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〃Sometimes　words；　explanations；　or　even　tears；　but　sometimes；　I

remember；　after　insulting　words；　there　tacitly　followed　embraces

and　declarations。　　Abomination！　　Why　is　it　that　I　did　not　then

perceive　this　baseness？



　

CHAPTER　XIII。



〃All　of　us；　men　and　women；　are　brought　up　in　these　aberrations

of　feeling　that　we　call　love。　　I　from　childhood　had　prepared

myself　for　this　thing；　and　I　loved；　and　I　loved　during　all　my

youth；　and　I　was　joyous　in　loving。　　It　had　been　put　into　my　head

that　it　was　the　noblest　and　highest　occupation　in　the　world。　　But

when　this　expected　feeling　came　at　last；　and　I；　a　man；　abandoned

myself　to　it；　the　lie　was　pierced　through　and　through。　

Theoretically　a　lofty　love　is　conceivable；　practically　it　is　an

ignoble　and　degrading　thing；　which　it　is　equally　disgusting　to

talk　about　and　to　remember。　　It　is　not　in　vain　that　nature　has

made　ceremonies；　but　people　pretend　that　the　ignoble　and　the

shameful　is　beautiful　and　lofty。



〃I　will　tell　you　brutally　and　briefly　what　were　the　first　signs

of　my　love。　　I　abandoned　myself　to　beastly　excesses；　not　only　not

ashamed　of　them；　but　proud　of　them；　giving　no　thought　to　the

intellectual　life　of　my　wife。　　And　not　only　did　I　not　think　of

her　intellectual　life；　I　did　not　even　consider　her　physical　life。



I　was　astonished　at　the　origin　of　our　hostility；　and　yet　how

clear　it　was！　　This　hostility　is　nothing　but　a　protest　of　human

nature　against　the　beast　that　enslaves　it。　　It　could　not　be

otherwise。　　This　hatred　was　the　hatred　of　accomplices　in　a　crime。

Was　it　not　a　crime　that；　this　poor　woman　having　become　pregnant

in　the　first　month；　our　liaison　　should　have　continued　just　the

same？



〃You　imagine　that　I　am　wandering　from　my　story。　　Not　at　all。　　I

am　always　giving　you　an　account　of　the　events　that　led　to　the

murder　of　my　wife。　　The　imbeciles！　　They　think　that　I　killed　my

wife　on　the　5th　of　October。　　It　was　long　before　that　that　I

immolated　her；　just　as　they　all　kill　now。　　Understand　well　that

in　our　society　there　is　an　idea　shared　by　all　that　woman　procures

man　pleasure　（and　vice　versa；　probably；　but　I　know　nothing　of

that；　I　only　know　my　own　case）。　　Wein；　Weiber　und　Gesang。　　So　say

the　poets　in　their　verses：　Wine；　women；　and　song！



〃If　it　were　only　that！　　Take　all　the　poetry；　the　painting；　the

sculpture；　beginning　with　Pouschkine's　'Little　Feet；'　with　'Venus

and　Phryne；'　and　you　will　see　that　woman　is　only　a　means　of

enjoyment。　　That　is　what　she　is　at　Trouba；*　at　Gratchevka；　and　in

a　court　ball…room。　　And　think　of　this　diabolical　trick：　if　she

were　a　thing　without　moral　value；　it　might　be　said　that　woman　is

a　fine　morsel；　but；　in　the　first　place；　these　knights　assure　us

that　they　adore　woman　（they　adore　her　and　look　upon　her；　however；

as　a　means　of　enjoyment）；　then　all　assure　us　that　they　esteem

woman。　　Some　give　up　their　seats　to　her；　pick　up　her

handkerchief；　others　recognize　in　her　a　right　to　fill　all

offices；　participate　in　government；　etc。；　but；　in　spite　of　all

that；　the　essential　point　remains　the　same。　　She　is；　she　remains；

an　object　of　sensual　desire；　and　she　knows　it。　　It　is　slavery；

for　slavery　is　nothing　else　than　the　utilization　of　the　labor　of

some　for　the　enjoyment　of　others。　　That　slavery　may　not　exist

people　must　refuse　to　enjoy　the　labor　of　others；　and　look　upon　it

as　a　shameful　act　and　as　a　sin。



*A　suburb　of　Moscow。





〃Actually；　this　is　what　happens。　　They　abolish　the　external

form；　they　suppress　the　formal　sales　of　slaves；　and　then　they

imagine　and　assure　others　that　slavery　is　abolished。　　They　are

unwilling　to　see　that　it　still　exists；　since　people；　as　before；

like　to　profit　by　the　labor　of　others；　and　think　it　good　and

just。　　This　being　given；　there　will　always　be　found　beings

stronger　or　more　cunning　than　others　to　profit　thereby。　　The　same

thing　happens　in　the　emancipation　of　woman。　　At　bottom　feminine

servitude　consists　entirely　in　her　assimilation　with　a　means　of

pleasure。　　They　excite　woman；　they　give　her　all　sorts　of　rights

equal　to　those　of　men；　but　they　continue　to　look　upon　her　as　an

object　of　sensual　desire；　and　thus　they　bring　her　up　from　infancy

and　in　public　opinion。



〃She　is　always　the　humiliated　and　corrupt　serf；　and　man　remains

always　the　debauched　Master。　　Yes；　to　abolish　slavery；　public

opinion　must　admit　that　it　is　shameful　to　exploit　one's　neighbor；

and；　to　make　woman　free；　public　opinion　must　admit　that　it　is

