the origins of contemporary france-5-第17章

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ideas　of　the　reasoning　brain　thus　maintain　their　daily　supremacy　it　is

due　to　the　vital　flow　which　nourishes　them；　their　roots　are　deep　in

his　heart　and　temperament；　and　those　roots　which　give　them　their

vigorous　sap　constitute　a　primordial　instinct　more　powerful　than

intellect；　more　powerful　even　than　his　will；　the　instinct　which　leads

him　to　center　everything　on　himself；　in　other　words　egoism。＇23＇





II。　Will　and　Egoism。



Bonaparte's　dominant　passion。　…　His　lucid；　calculating　mind。　…　Source

and　power　of　the　Will。　…　Early　evidences　of　an　active；　absorbing

egoism。　…　His　education　derived　from　the　lessons　of　things。　…　In

Corsica。　…　In　France　during　the　Revolution。　…　In　Italy。　…　In　Egypt。　…

His　idea　of　Society　and　of　Right。　…　Maturing　after　the　18th　of

Brumaire。　…　His　idea　of　Man。　…　It　conforms　to　his　character



It　is　egoism；　not　a　passive；　but　an　active　and　intrusive　egoism；

proportional　to　the　energy　and　extension　of　his　faculties　developed　by

his　education　and　circumstances；　exaggerated　by　his　success　and　his

omnipotence　to　such　a　degree　that　a　monstrous　colossal　I　has　been

erected　in　society。　　It　expands　unceasingly　the　circle　of　a　tenacious

and　rapacious　grasp；　which　regards　all　resistance　as　offensive；　which

all　independence　annoys；　and　which；　on　the　boundless　domain　it　assigns

to　itself；　is　intolerant　of　anybody　that　does　not　become　either　an

appendix　or　a　tool。　…　The　germ　of　this　absorbing　personality　is

already　apparent　in　the　youth　and　even　in　the　infant。



〃Character：　dominating；　imperious；　and　stubborn；〃



　says　the　record　at　Brienne。＇24＇　　And　the　notes　of　the　Military

Academy　add；＇25＇



〃Extremely　inclined　to　egoism；〃　…　〃proud；　ambitious；　aspiring　in　all

directions；　fond　of　solitude；〃



undoubtedly　because　he　is　not　master　in　a　group　of　equals　and　is　ill

at　ease　when　he　cannot　rule。



　〃I　lived　apart　from　my　comrades；〃　he　says　at　a　later　date。＇26＇　…　〃I

had　selected　a　little　corner　in　the　playgrounds；　where　I　used　to　go

and　sit　down　and　indulge　my　fancies。　　When　my　comrades　were　disposed

to　drive　me　out　of　this　corner　I　defended　it　with　all　my　might　。　　My

instinct　already　told　me　that　my　will　should　prevail　against　other

wills；　and　that　whatever　pleased　me　ought　to　belong　to　me。〃



Referring　to　his　early　years　under　the　paternal　roof　at　Corsica；　he

depicts　himself　as　a　little　mischievous　savage；　rebelling　against

every　sort　of　restraint；　and　without　any　conscience。＇27＇　〃　I　respected

nothing　and　feared　nobody；　I　beat　one　and　scratched　another；　I　made

everybody　afraid　of　me。　　I　beat　my　brother　Joseph；　I　bit　him　and

complained　of　him　almost　before　he　knew　what　he　was　about。〃　A　clever

trick；　and　one　which　he　was　not　slow　to　repeat。　　His　talent　for

improvising　useful　falsehoods　is　innate；　later　on；　at　maturity；　he　is

proud　of　this　；　he　makes　it　the　index　and　measure　of　〃political

superiority；〃　and　〃delights　in　calling　to　mind　one　of　his　uncles　who；

in　his　infancy；　prognosticated　to　him　that　he　would　govern　the　world

because　he　was　fond　of　lying。〃＇28＇



Remark　this　observation　of　the　uncles　…　it　sums　up　the　experiences　of

a　man　of　his　time　and　of　his　country；　it　is　what　social　life　in

Corsica　inculcated；　morals　and　manners　there　adapted　themselves　to

each　other　through　an　unfailing　connection。　　The　moral　law；　indeed；　is

such　because　similar　customs　prevail　in　all　countries　and　at　all　times

where　the　police　is　powerless；　where　justice　cannot　be　obtained；　where

public　interests　are　in　the　hands　of　whoever　can　lay　hold　of　them；

where　private　warfare　is　pitiless　and　not　repressed；　where　every　man

goes　armed；　where　every　sort　of　weapon　is　fair；　and　where

dissimulation；　fraud；　and　trickery；　as　well　as　gun　or　poniard；　are

allowed；　which　was　the　case　in　Corsica　in　the　eighteenth　century；　as

in　Italy　in　the　fifteenth　century。　…　Hence　the　early　impressions　of

Bonaparte　similar　to　those　of　the　Borgias　and　of　Macchiavelli；　hence；

