Chapter Summaries: Dole: Ippolit's jest about "the king of Prussia." Political conversation. Boris invited to dine with Ellen.
Briggs: Boris goes to the soiree and Helene urgently invites him to dinner next day.
Maude: Hippolyte at Anna Pavlovna's
Translation:
VII.
When Boris and Anna Pavlovna had returned to the general circle, the conversation was taken control by Prince Ippolit. He, moving forward in his armchair, said:
— The Prussian king!435 — and saying this, bursted out laughing. All turned to him: — Le Roi de Prusse? (The Prussian king!)— asked Ippolit, again bursting out laughing and again calmly and seriously sitting down in the depth of his chair. Anna Pavlovna waited for him a little, but as Ippolit resolutely, it seemed, did not want to speak more, she began her speech about how the godless Bonaparte stole at Potsdam the sword of Frederick the Great.
— This sword of the great Frederick, which I,436 — she was beginning, but Ippolit interrupted her words:
— Le Roi de Prusse (The Prussian King)... — and again, as only to him was turned, apologized and fell silent. Anna Pavlovna grimaced. Mortemart, the buddy of Ippolit, resolutely turned to him:
— Well, what is the Prussian king?437
Ippolit bursted out laughing, as if he was ashamed of his laughter.
— Nothing, I want only to say...— 438 (he was found to repeat the thing which he heard in Vienna, and which he the whole evening was going to place.) — I only want to say that we in vain wage war for the Prussian king.439
Boris carefully smiled so that his smile could be carried off as mockery or as an endorsement of the joke, looking to how it would be accepted. All laughed.
— Your game of words is bad, very witty, but unfair,— with a threatening finger, said Anna Pavlovna . — We wage war for a kind beginning, and not for a Prussian king. Oh, what evil is this Prince Ippolit!440 — she said.
The conversation did not subside the whole evening, turning predominantly about political news. At the end of the evening it especially revived when business called for being about awards granted by the sovereign.
— Because received again in the past year NN a snuffbox with a portrait, — spoke the person of a deep mind,441 — why again may not SS get that same award?
—Sorry, a snuffbox with the portrait of the emperor there is not a reward that is alike; — said the diplomat, —it’s rather a present.442
— There were examples — Schwarzenberg.443
—This is impossible,444 — objected another.
— I bet you. — Ribbons — that’s another business...445
When all had risen so to leave, Elen, speaking very little all evening, again turned to Boris with a request and an affectionate, significant order, for him to be at her’s on Tuesday.
— I very much need this, — she said with a smile, looking back at Anna Pavlovna, and Anna Pavlovna with that sad smile, which accompanied her words in speeches about her high patroness, confirmed the wish of Elen. It seemed that on this evening from these kind words that Boris said about the Prussian troops, Elen suddenly opened miserably to see him. She promised him that when he came on Tuesday, she would explain to him this misery.
Having arrived on Tuesday night to the splendid salon of Elen, Boris did not receive clear explanations for what it was necessary for him to come. Having other visitors, the countess spoke little with him, and only saying goodbye, when he kissed her hand, she with a strange lack of smile, suddenly, whispering, said to him:
— Come visit for dinner tomorrow... at night. I need you to have you arrive... Come visit.446
At this arrival in Petersburg Boris was made a close man in the house of Countess Bezuhova.
435. Le Roi de Prusse! (The King of Prussia!)
436. C’est l’épée de Frédéric le Grand, que je… (This is the sword of Frederick the Great, that I ...)
437. Voyons à qui en avez vous avec votre Roi de Prusse? (Let's see, who do you have with your King of Prussia?)
438. Non, ce n’est rien, je voulais dire seulement... (No, it's nothing, I wanted to say only...)
439. Je voulais dire seulement, que nous avons tort de faire la guerre pour le roi de Prusse. (I wanted to say only that we are wrong to make war for the King of Prussia.)
440. Il est très mauvais, votre jeu de mot, très spirituel, mais injuste, Nous ne faisons pas la guerre pour le Roi de Prusse, mais pour les bons principes. Ah, le méchant, ce prince Hippolyte! (It is very bad, your play on words, very spiritual, but unjust, We do not make war for the King of Prussia, but for good principles. Ah, that wicked Prince Hippolyte!)
441. l’homme à l’esprit profond, (the man with the profound mind,)
442. Je vous demande pardon, une tabatière avec le portrait de l’Empereur est une récompense, mais point une distinction; un cadeau plutôt (I beg your pardon, a snuffbox with the portrait of the Emperor is a reward, but not a distinction; a gift rather)
443. — Il y eu plutôt des antécédents, je vous citerai Schwarzenberg. (- There was rather antecedents, I will quote you Schwarzenberg.)
