the origins of contemporary france-5-第3章

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by　an　eye…witness；　almost　at　this　very　date；　a　friend　and　a　competent

diplomat：　〃You　know　that；　while　I　am　very　fond　of　the　dear　general；　I

call　him　to　myself　the　little　tiger；　so　as　to　properly　characterize

his　figure；　tenacity；　and　courage；　the　rapidity　of　his　movements；　and

all　that　he　has　in　him　which　maybe　fairly　regarded　in　that　sense。〃＇32＇



At　this　very　date；　previous　to　official　adulation　and　the　adoption　of

a　recognized　type；　we　see　him　face　to　face　in　two　portraits　drawn　from

life；　one　physical；　by　a　truthful　painter；　Guérin；　and　the　other

moral；　by　a　superior　woman；　Madame　de　Sta？l；　who　to　the　best　European

culture　added　tact　and　worldly　perspicacity。　　Both　portraits　agree　so

perfectly　that　each　seems　to　interpret　and　complete　the　other。　　〃I　saw

him　for　the　first　time；〃＇33＇　says　Madame　de　Sta？l；　〃on　his　return　to

France　after　the　treaty　of　Campo…Formio。　　After　recovering　from　the

first　excitement　of　admiration　there　succeeded　to　this　a　decided

sentiment　of　fear。〃　And　yet；　〃at　this　time　he　had　no　power；　for　it　was

even　then　supposed　that　the　Directory　looked　upon　him　with　a　good　deal

of　suspicion。〃　People　regarded　him　sympathetically；　and　were　even

prepossessed　in　his　favor；



〃thus　the　fear　he　inspired　was　simply　due　to　the　singular　effect　of

his　person　on　almost　all　who　approached　him。　I　had　met　men　worthy　of

respect　and　had　likewise　met　men　of　ferocious　character；　but　nothing

in　the　impression　which　Bonaparte　produced　on　me　reminded　me　of

either。　　I　soon　found；　in　the　various　opportunities　I　had　of　meeting

him　during　his　stay　in　Paris；　that　his　character　was　not　to　be

described　in　terms　commonly　employed；　he　was　neither　mild　nor）violent；

nor　gentle　nor　cruel；　like　certain　personages　one　happens　to　know。　　A

being　like　him；　wholly　unlike　anybody　else；　could　neither　feel　nor

excite　sympathy；　he　was　both　more　and　less　than　a　man；　his　figure；

intellect；　and　language　bore　the　imprint　of　a　foreign　nationality　。　　。

。　　。　　far　from　being　reassured　on　seeing　Bonaparte　oftener；　he

intimidated　me　more　and　more　every　day。　　I　had　a　confused　impression

that　he　was　not　to　be　influenced　by　any　emotion　of　sympathy　or

affection。　　He　regards　a　human　being　as　a　fact；　an　object；　and　not　as

a　fellow…creature。　　He　neither　hates　nor　loves；　he　exists　for　himself

alone；　the　rest　of　humanity　are　so　many　ciphers。　　The　force　of　his

will　consists　in　the　imperturbable　calculation　of　his　egoism。　He　is　a

skillful　player　who　has　the　human　species　for　an　antagonist；　and　whom

he　proposes　to　checkmate。　　。　　。　　Every　time　that　I　heard　him　talk　I

was　struck　with　his　superiority；　it　bore　no　resemblance　to　that　of　men

informed　and　cultivated　through　study　and　social　intercourse；　such　as

we　find　in　France　and　England。　　His　conversation　indicated　the　tact　of

circumstances；　like　that　of　the　hunter　in　pursuit　of　his　prey。　　His

spirit　seemed　a　cold；　keen　sword…blade；　which　freezes　while　it　wounds。

I　felt　a　profound　irony　in　his　mind；　which　nothing　great　or　beautiful

could　escape；　not　even　his　own　fame；　for　he　despised　the　nation　whose

suffrages　he　sought。　　。　　。　　〃　…　〃With　him；　everything　was　means　or

aims；　spontaneity；　whether　for　good　or　for　evil；　was　entirely　absent。〃



No　law；　no　ideal　and　abstract　rule；　existed　for　him；



　〃he　examined　things　only　with　reference　to　their　immediate

usefulness；　a　general　principle　was　repugnant　to　him；　either　as　so

much　nonsense　or　as　an　enemy。〃



Now；　if　we　contemplate　Guérin's　portrait；＇34＇　we　see　a　spare　body；

whose　narrow　shoulders　under　the　uniform　wrinkled　by　sudden　movements；

the　neck　swathed　in　its　high　twisted　cravat；　the　temples　covered　by

