战争与和平(下)-第3部分

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sses　to　his　destined　goal；　an　immense　number　of　chance　circumstances　occur　of　an　opposite　kind　from　the　cold　caught　at　Borodino　to　the　spark　that　fired　Moscow；　and　instead　of　genius　there　was　shown　a　folly　and　baseness　unexampled　in　history。
The　invading　army　flees　away；　turns　back　and　flees　again；　and　all　the　chances　now　are　consistently　not　for　but　against　him。
Then　there　follows　the　opposing　movement　from　east　to　west；　with　a　remarkable　similarity　to　the　eastward　movement　from　the　west　that　had　preceded　it。　There　were　similar　tentative　movements　westward　as　had　in　1805；　1807　and　1809　preceded　the　great　eastward　movement。　There　was　the　same　cohesion　together　of　all　into　one　group　of　immense　numbers；　the　same　adherence　of　the　peoples　of　Central　Europe　to　the　movement；　the　same　hesitation　midway；　and　the　same　increased　velocity　as　the　goal　was　approached。
Paris；　the　furthest　goal；　was　reached。　Napoleon’s　government　and　armies　are　shattered。　Napoleon　himself　is　of　no　further　consequence；　all　his　actions　are　obviously　paltry　and　mean；　but　again　inexplicable　chance　comes　in。　The　allies　detest　Napoleon；　in　whom　they　see　the　cause　of　all　their　troubles。　Stripped　of　his　power　and　his　might；　convicted　of　frauds　and　villainies；　he　should　have　been　seen　by　them　as　he　had　been　ten　years　before；　and　was　a　year　later—a　brigand　outside　the　pale　of　the　law。　But　by　some　strange　freak　of　chance　no　one　sees　it。　His　part　is　not　yet　played　out。　The　man　who　ten　years　back；　and　one　year　later；　was　looked　on　as　a　miscreant　outside　the　law；　was　sent　by　them　to　an　island　two　days’　journey　from　France；　given　to　him　as　his　domain；　with　guards　and　millions　of　money；　as　though　to　pay　him　for　some　service　he　had　done。


Chapter　4
THE　COMMOTION　among　the　peoples　begins　to　subside。　The　waves　of　the　great　tempest　begin　to　abate；　and　eddies　begin　to　be　formed　about　the　calmer　surface　where　diplomatists　are　busy；　fancying　the　calm　is　their　work。
But　all　at　once　the　quiet　sea　is　convulsed　again。　The　diplomatists　imagine　that　they；　their　disagreements；　are　the　cause　of　this　fresh　disturbance；　they　look　for　wars　between　their　sovereigns；　the　position　seems　insoluble。　But　the　storm　they　feel　brewing　does　not　come　from　the　quarter　where　they　look　for　it。　It　rises　again　from　the　same　starting　point—Paris。　The　last　backwash　of　the　westward　movement　follows—the　backwash　which　was　to　solve　the　seemingly　inextricable　diplomatic　difficulties；　and　to　put　an　end　to　the　military　unrest　of　the　period。
The　man　who　has　devastated　France　comes　back　to　France　alone；　with　no　project；　and　no　soldiers。　Any　policeman　can　arrest　him；　but　by　a　strange　freak　of　chance　no　one　does　seize　him；　but　all　meet　with　enthusiasm　the　man　they　have　been　cursing　but　a　day　before；　and　will　curse　again　within　a　month。
That　man　is　needed　for　the　last　act　winding　up　the　drama。
The　act　is　performed。
The　last　part　is　played。　The　actor　is　bidden　to　undress；　and　wash　off　his　powder　and　paint；　he　will　be　needed　no　more。
And　for　several　years　this　man；　in　solitude　on　his　island；　plays　his　pitiful　farce　to　himself；　intrigues　and　lies；　justifying　his　conduct　when　a　justification　is　no　longer　needed；　and　shows　all　the　world　what　the　thing　was　men　took　for　power　when　an　unseen　hand　guided　it。
The　stage　manager；　when　the　drama　was　over；　and　the　puppet　stripped；　showed　him　to　us。
