the origins of contemporary france-5-第92章

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presence　of　the　empress　and　the　court；　and　again　one　month　later；

August　16；　1804；　on　the　anniversary　of　the　Emperor's　birth；　in　the

camp　at　Boulogne；　facing　the　ocean　and　in　full　view　of　the　flotilla

assembled　to　conquer　England；　before　one　hundred　thousand　spectators

and　the　entire　army；　to　the　roll　of　eighteen　hundred　drums。　No

ceremony；　probably；　was　ever　more　exciting。　The　eminent　surgeon；

Larrey；　then　decorated；　a　man　of　austere　virtue；　spoke　of　it　with

emotion　to　the　end　of　his　life　and　never　alluded　that　unique　day　but

with　a　trembling　voice。　On　that　day；　nearly　all　the　men　of　superior

and　tried　merit　and　talent　in　France＇46＇　are　proclaimed；　each　with　the

title　proportionate　his　degree　of　eminence　…　chevaliers；　officers；

commanders；　grand…officers；　and；　later　on；　grand…eagles；　each　on　the

same　plane　with　his　equals　of　a　different　class；　ecclesiastics

alongside　of　laymen；　civilians　alongside　of　soldiers；　each　honored　by

the　company　of　his　peers；　Berthollet；　Laplace　and　Lagrange　alongside

of　Kellermann；　Jourdan　and　Lefebvre；　Otto　and　Tronchet　alongside　of

Masséna；　Augereau；　Ney；　Lannes；　Soult　and　Davout　；　four　cardinals　side

by　side　with　eighteen　marshals；　and　likewise　even　down　to　corporal；

and　to　Egyptian　veterans　blinded　by　ophthalmia　on　the　banks　of　the

Nile；　comprising　common　soldiers　who；　through　some　brilliant

achievement；　had　won　a　sword　or　a　gun　of　honor；　as；　for　instance；

Coignet；＇47＇　who；　dashing　ahead　with　fixed　bayonet；　kills　five

Austrian　artillerymen　and　takes　their　cannon　himself　alone。　Six　years

before　this　he　was　a　stable…boy　on　a　farm　and　could　neither　read　nor

write；　he　is　now　mentioned　among　the　first　of　those　promoted；　a

colleague　and　almost　a　comrade　of　Monge；　the　inventor　of　descriptive

geometry；　of　de　Fontanes；　grand…master　of　the　university；　of　marshals；

admirals；　and　the　highest　dignitaries；　all　sharing　in　common　an

inestimable　treasure；　the　legitimate　heirs　of　twelve　years'

