the origins of contemporary france-5-第7章

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superiority　of　his　style　and　discourse。　　…　His　adaptation　of　these　to

his　hearers　and　to　circumstances。　　…　His　notation　and　calculation　of

serviceable　motives。



No　faculty　is　more　precious　for　a　political　engineer；　for　the　forces

he　acts　upon　are　never　other　than　human　passions。　　But　how；　except

through　divination；　can　these　passions；　which　grow　out　of　the　deepest

sentiments；　be　reached？　How；　save　by　conjecture；　can　forces　be

estimated　which　seem　to　defy　all　measurement？　On　this　dark　and

uncertain　ground；　where　one　has　to　grope　one's　way；　Napoleon　moves

with　almost　absolute　certainty；　he　moves　promptly。　　First　of　all；　he

studies　himself；　indeed；　to　find　one's　way　into　another's　soul

requires；　preliminarily；　that　one　should　dive　deep　into　one's　own。＇61＇



〃I　have　always　delighted　in　analysis；〃　said　he；　one　day；　〃and　should　I

ever　fall　seriously　in　love　I　would　take　my　sentiment　to　pieces。　　Why

and　How　are　such　important　questions　one　cannot　put　them　to　one's　self

too　often。〃



　〃It　is　certain；〃　writes　an　observer；　〃that　he；　of　all　men；　is　the　one

who　has　most　meditated　on　the　why　which　controls　human　actions。〃



His　method；　that　of　the　experimental　sciences；　consists　in　testing

every　hypothesis　or　deduction　by　some　positive　fact；　observed　by　him

under　definite　conditions；　a　physical　force　being　ascertained　and

accurately　measured　through　the　deviation　of　a　needle；　or　through　the

rise　and　fall　of　a　fluid；　this　or　that　invisible　moral　force　can

likewise　be　ascertained　and　approximately　measured　through　some

emotional　sign；　some　decisive　manifestation；　consisting　of　a　certain

word；　tone；　or　gesture。　　It　is　these　words；　tones；　and　gestures　which

he　dwells　on；　he　detects　inward　sentiments　by　the　outward　expression；

he　figures　to　himself　the　internal　by　the　external；　by　some　facial

appearance；　some　telling　attitude；　some　brief　and　topical　scene；　by

such　specimen　and　shortcuts；　so　well　chosen　and　detailed　that　they

provide　a　summary　of　the　innumerable　series　of　analogous　cases。　　In

this　way；　the　vague；　fleeting　object　is　suddenly　arrested；　brought　to

bear；　and　then　gauged　and　weighed；　like　some　impalpable　gas　collected

and　kept　in　a　graduated　transparent　glass　tube。　　…　Accordingly；　at　the

Council　of　State；　while　the　others；　either　jurists　or　administrators；

see　abstractions；　articles　of　the　law　and　precedents；　he　sees　people

as　they　are　…　the　Frenchman；　the　Italian；　the　German；　that　of　the

peasant；　the　workman；　the　bourgeois；　the　noble；　the　returned

émigré；＇62＇　the　soldier；　the　officer　and　the　functionary　…　everywhere

the　individual　man　as　he　is；　the　man　who　plows；　manufactures；　fights；

marries；　brings　forth　children；　toils；　enjoys　himself；　and　dies。　　…

Nothing　is　more　striking　than　the　contrast　between　the　dull；　grave

arguments　advanced　by　the　wise　official　editor；　and　Napoleon's　own

words　caught　on　the　wing；　at　the　moment；　vibrating　and　teeming　with

illustrations　and　imagery。＇63＇　Apropos　of　divorce；　the　principle　of

which　he　wishes　to　maintain：



　〃Consult；　now；　national　manners　and　customs。　　Adultery　is　no

phenomenon；　it　is　common　enough　…　une　affaire　de　canapé　。　　。　　。　　There

must　be　some　curb　on　women　who　commit　adultery　for　trinkets；　poetry；

Apollo；　and　the　muses；　etc。〃



But　if　divorce　be　allowed　for　incompatibility　of　temper　you　undermine

marriage；　the　fragility　of　the　bond　will　be　apparent　the　moment　the

obligation　is　contracted；



　〃it　is　just　as　if　a　man　said　to　himself；　'I　am　going　to　marry　until　I

feel　different。'　〃



Nullity　of　marriage　must　not　be　too　often　allowed；　once　a　marriage　is

made　it　is　a　serious　matter　to　undo　it。



　〃Suppose　that；　in　marrying　my　cousin　just　arrived　from　the　Indies；　I

wed　an　adventuress。　　She　bears　me　children；　and　I　then　discover　she　is

not　my　cousin　…　is　that　marriage　valid？　Does　not　public　morality

demand　that　it　should　be　so　considered？　There　has　been　a　mutual

exchange　of　hearts；　of　transpiration。〃