‘‘Look　what　you　believed　in！　Here　he　is！　Do　you　see　now　that　it　was　not　he　but　I　that　moved　you？’’
But　blinded　by　the　force　of　the　movement　men　for　long　could　not　perceive　that。
Even　more　coherence　and　inevitability　is　to　be　seen　in　the　life　of　Alexander　I。；　the　personage　who　stood　at　the　head　of　the　counter…movement　from　east　westward。
What　was　needed　for　the　man　who；　to　the　exclusion　of　others；　should　stand　at　the　head　of　that　movement　from　the　east　westward？
There　was　needed　a　sense　of　justice；　an　interest　in　the　affairs　of　Europe；　but　a　remote　one；　not　obscured　by　petty　interests；　a　moral　preeminence　over　his　peers—the　sovereigns　of　the　time；　there　was　needed　a　gentle　and　attractive　personal　character；　there　was　needed　too　a　personal　grievance　against　Napoleon。　And　all　that　is　to　be　seen　in　Alexander　I。；　it　was　all　prepared　beforehand　by　the　innumerable　so…called　chance　circumstances　of　his　previous　life；　by　his　education　and　the　liberalism　of　the　beginning　of　his　reign；　and　the　counsellors　around；　and　Austerlitz；　and　Tilsit；　and　Erfurt。
During　the　war　in　defence　of　the　country　this　personage　is　inactive；　he　is　not　needed。　But　as　soon　as　a　general　European　war　becomes　inevitable；　at　the　given　moment；　he　is　in　his　place；　and　bringing　the　European　peoples　together　he　leads　them　to　the　goal。
The　goal　is　reached。　After　the　last　war　of　1815　Alexander　finds　himself　at　the　highest　possible　pinnacle　of　human　power。　How　does　he　use　it？
While　Napoleon　in　his　exile　was　drawing　up　childish　and　lying　schemes　of　the　blessings　he　would　have　showered　on　humanity　if　he　had　had　the　power；　Alexander；　the　pacifier　of　Europe；　the　man　who；　from　his　youth　up；　had　striven　for　nothing　but　the　good　of　the　people；　the　first　champion　of　liberal　reforms　in　his　country；　now　when　he　seemed　to　possess　the　greatest　possible　power；　and　consequent　possibility　of　doing　good　to　his　people；　felt　his　work　was　done；　and　God’s　hand　was　laid　upon　him；　and　recognising　the　nothingness　of　that　semblance　of　power；　turned　from　it；　gave　it　up　to　despicable　men；　and　men　he　despised；　and　could　only　say：
‘‘Not　to　us；　not　to　us；　but　to　Thy　Name！　I　too　am　a　man　like　all　of　you；　let　me　live　like　a　man；　and　think　of　my　soul　and　of　God。’’
Just　as　the　sun　and　every　atom　of　ether　is　a　sphere　complete　in　itself；　and　at　the　same　time　is　only　a　part　of　a　whole　inconceivable　to　man　through　its　vastness；　so　every　individuality　bears　within　it　its　own　ends　and　yet　bears　them　so　as　to　serve　general　ends　unfathomable　by　man。
A　bee　settling　on　a　flower　has　stung　a　child。　And　the　child　dreads　bees；　and　says　the　object　of　the　bee　is　to　sting　people。　A　poet　admires　the　bee；　sipping　honey　from　the　cup　of　the　flower；　and　says　the　object　of　the　bee　is　to　sip　the　nectar　of　the　flower。　A　beekeeper；　noticing　that　the　bee　gathers　pollen　and　brings　it　to　the　hive；　says　that　the　object　of　the　bee　is　to　gather　honey。　Another　beekeeper；　who　has　studied　the　life　of　the　swarm　more　closely；　says　the　bee　gathers　honey　to　feed　the　young　ones；　and　to　rear　a　queen；　that　the　object　of　the　bee　is　the　perpetuation　of　its　race。　The　botanist　observes　that　the　bee　flying　with　the　pollen　fertilises　the　pistil；　and　in　this　he　sees　the　object　of　the　bee。　Another；　watching　the　hybridisation　of　plants；　sees　that　the　bee　contributes　to　that　end　also；　and　he　may　say　that　the　bee’s　object　is　that。　But　the　final　aim　of　the　bee　is　not　exhausted　by　one　or　another；　or　a　third　aim；　which　the　human　intellect　is　capable　of　discovering。　The　higher　the　human　intellect　rises　in　the　discovery　of　such　aims；　the　more　obvious　it　becomes　that　the　final　aim　is　beyond　its　reach。
