the story of mankind-第61节

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the　window；　down　upon　Seventh　Avenue；　and　should　the　endless

procession　of　trucks　and　carts　come　to　a　sudden　halt；　and

should　I　hear　the　sound　of　the　heavy　drums　and　see　the　little

man　on　his　white　horse　in　his　old　and　much…worn　green　uniform；

then　I　don't　know；　but　I　am　afraid　that　I　would　leave

my　books　and　the　kitten　and　my　home　and　everything　else　to

follow　him　wherever　he　cared　to　lead。　My　own　grandfather

did　this　and　Heaven　knows　he　was　not　born　to　be　a　hero。

Millions　of　other　people's　grandfathers　did　it。　They　received

no　reward；　but　they　expected　none。　They　cheerfully

gave　legs　and　arms　and　lives　to　serve　this　foreigner；　who　took

them　a　thousand　miles　away　from　their　homes　and　marched

them　into　a　barrage　of　Russian　or　English　or　Spanish　or

Italian　or　Austrian　cannon　and　stared　quietly　into　space　while

they　were　rolling　in　the　agony　of　death。



If　you　ask　me　for　an　explanation；　I　must　answer　that　I

have　none。　I　can　only　guess　at　one　of　the　reasons。　Napoleon

was　the　greatest　of　actors　and　the　whole　European　continent

was　his　stage。　At　all　times　and　under　all　circumstances

he　knew　the　precise　attitude　that　would　impress　the　spectators

most　and　he　understood　what　words　would　make　the　deepest

impression。　Whether　he　spoke　in　the　Egyptian　desert；　before

the　backdrop　of　the　Sphinx　and　the　pyramids；　or　addressed

his　shivering　men　on　the　dew…soaked　plains　of　Italy；　made　no

difference。　At　all　times　he　was　master　of　the　situation。　Even

at　the　end；　an　exile　on　a　little　rock　in　the　middle　of　the　Atlantic；

a　sick　man　at　the　mercy　of　a　dull　and　intolerable　British　governor；

he　held　the　centre　of　the　stage。



After　the　defeat　of　Waterloo；　no　one　outside　of　a　few

trusted　friends　ever　saw　the　great　Emperor。　The　people　of

Europe　knew　that　he　was　living　on　the　island　of　St。　Helena

they　knew　that　a　British　garrison　guarded　him　day　and　night

they　knew　that　the　British　fleet　guarded　the　garrison　which

guarded　the　Emperor　on　his　farm　at　Longwood。　But　he　was

never　out　of　the　mind　of　either　friend　or　enemy。　When　illness

and　despair　had　at　last　taken　him　away；　his　silent　eyes　continued

to　haunt　the　world。　Even　to…day　he　is　as　much　of　a　force

in　the　life　of　France　as　a　hundred　years　ago　when　people

fainted　at　the　mere　sight　of　this　sallow…faced　man　who　stabled

his　horses　in　the　holiest　temples　of　the　Russian　Kremlin；　and

who　treated　the　Pope　and　the　mighty　ones　of　this　earth　as　if

they　were　his　lackeys。



To　give　you　a　mere　outline　of　his　life　would　demand

couple　of　volumes。　To　tell　you　of　his　great　political　reform

of　the　French　state；　of　his　new　codes　of　laws　which　were

adopted　in　most　European　countries；　of　his　activities　in　every

field　of　public　activity；　would　take　thousands　of　pages。　But

I　can　explain　in　a　few　words　why　he　was　so　successful　during

the　first　part　of　his　career　and　why　he　failed　during　the　last

ten　years。　From　the　year　1789　until　the　year　1804；　Napoleon

was　the　great　leader　of　the　French　revolution。　He　was　not

merely　fighting　for　the　glory　of　his　own　name。　He　defeated

Austria　and　Italy　and　England　and　Russia　because　he；　himself；

and　his　soldiers　were　the　apostles　of　the　new　creed　of

‘‘Liberty；　Fraternity　and　Equality''　and　were　the　enemies　of

the　courts　while　they　were　the　friends　of　the　people。



But　in　the　year　1804；　Napoleon　made　himself　Hereditary

Emperor　of　the　French　and　sent　for　Pope　Pius　VII　to　come

and　crown　him；　even　as　Leo　III；　in　the　year　800　had　crowned

that　other　great　King　of　the　Franks；　Charlemagne；　whose　example

was　constantly　before　Napoleon's　eyes。



Once　upon　the　throne；　the　old　revolutionary　chieftain　became

an　unsuccessful　imitation　of　a　Habsburg　monarch。　He

forgot　his　spiritual　Mother；　the　Political　Club　of　the　Jacobins。

He　ceased　to　be　the　defender　of　the　oppressed。　He　became　the

chief　of　all　the　oppressors　and　kept　his　shooting　squads　ready

to　execute　those　who　dared　to　oppose　his　imperial　will。　No

one　had　shed　a　tear　when　in　the　year　1806　the　sad　remains　of

the　Holy　Roman　Empire　were　carted　to　the　historical　dustbin

and　when　the　last　relic　of　ancient　Roman　glory　was　destroyed

by　the　grandson　of　an　Italian　peasant。　But　when　the　Napoleonic

armies　had　invaded　Spain；　had　forced　the　Spaniards　to

recognise　a　king　whom　they　detested；　had　massacred　the　poor

Madrilenes　who　remained　faithful　to　their　old　rulers；　then

public　opinion　turned　against　the　former　hero　of　Marengo　and

