the origins of contemporary france-5-第20章

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admit　that　my　career　is　brilliant　and　that　I　have　made　my　way

successfully。　　But　what　a　difference　alongside　of　antiquity！　Take

Alexander！　After　having　conquered　Asia；　and　proclaimed　himself　to　the

people　as　the　son　of　Jupiter；　with　the　exception　of　Olympias；　who　knew

what　all　this　meant；　and　Aristotle；　and　a　few　Athenian　pedants；　the

entire　Orient　believed　him。　Very　well；　should　I　now　declare　that　I　was

the　son　of　God　Almighty；　and　proclaim　that　I　am　going　to　worship　him

under　this　title；　every　market　woman　would　hoot　at　me　as　I　walked

along　the　streets。　　People　nowadays　know　too　much。　　Nothing　is　left　to

do。〃



And　yet；　even　on　this　secluded；　elevated　domain；　and　which　twenty

centuries　of　civilization　keeps　inaccessible；　he　still　encroaches；　and

to　the　utmost；　in　a　roundabout　way；　by　laying　his　hand　on　the　Church；

and　next　on　the　Pope；　here；　as　elsewhere；　he　takes　all　he　can　get。

Nothing　in　his　eyes；　is　more　natural；　he　has　a　right　to　it；　because　he

is　the　only　capable　one。



　〃My　Italian　people＇52＇　must　know　me　well　enough　not　to　forget　that

there　is　more　in　my　little　finger　than　in　all　their　brains　put

together。〃



Alongside　of　him；　they　are　children；　〃minors；〃　the　French　also；　and

likewise　the　rest　of　mankind。　　A　diplomat；　who　often　saw　him　and

studied　him　under　all　as　aspects；　sums　up　his　character　in　one

conclusive　phrase：



〃He　considered　himself　an　isolated　being　in　this　world；　made　to　govern

and　direct　all　minds　as　he　pleased。〃＇53＇



Hence；　whoever　has　anything　to　do　with　him；　must　abandon　his

independence　and　become　his　tool　of　government。



〃That　terrible　man；〃　often　exclaimed　Decrés＇54＇　〃has　subjugated　us

all！　He　holds　all　our　imaginations　in　his　hands；　now　of　steel　and　now

of　velvet；　but　whether　one　or　the　other　during　the　day　nobody　knows；

and　there　is　no　way　to　escape　from　them　whatever　they　seize　on　they

never　let　go！〃



Independence　of　any　kind；　even　eventual　and　merely　possible；　puts　him


in　a　bad　mood；　intellectual　or　moral　superiority　is　of　this　order；　and

he　gradually　gets　rid　of　it；＇55＇　toward　the　end　he　no　longer　tolerates

alongside　of　him　any　but　subject　or　captive　spirits。　　His　principal

servants　are　machines　or　fanatics；　a　devout　worshipper；　like　Maret；　a

gendarme；　like　Savary；＇56＇　ready　to　do　his　bidding。　　From　the　outset；

he　has　reduced　his　ministers　to　the　condition　of　clerks；　for　he　is

administrator　as　well　as　ruler；　and　in　each　department　he　watches

details　as　closely　as　the　entire　mass。　　Accordingly；　he　requires

simply　for　head　of　departments　active　pen　pushers；　mute　executors；

docile　and　special　hands；　no　need　for　honest　and　independent　advisers。



　〃I　should　not　know　what　to　do　with　them；〃　he　said；　〃if　they　were　not

to　a　certain　extent　mediocre　in　mind　and　character。〃



As　to　his　generals；　he　admits　himself　that　〃he　likes　to　award　fame

only　to　those　who　cannot　stand　it。〃　In　any　event；　〃he　must　be　sole

master　in　making　or　unmaking　reputations；〃　according　to　his　personal

requirements。　　Too　brilliant　a　soldier　would　become　too　important；　a

subordinate　should　never　be　tempted　to　be　less　submissive。　　To　this

end　he　studies　what　he　will　omit　in　his　bulletins；　what　alterations

and　what　changes　shall　be　made　in　them。



〃It　is　convenient　to　keep　silent　about　certain　victories；　or　to

convert　the　defeat　of　this　or　that　marshal　into　a　success。　　Sometimes

a　general　learns　by　a　bulletin　of　an　action　that　he　was　never　in　and

of　a　speech　that　he　never　made。〃



If　he　complains；　he　is　notified　to　keep　still；　or　by　way　of　recompense

he　is　allowed　to　pillage；　levy　contributions；　and　enrich　himself。　　On

becoming　duke　or　hereditary　prince；　with　half　a　million　or　a　million

of　revenue　from　his　estate；　he　is　not　less　held　in　subjection；　for　the

creator　has　taken　precautions　against　his　own　creations。



〃There　are　men；〃＇57＇　he　said；　〃who　I　have　made　independent；　but　I　know

well　where　to　find　them　and　keep　them　from　being　ungrateful。〃



