the origins of contemporary france-5-第3节

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all　the　occurrences　of　the　day。＇24＇　　Finally；　the　chateau　is　forced

and　he　strolls　through　the　Tuileries；　looks　in　at　the　neighboring

cafés；　and　that　is　all：　he　is　not　disposed　to　take　sides；　he　has　no

Jacobin　or　royalist　inclination。　　His　features；　even；　are　so　calm　〃as

to　provoke　many　hostile　and　distrustful　stares；　as　someone　who　is

unknown　and　suspicious。〃　…　Similarly；　after　the　31st　of　May　and　the

2nd　of　June；　his　〃Souper　de　Beaucaire〃　shows　that　if　he　condemns　the

departmental　insurrection　it　is　mainly　because　he　deems　it　futile：　on

the　side　of　the　insurgents；　a　defeated　army；　no　position　tenable；　no

cavalry；　raw　artillerymen；　Marseilles　reduced　to　its　own　troops；　full

of　hostile　sans…culottes　and　so　besieged；　taken　and　pillaged。　　Chances

are　against　it：　〃Let　the　impoverished　regions；　the　inhabitants　of

Vivaris；　of　the　Cevennes；　of　Corsica；　fight　to　the　last　extremity；　but

if　you　lose　a　battle　and　the　fruit　of　a　thousand　years　of　fatigue；

hardship；　economy；　and　happiness　become　the　soldier's　prey。〃＇25＇　Here

was　something　with　which　the　Girondists　could　be　converted！　…　None　of

the　political　or　social　convictions　which　then　exercised　such　control

over　men's　minds　have　any　hold　on　him。　Before　the　9th　of　Thermidor　he

seemed　to　be　a　〃republican　montagnard；〃　and　we　follow　him　for　months

in　Provence。　　〃the　favorite　and　confidential　adviser　of　young

Robespierre；〃　〃admirer〃　of　the　elder　Robespierre；＇26＇　intimate　at　Nice

with　Charlotte　Robespierre。　　After　the　9th　of　Thermidor　has　passed；　he

frees　himself　with　bombast　from　this　compromising　friendship：　〃I

thought　him　sincere；〃　says　he　of　the　younger　Robespierre；　in　a　letter

intended　to　be　shown；　〃but　were　he　my　father　and　had　aimed　at　tyranny；

I　would　have　stabbed　him　myself。〃　On　returning　to　Paris；　after　having

knocked　at　several　doors；　he　takes　Barras　for　a　patron。　　Barras；　the

most　brazen　of　the　corrupt；　Barras；　who　has　overthrown　and　contrived

the　death　of　his　two　former　protectors。＇27＇　Among　the　contending

parties　and　fanaticisms　which　succeed　each　other　he　keeps　cool　and

free　to　dispose　of　himself　as　he　pleases；　indifferent　to　every　cause

and　concerning　himself　only　with　his　own　interests。　　…　On　the　evening

of　the　12th　of　Vendémiaire；　on　leaving　the　Feydeau　theatre；　and

noticing　the　preparations　of　the　sectionists；＇28＇　he　said　to　Junot：



〃Ah；　if　the　sections　put　me　in　command；　I　would　guarantee　to　place

them　in

　　the　Tuileries　in　two　hours　and　have　all　those　Convention　rascals

driven　out！　〃



Five　hours　later；　summoned　by　Barras　and　the　Conventionalists；　he

takes　〃three　minutes〃　to　make　up　his　mind；　and；　instead　of　〃blowing　up

the　representatives；〃　he　mows　down　the　Parisians。　　Like　a　good

condottière；　he　does　not　commit　himself；　considers　the　first　that

offers　and　then　the　one　who　offers　the　most；　only　to　back　out

afterwards；　and　finally；　seizing　the　opportunity；　to　grab　everything。

…　He　will　more　and　more　become　a　true　condottière；　that　is　to　say；

leader　of　a　band；　increasingly　independent；　pretending　to　submit　under

the　pretext　of　the　public　good；　looking　out　only　for　his　own　interest；

self…centered；　general　on　his　own　account　and　for　his　own　advantage　in

his　Italian　campaign　before　and　after　the　18th　of　Fructidor。＇29＇　　He

is；　however；　a　condottière　of　the　first　class；　already　aspiring　to　the

loftiest　summits；　〃with　no　stopping…place　but　the　throne　or　the

scaffold；〃＇30＇　〃determined＇31＇　to　master　France；　and　through　France

Europe。　　Without　distraction；　sleeping　only　three　hours　during　the

night；〃　he　plays　with　ideas；　men；　religions；　and　governments；

exploiting　people　with　incomparable　dexterity　and　brutality。　　He　is；

in　the　choice　of　means　as　of　ends；　a　superior　artist；　inexhaustible　in

glamour；　seductions；　corruption；　and　intimidation；　fascinating；　and

yet　more　terrible　than　any　wild　beast　suddenly　released　among　a　herd

of　browsing　cattle。　　The　expression　is　not　too　strong　and　was　uttered

by　an　eye…witness；　almost　at　this　very　date；　a　friend　and　a　competent

diplomat：　〃You　know　that；　while　I　am　very　fond　of　the　dear　general；　I

call　him　to　myself　the　little　tiger；　so　as　to　properly　characterize

his　figure；　tenacity；　and　courage；　the　rapidity　of　his　movements；　and

all　that　he　has　in　him　which　maybe　fairly　regarded　in　that　sense。〃＇32＇



At　this　very　date；　previous　to　official　adulation　and　the　adoption　of

a　recognized　type；　we　see　him　face　to　face　in　two　portraits　drawn　from

