the origins of contemporary france-5-第14节

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！



Volney　a　kick　in　the　stomach　and　he　falls　unconscious；　on　being　moved

to　a　friend's　house；　he　remains　there　ill　in　bed　for　several　days。　…

No　man　is　more　irritable；　so　soon　in　a　passion；　and　all　the　more

because　he　purposely　gives　way　to　his　irritation；　for；　doing　this　just

at　the　right　moment；　and　especially　before　witnesses；　it　strikes

terror；　it　enables　him　to　extort　concessions　and　maintain　obedience。

His　explosions　of　anger；　half…calculated；　half…involuntary；　serve　him

quite　as　much　as　they　relieve　him；　in　public　as　well　as　in　private；

with　strangers　as　with　intimates；　before　constituted　bodies；　with　the

Pope；　with　cardinals；　with　ambassadors；　with　Talleyrand；　with　Beugnot；

with　anybody　that　comes　along；＇5＇　whenever　he　wishes　to　set　an　example

or　〃keep　the　people　around　him　on　the　alert。〃　The　public　and　the　army

regard　him　as　impassible；　but；　apart　from　the　battles　in　which　he

wears　a　mask　of　bronze；　apart　from　the　official　ceremonies　in　which　he

assumes　a　necessarily　dignified　air；　impression　and　expression　with

him　are　almost　always　confounded；　the　inward　overflowing　in　the

outward；　the　action；　like　a　blow；　getting　the　better　of　him。　At　Saint

Cloud；　caught　by　Josephine　in　the　arms　of　another　woman；　he　runs　after

the　unlucky　interrupter　in　such　a　way　that　〃she　barely　has　time　to

escape〃；＇6＇　and　again；　that　evening；　keeping　up　his　fury　so　as　to　put

her　down　completely；　〃he　treats　her　in　the　most　outrageous　manner；

smashing　every　piece　of　furniture　that　comes　in　his　way。〃　A　little

before　the　Empire；　Talleyrand；　a　great　mystifier；　tells　Berthier　that

the　First　Consul　wanted　to　assume　the　title　of　king。　　Berthier；　in

eager　haste；　crosses　the　drawing…room　full　of　company；　accosts　the

master　of　the　house　and；　with　a　beaming　smile；　〃congratulates　him。〃＇7＇

At　the　word　king；　Bonaparte's　eyes　flash。　　Grasping　Berthier　by　the

throat；　he　pushes　him　back　against　the　wall；　exclaiming；　〃You　fool！

who　told　you　to　come　here　and　stir　up　my　bile　in　this　way？　Another

time　don't　come　on　such　errands。〃　…　Such　is　the　first　impulse；　the

instinctive　action；　to　pounce　on　people　and　seize　them　by　the　throat；

we　divine　under　each　sentence；　and　on　every　page　he　writes；　out…bursts

and　assaults　of　this　description；　the　physiognomy　and　intonation　of　a

man　who　rushes　forward　and　knocks　people　down。　　Accordingly；　when

dictating　in　his　cabinet；　〃he　strides　up　and　down　the　room；〃　and；　〃　if

excited；〃　which　is　often　the　case；　〃　his　language　consists　of　violent

imprecations；　and　even　of　oaths；　which　are　suppressed　in　what　is

written。〃＇8＇　But　these　are　not　always　suppressed；　for　those　who　have

seen　the　original　minutes　of　his　correspondence　on　ecclesiastical

affairs　find　dozens　of　them；　the　b。。。；　the　p。。。　　and　the　swearwords　of

the　coarsest　kind。＇9＇



Never　was　there　such　impatient　touchiness。　　〃When　dressing

himself；＇10＇　he　throws　on　the　floor　or　into　the　fire　any　part　of　his

attire　which　does　not　suit　him。　。　。　。　On　gala…days　and　on　grand

ceremonial　occasions　his　valets　are　obliged　to　agree　together　when

they　shall　seize　the　right　moment　to　put　some　thing　on　him。　。　。　He

tears　off　or　breaks　whatever　causes　him　the　slightest　discomfort；

while　the　poor　valet　who　has　been　the　means　of　it　meets　with　a　violent

and　positive　proof　of　his　anger。　　No　thought　was　ever　more　carried

away　by　its　own　speed。　　〃His　handwriting；　when　he　tries　to　write；　〃is

a　mass　of　disconnected　and　undecipherable　signs；＇11＇　the　words　lack

one…half　of　their　letters。〃　On　reading　it　over　himself；　he　cannot　tell

what　it　means。　　At　last；　he　becomes　almost　incapable　of　producing　a

handwritten　letter；　while　his　signature　is　a　mere　scrawl。　　He

accordingly　dictates；　but　so　fast　that　his　secretaries　can　scarcely

keep　pace　with　him：　on　their　first　attempt　the　perspiration　flows

freely　and　they　succeed　in　noting　down　only　the　half　of　what　he　says。

Bourrienne；　de　Meneval；　and　Maret　invent　a　stenography　of　their　own；

for　he　never　repeats　any　of　his　phrases；　so　much　the　worse　for　the　pen

if　it　lags　behind；　and　so　much　the　better　if　a　volley　of　exclamations

or　of　oaths　gives　it　a　chance　to　catch　up。　…　Never　did　speech　flow　and

overflow　in　such　torrents；　often　without　either　discretion　or

prudence；　even　when　the　outburst　is　neither　useful　nor　creditable　the

reason　is　that　both　spirit　and　intellect　are　charged　to　excess　subject

to　this　inward　pressure　the　improvisator　and　polemic；　under　full

