van. There have been here, Dunaiev, Posha,Maria Vasilievna.21 They left yesterday. Yeterday also I went to see Maria Alexandrovna;she is ill. To-day Aunt Tanya22 and Sonya came.

I didn’t sleep at night and therefore didn't work. But I wrote on the girl Konefsky23 anda little in my journal. I am reading Schopenhauer’s24 "Aphorisms." Very good. Only put "The service of God" instead of "The recognition of the vanity of life," and we agree.

Now 2 o’clock, I shall write out later what I have noted down.25

December 7. Moscow.

Almost a month since I have made any entries. During this time we moved to Moscow. The weakness has passed a little, and I am working earnestly, though with little success, on the Declaration of Faith.26 Yesterday I wrote a little article on whipping.27 I lay down to sleep in the day and had just dozed off—I felt as if some one jerked me; I got up, began to think about whipping, and wrote it out.

During this time, I went to the theatre28 for the rehearsals of the Power of Darkness. Art, beginning as a game, has continued to be the toy ofadults. This is also proved by music, of which I have heard much. It is ineffectual. On the contrary, it detracts when there is ascribed to it