life；　one　physical；　by　a　truthful　painter；　Guérin；　and　the　other

moral；　by　a　superior　woman；　Madame　de　Sta？l；　who　to　the　best　European

culture　added　tact　and　worldly　perspicacity。　　Both　portraits　agree　so

perfectly　that　each　seems　to　interpret　and　complete　the　other。　　〃I　saw

him　for　the　first　time；〃＇33＇　says　Madame　de　Sta？l；　〃on　his　return　to

France　after　the　treaty　of　Campo…Formio。　　After　recovering　from　the

first　excitement　of　admiration　there　succeeded　to　this　a　decided

sentiment　of　fear。〃　And　yet；　〃at　this　time　he　had　no　power；　for　it　was

even　then　supposed　that　the　Directory　looked　upon　him　with　a　good　deal

of　suspicion。〃　People　regarded　him　sympathetically；　and　were　even

prepossessed　in　his　favor；



〃thus　the　fear　he　inspired　was　simply　due　to　the　singular　effect　of

his　person　on　almost　all　who　approached　him。　I　had　met　men　worthy　of

respect　and　had　likewise　met　men　of　ferocious　character；　but　nothing

in　the　impression　which　Bonaparte　produced　on　me　reminded　me　of

either。　　I　soon　found；　in　the　various　opportunities　I　had　of　meeting

him　during　his　stay　in　Paris；　that　his　character　was　not　to　be

described　in　terms　commonly　employed；　he　was　neither　mild　nor）violent；

nor　gentle　nor　cruel；　like　certain　personages　one　happens　to　know。　　A

being　like　him；　wholly　unlike　anybody　else；　could　neither　feel　nor

excite　sympathy；　he　was　both　more　and　less　than　a　man；　his　figure；

intellect；　and　language　bore　the　imprint　of　a　foreign　nationality　。　　。

。　　。　　far　from　being　reassured　on　seeing　Bonaparte　oftener；　he

intimidated　me　more　and　more　every　day。　　I　had　a　confused　impression

that　he　was　not　to　be　influenced　by　any　emotion　of　sympathy　or

affection。　　He　regards　a　human　being　as　a　fact；　an　object；　and　not　as

a　fellow…creature。　　He　neither　hates　nor　loves；　he　exists　for　himself

alone；　the　rest　of　humanity　are　so　many　ciphers。　　The　force　of　his

will　consists　in　the　imperturbable　calculation　of　his　egoism。　He　is　a

skillful　player　who　has　the　human　species　for　an　antagonist；　and　whom

he　proposes　to　checkmate。　　。　　。　　Every　time　that　I　heard　him　talk　I

was　struck　with　his　superiority；　it　bore　no　resemblance　to　that　of　men

informed　and　cultivated　through　study　and　social　intercourse；　such　as

we　find　in　France　and　England。　　His　conversation　indicated　the　tact　of

circumstances；　like　that　of　the　hunter　in　pursuit　of　his　prey。　　His

spirit　seemed　a　cold；　keen　sword…blade；　which　freezes　while　it　wounds。

I　felt　a　profound　irony　in　his　mind；　which　nothing　great　or　beautiful

could　escape；　not　even　his　own　fame；　for　he　despised　the　nation　whose

suffrages　he　sought。　　。　　。　　〃　…　〃With　him；　everything　was　means　or

aims；　spontaneity；　whether　for　good　or　for　evil；　was　entirely　absent。〃



No　law；　no　ideal　and　abstract　rule；　existed　for　him；



　〃he　examined　things　only　with　reference　to　their　immediate

usefulness；　a　general　principle　was　repugnant　to　him；　either　as　so

much　nonsense　or　as　an　enemy。〃



Now；　if　we　contemplate　Guérin's　portrait；＇34＇　we　see　a　spare　body；

whose　narrow　shoulders　under　the　uniform　wrinkled　by　sudden　movements；

the　neck　swathed　in　its　high　twisted　cravat；　the　temples　covered　by

long；　smooth；　straight　hair；　exposing　only　the　mask；　the　hard　features

intensified　through　strong　contrasts　of　light　and　shade；　the　cheeks

hollow　up　to　the　inner　angle　of　the　eye；　the　projecting　cheek…bones；

the　massive；　protuberant　jaw；　the　sinuous；　mobile　lips；　pressed

together　as　if　attentive；　the　large；　clear　eyes；　deeply　sunk　under　the

broad；　arched　eyebrows；　the　fixed；　oblique　look；　as　penetrating　as　a

rapier；　and　the　two　creases　which　extend　from　the　base　of　the　nose　to

the　brow；　as　if　in　a　frown　of　suppressed　anger　and　determined　will。

Add　to　this　the　accounts　of　his　contemporaries＇35＇　who　saw　or　heard

the　curt　accent　or　the　sharp；　abrupt　gesture；　the　interrogating；

imperious；　absolute　tone　of　voice；　and　we　comprehend　how；　the　moment

they　accosted　him；　they　felt　the　dominating　hand　which　seizes　them；

presses　them　down；　holds　them　firmly　and　never　relaxes　its　grasp。



Already；　at　the　receptions　of　the　Directory；　when　conversing　with　men；

or　even　with　ladies；　he　puts　questions　〃which　prove　the　superiority　of

the　questioner　to　those　who　have　to　answer　them。〃＇36＇　〃Are　you

married？〃　says　he　to　this　one；　and　〃How　many　children　have　you？　〃to

another。　　To　that　one；　〃When　did　you　come　here？〃　or；　again；　〃When　are

you　going　away　？　He　places　himself　in　front　of　a　French　lady；　well…

known　for　her　beauty　and　wit　and　the　vivacity　of　her　opinions；　〃