Briggs: Andrey meets Denisov, who wants to develop guerrilla resistance.
Maude: Prince Andrew goes to headquarters and meets Denisov, who wants guerrilla troops to break the French line of communication. Kutuzov's reception of them. He transacts business
Pevear and Volokhonsky: Prince Andrei at Kutuzov's headquarters. Meets Denisov. Personal conversation with Kutuzov. The priest's wife greets Kutuzov with bread and salt. Kutuzov's thoughts on warfare. Prince Andrei's thoughts on Kutuzov.
Translation:
XV.
Accepting command above the armies, Kutuzov remembered about Prince Andrey and sent him an order to arrive at the main apartment.
Prince Andrey had arrived on the Tsar Floodplain on that very day and at that very time of day, when Kutuzov made the first review of troops. Prince Andrey had stopped in the village at the home of a priest, at which stood the crew of the commander in chief, and sat down on a bench at the gate, expecting the lordly, as all called now Kutuzov. In the field behind the village were heard those sounds of regimental music, that roar of a huge quantity of voices shouting: "hoorah!" to the new commander in chief. Here the same at the gate, at 10 steps from Prince Andrey, taking advantage of the lack of the prince and the beautiful weather, were standing two valets, a courier and a butler. A blackish, with an overgrown mustache and whiskers, little hussar lieutenant colonel drove to the gate and, looking at Prince Andrey, asked: whether the lordly stayed here and whether he will be there soon.
Prince Andrey said that he did not belong to the staff of the lordly and was also a newcomer. The hussar lieutenant colonel turned to the smart batman, and the valet of the commander in chief said to him with that special contempt with which speak orderlies of commanders in chief with officers:
— What lordly? He should be here now. You are what?
The hussar lieutenant colonel grinned in his mustache at the tone of the valet, tore from his horse, gave to the messenger and came up to Bolkonsky, a little bowing to him. Bolkonsky stepped aside on the bench. The hussar lieutenant colonel sat down beside him.
— Also waiting for the commander in chief? — began talking the hussar lieutenant colonel. — He speaks to all available, thank God. But with those sausages its trouble! Not for nothing Ermolov in the Germans requested. Now perhaps Russians will be able to speak. But damn, who knows what they did. All retreated — all retreated. You made a trip? — he asked.
— I have had the pleasure, — was the response of Prince Andrey, — to not only participate in the retreat, but in this retreat lose all that had been dear, not speaking about names and my native house... My father, who died from grief. I am Smolensk.
— Ah?.. Are you Prince Bolkonsky? Very glad to become acquainted: lieutenant colonel Denisov, more known under the name Vaski, — said Denisov, shrugging the hand of Prince Andrey and with especially kind attention peering at the face of Bolkonsky. — Yes, I hear, — he said with empathy, and keeping silent a little, he continued: — And here is Scythian war. This is all okay, only not for those whose sides puff out. But you Prince are Andrey Bolkonsky? — he shook his head. — Very glad. Prince, very glad to become acquainted, — he added again with a sad smile, shrugging his hand.
Prince Andrey knew Denisov by the stories of Natasha about her first groom. These memories sweetly and hurtfully carried over him now to those painful sensations, about which he in the latter time for a long time now had not thought, but that all the same were in his soul. In the latter time so many other serious impressions, as the abandonment of Smolensk, his arrival at Bald Mountains, the recent news about the death of his father, — so many sensations were tested by him that these memories now for long time did not come to him, and when it came, it long away did not act on him with the same force. And for Denisov that row of memories, that called the name Bolkonsky, were distant, poetically verified, when he, after dinner and singing with Natasha, himself not knowing how, made a proposal to a fifteen year old girl. He smiled at the memories of this time and his love to Natasha immediately again moved to that what passionately and exclusively now occupied him. This was a plan for the campaign, which he thought up, serving in the time of the retreats at the outposts. He submitted this plan to Barclay-de-Tolly, and now was found to represent it to Kutuzov. The plan was founded on that the operation of the line of the French was too stretched out and that instead of going together with them, so that to act from the front, blocking the road of the French, the need was to act at their posts. He started to clarify his plan to Prince Andrey.
— They may not hold throughout these lines. This is impossible, I answer that to break through them; give me 500 people, I will tear them, this is right! The only system — partisan.
