10 THE BEGINNINGSof this exchange of confidences through third persons, a lasting friendship
was established between Speransky and Martynov, a friendship which
continued after both had abandoned a career in the clergy to take up
government service.^1 This anecdote provides us with our first direct
information on two basic traits in Speransky's psychological make-up.
On the one hand, he showed a cold and disdainful aloofness, stressed
his intellectual superiority, while, on the other hand, he craved for
friendship, esteem, and wished to receive constant proof that he was
loved and respected. Modern psychologists would characterize it as
manifestations of a-basic feeling of inadequacy and insecurity, a
feeling ·that may perhaps be understood in terms of his own humble
origin and the depressing atmosphere of his early training. Because of
this feeling, Speransky avoided all relationships in which his inferiority
- be it social, intellectual, or political - would come to light.
Speransky's academic successes at the Aleksandro-Neskii Seminary
led to his rapid promotion and his superiors' decision to keep him at
the school as a member of the teaching staff. On May 29, 1792, he was
appointed teacher of mathematics, a field for which he had shown
great aptitude and interest. In August of the same year, two courses,
one in physics and another in rhetoric, were entrusted to him. The
teaching and practice of rhetoric resulted in Speransky's writing a
treatise on the subject, "Rules of the art of beautiful speech", in which
he showed his own mastery of the Russian language. At the very same
time, when Karamzin was helping to create a modern, clear, concise
Russian prose, an obscure student and teacher at a theological school
was writing in an equally elegant and modern style, quite unaware of
the efforts of the future Historiographer. On April 8, 1795, Speransky
was promoted to instructor of philosophy and "prefect", that is
supervisor of the student body (a kind of "dean of men"). A brilliant
academic career in the Seminary, should he wish to embrace it, was
open to his talents.^2
1 Martynov, "Zapiski," p. 86.
2 The following is a fellow student's description of Speransky's academic
achievements at the .\kksandro-Nevskii Seminary. \'I'e must make allowance for the
excessive sentimentality as well as for the distorting effect of time, as these
reminiscences go back 40 years; but the basic impression Speransky made on his
fellow students is probably reported accurately: "Speransky surpassed all his comrades
by his successes in pure mathematics, physics, and philosophy. He distinguished
himself by the piety of his thoughts, words, and feeling. His heart even then, one
may say, was fragrant with fresh, clean air. In 1792, as a student, Speransky delivered
a sermon on the Last Judgment... with such enthusiasm, that the signs of
conviction visibly spread on the faces of his listeners ... Metropolitan Gabriel, who
was present in the Church, asked the Rector to convince the young preacher to
take monastic vows; and in this expectation, upon the completion of Speransky's