the origins of contemporary france-5-第8节

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account　…　his　passion；　his　vehemence；　his　weaknesses；　his

talkativeness；　he　exploits　it　all　for　the　advancement　of　the　edifice

he　is　constructing。＇71＇　Certainly　among　his　diverse　faculties；　however

great；　that　of　the　constructive　imagination　is　the　most　powerful。　　At

the　very　beginning　we　feel　its　heat　and　boiling　intensity　beneath　the

coolness　and　rigidity　of　his　technical　and　positive　instructions。



〃When　I　plan　a　battle；〃　said　he　to　Roederer；　〃no　man　is　more　spineless

than　I　am。　I　over　exaggerate　to　myself　all　the　dangers　and　all　the

evils　that　are　possible　under　the　circumstances。　　I　am　in　a　state　of

truly　painful　agitation。　　But　this　does　not　prevent　me　from　appearing

quite　composed　to　people　around　me　；　I　am　like　a　woman　giving　birth　to

a　child。＇72＇



Passionately；　in　the　throes　of　the　creator；　he　is　thus　absorbed　with

his　coming　creation；　he　already　anticipates　and　enjoys　living　in　his

imaginary　edifice。　　〃General；〃　said　Madame　de　Clermont…Tonnerre　to

him；　one　day；　〃you　are　building　behind　a　scaffolding　which　you　will

take　down　when　you　have　done　with　it。〃　〃Yes；　Madame；　that's　it；〃

replied　Bonaparte；　〃you　are　right。　　I　am　always　living　two　years　in

advance。〃＇73＇　His　response　came　with　〃incredible　vivacity；〃　as　if　a

sudden　inspiration；　that　of　a　soul　stirred　in　its　innermost　fiber。　　…

Here　as　well；　the　power；　the　speed；　fertility；　play；　and　abundance　of

his　thought　seem　unlimited。　　What　he　has　accomplished　is　astonishing；

but　what　he　has　undertaken　is　more　so；　and　whatever　he　may　have

undertaken　is　far　surpassed　by　what　he　has　imagined。　　However　vigorous

his　practical　faculty；　his　poetical　faculty　is　stronger；　it　is　even

too　vigorous　for　a　statesman；　its　grandeur　is　exaggerated　into

enormity；　and　its　enormity　degenerates　into　madness。　　In　Italy；　after

the　18th　of　Fructidor；　he　said　to　Bourrienne：



〃Europe　is　a　molehill；　never　have　there　been　great　empires　and　great

revolutions；　except　in　the　Orient；　with　its　600；000；000

inhabitants。〃＇74＇



　The　following　year　at　Saint…Jean　d'Acre；　on　the　eve　of　the　last

assault；　he　added



〃If　I　succeed　I　shall　find　in　the　town　the　pasha's　treasure　and　arms

for　300；000　men。　　I　stir　up　and　arm　all　Syria。　　。　　。　　。　　I　march　on

Damascus　and　Aleppo；　as　I　advance　in　the　country　my　army　will　increase

with　the　discontented。　　I　proclaim　to　the　people　the　abolition　of

slavery；　and　of　the　tyrannical　government　of　the　pashas。　　I　reach

Constantinople　with　armed　masses。　　I　overthrow　the　Turkish　Empire；　I

found　in　the　East　a　new　and　grand　empire；　which　fixes　my　place　with

posterity；　and　perhaps　I　return　to　Paris　by　the　way　of　Adrianople；　or

by　Vienna；　after　having　annihilated　the　house　of　Austria。〃　＇75＇



Become　consul；　and　then　emperor；　he　often　referred　to　this　happy

period；　when；　〃rid　of　the　restraints　of　a　troublesome　civilization；〃

he　could　imagine　at　will　and　construct　at　pleasure。＇76＇



〃I　created　a　religion；　I　saw　myself　on　the　road　to　Asia；　mounted　on　an

elephant；　with　a　turban　on　my　head；　and　in　my　hand　a　new　Koran；　which

I　composed　to　suit　myself。〃



Confined　to　Europe；　he　thinks；　after　1804；　that　he　will　reorganize

Charlemagne's　empire。



〃The　French　Empire　will　become　the　mother　country　of　other

sovereignties。　　。　　。　　I　mean　that　every　king　in　Europe　shall　build　a

grand　palace　at　Paris　for　his　own　use；　on　the　coronation　of　the

Emperor　of　the　French　these　kings　will　come　and　occupy　it；　they　will

grace　this　imposing　ceremony　with　their　presence；　and　honor　it　with

their　salutations。〃＇77＇　The　Pope　will　come；　he　came　to　the　first　one；

he　must　necessarily　return　to　Paris；　and　fix　himself　there

permanently。　　Where　could　the　Holy　See　be　better　off　than　in　the　new

capital　of　Christianity；　under　Napoleon；　heir　to　Charlemagne；　and

temporal　sovereign　of　the　Sovereign　Pontiff？　Through　the　temporal　the

emperor　will　control　the　spiritual；＇78＇　and　through　the　Pope；

consciences。〃



In　November；　1811；　unusually　excited；　he　says　to　De　Pradt：



　〃In　five　years　I　shall　be　master　of　the　world；　only　Russia　will

remain；　but　I　will　crush　her。＇79＇　。　　。　　。　　Paris　will　extend　out　to

St。　　Cloud。〃



To　render　Paris　the　physical　capital　of　Europe　is；　through　his　own

confession；　〃one　of　his　constant　dreams。〃



　〃At　times；〃　he　says；＇80＇〃I　would　like　to　see　her　a　city　of　two；

three；　four　millions　of　inhabitants；　something　fabulous；　colossal；

unknown　down　to　our　day；　and　its　public　establishments　adequate　to　its