headway；＇12＇　take　the　place　of　the　man　of　business　and　the　statesman。



　〃With　him；〃　says　a　good　observer；＇13＇　〃talking　is　a　prime　necessity；

and；　assuredly；　among　the　prerogatives　of　high　rank；　he　ranks　first

that　of　speaking　without　interruption。〃



Even　at　the　Council　of　State　he　allows　himself　to　run　on；　forgetting

the　business　on　hand；　he　starts　off　right　and　left　with　some

digression　or　demonstration；　some　invective　or　other；　for　two　or　three

hours　at　a　stretch；＇14＇　insisting　over　and　over　again；　bent　on

convincing　or　prevailing；　and　ending　in　demanding　of　the　others　if　he

is　not　right；　〃and；　in　this　case；　never　failing　to　find　that　all　have

yielded　to　the　force　of　his　arguments。〃　On　reflection；　he　knows　the

value　of　an　assent　thus　obtained；　and；　pointing　to　his　chair；　he

observes：



〃It　must　be　admitted　that　it　is　easy　to　be　brilliant　when　one　is　in

that　seat！〃



Nevertheless　he　has　enjoyed　his　intellectual　exercise　and　given　way　to

his　passion；　which　controls　him　far　more　than　he　controls　it。



〃My　nerves　are　very　irritable；〃　he　said　of　himself；　〃and　when　in　this

state　were　my　pulse　not　always　regular　I　should　risk　going　crazy。〃＇15＇



The　tension　of　accumulated　impressions　is　often　too　great；　and　it　ends

in　a　physical　break…down。　　Strangely　enough　in　so　great　a　warrior　and

with　such　a　statesman；　〃it　is　not　infrequent；　when　excited；　to　see　him

shed　tears。〃　He　who　has　looked　upon　thousands　of　dying　men；　and　who

has　had　thousands　of　men　slaughtered；　〃sobs；〃　after　Wagram　and　after

Bautzen；＇16＇　at　the　couch　of　a　dying　comrade。　　〃I　saw　him；〃　says　his

valet；　〃weep　while　eating　his　breakfast；　after　coming　from　Marshal

Lannes's　bedside；　big　tears　rolled　down　his　cheeks　and　fell　on　his

plate。〃　It　is　not　alone　the　physical　sensation；　the　sight　of　a

bleeding；　mangled　body；　which　thus　moves　him　acutely　and　deeply；　for　a

word；　a　simple　idea；　stings　and　penetrates　almost　as　far。　　Before　the

emotion　of　Dandolo；　who　pleads　for　Venice　his　country；　which　is　sold

to　Austria；　he　is　agitated　and　his　eyes　moisten。＇17＇　　Speaking　of　the

capitulation　of　Baylen；　at　a　full　meeting　of　the　Council　of　State；＇18＇

his　voice　trembles；　and　〃he　gives　way　to　his　grief；　his　eyes　even

filling　with　tears。〃　In　1806；　setting　out　for　the　army　and　on　taking

leave　of　Josephine；　he　has　a　nervous　attack　which　is　so　severe　as　to

bring　on　vomiting。＇19＇　　〃We　had　to　make　him　sit　down；〃　says　an　eye…

witness；　〃and　swallow　some　orange　water；　he　shed　tears；　and　this

lasted　a　quarter　of　an　hour。〃　The　same　nervous　and　stomachic　crisis

came　on　in　1808；　on　deciding　on　the　divorce；　he　tosses　about　a　whole

night；　and　laments　like　a　woman；　he　melts；　and　embraces　Josephine；　he

is　weaker　than　she　is：　〃My　poor　Josephine；　I　can　never　leave　you！〃

Folding　her　in　his　arms；　he　declares　that　she　shall　not　quit　him；　he

abandons　himself　wholly　to　the　sensation　of　the　moment；　she　must

undress　at　once；　sleep　alongside　of　him；　and　he　weeps　over　her　；

〃literally；〃　she　says；　〃　he　soaked　the　bed　with　his　tears。〃　…

Evidently；　in　such　an　organism；　however　powerful　the　superimposed

regulator；　there　is　a　risk　of　the　equilibrium　being　destroyed。　　He　is

aware　of　this；　for　he　knows　himself　well；　he　is　afraid　of　his　own

nervous　sensibility；　the　same　as　of　an　easily　frightened　horse；　at

critical　moments；　at　Berezina；　he　refuses　to　receive　the　bad　news

which　might　excite　this；　and；　on　the　informer's　insisting　on　it；　he

asks　him　again；＇20＇　〃Why；　sir；　do　you　want　to　disturb　me？〃　…

Nevertheless；　in　spite　of　his　precautions；　he　is　twice　taken　unawares；

at　times　when　the　peril　was　alarming　and　of　a　new　kind；　he；　so　clear

headed　and　so　cool　under　fire；　the　boldest　of　military　heroes　and　the

most　audacious　of　political　adventurers；　quails　twice　in　a

parliamentary　storm　and　again　in　a　popular　crisis。　　On　the　18th　of

Brumaire；　in　the　Corps　Législatif；　〃he　turned　pale；　trembled；　and

seemed　to　lose　his　head　at　the　shouts　of　outlawry　。　。　。　。　they　had　to

drag　him　out　。　。　。　。　they　even　thought　for　a　moment　that　he　was　going

to　faint。〃＇21＇　　After　the　abdication　at　Fontainebleau；　on　encountering

the　rage　and　imprecations　which　greeted　him　in　Provence；　he　seemed　for

some　days　to　be　morally　shattered；　the　animal　instincts　assert　their

supremacy；　he　is　afraid　and　makes　no　attempt　at　concealment。＇22＇　After

borrowing　the　uniform　of　an　Austrian　colonel；　the　helmet　of　a　Prussian

quartermaster；　and　the　cloak　of　the　Russian　quartermaster；　he　still

considers　that　he　is　not　sufficiently　disguised。　　In　the　inn　at

Calade；　〃he　starts　a