the origins of contemporary france-5-第5部分

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indefinitely　enlarged　and　complex；　now　eludes　our　grasp。　　Our　vague；

incomplete；　incorrect　idea　of　it　badly　corresponds　with　it；　or　does

not　correspond　at　all。　　In　nine　minds　out　of　ten；　or　perhaps　ninety…

nine　out　of　a　hundred；　it　is　but　little　more　than　a　word。　　The　others；

if　they　desire　some　significant　indication　of　what　society　actually　is

beyond　the　teachings　of　books；　require　ten　or　fifteen　years　of　close

observation　and　study　to　re…think　the　phrases　with　which　these　have

filled　their　memory；　to　interpret　them　anew；　to　make　clear　their

meaning；　to　get　at　and　verify　their　sense；　to　substitute　for　the　more

or　less　empty　and　indefinite　term　the　fullness　and　precision　of　a

personal　impression。　　We　have　seen　how　ideas　of　Society；　State；

Government；　Sovereignty；　Rights；　Liberty；　the　most　important　of　all

ideas；　were；　at　the　close　of　the　eighteenth　century；　curtailed　and

falsified；　how；　in　most　minds；　simple　verbal　reasoning　combined　them

together　in　dogmas　and　axioms；　what　an　offspring　these　metaphysical

simulacra　gave　birth　to；　how　many　lifeless　and　grotesque　abortions；

how　many　monstrous　and　destructive　chimeras。　　There　is　no　place　for

any　of　these　fanciful　dreams　in　the　mind　of　Bonaparte；　they　cannot

arise　in　it；　nor　find　access　to　it；　his　aversion　to　the　unsubstantial

phantoms　of　political　abstraction　extends　beyond　disdain；　even　to

disgust。＇52＇　That　which　was　then　called　ideology；　is　his　particular

bugbear；　he　loathes　it　not　alone　through　calculation；　but　still　more

through　an　instinctive　demand　for　what　is　real；　as　a　practical　man　and

statesman；　always　keeping　in　mind；　like　the　great　Catherine；　〃that　he

is　operating；　not　on　paper；　but　on　the　human　hide；　which　is　ticklish。〃

Every　idea　entertained　by　him　had　its　origin　in　his　personal

observation；　and　he　used　his　own　personal　observations　to　control

them。



If　books　are　useful　to　him　it　is　to　suggest　questions；　which　he　never

answers　but　through　his　own　experience。　　He　has　read　only　a　little；

and　hastily；＇53＇　his　classical　education　is　rudimentary；　in　the　way　of

Latin；　he　remained　in　the　lower　class。　　The　instruction　he　got　at　the

Military　Academy　as　well　as　at　Brienne　was　below　mediocrity；　while；

after　Brienne；　it　is　stated　that　〃for　the　languages　and　belles…

lettres；　he　had　no　taste。〃　Next　to　this；　the　literature　of　elegance

and　refinement；　the　philosophy　of　the　closet　and　drawing…room；　with

which　his　contemporaries　are　imbued；　glided　over　his　intellect　as　over

a　hard　rock。　　None　but　mathematical　truths　and　positive　notions　about

geography　and　history　found　their　way　into　his　mind　and　deeply

impressed　it。　　Everything　else；　as　with　his　predecessors　of　the

fifteenth　century；　comes　to　him　through　the　original；　direct　action　of

his　faculties　in　contact　with　men　and　things；　through　his　prompt　and

sure　tact；　his　indefatigable　and　minute　attention；　his　indefinitely

repeated　and　rectified　divinations　during　long　hours　of　solitude　and

silence。　　Practice；　and　not　speculation；　is　the　source　of　his

instruction；　the　same　as　with　a　mechanic　brought　up　amongst　machinery。



〃There　is　nothing　relating　to　warfare　that　I　cannot　make　myself。　　If

nobody　knows　how　to　make　gunpowder；　I　do。　　I　can　construct　gun…