Denisov got up and, making gestures, expounded his plan to Bolkonsky. In the middle of his expositions, the shouting army, more awkward, more widespread and merging with music and songs, was heard in the location of the review. In the village was heard clattering and shouting.
— Himself rides, — shouted a Cossack, standing at the gate, — He rides! Bolkonsky and Denisov moved to the gate, at which stood a bunch of soldiers (the honorable guard) and was seen moving forward by the street of Kutuzov, on horseback a low bay horse. The huge suite of generals rode behind him. Barclay rode almost nearby; a crowd of officers ran behind them and around them and shouted: "hoorah!"
Forward in the yard galloped adjutants. Kutuzov, impatiently pushing his horse, floating ambly under his weight, and incessantly nodded his head, applied his hand to his white cavalry (with a red band and without a visor) cap, which was on him. Driving to the honorary guard of well done grenadiers, for the most part cavaliers, giving way to his honor, he with a moment silently and carefully looked at them with a superior stubborn look and turned around to the crowd of generals and officers, standing around him. His face suddenly had accepted a thin expression; he lifted his shoulders with a gesture of perplexity.
— And with such well done all back and back! — he said. — Well, goodbye, general, — he added and touched his horse at the gate past Prince Andrey and Denisov.
— Hoorah! Hoorah! Hoorah! — shouted back at him.
With that since, as Prince Andrey had not seen him, Kutuzov had become more fat, flabby and swollen wide. Yet the acquaintance of his white eye and wound, and the expression of fatigue on his face and figure were that same. He was dressed in a uniform frock coat (a lash on a thin belt hung across his shoulder), and heavy spreading out and swaying, sat on his cheerful horse.
— Fyu...fyu... fyu... — whistled a little bit heard, entering in the yard. On his face expressed the reassuring joy of a man, intending to relax after representation. He took out his left leg from the stirrup, falling down to all of his body and wincing from efforts, with labor bringing it in the saddle, leaning on a knee, grunting and coming down to hand it to the Cossacks and adjutants who supported him.
He recovered, turned back his own narrowed eyes and, looking at Prince Andrey, apparently not upon learning him, walked with his diving gait to the porch.
— Fyu... Fyu... Fyu, — he whistled, and again turned back to Prince Andrey. The impression of the face of Prince Andrey, only after several seconds (as this is often is in old people), contacted with the memory about his personality.
— Ah hello, prince, hello, darling, go... — he tiredly spoke, looking back, and heavily entered in the creaking under his weight porch. He unbuttoned and sat down on the bench standing on the porch.
— Well what father?
— Yesterday I received the news about his demise, — shortly said Prince Andrey.
Kutuzov with scared and open eyes looked at Prince Andrey, then stripped off his cap and crossed himself: "The kingdom is his heaven! And the will of God above all of us!" he heavily, with all his breast, sighed and was silent."I loved and respected him and sympathize with all of your soul." He hugged Prince Andrey, pressed him to his fat breast and for long did not let go from himself. When he let him go, Prince Andrey saw that the blurred lips of Kutuzov trembled, and in his eyes were tears. He sighed and took both hands behind the bench, so that to get up.
— Go, go to me, talk, — he said; but at this time was Denisov, so the same as little timid before superiors as before the enemy, despite that, how the adjutants on the porch angrly whispered to stop him, he boldly, banging spurs by steps, entered onto the porch. Kutuzov, leaving his hand stubbornly on the bench, displeased, watched Denisov. Denisov, calling himself, declared that he had to report to his lordship business of big importance for the good of the fatherland. Kutuzov’s tired look began to look at Denisov in an annoying gesture, accepting his hand and folding it on his belly, repeating: "For the good of the fatherland? Well what is such? Speak." Denisov, red as a girl (so weird was it to see color on this mustached, old and drunk face) and boldly started to set out his plan of cutting the operation lines of the enemy between Smolensk and Vyazma. Denisov lived on these edges and knew well the terrain. His plan seemed undoubtedly good, in particular that strength of belief, which was in his words. Kutuzov watched himself on the legs and occasionally looked around to the yard of the neighboring huts, as if he was waiting for something unpleasant from there. From the huts in which he watched, really in the time of the speech of Denisov, appeared a general with a portfolio under his shoulder.
— What? — in the middle of the exposition of Denisov spoke Kutuzov, — Already ready?
— Ready, your lordship, — said the general. Kutuzov shook his head, as if saying: "So this is all to be in the time of one person," and continued to listen to Denisov.
