Simmons: Chapter 8: some of the information, such as Pierre's money, his interaction with the steward, and the actual condition of the peasants, is shortened.
Additional Notes:
Herold: Page 345: “the peasants in the eighteenth century they became the outright property of their masters...A person’s fortune was measured not in cash, not even in land, but by the number of “souls” he owned...the peasant
serfs were bound to furnish recruits for the czar’s army, and they made up the bulk of it...All in all, the educated elite of Russia was agreed that serfdom was a national disgrace…It was the provincial gentry, the owners of small
or medium-sized estates, on whom serfdom exerted its most corrupting effect and who opposed its reform or abolition most vehemently.”
Yarmolinsky: Page 92: “the peasant reform was being mishandled. The serfs were exploited more ruthlessly than ever by the masters, who knew that their days of power were numbered. The peasants were desperate and ready
to rise. Meanwhile the liberals were babbling of peaceful progress.”
Page 248: “Tolstoy..In “A Landowner’s Morning”....his peasants (249)...These individuals are intractable. They will not take the aid that is offered; they do not want schools for their children’ they will not use the new hospital
Nekhliudov has set up; they will not cooperate in progressive reforms; they wil not, in short, change their ways.”
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