Briggs: Michaud reports the loss of Moscow to the Tsar.
Pevear and Volokhonsky: Michaud comes to the emperor from Kutuzov. Their conversation.
Translation:
III.
Nine days after the abandonment of Moscow, in Petersburg had arrived sent from Kutuzov with official news about the abandonment of Moscow. This sent was the French Michaud, not knowing Russian, but although a foreigner, a Russian in depth of soul,895 as he spoke about himself.
The sovereign immediately the same accepted the sent in his office, in the palace of stone island. Michaud, who had never seen Moscow before the campaign and who did not know Russian, felt himself all the same touched, when he appeared before our most merciful sovereign896 (as he wrote) with news about the fire of Moscow, the flame which illuminated his way.897
Although the spring of woe898 of Mr. Michaud should be different than that from which followed the grief of the Russian people, Michaud had such a sad face when he was introduced in the office of the sovereign that the sovereign immediately the same asked him:
— What news have you brought me? Bad, colonel?
— Very bad, your majesty, — was the response of Michaud, with a sigh lowering his eyes, — the abandonment of Moscow.
— Is it really they gave my ancient capital without battle?899 — suddenly flaring up, fast spoke the sovereign.
Michaud respectfully delivered that what he was ordered to deliver from Kutuzov, it was that how under Moscow to fight was not an opportunity and that as so stayed one choice — to lose the army and Moscow, or only Moscow, and that the field marshal should choose the latter.
The sovereign listened silently, not looking at Michaud.
— Whether the enemy marched in the city?— he asked.
— Yes, your majesty, and in a real minute Moscow turned into ashes. I left it embraced in frames,900 — resolutely said Michaud; but looking at the sovereign, Michaud was terrified to that what he did. The sovereign heavily and often began to breathe, his lower lip trembled, and his beautiful blue eyes instantly got wet in tears.
But this went on only for one moment. The sovereign suddenly frowned, as would condemning himself for his weakness. And, lifting his head, in a solid voice he turned to Michaud:
— I see, colonel, in all that is going on,— he said, —that Providence requires from us large sacrifices... I readily submit to his will; but I say, Michaud, how you left the army, leaving without battle my ancient capital? Whether or not you noticed in it a decline in spirit?901
Seeing the reassurance of his most merciful sovereign,902 Michaud also calmed down, but to the straight substantial question of the sovereign, demanded a straight answer, he did not have time still to prepare an answer.
— Sovereign, whether you let me speak openly to you, as similar to a direct warrior?— he said, so that to win time.
— Colonel, I always demand this.903 — said the sovereign. — Hide nothing, I indispensably want to know all the truth.904
— Sire! — said Michaud with a subtle little bit noticeable smile on his lips, having time to prepare his answer in the shape of a light and deferential game of words.905 — Sire! I left all the army, beginning with the chiefs and to the last soldier, without exceptions, in great, desperate fear....906
— How so?907 — strictly frowning, interrupted the sovereign. — Whether my Russians may fall in soul before failure... nothing!..908 — For this only was waiting Michaud for the insertion of his game of words.
—Sire, — he said with a respectful playful expression, — they fear only so that your majesty in the kindness of his soul has not decided to conclude peace,— spoke the authorized of the Russian people, — they burn impatiently again to fight and to prove to your majesty the sacrifice of his life, in how much they betrayed you!..909
— Ah!— with a calming and affectionate shining eye, said the sovereign, hitting by the shoulder of Michaud. — You calm me, colonel.910
The sovereign, lowering his head, kept silent for some time.
— Well, so return to the army,911 — he said, straightening in all height and with an affectionate and majestic gesture turned to Michaud, — say to our brave, say to all my subjects, everywhere you will pass, that when at mine is not a single soldier, I myself will be at the head of my kind nobles and kind peasants, and exhaust this way to the last means of my states. These mean more, rather than think my enemies,912 — spoke the sovereign, all more and more encouraging. — But if would it be intended by divine providence,913 — he said, holding up his beautiful, meek and brilliant feeling eyes to the sky, — so that our dynasty stopped reigning on the throne of my ancestors, then, exhausting all means, which is in my hands, I will let go my beard to still, (the sovereign showed his hand to half his breast), and sooner will go there as one potato with the last of my peasants, rather than decide the sign of shame of my homeland and my dear people, victims which I can appreciate!..914 — saying these words in a thrilled voice, the sovereign suddenly turned, as would wishing to hide from Michaud the coming out of his eyes tears, and passed deep into his office. Standing there a few moments, he with large steps returned to Michaud and in a strong gesture reaped his arm at the lower elbow. The beautiful, meek face of the sovereign flushed and his eyes burned in a shine of determination and anger.
