Book 3 Part 1 Chapter 3 (Chapter 167 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Alexander I. at Vilno. The ball at Count Benigsen's. Countess Ellen and Boris. General-adjutant Balashof. Arrival of the news. Boris first to learn it. Alexander's indignation. His letter to Napoleon.
Briggs: Alexander at Vilna. Boris eavesdrops. Alexander writes to Napoleon.
Maude: Alexander I at Vilna. The ball at Count Bennigsen's. Boris overhears the Emperor speaking to Balashev, and learns that the French have crossed the frontier. Alexander's letter to Napoleon
Pevear and Volokhonsky: Alexander I in Vilno. Learns of Napoleon's invasion. Sends Balashov with a letter.

Translation:

III.

The Russian Emperor between those months already lived at Vilna, making reviews and maneuvers. Nothing was ready for war, which all awaited, and for the preparation of which the Emperor had arrived from Petersburg. A common plan of action was not. The hesitation about  what plan of all those that were offered should be adopted, still more intensified after the monthly stay of the emperor in the main apartment. In the three armies was a separate commander in chief for each, but a common chief above all the armies was not, and the Emperor did not take onto himself this title.

The longer lived the Emperor at Vilna, by that the less prepared to war that was tiredly expected. All the aspirations of the people surrounding the sovereign, it seemed, were directed only in that to force the sovereign, nicely carrying his time, to forget about the lying ahead war.

After many balls and holidays at the Polish magnates, at the courtiers and at the sovereign’s himself, in the month of June one of the Polish general adjutants to the sovereign had come up with the idea to give a dinner and ball for the sovereign from the face of his general adjutants. This idea was happily accepted by all. The sovereign expressed consent. The general adjutants collected by subscription money. The individuals, which could most be pleasant to the sovereign — were invited to be the host of the ball. Count Bennigsen, a landowner in the Vilenskaya provinces, proposed his country house for this holiday, and on the 13th of June was assigned a ball, dinner, a ride on boats and fireworks at Zakreta, the suburban house of Count Bennigsen.

On that very day in which Napoleon was giving the order about the transition across the Neiman, and advanced his troops, pushing back the Cossacks, got over through the Russian border, Aleksandr spent the evening at the country house of Bennigsen— at a ball, given by the general adjutants.

It was a merry, brilliant celebration; the connoisseur of the affairs said how seldom it was going to be in the same location so many beauties. Countess Bezuhova in the number of other Russians given, arrived behind the sovereign from Petersburg to Vilna, was at this ball, dimming with her heavy, so called Russian beauty the sophisticated given Polish. She was spotted, and the sovereign honored her dance.

Boris Drubetskoy, en garçon (a bachelor), as he spoke, leaving his wife in Moscow, was also at this ball and, although not a general adjutant, was a participant in the big amount in the subscription for the ball. Boris now was a rich person, long away left in honors, now not searching for patronage, but on a flat leg standing with the higher of his peers.

At 12 at night they still danced. Elen, not having a decent cavalier, herself proposed a mazurka with Boris. They were sitting in the third couple. Boris, in cold blood glancing at the brilliant, nude shoulders of Elen, protruding from the dark gas with the gold dress, talked about old acquaintances, and together with that, unnoticed for himself and for others, for a second not stopped to watch the sovereign, located in that same hall. The sovereign was not dancing; he stood in the doorway and stopped to that, then to another with affectionate words, that he alone was able to speak.

At the beginning of the mazurka, Boris saw how general adjutant Balashev, one of the nearest persons to the sovereign, came up to him and not courtly stopped close from the sovereign, who spoke with a Polish lady. Talking with the lady, the sovereign looked interrogatively and it was seen realized that Balashev entered so only because that in this were important causes, a little nodded to the lady and turned to Balashev. Only that Balashev started to speak, as surprise expressed on the face of the sovereign. He took under the arm Balashev and went with him through the hall, unconsciously for himself clearing with both parties 3 arshins to three wide a road shunned before him. Boris saw the agitated face of Arakcheev in that time as the sovereign went with Balashev. Arakcheev, sneakily looking at the sovereign and snorting his red nose, moved forward from the crowd, as expecting that the sovereign would turn to him. (Boris got that Arakcheev envied Balashev and was displeased by that somehow obviously important news not through him was delivered to the sovereign.)

Yet the sovereign with Balashev passed, not noticing Arakcheev, through the exit door, to an illuminated garden. Arakcheev, holding a sword and viciously looking back around himself, passed the steps at twenty behind them.

While Boris continued to do the figures of the mazurka, he did not stop tormenting himself with the idea about the news which Balashev brought and what way he would know it before others.

At the figure, where he was needed to choose to give, whispering to Elen that he wanted to take Countess Potoskaya, whom, it seems, exited onto the balcony, he sliding his feet by the parquet, ran out to the exit door to the garden, and, noticed the incoming with Balashev onto the terrace sovereign, paused. The sovereign with Balashev directed to the door. Boris, in a hurry, as if not having time to move back, respectfully snuggled up to the lintel and bent down his head.