— I give the honest noble word of a Russian officer, — spoke Denisov, — that I will tear the posts of Napoleon.
— Are you Kirill Andreevich Denisov, chief-quartermaster, as I have? — Kutuzov interrupted him.
— My native uncle, your lordship.
— Ah! We were buddies, — funnily said Kutuzov. — Okay, okay, darling, stay here at staff, tomorrow we will talk, — nodding his head to Denisov, he turned away and held out his hand to the papers that were brought to him by Konovnitsyn.
— Whether there is not anyone your lordships welcomes in the room, — in a dissatisfied voice said the on duty general: — it is necessary to consider plans and sign some paperwork. — The exiting from the door adjutant reported that in the apartment all was ready. Yet Kutuzov apparently wanted to enter in the room now free. He grimaced...
— No, lead to give, darling, here on the table, I will see it here,— he said. — You do not go away, — he added, turning to Prince Andrey. Prince Andrey stayed on the porch, listening to the duty officer general.
In the time of the report, behind the entrance of the door Prince Andrey heard female whispering and the crunching of female silk dresses. A few times, looking by that direction, he noticed behind the door, in a pink dress and purple silk shawl on her head, a complete, rosy and beautiful woman with a dish, who obviously awaited the entry commander in chief. The adjutant of Kutuzov whisperingly explained to Prince Andrey that this was the hostess at the home of the priest, which intended to give bread and salt to his lordship. Her husband met the lordly with a cross in the church, but she was at home..."Very pretty," added the adjutant with a smile. Kutuzov turned back at these words. Kutuzov listened to the report of the duty officer general (the chief subject of which was criticism of the positions at Tsar Floodplain), so the same as he listened to Denisov, so the same as he listened seven years to that backwards the debate of the Austerlitz military council. He obviously listened only from that on him were ears, which, despite that in one of them was a nautical rope, that could not not hear; but it was obvious that nothing of what could be said to him by the on duty general could only surprise or interest him, but what he knew forward of all, that he said and listened to all this only because of how he needed to listen, as was needed to listen to a singing prayer. All that was spoken by Denisov was efficient and clever. That what was spoken by the on duty general, was still more efficient and smarter, but it was obvious that Kutuzov despised knowledge and minds, and knew something other that must solve business, — something other, independent from minds and knowledge. Prince Andrey carefully watched for the expressions of the face of the commander in chief, and the only expression, which he could notice on him, was an expression of boredom, curiosity to what such was meant by the female whisper behind the door, and the wish to comply with decency. It was obvious that Kutuzov despised minds and knowledge and even the patriotic feeling, which was shown by Denisov, but despised not minds, not feelings, not knowledge (because of how he did not try to show them), but he despised them with some other. He despised his old age, his experience of life. Another disposition, which from himself in this report made Kutuzov, carried off to the looting of the Russian troops. The on duty general, at the end of the report, represented to the lordly paper for signature about the recovery from the army chiefs by the petition of the landowner for beveled green oats.
Kutuzov smacked his lips, and rocked his head, listening to this business.
— Into the stove... into the fire! And the time forever you speak, darling, — he said, — all these affairs in the fire. Let it mow bread and burn firewood in health. I do not order and do not allow this, but I cannot charge. Without this it cannot be. Firewood falls — splinters fly. — He looked another time at the paper — Ah, the accuracy of a German! — he spoke, shaking his head.
Mentioned: supper, yesterday, seven years before
Locations: Tsarevo-Zaymishche
Mentioned: German, Russians, Andrei's estates and home, Smolensk, Scythian, Lysyya Gory, French, Vyazma, Austerlitz
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: We switch to Andrei, who is sent by Kutuzov and then forced to wait, which is again met with a pair of very brief concurrent sentences: "Bolkonsky moved over on the bench. The hussar lieutenant colonel sat down beside him."
The return of Densiov and his speech impediment and contempt for the Germans.
Prince Andrei's sarcasm: "I had the pleasure...not only of taking part in the retreat, but also of losing in that retreat everything that was dear to me". This is how we see the reaction to his father's death.