On　the　right　of　children　to　be　supported　and　fed　although　of　age；　he

says：



　〃Will　you　allow　a　father　to　drive　a　girl　of　fifteen　out　of　his　house？

A　father　worth　60；000　francs　a　year　might　say　to　his　son；　'You　are

stout　and　fat；　go　and　turn　plowman。'　The　children　of　a　rich　father；　or

of　one　in　good　circumstances；　are　always　entitled　to　the　paternal

porridge。　　Strike　out　their　right　to　be　fed；　and　you　compel　children

to　murder　their　parents。〃



As　to　adoption　：



　〃You　regard　this　as　law…makers　and　not　as　statesmen。　　It　is　not　a

civil　contract　nor　a　judicial　contract。　　The　analysis　（of　the　jurist）

leads　to　vicious　results。　　Man　is　governed　by　imagination　only；

without　imagination　he　is　a　brute。　　It　is　not　for　five　cents　a　day；

simply　to　distinguish　himself；　that　a　man　consents　to　be　killed；　if

you　want　to　electrify　him　touch　his　heart。　　A　notary；　who　is　paid　a

fee　of　twelve　francs　for　his　services；　cannot　do　that。　　It　requires

some　other　process；　a　legislative　act。　　Adoption；　what　is　that？　An

imitation　by　which　society　tries　to　counterfeit　nature。　　It　is　a　new

kind　of　sacrament。　　。　　。　　。　　Society　ordains　that　the　bones　and　blood

of　one　being　shall　be　changed　into　the　bones　and　blood　of　another。　　It

is　the　greatest　of　all　legal　acts。　　It　gives　the　sentiments　of　a　son

to　one　who　never　had　them；　and　reciprocally　those　of　a　parent。　　Where

ought　this　to　originate？　From　on　high；　like　a　clap　of　thunder　！〃



All　his　expressions　are　bright　flashes　one　after　another。＇64＇　Nobody；

since　Voltaire　and　Galiani；　has　launched　forth　such　a　profusion　of

them；　on　society；　laws；　government；　France　and　the　French；　some

penetrate　and　explain；　like　those　of　Montesquieu；　as　if　with　a　flash

of　lightening。　　He　does　not　hammer　them　out　laboriously；　but　they

burst　forth；　the　outpourings　of　his　intellect；　its　natural；

involuntary；　constant　action。　　And　what　adds　to　their　value　is　that；

outside　of　councils　and　private　conversations；　he　abstains　from　them；

employing　them　only　in　the　service　of　thought；　at　other　times　he

subordinates　them　to　the　end　he　has　in　view；　which　is　always　their

practical　effect。　　Ordinarily；　he　writes　and　speaks　in　a　different

language；　in　a　language　suited　to　his　audience；　he　dispenses　with　the

oddities；　the　irregular　improvisations　and　imagination；　the　outbursts

of　genius　and　inspiration。　　He　retains　and　uses　merely　those　which　are

intended　to　impress　the　personage　whom　he　wishes　to　dazzle　with　a

great　idea　of　himself；　such　as　Pius　VII。；　or　the　Emperor　Alexander。

In　this　case；　his　conversational　tone　is　that　of　a　caressing；

expansive；　amiable　familiarity；　he　is　then　before　the　footlights；　and

when　he　acts　he　can　play　all　parts；　tragedy　or　comedy；　with　the　same

life　and　spirit　whether　he　fulminates；　insinuates；　or　even　affects

simplicity。　　When　he　is　with　his　generals；　ministers；　and　principal

performers；　he　falls　back　on　the　concise；　positive；　technical　business

style；　any　other　would　be　harmful。　　The　keen　mind　only　reveals　itself

through　the　brevity　and　imperious　strength　and　rudeness　of　the　accent。

For　his　armies　and　the　common　run　of　men；　he　has　his　proclamations　and

bulletins；　that　is　to　say；　sonorous　phrases　composed　for　effect；　a

statement　of　facts　purposely　simplified　and　falsified；＇65＇　in　short；

an　excellent　effervescent　wine；　good　for　exciting　enthusiasm；　and　an

equally　excellent　narcotic　for　maintaining　credulity；＇66＇　a　sort　of

popular　mixture　to　be　distributed　just　at　the　proper　time；　and　whose

ingredients　are　so　well　proportioned　that　the　public　drinks　it　with

delight；　and　becomes　at　once　intoxicated。　　…　His　style　on　every

occasion；　whether　affected　or　spontaneous；　shows　his　wonderful

knowledge　of　the　masses　and　of　individuals；　except　in　two　or　three

cases；　on　one　exalted　domain；　of　which　he　always　remains　ignorant；　he

has　ever　hit　the　mark；　applying　the　appropriate　lever；　giving　just　the

push；　weight；　and　degree　of　impulsion　which　best　accomplishes　his

purpose。　　A　series　of　brief；　accurate　memoranda；　c