shameful　to　consider　woman　as　an　instrument　of　pleasure。



〃The　emancipation　of　woman　is　not　to　be　effected　in　the　public

courts　or　in　the　chamber　of　deputies；　but　in　the　sleeping

chamber。　　Prostitution　is　to　be　combated；　not　in　the　houses　of

ill…fame；　but　in　the　family。　　They　free　woman　in　the　public

courts　and　in　the　chamber　of　deputies；　but　she　remains　an

instrument。　　Teach　her；　as　she　is　taught　among　us；　to　look　upon

herself　as　such；　and　she　will　always　remain　an　inferior　being。　

Either；　with　the　aid　of　the　rascally　doctors；　she　will　try　to

prevent　conception；　and　descend；　not　to　the　level　of　an　animal；

but　to　the　level　of　a　thing；　or　she　will　be　what　she　is　in　the

great　majority　of　cases；sick；　hysterical；　wretched；　without

hope　of　spiritual　progress。〃　。　。　。



〃But　why　that？〃　I　asked。



〃Oh！　the　most　astonishing　thing　is　that　no　one　is　willing　to　see

this　thing；　evident　as　it　is；　which　the　doctors　must　understand；

but　which　they　take　good　care　not　to　do。　　Man　does　not　wish　to

know　the　law　of　nature；children。　　But　children　are　born　and

become　an　embarrassment。　　Then　man　devises　means　of　avoiding　this

embarrassment。　　We　have　not　yet　reached　the　low　level　of　Europe；

nor　Paris；　nor　the　'system　of　two　children；'　nor　Mahomet。　　We

have　discovered　nothing；　because　we　have　given　it　no　thought。　　We

feel　that　there　is　something　bad　in　the　two　first　means；　but　we

wish　to　preserve　the　family；　and　our　view　of　woman　is　still

worse。



〃With　us　woman　must　be　at　the　same　time　mistress　and　nurse；　and

her　strength　is　not　sufficient。　　That　is　why　we　have　hysteria；

nervous　attacks；　and；　among　the　peasants；　witchcraft。　　Note　that

among　the　young　girls　of　the　peasantry　this　state　of　things　does

not　exist；　but　only　among　the　wives；　and　the　wives　who　live　with

their　husbands。　　The　reason　is　clear；　and　this　is　the　cause　of

the　intellectual　and　moral　decline　of　woman；　and　of　her

abasement。



〃If　they　would　only　reflect　what　a　grand　work　for　the　wife　is　the

period　of　gestation！　　In　her　is　forming　the　being　who　continues

us；　and　this　holy　work　is　thwarted　and　rendered　painful　。　。　。　by

what？　　It　is　frightful　to　think　of　it！　　And　after　that　they　talk

of　the　liberties　and　the　rights　of　woman！　　It　is　like　the

cannibals　fattening　their　prisoners　in　order　to　devour　them；　and

assuring　these　unfortunates　at　the　same　time　that　their　rights

and　their　liberties　are　guarded！〃



All　this　was　new　to　me；　and　astonished　me　very　much。



〃But　if　this　is　so；〃　said　I；　〃it　follows　that　one　may　love　his

wife　only　once　every　two　years；　and　as　man〃　。　。　。



〃And　as　man　has　need　of　her；　you　are　going　to　say。　　At　least；　so

the　priests　of　science　assure　us。　　I　would　force　these　priests　to

fulfil　the　function　of　these　women；　who；　in　their　opinion；　are

necessary　to　man。　　I　wonder　what　song　they　would　sing　then。　

Assure　man　that　he　needs　brandy；　tobacco；　opium；　and　he　will

believe　those　poisons　necessary。　　It　follows　that　God　did　not

know　how　to　arrange　matters　properly；　since；　without　asking　the

opinions　of　the　priests；　he　has　combined　things　as　they　are。　　Man

needs；　so　they　have　decided；　to　satisfy　his　sensual　desire；　and

here　this　function　is　disturbed　by　the　birth　and　the　nursing　of

children。



〃What；　then；　is　to　be　done？　　Why；　apply　to　the　priests；　they　will

arrange　everything；　and　they　have　really　discovered　a　way。　　When；

then；　will　these　rascals　with　their　lies　be　uncrowned！　　It　is

high　time。　　We　have　had　enough　of　them。　　People　go　mad；　and　shoot

each　other　with　revolvers；　and　always　because　of　that！　　And　how

could　it　be　otherwise？



〃One　would　say　that　the　animals　know　that　descent　continues　their

race；　and　that　they　follow　a　certain　law　in　regard　thereto。　　Only

man　does　not　know　this；　and　is　unwilling　to　know　it。　He　cares

only　to　have　as　much　sensual　enjoyment　as　possible。　　The　king　of

nature；man！　In　the　name　of　his　love　he　kills　half　the　human

race。　　Of　woman；　who　ought　to　be　his　aid　in　the　movement　of

humanity　toward　liberty；　he　makes；　in　the　name　of　his　pleasures；

not　an　aid；　but　an　enemy。　　Who　is　it　that　everywhere　puts　a　check

upon　the　progressive　movement　of　humanity？　　Woman。　　Why　is　it　so？



For　the　reason　that　I　have　given；　and　for　that　reason　only。



　　

CHAPTER　XIV。



〃Yes；　much　worse　than　the　animal　is　man　when　he　does　not　live　as

a　man。　　Thus　was　I。　　The　horrible　part　is　that　I　believed；

inasmuch　as　I　did　not　allow　myself　to　be　seduced　by　other　women

that　I　was　leading　a