Part I, Chapter 3

THE ETERNAL FIGHT: How much is the king worth?

The king goes on a Gnu hunt--African Gnus have been naturalized in Hungary by this time--but actually ends up alone at a Hunter's Cottage painting a landscape painting. It is his secret desire to learn whether he is any good at this pastime of his, though he has not yet managed to conceive of a way that he could solicit honest opinions on his work.

One of the gnus chased by the mixed-breed (part Australian dingo) hunting dogs ends up jumping into the garden where the king is painting, and for some time both beasts stand still, giving the king ample time to paint the noble looking gnu into the painting that up until then seemed beautiful but somehow empty. When the hunting dog finally engages, the gnu ends up triumphing by goring it to death with its horns.

Soon after (but enough time after to hide the painting) the rest of the hunting party arrives, and it is widely seen to be of shame to the King that he had let the game escape. This eventually manifests in the media as well.

As a result of Tatrangi Dávid, the book's protagonist, holding up the king at his own palace gate until the password is given, the two first meet. In a subsequent interview, the King secretly commissions Dávid to sell his recently painted landscape with the gnu to an art dealer without revealing its source. In this way, the king wishes to receive a fair and impartial appraisal of his own merits as a human being, without the fawning sure to be lavished upon him due to his royal status.

The king's painting is successfully sold by Dávid, leaving its source unknown, and despite the artist's anonymity (and thus presumably due to genuine merit) it receives national and (regionaly) international acclaim.

The king, wishing to reward Dávid, inquires what he can offer him. He wishes discharge from the army, that the king is not willing to grant (feeling that it would create discontent if he chose to exercise that particular royal prerogative of his)... but presses Dávid to explain his situation.

Dávid explains that he should rightly be exempt from military service, because he is required to work his father's farm as his father himself cannot on account of being locked up in a mental institution. However the military claims that the father is not insane and should be released (and thus there is no reason for Dávid to be exempt).

The king suggests that if Dávid were to make a formal declaration that his father is insane, that would be force the military to grant him his exemption. However Dávid states that since his father is not insane, he cannot make such a declaration.

He then proceeds to explain that his father, though quite sane, is obsessed with the idea of flight and ended up in the insane asylum after his last attempt almost killed him (when his flying machine crash-landed [the Hungarian word for "airplane" is literally "flying-machine", make me wonder whether the term was adopted or coined by Jókai--particularly since the first successful powered flight in history only happened in 1874, a year or two after this book's publication, and even in 1892 Lord Kelvin said "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."])

After this story, it eventually comes to light that Dávid only has 6 weeks of mandatory service left. The king is astonished why he would therefore wish to waste the king's desire to show him gratitude on such a trifling matter.

Dávid explains that he wishes to marry his fiancée, but she is at the Sabina (more on this later). The king, after the mention of the Sabina, shows himself sympathetic--and though he does not grant Dávid his release, he gives Dávid the 600 Árpád-gold coins that were paid for his painting to take care of his situation with, and also gives him a sealed letter that Dávid is to use only if he finds himself in trouble for reasons beyond his control.


Midőn a király vadászatra indult, a fővadászmester egy Engendre-féle lőfegyvert szokott őfelségének prezentálni. Ez a fegyver a fővadászmester által töltetett meg s két csőből áll; az egyik csőben van húsz töltény, miket egy gépmű egyenkint a másik cső lőkamarájába áttaszít, két lövés között csak két másodpercnyi időköz szükséges. A töltények durranyagát az úgynevezett „német fehérpor” képezi, mely vérlúgsavból, égenyzöldegből és nádcukorból készül; nagyobb veterővel bír, mint a fekete lőpor, s nehezebben lobban fel; minthogy azonban a vasat erősen rozsdásítja, a hozzávaló fegyver csövének arannyal kell burkolva lenni.

The king hunts with a two barreled gun, one barrel of which contains 20 bullets mechanically loaded into the other barrel (from which the bullets are shot). Shots can be fired with a rapidity of 1 every 2 seconds. The bullets are propelled not by black gunpowder but by "german white-powder".

