The Light Shines in Darkness by graf Tolstoy Leo (classic literature books txt) đ
PRIEST. But we are not asked ...
ALEXĂNDRA IVĂNOVNA. Not asked, indeed! Why, I am asking you! He told me yesterday that the Gospels say, "Give to him that asketh of thee." But then in what sense is that meant?
PRIEST. In its plain sense, I suppose.
ALEXĂNDRA IVĂNOVNA. And I think not in the plain sense; we have always been taught that everybody's position is appointed by God.
PRIEST. Of course, but yet ...
ALEXĂNDRA IVĂNOVNA. Oh, yes. It's just as I was told; you take his side, and that is wrong! I say so straight out. If some young school teacher, or some young lad, lickspittles to him, it's bad enough--but you, in your position, should remember the responsibility that rests on you.
PRIEST. I try to ...
ALEXĂNDRA IVĂNOVNA. What sort of religion is it, when he does not go to church, and does not believe in the s
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GENDARME OFFICER. Come here, please. Are you Prince BorĂs SimĂ©novich CheremshĂĄnov, who refuses to take the oath?
BORĂS. I am.
GENDARME OFFICER [sits down and points to a seat opposite] Please sit down.
BORĂS. I think our conversation will be quite useless.
GENDARME OFFICER. I don't think so. At any rate not useless to you. You see it's like this. I am informed that you refuse military service and the oath, and are therefore suspected of belonging to the Revolutionary Party, and that is what I have to investigate. If it is true, we shall have to withdraw you from the service and imprison you or banish you according to the share you have taken in the revolution. If it is not true, we shall leave you to the military authorities. You see I express myself quite frankly to you, and I hope you will treat us in the same way.
BORĂS. In the first place I cannot trust men who wear this sort of thing [pointing to the Gendarme Officer's uniform]. Secondly, your very occupation is one I cannot respect, and for which I have the greatest aversion. But I do not refuse to answer your questions. What do you wish to know?
GENDARME OFFICER. In the first place, tell me your name, your calling, and your religion?
BORĂS. You know all that and I will not reply. Only one of the questions is of great importance to me. I am not what is called an Orthodox Christian.
GENDARME OFFICER. What then is your religion?
BORĂS. I do not label it.
GENDARME OFFICER. But still?âŠ
BORĂS. Well then, the Christian religion, according to the Sermon on the Mount.
GENDARME OFFICER. Write it down [Clerk writes. To BorĂs] Still you recognise yourself as belonging to some nationality or rank.
BORĂS. No, I don't. I recognise myself as a man, and a servant of God.
GENDARME OFFICER. Why don't you consider yourself a member of the Russian Empire?
BORĂS. Because I do not recognise any empires.
GENDARME OFFICER. What do you mean by not recognising? Do you wish to overthrow them?
BORĂS. Certainly I wish it, and work for it.
GENDARME OFFICER [To Clerk] Put that down. [To BorĂs] How do you work for it?
BORĂS. By exposing fraud and lies, and by spreading the truth. When you entered I was telling these soldiers not to believe in the fraud into which they have been drawn.
GENDARME OFFICER. But beside this method of exposing and persuading, do you approve of any others?
BORĂS. No, I not only disapprove, but I consider all violence to be a great sin; and not only violence, but all concealment and craftiness âŠ
GENDARME OFFICER. Write that down. Very well. Now kindly let me know whom you are acquainted with. Do you know Ivashénko?
BORĂS. No.
GENDARME OFFICER. Klein?
BORĂS. I have heard of him, but never met him.
Enter Priest (an old man wearing a cross and carrying a Bible). The Clerk goes up to him and receives his blessing.
GENDARME OFFICER. Well, I think I may stop. I consider that you are not dangerous, and not within our jurisdiction. I wish you a speedy release. Good-day. [Presses BorĂs's hand].
BORĂS. One thing I should like to say to you. Forgive me, but I can't help saying it. Why have you chosen this wicked, cruel profession? I should advise you to give it up.
GENDARME OFFICER [smiles] Thank you for your advice, but I have my reasons. My respects to you. [To Priest] Father, I relinquish my place to you [Exit with Clerk].
PRIEST. How can you so grieve the authorities by refusing to fulfil the duty of a Christian, to serve the Tsar and your Fatherland?
BORĂS [smiling] Just because I want to fulfil my duty as a Christian, I do not wish to be a soldier.
PRIEST. Why don't you wish it? It is said that, âTo lay down one's life for a friendâ is to be a true Christian.âŠ
BORĂS. Yes, to âlay down one's life,â but not to take another man's. That is just what I want to do, to âlay down my life.â
PRIEST. You do not reason rightly, young man. John the Baptist said to the soldiers âŠ
BORĂS [smiling] That only goes to prove that even in those days the soldiers used to rob, and he told them not to!
PRIEST. Well, but why don't you wish to take your oath?
BORĂS. You know that the Gospels forbid it!
PRIEST. Not at all. You know that when Pilate said: âI adjure thee by the living God, art thou the Christ?â the Lord Jesus Christ answered âI am.â That proves that oaths are not forbidden.
BORĂS. Are not you ashamed to talk so? Youâan old man.
PRIEST. Take my advice and don't be obstinate. You and I cannot change the world. Just take your oath and you'll be at ease. Leave it to the Church to know what is a sin and what is not.
BORĂS. Leave it to you? Are you not afraid to take so much sin upon yourself?
PRIEST. What sin? Having been brought up firmly in the faith, and having worked as a priest for thirty years, I can have no sins on my shoulders.
BORĂS. Whose then is the sin, when you deceive such numbers of people? What have these poor fellows got in their heads? [Points to Sentinel].
