the origins of contemporary france-5-第16章

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mistresses。　　Undeceive　yourselves。　　I　shall　keep　you　under　arms　until

you　are　eighty。　　You　were　born　to　the　bivouac；　and　you　shall　die

there。〃



How　he　treats　his　brothers　and　relations　who　have　become　kings；　how　he

reins　them　in；　how　he　applies　the　spur　and　the　whip　and　makes　them

trot　and　jump　fences　and　ditches；　may　be　found　in　his　correspondence；

every　stray　impulse　to　take　the　lead；　even　when　justified　by　an

unforeseen　urgency　and　with　the　most　evident　good　intention；　is

suppressed　as　a　deviation；　is　arrested　with　a　brusque　roughness　which

strains　the　loins　and　weakens　the　knees　of　the　delinquent。　　The

amiable　Prince　Eugene；　so　obedient　and　so　loyal；＇77＇　is　thus　warned：



〃If　you　want　orders　or　advice　from　His　Majesty　in　the　alteration　of

the　ceiling　of　your　room　you　should　wait　till　you　get　them；　were　Milan

burning　and　you　asked　orders　for　putting　out　the　fire；　you　should　let

Milan　burn　until　you　got　them。　。　。　His　Majesty　is　displeased；　and　very

much　displeased；　with　you；　you　must　never　attempt　to　do　his　work。

Never　does　he　like　this；　and　he　will　never　forgive　it。〃



This　enables　us　to　judge　of　his　tone　with　subalterns。　　The　French

battalions　are　refused　admission　into　certain　places　in　Holland：＇78＇



　〃Announce　to　the　King　of　Holland；　that　if　his　ministers　have　acted　on

their　own　responsibility；　I　will　have　them　arrested　and　all　their

heads　cut　off。〃



He　says　to　M。　de　Ségur；　member　of　the　Academy　commission　which　had

just　approved　M。　de　Chateaubriand's　discourse：＇79＇



　〃You；　and　M。　de　Fontaines；　as　state　councillor　and　grand　master；　I

ought　to　put　in　Vincennes。　。　。　。　Tell　the　second　class　of　the

Institute　that　I　will　have　no　political　subjects　treated　at　its

meetings。　。　。　。　。If　it　disobeys；　I　will　break　it　up　like　a　bad　club。



Even　when　not　angry　or　scolding；＇80＇　when　the　claws　are　drawn　in；　one

feels　the　clutch。　　He　says　to　Beugnot；　whom　he　has　just　berated；

scandalously　and　unjustly；　…　conscious　of　having　done　him　injustice

and　with　a　view　to　produce　an　effect　on　the　bystanders；　…



〃Well；　you　great　imbecile；　you　have　got　back　your　brains？〃



On　this；　Beugnot；　tall　as　a　drum…major；　bows　very　low；　while　the

smaller　man；　raising　his　hand；　seizes　him　by　the　ear；　〃a　heady　mark　of

favor；〃　says　Beugnot；　a　sign　of　familiarity　and　of　returning　good

humor。　　And　better　yet；　the　master　deigns　to　lecture　Beugnot　on　his

personal　tastes；　on　his　regrets；　on　his　wish　to　return　to　France：　What

would　he　like？　To　be　his　minister　in　Paris？　〃Judging　by　what　he　saw　of

me　the　other　day　I　should　not　be　there　very　long；　I　might　die　of　worry

before　the　end　of　the　month。〃　He　has　already　killed　Portalis；　Cretet；

and　almost　Treilhard；　even　though　he　had　led　a　hard　life：　he　could　no

longer　urinate；　nor　the　others　either。　　The　same　thing　would　have

happened　to　Beignot；　if　not　worse。　。　。　。



〃　Stay　here　。　。　。　。　after　which　you　will　be　old；　or　rather　we　all

shall　be　old；　and　I　will　send　you　to　the　Senate　to　drivel　at　your

ease。〃



Evidently；＇81　the　nearer　one　is　to　his　person　the　more　disagreeable

life　becomes。＇82＇　〃Admirably　served；　promptly　obeyed　to　the　minute；　he

still　delights　in　keeping　everybody　around　him　in　terror　concerning

the　details　of　all　that　goes　on　in　his　palace。〃　Has　any　difficult　task

been　accomplished？　He　expresses　no　thanks；　never　or　scarcely　ever

praises；　and；　which　happens　but　once；　in　the　case　of　M。　de　Champagny；

Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　who　is　praised　for　having　finished　the

