first epilogue-第4章

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this　had　been　prepared　by　innumerable　so…called　chances　in　his　life：

his　education；　his　early　liberalism；　the　advisers　who　surrounded

him；　and　by　Austerlitz；　and　Tilsit；　and　Erfurt。

　　During　the　national　war　he　was　inactive　because　he　was　not　needed。

But　as　soon　as　the　necessity　for　a　general　European　war　presented

itself　he　appeared　in　his　place　at　the　given　moment　and；　uniting　the

nations　of　Europe；　led　them　to　the　goal。

　　The　goal　is　reached。　After　the　final　war　of　1815　Alexander　possesses

all　possible　power。　How　does　he　use　it？

　　Alexander　I…　the　pacifier　of　Europe；　the　man　who　from　his　early

years　had　striven　only　for　his　people's　welfare；　the　originator　of　the

liberal　innovations　in　his　fatherland…　now　that　he　seemed　to　possess

the　utmost　power　and　therefore　to　have　the　possibility　of　bringing

about　the　welfare　of　his　peoples…　at　the　time　when　Napoleon　in　exile

was　drawing　up　childish　and　mendacious　plans　of　how　he　would　have　made

mankind　happy　had　he　retained　power…　Alexander　I；　having　fulfilled　his

mission　and　feeling　the　hand　of　God　upon　him；　suddenly　recognizes

the　insignificance　of　that　supposed　power；　turns　away　from　it；　and

gives　it　into　the　hands　of　contemptible　men　whom　he　despises；　saying

only：

　　〃Not　unto　us；　not　unto　us；　but　unto　Thy　Name！。。。　I　too　am　a　man　like

the　rest　of　you。　Let　me　live　like　a　man　and　think　of　my　soul　and　of

God。〃

　　As　the　sun　and　each　atom　of　ether　is　a　sphere　complete　in　itself；

and　yet　at　the　same　time　only　a　part　of　a　whole　too　immense　for　man　to

comprehend；　so　each　individual　has　within　himself　his　own　aims　and　yet

has　them　to　serve　a　general　purpose　incomprehensible　to　man。

　　A　bee　settling　on　a　flower　has　stung　a　child。　And　the　child　is

afraid　of　bees　and　declares　that　bees　exist　to　sting　people。　A　poet

admires　the　bee　sucking　from　the　chalice　of　a　flower　and　says　it

exists　to　suck　the　fragrance　of　flowers。　A　beekeeper；　seeing　the　bee

collect　pollen　from　flowers　and　carry　it　to　the　hive；　says　that　it

exists　to　gather　honey。　Another　beekeeper　who　has　studied　the　life

of　the　hive　more　closely　says　that　the　bee　gathers　pollen　dust　to　feed

the　young　bees　and　rear　a　queen；　and　that　it　exists　to　perpetuate

its　race。　A　botanist　notices　that　the　bee　flying　with　the　pollen　of

a　male　flower　to　a　pistil　fertilizes　the　latter；　and　sees　in　this

the　purpose　of　the　bee's　existence。　Another；　observing　the　migration

of　plants；　notices　that　the　bee　helps　in　this　work；　and　may　say　that

in　this　lies　the　purpose　of　the　bee。　But　the　ultimate　purpose　of　the

bee　is　not　exhausted　by　the　first；　the　second；　or　any　of　the　processes

the　human　mind　can　discern。　The　higher　the　human　intellect　rises　in

the　discovery　of　these　purposes；　the　more　obvious　it　becomes；　that　the

ultimate　purpose　is　beyond　our　comprehension。

　　All　that　is　accessible　to　man　is　the　relation　of　the　life　of　the　bee

to　other　manifestations　of　life。　And　so　it　is　with　the　purpose　of

historic　characters　and　nations。

EP1｜CH5

　　CHAPTER　V



　　Natasha's　wedding　to　Bezukhov；　which　took　place　in　1813；　was　the

last　happy　event　in　the　family　of　the　old　Rostovs。　Count　Ilya　Rostov

died　that　same　year　and；　as　always　happens；　after　the　father's　death

the　family　group　broke　up。

　　The　events　of　the　previous　year：　the　burning　of　Moscow　and　the

flight　from　it；　the　death　of　Prince　Andrew；　Natasha's　despair；　Petya's

death；　and　the　old　countess'　grief　fell　blow　after　blow　on　the　old

count's　head。　He　seemed　to　be　unable　to　understand　the　meaning　of

all　these　events；　and　bowed　his　old　head　in　a　spiritual　sense　as　if

expecting　and　inviting　further　blows　which　would　finish　him。　He　seemed

now　frightened　and　distraught　and　now　unnaturally　animated　and

enterprising。

　　The　arrangements　for　Natasha's　marriage　occupied　him　for　a　while。　He

ordered　dinners　and　suppers　and　obviously　tried　to　appear　cheerful；

but　his　cheerfulness　was　not　infectious　as　it　used　to　be：　on　the