... őfensége Henrik Zsigmond főherceg magyarázá a szakértő fenségeknek és főméltóságoknak a „dingó-kopók” előnyeit.

Ezek igen nevezetes állatok. Az angol rókakopók s az ausztráliai vad dingók keresztezéséből származott korcsok.

Australian dingo/English foxhound hybrid dogs are used for hunting.

... mióta a budai erődítések elkészültek, az enceinte-be eső nagy terjedelmű erdőségeket a kormány az országos acclimatáló társulatnak adta által. Ez a többi között meghonosította az afrikai gnút.

The African Gnu has been naturalized to the forests surrounding Buda.

Amint a kertre nyíló ajtón ismét vissza akart térni a várpalotába, az ott őrt álló katona útját állta.

„Mi a jelszó?”

A király végignézte az őrt. Magas nyúlánk, ideges ifjú volt: a közkatonák azon időbeli egyenruhája, kávébarna frakk, elöl magyaros zsinórzattal (dualisztikus uniformis), feszesen állt erőteljes termetén; homlokát takarta a fekete sisak sárgaréz tarajjal s fehér-veres-zöld kétfejű sassal az ernyője fölött. Az őr, szuronyát védmozdulatra fogva, állt az ajtó küszöbén. – Nem ismer ön engem? – kérdezé a király.

– A jelszót! – ismétlé az őr változatlan arccal.

A király aztán megmondta a jelszót.

Arra az őr tisztelgett, s utat nyitott a király előtt.

The king meets the book's protagonist while said protagonist is performing as a palace guard at the gate. He categorically refuses to let the King enter without giving the password, despite recognizing him.

– Mi önnek a neve? – kérdezé a király.

– Tatrangi Dávid.

– Zsidó?

– Nem. Székelyföldi magyar.

– Azért lehet zsidó. Vannak a Székelyföldön magyarok, kik a szombatot tartják meg, kik a keresztelést nem az atya, fiú, szentlélek, hanem az Ábrahám, Izsák és Jákob Istenének nevében végezik, böjtöt és munkaszünetet tartanak zsidó szokás szerint; az újévet a zsidó újév napjától számítják, és neveiket az ószövetségből veszik csupán, s ezért minden felekezettől üldözve vannak. Ön nem a „szombatosok” közül való?

Az ifjú még halványabb lett.

Halk, mély, csaknem zúgó hangja volt: zengő suttogás.

– Ha mondanám, hogy az vagyok, nem volnék az: mert ők titkot nem mondanak ki.

– De én önnek legfőbb bírája vagyok – szólt a király szigorúan –, ki előtt senkinek titokkal nem szabad bírni.

– Igaz – szólt az ifjú –, de egyúttal legfőbb egyházfőm, kinek a gyónás titkát nem szabad elárulni. Gyóntam. Igaz.

– A szombatosoknak két kiváló erényük van – monda a király. – Az egyik az igazmondás, a másik a titoktartás. Midőn utamat állta ön, tudta, hogy mit tesz?

– Tudtam: amit a törvény parancsol.

– S ha én önt erőszakkal megtámadtam volna, meglőtt volna ön?

– Meg.

– És ha önnek saját édesapja jött volna eléje, hogy ajtómon bejöjjön, meglőtte volna azt?

Az ifjú nagyot sóhajtott:

– Meg.

– Pedig a szombatosoknak tiltja a hit az emberölést.

– De az ország törvénye parancsol még a hitnek is.

The palace guard, Tatrangi Dávid,--again, the Hungarian form of the name should be preserved in translations, instead of opting for "David [of] Tatrang"--is summoned by the king.

Ethnically, he is a Székely Hungarian. Religiously, he reluctantly confirms that he is a "Szombatos" (Sabbathist). If the king's understanding of Sabbathists is correct, they seem like Christian converts to Judaism who either deemphasize (or, perhaps, even deny?) Jesus and seek to return to Judaic fundamentals. (Fast and rest on the appropriate Jewish days, give names only from the Old Testament, baptise in the name of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, et cetera.) It is stated by the king that Sabbathists are persecuted by all other denominations for their practices. (Though it is implied not official state authorities.)