carriages。　　If　cannon　must　be　cast；　I　will　see　that　it　is　done

properly。　　If　tactical　details　must　be　taught；　I　will　teach　them。〃＇54＇



This　is　why　he　is　competent　right　from　the　beginning；　general　in　the

artillery；　major…general；　diplomatist；　financier　and　administrator　of

all　kinds。　　Thanks　to　this　fertile　apprenticeship；　beginning　with　the

Consulate；　he　shows　officials　and　veteran　ministers　who　send　in　their

reports　to　him　what　to　do。



〃I　am　a　more　experienced　administrator　than　they；＇55＇　when　one　has

been　obliged　to　extract　from　his　brains　the　ways　and　means　with　which

to　feed；　maintain；　control；　and　move　with　the　same　spirit　and　will　two

or　three　hundred　thousand　men；　a　long　distance　from　their　country；　one

has　soon　discovered　the　secrets　of　administration。〃



In　each　of　the　human　machines　he　builds　and　manipulates；　he　perceives

right　away　all　the　parts；　each　in　its　proper　place　and　function；　the

motors；　the　transmissions；　the　wheels；　the　composite　action；　the　speed

which　ensues；　the　final　result；　the　complete　effect；　the　net　product。

Never　is　he　content　with　a　superficial　and　summary　inspection；　he

penetrates　into　obscure　corners　and　to　the　lowest　depths　〃through　the

technical　precision　of　his　questions；〃　with　the　lucidity　of　a

specialist；　and　in　this　way；　borrowing　an　expression　from　the

philosophers；　with　him　the　concept　should　be　adequate　to　its

purpose。＇56＇



Hence　his　eagerness　for　details；　for　these　form　the　body　and　substance

of　the　concept；　the　hand　that　has　not　grasped　these；　or　lets　them　go；

retains　only　the　shell；　an　envelope。　　With　respect　to　these　his

curiosity　is　〃insatiable。〃＇57＇　In　each　ministerial　department　he　knows

more　than　the　ministers；　and　in　each　bureau　he　knows　as　much　as　the

clerks。　　〃On　his　table＇58＇　lie　reports　of　the　positions　of　his　forces

on　land　and　on　water。　　He　has　furnished　the　plans　of　these；　and　fresh

ones　are　issued　every　month〃；　such　is　the　daily　reading　he　likes　best。



〃I　have　my　reports　on　positions　always　at　hand；　my　memory　for　an

Alexandrine　is　not　good；　but　I　never　forget　a　syllable　of　my　reports

on　positions。　　I　shall　find　them　in　my　room　this　evening；　and　I　shall

not　go　to　bed　until　I　have　read　them。〃



He　always　knows　〃his　position〃　on　land　and　at　sea　better　than　is　known

in　the　War　and　Navy　departments；　better　even　than　his　staff…officers

the　number；　size；　and　qualities　of　his　ships　in　or　out　of　port；　the

present　and　future　state　of　vessels　under　construction；　the

composition　and　strength　of　their　crews；　the　formation；　organization；

staff　of　officers；　material；　stations；　and　enlistments；　past　and　to

come；　of　each　army　corps　and　of　each　regiment。　　It　is　the　same　in　the

financial　and　diplomatic　services；　in　every　branch　of　the

administration；　laic　or　ecclesiastical；　in　the　physical　order　and　in

the　moral　order。　　His　topographical　memory　and　his　geographical

conception　of　countries；　places；　ground；　and　obstacles　culminate　in　an

inward　vision　which　he　evokes　at　will；　and　which；　years　afterwards；

revives　as　fresh　as　on　the　first　day。　　His　calculation　of　distances；

marches；　and　maneuvers　is　so　rigid　a　mathematical　operation　that；

frequently；　at　a　distance　of　two　or　four　hundred　leagues；＇59＇　his

military　foresight；　calculated　two　or　four　months　ahead；　turns　out

correct；　almost　on　the　day　named；　and　precisely　on　the　spot

