Briggs: Nikolay is sent to Voronezh. He stands out in provincial society.
Maude (chapters 4-8): Nicholas sent to Voronezh. An evening at the Governor's. Nicholas and Princess Mary. A letter from Sonya
Pevear and Volokhonsky (chapters 4-6): Differing views of historic events. Nikolai is sent to Voronezh to buy horses. Evening at the governor's. He learns that Princess Marya is in Voronezh. Matchmaking. Nikolai and Princess Marya meet.
Translation:
IV.
In that time as Russia was to half conquered and the residents of Moscow ran to the distant provinces, and militia behind militia was lifted in protection of the fatherland, unwittingly presents to us, who did not live in that time, how all the Russian people, from the small to the great, were busy only by that so that to sacrifice themselves, to save the fatherland or to cry above its doom. Stories and descriptions of this time all without exception speak only about the self-sacrifice, love to homeland, despair, grief and heroism of the Russians. In reality this same was not so. This so seems to us only because of how we see from the past the one common historical interest of this time, and do not see all those personal, human interests, that were in people. But between that in reality those personal interests were current to such an extent of more significant common interests that from behind them never is felt (it is not quite noticeable even) the common interest. A big part of people in this time did not turn any attention to the common move of cases, but was guided only by current personal interests. And these people were the most useful actors of this time.
Those same that tried to understand the common move of cases and with self-sacrifice and heroism would like to participate in it, were the most useless members of society; they saw everything inverted, and everything that they did use, manifested in useless nonsense, as the regiments of Pierre, Mamonov, robbed Russian villages, as the lint, plucked by ladies never reached to the wounded and so on even those that love to be smart and express their feelings, interpreted about the present position of Russia, unwittingly carried in their speeches an imprint of pretense and lies, useless condemnations and anger in people accused for that in nothing could be blamed. In historical events only obvious is the prohibition of partaking the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Only unconscious activity brings fruits and a person playing a role in a historical event never understands its meaning. Should he try to understand it, he is defeated in fruitlessness.
The matters committed then in Russia by that was less noticeable the nearer it was to the man participating in it. In Petersburg and the provinces, distant from Moscow, ladies and men in militia uniforms mourned Russia and the capital and spoke about self-sacrifice and so on; but in the army, which repeated behind Moscow, almost said nothing and did not think about Moscow, and, looking at its fire, did not swear to avenge the French, but thought about the next thirds salaries, about the next stop, about Matryoshka the waitress and to that like that...
Nikolay Rostov without every goal of self-sacrifice, but accidentally, as the war caught him in service, took a close and continuous participation in protection of the fatherland and because of it without despair and gloomy reasoning watched that what was committed then in Russia. If he had been asked what he thinks about the present position of Russia, he would have said that he thought nothing, that in that is Kutuzov, and others, but that he hears that the regiments are completed and that it must be to fight longer and that in the present circumstances it would not be difficult to get two regiments through the year.
By to that how he so watched the business, he not only without being crushed about how he lost participation in the last struggle, accepted news about his appointment in command for the renovation of the division in Voronezh, but with the greatest pleasure, which he did not hide and which quite well understood his friends.
For a few days to the Borodino battle, Nikolay received money, paperwork and, sending forward a hussar, with the postal went to Voronezh.
Only that who experienced this, staying a few months, not ceasing, in the atmosphere of the military, battle life, may understand that enjoyment which felt Nikolay when he got out from this region, to which reached the troops their own foraging, by carts of food, state hospitals; when he, without soldier furs, the dirty footprint presence of the camp, saw a village with men and women, landlord at home, a field with grazing cattle, stationed at home with asleep caretakers. He felt such joy, as if in the first time all this was seen. In particulars that what long amazed and pleased him, these were women, young, healthy, for every one of which was not ten courting officers and which were glad and were flattered by that the carriage rider officer joked with them.
In the most fun location of spirit, Nikolay at night had arrived in Voronezh at a hotel, ordered all that what he was long deprived of in the army, and on the next day, purely, cleanly shaved and wearing for the long time not put on parade uniform, went to reveal to the chief.
