the origins of contemporary france-5-第14章

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postpones　his　design〃　and　falls　back　on　the　second　course。　〃This　is

the　only　motive　of　his　expedition　into　Egypt。〃＇39＇　…　That；　in　the

actual　condition　of　France　and　of　Europe；　the　expedition　is　opposed　to

public　interests；　that　France　deprives　itself　of　its　best　army　and

offers　its　best　fleet　to　almost　certain　destruction；　is　of　little

consequence　provided；　in　this　vast　and　gratuitous　adventure；　Bonaparte

finds　the　employment　he　wants；　a　large　field　of　action　and　famous

victories　which；　like　the　blasts　of　a　trumpet；　will　swell　beyond　the

seas　and　renew　his　prestige：　in　his　eyes；　the　fleet；　the　army；　France；

and　humanity　exist　only　for　him　and　are　created　only　for　his　service。

…　If；　in　confirmation　of　this　persuasion；　another　lesson　in　things　is

still　necessary；　it　will　be　furnished　by　Egypt。　　Here；　absolute

sovereign；　free　of　any　restraint；　contending　with　an　inferior　order　of

humanity；　he　acts　the　sultan　and　accustoms　himself　to　playing　the

part。＇40＇　His　last　scruples　towards　the　human　species　disappear；　〃I

became　disgusted　with　Rousseau〃；　he　is　to　say；　later　on；　〃After　seeing

the　Orient：　the　savage　man　is　a　dog；〃＇41＇　and；　in　the　civilized　man；

the　savage　is　just　beneath　the　skin；　if　the　intellect　has　become

somewhat　polished；　there　is　no　change　in　his　instincts。　　A　master　is

as　necessary　to　one　as　to　the　other　…　a　magician　who　subjugates　his

imagination；　disciplines　him；　keeps　him　from　biting　without　occasion；

ties　him　up；　cares　for　him；　and　takes　him　out　hunting。　　He　is　born　to

obey；　does　not　deserve　any　better　lot；　and　has　no　other　right。



Become　consul　and　afterward　emperor；　he　applies　the　theory　on　a　grand

scale；　and；　in　his　hands；　experience　daily　furnishes　fresh

verifications　of　the　theory。　　At　his　first　nod　the　French　prostrate

themselves　obediently；　and　there　remain；　as　in　a　natural　position；　the

lower　class；　the　peasants　and　the　soldiers；　with　animal　fidelity；　and

the　upper　class；　the　dignitaries　and　the　functionaries；　with　Byzantine

servility。…　The　republicans；　on　their　side；　make　no　resistance；　on　the

contrary；　among　these　he　has　found　his　best　governing　instruments　…

senators；　deputies；　state　councilors；　judges；　and　administrators　of

every　grade。＇42＇　　He　has　at　once　detected　behind　their　sermonizing　on

liberty　and　equality；　their　despotic　instincts；　their　craving　for

command；　for　leadership；　even　as　subordinates；　and；　in　addition　to

this；　with　most　of　them；　the　appetite　for　money　or　for　sensual

pleasures。　　The　difference　between　the　delegate　of　the　Committee　of

Public　Safety　and　the　minister；　prefect；　or　subprefect　under　the

Empire　is　small；　it　is　the　same　person　in　two　costumes：　at　first　in

the　carmagnole；　and　later　in　the　embroidered　coat。　　If　a　rude；　poor

puritan；　like　Cambon　or　Baudot；　refuses　to　don　the　official　uniform；

if　two　or　three　Jacobin　generals；　like　Lecourbe　and　Delmas；　grumble　at

the　coronation　parade；　Napoleon；　who　knows　their　mental　grasp；　regards

them　as　ignoramuses；　limited　to　and　rigid　inside　a　fixed　idea。　…　As　to

the　cultivated　and　intelligent　liberals　of　1789；　he　consigns　them　with

a　word　to　the　place　where　they　belong；　they　are　〃ideologists〃；　in

other　words；　their　pretended　knowledge　is　mere　drawing…room　prejudice

and　the　imagination　of　the　study。　　〃Lafayette　is　a　political　ninny；〃

the　eternal　〃dupe　of　men　and　of　things。〃＇43＇　　With　Lafayette　and　some

others；　one　embarrassing　detail　remains　namely：



*　impartiality　and　generosity；

*　constant　care　for　the　common　good；

*　respect　for　others；

*　the　authority　of　conscience；

*　loyalty；

