Monastery—God give us and all animals a good night—(To make a study of Humboldt’s description of animals, Buffon and the Russians.) —Science as worship. —About the bear. —Of his first love and how he became a monk—(chastity). —On the nature of Satan? —Anikita goes to Chaadaev to exhort him. He calls Tikhon: the latter comes, argues, and then asks to be forgiven. —On little insects and the universal joy of _Living Life_, Tikhon’s inspiriting stories. —His friendship with the boy, who allows himself to torment Tikhon by pranks. (The devil is in him.) —Tikhon learns of Therese-Philosophe—He blesses him in his downfall and revolt. —Tikhon’s clear stories about life and happiness on earth. Of his family, father, mother, brothers. Extraordinarily simple and therefore moving stories from Tikhon of his transgressions against his people, of pride, ambition, mockery (I wish I could unmake all this again now, Tikhon says). This alone is in itself moving, that he has become friends with the boy. Tikhon’s story of his first love, of children, it is lower to live as a Monk; one must have children, and it is _higher_ when one has a vocation. —Therese-Philosophe disturbed Tikhon. And I thought that he had already been hardened. He vowed obedience to the boy. He obeys him. (Loftily, vigorously, and movingly.) Tikhon says to a certain lady that she is a traitor to Russia as well as a malefactor towards her children; of how they are deprived of childish visions even from their very childhood. The study of them (by Leo Tolstoi and Turgenev), although they are exact, reveals an alien life. Pushkin alone is a real Russian. The boy has at times a low opinion of Tikhon: he is so funny, he does not know things, he is so weak and helpless, he comes to me for advice, but at last he perceives that Tikhon’s mind is as strong as a babe is pure; that he cannot have an evil thought, cannot be tempted, and therefore all his acts are clear and beautiful. -------------- Page 71. Tikhon. On humility (how mighty humility is). All about humility and free will. —Of forgiving the unforgivable sinner (that this torment is the most tormenting). Page 19. The Main Idea. May 3/15.