Book 3 Part 3 Chapter 10 (Chapter 236 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: (September 11, 1812.) Pierre summoned before Rostopchin at Sokolniki. The ante-room. The bulletin. Rumors about Pierre's divorce. Vershchagin the traitor. Anecdotes. Kliucharef.
Briggs: Pierre goes to see Rostopchin. The 'traitor' Vereshchagin.
Maude (chapters 10-11): Pierre at Rastopchin's. The affair of Klyucharev and Vereshchagin. Pierre leaves home secretly
Pevear and Volokhonsky (chapters 10-11): Pierre summoned to Rastopchin. The new poster. Vereshchagin and Klyucharev. Pierre's talk with Rastopchin. He disappears from home.

Translation:

X.

On the 30th Pierre returned to Moscow. Almost at the outposts he was met by the adjutant of Count Rastopchin.

— But we searched for you everywhere, — said the adjutant. — The count indispensably needs to see you. He asks you now again to come to him for very important business. — Pierre, not stopping by home, took the cabman and went to the commander in chief.

Count Rastopchin only on this morning had arrived in the city from his country cottage in Sokolniki. The hallway and reception in the house of the count were full of officials, who appeared by the requirement of him for orders. Vasilchikov and Platov now saw each other with the count, and explained to him that to protect Moscow was impossible and that it will be handed over. Although this news was hidden from the inhabitants, the officials and the chiefs of the institutions of management knew that Moscow will be in the hands of the enemy, so the same as Count Rastopchin knew this; and all of them, so that to fold from themselves liability, came to the commander in chief with questions to how they were to act with the trusted to them parts.

In that time as Pierre entered in the reception room, a courier, coming from the army, went out from the count.

The courier hopelessly waved his hand to the questions, with which he was turned to, and passed through the hall.

Waiting in the reception, Pierre’s tired eyes looked around the institutions, old and young, military and state, important and unimportant officials, arriving in the room. All seemed dissatisfied and anxious. Pierre came up to one group of officials, in whom one was his familiar. Greeting with Pierre, they continued their conversation.

— As to send more to return, troubles will not be; but in such a position or for what cannot be responded to.

— Yes because here, he writes, — spoke another, pointing at a printed paper which he held in his hand.

— This is another business. For this people are needed, — said the first.

— What is this? — asked Pierre.

— But here is the new poster. — Pierre took it in his hand and began to read:

"The lordly prince, so that to soon connect with the troops that go to him, moved to Mozhayck and have become in a strong location, where the enemy will not suddenly go on him. To him is submitted from here 48 guns with shells, and the lordly speaks that Moscow to the last drops of blood will be protected and ready though the streets to fight. You, brothers, do not see that the public places are closed: affairs need to be cleaned up, but we the court with the villain will figure it out! Now before what reaches, I need well done cities and villages. I cried out day behind two, but now I do not need to, I keep silent. Okay with an ax, not bad with a spear, but only better a triple pitchfork: the French are not harder than a sheaf of rye. Tomorrow, after lunch, I will lift the Iverskaya at Catherine’s state hospital, to the wounded. There water consecrates: they will soon recover; and I now am healthy: I had an ill eye, but now look in both."

— But to me said the military people, — said Pierre, — that in the city is no way to fight and that the position...

— Well yes, about that we talked, — said the first civil servant.

— But what does this mean: I had an ill eye, but now I look in both? — said Pierre.

— The count had a stye, — said the adjutant smiling, — and he was very worried, when I told him that people came to ask what was with him. But what, count? — said suddenly the adjutant, with a smile turning to Pierre: — We have heard that in your family is alarm, as if the countess, your spouse...

— I have heard nothing, — indifferently said Pierre. — But what have you heard?

— No, you know, because, they often invent. I speak what I hear.

— What again have you heard?

— Yes they speak, — again with that same smile said the adjutant, — that the countess, your wife, is going for abroad. Probably nonsense...

— Maybe, — said Pierre, absent-mindedly looking back around himself. — But who is this? — he asked, pointing at a low old man in a clean, blue cloth coat, with a white as snow large beard, such the same eyebrows and rosy face.

