the origins of contemporary france-5-第3章

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

might　be　supposed　that　he　would　lean　either　to　one　or　to　the　other；

although　accepting　neither。　　…　Pensioner　of　the　king；　who　supported

him　at　Brienne；　and　afterwards　in　the　Military　Academy；　who　also

supported　his　sister　at　Saint…Cyr；　who；　for　twenty　years；　is　the

benefactor　of　his　family；　to　whom；　at　this　very　time；　he　addresses

entreating　or　grateful　letters　over　his　mother's　signature　…　he　does

not　regard　him　as　his　born　general；　it　does　not　enter　his　mind　to　take

sides　and　draw　his　sword　in　his　patron's　behalf；'　in　vain　is　he　a

gentleman；　to　whom；　d'Hozier　has　certified；　reared　in　a　school　of

noble　cadets；　he　has　no　noble　or　monarchical　traditions。＇22＇　　…　Poor

and　tormented　by　ambition；　a　reader　of　Rousseau；　patronized　by　Raynal；

and　tacking　together　sentences　of　philosophic　fustian　about　equality；

if　he　speaks　the　jargon　of　the　day；　it　is　without　any　belief　in　it。

The　phrases　in　vogue　form　a　decent；　academical　drapery　for　his　ideas；

or　serve　him　as　a　red　cap　for　the　club；　he　is　not　bewildered　by

democratic　illusions；　and　entertains　no　other　feeling　than　disgust　for

the　revolution　and　the　sovereignty　of　the　populace。　　…　At　Paris；　in

April；1792；　when　the　struggle　between　the　monarchists　and　the

revolutionaries　is　at　its　height；　he　tries　to　find　〃some　successful

speculation；〃＇23＇　and　thinks　he　will　hire　and　sublet　houses　at　a

profit。　　On　the　20th　of　June　he　witnesses；　only　as　a　matter　of

curiosity；　the　invasion　of　the　Tuileries；　and；　on　seeing　the　king　at　a

window　place　the　red　cap　on　his　head；　exclaims；　so　as　to　be　heard；　〃

Che　Caglione！〃　Immediately　after　this：　〃How　could　they　let　that　rabble

enter！　Mow　down　four　or　five　hundred　of　them　with　cannons　and　the　rest

would　run　away。〃　On　August　10；　when　the　tocsin　sounds；　he　regards　the

people　and　the　king　with　equal　contempt；　he　rushes　to　a　friend's　house

on　the　Carrousel　and　there；　still　as　a　looker…on；　views　at　his　ease

all　the　occurrences　of　the　day。＇24＇　　Finally；　the　chateau　is　forced

and　he　strolls　through　the　Tuileries；　looks　in　at　the　neighboring

cafés；　and　that　is　all：　he　is　not　disposed　to　take　sides；　he　has　no

Jacobin　or　royalist　inclination。　　His　features；　even；　are　so　calm　〃as

to　provoke　many　hostile　and　distrustful　stares；　as　someone　who　is

unknown　and　suspicious。〃　…　Similarly；　after　the　31st　of　May　and　the

2nd　of　June；　his　〃Souper　de　Beaucaire〃　shows　that　if　he　condemns　the

departmental　insurrection　it　is　mainly　because　he　deems　it　futile：　on

the　side　of　the　insurgents；　a　defeated　army；　no　position　tenable；　no

cavalry；　raw　artillerymen；　Marseilles　reduced　to　its　own　troops；　full

of　hostile　sans…culottes　and　so　besieged；　taken　and　pillaged。　　Chances

are　against　it：　〃Let　the　impoverished　regions；　the　inhabitants　of

Vivaris；　of　the　Cevennes；　of　Corsica；　fight　to　the　last　extremity；　but

if　you　lose　a　battle　and　the　fruit　of　a　thousand　years　of　fatigue；

hardship；　economy；　and　happiness　become　the　soldier's　prey。〃＇25＇　Here

was　something　with　which　the　Girondists　could　be　converted！　…　None　of

the　political　or　social　convictions　which　then　exercised　such　control

over　men's　minds　have　any　hold　on　him。　Before　the　9th　of　Thermidor　he

seemed　to　be　a　〃republican　montagnard；〃　and　we　follow　him　for　months

in　Provence。　　〃the　favorite　and　confidential　adviser　of　young

Robespierre；〃　〃admirer〃　of　the　elder　Robespierre；＇26＇　intimate　at　Nice

with　Charlotte　Robespierre。　　After　the　9th　of　Thermidor　has　passed；　he

frees　himself　with　bombast　from　this　compromising　friendship：　〃I

thought　him　sincere；〃　says　he　of　the　younger　Robespierre；　in　a　letter

intended　to　be　shown；　〃but　were　he　my　father　and　had　aimed　at　tyranny；

I　would　have　stabbed　him　myself。〃　On　returning　to　Paris；　after　having

knocked　at　several　doors；　he　takes　Barras　for　a　patron。　　Barras；　the

most　brazen　of　the　corrupt；　Barras；　who　has　overthrown　and　contrived

the　death　of　his　two　former　protectors。＇27＇　Among　the　contending

parties　and　fanaticisms　which　succeed　each　other　he　keeps　cool　and

free　to　dispose　of　himself　as　he　pleases；　indifferent　to　every　cause

and　concerning　himself　only　with　his　own　interests。　　…　On　the　evening

of　the　12th　of　Vendémiaire；　on　leaving　the　Feydeau　theatre；　and

noticing　the　preparations　of　the　sectionists；＇28＇　he　said　to　Junot：



〃Ah；　if　the　sections　put　me　in　command；　I　would　guarantee　to　place

them　in

　　the　Tuileries　in　two　hours　and　have　all　those　Convention　rascals

driven　out！　〃



Five　hours　later；　summoned　by　Barras　and　the　Conventionalists；　he

takes　〃three　minutes〃　to　make　up　his　mind；　and；　instead　of　〃blowing　up

the　representatives；〃　he　mows　down　the　Parisians。　　Like　a　good

condottière；　he　does　not　commit　himself；　considers　the　first　that

offers　and　then　the　one　who　offers　the　most；　only　to　back　out

afterwards；　and　finally；　seizing　the　opportunity；　to　grab　everything。

…　He　will　more　and　more　become　a　true　condottière；　that　is　to　say；

leader　of　a　band；　increasingly　independent；　pretending　to　submit　under

the　pretext　of　the　public　good；　looking　out　only　for　his　own　interest；

self…centered；　general　on　his　own　account　and　for　his　own　advantage　in

his　Italian　campaign　before　and　after　the　18th　of　Fructidor。＇29＇　　He

is；　however；　a　condottière　of　the　first　class；　already　aspiring　to　the

loftiest　summits；　〃with　no　stopping…place　but　the　throne　or　the

scaffold；〃＇30＇　〃determined＇31＇　to　master　France；　and　through　France

Europe。　　Without　distraction；　sleeping　only　three　hours　during　the

night；〃　he　plays　with　ideas；　men；　religions；　and　governments；

exploiting　people　with　incomparable　dexterity　and　brutality。　　He　is；

in　the　choice　of　means　as　of　ends；　a　superior　artist；　inexhaustible　in

glamour；　seductions；　corruption；　and　intimidation；　fascinating；　and

yet　more　terrible　than　any　wild　beast　suddenly　released　among　a　herd

of　browsing　cattle。　　The　expression　is　not　too　strong　and　was　uttered

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

intimidat