The chief of the militia was a state general, an old person, who was apparently amused by his military title and rank. He angrily (thinking that in this was military property) accepted Nikolay and as much as he would have had in that right and as would be discussing the common move of affairs, approving and not approvingly asked him. Nikolay was so happy that to him this was only funny.
From the chief of the militia he went to the governor. The governor was a little, alive man, quite affectionate and searching. He pointed out to Nikolay those factories at which he could get horses, recommended him a horse dealer in the city and a landowner for 20 versts from the cities, in which were the best horses, and promised all assistance.
— Are you Count Ilya Andreevich son? My wife was very friendly with your mother. On Thursday I am going; it is now Thursday, beg me mercy easily, — said the governor, letting go of him.
All from the governor Nikolay took a saddle and, having planted with himself the master sentinel, galloped for 20 versts to plant to the landowner. All in this first time of his stay in Voronezh, was for Nikolay funny and easy, and all, as this is when a person is well situated with themselves, went okay and well.
The landowner, to which had arrived Nikolay, was an old cavalryman bachelor, horse connoisseur, hunter, owner of carpet, one-hundred year casseroles, old Hungarian and marvelous horses.
Nikolay in two words bought for 6 thousand 17 stallions in selection (as he spoke) for display at the end of his horse-buying. Lunching and drinking a little bit superfluous Hungarian, Rostov, kissing with the landowner, with whom he already converged in the informal you, by the disgusting road, in the most fun location of spirit, galloped backwards, incessantly chasing the coachman, from by that so that to keep up in the evening to the governor.
Disguised, perfumed and dousing his head in cold water, Nikolay although somewhat late, with a prepared phrase: better late, than nothing,918 appeared to the governor.
This was not a ball, and it was not said that there will be a dance; but all knew that Katerina Petrovna will play at the clavichord waltzes and ecossaise, and that there will be a dance, and all, calculated in this, gathered together by the ballroom.
Provincial life in the year of 1812 was exactly such the same as always, only with that difference of how in the city was livelier by the occasion of the arrival of many rich families from Moscow, and that, as to all that was happening in that time in Russia, was noticeable some special waving — sea by the knee, cutting grass in all life, and more in that vulgar conversation, which was necessary between people and which before conducted about the weather and about common acquaintances, now was conducted about Moscow, about the troops and Napoleon.
The society, gathered at the governor, was the best society in Voronezh.
Was given very much, was a few Moscow acquaintances of Nikolay; but none were men who somehow could rival with the George cavalier, horse-buying hussar and together with that good-natured and well-bred Count Rostov. In the number of men was one captive Italian — an officer of the French army and Nikolay felt that the presence of this captive still more towered his matters as a Russian hero. This was as if a trophy. Nikolay felt this and to him it seemed that all so the same looked at the Italian, and Nikolay caressed this officer with quality and abstention.
As only entered Nikolay in his hussar form, spreading around himself the smell of perfume and wine, and himself saying and hearing a few times the said by him words: better late, than nothing,919 he was surrounded; all looks turned to him, and he right away felt that marching in him similar in the provinces the always pleasant, but now after long deprivations the intoxicating to him pleasure of the position of the universal favorite. Not only at stations, inn courtyards and at the carpet landowner were flattering to his attention maids; but here, in the evening of the governor, was (as it seemed to Nikolay) an inexhaustible number of young ladies and pretty girls which with impatience were only waiting so that Nikolay turned to them attention. The ladies and girls flirted with him, and the elderly from the first day now troubled about how they would marry and settle down this fine fellow playboy hussar. In the number of these last was the wife of the governor herself, who accepted Rostov as a close relative and called him "Nicolas" and the informal you.
Katerina Petrovna really began to play waltzes and ecossaises, and began the dancing, in which Nikolay still more captivated with his dexterity all provincial society. He amazed all even with his especially cheeky manner in dancing. Nikolay himself was somewhat surprised by his manner of dance on this evening. He never was dancing in Moscow and would even have considered it an indecency, a bad tone920 such an impudent manner of dance; but here he felt the need to surprise them all with something unusual, something so that they must accept for ordinary in the capital, but unknown still by them in the provinces.