All　that　is　within　the　reach　of　man　is　the　observation　of　the　analogy　of　the　life　of　the　bee　with　other　manifestations　of　life。　And　the　same　is　true　with　the　final　aims　of　historical　persons　and　of　nations。


Chapter　5
NATASHA’S　MARRIAGE　to　Bezuhov；　which　took　place　in　1813；　was　the　last　happy　event　in　the　family　of　the　old　Rostovs。　Count　Ilya　Andreivitch　died　the　same　year；　and　as　is　always　the　case；　with　the　death　of　the　father　the　family　was　broken　up。
The　events　of　the　previous　year：　the　burning　of　Moscow　and　the　flight　from　that　city；　the　death　of　Prince　Andrey　and　Natasha’s　despair；　the　death　of　Petya　and　the　grief　of　the　countess　fell　like　one　blow　after　another　on　the　old　count’s　head。　He　seemed　not　to　understand；　and　to　feel　himself　incapable　of　understanding；　the　significance　of　all　these　events；　and　figuratively　speaking；　bowed　his　old　head　to　the　storm；　as　though　expecting　and　seeking　fresh　blows　to　make　an　end　of　him。　By　turns　he　seemed　scared　and　distraught；　and　then　unnaturally　lively　and　active。
Natasha’s　marriage　for　a　time　occupied　him　on　its　external　side。　He　arranged　dinners　and　suppers　in　honour　of　it；　and　obviously　tried　to　be　cheerful；　but　his　cheerfulness　was　not　infectious　as　in　old　days；　but；　on　the　contrary；　aroused　the　commiseration　of　those　who　knew　and　liked　him。
After　Pierre　and　his　wife　had　left；　he　collapsed　and　began　to　complain　of　depression。　A　few　days　later　he　fell　ill　and　took　to　his　bed。　In　spite　of　the　doctor’s　assurances；　he　knew　from　the　first　days　of　his　illness　that　he　would　never　get　up　again。　For　a　whole　fortnight　the　countess　sat　in　a　low　chair　by　his　pillow；　never　taking　off　her　clothes。　Every　time　she　gave　him　his　medicine；　he　mutely　kissed　her　hand；　weeping。　On　the　last　day；　sobbing；　he　begged　forgiveness　of　his　wife；　and　of　his　absent　son；　too；　for　squandering　their　property；　the　chief　sin　that　lay　on　his　conscience。　After　receiving　absolution　and　the　last　unction；　he　quietly　died；　and　next　day　a　crowd　of　acquaintances；　come　to　pay　the　last　debt　of　respect　to　the　deceased；　filled　the　Rostovs’　hired　lodgings。　All　those　acquaintances；　who　had　so　often　dined　and　danced　in　his　house；　and　had　so　often　laughed　at　his　expense；　were　saying　now　with　the　same　inward　feeling　of　contrition　and　self…reproach；　as　though　seeking　to　justify　themselves：　‘‘Yes；　whatever　he　may　have　been；　he　was　a　splendid　man。　One　doesn’t　meet　such　men　nowadays　…　And　who　has　not　his　weaknesses？…’’
It　was　precisely　when　the　count’s　fortunes　were　so　irretrievably　embroiled　that　he　could　not　conceive　how；　in　another　year；　it　would　end；　that　he　suddenly　died。
Nikolay　was　with　the　Russian　army　in　Paris　when　the　news　of　his　father’s　death　reached　him。　He　at　once　applied　for　his　discharge；　and　without　waiting　for　it；　obtained　leave　and　went　to　Moscow。　Within　a　month　after　the　count’s　death　the　financial　position　had　been　made　perfectly　clear；　astounding　every　one　by　the　immense　sum　of　various　petty　debts；　the　existence　of　which　no　one　had　suspected。　The　debts　were　more　than　double　the　assets　of　the　estate。
The　friends　and　relations　advised　Nikolay　to　refuse　to　accept　his　inheritance。　But　Nikolay　looked　on　such　a　refusal　as　a　slur　on　the　honoured　memory　of　his　father；　and　so　he　would　not　hear　of　such　a　course；　and　acc