444. C’est impossible, (It's impossible,)
445. Le grand cordon, c’est différent... (The big one cord is different...)
446. Venez demain dîner... le soir. Il faut que vous veniez... Venez. (Come to dinner tomorrow... in the evening. You have to come... Come.)
Time: See previous chapter. Towards the end of the evening (dropped in Bell. Later on in Briggs), Tuesday
Mentioned: Last year
Locations: See previous chapter, St. Petersburg.
Mentioned: Prusse (Prussia), Potsdam, Vienna, Helene's house
Pevear and Volkhonsky: Again Ippolit says nonsense and Pavlovna tries to steer the conversation. “He intended to repeat a joke that he had heard in Vienna and that he had been trying to put in all evening.”
Briggs: Boris goes to the soiree and Helene urgently invites him to dinner next day.
Maude: Hippolyte at Anna Pavlovna's
Translation:
VII.
When Boris and Anna Pavlovna had returned to the general circle, the conversation was taken control by Prince Ippolit. He, moving forward in his armchair, said:
— The Prussian king!435 — and saying this, bursted out laughing. All turned to him: — Le Roi de Prusse? (The Prussian king!)— asked Ippolit, again bursting out laughing and again calmly and seriously sitting down in the depth of his chair. Anna Pavlovna waited for him a little, but as Ippolit resolutely, it seemed, did not want to speak more, she began her speech about how the godless Bonaparte stole at Potsdam the sword of Frederick the Great.
— This sword of the great Frederick, which I,436 — she was beginning, but Ippolit interrupted her words:
— Le Roi de Prusse (The Prussian King)... — and again, as only to him was turned, apologized and fell silent. Anna Pavlovna grimaced. Mortemart, the buddy of Ippolit, resolutely turned to him:
— Well, what is the Prussian king?437
Ippolit bursted out laughing, as if he was ashamed of his laughter.
— Nothing, I want only to say...— 438 (he was found to repeat the thing which he heard in Vienna, and which he the whole evening was going to place.) — I only want to say that we in vain wage war for the Prussian king.439
Boris carefully smiled so that his smile could be carried off as mockery or as an endorsement of the joke, looking to how it would be accepted. All laughed.
— Your game of words is bad, very witty, but unfair,— with a threatening finger, said Anna Pavlovna . — We wage war for a kind beginning, and not for a Prussian king. Oh, what evil is this Prince Ippolit!440 — she said.
The conversation did not subside the whole evening, turning predominantly about political news. At the end of the evening it especially revived when business called for being about awards granted by the sovereign.
— Because received again in the past year NN a snuffbox with a portrait, — spoke the person of a deep mind,441 — why again may not SS get that same award?
—Sorry, a snuffbox with the portrait of the emperor there is not a reward that is alike; — said the diplomat, —it’s rather a present.442
— There were examples — Schwarzenberg.443
—This is impossible,444 — objected another.
— I bet you. — Ribbons — that’s another business...445
When all had risen so to leave, Elen, speaking very little all evening, again turned to Boris with a request and an affectionate, significant order, for him to be at her’s on Tuesday.
— I very much need this, — she said with a smile, looking back at Anna Pavlovna, and Anna Pavlovna with that sad smile, which accompanied her words in speeches about her high patroness, confirmed the wish of Elen. It seemed that on this evening from these kind words that Boris said about the Prussian troops, Elen suddenly opened miserably to see him. She promised him that when he came on Tuesday, she would explain to him this misery.
Having arrived on Tuesday night to the splendid salon of Elen, Boris did not receive clear explanations for what it was necessary for him to come. Having other visitors, the countess spoke little with him, and only saying goodbye, when he kissed her hand, she with a strange lack of smile, suddenly, whispering, said to him:
— Come visit for dinner tomorrow... at night. I need you to have you arrive... Come visit.446
At this arrival in Petersburg Boris was made a close man in the house of Countess Bezuhova.
435. Le Roi de Prusse! (The King of Prussia!)
436. C’est l’épée de Frédéric le Grand, que je… (This is the sword of Frederick the Great, that I ...)
437. Voyons à qui en avez vous avec votre Roi de Prusse? (Let's see, who do you have with your King of Prussia?)
438. Non, ce n’est rien, je voulais dire seulement... (No, it's nothing, I wanted to say only...)
439. Je voulais dire seulement, que nous avons tort de faire la guerre pour le roi de Prusse. (I wanted to say only that we are wrong to make war for the King of Prussia.)