*　and　good　faith。



In　short；　noble　and　pure　motives。



Napoleon　does　not　accept　the　denial　thus　given　to　his　theory；　when　he

talks　with　people；　he　questions　their　moral　nobleness。　　〃General

Dumas；〃＇44＇　said　he；　abruptly；　to　Mathieu　Dumas；　〃you　were　one　of　the

imbeciles　who　believed　in　liberty？〃　〃Yes；　sire；　and　I　was　and　am　still

one　of　that　class。〃　〃And　you；　like　the　rest；　took　part　in　the

Revolution　through　ambition？〃　〃No；　sire；　I　should　have　calculated

badly；　for　I　am　now　precisely　where　I　stood　in　1790。〃



〃You　were　not　sufficiently　aware　of　the　motives　which　prompted　you；

you　cannot　be　different　from　other　people；　it　is　all　personal

interest。　　Now；　take　Massena。　　He　has　glory　and　honors　enough；　but　he

is　not　content。　　He　wants　to　be　a　prince；　like　Murat　and　like

Bernadotte。　　He　would　risk　being　shot　to…morrow　to　be　a　prince。　　That

is　the　incentive　of　Frenchmen。〃　…



His　system　is　based　on　this。　　The　most　competent　witnesses；　and　those

who　were　most　familiar　with　him　certify　to　his　fixed　idea　on　this

point。



　〃His　opinions　on　men；〃　writes　M。　de　Metternich；＇45＇　〃centered　on　one

idea；　which；　unfortunately　for　him；　had　acquired　in　his　mind　the　force

of　an　axiom；　he　was　persuaded　that　no　man　who　was　induced　to　appear　on

the　public　stage；　or　who　was　merely　engaged　in　the　active　pursuits　of

life；　governed　himself；　or　was　governed；　otherwise　than　by　his

interest。〃



According　to　him；　Man　is　held　through　his　egoistic　passions；　fear；

cupidity；　sensuality；　self…esteem；　and　emulation；　these　are　the

mainsprings　when　he　is　not　under　excitement；　when　he　reasons。

Moreover；　it　is　not　difficult　to　turn　the　brain　of　man；　for　he　is

imaginative；　credulous；　and　subject　to　being　carried　away；　stimulate

his　pride　or　vanity；　provide　him　with　an　extreme　and　false　opinion　of

himself　and　of　his　fellow…men；　and　you　can　start　him　off　head　downward

wherever　you　please。＇46＇　…　None　of　these　motives　is　entitled　to　much

respect；　and　beings　thus　fashioned　form　the　natural　material　for　an

absolute　government；　the　mass　of　clay　awaiting　the　potter's　hand　to

shape　it。　　If　parts　of　this　mass　are　obdurate；　the　potter　has　only　to

crush　and　pound　them　and　mix　them　thoroughly。



Such　is　the　final　conception　on　which　Napoleon　has　anchored　himself；

and　into　which　he　sinks　deeper　and　deeper；　no　matter　how　directly　and

violently　he　may　be　contradicted　by　palpable　facts。　　Nothing　will

dislodge　him；　neither　the　stubborn　energy　of　the　English；　nor　the

inflexible　gentleness　of　the　Pope；　nor　the　declared　insurrection　of

the　Spaniards；　nor　the　mute　insurrection　of　the　Germans；　nor　the

resistance　of　Catholic　consciences；　nor　the　gradual　disaffection　of

the　French；　the　reason　is；　that　his　conception　is　imposed　on　him　by

his　character；＇47＇　he　sees　man　as　he　needs　to　see　him。





III。　Napoleon's　Dominant　Passion：　Power。



His　mastery　of　the　will　of　others。　…　Degree　of　submission　required　by

him。　…　His　mode　of　appreciating　others　and　of　profiting　by　them。　…

Tone　of　command　and　of　conversation。



We　at　last　confront　his　dominant　passion；　the　inward　abyss　into　which

instinct；　education；　reflection；　and　theory　have　plunged　him；　and

which　is　to　engulf　the　proud　edifice　of　his　fortune　…　I　mean；　his

ambition。　　It　is　the　prime　motor　of　his　soul　and　the　permanent

substance　of　his　will；　so　profound　that　he　no　longer　distinguishes

between　it　and　himself；　and　of　which　he　is　sometimes　unconscious。



　〃I；〃　said　he　to　Roederer；＇48＇　〃I　have　no　ambition；〃　and　then；

recollecting　himself；　he　adds；　with　his　ordinary　lucidity；　〃or；　if　I

have　any；　it　is　so　natural　to　me；　so　innate；　so　intimately　associated