— This? This is the one merchant, i.e. he is the innkeeper, Vereshchagin. You have heard, maybe, this story about the proclamation.

— Ah, so this is Vereshchagin! — said Pierre, peering at the solid and calm face of the old merchant and looking at him for an expression of treason.

— This is not the very he. This is the father of who wrote the proclamation, — said the adjutant. — That young one sits in the pit, and it seems it will be bad for him.

One old man in a star and another civil servant German, with a cross on his neck, came up to the talking.

— See whether, — said the adjutant, — this is a confused story. It appeared so, two months to that backwards, this proclamation. The count reported. He ordered to investigate. Here Gavrilo Ivanych was looking for, this proclamation visited smoothly in 63 hands. It comes to one: from whom do you have it? — From that. He rides to that: from whom are you? And etc. getting to Vereshchagin... a half-educated merchant, you know, a darling merchant, — smiling said the adjutant. — He asks him: from who do you have? And the main thing that we know from whom he has it. He did not have more of who had it, as from the mail-director. Yet really it is seen there between them a strike was. They say: from whom, I myself composed it. The threats and requests became in this: itself was composed. So it was reported to the count. The count told to conscribe him. "From whom is your proclamation?" —"I composed it myself." — Well, you know the count! — with a proud and fun smile said the adjutant. — He terribly flared up, yes and to think: the sort of impudence, lies and tenacity!..

— Ah! The count was needed, so he pointed out at Klyucharev, I understand! — said Pierre.

— Really not needed, — said the scared adjutant. — For Klyucharev and without this were sins, for what he is exiled. Yet the business is that the count was very outraged. —"How again could you compose?" spoke the count. To take with the desk a Hamburg newspaper. "Here it is. You did not compose it, but lead it across and lead across badly because of how you are a French fool, and do not know it." — What the same do you think?" No, they say, I was not reading the newspaper, I composed it." —"But if so, then you are a traitor, and I will betray you to the court, and you will hang. Say, from whom did you receive it?" —"I have not seen a newspaper, but composed it," and so left. The count and father were called for: standing at him. And he was given under court, and was sentenced, it seems, to convict work. Now his father came to ask for him. But a lousy boy! You know, the kind of merchant’s son, a dandy, seducer, listening to lectures somewhere and really thinking that the damned is not his brother. Here this is what a young fellow! At his father’s tavern here at the stone bridge, in such a tavern, you know, the big form of God Almighty is presented as in one hand a sceptre, in the other power; so he takes this form home in a few days and what the same was done! Found a bastard painter...

Time: the 30th (eleventh of September in Dole.)
Mentioned: to-morrow

Locations: Moscow
Mentioned: Sokolniki, Mozhaysk, French, Catherine Hospital (Catherine's Hospital in Briggs. Ekaterinisky Hospital in Pevear and Volokhonsky. St. Catherine's Hospital in Bell and Dunnigan (the latter doesn't capitalize hospital). Yekaterininskaya Hospital in Dole.), abroad, German, Hamburg, Stone Bridge (Kamenny Bridge in Pevear and Volokhonsky)

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Pierre arrives to Moscow, where Count Rastopchin has been looking for him and there is another gathering of the nobility and important people, though this one has a much different mood.

Pierre reads Rastopchin's new poster that says that Kutuzov will defend Moscow and even fight in the streets if necessary, calling for people to get their axes, spears, and pitch-forks. Strangely, it ends with Rastopchin claiming that his eye is better. Pierre then discusses the sty he had with an adjutant around him. They then bring up Helene, which Pierre is not interested in talking about.

We then get the introduction of the Hamburg Gazette story, which as the characters themselves say, "it's a tangled story". A "traitorous" proclamation goes from the hands of many different people before going to a merchant's son who claims to have written it, though they claim he only translated it.

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 *):

Pierre

Count Rostopchin (his adjutant plays a key role in the chapter. Rostopchin is also called "the commander-in-chief" or "governor-general".)

