Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 52242-h.htm or 52242-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/52242/52242-h/52242-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/52242/52242-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through the Google Books Library Project. See https://books.google.com/books?id=PjJGAAAAYAAJ Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). A carat character is used to denote superscription. Superscripted characters are enclosed by curly brackets following a carat character (example: M^{me}). Small uppercase have been replaced with regular uppercase. THE LIFE OF TOLSTOY FIRST FIFTY YEARS [Illustration: _Portrait of Tolstoy when commencing Anna Karénina, 1873, by Kramskóy._] THE LIFE OF TOLSTOY FIRST FIFTY YEARS by AYLMER MAUDE 'A man so various that he seemed to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome.' DRYDEN Fifth Edition New York Dodd, Mead and Company 1911 First Edition September 1908 Second Edition October 1908 Third Edition September 1910 Fourth Edition January 1911 Fifth Edition April 1911 PREFACE THE reason I have written this work is because so many among us are interested in Tolstoy and so few seem to understand him. It would seem therefore that an English Life of Tolstoy is needed, and having lived in Russia for twenty-three years, known Tolstoy well for several years, visited him frequently in Moscow, and stayed with him repeatedly at Yásnaya Polyána, I am perhaps as well qualified as any one to write it, especially as I have long made a careful study of his views. My wife and I have translated several of his works, have known people closely connected with him, and some ten years ago we took part in an unsuccessful 'Tolstoy' Colony; besides which I went to Canada at his wish to make arrangements for the Doukhobór migration, of which I subsequently wrote the history. Moreover, I am impartial. That is to say, I have taken pains to understand Tolstoy's views, and to see the good there is in them; but being a Westerner, I see also certain things Tolstoy overlooks, and I know that these things knock big holes in some of his most cherished 'principles.' The book has had the great advantage of being carefully revised by his wife, the Countess S. A. Tolstoy, who both verbally and in writing has rendered me most valuable assistance.