Tatrangi Dávid is questioned by the king, and shows himself to be deeply duty-bound despite his Sabbathist objection against killing and thus his present profession as a soldier (as a result of the routine limited time draft into basic training/military service that all healthy young men are subject to).

- ... A hadtudomány oly fokra fejlődött, hogy a legelső harcban, mely kitör, az emberiség egyik felének ki kell irtani a másikat. A huszadik század utolsó felét járjuk, s az a hit, hogy a kétezered év betöltésével el kell jönni az időnek, mely az örök „Isten békéjét”, az örök „treuga Dei”-t elhozza, az egész világot kezdi áthatni.

– Tehát ön is hisz a millenniumban? Lehetőnek tartja a Chiliasmust? A kétezredik év Isten békéjét?

– Ha emberek akarják, s Isten segít, lehető.

The martial arts have developed to such an extent that in the next war that breaks out, one half of humanity will have to exterminate the other half.

There is a wide-spread belief that God's peace will come at the millenium. Tatrangi Dávid shares this belief, while the king does not do so (or at least not openly).

Part I, Chapter 2

THE ETERNAL FIGHT: What is forbidden to the king

The chapter starts by the King composing a lover letter to his beloved, whom he acknowledges in the letter he can never openly declare to love. Soon thereafter, an apparent fire at the Parliament draws the King from his room in so great a hurry as to leave his letter on his table along with his beloved's portrait.

Thereafter, the three of the King's high-ranking servants have a conversation about a Hungarian language magazine, "La Menteur" that they declare to be most dangerous because in addition to being mostly filled with lies, now and then it speaks the truth, and nobody can reliable discern which story if which. On the surface, this seems to be little more than satirical commentary on the press (or perhaps on "free press")...

Eventually, the servants end up entering the King's room and finding his letter and the portrait, subsequently discussing among themselves that the portrait is of the exiled Russian Tsar Constantin's daughter Princess Hermione Peleia, whom he may not marry lest he inspire Russia's populist Madame Shasa to wage war upon Austria-Hungary.

Upon his return, the King notices that someone had been indiscrete, from the golden powder upon his letter having been disturbed, but does not pursue the matter despite being quite angry.



„Constantin cár, Hermione Peleia hercegasszony atyja, mikor trónra lépett, az előde által addig követett politikát gyökeresen megváltoztatta. Felmondta a német barátságot, udvarából kiküszöbölte a német államférfiakat, s elkezdett orosz nemzeti politikát követni, s egyúttal alkotmányos kormányhoz akarta szoktatni a népét. Ezáltal három dolgot ért el; az egyik az volt, hogy a német diplomáciát egészen elidegenítette magától, a másik az, hogy az orosz főnemességet halálos ellenségévé tette, a harmadik meg, hogy az orosz nép, amint egy kis alkotmányos levegőhöz jutott: elkezdett jakobinus lenni. (Ilyen veszedelmes dolog az az alkotmány!) Egyszer aztán az orosz főnemesek összeesküdtek a cár nagybátyjával, Mihállyal; Constantint letették, családostól számkivetették, s Mihály cár alatt helyreállították a régi nemesi uralmat s a jobbágyságot. Erre aztán roppant lázadás tört ki. A felkelők az általuk először használt léggömbök segélyével porrá zúzták a Kremlt, a bennszorult nemesi hadakkal együtt; hová lett Mihály cár, azt ma sem tudja senki. Szentpétervárott most gonoszabbul megy a dolog, mint Párizsban 1792-ben. A rémuralom kormányát egy nő ragadta magához, kinek neve Alekszandra, de akit népszerűen csak Saszának neveznek, s ez egy valóságos női Robespierre, egy démon, egy szörnyeteg, kinek véres szeszélyei rettegésben tartják Európát, aki hadat készít minden ellen, ami még fennáll; trón, oltár, nászágy, s ha rémuralmával rendet lesz képes odahaza csinálni, rövid időn, mint az Apokalipszis hétszarvú sárkánya fog lerohanni Európa többi országaira. A letett cár, Constantin pedig ide menekült Magyarországra, s itt oltalmat talált. Felséges urunk nem tagadhatá azt meg tőle, ki halálos betegen jött ide; még kevésbé leányától. Most a vendégszeretet által először is kellemetlenül lett érintve a német udvar, mellyel Constantin ellenséges viszonyokat tartott fenn; másodszor ránk idézte veszedelmes figyelmét a rettenetes szörnyetegnek asszonyi alakban ott a Néva mellett. Ez a szoknyás Dzsingisz kán nem átallotta nyíltan kihíresztelni, hogy amelyik európai uralkodó vagy annak bármelyik ivadéka nőül meri venni a cár leányát, azt ő rögtön haddal támadja meg, s nem nyugszik, míg a koronás férj és feleség mint fogoly kezei közt nem lesz. Ez a mi siralmas állapotunk. – És íme, most őfelsége saját koronás uralkodónk ábrándozik a veszedelmes szép ábrázatról. Jó szerencse, hogy Hermione Peleia hercegasszony, ismerve a fölöttünk lebegő veszélyt, rendületlenül áll azon elhatározása mellett, hogy zárdába menjen, s miután ő anyja után római katolika, egy katolikus kolostort készül alapítani.”

