战争与和平(上)-第106章

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　the　decorations　they　were　striving　after　in　mundane　life。　Often　after　collecting　the　alms　and　reckoning　up　twenty　to　thirty　roubles　promised—and　for　the　most　part　left　owing—from　some　ten　members；　of　whom　half　were　as　well…off　as　Pierre　himself；　he　thought　of　the　masonic　vow　by　which　every　brother　promised　to　give　up　all　his　belongings　for　his　neighbour；　and　doubts　stirred　in　his　soul　from　which　he　tried　to　escape。
He　divided　all　the　brothers　he　knew　into　four　classes。　In　the　first　class　he　reckoned　brothers　who　took　no　active　interest　in　the　affairs　of　the　lodges　nor　in　the　service　of　humanity；　but　were　occupied　exclusively　with　the　scientific　secrets　of　the　order；　with　questions　relating　to　the　threefold　designation　of　God；　or　the　three　first　elements　of　things—sulphur；　mercury；　and　salt—or　the　significance　of　the　square　and　all　the　figures　of　the　Temple　of　Solomon。　Pierre　respected　this　class　of　masons；　to　which　the　elder　brothers　principally　belonged—in　it　Pierre　reckoned　Osip　Alexyevitch—but　he　did　not　share　their　interests。　His　heart　wasn’t　in　the　mystic　side　of　freemasonry。
In　the　second　class　Pierre　included　himself；　and　brothers　like　himself；　wavering；　seeking；　and　not　yet　finding　in　freemasonry　a　straight　and　fully　understood　path　for　themselves；　but　still　hoping　to　find　it。
In　the　third　class　he　reckoned　brothers—they　formed　the　majority—who　saw　in　freemasonry　nothing　but　an　external　form　and　ceremonial；　and　valued　the　strict　performance　of　that　external　form　without　troubling　themselves　about　its　import　or　significance。　Such　were　Villarsky　and　the　Grand　Master　of　the　lodge　indeed。
The　fourth　class；　too；　included　a　great　number　of　the　brothers　especially　among　those　who　had　entered　the　brotherhood　of　late。　These　were　men　who；　as　far　as　Pierre　could　observe；　had　no　belief　in　anything；　nor　desire　of　anything；　but　had　entered　the　brotherhood　simply　for　the　sake　of　getting　into　touch　with　the　wealthy　young　men；　powerful　through　their　connections　or　their　rank；　who　were　numerous　in　the　lodge。
Pierre　began　to　feel　dissatisfied　with　what　he　was　doing。　Freemasonry；　at　least　as　he　knew　it　here；　seemed　to　him　sometimes　to　rest　simply　upon　formal　observances。　He　never　dreamed　of　doubting　of　freemasonry　itself；　but　began　to　suspect　that　Russian　freemasonry　had　got　on　to　a　false　track；　and　was　deviating　from　its　original　course。　And　so　towards　the　end　of　the　year　Pierre　went　abroad　to　devote　himself　to　the　higher　mysteries　of　the　order。
It　was　in　the　summer　of　1809　that　Pierre　returned　to　Petersburg。　From　the　correspondence　that　passed　between　freemasons　in　Russia　and　abroad；　it　was　known　that　Bezuhov　had　succeeded　in　gaining　the　confidence　of　many　persons　in　high　positions　abroad；　that　he　had　been　initiated　into　many　mysteries；　had　been　raised　to　a　higher　grade；　and　was　bringing　back　with　him　much　that　would　conduce　to　the　progress　of　freemasonry　in　Russia。　The　Petersburg　freemasons　all　came　to　see　him；　tried　to　ingratiate　themselves　with　him；　and　all　fancied　that　he　had　something　in　reserve　that　he　was　preparing　for　them。
A　solemn　assembly　of　the　lodge　of　the　second　order　was　arranged；　at　which　Pierre　promised　to　communicate　the　message　he　had　to　give　the　Petersburg　brothers　from　the　highest　leaders　of　the　order　abroad。　The　assembly　was　a　full　one。　After　the　usual　ceremonies　Pierre　got　up　and　began　to　speak：
“Dear　brothers；”　he　began；　blushing　and　hesitating；　with　a　written　speech　in　his　hand；　“it　is　not　enough　to　guard　our　secrets　in　the　seclusion　of　the　lodge；—what　is　needed　is　to　act　…　to　act。　…　We　are　falling　into　slumber；　and　we　need　to　act。”
Pierre　opened　his　manuscript　and　began　to　read。
