Chapter 4

           

           ItisnaturalforuswhowerenotlivinginthosedaystoimaginethatwhenhalfRussiahadbeenconqueredandtheinhabitantswerefleeingtodistantprovinces,andonelevyafteranotherwasbeingraisedforthedefenseofthefatherland,allRussiansfromthegreatesttotheleastweresolelyengagedinsacrificingthemselves,savingtheirfatherland,orweepingoveritsdownfall.Thetalesanddescriptionsofthattimewithoutexceptionspeakonlyoftheself-sacrifice,patrioticdevotion,despair,grief,andtheheroismoftheRussians.Butitwasnotreallyso.Itappearssotousbecauseweseeonlythegeneralhistoricinterestofthattimeanddonotseeallthepersonalhumanintereststhatpeoplehad.Yetinrealitythosepersonalinterestsofthemomentsomuchtranscendthegeneralintereststhattheyalwayspreventthepublicinterestfrombeingfeltorevennoticed.Mostofthepeopleatthattimepaidnoattentiontothegeneralprogressofeventsbutwereguidedonlybytheirprivateinterests,andtheyweretheverypeoplewhoseactivitiesatthatperiodweremostuseful.

           Thosewhotriedtounderstandthegeneralcourseofeventsandtotakepartinitbyself-sacrificeandheroismwerethemostuselessmembersofsociety,theysaweverythingupsidedown,andalltheydidforthecommongoodturnedouttobeuselessandfoolish—likePierre’sandMamónov’sregimentswhichlootedRussianvillages,andthelinttheyoungladiespreparedandthatneverreachedthewounded,andsoon.

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