The sovereign with the excitement of a personally offended man finished talking the following words:

— Without declaration of war to march into Russia! I make up only so when one armed enemy will not remain on my land, — he said. As it seemed to Boris, the sovereign nicely was to express these words: he was satisfied by the form of the expressions of his thought, but was displeased by that Boris heard them.

— So that nothing is known! — added the sovereign, frowning. Boris got that this was to carry off to him, and, closing his eyes, a little tipped his head. The sovereign again entered into the hall and still about half an hour stayed at the ball.

Boris was the first to find out the news about the transition of the French troops over the Neiman, and, thanks to this, had the case to show some important faces that much hidden from others was known by him, and through that had the case to go up higher in the opinion of these persons.

—————

The unexpected news about the transition of the French over the Neiman was especially sudden after months of unfulfilled expectations, and at a ball! The sovereign in the first moment of receiving the news, under the influence of indignation and insults, found that, making the then well-known dictum, which he most liked and expressed quite his feelings. Returning home from the ball, the sovereign at two at night sent for his secretary Shishkov and told him to write an order of the troops and rescript to Field Marshal Prince Saltykov, in which he indispensably demanded, so that were placed words about that he would not make up while one armed French remained on Russian land.

On the next day was written the following letter to Napoleon.

My brother sovereign! Yesterday it reached to me that, despite the straightforwardness with which I observed my obligations in regards to your imperial majesty, your troops got over the Russian borders, and I only now received from Petersburg the note in which Count Lauriston notifies me about this invasion that your majesty considers himself in hostile relations with me, with this time as Prince Kurakin demanded his passport. The causes, in which Duke Bassano found his failure to give out this passport, nothing could force me to assume, so that to act as if my ambassador served a reason to attack. And in reality, he had not then from my command, as was announced by myself; and as I only found out about this, then immediately expressed my displeasure to Prince Kurakin, commanding him to enforce still his entrusted responsibilities. If your majesty has not arranged to spill the blood of our subjects from behind misunderstandings like these, and if you agree to bring out your troops from Russian possessions, then I will leave without attention everything that happened, and agreement between us will be possible. In the otherwise case, I will be forced to reflect an attack, which does not excite my parties. Your majesty has more of an opportunity to rid humanity from a disastrous new war.

Alexsandr.570

570 "Monsieur mon frère. J’ai appris hier que malgré la loyauté avec laquelle j’ai maintenu mes engagements envers Votre Majesté, ses troupes ont franchis les frontières de la Russie, et je reçois à l’instant de Pétersbourg une note par laquelle le comte Lauriston, pour cause de cette agression, annonce que Votre Majesté s’est considérée comme en état de guerre avec moi dès le moment où le prince Kourakine a fait la demande de ses passeports. Les motifs sur lesquels le duc de Bassano fondait son refus de les lui délivrer, n’auraient jamais pu me faire supposer que cette démarche servirait jamais de prétexte à l’agression. En effet cet ambassadeur n’y a jamais été autorisé comme il l’a déclaré lui-même, et aussitôt que j’en fus informé, je lui ai fait connaître combien je le désapprouvais en lui donnant l’orde de rester à son poste. Si Votre Majesté n'est pas intentionnée de verser le sang de nos peuples pour un malentendu de ce genre et qu’elle consente à retirer ses troupes du territoire russe, je regarderai ce qui s’est passé comme non avenu, et un accommodement entre nous sera possible. Dans le cas contraire, Votre Majesté, je me verrai forcé de repousser une attaque que rien n’a provoquée de ma part. Il dépend encore de Votre Majesté d’éviter à l’humanité les calamités d’une nouvelle guerre.

Je suis, etc.

(signé) Alexandre".

("Sir my brother. I learned yesterday that despite the loyalty with which I have maintained in my commitments towards Your Majesty, his troops have crossed the borders of Russia, and I receive now from Petersburg a note in which Count Lauriston, because of this aggression, announce that Your Majesty considered yourself in a state of war with me from the moment Prince Kurakin asked for his passports. The motives on which the Duke of Bassano based his refusal to deliver them to him, could never have led me to assume that this move would ever be used as a pretext for aggression. In effect this ambassador was never authorized to do so as he said himself, and as soon as I was informed about it, I let him know how much I disapproved of him by ordering him to stay at his post. If Your Majesty is not intending to shed the blood of our peoples for a misunderstanding of this kind and that it consents to withdraw its troops from Russian territory, I will look at what happened as void, and an accommodation between us will be possible. In the contrary case, Your Majesty, I will be forced to repel an attack that nothing has provoked on my part. It still depends on Your Majesty to prevent mankind from the calamities of a new war.

I am, etc.

(signed) Alexandre".

Time: June, 13th of June (25th of June in Dole), evening

Locations: Vilna, Zakret (Zakreta in Garnett. Zakrety in Bell. Zakreto in Dole and Briggs), Count Benigsen's suburban estate,
Mentioned: Russia (and Russian), St. Petersburg, Polish, Nyeman, Moscow, French

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: We flip to the Russian side. “Nothing was prepared for the war which everybody expected and for the preparation of which the emperor had come from Petersburg. There was no general plan of action….All the strivings of the people who surrounded the sovereign were, it seemed, aimed only at making the sovereign, while passing the time pleasantly, forget about the impending war.”

