the origins of contemporary france-5-第75部分

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after　Jena；＇53＇　〃are　small　and　puny。　One　of　our　Germans　could　whip　any

four　of　them。　But；　under　fire；　they　become　supernatural　beings。　They

are　swept　along　by　an　indescribable　ardor　of　which　there　is　not　a

trace　among　our　soldiers。　。　。　。　What　can　you　do　with　peasants　whom

nobles　lead　into　battle；　but　whose　danger　they　share　without　any

interest　in　their　passions　or　recompenses！〃　…　Coupled　with　the

physical　needs　which　requires　a　certain　amount　of　ease　and　of　daily

food；　and　which；　if　too　strenuously　opposed；　produces　passing

jacqueries；　there　is　a　still　more　potent　longing　which；　on　suddenly

encountering　its　object；　seizes　on　it；　clings　to　it；　gorges　it；　and

produces　revolutions　that　last：　this　longing　is　the　desire　to

contemplate　one…self　with　satisfaction　and　complacency；　forming　of

one's　self　a　pleasing；　flattering　image；　and　of　trying　to　impress　and

plant　this　image　in　the　minds　of　others；　in　short；　the　ambition　for　a

great　self…esteem　and　of　becoming　greatly　esteemed　by　others。＇54＇　This

sentiment；　according　to　the　quality　of　the　person　and　according　to

circumstances；　gives　birth　sometimes　to　the　noblest　virtues　and　the

most　sublime　devotion；　and　at　other　times　to　the　worst　misdeeds　and

the　most　dangerous　delirium：　the　man　becomes　transfigured；　the

sleeping　god　or　demon　which　both　live　within　him　is　suddenly　aroused。

After　1789；　both　appear　and　both　together；　from　this　date　onward；　says

an　eye…witness；＇55＇　and；　during　one　quarter　of　a　century；　〃for　most

Frenchmen　and　in　whatever　class；〃　the　object　of　life　is　displaced；

each　has　put　it　outside　of　himself；　from　now　on；　the　essential　thing

for　everybody　is　〃to　have　lived；〃　or　〃to　have　died　for　something；〃　for

an　idea。　A　man　becomes　the　slave　of　his　idea；　gives　himself　up　to　it；

consequently；　he　has　experienced　the　intense　satisfaction　of

considering　himself　a　noble　being；　of　superior　essence；　foremost　among

the　first；　and　of　seeing　himself　regarded　in　that　light　and　proclaimed

and　glorified　as　such。　…　This　keen；　profound　and　intense　pleasure　was

first　enjoyed　by　the　French　on　listening　to　the　Declaration　of　the

Rights　of　Man；　from　then；　and　in　good　faith；　they　felt　themselves

citizens；　philosophers；　the　destroyers　of　prejudices　and　wrongs；

zealots　in　behalf　of　truth；　liberty　and　equality；　and　then；　when　the

war　of　1792　came；　the　defenders　of　the　country；　missionaries　and

propagators　of　every　grand　principle。＇56＇　…　Towards　1796；　principles

began　to　recede　in　the　background；＇57＇　in　the　ideal　portrait　which　man

makes　of　himself　the　liberator　and　benefactor　of　mankind　gradually

gives　way　to　the　admirable　and　admired　hero　capable　of　great

achievements。　This　inner　portrait　of　himself　suffices　for　his

happiness　for　some　years　to　come：　vanity＇58＇　properly　so　called　and　a

calculating　ambition　are　not　the　incentives　of　action；　if　he　obtains

promotion　it　is　without　asking　for　it；　his　aspiration　is　simply　to

display　himself；　to　be　lavish　of　himself　and　live　or　die　courageously

and　gaily＇59＇　along　with　his　comrade；　to　be　considered；　outside　the

service；　the　equal；　friend　and　brother　of　his　subordinates　and　of　his

chiefs。＇60＇　　Pillage；　nevertheless；　has　begun；　for；　a　long　continuance

of　war　depraves　the　conqueror；　brutality；　indifference　to　property　and

to　life　grows　on　him；　if　callous；　or　he　wishes　to　become　so；　he　eats；

drinks　and　enjoys　the　passing　hour；　if　provident　and　wary；　he　scrapes

together　what　he　can　or　levies　contributions　and　hoards　money。　…　Under

the　Empire；　and　especially　towards　1808　and　1809；　the　ideal　figure

degenerates　still　more；　from　now　on；　it　is　the　successful　or　the

coming　officer；　with　his　rank　and　its　accouterments；　his　gold…

embroidered　uniform　and　badges；　exercising　authority　over　so　many

hundreds　and　thousands　of　men　and　enjoying　a　certain　notable　sum　of

regular　salaries；　besides　other　gratifications　bestowed　on　him　by　the

master；　along　with　the　profits　he　can　make　out　of　the　vanquished。＇61＇

All　that　he　now　cares　for　is　rapid　promotion；　and　in　any　way；　noble　or

ignoble；　at　first；　of　course；　on　the　main　road；　that　is　in　straining

himself　and　risking　his　life；　but　likewise　on　a　new　road；　in　an

affectation　of　zeal；　in　practicing　and　professing　blind　obedience；　in

abandoning　all　political　ideas；　in　devoting　himself　no　longer　to

France；　but　to　the　sovereign：　sympathy　for　his　comrades　gives　way　to

