the origins of contemporary france-5-第23部分
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adversaries; also his posthumous ascendancy over posterity。 He is as
great a lawyer as he is a captain and administrator。 The peculiarity
of this disposition is never submitting to truth; but always to speak
or write with reference to an audience; to plead a cause。 Through
this talent one creates phantoms which dupe the audience; on the other
hand; as the author himself forms part of the audience; he ends in not
along leading others into error but likewise himself; which is the
case with Napoleon。
'29' Yung; II。; 111。 (Report by Volney; Corsican commissioner; 1791。
… II。; 287。 (Mémorial; giving a true account of the political and
military state of Corsica in December; 1790。) … II。; 270。 (Dispatch of
the representative Lacombe Saint…Michel; Sept。 10; 1793。) … Miot de
Melito I。;131; and following pages。 (He is peace commissioner in
Corsica in 1797 and 1801。)
'30' Miot de Melito; II。; 2。 〃The partisans of the First consul's
family 。 。 。 regarded me simply as the instrument of their passions;
of use only to rid them of their enemies; so as to center all favors
on their protégés。〃
'31' Yung。; I。; 220。 (Manifest of October …31; 1789。) … I。; 265。
(Loan on the seminary funds obtained by force; June 23; 1790。) … I。;
267; 269。 (Arrest of M。 de la Jaille and other officers; plan for
taking the citadel of Ajaccio。) … II。; 115。 (letter to Paoli; February
17; 1792。) 〃Laws are like the statues of certain divinities … veiled
on certain occasions。〃 … II。; 125。 (Election of Bonaparte as
lieutenant…colonel of a battalion of volunteers; April1; 1792。) The
evening before he had Murati; one of the three departmental
commissioners; carried off by an armed band from the house of the
Peraldi; his adversaries; where he lodged。 Murati; seized unawares;
is brought back by force and locked up in Bonaparte's house; who
gravely says to him 〃I wanted you to be free; entirely at liberty;
you were not so with the Peraldi。〃 … His Corsican biographer (Nasica;
〃Mémoires sur la jeunesse et l'enfance de Napoléon;〃) considers this a
very praiseworthy action
'32' Cf。 on this point; the Memoirs of Marshal Marmont; I。; 180; 196;
the Memoirs of Stendhal; on Napoleon; the Report of d'Antraigues
(Yung; III。; 170; 171); the 〃Mercure Britannique〃 of Mallet…Dupan; and
the first chapter of 〃La Chartreuse de Parme;〃 by Stendhal。
'33' 〃Correspondance de Napoléon;〃 I。 (Letter of Napoleon to the
Directory; April 26; 1796。) … Proclamation of the same date: 〃You have
made forced marches barefoot; bivouacked without brandy; and often
without bread。〃
'34' Stendhal; 〃Vie de Napoléon;〃 p。 151。 〃The commonest officers were
crazy with delight at having white linen and fine new boots。 All were
fond of music; many walked a league in the rain to secure a seat in
the La Scala Theatre。 。 。 。 In the sad plight in which the army found
itself before Castiglione and Arcole; everybody; except the knowing
officers; was disposed to attempt the impossible so as not to quit
Italy。〃 … 〃 Marmont;〃 I。; 296: 〃We were all of us very young; 。 。 。
all aglow with strength and health; and enthusiastic for glory。 。 。 。
This variety of our occupations and pleasures; this excessive
employment of body and mind gave value to existence; and made time
pass with extraordinary rapidity。〃
'35' 〃Correspondance de Napoléon;〃 I。 Proclamation of March 27; 1796:
' Soldiers; you are naked and poorly fed。 The government is vastly
indebted to you; it has nothing to give you。 。 。 。 I am going to lead
you to the most fertile plains in the world; rich provinces; large
cities will be in your power; you will then obtain honor; glory; and
wealth。〃 … Proclamation of April 26; 1796: … 〃Friends; I guarantee
that conquest to you!〃 … Cf。 in Marmont's memoirs the way in which
Bonaparte plays the part of tempter in offering Marmont; who refuses;
an opportunity to rob a treasury chest。
'36' Miot de Melito; I。; 154。 (June; 1797; in the gardens of
Montebello。) 〃Such are substantially the most remarkable expressions
in this long discourse which I have recorded and preserved。〃
'37' Miot de Melito; I。 184。 (Conversation with Bonaparte; November
18; 1797; at Turin。) 〃I remained an hour with the general tête…à…tête。
I shall relate the conversation exactly as it occurred; according to
my notes; made at the time。〃
'38' Mathieu Dumas; 〃 Mémoires;〃 III。; 156。 〃It is certain that he
thought of it from this moment and seriously studied the obstacles;
means; and chances of success。〃 (Mathieu Dumas cites the testimony of
Desaix; who was engaged in the enterprise): 〃It seems that all was
ready; when Bonaparte judged that things were not yet ripe; nor the
means sufficient。〃 … Hence his departure。 〃He wanted to get out of
the way of the rule and caprices of these contemptible dictators;
while the latter wanted to get rid of him because his military fame