This sets up the ironic parallel of Napoleon crossing into Russia while Alexander is at a ball at Count Bennigsen’s. Helene and Boris are there (weirdly Helene gets described as having “so-called Russian beauty”).

Alexander is informed of the news, but we get this episode narrated through the lens of Boris, just like Tilsit. Arakcheev is jealous that he is not the one that gets to deliver the important news in an aside that really plays up
the comedy of the scene (for some reason the way the scene is narrated, I’m reminded of the way that George W Bush was informed of the 9/11 attack with the camera lingering on him and he, unsure what to do, decides
to keep reading to the children).

Boris uses this opportunity of hearing the news first to become a more important person, which is followed by a line break in which we flip to Alexander’s point of view. “The sovereign, in the first moment of receiving the
news, under the influence of indignation and offense, had found a phrase (“I will make peace only when not a single armed enemy remains on my soil”) which later became famous, which he liked himself, and which fully
expressed his feelings.”

The chapter ends with the French letter Alexander writes to 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 “The Russian emperor”, “majesty”, and “sovereign”. Called “my brother” or “Monsieur mon frere” by Napoleon.)

Count Benigsen

Napoleon (could be argued he is part of the chapter)

Countess Ellen Bezukhaya

Boris Drubetskoi

Julie (just “his wife”)

General-Adjutant Balashof (“...Balashev” in Wiener and Maude. “Balachow” in Bell. Briggs also uses “Balashev” but calls him a “staff general”.)

Arakcheyef

Countess Potocka (as in Dole, Dunnigan, and Mandelker. “...Pototsky” in Garnett.)

Shishkin (“Shishkov” in Wiener, Briggs, and Maude. “Schischkow” in Bell.)

Field-Marshal Prince Saltuikof  (“...Saltykov” in Garnett, Dunnigan, and Mandelker.)

Count Lauriston (also see Bromfield’s version of Chapter 144)

Prince Kurakin

Duke of Bassano (as in Dole, Wiener (who actually translates the letter into English, breaking his trend), and Dunnigan. “duc de Bassano” in Edmonds and Mandelker (who does not capitalize “duc” in the text but does
in the footnote))

(Polish magnates and courtiers, as well as a Polish adjutant. Also a lady, the imperial adjutants, and a Polish lady.)

Abridged Versions: Line break after “rising still higher in their estimation” and before “The news of the French”. Line break in the same place in Edmonds, Dunnigan, Wiener, Garnett, Briggs, and Mandelker. No chapter
break in Bell.
Gibian: Chapter 3: line break after "he rose higher in their estimation"

Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.

Komroff: Chapter is preserved up to the line break after Boris hears Alexander hears the news of the French advance.

Kropotkin: The detail about the army being split up into three different commanders is removed. The detail about Arakcheyef is also removed. The details about Shishkin and Saltuikof are also removed.

Bromfield: Chapter 5: The celebration is at Countess Lovich’s.
Simmons: Chapter 3: the ending of the chapter (everything after the line break) is removed.

Additional Notes: Maude: “Alexander Dmitrievich Balashev (1770-1837) was appointed chief of police in Petersburg in 1808, military governor in 1809 and head of the ministry of Police in 1810. He accompanied the
Tsar to Vilna (Vilnius) in 1812. Napoleon’s speeches to him are taken from Thiers and Danilevski.”

“Count Lauriston A.J.B. (Garnett provides “Jacques-Alexandre-Bernard Law”) Law (1768-1828), Napoleon’s ambassador in St. Petersburg, 1811-12.”

“Duc de Bassano H,B Maret (Garnett provides “Hughes-Bernard Maret”) (1763-1839), Napoleon’s foreign minister, 1811-12.”

Briggs: “The conservative Admiral Shishkov had replaced Speransky as Foreign Secretary.”

Garnett: “Nikolay Ivanovitch Saltykov...at one time tutor to Alexander I, became president of the Cabinet of Ministers in 1812.”

Mandelker: “Law...a great-nephew of John Law of of Lauriston, of Mississippi Scheme fame. He was a fellow pupil of Napoleon’s at the Artillery school...but did not side with Napoleon after his return from Elba in
1815. He was subsequently made a Marquis and a Marshal of France by Louis XVIII.”

Bell writes about Napoleon’s letter: “His Majesty wrote in French, and here made the mistake of Writing mésenlendu for malmtendu.”

Roberts: Page 575: “Leaving Marie Louise with her parents in Dresden when he departed at dawn on May 29, Napoleon wrote later that morning that he would be back within two months...It was to be nearly seven months before he saw her again.””

You can read the letter that Alexander wrote Napoleon at this moment here. You can also see many great posts about the war, along with other events in 1812 using this blog.

Morson argues that Tolstoy's mocking of Alexander's famous words is important to how he redefines heroism as part of the practices of common life.