Vasilchikof ("Vasilchikov" in Wiener, Briggs and Maude. "Vassiltchikow" in Bell.)

Platof

Kutuzof ("His serene highness, the prince".)

Ellen ("countess" and "wife".)

Vereshchagin (as in Dole, Mandelker, and Wiener. the merchant and tavern-keeper, the father of the "traitor". You can argue whether or not he is in the chapter. "Verestchaguine" in Bell. "Vereshtchagin" in Garnett.)

 Gavrilo Ivanuitch ("...Ivanych" in Wiener, Briggs, and Dunnigan. "Gabriel Ivanovitch" in Bell. "...Ivanich" in Edmonds. "...Ivanitch" in Garnett.)

Kliucharef (also "the director of posts".)

(also the inhabitants of Moscow, the chinovniks, the heads of various departments, the courier who has to answer questions directed to him. The French are referenced as the enemy and the wounded are referenced as having the icon taken to them. Also an old man with a decoration and a German with a cross on his neck. A "scoundrel of a painter" is also referenced at the end of the chapter as the story is meant to continue but is broken off by Tolstoy.)

Abridged Versions: No break in Bell.

Gibian: Chapter 7: line break instead of chapter break at the end.

Fuller: Only the opening sentence (that shows that Pierre got back to Moscow on the 30th of August) is preserved with no line or paragraph break.

Komroff: Rastopchin's latest poster is not quoted from and the discussion about the sty is not there. Followed by a line break.

Kropotkin: Chapter 4: Preserved but with no break.

Bromfield: No apparent corresponding chapter.

Simmons: Chapter 7: the proclamation is cut and the story about Vereschagin is shortened. Line break instead of chapter break at the end.

Additional Notes:

Mikaberidze: Page 39: “Kutuzov’s letters perplexed Rostopchin, who years later denounced them as an ‘outright deception’. He felt his hands were tied in the absence of clear instructions from Kutuzov, who had become his superior once the military operations entered the Moscow province....Kutuzov, of course, was in a difficult position: he well understood that Moscow could not be defended but neither could he publicly announce his intention to abandon the former capital of the empire. So, in effect, he chose to keep Rostopchin out of the loop. The Moscow governor, known for his impulsiveness and intrigues, might jeopardize the military operations.”

Montefoire: Page 264:"Paul appointed Rostopchin as president of the Foreign Collegium and postmaster. The postmaster was also a spymaster since he ran the cabinets noirs that perlustrated the mail, secretly opening private and diplomatic letters, copying them, breaking codes and resealing them..."

Segur/Townsend: Page 95: "That night, therefore, secret agents went about knocking at every door, giving warning of the conflagration. Bombs were slipped into every available opening, especially in the iron-roofed shops in the mercantile districts, and all fire engines were removed. Disaster was imminent, and every civilian, according to his disposition, either became totally paralyzed by terror or made a move toward escape. The majority gathered in the public squares, crowding, pushing, asking each other what they should do, seeking counsel. Others wandered aimlessly up and down, some numb with fear, some in a dreadful state of excitement. Then the army, the last hope of these doomed people, deserted them. As the troops flowed through the city streets they drew along with them the not inconsiderable remnant of the inhabitants...When the last day of Moscow had dawned. Rostopchin mustered as many men as he could seize and arm. The prisons were opened, and a dirty, disgusting mob poured out. These miserable creatures rushed into the streets with ferocious joy. Two men, a Russian and a Frenchman, one accused of treason, the other of political imprudence, were picked up in the midst of this horde and taken before Rostopchin, who reproached the Russian with his (Page 95) betrayal. He, the son of a merchant, had been arrested while inciting the people to revolt. The alarming aspect of the case was that the young man had been found to belong to a sect of German religious and political fanatics called Martinists. His audacity had not failed him in prison. It seemed for a moment that the spirit of "egalite" had entered into Russia. He could not, however, be made to disclose any accomplices. At the last moment his father rushed in. All expected to hear him plead for his son's life; but it was his death he demanded."