and influence in the army were obnoxious to them。
'39' Larevellière…Lepaux (one of the five directors on duty);
〃Mémoires;〃 II。; 340。 〃All that is truly grand in this enterprise; as
well as all that is bold and extravagant; either in its conception or
execution; belongs wholly to Bonaparte。 The idea of it never occurred
to the Directory nor to any of its members。 。 。 。 His ambition and his
pride could not endure the alternative of no longer being prominent or
of accepting a post which; however eminent; would have always
subjected him to the orders of the Directory。〃
'40' Madame de Rémusat; I。; 142。 〃Josephine laid great stress on the
Egyptian expedition as the cause of his change of temper and of the
daily despotism which made her suffer so much。〃… 〃Mes souvenirs sur
Napoleon;〃 325 by the count Chaptal。 (Bonaparte's own words to the
poet Lemercier who might have accompanied him to the Middle East and
there would have learned many things about human nature): 〃You would
have seen a country where the sovereign takes no account of the lives
of his subjects; and where the subject himself takes no account of his
own life。 You would have got rid of your philanthropic 'notions。〃
'41' Roederer; III。; 461 (Jan。 12; 1803)
'42' Cf。 〃The Revolution;〃 Vol。 p。 773。 (Note I。; on the situation; in
1806; of the Conventionalists who had survived the revolution。) For
instance; Fouché is minister; Jeanbon…Saint…André; prefect; Drouet (de
Varennes); sub…prefect; Chépy (of Grenoble); commissary…general of the
police at Brest; 131 regicides are functionaries; among whom we find
twenty one prefects and forty…two magistrates。 … Occasionally; a
chance document that has been preserved allows one to catch 〃the man
in the act。〃 (〃Bulletins hebdomadaires de la censure; 1810 and 1814;〃
published by M。 Thurot; in the Revue Critique; 1871): 〃Seizure of 240
copies of an indecent work printed for account of M。 Palloy; the
author。 This Palloy enjoyed some celebrity during the Revolution;
being one of the famous patriots of the Faubourg Saint…Antoine。 The
constituent Assembly had conceded to him the ownership of the site of
the Bastille; of which he distributed its stones among all the
communes。 He is a bon vivant; who took it into his head to write out
in a very bad style the filthy story of his amours with a prostitute
of the Palais…Royal。 He was quite willing that the book should be
seized on condition that he might retain a few copies of his jovial
production。 He professes high admiration for; and strong attachment
to His Majesty's person; and expresses his sentiments piquantly; in
the style of 1789。〃
'43' Mémorial;〃 June 12; 1816。
'44' Mathieu Dumas; III。; 363 (July 4; 1809; a few days before
Wagram)。 … Madame de Rémusat;〃 I。; 105: 〃I have never heard him
express any admiration or comprehension of a noble action。〃 … I。; 179:
On Augustus's clemency and his saying; 〃Let us be friends; Cinna;〃 the
following is his interpretation of it: 〃I understand this action
simply as the feint of a tyrant; and approve as calculation what I
find puerile as sentiment。〃… 〃Notes par le Comte Chaptal〃: 〃He
believed neither in virtue nor in probity; often calling these two
words nothing but abstractions; this is what rendered him so
distrustful and so immoral。 。 。 。 He never experienced a generous
sentiment; this is why he was so cold in company; and why he never had
a friend。 He regarded men as so much counterfeit coin or as mere
instruments。〃
'45' M。 de Metternich; 〃Mémoires;〃 I。; 241。 … 〃Madame de Rémusat;〃 I。;
93: 〃That man has been so harmful (si assommateur de toute vertu。。。)
to all virtue。〃 … Madame de Sta?l; 〃Considerations sur la Revolution
Fran?aise; 〃 4th part; ch。 18。 (Napoleon's conduct with M。 de Melzi;
to destroy him in public opinion in Milan; in 1805。)
'46' Madame de Rémusat; I。; 106; II。; 247; 336: 〃His means for
governing man were all derived from those which tend to debase him。 。
。 。 He tolerated virtue only when he could cover it with ridicule。〃
'47' Nearly all his false calculations are due to this defect;
combined with an excess of constructive imagination。 … Cf。 De Pradt;
p。94: 〃The Emperor is all system; all illusion; as one cannot fail to
be when one is all imagination。 Whoever has watched his course has
noticed his creating for himself an imaginary Spain; an imaginary
Catholicism; an imaginary England; an imaginary financial state; an
imaginary noblesse; and still more an imaginary France; and; in late
times; an imaginary congress。〃
'48' Roederer; III。; 495。 (March 8; 1804。)
'49' Ibid。; III。; 537 (February 11; 1809。)
'50' Roederer; III。; 514。 (November 4; 1804。)
'51' Marmont; II。; 242。
'52' Correspondance de Napoléon;〃 I。 (Letter to Prince Eugéne; April
14; 1806。)
'53' M。 de Metternich; I。; 284。
'54' Mollien; III。; 427。
'55' 〃Notes par le Comte Chaptal〃: During the Consulate; 〃his opinion
not being yet formed on many points; he allo