In all the evening Nikolay turned only more attention to the blue eyed, complete and pretty blonde, the wife of one of the provincial officials. With that naive conviction of amused young people that strangers wives are created for them, Rostov did not walk away from this lady and friendly, somewhat conspiratorially, approached with her husband, as if they, although not saying this, but knowing it, as gloriously as they come down, that is, Nikolay with the wife of this husband. The husband however, it seemed, did not share this belief and tried to gloomily handle Rostov. Yet the good natured naivety of Nikolay was so limitless that sometimes the husband unwittingly succumbed to the merry mood of spirit of Nikolay. To the end of the evening however, by at least as the face of the wife became all rosier and livelier, the face of her husband became all sadder and more solid, as if to share revitalization was alone in both, and by at least as it increased in the wife, it decreased in the husband.
918 vaut mieux tard que jamais, (better late than never,)
919 vaut mieux tard que jamais, (better late than never,)
920 mauvais genre (bad kind)
Mentioned: 1812
Locations: Voronezh, the hotel
Mentioned: Russia (and Russian villages), Moscow, St. Petersburg, French, Borodino, Hungarian, Italian
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Tolstoy refers to "we, who were not living at that time" and dispels the myth that the entire country was focused on sacrificing themselves for the fatherland. "The majority of the people of that time paid no attention to the general course of things, but were guided only by the personal interests of the day. And those people were the most useful figures of that time."
Tolstoy calls Pierre and Mamonov's regiments useless because they looted Russian villages, just like the lint that the ladies worked to get to the wounded never got there. "Only unconscious activity bears fruit, and a man who plays a role in a historical event never understands its significance."
An ellipsis takes us to Nikolai, "If he had been asked what he thought of the present situation in Russia, he would have said that there was nothing for him to think, that Kutuzov and others were there for that". He is able to get away from the regiment and is happy to see peasants and women. Nikolai meets many different kinds of people and goes to a soiree. Rostov is looked upon with admiration and there is a small episode where he gets close to a wife, with the husband again disapproving in a mirroring of the Boris/Pierre and the soldiers and the doctor's wife episode.
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
Mamonof (and their regiments.)
Count Nikolai Rostof (Also "Nicolas". Also his regiment and comrades. He also sends a hussar in advance and has a quartermaster.)
Kutuzof (mentioned in context of "the others".)
The Governor (also a horse-dealer and landed proprietor he mentions.)
Count Ilya Andreyevitch
The Governor's Wife
Countess Rostova ("matushka".)
Katerina Petrovna (as in Dole, Edmonds, and Dunnigan. "Catherine Petrovna" in Maude.)
Napoleon
The wife of one of the Government officials
Her Husband
Abridged Versions: Beginning of Volume 2 of 1812-1820: Borodino, The French At Moscow-Epilogue- in Bell. No break at the end.
Gibian: Chapter 2: line break instead of chapter break at the end.
Fuller: Start of Part 9: We start with Nikolay receiving the news of his appointment to go to Voronezh, removing the first section of the chapter about the average Russian citizen during the war. The commander of the landwher is removed so Nikolay goes straight to the governor. The section where he buys horses is also removed. A lot of the information about provincial life and the ladies around him is removed, as is Katerina Petrovna. The whole section about the wife and the husband is removed and there is no line break.
Komroff: : We start with Nikolay receiving the news of his appointment to go to Voronezh, removing the first section of the chapter about the average Russian citizen during the war. Chapter otherwise preserved and followed with a line break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 3: Some of the argument early in the chapter, including the information about the regiments pillaging Russian villages, the lint not getting to the wounded, and the importance of unconscious action, are removed. Some of the discussion of a soldier being happy to be among ladies rather than around their regiments is also removed. The commander of the landwher is removed, getting straight to the governor. The episode of Nikolai getting the horses is also removed. Katerina's name is removed, as are some of the details of her ball. No break at the end of the chapter.
Bromfield: No corresponding chapter.
Simmons: Chapter 2: the argument early in the chapter is severely reduced, and the commander of the militia's personality is removed. Line break instead of chapter break.
Additional Notes: Mandelker: "Matryoshka-the Cantiniere" The cantiniere was a licensed camp-follower, usually a woman of the lower classes, who travelled with the troops selling wine or brandy and provisions of various kinds."
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