“For　the　propagation　of　the　pure　truth　and　the　attainment　of　virtue；”　he　read；　“we　must　purify　men　from　prejudice；　diffuse　principles　in　harmony　with　the　spirit　of　the　times；　undertake　the　education　of　the　younger　generation；　ally　ourselves　by　indissoluble　ties　with　the　most　enlightened　men；　boldly；　and　at　the　same　time　prudently；　overcome　superstition；　infidelity；　and　folly；　and　form　of　those　devoted　to　us　men　linked　together　by　a　common　aim　and　possessed　of　power　and　authority。
“For　the　attainment　of　this　aim　we　must　secure　to　virtue　the　preponderance　over　vice；　we　must　strive　that　the　honest　man　may　obtain　his　eternal　reward　even　in　this　world。　But　in　those　great　projects　we　are　very　gravely　hindered　by　existing　political　institutions。　What　is　to　be　done　in　the　existing　state　of　affairs？　Are　we　to　welcome　revolutions；　to　overthrow　everything；　to　repel　violence　by　violence？　…　No；　we　are　very　far　from　that。　Every　reform　by　violence　is　to　be　deprecated；　because　it　does　little　to　correct　the　evil　while　men　remain　as　they　are；　and　because　wisdom　has　no　need　of　violence。
“The　whole　plan　of　our　order　should　be　founded　on　the　training　of　men　of　character　and　virtue；　bound　together　by　unity　of　conviction　and　aim；—the　aim　of　suppressing　vice　and　folly　everywhere　by　every　means；　and　protecting　talent　and　virtue；　raising　deserving　persons　out　of　the　dust　and　enrolling　them　in　our　brotherhood。　Only　then　will　our　order　obtain　the　power　insensibly　to　tie　the　hands　of　the　promoters　of　disorder；　and　to　control　them　without　their　being　aware　of　it。　In　a　word；　we　want　to　found　a　form　of　government　holding　universal　sway；　which　should　be　diffused　over　the　whole　world　without　encroaching　on　civil　obligations；　under　which　all　other　governments　could　continue　in　their　ordinary　course　and　do　all；　except　what　hinders　the　great　aim　of　our　order；　that　is；　the　triumph　of　virtue　over　vice。　This　aim　is　that　of　Christianity　itself。　It　has　taught　men　to　be　holy　and　good；　and　for　their　own　profit　to　follow　the　precept　and　example　of　better　and　wiser　men。
“In　times　when　all　was　plunged　in　darkness；　exhortation　alone　was　of　course　enough；　the　novelty　of　truth　gave　it　peculiar　force；　but　nowadays　far　more　powerful　means　are　necessary　for　us。　Now　a　man　guided　by　his　senses　needs　to　find　in　virtue　a　charm　palpable　to　the　senses。　The　passions　cannot　be　uprooted；　we　must　only　attempt　to　direct　them　to　a　noble　object；　and　so　every　one　should　be　able　to　find　satisfaction　for　his　passions　within　the　bounds　of　virtue；　and　our　order　should　provide　means　to　that　end。　As　soon　as　we　have　a　certain　number　of　capable　men　in　every　state；　each　of　them　training　again　two　others；　and　all　keeping　in　close　cooperation；　then　everything　will　be　possible　for　our　order；　which　has　already　done　much　in　secret　for　the　good　of　humanity。”
This　speech　did　not　merely　make　a　great　impression；　it　produced　a　thrill　of　excitement　in　the　lodge。　The　majority　of　the　brothers；　seeing　in　this　speech　dangerous　projects　of　“illuminism；”　to　Pierre’s　surprise　received　it　coldly。　The　Grand　Master　began　to　raise　objections　to　it；　Pierre　began　to　expound　his　own　views　with　greater　and　greater　heat。　It　was　long　since　there　had　been　so　stormy　a　meeting。　The　lodge　split　up　into　parties；　one　party　opposed　Pierre；　accusing　him　of　“illuminism”；　the　other　supported　him。　Pierre　was　for　the　first　time　at　this　meeting　impressed　by　the　endless　multiplicity　of　men’s　minds；　which　leads　to　no　truth　being　ever　seen　by　two　persons　alike。
Even　those　among　the　members　who　seemed　to　be　on　his　side　interpreted　him　in　their　own　way；　with　limitations　and　variations；　to　which　he　could　not　agree。　What　Pierre　chiefly　desired　was　always　to　transmit　his　thought　to　another　exactly　as　he　conceived　it　himself。
