the origins of contemporary france-5-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

notes　down　every　evening　the　impressions　of　the　day；　is　carried　away

with　admiration：＇44＇



〃Punctual　at　every　sitting；　prolonging　the　session　five　or　six　hours；

discussing　before　and　afterwards　the　subjects　brought　forward；　always

returning　to　two　questions；　'Can　that　be　justified？＇45＇'　'Is　that

useful？'　examining　each　question　in　itself；　in　these　two　respects；

after　having　subjected　it　to　a　most　exact　and　sharp　analysis；　next；

consulting　the　best　authorities；　the　pasts；　experience；　and　obtaining

information　about　bygone　jurisprudence；　the　laws　of　Louis　XIV。　　and　of

Frederick　the　Great。　　。　　。　　。　　Never　did　the　council　adjourn　without

its　members　knowing　more　than　the　day　before；　if　not　through　knowledge

derived　from　him；　at　least　through　the　researches　he　obliged　them　to

make。　　Never　did　the　members　of　the　Senate　and　the　Legislative　Corps；

or　of　the　tribunals；　pay　their　respects　to　him　without　being　rewarded

for　their　homage　by　valuable　instructions。　　He　cannot　be　surrounded　by

public　men　without　being　the　statesman；　all　forming　for　him　a　council

of　state。〃



〃What　characterizes　him　above　them　all；〃　is　not　alone　the　penetration

and　universality　of　his　comprehension；　but　likewise　and　especially

〃the　force；　flexibility；　and　constancy　of　his　attention。　　He　can　work

eighteen　hours　at　a　stretch；　on　one　or　on　several　subjects。　　I　never

saw　him　tired。　　I　never　found　his　mind　lacking　in　inspiration；　even

when　weary　in　body；　nor　when　violently　exercised；　nor　when　angry。　　I

never　saw　him　diverted　from　one　matter　by　another；　turning　from　that

under　discussion　to　one　he　had　just　finished　or　was　about　to　take　up。

The　news；　good　or　bad；　he　received　from　Egypt；　did　not　divert　his　mind

from　the　civil　code；　nor　the　civil　code　from　the　combinations　which

the　safety　of　Egypt　required。　　Never　did　a　man　more　wholly　devote

himself　to　the　work　in　hand；　nor　better　devote　his　time　to　what　he　had

to　do。　　Never　did　a　mind　more　inflexibly　set　aside　the　occupation　or

thought　which　did　not　come　at　the　right　day　or　hour；　never　was　one

more　ardent　in　seeking　it；　more　alert　in　its　pursuit；　more　capable　of

fixing　it　when　the　time　came　to　take　it　up。〃





He　himself　said　later　on：＇46＇



　〃Various　subjects　and　affairs　are　stowed　away　in　my　brain　as　in　a

chest　of　drawers。　　When　I　want　to　take　up　any　special　business　I　shut

one　drawer　and　open　another。　　None　of　them　ever　get　mixed；　and　never

does　this　incommode　me　or　fatigue　me。　　If　I　feel　sleepy　I　shut　all　the

drawers　and　go　to　sleep。〃



Never　has　brain　so　disciplined　and　under　such　control　been　seen；　one

so　ready　at　all　times　for　any　task；　so　capable　of　immediate　and

absolute　concentration。　　Its　flexibility＇47＇　is　wonderful；　〃in　the

instant　application　of　every　faculty　and　energy；　and　bringing　them　all

to　bear　at　once　on　any　object　that　concerns　him；　on　a　mite　as　well　as

on　an　elephant；　on　any　given　individual　as　well　as　on　an　enemy's　army。

。　　。　　。　　When　specially　occupied；　other　things　do　not　exist　for　him；

it　is　a　sort　of　chase　from　which　nothing　diverts　him。〃　And　this　hot

pursuit；　which　nothing　arrests　save　capture；　this　tenacious　hunt；　this

headlong　course　by　one　to　whom　the　goal　is　never　other　than　a　fresh

starting…point；　is　the　spontaneous　gait；　the　natural；　even　pace　which

his　mind　prefers。



　〃I　am　always　at　work；〃　says　he　to　Roederer。＇48＇　〃I　meditate　a　great

deal。　　If　I　seem　always　equal　to　the　occasion；　ready　to　face　what

comes；　it　is　because　I　have　thought　the　matter　over　a　long　time　before

undertaking　it。　　I　have　anticipated　whatever　might　happen。　　It　is　no

spirit　which　suddenly　reveals　to　me　what　I　ought　to　do　or　say　in　any

unlooked…for　circumstance；　but　my　own　reflection；　my　own　meditation。

。　　。　　。　　I　work　all　the　time；　at　dinner；　in　the　theatre。　　I　wake　up　at

night　in　order　to　resume　my　work。　　I　got　up　last　night　at　two　o'clock。

I　stretched　myself　on　my　couch　before　the　fire　to　examine　the　army

reports　sent　to　me　by　the　Minister　of　War。　　I　found　twenty　mistakes　in

them；　and　made　notes　which　I　have　this　morning　sent　to　the　minister；

who　is　now　engaged　with　his　clerks　in　rectifying　them。〃　…



His　associates　weaken　and　sink　under　the　burden　imposed　on　them　and

which　he　supports　without　feeling　the　weight。　　When　Consul；＇49＇　〃he

sometimes　presides　at　special　meetings　of　the　section　of　the　interior

from　ten　o'clock　in　the　evening　until　five　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　。

。　　。　　Often；　at　Saint…Cloud；　he　keeps　the　counselors　of　state　from

nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　until　five　in　the　evening；　with　fifteen

