Book 3 Part 2 Chapter 6 (Chapter 193 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Matter and form. Anna Pavlovna's salon in 1812. Ellen's clique. Prince Vasili as g-between. L'homme de beaucoup de merite. Criticisms on Kutuzof. Kutuzof made Prince (Kniaz). Change in opinion. Ill breeding of the homme de beaucoup de merite.
Briggs: Matter v. form. Anna Pavlovna's and Helene's competing salons.
Maude: Matter and form. Anna Pavlovna's and Helene's rival salons. Prince Vasili's opinion of Kutuzov
Pevear and Volokhonsky: In Petersburg. Shifting opinions of Kutuzov in Anna Pavlovna's circle. Kutuzov named commander in chief.

Translation:

VI.

In the number of countless divisions that can be made in the phenomena of life, you can subdivide them all in such, in which prevails content, the other — in which prevails form. To the number of such, in the counterposition of the village, people’s, provincial, even Moscow life, can carry off the life of Petersburg, in particular the salon. This life is unchanged.

From the year 1805 we put up and quarreled with Bonaparte, we made a constitution and butchered it, but the salon of Anna Pavlovna and the salon of Elen were exactly such the same that they were seven years ago, the other five years to that backwards. Exactly so the same at Anna Pavlovna’s it was spoken with disbelief about the successes of Bonaparte and looked, as in his successes, such indulging in him European sovereigns, a spiteful conspiracy, only having the purpose of the unpleasantness and anxiety of this court circle, whose representative was Anna Pavlovna. Exactly so the same at Elen’s, which itself blushed in honoring its visiting and counted her a wonderful smart woman, exactly so the same as in 1808 and in the year of 1812, with delight spoke about the great nation and great man, and with regret looked at the break with France, which, by the opinion of the people gathered in the salon of Elen, was to run out of charge into peace.

In the latter time, after the arrival of the sovereign from the army, happened some excitement in these opposite circles of salons and were produced some demonstrations against each other, but the direction of circles left that same. In the club Anna Pavlovna took from the French only inveterate legitimists, and here expressed patriotic ideas about what was not needed to ride in the French theater, and that the content of the troops were worth so much the same, as much as the content of a whole corps. Behind military events they followed greedily, and blossomed the most profitably from our army gossip. In the circle of Elen, Rumyantsev, and the French, refuted gossip about the cruelty of the enemy and war, and discussed all attempts of Napoleon to reconciliation. In this circle was reproached those who advised too hasty orders about if to prepare to depart to Kazan for the courtiers and female educational establishments, located under the patronage of the empress-mother. To all, all the business of war presented in the salon of Elen as empty demonstrations, which quite soon would finish in peace, and reigned the opinion of Bilibin, the arriving now at the Petersburg home of Elen’s (any smart person should be at her’s), that not gunpowder, but those who thought of it, decides the business. In this circle ironically and quite cleverly, although quite carefully, was ridiculed the Moscow delight, the news about which arrived together with the sovereign in Petersburg.

In the circle of Anna Pavlovna the opposite delighted in these delights and spoke about them how Plutarch spoke about the ancients. Prince Vasiliy, occupying all those same important offices, formed the link of connection between the two circles. He drove to his worthy friend624 Anna Pavlovna and drove to the diplomatic salon of his daughter625 and often, in the incessant crossings from one camp to the other, was confused and spoke at Elen that what was needed to speak at Anna Pavlovna’s, and vice versa.

Soon after the arrival of the sovereign, Prince Vasiliy got into conversation at Anna Pavlovna’s about the deeds of war, cruelly condemning Barclay-de-Tolly, found in indecision, and who would be appointed commander in chief. One of the guests, known under the name of the person with large virtues,626 told about how he saw that now selected chief of the  Petersburg militia was Kutuzov, sitting in the state ward for the reception of warriors, allowed himself to carefully express an assumption about how Kutuzov would be that person, which would satisfy all requirements.

Anna Pavlovna sadly smiled and noticed that Kutuzov besides trouble did nothing for the sovereign.

— I spoke and spoke at the nobles gathered, — interrupted Prince Vasiliy, — but I was not listened to. I spoke that his election to the chief of the militia was not like the sovereign. They did not listen to me.

— All that mania to confront, — he continued. — And before whom? And all from that we want to ape the foolish Moscow delights, — said Prince Vasiliy, confused in the moment, and forgetting that, at Elen’s it was needed to laugh above Moscow delights, but at Anna Pavlovna’s to admire them. Yet he immediately again mended. — Well whether it is decent that Count Kutuzov, the oldest general in Russia, to sit down in the ward, his chores disappear for nothing!627 Is it possible to appoint to commander in chief a man who may not sit on horseback, falls asleep at advice, a human of the worst mores! He himself was recommended well in Bucharest! I now do not speak about his qualities as a general, but can at such a moment we appoint a man decrepit and blind, simply blind? Good will be a blind general! He sees nothing. In blind men play... smoothly seeing nothing!