designated。＇60＇　Add　to　this　one　other　faculty；　and　the　rarest　of　all。

For；　if　things　turn　out　as　he　foresaw　they　would；　it　is　because；　as

with　great　chess…players；　he　has　accurately　measured　not　alone　the

mechanical　moves　of　the　pieces；　but　the　character　and　talent　of　his

adversary；　〃sounded　his　draft　of　water；〃　and　divined　his　probable

mistakes。　　He　has　added　the　calculation　of　physical　quantities　and

probabilities　to　the　calculation　of　moral　quantities　and

probabilities；　thus　showing　himself　as　great　a　psychologist　as　he　is

an　accomplished　strategist。　　In　fact；　no　one　has　surpassed　him　in　the

art　of　judging　the　condition　and　motives　of　an　individual　or　of　a

group　of　people；　the　real　motives；　permanent　or　temporary；　which　drive

or　curb　men　in　general　or　this　or　that　man　in　particular；　the

incentives　to　be　employed；　the　kind　and　degree　of　pressure　to　be

employed。　　This　central　faculty　rules　all　the　others；　and　in　the　art

of　mastering　Man　his　genius　is　found　supreme。





III。　　His　acute　Understanding　of　Others。



His　psychological　faculty　and　way　of　getting　at　the　thought　and

feeling　of　others。…　His　self…analysis。　　…　How　he　imagines　a　general

situation　by　selecting　a　particular　case；　imagining　the　invisible

interior　by　deducting　from　the　visible　exterior。　　…　Originality　and

superiority　of　his　style　and　discourse。　　…　His　adaptation　of　these　to

his　hearers　and　to　circumstances。　　…　His　notation　and　calculation　of

serviceable　motives。



No　faculty　is　more　precious　for　a　political　engineer；　for　the　forces

he　acts　upon　are　never　other　than　human　passions。　　But　how；　except

through　divination；　can　these　passions；　which　grow　out　of　the　deepest

sentiments；　be　reached？　How；　save　by　conjecture；　can　forces　be

estimated　which　seem　to　defy　all　measurement？　On　this　dark　and

uncertain　ground；　where　one　has　to　grope　one's　way；　Napoleon　moves

with　almost　absolute　certainty；　he　moves　promptly。　　First　of　all；　he

studies　himself；　indeed；　to　find　one's　way　into　another's　soul

requires；　preliminarily；　that　one　should　dive　deep　into　one's　own。＇61＇



〃I　have　always　delighted　in　analysis；〃　said　he；　one　day；　〃and　should　I

ever　fall　seriously　in　love　I　would　take　my　sentiment　to　pieces。　　Why

and　How　are　such　important　questions　one　cannot　put　them　to　one's　self

too　often。〃



　〃It　is　certain；〃　writes　an　observer；　〃that　he；　of　all　men；　is　the　one

who　has　most　meditated　on　the　why　which　controls　human　actions。〃



His　method；　that　of　the　experimental　sciences；　consists　in　testing

every　hypothesis　or　deduction　by　some　positive　fact；　observed　by　him

under　definite　conditions；　a　physical　force　being　ascertained　and

accurately　measured　through　the　deviation　of　a　needle；　or　through　the

rise　and　fall　of　a　fluid；　this　or　that　invisible　moral　force　can

likewise　be　ascertained　and　approximately　measured　through　some

emotional　sign；　some　decisive　manifestation；　consisting　of　a　certain

word；　tone；　or　gesture。　　It　is　these　words；　tones；　and　gestures　which

he　dwells　on；　he　detects　inward　sentiments　by　the　outward　expression；

he　figures　to　himself　the　internal　by　the　external；　by　some　facial

appearance；　some　telling　attitude；　some　brief　and　topical　scene；　by

such　specimen　and　shortcuts；　so　well　chosen　and　detailed　that　they

provide　a　summary　of　the　innumerable　series　of　analogous　cases。　　In

this　way；　the　vague；