Austerlitz　and　a　hundred　other　revolutionary　battles。　Then

and　only　then；　when　Napoleon　was　no　longer　the　hero　of　the

revolution　but　the　personification　of　all　the　bad　traits　of　the

Old　Regime；　was　it　possible　for　England　to　give　direction　to

the　fast…spreading　sentiment　of　hatred　which　was　turning　all

honest　men　into　enemies　of　the　French　Emperor。



The　English　people　from　the　very　beginning　had　felt

deeply　disgusted　when　their　newspapers　told　them　the　gruesome

details　of　the　Terror。　They　had　staged　their　own　great

revolution　（during　the　reign　of　Charles　I）　a　century　before。

It　had　been　a　very　simple　affair　compared　to　the　upheaval　of

Paris。　In　the　eyes　of　the　average　Englishman　a　Jacobin　was

a　monster　to　be　shot　at　sight　and　Napoleon　was　the　Chief　Devil。

The　British　fleet　had　blockaded　France　ever　since　the　year

1798。　It　had　spoiled　Napoleon's　plan　to　invade　India　by　way

of　Egypt　and　had　forced　him　to　beat　an　ignominious　retreat；

after　his　victories　along　the　banks　of　the　Nile。　And　finally；

in　the　year　1805；　England　got　the　chance　it　had　waited　for　so

long。



Near　Cape　Trafalgar　on　the　southwestern　coast　of　Spain；

Nelson　annihilated　the　Napoleonic　fleet；　beyond　a　possible

chance　of　recovery。　From　that　moment　on；　the　Emperor　was

landlocked。　Even　so；　he　would　have　been　able　to　maintain

himself　as　the　recognised　ruler　of　the　continent　had　he　understood

the　signs　of　the　times　and　accepted　the　honourable　peace

which　the　powers　offered　him。　But　Napoleon　had　been　blinded

by　the　blaze　of　his　own　glory。　He　would　recognise　no　equals。

He　could　tolerate　no　rivals。　And　his　hatred　turned　against

Russia；　the　mysterious　land　of　the　endless　plains　with　its

inexhaustible　supply　of　cannon…fodder。



As　long　as　Russia　was　ruled　by　Paul　I；　the　half…witted　son

of　Catherine　the　Great；　Napoleon　had　known　how　to　deal　with

the　situation。　But　Paul　grew　more　and　more　irresponsible

until　his　exasperated　subjects　were　obliged　to　murder　him

（lest　they　all　be　sent　to　the　Siberian　lead…mines）　and　the　son　of

Paul；　the　Emperor　Alexander；　did　not　share　his　father's　affection

for　the　usurper　whom　he　regarded　as　the　enemy　of　mankind；

the　eternal　disturber　of　the　peace。　He　was　a　pious　man

who　believed　that　he　had　been　chosen　by　God　to　deliver　the

world　from　the　Corsican　curse。　He　joined　Prussia　and　England

and　Austria　and　he　was　defeated。　He　tried　five　times

and　five　times　he　failed。　In　the　year　1812　he　once　more　taunted

Napoleon　until　the　French　Emperor；　in　a　blind　rage；　vowed

that　he　would　dictate　peace　in　Moscow。　Then；　from　far　and

wide；　from　Spain　and　Germany　and　Holland　and　Italy　and

Portugal；　unwilling　regiments　were　driven　northward；　that　the

wounded　pride　of　the　great　Emperor　might　be　duly　avenged。

The　rest　of　the　story　is　common　knowledge。　After　a　march

of　two　months；　Napoleon　reached　the　Russian　capital　and

established　his　headquarters　in　the　holy　Kremlin。　On　the　night

of　September　15　of　the　year　1812；　Moscow　caught　fire。　The

town　burned　four　days。　When　the　evening　of　the　fifth　day

came；　Napoleon　gave　the　order　for　the　retreat。　Two　weeks

later　it　began　to　snow。　The　army　trudged　through　mud　and

sleet　until　November　the　26th　when　the　river　Berezina　was

reached。　Then　the　Russian　attacks　began　in　all　seriousness。

The　Cossacks　swarmed　around　the　‘‘Grande　Armee''　which

was　no　longer　an　army　but　a　mob。　In　the　middle　of　December

the　first　of　the　survivors　began　to　be　seen　in　the　German　cities

of　the　East。



Then　there　were　many　rumours　of　an　impending　revolt。

‘‘The　time　has　come；''　the　people　of　Europe　said；　‘‘to　free　ourselves

from　this　insufferable　yoke。''　And　they　began　to　look

for　old　shotguns　which　had　escaped　the　eye　of　the　ever…present

French　spies。　But　ere　they　knew　what　had　happened；　Napoleon

was　back　with　a　new　army。　He　had　left　his　defeated　soldiers

and　in　his　little　sleigh　had　rushed　ahead　to　Paris；　making

a　final　appeal　for　more　troops　that　he　might　defend　the　sacred

soil　of　France　against　foreign　invasion。



Children　of　sixteen　and　seventeen　followed　him　when　he

moved　eastward　to　meet　the　allied　powers。　On　October　16；

18；　and　19　of　the　year　1813；　the　terrible　battle　of　Leipzig　took

place　where　for　three　days　boys　in　green　and　boys　in　blue

fought　each　other　until　the　Elbe　ran　red　with　blood。　On　the

afternoon　of　the　17th　of　October；　the　massed　reserves　of　Russian

infantry　broke　through　the　French　lines　and　Napoleon

fled。



Back　to　Paris　he　went。　He　abdicated　in　favour　of　his　small

son；　but　the　allied