first epilogue-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



　　He　is　pushed　into　a　meeting　of　the　legislature。　In　alarm　he　wishes

to　flee；　considering　himself　lost。　He　pretends　to　fall　into　a　swoon

and　says　senseless　things　that　should　have　ruined　him。　But　the　once

proud　and　shrewd　rulers　of　France；　feeling　that　their　part　is　played

out；　are　even　more　bewildered　than　he；　and　do　not　say　the　words　they

should　have　said　to　destroy　him　and　retain　their　power。

　　Chance；　millions　of　chances；　give　him　power；　and　all　men　as　if　by

agreement　co…operate　to　confirm　that　power。　Chance　forms　the

characters　of　the　rulers　of　France；　who　submit　to　him；　chance　forms

the　character　of　Paul　I　of　Russia　who　recognizes　his　government；

chance　contrives　a　plot　against　him　which　not　only　fails　to　harm　him

but　confirms　his　power。　Chance　puts　the　Duc　d'Enghien　in　his　hands　and

unexpectedly　causes　him　to　kill　him…　thereby　convincing　the　mob　more

forcibly　than　in　any　other　way　that　he　had　the　right；　since　he　had　the

might。　Chance　contrives　that　though　he　directs　all　his　efforts　to

prepare　an　expedition　against　England　（which　would　inevitably　have

ruined　him）　he　never　carries　out　that　intention；　but　unexpectedly

falls　upon　Mack　and　the　Austrians；　who　surrender　without　a　battle。

Chance　and　genius　give　him　the　victory　at　Austerlitz；　and　by　chance

all　men；　not　only　the　French　but　all　Europe…　except　England　which　does

not　take　part　in　the　events　about　to　happen…　despite　their　former

horror　and　detestation　of　his　crimes；　now　recognize　his　authority；　the

title　he　has　given　himself；　and　his　ideal　of　grandeur　and　glory；　which

seems　excellent　and　reasonable　to　them　all。

　　As　if　measuring　themselves　and　preparing　for　the　coming　movement；

the　western　forces　push　toward　the　east　several　times　in　1805；　1806；

1807；　and　1809；　gaining　strength　and　growing。　In　1811　the　group　of

people　that　had　formed　in　France　unites　into　one　group　with　the

peoples　of　Central　Europe。　The　strength　of　the　justification　of　the

man　who　stands　at　the　head　of　the　movement　grows　with　the　increased

size　of　the　group。　During　the　ten…year　preparatory　period　this　man　had

formed　relations　with　all　the　crowned　heads　of　Europe。　The　discredited

rulers　of　the　world　can　oppose　no　reasonable　ideal　to　the　insensate

Napoleonic　ideal　of　glory　and　grandeur。　One　after　another　they

hasten　to　display　their　insignificance　before　him。　The　King　of　Prussia

sends　his　wife　to　seek　the　great　man's　mercy；　the　Emperor　of　Austria

considers　it　a　favor　that　this　man　receives　a　daughter　the　Caesars

into　his　bed；　the　Pope；　the　guardian　of　all　that　the　nations　hold

sacred；　utilizes　religion　for　the　aggrandizement　of　the　great　man。

It　is　not　Napoleon　who　prepares　himself　for　the　accomplishment　of

his　role；　so　much　as　all　those　round　him　who　prepare　him　to　take　on

himself　the　whole　responsibility　for　what　is　happening　and　has　to

happen。　There　is　no　step；　no　crime　or　petty　fraud　he　commits；　which　in

the　mouths　of　those　around　him　is　not　at　once　represented　as　a　great

deed。　The　most　suitable　fete　the　Germans　can　devise　for　him　is　a

celebration　of　Jena　and　Auerstadt。　Not　only　is　he　great；　but　so　are

his　ancestors；　his　brothers；　his　stepsons；　and　his　brothers…in…law。

Everything　is　done　to　deprive　him　of　the　remains　of　his　reason　and

to　prepare　him　for　his　terrible　part。　And　when　he　is　ready　so　too

are　the　forces。

　　The　invasion　pushes　eastward　and　reaches　its　final　goal…　Moscow。

That　city　is　taken；　the　Russian　army　suffers　heavier　losses　than　the

opposing　armies　had　suffered　in　the　former　war　from　Austerlitz　to

Wagram。　But　suddenly　instead　of　those　chances　and　that　genius　which

hitherto　had　so　consistently　led　him　by　an　uninterrupted　series　of

successes　to　the　predestined　goal；　an　innumerable　sequence　of

inverse　chances　occur…　from　the　cold　in　his　head　at　Borodino　to　the

sparks　which　set　Moscow　on　fire；　and　the　frosts…　and　instead　of

genius；　stupidity　and　immeasurable　baseness　become　evident。