"When Tsar Constantin, the father of Princess Hermione Peleia, rose to the throne, he pursued radically different politics from his predecessor. He gave up the German friendship, rid his court of German statesmen, and began to pursue Russian national politics instead, also wishing to make his people accustomed to constitutional governing. By this, he achieved three things; one was that he turned German diplomacy altogether away from himself, the other one was that he turned the highest Russian nobles into his mortal enemies; and the third was that as soon as the Russian thede got some constitutional air it turned Jacobine. (The constitution is this dangerous a thing!) Then eventually the highest Russian nobles conspired with the Tsar's uncle, Michail; and lowered Constantin, exiled him along with his family, and under Michail restored the old rule of the nobility and serfdom. This produced a great uprising. Those that revolted had for the first time used balloons, and thus they utterly destroyed the Kerml with all the nobility, its forces; nobody knows what had happened to Tsar Michail. Today things are in a more evil state at St. Petersburg than they were in Paris in 1792. A woman rose to power in this rule of terror, whose name is Alexandra, but who is popularly just called Shasa. She is a female Robespierre, a demon, a monster, whose bloody fancies keep Europe in terror, who prepares for war against all that still stands; throne, altar, marital bed, and if her rule of terror manages to restore order at home, soon she will charge at the rest of Europe's countries like the Apocalyptic seven-horned dragon. The lower Tsar, Constantin, chose to flee to Hungary, and found protection here. Our Majesty could not deny that from him, who came here mortally ill; much less from his daughter. Now due to this hospitality, the German court was displeased, as Constantin had formerly treated it as an enemy; secondly, it drew toward us the dangerous attention of the dangerous beast that assumed the shape of a woman beside the Neva. This skirt-wearing Djingis Khan did not waste time to spread the news that she would attack with great force any country whose crowned head or prince would presume to marry the Tsar's daughter, and would not rest until both the crowned husband and the wife are prisoners in her hands. This is our pitiful state. And behold, now His Majesty, our own crowned head, daydreams of this dangerous beauty. It is fortunate that Princess Hermione Peleia, knowing the danger floating over us, has firmly decided that she will enter a convent, and as her mother is a Roman Catholic, she plans to found a Catholic convent of her own."

Part I, Chapter 1

THE ETERNAL FIGHT: A King, who earns his bread

This chapter primarily deals with the King's activities on his name day, and descriptions as well as excerpted events meant to illustrate his quotidian life. The below translated excerpts, as elsewhere, do not give a complete account of the chapter but instead highlight portions that I perceive to be significant.



Százegy ágyúlövés a gellérthegyi fellegvárból jelenté Habsburgi Árpád legmagasabb névnapjának megvirradtát.