In　effect；　if　he　has　endowed　them　magnificently　it　is　with　domains

assigned　to　them　in　conquered　countries；　which　insures　their　fortune

being　his　fortune。　　Besides；　in　order　that　they　may　not　enjoy　any

pecuniary　stability；　he　expressly　encourages　them　and　all　his　grand

dignitaries　to　make　extravagant　outlays；　thus；　through　their　financial

embarrassments　be　holds　them　in　a　leash。　　〃We　have　seen　most　of　his

marshals；　constantly　pressed　by　their　creditors；　come　to　him　for

assistance；　which　he　has　given　as　he　fancied；　or　as　he　found　it　for

his　interest　to　attach　some　one　to　him。〃＇58＇



Thus；　beyond　the　universal　ascendancy　which　his　power　and　genius　have

conferred　on　him；　he　craves　a　personal；　supplementary；　and

irresistible　hold　on　everybody。　　Consequently；＇59＇〃he　carefully

cultivates　all　the　bad　passions　。　。　。　。　he　is　glad　to　find　the　bad

side　in　a　man；　so　as　to　get　him　in　his　power〃；　the　thirst　for　money　in

Savary；　the　Jacobin　defects　of　Fouché；　the　vanity　and　sensuality　of

Cambacérès；　the　careless　cynicism　and　〃the　easy　immorality〃　of

Talleyrand；　the　〃dry　bluntness　〃　of　Duroc；　the　courtier…like

insipidity　of　Maret；　〃the　silliness〃　of　Berthier；　he　brings　this　out；

diverts　himself　with　it；　and　profits　by　it。　　〃Where　he　sees　no　vice；

he　encourages　weaknesses；　and；　in　default　of　anything　better；　he

provokes　fear；　so　that　he　may　be　ever　and　continually　the　strongest。　。

。　。He　dreads　ties　of　affection；　and　strives　to　alienate　people　from

each　other。　。　。　。　He　sells　his　favors　only　by　arousing　anxiety；　he

thinks　that　the　best　way　to　attach　individuals　to　him　is　to　compromise

them；　and　often；　even；　to　ruin　them　in　public　opinion。〃　…　〃　If

Caulaincourt　is　compromised；〃　said　he；　after　the　murder　of　the　Duc

d'Enghien；　〃it　is　no　great　matter；　he　will　serve　me　all　the　better。〃



Once　that　the　creature　is　in　his　clutches；　let　him　not　imagine　that　he

can　escape　or　withhold　anything　of　his　own　accord；　all　that　he　has

belongs　to　him。　Zeal　and　success　in　the　performance　of　duty；　punctual

obedience　within　limits　previously　designated；　is　not　enough；　behind

the　functionary　he　claims　the　man。　　〃All　that　may　well　be；〃　he

replies；　to　whatever　may　be　said　in　praise　of　him；＇60＇　〃but　he　does

not　belong　to　me　as　I　would　like。〃　It　is　devotion　which　he　exacts；

and；　by　devotion；　he　means　the　irrevocable　and　complete　surrender　〃of

the　entire　person；　in　all　his　sentiments　and　opinions。〃　According　to

him；　writes　a　witness；　〃one　must　abandon　every　old　habit；　even　the

most　trifling；　and　be　governed　by　one　thought　alone；。　　that　of　his

will　and　interests。〃＇61＇　　For　greater　security；　his　servitors　ought　to

extinguish　in　themselves　the　critical　sense。　　〃What　he　fears　the　most

is　that；　close　to　him　or　far　off；　the　faculty　of　judging　should　be

applied　or　even　preserved。〃



〃His　idea　is　a　marble　groove；〃　out　of　which　no　mind　should

diverge。＇62＇　　Especially　as　no　two　minds　could　think　of　diverging　at

the　same　time；　and　on　the　same　side；　their　concurrence；　even　when

passive；　their　common　understanding；　even　if　kept　to　themselves；　their

whispers；　almost　inaudible；　constitute　a　league；　a　faction；　and；　if

they　are　functionaries；　〃a　conspiracy。〃　On　his　return　from　Spain　he

declares；　with　a　terrible　explosion　of　wrath　and　threats；＇63＇　〃that

the　ministers　and　high　dignitaries　whom　he　has　created　must　stop

expressing　their　opinions　and　thoughts　freely；　that　they　cannot　be

otherwise　than　his　organs；　that　treason　has　already　begun　when　they

begin　to　doubt；　and　that　it　is　under　full　headway　when；　from　doubt；

they　proceed　to　dissent。〃　If；　against　his　constant　encroachments；　they

strive　to　preserve　a　last　refuge；　if　they　refuse　to　abandon　their

conscience　to　him；　their　faith　as　Catholics　or　their　honor　as　honest

men；　he　is　surprised　and　gets　irritated。　　In　reply　to　the　Bishop　of

Ghent；　who；　in　the　most　respectful　manner；　excuses　himself　for　not

taking　a　second　oath　that　is　against　his　conscience；　he　rudely　turns

his　back；　and　says；　〃Very　well；　sir；　your　c