第375章

第375章theeighthandlargestgroup,numberingninety-ninetoeveryoneoftheothers,consistedofpeoplewhowereeagerneitherforpeacenorforwar,neitherforoffensiveoperationsnordefensivecamps,neitheratdrissanoranywhereelse;whodidnottakethesideofbarclay,norofthetsar,norofpfuhl,norofbennigsen,butcaredonlyfortheonethingmostessential—theirowngreatestgainandenjoyment.inthetroubledwatersofthosecross-currentsofintrigue,eddyingaboutthetsar’sheadquarters,esscouldbeattainedinverymanywaysthatwouldhavebeeninconceivableatothertimes.onecourtier,withthesingle-heartedmotiveofretainingalucrativeposition,wouldagreetodaywithpfuhl,andto-morrowwithhisopponents,andthedayafterto-morrowwoulddeclarethathehadnoopiniononthesubjectinquestion,simplytoavoidresponsibilityandtogratifythetsar.another,inthehopeofbetteringhisposition,wouldseektoattractthetsar’sattentionbyloudlyclamouringaestionhintedatbythetsaronthepreviousday,byquarrellingnoisilyatthecouncil,strikinghimselfonthechestandchallengingopponentstoadueltoprovehisreadinesstosacrificehimselfforthecommongood.athirdsimplytookadvantageoftheabsenceofenemiesbetweentwocouncilstobegagrantfromthesingleassistancefundforhisfaithfulservice,knowingtherewouldbenotimenowforarefusal.afourthtookcaretoplacehimselfwherethetsarmightquitecasuallyfindhimdeeplyengrossedinwork.afifthtriedtoreachthelong-desiredgoalofhisambition—adinneratthetsar’stable—byviolentlyespousingonesideoranotherandcollectingmoreorlesstrueandvalidargumentsinsupportofit.

allthemembersofthispartywereonthehuntafterroubles,crosses,andpromotions;andinthatchasetheysimplyfollowedthescentgiventhembythefluctuationsofimperialfavour.assoonastheysawtheimperialweather-cockshiftingtoonequarterthewholeswarmofthesedronesbeganbuzzingawayinthedirection,makingitmoredifficultforthetsartoshifthiscoursebackagain.intheuncertaintyoftheposition,withthemenaceofseriousdanger,whichgaveapeculiarlyintensecharactertoeverything,inthiswhirlpoolofambitions,ofconflictingvanities,andviews,andfeelings,anddifferentnationalities,thiseighthandlargestparty,absorbedonlyinthepursuitofpersonalinterests,greatlyincreasedthecomplexityandconfusion.whateverquestionarose,theswarmofdrones,stillhummingoverthelastsubject,flewtothenewone,andbytheirbuzzingdrownedandconfusedthevoicesofsinceredisputants.

atthetimewhenprinceandreyreachedthearmyyetanother—aninthparty—wasbeingformedoutofalltherest,andwasjustmakingitsvoiceheard.itconsistedofsensiblemenofageandpoliticalexperience,sharingnoneoftheconflictingopinions,andabletotakeageneralviewofallthatwasbeingdoneatheadquarters,andtoconsidermeansforescapingfromthevagueness,uncertainty,confusion,andfeebleness.

themembersofthispartythoughtandsaidthatthewholeevilwasprimarilyduetothepresenceofthetsarwithhismilitarycourtinthearmy;thatitbroughtintothearmythatindefinite,conditional,andfluctuatinguncertaintyofrelationswhichisinplaceinacourt,butmischievousinanarmy;thatitwasforthetsartogovernandnottoleadhistroops;thattheonlyescapefromthepositionwasthedepartureofthetsarandhiscourtfromthearmy;thatthesimplepresenceofthetsarparalysedfiftythousandtroops,whichmustberetainedtosecurehispersonalsafety;thattheworstcommander-in-chief,actingindependently,wouldbebetterthanthebestcommander-in-chiefwithhishandstiedbythepresenceandauthorityofthetsar.

whileprinceandreywasstaying,withnothingtodo,atdrissa,sishkov,thesecretaryofstate,oneoftheleadingrepresentativesofthislastgroup,wrotetothetsaralettertowhichbalashovandaraktcheevagreedtoaddtheirsignatures.inthisletterhetookadvantageofthetsar’spermittinghimtoofferhisopiniononthegeneralquestion,andrespectfullyestedthesovereign’sleavingthearmy,urgingasapretextforhisdoingsotheabsolutenecessityofhispresencetorousepublicfeelinginthecapital.

toappealtothepeople,andtorousethemindefenceoftheirfatherland,wasrepresentedasurgentlynecessarytothetsar,andwasacceptedbyhimasasufficientreasonforleaving.theoutburstofpatriotismthatfollowedthatappeal（sofarindeedasitcanbesaidtohavebeenproducedbythetsar’svisittomoscow）wastheprincipalcauseofthesubsequenttriumphofrussia.