Hundred-and-one canon shots from the Gellért mountain citadel signal the sunrise of Habsburgi Árpád's most high name day.

"Habsburgi" is the Hungarian adjectival form of "Habsburg", functionally equivalent to the German "von Habsburg". While even in Jókai's time the King's name would have had localized forms in all his subjects' languages, his consistently being referred to by this name (paired with his portrayal as an unabashed hungarophile) suggests that the Hungarian form of his name is preferred by the King above the Austrian (and all other) versions. Be aware that Hungarian name order places the family name first, and given names last.

Habsburgi Árpád Magyarországnak ez idő szerint dicsőségesen uralkodó királya, nemkülönben a Magyarországgal szövetséges országoknak császárja, királya, nagyfejedelme, őrgrófja és a többi.

Habsburgi Árpád is at this time Hungary's gloriously ruling King, additional also being Kaiser, King, Chief Prince, Archduke, et cetera of the countries in union with Hungary.

Austria appears to be explicitly omitted and grouped in with all other countries in union with Hungary--further indication of the King's partiality toward Hungary. It is interesting, though perhaps politically not otherwise feasible, that Jókai, writing mere decades after Hungary's second uprising against the Habsburgs, imagines a future Hungary still under a Habsburg but with the sort of favoured status Austria previously enjoyed. Albeit it may simply be a case of Jókai being among those who saw the Ausgleich as being a positive step in the right direction.

Huszonhét év előtt – tehát 1925-ben – a római szent Kúria által „honalapító” Árpád a szentek közé emelteték.

Twenty-seven years ago--therefore in 1925--the Roman Holy Curia raised "the homeland-founder" Árpád to sainthood.

While I am not certain whether "Roman Holy Curia" is the correct translation, it is unambiguous in the original that the Catholic Church is meant.

It should be pointed out that Habsburgi Árpád is the King of Hungary, Kaiser of Austria, et cetera... in other words, the Ruler of Austria-Hungary and all its holdings in the novel's time frame, circa 1952. Whereas Árpád (the first, or "the homeland-founder") is the "Fejedelem" (Grand Patriarch) of the Hungarian tribes moving in to Europe and conquering much of historical Hungary, circa the 890's.

Oka volt a kanonizációnak azon körülmény, miszerint a legmagasabb királyi anya újszülött fiát egyenesen e névre óhajtá kereszteltetni, leghívebb népe iránti rokonszenvének tanújeléül.

One reason for the canonization was the circumstance, according to which the most high Queen mother desired specifically to name her newborn son with this name, as a sign of her affections for her most loyal thede.

I use the (I believe Middle English) word "thede" to mean "people" as an abstract grouping of people who are ethnoculturally linked. Basically equivalent to the Greek "demos". I do this in order to avoid an ambiguity between "people" as in "multiple individuals" and "people" as in "a mass of individuals treated as a collective singular", since such an ambiguity does not exist in the Hungarian. It is also interesting that Hungarians are characterized as "most loyal", again, as at the time of the novel's writing the second Hungarian uprising is still fairly recent history.

De mindenekfölött erős védok volt Árpád kanonizáltatására az a nevezetes történelmi adat, mely az első magyar fejedelem fehéregyházai sírjának fölfedeztetése alkalmával jött napfényre.

...

De legnevezetesebb volt a cölöpkriptában talált aranylánc, mely éppen a sisakos koponyát köríté, s melyhez egy hármas arany kereszt volt foglalva (a minőt manapság is használnak Dél-Oroszországban a raszkolnik szektáriusok). Ezzel be lett bizonyítva, hogy Árpád fejedelem már a honfoglaláskor, ha konfirmálva nem volt is, de formaszerint keresztyénnek állítható: ami annak az okát is kideríti, hogy miért viselt a nyelvrokon kazár fejedelem Mén Marót ellen oly hosszan tartó hadjáratot, aki ugyanis soknejű volt, tehát Mahomed-hitű.

But above all else a strong defense/reason for Árpád's canonization was the notable historical detail that came to light upon the discovery of Hungary's first Grand Patriarch's grave at Fehéregyháza.