No one objected at this.

On the 24th of July, this was completely fair. Yet on the 29 of July Kutuzov was granted princely dignity. Princely dignity could mean that he was likely to be gone, and because of it, the judgment of Prince Vasiliy continued to be fair, although he did not hurry to express it now. Yet on the 8th of August was gathered a committee from the General-Field Marshals Saltykov, Arakcheev, Vyazmitinov, Lopyhin and Kochubey for a discussion of the cases of war. The committee decided that failures occurred from disparities and, despite that the faces, forming the committee, knew the dislike of the sovereign to Kutuzov, the committee, after short meetings, proposed to appoint Kutuzov commander in chief. And on that same day Kutuzov was assigned the authority of the commander in chief in the army and the edges alone, occupied by the troops.

On the 9th of August Prince Vasiliy met again at Anna Pavlovna’s with the man with large virtues.628 L’homme de beaucoup de mérite (The man with large virtues) nursed behind Anna Pavlovna by the occasion of willingness for the destination of the trustee of female educational institutions. Prince Vasiliy entered in the room with the look of a happy winner, a man who has reached the goals of his desires.

— Well, you know the great news? Kutuzov— field marshal.629 All disagreements are over. I am so happy, so glad! — spoke Prince Vasiliy. — At last, that it is this person!630 — he spoke  much and strictly looked around all that were in the living room. L’homme de beaucoup de mérite (The man with large virtues), despite his wish to get the place, could not hold on, so that to not remind Prince Vasiliy of his former judgment. (This was disrespectful before Prince Vasiliy in the living room of Anna Pavlovna and before Anna Pavlovna, who also happily accepted this news; but he could not hold on.)

— But they say he is blind?631 — he said, reminding Prince Vasiliy of his same words.

— Eh, nonsense, he sees enough, I believe,632 — said Prince Vasiliy in his bass, quick voice with coughing, by that voice and with that coughing, which he allowed all difficulties. — Allez, il y voit assez (Eh, nonsense, he sees enough), — he repeated. — And why I am glad, — he continued, — this is that the sovereign gave him complete power above all the armies, above all the edges — power, which never was in the commander in chief. This is another autocrat, — he concluded with a victorious smile.

— Give to God, give to God, — said Anna Pavlovna. L’homme de beaucoup de mérite (the man with large virtues), still a novice in courtier society, wishing to flatter Anna Pavlovna, shielding her former opinion of this judgment, said:

— They say that the sovereign reluctantly delivered this power to Kutuzov. They say that he was as red as a young lady, who was reading Joconde, at the time as he said: "The sovereign and fatherland awards you this honor."

— Maybe, his heart not quite participated,633 — said Anna Pavlovna.

— Oh no, no, — hotly interceded Prince Vasiliy. Now he already could not give way to anyone but Kutuzov. By the opinion of Prince Vasiliy, not only was Kutuzov himself good, but all adored him. — No, this may not be, because of how the sovereign was so able before to appreciate him, — he said.

— Give to God alone, so that Prince Kutuzov, — said Anna Pavlovna, — takes real power and does not allow anyone to insert themselves as sticks on wheels — des batons dans les roues.

Prince Vasiliy immediately got who was this anyone. He whisperingly said:

— I rightly know that Kutuzov, as an indispensable condition, reprimanded, so that the heir-tsesarevich was not in the army. You know what he said to the sovereign?634 — And Prince Vasiliy repeated the words, as if he would be speaking as Kutuzov to the sovereign: "I cannot punish him, should he do badly and reward him, should he do well." Ah! This is the smartest person, Prince Kutuzov, I have known him for a long time.635

— They say even, — said l’homme de beaucoup de mérite (the man with high virtues), still not having courtly tact, — that the lordly indispensable condition was put so that the sovereign himself did not come to the army.

Only as he said this, in one moment Prince Vasiliy and Anna Pavlovna turned away from him, and sadly, with a sigh about his naivety, looked at each other.

624 ma bonne amie (my good friend)

625 dans le salon diplomatique de ma fille (in the diplomatic lounge of my daughter)

626 un homme de beaucoup de mérite, (a man of great merit,)

627 et il en restera pour sa peine! (and he will remain for his trouble!)

628 l’homme de beaucoup de mérite. (the man of great merit.)

629 Eh bien, vous savez la grande nouvelle? Le prince Koutouzoff est maréchal. (Well, you know the big news? Prince Koutouzoff is marshal.

630 Enfin voilà un homme, (Finally here is a man,)

631 Mais on dit qu’il est aveugle, mon prince? (But they say he's blind, my prince?)

632 Allez donc, il y voit assez, (Come on, he sees enough,)

633 On dit qu'il rougit comme une demoiselle à laquelle on lirait Joconde, en lui disant :"le souverain et la patrie vous decernent cet honneur".