treaty　of　Vienna　in　one　night；　and　with　unexpected　advantages；＇83＇

this　time；　the　Emperor　has　thought　aloud；　is　taken　by　surprise；

〃ordinarily；　he　manifests　approbation　only　by　his　silence。〃　…　When　M。

de　Rémusat；　prefect　of　the　palace；　has　arranged　〃one　of　those

magnificent　fêtes　in　which　all　the　arts　minister　to　his　enjoyment；〃

economically；　correctly；　with　splendor　and　success；　his　wife　never

asks　her　husband＇84＇　if　the　Emperor　is　satisfied；　but　whether　he　has

scolded　more　or　less。



〃His　leading　general　principle；　which　he　applies　in　every　way；　in

great　things　as　well　as　in　small　ones；　is　that　a　man's　zeal　depends

upon　his　anxiety。〃



How　insupportable　the　constraint　he　exercises；　with　what　crushing

weight　his　absolutism　bears　down　on　the　most　tried　devotion　and　on　the

most　pliable　characters；　with　what　excess　he　tramples　on　and　wounds

the　best　dispositions；　up　to　what　point　he　represses　and　stifles　the

respiration　of　the　human　being；　he　knows　as　well　as　anybody。　　He　was

heard　to　say；



　〃The　lucky　man　is　he　who　hides　away　from　me　in　the　depths　of　some

province。〃



And；　another　day；　having　asked　M。　de　Ségur　what　people　would　say　of

him　after　his　death；　the　latter　enlarged　on　the　regrets　which　would　be

universally　expressed。　　〃Not　at　all；〃　replied　the　Emperor；　and　then；

drawing　in　his　breath　in　a　significant　manner　indicative　of　universal

relief；　he　replied；



〃They'll　say；　'Whew！'〃＇85＇





IV。　His　Bad　Manners。



His　bearings　in　Society。　…　His　deportment　toward　Women。　…　His　disdain

of　Politeness。



There　are　very　few　monarchs；　even　absolute；　who　persistently；　arid

from　morning　to　night；　maintain　a　despotic　attitude。　　Generally；　and

especially　in　France；　the　sovereign　makes　two　divisions　of　his　time；

one　for　business　and　the　other　for　social　duties；　and；　in　the　latter

case；　while　always　head　of　the　State；　he　is　also　head　of　his　house：

for　he　welcomes　visitors；　entertains　his　guests；　and；　that　his　guests

may　not　be　robots；　he　tries　to　put　them　at　their　ease。　…　That　was　the

case　with　Louis　XIV。＇86＇　…　polite　to　everybody；　always　affable　with

men；　and　sometimes　gracious；　always　courteous　with　women；　and　some

times　gallant；　carefully　avoiding　brusqueness；　ostentation；　and

sarcasms；　never　allowing　himself　to　use　an　offensive　word；　never

making　people　feel　their　inferiority　and　dependence；　but；　on　the

contrary；　encouraging　them　to　express　opinions；　and　even　to　converse；

tolerating　in　conversation　a　semblance　of　equality；　smiling　at　a

repartee；　playfully　telling　a　story　…　such　was　his　drawing…room

constitution。　　The　drawing…room　as　well　as　every　human　society　needs

one；　and　a　liberal　one；　otherwise　life　dies　out。　　Accordingly；　the

observance　of　this　constitution　in　by…gone　society　is　known　by　the

phrase　savoir…vivre；　and；　more　rigidly　than　anybody　else；　Louis　XIV。

submitted　himself　to　this　code　of　proprieties。　　Traditionally；　and

through　education；　he　had　consideration　for　others；　at　least　for　the

people　around　him；　his　courtiers　becoming　his　guests　without　ceasing

to　be　his　subjects。



There　is　nothing　of　this　sort　with　Napoleon。　　He　preserves　nothing　of

the　etiquette　he　borrows　from　the　old　court　but　its　rigid　discipline

and　its　pompous　parade。　　〃The　ceremonial　system；〃　says　an　eyewitness；

〃was　carried　out　as　if　it　had　been　regulated　by　the　tap　of　a　drum；

everything　was　done；　in　a　certain　sense；　'double…quick。'＇87＇　。　。　。

This　air　of　precipitation；　this　constant　anxiety　which　it　inspires；〃

puts　an　end　to　all　comfort；　all　ease；　all　entertainment；　all　agreeable

intercourse；　there　is　no　common　bond　but　that　of　command　and

obedience。　　〃　The　few　individuals　he　singles　out；　Savary；　Duroc；

Maret；　keep　silent　and　simply　transmit　orders。　。　。　。　We　did　not　appear

