the origins of contemporary france-5-第2章

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eldest　daughter　of　modern　civilization；　imbued　with　her　right　of

primogeniture；　persisting　in　her　grudge　against　the　transalpines；　the

rancorous　inheritor　of　Roman　pride　and　of　antique　patriotism。＇7＇



From　Sarzana；　a　Bonaparte　emigrates　to　Corsica；　where　he　establishes

himself　and　lives　after　1529。　　The　following　year　　Florence　is　taken

and　subjugated　for　good。　　Henceforth；　in　Tuscany；　under　Alexander　de

Medici；　then　under　Cosmo　I。　　and　his　successors；　in　all　Italy　under

Spanish　rule；　municipal　independence；　private　feuds；　the　great

exploits　of　political　adventures　and　successful　usurpations；　the

system　of　ephemeral　principalities；　based　on　force　and　fraud；　all　give

way　to　permanent　repression；　monarchical　discipline；　external　order；

and　a　certain　species　of　public　tranquility。　　Thus；　just　at　the　time

when　the　energy　and　ambition；　the　vigorous　and　free　sap　of　the　Middle

Ages　begins　to　run　down　and　then　dry　up　in　the　shriveled　trunk；＇8＇　a

small　detached　branch　takes　root　in　an　island；　not　less　Italian　but

almost　barbarous；　amidst　institutions；　customs；　and　passions　belonging

to　the　primitive　medieval　epoch；＇9＇　and　in　a　social　atmosphere

sufficiently　rude　for　the　maintenance　of　all　its　vigor　and　harshness。

…　Grafted；　moreover；　by　frequent　marriages；　on　the　wild　stock　of　the

island；　Napoleon；　on　the　maternal　side；　through　his　grandmother　and

mother；　is　wholly　indigenous。　　His　grandmother；　a　Pietra…Santa；

belonged　to　Sarténe；＇10＇　a　Corsican　canton　par　excellence　where；　in

1800；　hereditary　vendettas　still　maintained　the　system　of　the　eleventh

century；　where　the　permanent　strife　of　inimical　families　was　suspended

only　by　truces；　where；　in　many　villages；　nobody　stirred　out　of　doors

except　in　armed　bodies；　and　where　the　houses　were　crenellated　like

fortresses。　　His　mother；　Laetitia　Ramolini；　from　whom；　in　character

and　in　will；　he　derived　much　more　than　from　his　father；＇11＇　is　a

primitive　soul　on　which　Civilization　has　taken　no　hold。　　She　is

simple；　all　of　a　piece；　unsuited　to　the　refinements；　charms；　and

graces　of　a　worldly　life；　indifferent　to　comforts；　without　literary

culture；　as　parsimonious　as　any　peasant　woman；　but　as　energetic　as　the

leader　of　a　band。　　She　is　powerful；　physically　and　spiritually；

accustomed　to　danger；　ready　in　desperate　resolutions。　　She　is；　in

short；　a　〃rural　Cornelia；〃　who　conceived　and　gave　birth　to　her　son

amidst　the　risks　of　battle　and　of　defeat；　in　the　thickest　of　the

French　invasion；　amidst　mountain　rides　on　horseback；　nocturnal

surprises；　and　volleys　of　musketry。＇12＇



〃Losses；　privations；　and　fatigue；〃　says　Napoleon；　〃she　endured　all　and

braved　all。　　Hers　was　a　man's　head　on　a　woman's　shoulders。〃



Thus　fashioned　and　brought　into　the　world；　he　felt　that；　from　first　to

the　last；　he　was　of　his　people　and　country。



〃Everything　was　better　there；〃　said　he；　at　Saint　Helena；＇13＇　〃even　the

very　smell　of　the　soil；　which　he　could　have　detected　with　his　eyes

shut；　nowhere　had　he　found　the　same　thing。　　He　imagined　himself　there

again　in　early　infancy；　and　lived　over　again　the　days　of　his　youth；

amidst　precipices；　traversing　lofty　peaks；　deep　valleys；　and　narrow

defiles；　enjoying　the　honors　and　pleasures　of　hospitality；〃　treated

everywhere　as　a　brother　and　compatriot；〃　without　any　accident　or

insult　ever　suggesting　to　him　that　his　confidence　was　not　well

grounded。〃　At　Bocognano；＇14＇　where　his　mother；　pregnant　with　him；　had

taken　refuge；　〃where　hatred　and　vengeance　extended　to　the　seventh

degree　of　relationship；　and　where　the　dowry　of　a　young　girl　was

estimated　by　the　number　of　her　Cousins；　I　was　feasted　and　made

welcome；　and　everybody　would　have　died　for　me。〃　Forced　to　become　a

Frenchman；　transplanted　to　France；　educated　at　the　expense　of　the　king

in　a　French　school；　he　became　rigid　in　his　insular　patriotism；　and

loudly　extolled　Paoli；　the　liberator；　against　whom　his　relations　had

declared　themselves。　　〃Paoli；〃　said　he；　at　the　dinner　table；＇15＇〃　was

