the origins of contemporary france-5-第19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！



Russian　banknotes　for　that　of　1812；＇68＇　Savary　ends　in　getting　weary；

he　is　charged　with　too　many　dirty　jobs；　however　hardened　his

conscience　it　has　a　tender　spot；　he　discovers　at　last　that　he　has

scruples。　　It　is　with　great　repugnance　that；　in　February；　1814；　he

executes　the　order　to　have　a　small　infernal　machine　prepared；　moving

by　clock…work；　so　as　to　blow　up　the　Bourbons　on　their　return　into

France。＇69＇　　〃Ah；〃　said　he；　giving　himself　a　blow　on　the　forehead；　〃it

must　be　admitted　that　the　Emperor　is　sometimes　hard　to　serve！〃



If　he　exacts　so　much　from　the　human　creature；　it　is　because；　in

playing　the　game　he　has　to　play；　he　must　absorb　everything；　in　the

situation　in　which　be　has　placed　himself；　caution　is　unnecessary。　　〃Is

a　statesman；〃　said　he；　〃made　to　have　feeling？　Is　he　not　wholly　an

eccentric　personage；　always　alone　by　himself；　he　on　one　side　and　the

world　on　the　other？〃＇70＇



In　this　duel　without　truce　or　mercy；　people　interest　him　only　whilst

they　are　useful　to　him；　their　value　depends　on　what　he　can　make　out　of

them；　his　sole　business　is　to　squeeze　them；　to　extract　to　the　last

drop　whatever　is　available　in　them。



〃I　find　very　little　satisfaction　in　useless　sentiments；〃　said　he

again；＇71＇　〃and　Berthier　is　so　mediocre　that　I　do　not　know　why　I　waste

my　time　on　him。　And　yet　when　I　am　not　set　against　him；　I　am　not　sure

that　I　do　not　like　him。〃



He　goes　no　further。　　According　to　him；　this　indifference　is　necessary

in　a　statesman。　　The　glass　he　looks　through　is　that　of　his　own

policy；＇72＇　he　must　take　care　that　it　does　not　magnify　or　diminish

objects。　…　Therefore；　outside　of　explosions　of　nervous　sensibility；

〃he　has　no　consideration　for　men　other　than　that　of　a　foreman　for　his

workmen；〃＇73＇　or；　more　precisely；　for　his　tools；　once　the　tool　is　worn

out；　little　does　he　care　whether　it　rusts　away　in　a　corner　or　is　cast

aside　on　a　heap　of　scrap…iron。　　〃Portalis；　Minister　of　Justice；＇74＇

enters　his　room　one　day　with　a　downcast　look　and　his　eyes　filled　with

tears。　　'What's　the　matter　with　you；　Portalis？'　inquired　Napoleon；

'are　you　ill？　'No；　sire；　but　very　wretched。　　The　poor　Archbishop　of

Tours；　my　old　schoolmate　。　。　。'　'Eh；　well；　what　has　happened　to　him？'

