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ble of understanding all the folly of the rest of the world and the sagacity and profundity of their own ideas。
In the course of their long conversation on Wednesday evening Speransky said more than once： “Among us everything that is out of the common rut of tradition is looked at；” … or with a smile： “But we want the wolves to be well fed and the sheep to be unhurt。” … or： “They can’t grasp that” … and always with an expression that said。 “We； you and I； we understand what they are and who we are。”
This first long conversation with Speransky only strengthened the feeling with which Prince Andrey had seen him for the first time。 He saw in him a man of vast intellect and sober； accurate judgment； who had attained power by energy and persistence； and was using it for the good of Russia only。 In Prince Andrey’s eyes Speransky was precisely the man—finding a rational explanation for all the phenomena of life； recognising as of importance only what was rational and capable of applying the standard of reason to everything—that he would have liked to be himself。 Everything took a form so simple； so clear in Speransky’s exposition of it that Prince Andrey could not help agreeing with him on every subject。 If he argued and raised objections it was simply with the express object of being independent and not being entirely swayed by Speransky’s ideas。 Everything was right； everything was as it should be； yet one thing disconcerted Prince Andrey。 That was the cold； mirror…like eye of Speransky； which seemed to refuse all admittance to his soul； and his flabby； white hand； at which Prince Andrey instinctively looked； as one usually does look at the hands of men who have power。 That mirror…like eye and that flabby hand vaguely irritated Prince Andrey。 He was disagreeably struck too by the excessive contempt for other people that he observed in Speransky； and by the variety of the lines of argument he employed in support of his views。 He made use of every possible weapon of thought； except analogy； and his transitions from one line of defence to another seemed to Prince Andrey too violent。 At one time he took his stand as a practical man and found fault with idealists； then he took a satirical line and jeered sarcastically at his opponents； then maintained a strictly logical position； or flew off into the domain of metaphysics。 （This last resource was one he was particularly fond of using in argument。） He raised the question into the loftiest region of metaphysics； passed to definitions of space； of time； and of thought； and carrying off arguments to confute his opponent； descended again to the plane of the original discussion。 What impressed Prince Andrey as the leading characteristic of Speransky’s mind was his unhesitating； unmovable faith in the power and authority of the reason。 It was plain that Speransky’s brain could never admit the idea—so common with Prince Andrey—that one can never after all express all one thinks。 It had never occurred to him to doubt whether all he thought and all he believed might not be meaningless nonsense。 And that peculiarity of Speransky’s mind was what attracted Prince Andrey most。
During the first period of his acquaintance with Speransky； Prince Andrey had a passionate and enthusiastic admiration for him； akin to what he had once felt for Bonaparte。 The very fact that Speransky was the son of a priest； which enabled many foolish persons to regard him with vulgar contempt； as a member of a despised class； made Prince Andrey peculiarly delicate in dealing with his own feeling for Speransky and unconsciously strengthened it in him。
On that first evening that Bolkonsky spent with him； they talked of the commission for the revision of the legal code； and Speransky described ironically to Prince Andrey how the commission had been sitting for one hundred and fifty years； had cost millions； and had done nothing； and how Rosenkampf had pasted labels on all the various legislative codes。
“And that’s all the state has got for the millions it has spent！” said he。 “We want to give new judicial powers to the Senate； and we have no laws。 That’s why it is a sin for men like you； prince； not to be in the government。”
Prince Andrey observed that some education in jurisprudence was necessary for such work； and that he had none。
“But no one has； so what would you have？ It’s a circulus viciosus； which one must force some way out of。”
Within a week Prince Andrey was a member of the committee for the reconstruction of the army regulations； and—a thing he would never have expected—he was also chairman of a section of the commission for the revision of the legal code。 At Speransky’s request he took the first part of the civil code under revision； and with the help of the Napoleonic Code and the Code of Justinian he worked at the revision of the section on Personal Rights。
Chapter 7
TWO YEARS BEFORE； at the beginning of 1808； Pierre had returned to Petersburg from his visits to his estates； and by no design of his own had taken a leading position among the freemasons in Petersburg。 He organised dining and funeral lodges； enrolled new members； took an active part in the formation of different lodges； and the acquisition of authentic acts。 He spent his money on the construction of temples； and； to the best of his powers； made up the arrears of alms； a matter in which the majority of members were niggardly and irregular。 At his own expense； almost unaided； he maintained the poorhouse built by the order in Petersburg。
Meanwhile his life ran on in the old way； yielding to the same temptations and the same laxity。 He liked a good dinner and he liked strong drink； and； though he thought it immoral and degrading to yield to them； he was unable to resist the temptations of the bachelor society in which he moved。
Yet even in the whirl of his active work and his dissipations； Pierre began； after the lapse of a year； to feel more and more as though the ground of freemasonry on which he had taken his stand was slipping away under his feet the more firmly he tried to rest on it。 At the same time he felt that the further the ground slipped from under his feet； the more close was his bondage to the order。 When he had entered the brotherhood he had felt like a man who confidently puts his foot down on the smooth surface of a bog。 Having put one foot down； he had sunk in； and to convince himself of the firmness of the ground on which he stood； he had put the other foot down on it too； and had sunk in further； had stuck in the mud； and now was against his own will struggling knee…deep in the bog。
Osip Alexyevitch was not in Petersburg。 （He had withdrawn from all participation in the affairs of the Petersburg lodge； and now never left Moscow。） All the brothers who were members of the lodge were people Pierre knew in daily life； and it was difficult for him to see in them simply brothers in freemasonry； and not Prince B。； nor Ivan Vasilyevitch D。； whom he knew in private life mostly as persons of weak and worthless character。 Under their masonic aprons and emblems he could not help seeing the uniforms and the decorations they were striving after in mundane life。 Often after collecting the alms and recko