a　great　man。　　He　loved　his　country。　　My　father　was　his　adjutant；　and

never　will　I　forgive　him　for　having　aided　in　the　union　of　Corsica　with

France。　　He　should　have　followed　her　fortunes　and　have　succumbed　only

with　her。〃　Throughout　his　youth　he　is　at　heart　anti…French；　morose；

〃bitter；　liking　very　few　and　very　little　liked；　brooding　over

resentment；〃　like　a　vanquished　man；　always　moody　and　compelled　to　work

against　the　grain。　　At　Brienne；　he　keeps　aloof　from　his　comrades；

takes　no　part　in　their　sports；　shuts　himself　in　the　library；　and　opens

himself　up　only　to　Bourrienne　in　explosions　of　hatred：　〃I　will　do　you

Frenchmen　all　the　harm　I　can！　…　〃Corsican　by　nation　and　character；〃

wrote　his　professor　of　history　in　the　Military　Academy；　〃he　will　go

far　if　circumstances　favor　him。〃＇16＇　…　Leaving　the　Academy；　and　in

garrison　at　Valence　and　Auxonne；　he　remains　always　hostile；

denationalized；　his　old　bitterness　returns；　and；　addressing　his

letters　to　Paoli；　he　says：　〃I　was　born　when　our　country　perished。

Thirty　thousand　Frenchmen　vomited　on　our　shores；　drowning　the　throne

of　liberty　in　floods　of　blood　…such　was　the　odious　spectacle　on　which

my　eyes　first　opened！　The　groans　of　the　dying；　the　shrieks　of　the

oppressed；　tears　of　despair；　surrounded　my　cradle　from　my　birth。　　。　　。

I　will　blacken　those　who　betrayed　the　common　cause　with　the　brush　of

infamy。　　。　　。　　。　　vile；　sordid　souls　corrupted　by　gain！〃＇17＇　　A　little

later；　his　letter　to　Buttafuoco；　deputy　in　the　Constituent　Assembly

and　principal　agent　in　the　annexation　to　France；　is　one　long　strain　of

renewed；　concentrated　hatred；　which；　after　at　first　trying　to　restrain

it　within　the　bounds　of　cold　sarcasm；　ends　in　boiling　over；　like　red…

hot　lava；　in　a　torrent　of　scorching　invective。　　…　From　the　age　of

fifteen；　at　the　Academy　and　afterwards　in　his　regiment；　he　finds

refuge　in　imagination　in　the　past　of　his　island；＇18＇　he　recounts　its

history；　his　mind　dwells　upon　it　for　many　years；　and　he　dedicates　his

work　to　Paoli。　　Unable　to　get　it　published；　he　abridges　it；　and

dedicates　the　abridgment　to　Abbé　Raynal；　recapitulating　in　a　strained

style；　with　warm；　vibrating　sympathy；　the　annals　of　his　small

community；　its　revolts　and　deliverances；　its　heroic　and　sanguinary

outbreaks；　its　public　and　domestic　tragedies；　ambuscades；　betrayals；

revenges；　loves；　and　murders；　…　in　short；　a　history　similar　to　that　of

the　Scottish　highlanders；　while　the　style；　still　more　than　the

sympathies；　denotes　the　foreigner。　　Undoubtedly；　in　this　work；　as　in

other　youthful　writings；　he　follows　as　well　as　he　can　the　authors　in

vogue　…　Rousseau；　and　especially　Raynal；　he　gives　a　schoolboy

imitation　of　their　tirades；　their　sentimental　declamation；　and　their

humanitarian　grandiloquence。　　But　these　borrowed　clothes；　which

incommode　him；　do　not　fit　him；　they　are　too　tight；　and　the　cloth　is

too　fine；　they　require　too　much　circumspection　in　walking；　he　does　not

know　how　to　put　them　on；　and　they　rip　at　every　seam。　Not　only　has　he

never　learned　how　to　spell；　but　he　does　not　know　the　true　meaning；

connections；　and　relations　of　words；　the　propriety　or　impropriety　of

phrases；　the　exact　significance　of　imagery；＇19＇　he　strides　on

impetuously　athwart　a　pell…mell　of　incongruities；　incoherencies；

Italianisms；　and　barbarisms；　undoubtedly　stumbling　along　through

awkwardness　and　inexperience；　but　also　through　excess　of　ardor　and　of

heat；＇20＇　his　jerking；　eruptive　thought；　overcharged　with　passion；

indicates　the　depth　and　temperature　of　its　source。　　Already；　at　the

Academy；　the　professor　of　belles…lettres＇21＇　notes　down　that　〃in　the

strange　and　incorrect　grandeur　of　his　amplifications　he　seems　to　see

granite　fused　in　a　volcano。〃　However　original　in　mind　and　in

sensibility；　ill…adapted　as　he　is　to　the　society　around　him；　different

from　his　comrades；　it　is　clear　beforehand　that　the　current　ideas　which

take　such　hold　on　them　will　obtain　no　hold　on　him。



Of　the　two　dominant　and　opposite　ideas　which　clash　with　each　other；　it

might