440. Il est très mauvais, votre jeu de mot, très spirituel, mais injuste, Nous ne faisons pas la guerre pour le Roi de Prusse, mais pour les bons principes. Ah, le méchant, ce prince Hippolyte! (It is very bad, your play on words, very spiritual, but unjust, We do not make war for the King of Prussia, but for good principles. Ah, that wicked Prince Hippolyte!)
441. l’homme à l’esprit profond, (the man with the profound mind,)
442. Je vous demande pardon, une tabatière avec le portrait de l’Empereur est une récompense, mais point une distinction; un cadeau plutôt (I beg your pardon, a snuffbox with the portrait of the Emperor is a reward, but not a distinction; a gift rather)
443. — Il y eu plutôt des antécédents, je vous citerai Schwarzenberg. (- There was rather antecedents, I will quote you Schwarzenberg.)
444. C’est impossible, (It's impossible,)
445. Le grand cordon, c’est différent... (The big one cord is different...)
446. Venez demain dîner... le soir. Il faut que vous veniez... Venez. (Come to dinner tomorrow... in the evening. You have to come... Come.)
Time: See previous chapter. Towards the end of the evening (dropped in Bell. Later on in Briggs), Tuesday
Mentioned: Last year
Locations: See previous chapter, St. Petersburg.
Mentioned: Prusse (Prussia), Potsdam, Vienna, Helene's house
Pevear and Volkhonsky: Again Ippolit says nonsense and Pavlovna tries to steer the conversation. “He intended to repeat a joke that he had heard in Vienna and that he had been trying to put in all evening.”
Tolstoy’s connection between Boris and Helene borders on parodic and ludicrous.
“It seemed as though, from certain words that Boris had spoken that evening about the Prussian troops, Helene had suddenly discovered the necessity of seeing him.”
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 *):
Boris
Anna Pavlovna
Prince Ippolit (also Prince Hippolyte”)
Bonaparte
Frederick the Great
King of Prussia (as “Le roi de Prusse”)
Montemart
Czar Alexander (just “emperor”)
The man “of the profound mind” (confusing, but probably should be understood as Shitoff)
Schwartzenberg
Countess Ellen Bezukhaya
(the N.N and S.S come back, but using what is usually a Victorian or English tradition of not naming unimportant characters, places, or times for universality, Tolstoy creates what I can only call uncharacters. Garnett note: “Such
abbreviations, a convention in nineteenth-century fiction, are used to create the illusion of a fact suppressed in the interest of discretion.”)
abbreviations, a convention in nineteenth-century fiction, are used to create the illusion of a fact suppressed in the interest of discretion.”)
(one of the diplomats also speak)
Abridged Versions: End of chapter 19 in Bell.
Gibian: Chapter 5.
Gibian: Chapter 5.
Fuller: entire chapter is cut
Komroff: (see previous chapter)
Kropotkin: Chapter 7: Chapter is cut until it gets back to Helene and Boris towards the end of the chapter to connect those ideas, removing all the political and party talk that dominates the first half or more of the chapter. End
of Chapter 4.
Simmons: Chapter 5: the discussions are cut, with only the beginning and ending with Boris and Helene is preserved. Middle is replaced with "Stupid as usual, Hippolyte fumbles a joke which he had heard at Vienna."
of Chapter 4.
Simmons: Chapter 5: the discussions are cut, with only the beginning and ending with Boris and Helene is preserved. Middle is replaced with "Stupid as usual, Hippolyte fumbles a joke which he had heard at Vienna."
Additional Notes:
Herold: Page 182: “Far from showing any disposition to make peace, Czar Alexander promised to come to the aid of the King of Prussia...The possibility that Napoleon might reconstitute Poland naturally tended to bring the three despoilers of Poland--Russia, Prussia, and Austria--together in an alliance against him...The Russian army, despite the Turkish war, was still formidable, and it would be supported by the remnants of the Prussian army...the full horror of the winter campaign of 1806-7 was not known to the general public. The sufferings of the troops were incredible, and the sufferings they inflicted on the population, with official sanction, in order to keep themselves fed and warm, were scarcely less appalling.”
Montefiore:
Page 289: In October, long before the Russians and Prussians could combine forces, Napoleon destroyed the Prussians at Jena. Alexander should now have made peace, but he still sought glory on behalf of Russia and his stricken (but duplicitous) Prussian friends--and, as commander, turned to Count Bennigsen, murderer of his father.”
Page 311: Alexander “kissed and pummelled me as if I was his long-lost brother,” wrote the modest Schwarzenberg, who complained bitterly to his wife about Alexander’s entourage: “I have to put up with weaklings, fops, pedlars of crackpot schemes, intrigues, blockheads, gasbags, nit-pickers, in a word, innumerable vermin.”
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