'Alas；　sire；　he　has　just　died。'　'What　do　I　care？　he　was　no　longer　good

for　anything。'〃　Owning　and　making　the　most　of　men　and　of　things；　of

bodies　and　of　souls；　using　and　abusing　them　at　discretion；　even　to

exhaustion；　without　being　responsible　to　any　one；　he　reaches　that

point　after　a　few　years　where　he　can　say　as　glibly　and　more

despotically　than　Louis　XIV。　himself；



〃My　armies；　my　fleets；　my　cardinals；　my　councils；　my　senate；　my

populations；　my　empire。〃＇75＇



　Addressing　army　corps　about　to　rush　into　battle：



　〃Soldiers；　I　need　your　lives；　and　you　owe　them　to　me。〃



He　says　to　General　Dorsenne　and　to　the　grenadiers　of　the　guard：＇76＇



　〃I　hear　that　you　complain　that　you　want　to　return　to　Paris；　to　your

mistresses。　　Undeceive　yourselves。　　I　shall　keep　you　under　arms　until

you　are　eighty。　　You　were　born　to　the　bivouac；　and　you　shall　die

there。〃



How　he　treats　his　brothers　and　relations　who　have　become　kings；　how　he

reins　them　in；　how　he　applies　the　spur　and　the　whip　and　makes　them

trot　and　jump　fences　and　ditches；　may　be　found　in　his　correspondence；

every　stray　impulse　to　take　the　lead；　even　when　justified　by　an

unforeseen　urgency　and　with　the　most　evident　good　intention；　is

suppressed　as　a　deviation；　is　arrested　with　a　brusque　roughness　which

strains　the　loins　and　weakens　the　knees　of　the　delinquent。　　The

amiable　Prince　Eugene；　so　obedient　and　so　loyal；＇77＇　is　thus　warned：



〃If　you　want　orders　or　advice　from　His　Majesty　in　the　alteration　of

the　ceiling　of　your　room　you　should　wait　till　you　get　them；　were　Milan

burning　and　you　asked　orders　for　putting　out　the　fire；　you　should　let

Milan　burn　until　you　got　them。　。　。　His　Majesty　is　displeased；　and　very

much　displeased；　with　you；　you　must　never　attempt　to　do　his　work。

Never　does　he　like　this；　and　he　will　never　forgive　it。〃



This　enables　us　to　judge　of　his　tone　with　subalterns。　　The　French

battalions　are　refused　admission　into　certain　places　in　Holland：＇78＇



　〃Announce　to　the　King　of　Holland；　that　if　his　ministers　have　acted　on

their　own　responsibility；　I　will　have　them　arrested　and　all　their

heads　cut　off。〃



He　says　to　M。　de　Ségur；　member　of　the　Academy　commission　which　had

just　approved　M。　de　Chateaubriand's　discourse：＇79＇



　〃You；　and　M。　de　Fontaines；　as　state　councillor　and　grand　master；　I

ought　to　put　in　Vincennes。　。　。　。　Tell　the　second　class　of　the

Institute　that　I　will　have　no　political　subjects　treated　at　its

meetings。　。　。　。　。If　it　disobeys；　I　will　break　it　up　like　a　bad　club。



Even　when　not　angry　or　scolding；＇80＇　when　the　claws　are　drawn　in；　one

feels　the　clutch。　　He　says　to　Beugnot；　whom　he　has　just　berated；

scandalously　and　unjustly；　…　conscious　of　having　done　him　injustice

and　with　a　view　to　produce　an　effect　on　the　bystanders；　…



〃Well；　you　great　imbecile；　you　have　got　back　your　brains？〃



On　this；　Beugnot；　tall　as　a　drum…major；　bows　very　low；　while　the

smaller　man；　raising　his　hand；　seizes　him　by　the　ear；　〃a　heady　mark　of

favor；〃　says　Beugnot；　a　sign　of　familiarity　and　of　returning　good

humor。　　And　better　yet；　the　master　deigns　to　lecture　Beugnot　on　his

personal　tastes；　on　his　regrets；　on　his　wish　to　return　to　France：　What

would　he　like？　To　be　his　minister　in　Paris？　〃Judging　by　what　he　saw　of

me　the　other　day　I　should　not　be　there　very　long；　I　might　die　of　worry

before　the　end　of　the　month。〃　He　has　already　killed　Portalis；　Cretet；

and　almost　Treilhard；　even　though　he　had　led　a　hard　life：　he　could　no

longer　urinate；　nor　the　others　either。　　The　same　thing　would　have

happened　to　Beignot；　if　not　worse。　。　。　。



〃　Stay　here　。　。　。　。　after　which　you　will　be　old；　or　rather　we　all

shall　be　old；　and　I　will　send　you　to　the　Senate　to　drivel　at　your

ease。〃



Evidently；＇81　the　nearer　one　is　to　his　person　the　more　disagreeable

life　becomes。＇82＇　〃Admirably　served；　promptly　obeyed　to　the　minute；　he

still　delights　in　keeping　everybody　around　him　in　terror　concerning

the　details　of　all　that　goes　on　in　his　palace。〃　Has　any　difficult　task

been　accomplished？　He　expresses　no　thanks；　never　or　scarcely　ever

praises；　and；　which　happens　but　once；　in　the　case　of　M。　de　Champagny；

Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　who　is　praised　for　having　finished　the

treaty　of　Vienna　in　one　night；　and　with　unexpected　advantages；＇83＇

this　time；　the　Emperor　has　thought　aloud；　is　taken　by　surprise；

〃ordinarily；　he　manifests　approbation　only　by　his　silence。〃　…　When　M。

de　Rémusat；　prefect　of　the　palace；　has　arranged　〃one　of　those

magnificent　fêtes　in　which　all　the　arts　minister　to　his　enjoyment；〃

economically；　correctly；　with　splendor　and　success；　his　wife　never

asks　her　husband＇84＇　if　the　Emperor　is　satisfied；　but　whether　he　has

scolded　more　or　less。



〃His　leading　general　principle；　which　he　applies　in　every　way；　in

great　things　as　well　as　in　small　ones；　is　that　a　man's　zeal　depends

upon　his　anxiety。〃



How　insupportable　the　constraint　he　exercises；　with　what　crushing

weight　his　absolutism　bears　down　on　the　most　tried　devotion　and　on　the

most　pliable　characters；　with　what　excess　he　tramples　on　and　wounds

the　best　dispositions；　up　to　what　point　he　represses　and　stifles　the

respiration　of　the　human　being；　he　knows　as　well　as　anybody。　　He　was

heard　to　say；



　〃The　lucky　man　is　he　who　hides　away　from　me　in　the　depths　of　some

province。〃



And；　another　day；　having　asked　M。　de　Ségur　what　people　would　say　of

him　after　his　death；　the　latter　enlarged　on　the　regrets　which　would　be

universally　expressed。　　〃Not　at　all；〃　replied　the　Emperor；　and　then；

drawing　in　his　breath　in　a　significant　manner　indicative　of　universal

relief；　he　replied；



〃They'll　say；　'Whew！'〃＇85＇





IV。　His　Bad　Manners。



His　bearings　in　Society。　…　His　deportment　toward　Women。　…　His　disdain

of　Politeness。



There　are　very　few　monarchs；　even　absolute；　who　persistently；　arid

from　morning　to　night；　maintain　a　despotic　attitude。　　Generally；　and

especially　in　France；　the　sovereign　makes　two　divisions　of　his　time；

one　for　business　and　the　other　for　social　duties；　and；　in　the　latter

case；　while　always　head　of　the　State；　he　is　also　head　of　his　house：

for　he　welcomes　visitors；　entertains　his　guests；　and；　that　his　guests

may　not　be　robots；　he　tries　to　put　them　at　their　ease。　…　That　was　the

case　with　Louis　XIV。＇86＇　…　polite　to　everybody；　always　affable　with

men；　and　sometimes　gracious；　always　courteous　with　women；　and　some

times　gallant；　carefully　avoiding　brusqueness；　ostentation；　and

sarcasms；　never　allowing　himself　to　use　an　offensive　word；　never

making　people　feel　their　inferiority　and　dependence；　but；　on　the

contrary；　encouraging　them　to　express　opinions；　and　even　to　converse；

tolerating　in　conversation　a　semblance　of　equality；　smiling　at