— Colonel Michaud, do not forget that I said to you here; maybe we at sometime will remember this with pleasure... Napoleon or I..., — said the sovereign, touching before to his breast. — We cannot reign more together. I found him out now, and he will no more deceive me...915 — and the sovereign, frowning, fell silent. Hearing these words, seeing the expression of solid determination in the eyes of the sovereign, Michaud, — although a foreigner, Russian in the depth of his soul,— felt himself, in this triumph moment, — felt himself in this triumph minute admired by all that he heard,916 — (as he spoke afterwards), and he at the following expressions depicted how his feeling, and so the feeling of the Russian people, whom he counted himself authorized.
— Sire! — he said, — Your majesty signs in this minute of glory of his people and the salvation of Europe!917
The sovereign’s nodding head let Michaud go.
895 quoique étranger, Russe de coeur et d’âme, (Although foreign, Russian heart and soul,)
896 notre très gracieux souverain (Our very graceful sovereign)
897 dont les flammes éclairaient sa route. (whose flames illuminated his route.)
898 chagrin (chagrin)
899 M’apportez vous de tristes nouvelles, colonel?
— Bien tristes, sire, l’abandon de Moscou.
—Aurait on livré mon ancienne capitale sans se battre,
(Do you bring me sad news, Colonel?
- Well sad, sir, the abandonment of Moscow.
- Would you have delivered my old capital without a battle)
900 L’ennemi est-il en ville?
— Oui, sire, et elle est en cendres à l’heure qu’il est. Je l’ai laissée toute en flammes,
(Is the enemy in the city?
- Yes, sir, and she is in ashes at the time they are. I left her all in flames,)
901 Je vois, colonel, par tout ce qui nous arrive, que la Providence exige de grands sacrifices de nous... Je suis prêt à me soumettre à toutes Ses volontés; mais dites moi, Michaud, comment avez-vous laissé l’armée, en voyant ainsi, sans coup férir, abandonner mon ancienne capitale? N’avez-vous pas aperçu du découragement?.. (I see, colonel, by all that happens to us, that Providence requires great sacrifices of us...I am ready to submit to all his wishes; But tell me, Michaud, how did you leave the army, seeing this, without blowing up, abandoning my old capital? Have you seen discouragement?)
902 très gracieux souverain, (very graceful sovereign,)
903 Sire, me permettrez-vous de vous parler franchement en loyal militaire?
Colonel, je l’éxige toujours,
(Sir, do you allow me to speak to you frankly as a loyal military man?
Colonel, I require it always,)
904 Ne me cachez rien, je veux savoir absolument ce qu’il en est. (Do not hide anything, I want to know absolutely what it is.)
905 jeu de mots (game of words)
906 Sire! j’ai laissé toute l’armée depuis les chefs jusqu’au dernier soldat, sans exception, dans une crainte épouvantable, affrayante.. (Sir! I left all the army from the chefs until the last soldier, without exception, in a terrible fear, afraid...)
907 Comment ça? (How?)
908 Mes Russes se laisseront-ils abattre par le malheur... Jamais!.. (My Russians will be let them down by the misfortune...Never!..)
909 Sire, ils craignent seulement que Votre Majesté par bonté de coeur ne se laisse persuader de faire la paix. Ils brûlent de combattre, et de prouver à Votre Majesté par le sacrifice de leur vie, combien ils lui sont devoués... (Sir, they only fear that Your Majesty by the goodness of his heart will be persuaded to make peace. They burn to fight, and to prove to Your Majesty by the sacrifice of their life, how much they are devoted to him...)