— Peut-être que le coeur n'était pas de la partie,

(They say he blushed like a young lady to whom one would read Joconde, saying to him: "the sovereign and the fatherland give you this honor."

— Maybe the heart was not a part of it,)

634 Vous savez ce qu’il a dit à l'Empereur? (Do you know what he said to the Emperor?)

635 je le connais de longue date. (I have known him for a long time.)

Time: 1812, August 9th
Mentioned: 1805, 1808, June 24th, June 29th, August 8th

Locations: St. Petersburg, Anna Pavlovna's
Mentioned: Moscow (also Muscovite), European, France (and French), the army is discussed as a place, Kazan, Helen's salon, Russia, Bucharest

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: St. Petersburg, unlike Moscow or the rest of Russia, is a place where form dominates content.

Language of “we” as we move to the salon of Anna Pavlovna and the contrast of her anti-French patriotism to Helene’s pro-French salon. Bilibin is aligned with the latter while Prince Vassily occupies both and gets confused as to what he should be saying at each one.

Note: “The “man of great merit” is generally thought to be the philosopher Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821), author of Soirees de Saint-Petersbourg (1821), who served in Russia as ambassador of the king of Sardinia from 1803 to 1817. Tolstoy drew on his correspondence for details of this particular soiree.” Much of the latter part of the chapter is about how he does not “yet have courtly tact”

Despite his confusion, Vassily (to the confusing approval of Pavlovna) argues against Kutuzov, who is then appointed as commander in chief, causing Vassily to begin to argue that he was the right man all along.

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 *):

Napoleon Bonaparte (also “the great man”)

Anna Pavlovna

Ellen

Rumyantsef

Alexander (“emperor” and “sovereign”)

Empress dowager (dropped in Bell. “empress mother” in Garnett. “Dowager Empress” in Maude and Edmonds. Pevear and Volkohnsky actually give her name here.)

Bilibin

Prince Vasili

Barclay de Tolly

The man of great merit

Count Kutuzof (also talked about as “commander-in-chief”, “serene highness”, and “chief of the Petersburg landwehr”. Named “prince of the empire”.)

Field-Marshal Saltuikof

Arakcheyef

Viazmitinof

Lopukhin

Kotchubey

Tsesarevitch (The Grand Duke. Also “any one”.)

(there is also a reference to Plutarch.)

Abridged Versions: Chapter 15 in Bell. Line break instead of chapter break at the end.
Gibian: Chapter 6.

Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.

Komroff: The only section of the chapter kept is the Kutuzov section, with the Vassily and man of great merit conversation without context of who it is talking about. Grand Duke Konstantin is mentioned by name.

Kropotkin: Chapter 4: Though the references to Bilibin and Rumyantsef are cut and the descriptions of the salons are a little shorter, the chapter is basically preserved.

Bromfield: Chapter 3: Marya Fedorovna as the backing of Pavlovna’s salon is more explicit, but otherwise, the chapter is the same.
Simmons: Chapter 6: Entire chapter is cut and replaced with "Anna Pavlovna's salon is frankly pro-Russian but that of Helene's discreetly praises Napoleon and argues for peace. Prince Vasili, a line between both salons, sometimes get his positions mixed. He and Anna Pavlovna, though they detest Kutuzov, applaud his appointment by the Emperor as field marshal and commander of all the Russian armies, displacing Barclay de Tolly.

Additional Notes: Mandelker: “Count Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev (1754-1826) had been Minister of Foreign Affairs since 1807, and in 1809 became Chancellor.”

Palmer: Page 117: “‘The objective is not the occupation of a geographical position but the destruction of enemy forces,’ Rumyantsev once declared: and this maxim, first enunciated in the 1770s, has remained valid for every successful Russian commander, whether in the army of the tsars or in the Red army of the twentieth century. It was fundamental to the strategy of Marshal Kutuzov in 1812..

Mandelker (Anna Karenina): St. Petersburg is a highly mythologized urban space. It was designed by utopian urban planning experts--the best Europe could provide--at the decree of Czar Peter the Great, and built on the uninhabitable swamps of the Gulf of Finland at the cost of many lives. It was meant to be the ultimate in modern, Western-styled urban and architectural construction, a sparkling gem and Russia's only Western seaport. St. Petersburg casts shadows over Moscow, the ancient capital of medieval Russia and the heart of the Russian countryside, whose birch groves and fertile fields tended by simple peasants of simple faith were endlessly romanticized in the pages of Russian literature portraying the dreadful plight of the peasants with compassion....The city-dwellers, in their constant attendance at concerts, clubs, and cabarets, are exposed as hemorrhaging the heart's blood of the country"

“A Man Speaking to Men: The Narratives of “War and Peace”’ by W. Gareth Jones

Page 155: “In Anne Scherer’s salon, the well told anecdote, however superficial, always wins more attention than any attempt to bumble out the truth.