accumulated　glory　by　the　sacrifice　of　so　many　heroic　lives　and　all　the

more　glorified　because　so　few；＇48＇　and　because；　in　these　days；　a　man

did　not　obtain　the　cross　by　twenty　years　of　plodding　in　a　bureau；　on

account　of　routine　punctuality；　but　by　wonderful　strokes　of　energy　and

audacity；　by　wounds；　by　braving　death　a　hundred　times　and　looking　it

in　the　face　daily。



Henceforth；　legally　as　well　as　in　public　opinion；　they　form　the　staff

of　the　new　society；　its　declared；　verified　notables；　enjoying

precedences　and　even　privi1eges。　On　passing　along　the　street　the

sentinel　presents　arms；　a　company　of　twenty…five　soldiers　attends

their　funeral　procession；　in　the　electoral　colleges　of　the　department

or　arrondissement　they　are　electors　by　right　and　without　being

balloted　for；　simply　by　virtue　of　their　rank。　Their　sons　are　entitled

to　scholarships　in　La　Fléche；　at　Saint…Cyr；　and　in　the　lycées；　and

their　daughters　at　Ecouen　or　Saint…Denis。　With　the　exception　of　a

title；　as　formerly；　they　lack　nothing　for　filling　the　place　of　the　old

nobility；　and　Napoleon　re…creates　this　title　for　their　benefit。　The

title　itself　of　chevalier；　count；　duke　or　prince　carries　along　with　an

idea　of　social　superiority；　when　announced　in　a　drawing　room；　when　it

precedes　the　first　sentence　of　an　address；　those　who　are　present　do

not　remain　inattentive；　an　immemorial　prejudice　inclines　them　to　award

consideration　or　even　deference。　The　Revolution　tried　in　vain　to

destroy　this　power　of　words　and　of　history；　Napoleon　does　better：　he

confiscates　it；　he　arrogates　to　himself　the　monopoly　of　it；　he　steals

the　trade…mark　from　the　ancient　Régime；　he　himself　creates　48；000

chevaliers；　1000t　barons；　388　counts；　31　dukes　and　4　princes。

Furthermore；　he　stamps　with　his　own　mark　the　old　nobles　whom　he

introduces　into　his　nobility：　he　coins　them　anew　and　often　with　an

inferior　title；　this　or　that　duke　is　lowered　a　notch　and　becomes

simply　a　count：　taken　at　par　or　at　a　discount　the　feudal　coin　must；　in

order　to　pass；　receive　the　imperial　stamp　which　gives　it　its

recognized　value　in　modern　figures。



But；　let　the　old…fashioned　metal　be　what　it　may；　whether　gold；　silver

or　copper；　even　crude　and　plebeian；　the　new　coin　is　of　good　alloy　and

very　handsome。　Frequently；　like　the　old　currency；　it　displays　coats　of

arms　in　high　relief；　a　heraldic　crown　and　the　name　of　a　locality；　it

no　longer　bears　the　name　of　territory；　and　it　does　not　call　to　mind　a

primitive　sovereignty。　On　the　contrary；　it　bears　the　name　of　a　victory

or　of　a　conquest　and　reminds　one　of　recent　exploits。　Duc　de　Montebello

or　a　Prince　de　la　Moskowa　is　equivalent　in　the　imagination

contemporaries　to　a　Duc　de　Montmorency　or　a　Prince　de　Rohan；　for；　if

the　prince　or　duke　of　the　empire　is　without　ancestors；　he　is　or　will

be　an　ancestor　himself。　To　these　prizes　coveted　by　vanity　Napoleon

tacks　on　every　substantial　and　pecuniary　advantage；　in　ready　money　or

landed　property；　not　alone　large　salaries；　adjunctive　sénatoreries；

occasional　munificent　gifts；



*　a　million　at　one　time　to　General　Lasalle；　but　likewise　vast　revenues

from　the　extraordinary　domain＇49＇；

*　32；463；817　francs　a　year　divided　amongst　4970　persons；

*　pensions　from　250　to　5000　francs　for　all　legionaries；

*　villas；　large　estates；　private　incomes；　distinct　and　superb

endowments　for　those　of　the　highest　rank；　a　fortune　of　100；000　livres

income　and　more　to　34　of　these；

*　a　fortune　of　450；000　livres　in　the　public　funds　to　Cambacérès；　of

683；000　livres　in　the　public　funds　to　Masséna；　of　728；000　livres　in

the　public　funds　to　Ney；　of　910；000　livres　in　the　public　funds　to

Davout；　of　1；354；000　livres　in　the　public　funds　to　Berthier；

*　and　besides　all　this；　three　〃sovereign　principalities；〃　Neufchatel

to　Berthier；　Benevento　to　Talleyrand；　and　Ponte…Corvo　to　Bernadotte。　…



This　last　attraction　which；　in　these　times　of　violent　and　premature

death；　is　of　no　little　account。　Napoleon　opens　out　hereditary　and

undefined　prospects　beyond　the　perspectives　of　life　and　of　inferior

interests。　Each　of　the　titles　conferred　by　him；　that　of　prince；　duke；

count；　baron；　and　even　that　of　chevalier；　is　transmissible　in　direct

descent；　according　to　primogeniture　from　father　to　son；　and　sometimes

from　uncle　to　nephew；　under　specified　conditions　which　are　very

acceptable；　and　of　which　the　first　is　the　institution　of　an

inalienable　majority；　inattackable；　consisting　of　this　or　that　income

or　real　property；　of　bank　stock　or　state　securities；　from　3000　francs

for　common　chevaliers　up　to　200；000　francs　for　the　dukes；　that　is　to

say；　a　certain　fortune　in　perpetuity　due　to　the　sovereign's

liberality；　or　to　the　prudence　of　the　founder；　and　intended　to　support

the　dignity　of　the　title　from　male　to　male　and　from　link　to　link

throughout　the　future　chain　of　successive　inheritors。　Through　this

supreme　reward；　the　subtle　tempter　has　a　hold　on　the　men　who　care　not

alone　for　themselves　but　for　their　family：　henceforth；　the　work　as　he

does；　eighteen　hours　a　day；　stand　fire；　and　say　to　themselves；　while

sinking　at　their　desks　or　facing　cannon…ball　that　their　pre…eminence

survives　them　in　their　posterity：



〃In　any　event　my　son　will　succeed　me　and　even　become　greater　by　my

death。〃



All　the　temptations　which　serve　to　overcome　the　natural　lethargy　of

human　matter　are　simultaneously　united　and；　with　the　exception　of

personal　conscience　and　the　desire　for　personal　independence；　all

other　internal　springs　are　strained　to　the　utmost。　One　unusual

circumstance　gives　to　eager　ambitions　a　further　increase　of　energy；

impulse　and　enthusiasm。　…　All　these　successful　or　parvenu　men　are

contemporaries：　all　have　started　alike　on　the　same　line　and　from　the

same　average　or　low　condition　in　life；　each　sees　old　comrades　superior

to　himself　on　the　upper　steps；　he　considers　himself　as　good　they　are；

suffers　because　he　is　not　on　their　level；　and　strives　and　takes　risks

so　as　to　mount　up　to　them。　But；　however　high　he　mounts；　he　still　sees

higher　yet　others　who