with　my　existence；　that　it　is　like　the　blood　which　flows　in　my　veins

and　the　atmosphere　I　breathe。〃　…



Still　more　profoundly；　he　likens　it　to　that　unconscious；　savage；　and

irresistible　emotion　which　vibrates　the　soul　from　one　end　to　the

other；　to　this　universal　thrill　moving　all　living　beings；　animal　or

moral；　to　those　keen　and　terrible　tremors　which　we　call　the　passion　of

love。



〃I　have　but　one　passion；＇49＇　one　mistress；　and　that　is　France。　　I

sleep　with　her。　　She　has　never　been　false　to　me。　　She　lavishes　her

blood　and　treasures　on　me。　　If　I　need　500；000　men；　she　gives　them　to

me。〃



Let　no　one　come　between　him　and　her。　　Let　Joseph；　in　relation　to　the

coronation；　abstain　from　claiming　his　place；　even　secondary　and

prospective；　in　the　new　empire；　let　him　not　put　forth　his　fraternal

rights。＇50＇　〃It　is　to　wound　me　in　the　most　tender　spot。〃　This　he　does；

and；　〃Nothing　can　efface　that　from　my　souvenirs。　　It　is　as　if　he　had

told　an　impassioned　lover　that　he　had　slept　with　his　mistress；　or

merely　that　he　hoped　to　succeed　with　her。　　My　mistress　is　power。　　I

have　worked　too　hard　to　obtain　her；　to　let　her　be　ravished　from　me；　or

even　suffer　anybody　to　covet　her。〃　This　ambition；　as　avid　as　it　is

jealous；　which　becomes　exasperated　at　the　very　idea　of　a　rival；　feels

hampered　by　the　mere　idea　of　setting　a　limit　to　it；　however　vast　the

acquired　power；　he　would　like　to　have　it　still　more　vast；　on　quitting

the　most　copious　banquet；　he　still　remains　insatiate。　　On　the　day

after　the　coronation　he　said　to　Decrés：＇51＇



　〃I　come　too　late；　there　is　no　longer　anything　great　to　accomplish。　　I

admit　that　my　career　is　brilliant　and　that　I　have　made　my　way

successfully。　　But　what　a　difference　alongside　of　antiquity！　Take

Alexander！　After　having　conquered　Asia；　and　proclaimed　himself　to　the

people　as　the　son　of　Jupiter；　with　the　exception　of　Olympias；　who　knew

what　all　this　meant；　and　Aristotle；　and　a　few　Athenian　pedants；　the

entire　Orient　believed　him。　Very　well；　should　I　now　declare　that　I　was

the　son　of　God　Almighty；　and　proclaim　that　I　am　going　to　worship　him

under　this　title；　every　market　woman　would　hoot　at　me　as　I　walked

along　the　streets。　　People　nowadays　know　too　much。　　Nothing　is　left　to

do。〃



And　yet；　even　on　this　secluded；　elevated　domain；　and　which　twenty

centuries　of　civilization　keeps　inaccessible；　he　still　encroaches；　and

to　the　utmost；　in　a　roundabout　way；　by　laying　his　hand　on　the　Church；

and　next　on　the　Pope；　here；　as　elsewhere；　he　takes　all　he　can　get。

Nothing　in　his　eyes；　is　more　natural；　he　has　a　right　to　it；　because　he

is　the　only　capable　one。



　〃My　Italian　people＇52＇　must　know　me　well　enough　not　to　forget　that

there　is　more　in　my　little　finger　than　in　all　their　brains　put

together。〃



Alongside　of　him；　they　are　children；　〃minors；〃　the　French　also；　and

likewise　the　rest　of　mankind。　　A　diplomat；　who　often　saw　him　and

studied　him　under　all　as　aspects；　sums　up　his　character　in　one

conclusive　phrase：



〃He　considered　himself　an　isolated　being　in　this　world；　made　to　govern

and　direct　all　minds　as　he　pleased。〃＇53＇



Hence；　whoever　has　anything　to　do　with　him；　must　abandon　his

independence　and　become　his　tool　of　government。



〃That　terrible　man；〃　often　exclaimed　Decrés＇54＇　〃has　subjugated　us

all！　He　holds　all　our　imaginations　in　his　hands；　now　of　steel　and　now

of　velvet；　but　whether　one　or　the　other　during　the　day　nobody　knows；

and　there　is　no　way　to　escape　from　them　whatever　they　seize　on　they

never　let　go！〃



Independence　of　any　kind；　even　eventual　and　merely　possible；　puts　him


in　a　bad　mood；　intellectual　or　moral　superiority　is　of　this　order；　and

he　gradually　gets　rid　of　it；＇55＇　toward　the　end