...

But most remarkable was the golden chain (necklace) found within the wooden crypt, surrounding the hatted skull('s neck), and to which a triple cross was attached (such as the raskolniki sectarians still wear in Southern Russia). With this it was proved that by the time of the Conquest Grand Patriarch Árpád was, even if unconfirmed, basically a Christian: which also explains why he long waged war upon the Khazar Grand Patriarch Menumorut, who was a linguistic kin, who of course was a polygamist and therefore of Mohamed's faith.

Be aware that many cities mentioned in the book that may today be outside of Hungary are very likely considered/treated by the novel to be Hungarian cities, albeit doubtless many with significant non-Hungarian minorities or even local or regional non-Hungarian majorities.

The triple cross is doubtless the Eastern Orthodox cross with the crooked crossbar toward the bottom.

In contrast with the accepted practice, I translate "Fejedelem" (whose most direct [albeit not literal] translation would be something like "Great Head [of the Nation]") neither as "Chieftain" nor as "Grand Prince", since the title sound as (if not more) majestic in Hungarian as the Hungarian words for "King" (Király) or "Emperor" (Császár). Also, the authority of the Fejedelem was not meaningfully lesser than that of the King, despite definitely being both different and different in scope in some ways. I view the translations "Chieftain" and "Grand Prince" as historically rooted (and doubtless altogether subconscious) attempts to deemphasize the prestige/significance/legitimacy of non-Christian/non-European rulers. In light of all this, I find "Grand Patriarch" to be the most satisfactory translation and will consistently use it instead of the aforementioned alternatives.

Kánoni indoka volt e kanonizációnak az, hogy Árpád, ki egy egész népet kihozott a pogányságnak világrészéből, Ázsiából, s azt a keresztyénség keblébe átvezérelte, méltán sorozható a „hittérítők” legnagyobbjai közé,

The canonical justification for the canonization was that Árpád, having lead an entire thede out of the pagan part of the world that is Asia right into the bosom of christendom, can rightly be considered among the greatest "evangelists",

Méltó oka volt a kanonizációnak pedig az, hogy a szomorú korszakban oly balcsillagzatok jártak Európa fölött, melyeknek befolyása alatt a még mindig rómainak nevezett, de Rómát elhagyni kényszerült egyházi fejedelmi kúria koronás fejével együtt legbiztosabb menedékét találta a „négyfolyamú” országban ... a pápa Pozsony városát választá lakhelyéül,

A worthy reason for the canonization was that, influenced by the unfortunate stars of a sad era in Europe, the Church Curia still calling itself Roman was forced to leave Rome and with its crowned head found safest refuge in the "four rivered" country ... the Pope chose the city of Pozsony as his place of residence,

Pozsony despite it being Slovakia's capital as Bratislava in our present day, should be imagined as a Hungarian/Austro-Hungarian city, having been home to Hungary's parliament just a few decades before the writing of this novel.

Tehát 1952. július 15-én százegy ágyúlövés hirdeté Szent Árpád napjának megvirradtát.

So on July 15th of 1952, hundred-and-one canon shots announce the beginning of Saint Árpád's day.

Thus Jókai's book begins about 80 or so years in the future (counting from its 1872 publication).

kétszáznegyven léggömb emelkedik ki ... mik ezer mérte (mètre) hosszaságú köteleken tartva s egymáshoz fűzve, az új stratégia vívmányát mutatják fel; amikből az ostromló sereg fejére trinitrin, durranilin, dinamit, nitromannit és pyroxilin lövegeket lehet hajigálni, anélkül, hogy az röppentyűivel a mennyei tűzaknákat elérhetné; legfőbb rendeltetésük levén pedig az ostromló léggömbök hasonértékű ellensúlyozása.

two-hundred-and-forty hot-air balloons rise up ... which are both tied to the ground and to each other by thousand meter long ropes, showcasing the new advances in strategy; from them "trinitrin" (Nitroglycerin?), "durranilin" (?), dynamite, "nitromannit" (Mannitol hexanitrate?) and "pyroxilin" (pyroxile?) shells can be dumped onto the heads of the besieging troops, without their bullets (?) in-turn being able to reach these heavenly fire-mines; though their primary purpose being the countering of likewise besieging hot-air balloons.