Denisov, since Andrei knew of him because Natasha had told him about Denisov's proposal to her, brings up a painful feeling in Andrei. For Denisov, Natasha is a present memory for him that seems like a distant time. Now, he is focused completely on his plan that he wants to present to Kutuzov (as the note suggests, this "partisan warfare" plan is the one put in place by Densiov's real-life counterpart Denis Davidov, which Pevear and Volokhonsky spells "Davydov"). Kutuzov appears, gets a rather long and comical description, and Prince Andrei tells him of his father's death, which affects Kutuzov and causes him to cry. Denisov interrupts to inject his plan, which because of his conviction and Kutuzov knowing his uncle, gets him an audience, but when Kutuzov has to listen to a report, he listens to the report "in the same way as he had listened to Denisov, in the same way as he had listened, seven years earlier, to the debate at the Austerlitz council of war. He obviously listened only because he had ears, which despite the fact that one of them was stopped up with hemp, could not help listening...to it only because he had to listen, as one has to listen to the singing of a prayer service...Kutuzov despised both knowledge and intelligence, and knew something else that was to decide matters...Kutuzov despised the intelligence, the knowledge, and even the patriotic feeling shown by Denisov....He despised them with old age, with his experience of life."
At the end of the chapter, Kutuzov gets angry at the general on duty because a landowner complained that oats had been mowed down, saying he doesn't order looting and pillaging, but he can't punish them because "When you chop wood, the chips fly...Oh, German scrupulosity!"
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 *):
Kutuzof (also "serene highness", "prince", and "chief commander". He also has a courier and house-steward. Also his "little bay cob".)
Prince Andrei Bolkonsky
Vaska Denisof (also "lieutenant-colonel of hussars".)
Yermolof
Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky ("father")
Natasha
Barclay de Tolly
Napoleon
Kirill Andreyevitch Denisof (the "Ober-intendant" or "Quartermaster General" in Dunnigan. For variations on "Kirill", see chapter 8. For variations on "Andreyevitch", see chapter 23.)
Konovnitsuin (the general with a portfolio under his arm that brings it to Kutuzof. "Konovnitsyn" in Maude, Edmonds, and Garnett.)
Abridged Versions: Start of Chapter 19 in Bell with no break.
Gibian:
Fuller: The paragraph where Andrey and Denisov reflect on Natasha is removed. The reflections on Kutuzov given at the end of the chapter is removed, as is the conversation about the proprietor. No line break.
Komroff: The rude orderly early in the chapter is not here. Rest of chapter seems preserved and is followed by a line break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 11: Some of the description early in the chapter is gone, getting to Denisof quicker. Kutuzof with his generals before Andrei notices how fat he has gotten is removed. The chapter also ends after Kutuzof tells Denisof he will speak with him tomorrow.
Bromfield: Chapter 7: The rude orderly early in the chapter isn't there. The story about the proprietor also isn't here. No break.
Simmons: Chapter 15: we get to Denisov a little faster and Denisov's exposition of his plan both to Kutuzov and Andrew are much shorter. The portfolio and Kutuzov signing the papers is severely shortened.
Additional Notes: Mandelker: "Kutuzov consented to his (Davydov) making the attempt with a party of 130 Cossacks and hussars, but in the historical event Davydov had to wait until after the battle of Borodino to begin his operations."
Garnett: "this is Scythian warfare": The Scythians, a nomadic central Asian people who settled in the European Russian steppe in the first half of the seventh century B.C., were celebrated warriors. Densiov is referring to Herodotus' account of the encounter between the Scythians and the Persians, under Darius, in 514 B.C. Faced with an invading army of 700,000 Persians, the Scythians did not engage in head-on-battle but continuously retreated. Frustrated, Darius ordered his troops to withdraw. In a maneuver similar to that of the Russians in 1812, the Scythians harassed the retreating enemy all to the way (sic) to the Danube River."
Hosking: Page 267: ..And if the Russian people were the bearers of empire, then why were so many leading officials Germans?"
Radzinsky/Bouis: "And what did Russia get for it?" wrote one columnist. "The day after the victory, Europe forgot everything that Russia did for it...No, Europe will never be grateful to us. For Europe, Russians are always Scythians and barbarians. Russia saw that yet again in the Crimean War."
Raeff: (page 72): "a minority appear to have benefited from the experience of the Seven Years' War or from being stationed in the Baltic provinces. The average Russian nobleman was still too unsophisticated, coarse, and ignorant to appreciate what the new environment had to offer. Most were content with having a good time, drinking, and chasing after girls; and their coarseness hardly helped them gain admission into good German society. But the few who were prepared by previous education, or were endowed with an inquisitive and open mind, did discover a new world."
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