minutes'　intermission；　and　seems　no　more　fatigued　at　the　close　of　the

session　than　when　it　began。〃　During　the　night　sessions　〃many　of　the

members　succumb　through　weariness；　while　the　Minister　of　War　falls

asleep〃；　he　gives　them　a　shake　and　wakes　them　up；　〃Come；　come；

citizens；　let　us　bestir　ourselves；　it　is　only　two　o'clock　and　we　must

earn　the　money　the　French　people　pay　us。〃　Consul　or　Emperor；＇50＇　〃he

demands　of　each　minister　an　account　of　the　smallest　details：　It　is　not

rare　to　see　them　leaving　the　council　room　overcome　with　fatigue；　due

to　the　long　interrogatories　to　which　he　has　subjected　them；　he　appears

not　to　have　noticed；　and　talks　about　the　day's　work　simply　as　a

relaxation　which　has　scarcely　given　his　mind　exercise。〃　And　what　is

worse；　〃it　often　happens　that　on　returning　home　they　find　a　dozen　of

his　letters　requiring　immediate　response；　for　which　the　whole　night

scarcely　suffices。〃　The　quantity　of　facts　he　is　able　to　retain　and

store　away；　the　quantity　of　ideas　he　elaborates　and　produces；　seems　to

surpass　human　capacity；　and　this　insatiable；　inexhaustible；　unmovable

brain　thus　keeps　on　working　uninterruptedly　for　thirty　years。



Through　another　result　of　the　same　mental　organization；　Napoleon's

brain　is　never　unproductive；　that's　today　our　great　danger。　　…　During

the　past　three　hundred　years　we　have　more　and　more　lost　sight　of　the

exact　and　direct　meaning　of　things。　　Subject　to　the　constraints　of　a

conservative；　complex；　and　extended　educational　system　we　study



*　the　symbols　of　objects　rather　than　on　the　objects　themselves；

*　instead　of　the　ground　itself；　a　map　of　it；

*　instead　of　animals　struggling　for　existence；＇51＇　nomenclatures　and

classifications；　or；　at　best；　stuffed　specimens　displayed　in　a　museum；

*　instead　of　persons　who　feel　and　act；　statistics；　codes；　histories；

literatures；　and　philosophies；



in　short；　printed　words。　　Even　worse；　abstract　terms；　which　from

century　to　century　have　become　more　abstract　and　therefore　further

removed　from　experience；　more　difficult　to　understand；　less　adaptable

and　more　deceptive；　especially　in　all　that　relates　to　human　life　and

society。　　Here；　due　to　the　growth　of　government；　to　the　multiplication

of　services；　to　the　entanglement　of　interests；　the　object；

indefinitely　enlarged　and　complex；　now　eludes　our　grasp。　　Our　vague；

incomplete；　incorrect　idea　of　it　badly　corresponds　with　it；　or　does

not　correspond　at　all。　　In　nine　minds　out　of　ten；　or　perhaps　ninety…

nine　out　of　a　hundred；　it　is　but　little　more　than　a　word。　　The　others；

if　they　desire　some　significant　indication　of　what　society　actually　is

beyond　the　teachings　of　books；　require　ten　or　fifteen　years　of　close

observation　and　study　to　re…think　the　phrases　with　which　these　have

filled　their　memory；　to　interpret　them　anew；　to　make　clear　their

meaning；　to　get　at　and　verify　their　sense；　to　substitute　for　the　more

or　less　empty　and　indefinite　term　the　fullness　and　precision　of　a

personal　impression。　　We　have　seen　how　ideas　of　Society；　State；

Government；　Sovereignty；　Rights；　Liberty；　the　most　important　of　all

ideas；　were；　at　the　close　of　the　eighteenth　century；　curtailed　and

