19–25 December 1853

Yesterday though I felt better I wrote nothing. To-day I am worse because of yesterday’s rashness, and again on the plea of anxiety wrote nothing all day I read the magazines and thought. One thing which seems to compensate me for the month’s inactivity is that the plan of The Story of a Russian Landlord has defined itself clearly in my mind. With a foretaste of the wealth of matter and the beauty of the thoughts, I wrote haphazard till now and did not know what to choose out of the crowd of thoughts and pictures relating to that subject. Little Russia, that is the part of Russia which joined the Litovsk principality under Olgerd in the thirteenth century, submitted to Russia again in the time of Alexey Mikhalo- vich. Poland itself offered its crown to Ivan IV for his son, and under Peter depended on Russia to such an extent that only at her wish was August II twice acknowledged King, as August III was in the time of Anna Ivanovna Under Catherine II, to satisfy Austria about our occupa- tion of Moldavia and Wallachia, the question of a division of Poland between the three Powers was first proposed by the Prussian government. At the time of the French Revolution Poland, under Kosciuszko, wished to regain its lost territories and was again divided. In Alexander's time (in 1807) Poland was re-entitled a Duchy by Napoleon. But in 1814, under the Treaty of Vienna, it was handed over to Russia. In 1830, after the revolt, the rest of its rights were annulled and it was finally united to the Russian Empire. In 1821 in Germany the society of the Hetairia, the aim of which was the reconstruction of Greece, was formed. Hypsilanti, who was serving in Russia, was the occasioner of it, hoping for the co-operation of Count Capo d’ Istria. Our victories in Turkey and the taking of Adrianople gave an opportunity to demand the independence of Greece, and in 1830 Prince Otto I of Bavaria was made King of Greece. In 1828 the Egyptian Pasha, Mehemet Ali, rose against Turkey, which was saved by our intervention (troops and fleet sent to Constantinople). The Uniate Church was formed in the fifteenth century as a result of the Council of Florence, on the basis of sub- mitting to the Pope but without change in the form of service. The difference between the Graeco- Russian and Catholic Churches consists : (1) in whether leavened or unleavened bread is used for the eucharist ; (2) whether the Patriarch or the Pope is recognised as head of the Church ; and (3) in whether the procession of the Holy Ghost is con- sidered to be from the Father alone, or from the Father and Son. Reading Karamzin’s philosophical introduction to the Morning Light magazine, which he published in 1777, and in which he says that the aim of the magazine is the spread of the loyg._o.f_1 wisdom, the development of man’s mind, will, and feeling, and thefr direction toward virtue, I was astonisHedntKat we should bave^fost the conception of the one aim of literature — morality — to such a degree that if you spoke nowadays of the necessity of morality fn literature, no one would understand you. But it would really not be a bad thing in every literary work (as in fables) to write a moral— stating its aim. In the Morning Light were published reflections on the immortality of the soul, on the purpose of man, articles on Phaedon, the life of Socrates, and so on. Perhaps this was going too far, but we have now fallen into a worse extreme. Here is a noble aim and one within my strength : to edit a magazine the sole aim of which should be the spread of works morally useful, in which contributions would only* be accepted on condition that they were accompanied by a moral, the insertion or non-insertion of which would depend on the author’s wish. Further, polemics and the holding of anyone up to ridicule would always be excluded from the magazine, since by its tendency it would not come into conflict with any other journal. My first thoughts and objects were always the best and most honourable, but by the time I might have been able , to make use of them I had abandoned them. Is not that I a general case in early life ? Hudson Lowe, agi English General, was Napoleon’s gaoler. Does not the mental delusion, which makes it seem to you that the position in which you find yourself had already repeatedly occurred, arise from the fact that the moment of which you are conscious reminds you of a similar moment of self-consciousness, and though in reality the circum- stances differed, you take the object for the form. Someone has said that a knowledge of painting is indis- pensable to a poet. I understood that to-day, when reading an excellent article on an exhibition. For a composition to be attractive, it is not only necessary for it to be directed by a consistent thought, but it is also necessary for the whole to be penetrated by a consistent feeling. That was lacking in Boyhood.

My health is rather better, but I still cannot feel at ease. To-morrow I shall go to Kizlyar unless I am quite well. Have received a letter from Zriev and one from Akrshevski. He has neither copied nor returned Boyhood. This infuriates me. Youth is altogether weak. It lack unity and the language is poor. Have not even read anything. Sultanov came and we exchanged dogs.

My health seems better but my depres- sion is unconquerable. In the morning wrote an intro- duction to the novel. In the evening slept till supper time, then wrote a letter to Nikolenka and chatted with Epfshka. I liked two expressions in Epfshka’s story. A woman wails : “ Where has grief not come down on us poor people . . .” and when persuading a man to reduce his price another woman says : “ Come now, five rubles didn’t bring you into the world

Have sent off the letter. Have done nothing.

I got up late, and till late at night spent the time shooting. I killed a hare and a pheasant. My health is not yet quite right morally or physically. It has occurred to me to revise all my rules, arrange them, and teach myself to observe them, giving a few months to each of them ; and not to set myself another until I have not broken that one for a whole month.

Yesterday got up late, paid a visit to Alexeev who immediately returned it, and did nothing all day. To-day, except when disturbed by various visitors, worked all the time at getting my rules into order. After supper wrote a sad letter to Aunt Tatiana Alexan- drovna. Have set myself four rules : one from each category. Do not myself know yet whether this is a good method.