xecution of his intention by
dressing his son in Highland garb: the lad of twelve began to go about
with bare knees, and with a cock's feather in his crush-cap; the Swede
was superseded by a young Swiss man, who had learned gymnastics to
perfection; music, as an occupation unworthy of a man, was banished
forever; the natural sciences, international law, mathematics, the
carpenter's trade after the advice of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and
heraldry, for the maintenance of knightly sentiments--these were the
things wherewith the future "man" was to occupy himself; he was waked at
four o'clock in the morning, was immediately drenched with cold water,
and made to run around a tall pillar, at the end of a rope; he ate once a
day, one dish, rode on horseback, practised firing a cross-bow; on every
convenient opportunity he exercised his strength of will, after the model
of his parent, and every evening he noted down in a special book an
account of the past day and his impressions; and Ivan Petrovitch, on
his side, wrote him precepts in French, in which he called him _mon
fils_, and addressed him as _vous_. In Russian Fedya called his father
"thou," but he dared not sit down in his presence. The "system"
bewildered the boy, introduced confusion into his head, squeezed it; but,
on the other hand, the new mode of life acted beneficially on his health:
at first he caught a fever, but soon recovered, and became a fine,
dashing fellow. His father was proud of him, and called him, in his
strange jargon: "A son of nature, my product." When Fedya reached the
age of sixteen, Ivan Petrovitch regarded it as his duty to instil into
him betimes scorn for the fair sex,--and the youthful Spartan, with
timidity in his soul, with the first down upon his lips, full of vigour,
strength, and blood, attempted to appear indifferent, cold, and harsh.

Meanwhile, time passed and passed. Ivan Petrovitch spent the greater
part of the year at Lavriki (that was the name of his paternal estate),
and in the winters he went alone to Moscow, stopped at an inn, diligently
frequented the club, orated and set forth his plans in drawing-rooms, and
conducted himself more like an Anglomaniac, a grumbler, and a statesman
than ever. But the year 1825 arrived, and brought with it much woe.[5]
Ivan Petrovitch's intimate friends and acquaintances were subjected to
severe trials. Ivan Petrovitch made haste to retreat to his country
estate, and locked himself up in his house.