PRIEST. You and I, young man, will never settle that. It is for us to obey those placed above us.
BORĂS. Leave me alone! I am sorry for you andâI confessâit disgusts me to listen to you. Now if you were like that Generalâbut you come here with a cross and the Testament to persuade me in the name of Christ, to deny Christ! Go [excitedly]. Leave meâGo. Let me be taken back to the cell that I may not see anyone. I am tired, dreadfully tired!
PRIEST. Well, if that is so, good-bye.
Enter Adjutant.
ADJUTANT. Well?
PRIEST. Great obstinacy, great insubordination.
ADJUTANT. So he has refused to take the oath and to serve?
PRIEST. On no account will he.
ADJUTANT. Then he must be taken to the hospital.
PRIEST. And reported as ill? That no doubt would be better, or his example may lead others astray.
ADJUTANT. To be put under observation in the ward for the mentally diseased. Those are my orders.
PRIEST. Certainly. My respects to you. [Exit].
ADJUTANT [approaches BorĂs] Come, please. My orders are to conduct youââ
BORĂS. Where to?
ADJUTANT. First of all to the hospital, where it will be quieter for you, and where you will have time to think things over.
BORĂS. I've thought them over long ago. But let us go! [Exeunt].
Curtain.
Room in Hospital. Head Doctor, Assistant Doctor, an Officer-Patient in a dressing-gown, and two Warders wearing blouses.
PATIENT. I tell you that you are only leading me to perdition. I have already several times felt quite well.
HEAD DOCTOR. You must not get excited. I should be glad to sign an order for you to leave the hospital, but you know yourself that liberty is dangerous for you. If I were sure that you would be looked after âŠ
PATIENT. You think I should take to drink again? No, I have had my lesson, but every extra day I spend here only does me harm. You are doing [gets excited] the opposite of what you ought to do. You are cruel. It's all very well for you!
HEAD DOCTOR. Don't get excited. [Makes a sign to Warders; who come up from behind].
PATIENT. It's easy for you to argue, being at liberty; but how about us who are kept among madmen! [To Warders] What are you after? Be off!
HEAD DOCTOR. I beg of you to be calm.
PATIENT. But I beg and I demand that you set me free. [Yells, and rushes at the Doctor, but the Warders seize him. A struggle; after which he is taken out].
ASSISTANT DOCTOR. There! Now it has begun again. He nearly got at you that time.
HEAD DOCTOR. Alcoholic ⊠nothing can be done. But there is some improvement.
Enter Adjutant.
ADJUTANT. How d'you do.
HEAD DOCTOR. Good morning!
ADJUTANT. I have brought you an interesting fellow, a certain Prince CheremshĂĄnov, who has been conscripted, but on religious grounds refuses to serve. He was sent to the Gendarmes, but they say he does not come within their jurisdiction, not being a political conspirator. The Priest exhorted him, but also without effect.
HEAD DOCTOR [laughing] And then as usual you bring him to us, as the highest Court of Appeal. Well, let's have him.
Exit Assistant Doctor.
ADJUTANT. He is said to be a highly educated young man, and he is engaged to a rich girl. It's extraordinary! I really consider this is the right place for him!
HEAD DOCTOR. Yes, it's a mania.
BorĂs is brought in.
HEAD DOCTOR. Glad to see you. Please take a seat and let's have a chat. [To Adjutant] Please leave us. [Exit Adjutant].
BORĂS. I should like to ask you, if possible, if you mean to lock me up somewhere, to be so good as to do it quickly and let me rest.
HEAD DOCTOR. Excuse me, we must keep the rules. Only a few questions. What do you feel? What are you suffering from?
BORĂS. Nothing. I am perfectly well.
HEAD DOCTOR. Yes, but you are not behaving like other people.
BORĂS. I am behaving as my conscience demands.
HEAD DOCTOR. Well, you see you have refused to perform your military service. On what grounds do you do so?
BORĂS. I am a Christian, and therefore cannot commit murder.
HEAD DOCTOR. But one must defend one's country from her foes, and keep those who want to destroy the social order from evil-doing.
BORĂS. No one is attacking our country; and there are more among the governors who destroy social order, than there are among those whom they oppress.
HEAD DOCTOR. Yes? But what do you mean by that?
BORĂS. I mean this: the chief cause of evilâvĂłdkaâis sold by the Government; false and fraudulent religion is also fostered by the Government; and this military service which they demand of meâand which is the chief means of demoralising the peopleâis also demanded by the Government.
HEAD DOCTOR. Then, in your opinion, Government and the State are unnecessary.
BORĂS. That I don't know; but I know for certain that I must take no part in evil-doing.
HEAD DOCTOR. But what is to become of the world? Is not our reason given in order to enable us to look ahead.
BORĂS. It is also given in order to enable us to see that social order should not be maintained by violence, but by goodness; and that one man's refusal to participate in evil cannot be at all dangerous.
HEAD DOCTOR. Well now, allow me to examine you a bit. Will you have the goodness to lie down? [Begins touching him] You feel no pain here?
BORĂS. No.
HEAD DOCTOR. Nor here?
BORĂS. No.
HEAD DOCTOR. Take a deep breath, please. Now don't breathe. Now allow me [takes out a measure and measures forehead and nose]. Now be so good as to shut your eyes and walk.
BORĂS. Are you not ashamed to do all this?
HEAD DOCTOR. What do you mean?
BORĂS. All this nonsense? You know that I am quite well and that I am sent here because I refuse to take part in their evil deeds, and because they have no answer to give to the truth I told them; and that is why they pretend to think me mad. And you co-operate with them. It is horrid and it is shameful. Don't do
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