Book Five : 1806-07 - Chapter 4

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Soon after this there came into the dark chamber to fetch Pierre,

not the Rhetor but Pierre's sponsor, Willarski, whom he recognized

by his voice. To fresh questions as to the firmness of his

resolution Pierre replied: "Yes, yes, I agree," and with a beaming,

childlike smile, his fat chest uncovered, stepping unevenly and

timidly in one slippered and one booted foot, he advanced, while

Willarski held a sword to his bare chest. He was conducted from that

room along passages that turned backwards and forwards and was at last

brought to the doors of the Lodge. Willarski coughed, he was

answered by the Masonic knock with mallets, the doors opened before

them. A bass voice (Pierre was still blindfold) questioned him as to

who he was, when and where he was born, and so on. Then he was again

led somewhere still blindfold, and as they went along he was told

allegories of the toils of his pilgrimage, of holy friendship, of

the Eternal Architect of the universe, and of the courage with which

he should endure toils and dangers. During these wanderings, Pierre

noticed that he was spoken of now as the "Seeker," now as the

"Sufferer," and now as the "Postulant," to the accompaniment of

various knockings with mallets and swords. As he was being led up to

some object he noticed a hesitation and uncertainty among his

conductors. He heard those around him disputing in whispers and one of

them insisting that he should be led along a certain carpet. After

that they took his right hand, placed it on something, and told him to

hold a pair of compasses to his left breast with the other hand and to

repeat after someone who read aloud an oath of fidelity to the laws of

the Order. The candles were then extinguished and some spirit lighted,

as Pierre knew by the smell, and he was told that he would now see the

lesser light. The bandage was taken off his eyes and, by the faint

light of the burning spirit, Pierre, as in a dream, saw several men

standing before him, wearing aprons like the Rhetor's and holding

swords in their hands pointed at his breast. Among them stood a man

whose white shirt was stained with blood. On seeing this, Pierre moved

forward with his breast toward the swords, meaning them to pierce

it. But the swords were drawn back from him and he was at once

blindfolded again.

"Now thou hast seen the lesser light," uttered a voice. Then the

candles were relit and he was told that he would see the full light;

the bandage was again removed and more than ten voices said

together: "Sic transit gloria mundi."

Pierre gradually began to recover himself and looked about at the

room and at the people in it. Round a long table covered with black

sat some twelve men in garments like those he had already seen. Some

of them Pierre had met in Petersburg society. In the President's chair

sat a young man he did not know, with a peculiar cross hanging from

his neck. On his right sat the Italian abbe whom Pierre had met at

Anna Pavlovna's two years before. There were also present a very

distinguished dignitary and a Swiss who had formerly been tutor at the

Kuragins'. All maintained a solemn silence, listening to the words

of the President, who held a mallet in his hand. Let into the wall was

a star-shaped light. At one side of the table was a small carpet

with various figures worked upon it, at the other was something

resembling an altar on which lay a Testament and a skull. Round it

stood seven large candlesticks like those used in churches. Two of the

brothers led Pierre up to the altar, placed his feet at right

angles, and bade him lie down, saying that he must prostrate himself

at the Gates of the Temple.

"He must first receive the trowel," whispered one of the brothers.

"Oh, hush, please!" said another.

Pierre, perplexed, looked round with his shortsighted eyes without

obeying, and suddenly doubts arose in his mind. "Where am I? What am I

doing? Aren't they laughing at me? Shan't I be ashamed to remember

this?" But these doubts only lasted a moment. Pierre glanced at the

serious faces of those around, remembered all he had already gone

through, and realized that he could not stop halfway. He was aghast at

his hesitation and, trying to arouse his former devotional feeling,

prostrated himself before the Gates of the Temple. And really, the

feeling of devotion returned to him even more strongly than before.

When he had lain there some time, he was told to get up, and a white

leather apron, such as the others wore, was put on him: he was given a

trowel and three pairs of gloves, and then the Grand Master

addressed him. He told him that he should try to do nothing to stain

the whiteness of that apron, which symbolized strength and purity;

then of the unexplained trowel, he told him to toil with it to cleanse

his own heart from vice, and indulgently to smooth with it the heart

of his neighbor. As to the first pair of gloves, a man's, he said that

Pierre could not know their meaning but must keep them. The second

pair of man's gloves he was to wear at the meetings, and finally of

the third, a pair of women's gloves, he said: "Dear brother, these

woman's gloves are intended for you too. Give them to the woman whom

you shall honor most of all. This gift will be a pledge of your purity

of heart to her whom you select to be your worthy helpmeet in

Masonry." And after a pause, he added: "But beware, dear brother, that

these gloves do not deck hands that are unclean." While the Grand

Master said these last words it seemed to Pierre that he grew

embarrassed. Pierre himself grew still more confused, blushed like a

child till tears came to his eyes, began looking about him uneasily,

and an awkward pause followed.

This silence was broken by one of the brethren, who led Pierre up to

the rug and began reading to him from a manuscript book an explanation

of all the figures on it: the sun, the moon, a hammer, a plumb line, a

trowel, a rough stone and a squared stone, a pillar, three windows,

and so on. Then a place was assigned to Pierre, he was shown the signs

of the Lodge, told the password, and at last was permitted to sit

down. The Grand Master began reading the statutes. They were very

long, and Pierre, from joy, agitation, and embarrassment, was not in a

state to understand what was being read. He managed to follow only the

last words of the statutes and these remained in his mind.

"In our temples we recognize no other distinctions," read the

Grand Master, "but those between virtue and vice. Beware of making any

distinctions which may infringe equality. Fly to a brother's aid

whoever he may be, exhort him who goeth astray, raise him that

falleth, never bear malice or enmity toward thy brother. Be kindly and

courteous. Kindle in all hearts the flame of virtue. Share thy

happiness with thy neighbor, and may envy never dim the purity of that

bliss. Forgive thy enemy, do not avenge thyself except by doing him

good. Thus fulfilling the highest law thou shalt regain traces of

the ancient dignity which thou hast lost."

He finished and, getting up, embraced and kissed Pierre, who, with

tears of joy in his eyes, looked round him, not knowing how to

answer the congratulations and greetings from acquaintances that met

him on all sides. He acknowledged no acquaintances but saw in all

these men only brothers, and burned with impatience to set to work

with them.

The Grand Master rapped with his mallet. All the Masons sat down

in their places, and one of them read an exhortation on the

necessity of humility.

The Grand Master proposed that the last duty should be performed,

and the distinguished dignitary who bore the title of "Collector of

Alms" went round to all the brothers. Pierre would have liked to

subscribe all he had, but fearing that it might look like pride

subscribed the same amount as the others.

The meeting was at an end, and on reaching home Pierre felt as if he

had returned from a long journey on which he had spent dozens of

years, had become completely changed, and had quite left behind his

former habits and way of life.

Read next: Book Five : 1806-07#Chapter 5

Read previous: Book Five : 1806-07#Chapter 3

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