the origins of contemporary france-5-第4节

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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；　〃like

the　stiffest　of　German　generals；　and　says　：　'Madame；　I　don't　like

women　who　meddle　with　politics！'〃　Equality；　ease；　familiarity　and

companionship；　vanish　at　his　approach。　　Eighteen　months　before　this；

on　his　appointment　as　commander…in…chief　of　the　army　in　Italy；　Admiral

Decrès；　who　had　known　him　well　at　Paris；＇37＇　learns　that　he　is　to　pass

through　Toulon：　〃I　at　once　propose　to　my　comrades　to　introduce　them；

venturing　to　do　so　on　my　acquaintance　with　him　in　Paris。　　Full　of

eagerness　and　joy；　I　start　off。　　The　door　opens　and　I　am　about　to

press　forwards；〃　he　afterwards　wrote；　〃when　the　attitude；　the　look；

and　the　tone　of　voice　suffice　to　arrest　me。　　And　yet　there　was　nothing

offensive　about　him；　still；　this　was　enough。　　I　never　tried　after　that

to　overstep　the　line　thus　imposed　on　me。〃　A　few　days　later；　at

Albenga；＇38＇　certain　generals　of　division；　and　among　them　Augereau；　a

vulgar；　heroic　old　soldier；　vain　of　his　tall　figure　and　courage；

arrive　at　headquarters；　not　well　disposed　toward　the　little　parvenu

sent　out　to　them　from　Paris。　　Recalling　the　description　of　him　which

had　been　given　to　them；　Augereau　is　abusive　and　insubordinate

beforehand：　one　of　Barras'　favorites；　the　Vendémiaire　general；　a

street　general；　〃not　yet　tried　out　on　the　field　of　battle；＇39＇　hasn't

a　friend；　considered　a　loner　because　he　is　the　only　one　who　can　thinks

for　himself；　looking　peaky；　said　to　be　a　mathematician　and　a　dreamer！〃

They　enter；　and　Bonaparte　keeps　them　waiting。　　At　last　he　appears；

with　his　sword　and　belt　on；　explains　the　disposition　of　the　forces；

gives　them　his　orders；　and　dismisses　them。　Augereau　has　remained

silent；　It　is　only　when　he　gets　out　of　doors　does　he　recover　himself

and　fall　back　on　his　accustomed　oaths。　　He　admits　to　Massena　that

〃that　little　bastard　of　a　general　frightened　him。〃　He　cannot

〃comprehend　the　ascendancy　which　made　him　feel　crushed　right

away。〃＇40＇



Extraordinary　and　superior；　made　for　command＇41＇　and　for　conquest；

singular　and　of　an　unique　species；　is　the　feeling　of　all　his

contemporaries。　　Those　who　are　most　familiar　with　the　histories　of

other　nations；　Madame　de　Sta？l　and；　after　her；　Stendhal；　go　back　to

the　right　sources　to　comprehend　him；　to　the　〃petty　Italian　tyrants　of

the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuries；〃　to　Castruccio…Castracani；　to

the　Braccio　of　Mantua；　to　the　Piccinino；　the　Malatestas　of　Rimini；　and

the　Sforzas　of　Milan。　　In　their　opinion；　however；　it　is　only　a　chance

analogy；　a　psychological　resemblance。　　Really；　however；

and）historically　it　is　a　positive　relationship。　　He　is　a　descendant　of

the　great　Italians；　the　men　of　action　of　the　year　1400；　the　military

adventurers；　usurpers；　and　founders　of　governments　lasting　their　life…

time。　　He　inherits　in　direct　affiliation　their　blood　and　inward

organization；　mental　and　moral。＇42＇　　A　bud；　collected　in　their　forest；

before　the　age　of　refinement；　impoverishment；　and　decay；　has　been

transported　into　a　similar　and　remote　nursery；　where　a　tragic　and

militant　régime　is　permanently　established。　　There　the　primitive　germ

is　preserved　intact　and　transmitted　from　one　generation　to　another；

renewed　and　invigorated　by　interbreeding。　　Finally；　at　the　last　stage

of　its　growth；　it　springs　out　of　the　ground　and　develops

magnificently；　blooming　the　same　as　ever；　and　producing　the　same　fruit

as　on　the　original　stem。　Modern　cultivation　and　French　gardening　have

pruned　away　but　very　few　of　its　branches　and　blunted　a　few　of　its

thorns：　its　original　texture；　inmost　substance；　and　spontaneous

development　have　not　changed。　　The　soil　of　France　and　of　Europe；

however；　broken　up　by　revolutionary　tempests；　is　more　favorable　to　its

roots　than　the　worn…out　fields　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　there　it　grows

