Bring glory then to Alexander’s reign And on the throne our Titus shield. A dreaded foe be thou, kindhearted as a man, A Rhipheus at home, a Caesar in the field! E’en fortunate Napoleon Knows by experience, now, Bagratión, And dare not Herculean Russians trouble …
But before he had finished reading, a stentorian majordomo announced that dinner was ready! The door opened, and from the dining room came the resounding strains of the polonaise:
Conquest’s joyful thunder waken, Triumph, valiant Russians, now! …
and Count Ilyá Andréevich, glancing angrily at the author who went on reading his verses, bowed to Bagratión. Everyone rose, feeling that dinner was more important than verses, and Bagratión, again preceding all the rest, went in to dinner. He was seated in the place of honor between two Alexanders—Bekleshëv and Narýshkin—which was a significant allusion to the name of the sovereign. Three hundred persons took their seats in the dining room, according to their rank and importance: the more important nearer to the honored guest, as naturally as water flows deepest where the land lies lowest.
Just before dinner, Count Ilyá Andréevich presented his son to Bagratión, who recognized him and said a few words to him, disjointed and awkward, as were all the words he spoke that day, and Count Ilyá Andréevich looked joyfully and proudly around while Bagratión spoke to his son.
Nikoláy Rostóv, with Denísov and his new acquaintance, Dólokhov, sat almost at the middle of the table. Facing them sat Pierre, beside Prince Nesvítski. Count Ilyá Andréevich with the other members of the committee sat facing Bagratión and, as the very personification of Moscow hospitality, did the honors to the prince.