in　his　case；　that　first　stratum　of　half…thought　which；　later　on；

serves　as　the　basis　of　complete　thought；　hence；　the　whole　foundation

of　his　future　mental　edifice　and　of　the　conceptions　he　subsequently

entertains　of　human　society。　　Afterwards；　on　leaving　the　French

schools　and　every　time　he　returns　to　them　and　spends　any　time　in　them；

the　same　impressions；　often　renewed；　intensify　in　his　mind　the　same

final　conclusion。　　In　this　country；　report　the　French

commissioners；＇29＇　〃the　people　have　no　idea　of　principle　in　the

abstract；〃　nor　of　social　interest　or　justice。　　〃Justice　does　not

exist；　one　hundred　and　thirty　assassinations　have　occurred　in　ten

years。　。　。　。　The　institution　of　juries　has　deprived　the　country　of　all

the　means　for　punishing　crime；　never　do　the　strongest　proofs；　the

clearest　evidence；　lead　a　jury　composed　of　men　of　the　same　party；　or

of　the　same　family　as　the　accused；　to　convict　him；　and；　if　the　accused

is　of　the　opposite　party；　the　juries　likewise　acquit　him；　so　as　not　to

incur　the　risk　of　revenge；　slow　perhaps　but　always　sure。〃　…　〃Public

spirit　is　unknown。〃　There　is　no　social　body；　except　any　number　of

small　parties　hostile　to　each　other。　。　。　。　One　is　not　a　Corsican

without　belonging　to　some　family；　and　consequently　attached　to　some

party；　he　who　would　serve　none；　would　be　detested　by　all。　。　。　。　All

the　leaders　have　the　same　end　in　view；　that　of　getting　money　no　matter

by　what　means；　and　their　first　care　is　to　surround　themselves　with

creatures　entirely　devoted　to　them　and　to　whom　they　give　all　the

offices。　。　。　。　The　elections　are　held　under　arms；　and　all　with

violence。　。　。　。　The　victorious　party　uses　its　authority　to　avenge

itself　on　their　opponents；　and　multiplies　vexations　and　outrages。　。　。

。　The　leaders　form　aristocratic　leagues　with　each　other。　。　。　。　and

mutually　tolerate　abuses。　　They　impose　no　assessment　or　collection　（of

taxes）　to　curry　favor　with　electors　through　party　spirit　and

relationships。　。　。　。　Customs…duties　serve　simply　to　compensate　friends

and　relatives。　。　。　。　Salaries　never　reach　those　for　whom　they　are

intended。　　The　rural　districts　are　uninhabitable　for　lack　of　security。

The　peasants　carry　guns　even　when　at　the　plow。　　One　cannot　take　a　step

without　an　escort；　a　detachment　of　five　or　six　men　is　often　sent　to

carry　a　letter　from　one　post…office　to　another。〃



Interpret　this　general　statement　by　the　thousands　of　facts　of　which　it

is　the　summary；　imagine　these　little　daily　occurrences　narrated　with

all　their　material　accompaniments；　and　with　sympathetic　or　angry

comments　by　interested　neighbors；　and　we　have　the　moral　lessons　taught

to　young　Bonaparte。＇30＇　　At　table；　the　child　has　listened　to　the

conversation　of　his　elders；　and　at　a　word　uttered；　for　instance；　by

his　uncle；　or　at　a　physiognomic　expression；　a　sign　of　approbation；　a

shrug　of　the　shoulders；　he　has　divined　that　the　ordinary　march　of

society　is　not　that　of　peace　but　of　war；　he　sees　by　what　ruses　one

maintains　one's…self；　by　what　acts　of　violence　one　makes　ones　way；　by

what　sort　of　help　one　mounts　upward。　　Left　to　himself　the　rest　of　the

day；　to　the　nurse　Ilaria；　or　to　Saveria　the　housekeeper；　or　to　the

common　people　amongst　whom　he　strays　at　will；　he　listens　to　the

conversation　of　sailors　or　of　shepherds　assembled　on　the　public

square；　and　their　simple　exclamations；　their　frank　admiration　of　well…

planned　ambuscades　and　lucky　surprises；　impress　more　profoundly　on

him；　often　repeated　with　so　much　energy；　the　lessons　which　he　has

already　learned　at　home。　　These　are　the　lessons　taught　by　things。　　At

this　tender　age　they　sink　deep；　especially　when　the　disposition　is

favorable；　and　in　this　case　the　heart　sanctions　them　beforehand；

because　education　finds　its　confederate　in　instinct。　　Accordingly；　at

the　outbreak　of　the　Revolution；　on　revisiting　Corsica；　he　takes　life

at　once　as　he　finds　it　there；　a　combat　with　any　sort　of　weapon；　and；

on　this　small　arena；　he　acts　unscrupulously；　going　farther　than

anybody。＇31＇　If　he　respects　justice　and　law；　it　i