This is extrapolation from the existing use of non-steerable balloons used in warfare by the time of the writing of this book.

S mind a kétszáznegyven hadi léggömb körös-körül fel van lobogózva őfelsége minden országainak színeit képviselő zászlókkal, ... s egy villanyütésre legöngyölődik ... a Duna fölött huszonhárom zászló, őfelsége valamennyi országainak címereivel.

And all the two-hundred-and-forty martial hot-air balloons are surrounded by flags representing all of His Majesty's country's colours, ... and from an electric signal (?) roll down ... over the Danube twenty-three flags, with all of His Majesty's countries' coats of arms.

More emphasis on cultural pluralism.

Az az ing egy páncéling.

Húsz rét tafota erősen összevissza varrva selyemmel képezi ezt a páncélt. Feltalálója, ki ezt felajánlá, saját testén állta ki a próbát, puskagolyóval húsz lépésről, revolverrel közvetlen közelből engedve magára lövöldöztetni, a páncélt nem bírta a golyó átszakítani. E páncél neve „gambisson”.

That shirt is an armour-shirt.

Twenty rét (altogether 4200 sq. m - 17460 sq. m) tafota (?) strongly sewed back and forth with silk forms this armour. Its inventor, who had offered it up, tested it upon his own body, allowing himself to be shot at with a gun from twenty steps' distance, and with a revolver from point-blank range. The bullet could in neither case rip through the armour. This armour is called "gambisson".

Unfortunately I am uncertain of the meaning of the word "tafota", though it might mean something like "sheet" or "contiguous length of fabric". The point seems to be that a lot of fabric is layered... which, while may sound rather like a kevlar bullet-proof vest, also has earlier analogues.

– Felség, azt fel kell venni. Az olasz király őfelségére kétszer lőttek rá, a francia köztársaság elnökére háromszor, az angol király őfelségére négyszer, a spanyol királyra csak egyszer, de nyolc fegyverből, a szerb királyt el is találták, az orosz cárt nem is említve, .. a Mahmud szultán őfelsége ellen utóbbi időkben merényeltetett.

- Your Majesty, you must wear it. The Italian King was shot at twice, the French Republic's President thrice, the English King four times, the Spanish King just once but from eight different weapons, and the Serb King was actually hit too, not to mention the Russian Czar, ... recently did Sultan Mahmud experience an attempt on his life.

A list that gives an idea about the sort of international political circumstances envisioned by Jókai at the time of the beginning of his novel.

pápa elhagyta Rómát, később Avignont is; s egy ideig Máltában időzve, végre Pozsonyba menekült, s erős ellentétben volt a világi kormányokkal. Azonkívül Magyarországra menekültek az európai államoknak változás következtében eltávozott fejedelmei, volt itt nápolyi és spanyol Bourbon-, Welf-, Bonaparte- és Orléans-, Romanov-, Chambord-, Coburg- és Karagyorgyevics-dinasztia: s azoknak a monarchia mind menedékjoggal és protekcióval tartozott, úgyhogy egy időben kétféle teljes diplomatiai corps működött az udvarnál, egyik a legitim, de elűzött praetendenseké, másik az illegitim, de tettleges hatalomé. ... mindenkinek a saját nyelvén kellett válaszolnia, azon időben a francia nyelv diplomáciai általánossága a nemzetiségi elv érvényre jutása által meg levén szüntetve: tehát spanyolul, angolul, franciául, németül, románul, olaszul, szerbül, görögül és törökül (az orosz nincs közötte, hogy miért nincs, azt majd megtudjuk később)

