Page 805 - the-idiot

world would be glad to welcome you, as a remarkable young
man; and you would soon find yourself able to look at things
more calmly. You would see that all these things are much
simpler than you think; and, besides, these rare cases come
about, in my opinion, from ennui and from satiety.’
‘Exactly, exactly! That is a true thought!’ cried the prince.
‘From ennui, from our ennui but not from satiety! Oh, no,
you are wrong there! Say from THIRST if you like; the thirst
of fever! And please do not suppose that this is so small a
matter that we may have a laugh at it and dismiss it; we must
be able to foresee our disasters and arm against them. We
Russians no sooner arrive at the brink of the water, and re-
alize that we are really at the brink, than we are so delighted
with the outlook that in we plunge and swim to the farthest
point we can see. Why is this? You say you are surprised at
Pavlicheff’s action; you ascribe it to madness, to kindness of
heart, and what not, but it is not so.
‘Our Russian intensity not only astonishes ourselves; all
Europe wonders at our conduct in such cases! For, if one of
us goes over to Roman Catholicism, he is sure to become a
Jesuit at once, and a rabid one into the bargain. If one of us
becomes an Atheist, he must needs begin to insist on the
prohibition of faith in God by force, that is, by the sword.
Why is this? Why does he then exceed all bounds at once?
Because he has found land at last, the fatherland that he
sought in vain before; and, because his soul is rejoiced to
find it, he throws himself upon it and kisses it! Oh, it is not
from vanity alone, it is not from feelings of vanity that Rus-
sians become Atheists and Jesuits! But from spiritual thirst,

0 The Idiot