long；　smooth；　straight　hair；　exposing　only　the　mask；　the　hard　features

intensified　through　strong　contrasts　of　light　and　shade；　the　cheeks

hollow　up　to　the　inner　angle　of　the　eye；　the　projecting　cheek…bones；

the　massive；　protuberant　jaw；　the　sinuous；　mobile　lips；　pressed

together　as　if　attentive；　the　large；　clear　eyes；　deeply　sunk　under　the

broad；　arched　eyebrows；　the　fixed；　oblique　look；　as　penetrating　as　a

rapier；　and　the　two　creases　which　extend　from　the　base　of　the　nose　to

the　brow；　as　if　in　a　frown　of　suppressed　anger　and　determined　will。

Add　to　this　the　accounts　of　his　contemporaries＇35＇　who　saw　or　heard

the　curt　accent　or　the　sharp；　abrupt　gesture；　the　interrogating；

imperious；　absolute　tone　of　voice；　and　we　comprehend　how；　the　moment

they　accosted　him；　they　felt　the　dominating　hand　which　seizes　them；

presses　them　down；　holds　them　firmly　and　never　relaxes　its　grasp。



Already；　at　the　receptions　of　the　Directory；　when　conversing　with　men；

or　even　with　ladies；　he　puts　questions　〃which　prove　the　superiority　of

the　questioner　to　those　who　have　to　answer　them。〃＇36＇　〃Are　you

married？〃　says　he　to　this　one；　and　〃How　many　children　have　you？　〃to

another。　　To　that　one；　〃When　did　you　come　here？〃　or；　again；　〃When　are

you　going　away　？　He　places　himself　in　front　of　a　French　lady；　well…

known　for　her　beauty　and　wit　and　the　vivacity　of　her　opinions；　〃like

the　stiffest　of　German　generals；　and　says　：　'Madame；　I　don't　like

women　who　meddle　with　politics！'〃　Equality；　ease；　familiarity　and

companionship；　vanish　at　his　approach。　　Eighteen　months　before　this；

on　his　appointment　as　commander…in…chief　of　the　army　in　Italy；　Admiral

Decrès；　who　had　known　him　well　at　Paris；＇37＇　learns　that　he　is　to　pass

through　Toulon：　〃I　at　once　propose　to　my　comrades　to　introduce　them；

venturing　to　do　so　on　my　acquaintance　with　him　in　Paris。　　Full　of

eagerness　and　joy；　I　start　off。　　The　door　opens　and　I　am　about　to

press　forwards；〃　he　afterwards　wrote；　〃when　the　attitude；　the　look；

and　the　tone　of　voice　suffice　to　arrest　me。　　And　yet　there　was　nothing

offensive　about　him；　still；　this　was　enough。　　I　never　tried　after　that

to　overstep　the　line　thus　imposed　on　me。〃　A　few　days　later；　at

Albenga；＇38＇　certain　generals　of　division；　and　among　them　Augereau；　a

vulgar；　heroic　old　soldier；　vain　of　his　tall　figure　and　courage；

arrive　at　headquarters；　not　well　disposed　toward　the　little　parvenu

sent　out　to　them　from　Paris。　　Recalling　the　description　of　him　which

had　been　given　to　them；　Augereau　is　abusive　and　insubordinate

beforehand：　one　of　Barras'　favorites；　the　Vendémiaire　general；　a

street　general；　〃not　yet　tried　out　on　the　field　of　battle；＇39＇　hasn't

a　friend；　considered　a　loner　because　he　is　the　only　one　who　can　thinks

for　himself；　looking　peaky；　said　to　be　a　mathematician　and　a　dreamer！〃

They　enter；　and　Bonaparte　keeps　them　waiting。　　At　last　he　appears；

with　his　sword　and　belt　on；　explains　the　disposition　of　the　forces；

gives　them　his　orders；　and　dismisses　them。　Augereau　has　remained

silent；　It　is　only　when　he　gets　out　of　doors　does　he　recover　himself

and　fall　back　on　his　accustomed　oaths。　　He　admits　to　Massena　that

〃that　little　bastard　of　a　general　frightened　him。〃　He　cannot

〃comprehend　the　ascendancy　which　made　him　feel　crushed　right

away。〃＇40＇



Extraordinary　and　superior；　made　for　command＇41＇　and　for　conquest；

singular　and　of　an　unique　species；　is　the　feeling　of　all　his

contemporaries。　　Those　who　are　most　familiar　with　the　histories　of

other　nations；　Madame　de　Sta？l　and；　after　her；　Stendhal；　go　back　to

the　right　sources　to　comprehend　him；　to　the　〃petty　Italian　tyrants　of

the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuries；〃　to　Castruccio…Castracani；　to