contrary　it　evoked　the　compassion　of　those　who　knew　and　liked　him。

　　When　Pierre　and　his　wife　had　left；　he　grew　very　quiet　and　began　to

complain　of　depression。　A　few　days　later　he　fell　ill　and　took　to　his

bed。　He　realized　from　the　first　that　he　would　not　get　up　again；

despite　the　doctor's　encouragement。　The　countess　passed　a　fortnight　in

an　armchair　by　his　pillow　without　undressing。　Every　time　she　gave

him　his　medicine　he　sobbed　and　silently　kissed　her　hand。　On　his　last

day；　sobbing；　he　asked　her　and　his　absent　son　to　forgive　him　for

having　dissipated　their　property…　that　being　the　chief　fault　of

which　he　was　conscious。　After　receiving　communion　and　unction　he

quietly　died；　and　next　day　a　throng　of　acquaintances　who　came　to　pay

their　last　respects　to　the　deceased　filled　the　house　rented　by　the

Rostovs。　All　these　acquaintances；　who　had　so　often　dined　and　danced　at

his　house　and　had　so　often　laughed　at　him；　now　said；　with　a　common

feeling　of　self…reproach　and　emotion；　as　if　justifying　themselves：

〃Well；　whatever　he　may　have　been　he　was　a　most　worthy　man。　You　don't

meet　such　men　nowadays。。。。　And　which　of　us　has　not　weaknesses　of　his

own？〃

　　It　was　just　when　the　count's　affairs　had　become　so　involved　that

it　was　impossible　to　say　what　would　happen　if　he　lived　another　year

that　he　unexpectedly　died。

　　Nicholas　was　with　the　Russian　army　in　Paris　when　the　news　of　his

father's　death　reached　him。　He　at　once　resigned　his　commission；　and

without　waiting　for　it　to　be　accepted　took　leave　of　absence　and　went

to　Moscow。　The　state　of　the　count's　affairs　became　quite　obvious　a

month　after　his　death；　surprising　everyone　by　the　immense　total　of

small　debts　the　existence　of　which　no　one　had　suspected。　The　debts

amounted　to　double　the　value　of　the　property。

　　Friends　and　relations　advised　Nicholas　to　decline　the　inheritance。

But　he　regarded　such　a　refusal　as　a　slur　on　his　father's　memory；　which

he　held　sacred；　and　therefore　would　not　hear　of　refusing　and

accepted　the　inheritance　together　with　the　obligation　to　pay　the

debts。

　　The　creditors　who　had　so　long　been　silent；　restrained　by　a　vague　but

powerful　influence　exerted　on　them　while　he　lived　by　the　count's

careless　good　nature；　all　proceeded　to　enforce　their　claims　at　once。

As　always　happens　in　such　cases　rivalry　sprang　up　as　to　which　should

get　paid　first；　and　those　who　like　Mitenka　held　promissory　notes　given

them　as　presents　now　became　the　most　exacting　of　the　creditors。

Nicholas　was　allowed　no　respite　and　no　peace；　and　those　who　had　seemed

to　pity　the　old　man…　the　cause　of　their　losses　（if　they　were

losses）…　now　remorselessly　pursued　the　young　heir　who　had

voluntarily　undertaken　the　debts　and　was　obviously　not　guilty　of

contracting　them。

　　Not　one　of　the　plans　Nicholas　tried　succeeded；　the　estate　was　sold

by　auction　for　half　its　value；　and　half　the　debts　still　remained

unpaid。　Nicholas　accepted　thirty　thousand　rubles　offered　him　by　his

brother…in…law　Bezukhov　to　pay　off　debts　he　regarded　as　genuinely

due　for　value　received。　And　to　avoid　being　imprisoned　for　the

remainder；　as　the　creditors　threatened；　he　re…entered　the　government

service。

　　He　could　not　rejoin　the　army　where　he　would　have　been　made　colonel

at　the　next　vacancy；　for　his　mother　now　clung　to　him　as　her　one　hold

on　life；　and　so　despite　his　reluctant　to　remain　in　Moscow　among　people

who　had　known　him　before；　and　despite　his　abhorrence　of　the　civil

service；　he　accepted　a　post　in　Moscow　in　that　service；　doffed　the

uniform　of　which　he　was　so　fond；　and　moved　with　his　mother　and　Sonya

to　a　small　house　on　the　Sivtsev　Vrazhek。

　　Natasha　and　Pierre　were　living　in　Petersburg　at　the　time　and　had

no　clear　idea　of　Nicholas'　circumstances。　Having　borrowed　money　from

his　brother…in…law；　Nicholas　tried　to　hide　his　wretched　condition　from

him。　His　position　was　the　more　difficult　because　with　his　salary　of

twelve　hundred　rubles　he　had　not　only　to　keep　himself；　his　mother；　and

Sonya；　but　had　to　shield　his　mother　from　knowledge　of　their　poverty。

The　countess　c