　　The　invaders　flee；　turn　back；　flee　again；　and　all　the　chances　are

now　not　for　Napoleon　but　always　against　him。

　　A　countermovement　is　then　accomplished　from　east　to　west　with　a

remarkable　resemblance　to　the　preceding　movement　from　west　to　east。

Attempted　drives　from　east　to　west…　similar　to　the　contrary

movements　of　1805；　1807；　and　1809…　precede　the　great　westward

movement；　there　is　the　same　coalescence　into　a　group　of　enormous

dimensions；　the　same　adhesion　of　the　people　of　Central　Europe　to　the

movement；　the　same　hesitation　midway；　and　the　same　increasing　rapidity

as　the　goal　is　approached。

　　Paris；　the　ultimate　goal；　is　reached。　The　Napoleonic　government

and　army　are　destroyed。　Napoleon　himself　is　no　longer　of　any

account；　all　his　actions　are　evidently　pitiful　and　mean；　but　again

an　inexplicable　chance　occurs。　The　allies　detest　Napoleon　whom　they

regard　as　the　cause　of　their　sufferings。　Deprived　of　power　and

authority；　his　crimes　and　his　craft　exposed；　he　should　have　appeared

to　them　what　he　appeared　ten　years　previously　and　one　year　later…　an

outlawed　brigand。　But　by　some　strange　chance　no　one　perceives　this。

His　part　is　not　yet　ended。　The　man　who　ten　years　before　and　a　year

later　was　considered　an　outlawed　brigand　is　sent　to　an　island　two

days'　sail　from　France；　which　for　some　reason　is　presented　to　him　as

his　dominion；　and　guards　are　given　to　him　and　millions　of　money　are

paid　him。

EP1｜CH4

　　CHAPTER　IV



　　The　flood　of　nations　begins　to　subside　into　its　normal　channels。　The

waves　of　the　great　movement　abate；　and　on　the　calm　surface　eddies

are　formed　in　which　float　the　diplomatists；　who　imagine　that　they　have

caused　the　floods　to　abate。

　　But　the　smooth　sea　again　suddenly　becomes　disturbed。　The

diplomatists　think　that　their　disagreements　are　the　cause　of　this

fresh　pressure　of　natural　forces；　they　anticipate　war　between　their

sovereigns；　the　position　seems　to　them　insoluble。　But　the　wave　they

feel　to　be　rising　does　not　come　from　the　quarter　they　expect。　It　rises

again　from　the　same　point　as　before…　Paris。　The　last　backwash　of　the

movement　from　the　west　occurs：　a　backwash　which　serves　to　solve　the

apparently　insuperable　diplomatic　difficulties　and　ends　the　military

movement　of　that　period　of　history。

　　The　man　who　had　devastated　France　returns　to　France　alone；　without

any　conspiracy　and　without　soldiers。　Any　guard　might　arrest　him；　but

by　strange　chance　no　one　does　so　and　all　rapturously　greet　the　man

they　cursed　the　day　before　and　will　curse　again　a　month　later。

　　This　man　is　still　needed　to　justify　the　final　collective　act。

　　That　act　is　performed。

　　The　last　role　is　played。　The　actor　is　bidden　to　disrobe　and　wash　off

his　powder　and　paint：　he　will　not　be　wanted　any　more。

　　And　some　years　pass　during　which　he　plays　a　pitiful　comedy　to

himself　in　solitude　on　his　island；　justifying　his　actions　by　intrigues

and　lies　when　the　justification　is　no　longer　needed；　and　displaying　to

the　whole　world　what　it　was　that　people　had　mistaken　for　strength　as

long　as　an　unseen　hand　directed　his　actions。

　　The　manager　having　brought　the　drama　to　a　close　and　stripped　the

actor　shows　him　to　us。

　　〃See　what　you　believed　in！　This　is　he！　Do　you　now　see　that　it　was

not　he　but　I　who　moved　you？〃

　　But　dazed　by　the　force　of　the　movement；　it　was　long　before　people

understood　this。

　　Still　greater　coherence　and　inevitability　is　seen　in　the　life　of

Alexander　I；　the　man　who　stood　at　the　head　of　the　countermovement　from

east　to　west。

　　What　was　needed　for　him　who；　overshadowing　others；　stood　at　the　head

of　that　movement　from　east　to　west？

　　What　was　needed　was　a　sense　of　justice　and　a　sympathy　with

European　affairs；　but　a　remote　sympathy　not　dulled　by　petty　interests；

a　moral　superiority　over　those　sovereigns　of　the　day　who　co…operated

with　him；　a　mild　and　attractive　personality；　and　a　personal

grievance　against　Napoleon。　And　all　this　was　found　in　Alexander　I；　all

this　had　been　prepared　by　innumerable　so…called　chances　in　his　life：

his　education；　his　early　liberal