by　itself；　without　being　subject；　like　its　Italian　ancestors；　to

rivalry　with　its　own　species；　nothing　checks　the　growth；　it　may　absorb

all　the　juices　of　the　ground；　all　the　air　and　sunshine　of　the　region；

and　become　the　Colossus　which　the　ancient　plants；　equally　deep…rooted

and　certainly　as　absorbent；　but　born　in　a　less　friable　soil　and　more

crowded　together；　could　not　provide。



II。　　The　Leader　and　Statesman



Intelligence　during　the　Italian　Renaissance　and　at　the　present　day。　　…

Integrity　of　Bonaparte's　mental　machinery。　　…　Flexibility；　force；　and

tenacity　of　his　attention。　　…　Another　difference　between　Napoleon's

intellect　and　that　of　his　contemporaries。　　…　He　thinks　objects　and　not

words。　　…　His　antipathy　to　Ideology。　　…　Little　or　no　literary　or

philosophical　education。　　…　Self…taught　through　direct　observation　and

technical　instruction。　　…　His　fondness　for　details。　　…　His　inward

vision　of　physical　objects　and　places。　　…　His　mental　portrayal　of

positions；　distances；　and　quantities。



〃The　human　plant；〃　said　Alfieri；　〃is　in　no　country　born　more　vigorous

than　in　Italy〃；　and　never；　in　Italy；　was　it　so　vigorous　as　from　1300

to　1500；　from　the　contemporaries　of　Dante　down　to　those　of　Michael

Angelo；　Caesar　Borgia；　Julius　II。；　and　Macchiavelli。＇43＇　　The　first

distinguishing　mark　of　a　man　of　those　times　is　the　soundness　of　his

mental　instrument。　　Nowadays；　after　three　hundred　years　of　service；

ours　has　lost　somewhat　of　its　moral　fiber；　sharpness；　and　versatility：

usually　the　compulsory　specialization　has　caused　it　to　become　lop…

sided　making　it　unfit　for　other　purposes。　　What's　more；　the　increase

in　ready…made　ideas　and　clichés　and　acquired　methods　incrusts　it　and

reduces　its　scope　to　a　sort　of　routine。　　Finally；　it　is　exhausted　by

an　excess　of　intellectual　activity　and　diminished　by　the　continuity　of

sedentary　habits。　　It　is　just　the　opposite　with　those　impulsive　minds

of　uncorrupted　blood　and　of　a　new　stock。　…　Roederer；　a　competent　and

independent　judge；　who；　at　the　beginning　of　the　consular　government；

sees　Bonaparte　daily　at　the　meetings　of　the　Council　of　State；　and　who

notes　down　every　evening　the　impressions　of　the　day；　is　carried　away

with　admiration：＇44＇



〃Punctual　at　every　sitting；　prolonging　the　session　five　or　six　hours；

discussing　before　and　afterwards　the　subjects　brought　forward；　always

returning　to　two　questions；　'Can　that　be　justified？＇45＇'　'Is　that

useful？'　examining　each　question　in　itself；　in　these　two　respects；

after　having　subjected　it　to　a　most　exact　and　sharp　analysis；　next；

consulting　the　best　authorities；　the　pasts；　experience；　and　obtaining

information　about　bygone　jurisprudence；　the　laws　of　Louis　XIV。　　and　of

Frederick　the　Great。　　。　　。　　。　　Never　did　the　council　adjourn　without

its　members　knowing　more　than　the　day　before；　if　not　through　knowledge

derived　from　him；　at　least　through　the　researches　he　obliged　them　to

make。　　Never　did　the　members　of　the　Senate　and　the　Legislative　Corps；

or　of　the　tribunals；　pay　their　respects　to　him　without　being　rewarded

for　their　homage　by　valuable　instructions。　　He　cannot　be　surrounded　by

public　men　without　being　the　statesman；　all　forming　for　him　a　council

of　state。〃



〃What　characterizes　him　above　them　all；〃　is　not　alone　the　penetration

and　universality　of　his　comprehension；　but　likewise　and　especially

〃the　force；　flexibility；　and　constancy　of　his　attention。　　He　can　work

eighteen　hours　at　a　stretch；　on　one　or　on　several　subjects。　　I　never

saw　him　tired。　　I　never　found　his　mind　lacking　in　inspiration；　even

when　weary　in　body；　nor　when　violently　exercised；　nor　when　angry。　　I

never　saw　him　diverted　from　one　matter　by　another；　turning　from　that

under　discussion　to　one　he　had　just　finished　or　was　about　to　take　up。

The　news；　good　or　bad；　he　received　from　Egypt；　did　not　divert　his　mind

from　the　civil　code；　nor　the　civil　code　from　the　combinations　which

the　safety　of　Egypt　required。　　Never　did　a　man　more　wholly　devote

himself　to　the　work　in　hand；　nor　better　devote　his　time　to　what　he　had

to　do。　　Never　did　a　mind　more　inflexibly　set　aside　the　occupation　or

thought　which　did　not　come　at　the　right　day　or　hour；　never　was　one

more　ardent　in　seeking　it；　more　alert　in　its　pursuit；　more　capable　of

fixing　it　when　the　time　came　to　take　it　up。〃





He　himself　said　later　on：＇46＇



　〃Various　subjects　and　affairs　are　stowed　away　in　my　brain　as　in　a

chest　of　drawers。　　When　I　want　to　take　up　any　special　business　I　shut

one　drawer　and　open　another。　　None　of　them　ever　get　mixed；　and　never

does　this　incommode　me　or　fatigue　me。　　If　I　feel　sleepy　I　shut　all　the

drawers　and　go　to　sleep。〃



Never　has　brain　so　disciplined　and　under　such　control　been　seen；　one

so　ready　at　all　times　for　any　task；　so　capable　of　immediate　and

absolute　concentration。　　Its　flexibility＇47＇　is　wonderful；　〃in　the

instant　application　of　every　faculty　and　energy；　and　bringing　them　all

to　bear　at　once　on　any　object　that　concerns　him；　on　a　mite　as　well　as

on　an　elephant；　on　any　given　individual　as　well　as　on　an　enemy's　army。

。　　。　　。　　When