At　the　conclusion　of　the　sitting；　the　Grand　Master　spoke　with　ill…will　and　irony　to　Bezuhov　of　his　hasty　temper；　and　observed　that　it　was　not　love　of　virtue　alone；　but　a　passion　for　strife；　that　had　guided　him　in　the　discussion。
Pierre　made　him　no　reply；　but　briefly　inquired　whether　his　proposal　would　be　accepted。　He　was　told　that　it　would　not　be；　and　without　waiting　for　the　usual　formalities；　he　left　the　lodge　and　went　home。


Chapter　8
AGAIN　PIERRE　was　overtaken　by　that　despondency　he　so　dreaded。　For　three　days　after　the　delivery　of　his　speech　at　the　lodge　he　lay　on　a　sofa　at　home；　seeing　no　one；　and　going　nowhere。
At　this　time　he　received　a　letter　from　his　wife　who　besought　him　to　see　her；　wrote　of　her　unhappiness　on　his　account；　and　her　desire　to　devote　her　whole　life　to　him。
At　the　end　of　the　letter　she　informed　him　that　in　a　day　or　two　she　would　arrive　in　Petersburg　from　abroad。
The　letter　was　followed　up　by　one　of　the　freemasons　whom　Pierre　respected　least　bursting　in　upon　his　solitude。　Turning　the　conversation　upon　Pierre’s　matrimonial　affairs；　he　gave　him；　by　way　of　brotherly　counsel；　his　opinion　that　his　severity　to　his　wife　was　wrong；　and　that　Pierre　was　departing　from　the　first　principles　of　freemasonry　in　not　forgiving　the　penitent。　At　the　same　time　his　mother…in…law；　Prince　Vassily’s　wife；　sent　to　him；　beseeching　him　to　visit　her；　if　only　for　a　few　minutes；　to　discuss　a　matter　of　great　importance。　Pierre　saw　there　was　a　conspiracy　against　him；　that　they　meant　to　reconcile　him　with　his　wife；　and　he　did　not　even　dislike　this　in　the　mood　in　which　he　then　was。　Nothing　mattered　to　him；　Pierre　regarded　nothing　in　life　as　a　matter　of　great　consequence；　and　under　the　influence　of　the　despondency　which　had　taken　possession　of　him；　he　attached　no　significance　either　to　his　own　freedom　or　to　having　his　own　way　be　punishing　his　wife。
“No　one　is　right；　no　one　is　to　blame；　and　so　she；　too；　is　not　to　blame；”　he　thought。　If　Pierre　did　not　at　once　give　his　consent　to　being　reunited　to　his　wife；　it　was　simply　because　in　the　despondent　state　into　which　he　had　lapsed；　he　was　incapable　of　taking　any　line　of　action。　Had　his　wife　come　to　him；　he　could　not　now　have　driven　her　away。　Could　it　matter　beside　the　questions　that　were　absorbing　Pierre；　whether　he　live　with　his　wife　or　not？
Without　answering　either　his　wife　or　his　mother…in…law；　Pierre　at　once　set　off　late　in　the　evening　and　drove　to　Moscow　to　see　Osip　Alexyevitch。
This　is　what　Pierre　wrote　in　his　diary。
“Moscow；　November　17。—I　have　only　just　come　from　seeing　my　benefactor；　and　I　hasten　to　note　down　all　I　have　been　feeling。　Osip　Alexyevitch　lives　in　poverty；　and　has　been　for　three　years　past　suffering　from　a　painful　disease　of　the　bladder。　No　one　has　ever　heard　from　him　a　groan　or　a　word　of　complaint。　From　morning　till　late　at　night；　except　at　the　times　when　he　partakes　of　the　very　plainest　food；　he　is　working　at　science。　He　received　me　graciously；　and　made　me　sit　down　on　the　bed　on　which　he　was　lying。　I　made　him　the　sign　of　the　Knights　of　the　East　and　of　Jerusalem；　he　responded　with　the　same；　and　asked　me　with　a　gentle　smile　what　I　had　learned　and　gained　in　the　Prussian　and　Scottish　lodges。　I　told　him　everything　as　best　I　could；　repeating　to　him　the　principles　of　action　I　had　proposed　in　our　Petersburg　lodge；　and　telling　him　of　the　unfavourable　reception　given　me；　and　the　rupture　between　me　and　the　brothers。　Osip　Alexyevitch；　after　some　silent　thought；　laid　all　his　own　views　of　the　subject　before　me；　which　immediately　threw　light　on　all　the　past　and　all　the　course　that　lies　before　me。　He　surprised　me　by　asking　whether　I　remembered　the　threefold　aim　of　the　order—（1）　the　preservation　and　study　of　the　holy　mystery；　（2）　the　purification　and　reformation　of　self　for　its　reception；　and　（3）　the　improvement　of　the　human　race　through　striving　for　such