910 Vous me tranquillisez, colonel. (You tranquil me, Colonel.)
911 Eh bien, retournez à l’armée, (Well, return to the army,)
912 et dites à nos braves, dites à tous mes bons sujets partout où vous passerez, que quand je n’aurais plus aucun soldat, je me mettrai, moi-même, à la tête de ma chère noblesse, de mes bons paysans et j’userai ainsi jusqu’à la dernière ressource de mon empire. Il m’en offre encore plus que mes ennemis ne pensent, (And tell our brave ones, tell all my good subjects wherever you pass, that when I no longer have any soldier, I will put myself, myself, at the head of my dear nobility, of my good peasants and I'll use the last resource of my empire. It offers me even more than my enemies think,)
913 Mais si jamais il fut écrit dans les decrets de la Divine Providence, (But if ever it was written in the decrees of the Divine Providence,)
914 que ma dinastie dût cesser de régner sur le trône de mes ancêtres, alors, après avoir épuisé tous les moyens qui sont en mon pouvoir, je me laisserai croître la barbe jusqu’ici et j’irai manger des pommes de terre avec le dernier de mes paysans plutôt, que de signer la honte de ma patrie et de ma chère nation, dont je sais apprécier les sacrifices!.. (that my dynasty had to stop reigning on the throne of my ancestors, then, after having exhausted all the means that are in my power, I will let my beard grow so far and I'll eat potatoes with the last of my peasants rather than sign the shame of my homeland and dear nation, which I know about the sacrifices!)
915 Colonel Michaud, n’oubliez pas ce que je vous dis ici; peut-être qu’un jour nous nous le rappellerons avec plaisir... Napoléon ou moi. Nous ne pouvons plus régner ensemble. J’ai appris à le connaître, il ne me trompera plus... (Colonel Michaud, do not forget what I tell you here; Maybe one day we will remember it with pleasure... Napoleon or me. We can not reign together. I learned to know him, he will not deceive me anymore...)
916 quoique étranger, mais Russe de coeur et d’âme, entousiasmé par tout ce qu’il venait d’entendre, (Although foreign, but Russian in heart and soul, enthusiastic by all he had just heard,)
917 Sire! Votre Majesté signe dans ce moment la gloire de sa nation et le salut de l’Europe! (Sir! Your Majesty signs at this moment the glory of his nation and the salvation of Europe!)
Locations: St. Petersburg, Stone Island
Mentioned: Moscow (Moscou in the French), Russia (Russe in the French. And Russians), Europe
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Kutuzov sends his French messenger to the sovereign, with the Frenchman's foreignness serving as color and contrast to the scene. Alexander at first cries when receiving the news of the burning of Moscow but then acts strong. Notably, Alexander asks direct questions wanting direct answers, a sharp contrast from the Austrian Emperor that Andrei encountered early in the book. In Alexander's speech to the Frenchman about the sacrifices he is willing to make, he claims he is willing to forfeit the throne, grow out his beard, and eat potatoes with the peasants, endorsing the Feodor Kuzmich theory that Tolstoy has shown to believe in other works. Alexander also makes the dispute between himself and Napoleon to be personal, saying the two of them cannot reign together and that Napoleon will not deceive him again.
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 "field marshal".)
the Frenchman Michaud (also "Mr. Michaud" and "colonel".)
Alexander ("sovereign", "majesty', and "emperor".)
Napoleon
Abridged Versions: End of Volume 1 in Bell.
Gibian: end of Chapter 1.
Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.
Komroff: Some of the detail setting up Michaud as a foreigner is removed or shortened. The chapter again ends early, line breaking after Alexander says he will submit to His will over everything.
Kropotkin: Chapter 2: A little bit of the early detail to set up context is removed. Chapter otherwise preserved.
Bromfield: Chapter 17: We are in Petersburg and see the different sides of the courts and then the Anna Pavlovna soiree and letter from Bishop. Here, it is explicit that Helene has miscarried and some talk about how "strange for her to miscarry now, when she had been separated from her husband for some nine months." Bilibin delivers his mot, though Prince Ippolit is not here. After Vasily's reading, we move straight to Pavlovna's premonition being correct and the initial news from the battle. The two reports are not here and we move straight into the Michaud episode, but it is condensed into one paragraph and summarized rather than dramatized.
Simmons: some of the information about Michaud, and therefore some of the humor, is removed. End of Chapter 1.
Additional Notes:
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