Book Ten: 1812 - Chapter VII

by Leo Tolstoy

　　While this was taking place in Petersburg the French had alreadypassed Smolensk and were drawing nearer and nearer to Moscow.Napoleon's historian Thiers, like other of his historians, trying tojustify his hero says that he was drawn to the walls of Moscow againsthis will. He is as right as other historians who look for theexplanation of historic events in the will of one man; he is asright as the Russian historians who maintain that Napoleon was drawnto Moscow by the skill of the Russian commanders. Here besides the lawof retrospection, which regards all the past as a preparation forevents that subsequently occur, the law of reciprocity comes in,confusing the whole matter. A good chessplayer having lost a game issincerely convinced that his loss resulted from a mistake he madeand looks for that mistake in the opening, but forgets that at eachstage of the game there were similar mistakes and that none of hismoves were perfect. He only notices the mistake to which he paysattention, because his opponent took advantage of it. How much morecomplex than this is the game of war, which occurs under certainlimits of time, and where it is not one will that manipulates lifelessobjects, but everything results from innumerable conflicts ofvarious wills!

　　After Smolensk Napoleon sought a battle beyond Dorogobuzh at Vyazma,and then at Tsarevo-Zaymishche, but it happened that owing to aconjunction of innumerable circumstances the Russians could not givebattle till they reached Borodino, seventy miles from Moscow. FromVyazma Napoleon ordered a direct advance on Moscow.

　　Moscou, la capitale asiatique de ce grand empire, la ville sacreedes peuples d'Alexandre, Moscou avec ses innombrables eglises en formede pagodes chinoises,* this Moscow gave Napoleon's imagination norest. On the march from Vyazma to Tsarevo-Zaymishche he rode his lightbay bobtailed ambler accompanied by his Guards, his bodyguard, hispages, and aides-de-camp. Berthier, his chief of staff, dropped behindto question a Russian prisoner captured by the cavalry. Followed byLelorgne d'Ideville, an interpreter, he overtook Napoleon at agallop and reined in his horse with an amused expression.

　　*"Moscow, the Asiatic capital of this great empire, the sacredcity of Alexander's people, Moscow with its innumerable churchesshaped like Chinese pagodas."

　　"Well?" asked Napoleon.

　　"One of Platov's Cossacks says that Platov's corps is joining upwith the main army and that Kutuzov has been appointed commander inchief. He is a very shrewd and garrulous fellow."

　　Napoleon smiled and told them to give the Cossack a horse andbring the man to him. He wished to talk to him himself. Severaladjutants galloped off, and an hour later, Lavrushka, the serf Denisovhad handed over to Rostov, rode up to Napoleon in an orderly'sjacket and on a French cavalry saddle, with a merry, and tipsy face.Napoleon told him to ride by his side and began questioning him.

　　"You are a Cossack?"

　　"Yes, a Cossack, your Honor."

　　"The Cossack, not knowing in what company he was, for Napoleon'splain appearance had nothing about it that would reveal to an Orientalmind the presence of a monarch, talked with extreme familiarity of theincidents of the war," says Thiers, narrating this episode. In realityLavrushka, having got drunk the day before and left his masterdinnerless, had been whipped and sent to the village in quest ofchickens, where he engaged in looting till the French took himprisoner. Lavrushka was one of those coarse, bare-faced lackeys whohave seen all sorts of things, consider it necessary to doeverything in a mean and cunning way, are ready to render any sortof service to their master, and are keen at guessing their master'sbaser impulses, especially those prompted by vanity and pettiness.

　　Finding himself in the company of Napoleon, whose identity he hadeasily and surely recognized, Lavrushka was not in the least abashedbut merely did his utmost to gain his new master's favor.

　　He knew very well that this was Napoleon, but Napoleon's presencecould no more intimidate him than Rostov's, or a sergeant major's withthe rods, would have done, for he had nothing that either the sergeantmajor or Napoleon could deprive him of.

　　So he rattled on, telling all the gossip he had heard among theorderlies. Much of it true. But when Napoleon asked him whether theRussians thought they would beat Bonaparte or not, Lavrushka screwedup his eyes and considered.

　　In this question he saw subtle cunning, as men of his type seecunning in everything, so he frowned and did not answer immediately.

　　"It's like this," he said thoughtfully, "if there's a battle soon,yours will win. That's right. But if three days pass, then after that,well, then that same battle will not soon be over."

　　Lelorgne d'Ideville smilingly interpreted this speech to Napoleonthus: "If a battle takes place within the next three days the Frenchwill win, but if later, God knows what will happen." Napoleon didnot smile, though he was evidently in high good humor, and heordered these words to be repeated.

　　Lavrushka noticed this and to entertain him further, pretendingnot to know who Napoleon was, added:

　　"We know that you have Bonaparte and that he has beaten everybody inthe world, but we are a different matter..."- without knowing why orhow this bit of boastful patriotism slipped out at the end.

　　The interpreter translated these words without the last phrase,and Bonaparte smiled. "The young Cossack made his mightyinterlocutor smile," says Thiers. After riding a few paces in silence,Napoleon turned to Berthier and said he wished to see how the newsthat he was talking to the Emperor himself, to that very Emperor whohad written his immortally victorious name on the Pyramids, wouldaffect this enfant du Don.*

　　*"Child of the Don."

　　The fact was accordingly conveyed to Lavrushka.

　　Lavrushka, understanding that this was done to perplex him andthat Napoleon expected him to be frightened, to gratify his newmasters promptly pretended to be astonished and awe-struck, opened hiseyes wide, and assumed the expression he usually put on when takento be whipped. "As soon as Napoleon's interpreter had spoken," saysThiers, "the Cossack, seized by amazement, did not utter another word,but rode on, his eyes fixed on the conqueror whose fame had reachedhim across the steppes of the East. All his loquacity was suddenlyarrested and replaced by a naive and silent feeling of admiration.Napoleon, after making the Cossack a present, had him set free likea bird restored to its native fields."

　　Napoleon rode on, dreaming of the Moscow that so appealed to hisimagination, and "the bird restored to its native fields" gallopedto our outposts, inventing on the way all that had not taken place butthat he meant to relate to his comrades. What had really taken placehe did not wish to relate because it seemed to him not worthtelling. He found the Cossacks, inquired for the regiment operatingwith Platov's detachment and by evening found his master, NicholasRostov, quartered at Yankovo. Rostov was just mounting to go for aride round the neighboring villages with Ilyin; he let Lavrushkahave another horse and took him along with him.