falsified；　how；　in　most　minds；　simple　verbal　reasoning　combined　them

together　in　dogmas　and　axioms；　what　an　offspring　these　metaphysical

simulacra　gave　birth　to；　how　many　lifeless　and　grotesque　abortions；

how　many　monstrous　and　destructive　chimeras。　　There　is　no　place　for

any　of　these　fanciful　dreams　in　the　mind　of　Bonaparte；　they　cannot

arise　in　it；　nor　find　access　to　it；　his　aversion　to　the　unsubstantial

phantoms　of　political　abstraction　extends　beyond　disdain；　even　to

disgust。＇52＇　That　which　was　then　called　ideology；　is　his　particular

bugbear；　he　loathes　it　not　alone　through　calculation；　but　still　more

through　an　instinctive　demand　for　what　is　real；　as　a　practical　man　and

statesman；　always　keeping　in　mind；　like　the　great　Catherine；　〃that　he

is　operating；　not　on　paper；　but　on　the　human　hide；　which　is　ticklish。〃

Every　idea　entertained　by　him　had　its　origin　in　his　personal

observation；　and　he　used　his　own　personal　observations　to　control

them。



If　books　are　useful　to　him　it　is　to　suggest　questions；　which　he　never

answers　but　through　his　own　experience。　　He　has　read　only　a　little；

and　hastily；＇53＇　his　classical　education　is　rudimentary；　in　the　way　of

Latin；　he　remained　in　the　lower　class。　　The　instruction　he　got　at　the

Military　Academy　as　well　as　at　Brienne　was　below　mediocrity；　while；

after　Brienne；　it　is　stated　that　〃for　the　languages　and　belles…

lettres；　he　had　no　taste。〃　Next　to　this；　the　literature　of　elegance

and　refinement；　the　philosophy　of　the　closet　and　drawing…room；　with

which　his　contemporaries　are　imbued；　glided　over　his　intellect　as　over

a　hard　rock。　　None　but　mathematical　truths　and　positive　notions　about

geography　and　history　found　their　way　into　his　mind　and　deeply

impressed　it。　　Everything　else；　as　with　his　predecessors　of　the

fifteenth　century；　comes　to　him　through　the　original；　direct　action　of

his　faculties　in　contact　with　men　and　things；　through　his　prompt　and

sure　tact；　his　indefatigable　and　minute　attention；　his　indefinitely

repeated　and　rectified　divinations　during　long　hours　of　solitude　and

silence。　　Practice；　and　not　speculation；　is　the　source　of　his

instruction；　the　same　as　with　a　mechanic　brought　up　amongst　machinery。



〃There　is　nothing　relating　to　warfare　that　I　cannot　make　myself。　　If

nobody　knows　how　to　make　gunpowder；　I　do。　　I　can　construct　gun…

carriages。　　If　cannon　must　be　cast；　I　will　see　that　it　is　done

properly。　　If　tactical　details　must　be　taught；　I　will　teach　them。〃＇54＇



This　is　why　he　is　competent　right　from　the　beginning；　general　in　the

artillery；　major…general；　diplomatist；　financier　and　administrator　of

all　kinds。　　Thanks　to　this　fertile　apprenticeship；　beginning　with　the

Consulate；　he　shows　officials　and　veteran　ministers　who　send　in　their

reports　to　him　what　to　do。



〃I　am　a　more　experienced　administrator　than　they；＇55＇　when　one　has

been　obliged　to　extract　from　his　brains　the　ways　and　means　with　which

to　feed；　maintain；　control；　and　move　with　the　same　spirit　and　will　two

or　three　hundred　thousand　men；　a　long　distance　from　their　country；　one

has　soon　discovered　the　secrets　of　administration。〃



In　each　of　the　human　machi