the　Braccio　of　Mantua；　to　the　Piccinino；　the　Malatestas　of　Rimini；　and

the　Sforzas　of　Milan。　　In　their　opinion；　however；　it　is　only　a　chance

analogy；　a　psychological　resemblance。　　Really；　however；

and）historically　it　is　a　positive　relationship。　　He　is　a　descendant　of

the　great　Italians；　the　men　of　action　of　the　year　1400；　the　military

adventurers；　usurpers；　and　founders　of　governments　lasting　their　life…

time。　　He　inherits　in　direct　affiliation　their　blood　and　inward

organization；　mental　and　moral。＇42＇　　A　bud；　collected　in　their　forest；

before　the　age　of　refinement；　impoverishment；　and　decay；　has　been

transported　into　a　similar　and　remote　nursery；　where　a　tragic　and

militant　régime　is　permanently　established。　　There　the　primitive　germ

is　preserved　intact　and　transmitted　from　one　generation　to　another；

renewed　and　invigorated　by　interbreeding。　　Finally；　at　the　last　stage

of　its　growth；　it　springs　out　of　the　ground　and　develops

magnificently；　blooming　the　same　as　ever；　and　producing　the　same　fruit

as　on　the　original　stem。　Modern　cultivation　and　French　gardening　have

pruned　away　but　very　few　of　its　branches　and　blunted　a　few　of　its

thorns：　its　original　texture；　inmost　substance；　and　spontaneous

development　have　not　changed。　　The　soil　of　France　and　of　Europe；

however；　broken　up　by　revolutionary　tempests；　is　more　favorable　to　its

roots　than　the　worn…out　fields　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　there　it　grows

by　itself；　without　being　subject；　like　its　Italian　ancestors；　to

rivalry　with　its　own　species；　nothing　checks　the　growth；　it　may　absorb

all　the　juices　of　the　ground；　all　the　air　and　sunshine　of　the　region；

and　become　the　Colossus　which　the　ancient　plants；　equally　deep…rooted

and　certainly　as　absorbent；　but　born　in　a　less　friable　soil　and　more

crowded　together；　could　not　provide。



II。　　The　Leader　and　Statesman



Intelligence　during　the　Italian　Renaissance　and　at　the　present　day。　　…

Integrity　of　Bonaparte's　mental　machinery。　　…　Flexibility；　force；　and

tenacity　of　his　attention。　　…　Another　difference　between　Napoleon's

intellect　and　that　of　his　contemporaries。　　…　He　thinks　objects　and　not

words。　　…　His　antipathy　to　Ideology。　　…　Little　or　no　literary　or

philosophical　education。　　…　Self…taught　through　direct　observation　and

technical　instruction。　　…　His　fondness　for　details。　　…　His　inward

vision　of　physical　objects　and　places。　　…　His　mental　portrayal　of

positions；　distances；　and　quantities。



〃The　human　plant；〃　said　Alfieri；　〃is　in　no　country　born　more　vigorous

than　in　Italy〃；　and　never；　in　Italy；　was　it　so　vigorous　as　from　1300

to　1500；　from　the　contemporaries　of　Dante　down　to　those　of　Michael

Angelo；　Caesar　Borgia；　Julius　II。；　and　Macchiavelli。＇43＇　　The　first

distinguishing　mark　of　a　man　of　those　times　is　the　soundness　of　his

mental　instrument。　　Nowadays；　after　three　hundred　years　of　service；

ours　has　lost　somewhat　of　its　moral　fiber；　sharpness；　and　versatility：

usually　the　compulsory　specialization　has　caused　it　to　become　lop…

sided　making　it　unfit　for　other　purposes。　　What's　more；　the　increase

in　ready…made　ideas　and　clichés　and　acquired　methods　incrusts　it　and

reduces　its　scope　to　a　sort　of　routine。　　Finally；　it　is　exhausted　by

an　excess　of　intellectual　activity　and　diminished　by　the　continuity　of

sedentary　habits。　　It　is　just　the　opposite　with　those　impulsive　minds

of　uncorrupted　blood　and　of　a　new　stock。　…　Roederer；　a　competent　and

independent　judge；　who；　at　the　beginning　of　the　consular　government；

sees　Bonaparte　daily　at　the　meetings　of　the　Council　of　State；　and　who

notes　down　every　evening　the　impressions