to　them；　in　doing　what　we　were　ordered　to　do；　and　we　did　not　appear　to

ourselves；　other　than　veritable　machines；　all　resembling；　or　but

little　short　of　it；　the　elegant　gilded　arm…chairs　with　which　the

palaces　of　Saint…Cloud　and　the　Tuileries　had　just　been　embellished。〃



For　a　machine　to　work　well　it　is　important　that　the　machinist　should

overhaul　it　frequently；　which　this　one　never　fails　to　do；　especially

after　a　long　absence。　　Whilst　he　is　on　his　way　from　Tilsit；　〃everybody

anxiously　examines　his　conscience　to　ascertain　what　he　has　done　that

this　rigid　master　will　find　fault　with　on　his　return。　　Whether　spouse；

family；　or　grand　dignitary；　each　is　more　or　less　disturbed；　while　the

Empress；　who　knows　him　better　than　any　one；　naively　says；　'As　the

Emperor　is　so　happy　it　is　certain　that　he　will　do　a　deal　of

scolding！'〃＇88＇　Actually；　he　has　scarcely　arrived　when　he　gives　a　rude

and　vigorous　wrench　of　the　bolt；　and　then；　〃satisfied　at　having

excited　terror　all　around；　he　appears　to　have　forgotten　what　has

passed　and　resumes　the　usual　tenor　of　his　life。〃　〃Through　calculation

as　well　as　from　taste；＇89＇　he　never　ceases　to　be　a　monarch〃；　hence；　〃a

mute；　frigid　court　。　。　。　。　more　dismal　than　dignified；　every　face

wears　an　expression　of　uneasiness　。　。　。　a　silence　both　dull　and

constrained。〃　At　Fontainebleau；　〃amidst　splendors　and　pleasures；〃

there　is　no　real　enjoyment　nor　anything　agreeable；　not　even　for

himself。　　〃I　pity　you；〃　said　M。　de　Talleyrand　to　M。　de　Rémusat；　〃you

have　to　amuse　the　unamusable。〃　At　the　theatre　he　is　abstracted　or

yawns。　　Applause　is　prohibited；　the　court；　sitting　out　〃the　file　of

eternal　tragedies；　is　mortally　bored　。　。　。　。　the　young　ladies　fall

asleep；　people　leave　the　theatre；　gloomy　and　discontented。〃　…　There　is

the　same　constraint　in　the　drawing…room。　〃He　did　not　know　how　to

appear　at　ease；　and　I　believe　that　he　never　wanted　anybody　else　to　be

so；　afraid　of　the　slightest　approach　to　familiarity；　and　inspiring

each　with　a　fear　of　saying　something　offensive　to　his　neighbor　before

witnesses。　。　。　。　During　the　quadrille；　he　moves　around　amongst　the

rows　of　ladies；　addressing　them　with　some　trifling　or　disagreeable

remark；〃　and　never　does　he　accost　them　otherwise　than　〃awkwardly　and

ill　at　his　ease。〃　At　bottom；　he　distrusts　them　and　is　ill…disposed

toward　them。＇90＇　　It　is　because　〃the　power　they　have　acquired　in

society　seems　to　him　an　intolerable　usurpation。　…　〃Never　did　he　utter

to　a　woman　a　graceful　or　even　a　well…turned　compliment；　although　the

effort　to　find　one　was　often　apparent　on　his　face　and　in　the　tone　of

his　voice。　。　。　。　He　talks　to　them　only　of　their　toilet；　of　which　he

declares　himself　a　severe　and　minute　judge；　and　on　which　he　indulges

in　not　very　delicate　jests；　or　again；　on　the　number　of　their　children；

demanding　of　them　in　rude　language　whether　they　nurse　them　themselves；

or　again；　lecturing　them　on　their　social　relations。〃＇91＇　Hence；　〃there

is　not　one　who　does　not　rejoice　when　he　moves　off。〃＇92＇　He　would　often

amuse　himself　by　putting　them　out　of　countenance；　scandalizing　and

bantering　them　to　their　faces；　driving　them　into　a　corner　the　same　as

a　colonel　worries　his　canteen　women。　　〃Yes；　ladies；　you　furnish　the

good　people　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　with　something　to　talk

about。　　It　is　said；　Madame　A。。。；　that　you　are　intimate　with　Monsieur

B。。。；　and　you　Madame　C。。。。；　with　Monsieur　D　　。〃　On　any　intrigue

chancing　to　appear　in　the　police　reports；　〃he　loses　no　time　in

informing　the　husband　of　what　is　going　on。〃　…　He　is　no　less　indiscreet

in　relation　to　his　own　affairs；＇93＇　when　it　is　over　he　divulges　the

fact　and　gives　the　name；　furthermore；　he　informs