the Pope left Rome, then later Avignon too; and spent some time in Malta, finally fleeing to Pozsony, being in strong opposition to the worldly governments. Furthermore to Hungary did flee the former leaders of European countries where changes had manage to unseat them. There were Napolitans and Spanish Bourbon, Welf, Bonaparte and Orléans, Romanov, Chambord, Coburg and Karadyordyevich dynasties: and to all of them the Monarchy owed refuge and protection, so that at any given time, there were two full diplomatic corps at the court, one belonging to the legitimate but exiled pretenders, the others to the illegitimate but de facto powers. ... everybody had to be answered in their own language, by that time the general use of French as the language of diplomacy having been ceased under the aegis of nationalism: therefore the answers had to come in Spanish, English, French, German, Romanian, Italian, Serbian, Greek, and Turkish (Russian not being on the list for reasons that will become clear later)

More insight into the political state of Europe.

Végre a légen keresztül röpült fel őfelsége a királyi vár erkélyeig, egy óriási léggömb csónakjában, a léggömb tetején ülő aeronautának hűségére volt bízva az alatta lebegők élete: egy meggyújtott gyufa elég az egész léggömböt egyszerre fellobbantani, s az aeronauták mind internacionalisták.

Finally His Majesty flew through the air all the way to the Royal Castle's terrace, in his gigantic hot-air balloon boat, trusting the lives of those floating thus to the aeronaut sitting atop the hot-air balloon: for a single lit match could explode the entire hot-air balloon in an instant, and all the aeronauts are internationalists.

I chose this excerpt primarily for the vague political implication about aeronauts therein.

Átellenben a királlyal ül az észak-amerikai államok követe, s a menü hátlapjára jegyezget valamit.

Across from the King sits the ambassador of the north-american states, and he is scribling something onto the back of his menu.

The phrase "north-american states" is very close to the colloquial Hungarian name for the United States of America (i.e.: "Amerikai államok" which would translate to "American States"). It is not clear at this point in the book whether the suggestion is that the United States and Canada (and perhaps Mexico?) merged into a single Union, or whether despite being separate countries they opt to present joint diplomatic representation abroad.

Őfelsége nemcsak a misén jelenik meg a Szent Árpád-székesegyházban, hanem az egész délelőttöt arra fordítja, hogy a protestánsok, óhitűek és héber vallásúak templomaiban is fölkeresse a szent szertartásokat, nehogy valamelyik hitfelekezet háttérbe téve érezze magát, s emiatt zúgolódjék.

His Majesty does not only show up at the mass held at Saint Árpád church, but spends the entire morning seeking out the holy rituals in the temples of the Protestants, Old-Faithers and those of the Hebrew religion, lest one of the faith-groups feel ignored and become discontent.

More cultural pluralism. I am not certain what "Old-Faithers" refers to... but it is conceivable that the idea is that this is a faith-group that (believes itself to have) revived the pre-Christian Hungarian pagan religion... or perhaps started a uniquely Hungarian flavour of Christianity supposedly based on pre-European-contact Christianity of the Hungarians. (Such notions were entertained and even popular at one time, but by now and have long been discredited.)

A simpler explanation might be "Old-Faithers" referring to Orthodox Christians... but this is the first time I have encountered the term, so I cannot meaningfully connect it to either the former or the latter theory conclusively.

Ő tudja, hogy Oroszországban mi történik. Az orosz respublika borzasztóan fegyverkezik. A roppant néptömegek, mik a nemesség ellen fellázadtak, foglalkozást keresnek, s valami nagy organizáló talentum alakítja át a hadsereget. Észak-amerikai kéz dolgozik benne. A hadi léggömböket, miket eddig csak várostromokhoz használtak megdöbbentő sikerrel, most újabban csatatéri működésre alkalmazták, melyben a lovasság is szerepet játszik.

He knows what is happening in Russia. The Russian Republic is arming itself at an alarming rate. The great masses of people, that had rebelled against the nobility, now seek professions, and some great organizing talent is reshaping the army. North-America has a hand in this. The martial hot-air balloons, that until then had only been used for castle sieges, and with great success too, they now have started to employ for use on the battle-field, in a way incorporating the cavalry too.

There will be more about Russia in chapter 2.