第245章

第245章thisfirstlongconversationwithsperanskyonlystrengthenedthefeelingwithwhichprinceandreyhadseenhimforthefirsttime.hesawinhimamanofvastintellectandsober,accuratejudgment,whohadattainedpowerbyenergyandpersistence,andwasusingitforthegoodofrussiaonly.inprinceandrey’seyessperanskywaspreciselytheman—findingarationalexplanationforallthephenomenaoflife,recognisingasofimportanceonlywhatwasrationalandcapableofapplyingthestandardofreasontoeverything—thathewouldhavelikedtobehimself.everythingtookaformsosimple,soclearinsperansky’sexpositionofitthatprinceandreycouldnothelpagreeingwithhimoneverysubject.ifhearguedandraisedobjectionsitwassimplywiththeexpressobjectofbeingindependentandnotbeingentirelyswayedbysperansky’sideas.everythingwasright,everythingwasasitshouldbe,yetonethingdisconcertedprinceandrey.thatwasthecold,mirror-likeeyeofsperansky,whichseemedtorefusealladmittancetohissoul,andhisflabby,whitehand,atwhichprinceandreyinstinctivelylooked,asoneusuallydoeslookatthehandsofmenwhohavepower.thatmirror-likeeyeandthatflabbyhandvaguelyirritatedprinceandrey.hewasdisagreeablystrucktoobytheexcessivecontemptforotherpeoplethatheobservedinsperansky,andbythevarietyofthelinesofargumentheemployedinsupportofhisviews.hemadeuseofeverypossibleweaponofthought,exceptanalogy,andhistransitionsfromonelineofdefencetoanotherseemedtoprinceandreytooviolent.atonetimehetookhisstandasapracticalmanandfoundfaultwithidealists,thenhetookasatiricallineandjeeredsarcasticallyathisopponents,thenmaintainedastrictlylogicalposition,orflewoffintothedomainofmetaphysics.（thislastresourcewasonehewasparticularlyfondofusinginargument.）heraisedthequestionintotheloftiestregionofmetaphysics,passedtodefinitionsofspace,oftime,andofthought,andcarryingoffargumentstoconfutehisopponent,descendedagaintotheplaneoftheoriginaldiscussion.whatimpressedprinceandreyastheleadingcharacteristicofsperansky’smindwashisunhesitating,unmovablefaithinthepowerandauthorityofthereason.itwasplainthatsperansky’sbraincouldneveradmittheidea—socommonwithprinceandrey—thatonecanneverafterallexpressallonethinks.ithadneveroccurredtohimtodoubtwhetherallhethoughtandallhebelievedmightnotbemeaninglessnonsense.andthatpeculiarityofsperansky’smindwaswhatattractedprinceandreymost.

duringthefirstperiodofhisacquaintancewithsperansky,princeandreyhadapassionateandenthusiasticadmirationforhim,akintowhathehadoncefeltforbonaparte.theveryfactthatsperanskywasthesonofapriest,whichenabledmanyfoolishpersonstoregardhimwithvulgarcontempt,asamemberofadespisedclass,madeprinceandreypeculiarlydelicateindealingwithhisownfeelingforsperanskyandunconsciouslystrengtheneditinhim.

onthatfirsteveningthatbolkonskyspentwithhim,theytalkedofthecommissionfortherevisionofthelegalcode;andsperanskydescribedironicallytoprinceandreyhowthecommissionhadbeensittingforonehundredandfiftyyears,hadcostmillions,andhaddonenothing,andhowrosenkampfhadpastedlabelsonallthevariouslegislativecodes.

“andthat’sallthestatehasgotforthemillionsithasspent！”saidhe.“wewanttogivenewjudicialpowerstothesenate,andwehavenolaws.that’swhyitisasinformenlikeyou,prince,nottobeinthegovernment.”

princeandreyobservedthatsomeeducationinjurisprudencewasnecessaryforsuchwork,andthathehadnone.

“butnoonehas,sowhatwouldyouhave？it’sacirculusviciosus,whichonemustforcesomewayoutof.”

withinaweekprinceandreywasamemberofthecommitteeforthereconstructionofthearmyregulations,and—athinghewouldneverhaveexpected—hewasalsochairmanofasectionofthecommissionfortherevisionofthelegalcode.atsperansky’srequesthetookthefirstpartofthecivilcodeunderrevision;andwiththehelpofthenapoleoniccodeandthecodeofjustinianheworkedattherevisionofthesectiononpersonalrights.