population。　　。　　。　　。　　Archimedes　proposed　to　lift　the　world　if　he

could　be　allowed　to　place　his　lever；　for　myself；　I　would　have　changed

it　wherever　I　could　have　been　allowed　to　exercise　my　energy；

perseverance；　and　budgets。〃



At　all　events；　he　believes　so　；　for　however　lofty　and　badly　supported

the　next　story　of　his　structure　may　be；　he　has　always　ready　a　new

story；　loftier　and　more　unsteady；　to　put　above　it。　　A　few　months

before　launching　himself；　with　all　Europe　at　his　back；　against　Russia；

he　said　to　Narbonne：＇81＇



　〃After　all；　my　dear　sir；　this　long　road　is　the　road　to　India。

Alexander　started　as　far　off　as　Moscow　to　reach　the　Ganges；　this　has

occurred　to　me　since　St。　　Jean　d'Acre。　　。　　。　　。　　To　reach　England　to…

day　I　need　the　extremity　of　Europe；　from　which　to　take　Asia　in　the

rear。　　。　　。　　。　　Suppose　Moscow　taken；　Russia　subdued；　the　czar

reconciled；　or　dead　through　some　court　conspiracy；　perhaps　another　and

dependent　throne；　and　tell　me　whether　it　is　not　possible　for　a　French

army；　with　its　auxiliaries；　setting　out　from　Tiflis；　to　get　as　far　as

the　Ganges；　where　it　needs　only　a　thrust　of　the　French　sword　to　bring

down　the　whole　of　that　grand　commercial　scaffolding　throughout　India。

It　would　be　the　most　gigantic　expedition；　I　admit；　but　practicable　in

the　nineteenth　century。　　Through　it　France；　at　one　stroke；　would

secure　the　independence　of　the　West　and　the　freedom　of　the　seas。〃



While　uttering　this　his　eyes　shone　with　strange　brilliancy；　and　he

accumulates　subjects；　weighing　obstacles；　means；　and　chances：　the

inspiration　is　under　full　headway；　and　he　gives　himself　up　to　it。　　The

master　faculty　finds　itself　suddenly　free；　and　it　takes　flight；　the

artist；＇82＇　locked　up　in　politics；　has　escaped　from　his　sheath；　he　is

creating　out　of　the　ideal　and　the　impossible。　　We　take　him　for　what　he

is；　a　posthumous　brother　of　Dante　and　Michael　Angelo。　　In　the　clear

outlines　of　his　vision；　in　the　intensity；　coherency；　and　inward　logic

of　his　dreams；　in　the　profundity　of　his　meditations；　in　the　superhuman

grandeur　of　his　conceptions；　he　is；　indeed；　their　fellow　and　their

equal。　　His　genius　is　of　the　same　stature　and　the　same　structure；　he

is　one　of　the　three　sovereign　minds　of　the　Italian　Renaissance。　　Only；

while　the　first　two　operated　on　paper　and　on　marble；　the　latter

operates　on　the　living　being；　on　the　sensitive　and　suffering　flesh　of

humanity。



_______________________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇　Reforms　introduced　by　Napoleon　after　his　coup　d'état　9　Nov。　　1799。

（SR。）



＇2＇　The　main　authority　is；　of　course；　the　〃correspondance　de

l'Empereur　Napoléon　I。；〃　in　thirty…two…volumes。　　This　correspondance；〃

unfortunately；　is　still　incomplete；　while；　after　the　sixth　volume；　it

must　not　be　forgotten　that　much　of　it　has　been　purposely　stricken　out。

〃In　general；〃　say　the　editors　（XVI。；　p。4）；　〃we　have　been　governed

simply　by　this　plain　rule；　that　we　were　required　to　publish　only　what

the　Emperor　himself　would　have　given　to　the　public　had　he　survived

himself；　and；　anticipating　the　verdict　of　time；　exposed　to　posterity

his　own　personality　and　system。〃　…　The　savant　who　has　the　most

carefully　examined　this　correspondence；　entire　in　the　French　archives；

estimates　that　it　comprises　about　80；000　pieces；　of　which　30；000　have

been　published　in　the　collection　referred　to；　passages　in　20；000　of

the　others　have　been　stricken　out　on　account　of　previous　publication；

and　about　30；000　more；　through　considerations　of　propriety　or　policy。

For　example；　but　little　more　than　one…half　of　the　letters　from

Napoleon　to　Bigot　de　Préameneu　on　ecclesiastical　matters　have　been

published；　many　of　these　omitted　letters；　all　important　and

characteristic；　may　be　found　in　〃L'église　romaine　et　le　Premier

Empire；〃　by　M。　d'Haussonville。　　The　above…mentioned　savant　estimates

the　number　of　important　letters　not　yet　published　at　2；000。



＇3＇　〃Mémorial　de　Sainte　Héléne；〃　by　Las　Casas　（May　29；　1816）。…〃In

Corsica；　Paoli；　on　a　horseback　excursion；　explained　the　positions　to

him；　the　places　where　liberty　found　resistance　or　triumphed。

Estimating　the　character　of　Napoleon　by　what　he　saw　of　it　through

personal　observation；　Paoli　said　to　him；　〃Oh；　Napoleon；　there　is

nothing　modern　in　you；　you　belong　wholly　to　Plutarch！〃　Antonomarchi；

〃Mémoires；〃　Oct。　　25；　1819。　　The　same　account；　slightly　different；　is

there　given：　〃Oh。　　Napoleon；〃　said　Paoli　to　me；　〃you　do　not　belong　to

this　century；　you　t