harsh　rivalry；　soldierly　friendships；　under　the　anticipation　of

advancement；　die　out。　A　vacancy　due　to　death　is　for　the　benefit　of

survivors　and　they　know　it。　〃At　Talavera；〃　says　Stendhal；　〃two

officers　stood　together　at　their　battery；　while　a　ball　comes　and　the

captain　falls。　'Good；'　says　the　lieutenant；　'now　Fran？ois　is　dead　and

I　shall　be　captain。'　'Not　yet；'　says　Fran？ois；　who　was　only　stunned

and　who　gets　up　on　his　feet。　These　two　men　were　neither　unfriendly　nor

inimical；　only　the　lieutenant　wanted　to　rise　a　step　higher　in　rank。〃

And　this　shrewd　observer　adds：　〃Such　was　the　furious　egoism　then

styled　love　of　glory　and　which；　under　this　title；　the　Emperor　had

communicated　to　the　French。〃



On　this　slope　the　slide　is　rapid　and　abject。　Each；　at　first；　thinks　of

himself；　the　individual　makes　of　himself　a　center。　The　example；

moreover；　comes　from　above。　Is　it　for　France　or　for　himself　that

Napoleon　works？＇62＇　So　many　immense　enterprises；　the　conquest　of

Spain；　the　expedition　into　Russia；　the　installation　of　his　brothers

and　relations　on　new　thrones；　the　constant　partition　and　rearrangement

of　Europe；　all　those　incessant　and　more　and　more　distant　wars；　is　it

for　the　public　good　and　common　safety　that　he　accumulates　them？　What

does　he　himself　desire　if　not　to　push　his　fortunes　still　farther？　…　He

is　too　much　ambitious　（trop　ambitionnaire）；　say　his　own　soldiers；＇63＇

and　yet　they　follow　him　to　the　last。　〃We　have　always　marched　along

with　him；〃　replied　the　old　grenadiers；＇64＇　who　had　traversed　Poland　to

penetrate　into　Russia；　〃we　couldn't　abandon　him　this　time　and　leave

him　alone　by　himself。〃　…　But　others　who　see　him　nearer　by；　those　who

stand　first　and　next　to　him；　do　as　he　does；　and；　however　high　these

have　mounted；　they　want　to　mount　still　higher；　or；　otherwise；　　to　keep

their　places；　or；　at　least；　provide　for　themselves　and　hold　on　to

something　substantial。　Masséna　has　accumulated　forty　millions　and

Talleyrand　sixty；＇65＇　in　case　of　a　political　crash　the　money　remains。

Soult　tried　to　have　himself　elected　king　of　Portugal；＇66＇　and

Bernadotte　finds　means　to　have　himself　elected　king　of　Sweden。　After

Leipsic；　Murat　bargains　with　the　allies；　and；　to　retain　his　Neapolitan

kingdom；　he　agrees　to　furnish　a　contingent　against　France；　before　the

battle　of　Leipsic；　Bernadotte　is　with　the　allies　and　fights　with　them

against　France。　In　1814；　Bernadotte　and　Joseph；　each　caring　for

himself；　the　former　by　intrigues　and　with　the　intriguers　of　the

interior；　also　by　feeling　his　way　with　the　foreign　sovereigns　while

the　latter；　in　the　absence　of　Napoleon；　by　〃singular　efforts〃　and

〃assiduities〃　beforehand　with　Marie　Louise　thinks　of　taking　the　place

of　the　falling　emperor。＇67＇　　Prince　Eugene　alone；　or　almost　alone；

among　the　great　personalities　of　the　reign；　is　really　loyal；　his

loyalty　remaining　always　intact　exempt　from　concealed　motives　and

above　suspicion。　Everywhere　else；　the　coming　crash　or　sinister　rumors

are　heard　or　anticipated；　alarm　descends　from　high　places；　spreads

through　the　army　and　echoes　along　the　lines　of　the　lowest　ranks。　In

1815；　the　soldier　has　full　confidence　in　himself　and　in　Napoleon；　〃but

he　is　moody；　distrustful　of　his　other　leaders。　。　。　。　Every　march

incomprehensible　to　him　makes　him　uneasy　and　he　thinks　himself

betrayed。〃＇68＇　　At　Waterloo；　dragoons　that　pass　him　with　their　swords

drawn　and　old　corporals　shout　to　the　Emperor　that　Soult　and　Vandamme；

who　are　at　this　moment　about　going　into　battle；　are　haranguing　their

troops　against　him　or　deserting　him；　that　General　Dhénin；　who　has

repulsed　a　charge　of　the　enemy　and　whose　thigh　is　fractured　by　a

cannon…ball；　has　just　passed　over　to　the　enemy。　The　mechanism　which；

for　fifteen　years；　has　worked　so　well；　breaks　down　of　itself　through

its　own　action；　its　cog…wheels　have　got　out　of　gear；　cracks　show

themselves　in　the　metal　which　seemed　so　sound；　the　divinations　of

popular　instinct　verify　this；　the　exaggerations　of　the　popular

imagination　expand　it　and　suddenly　the　whole　machine　rattles　down　to

the　ground。



All　this　is　due　to　Napoleon　having　introduced　into　it　the　craving　for

success　as　central　motor；　as　the　universal　main…spring；　unscrupulous

ambition；　in　short；　a　crude　egoism；　and　in　the　first　place　his　own

egoism；　＇69＇　and　this　incentive；　strained　to　excess；＇70＇　puts　the

machine　out　of　order　and　then　ruins　it。　After　him；　under　his

successors；　the　same　machinery　is　to　work　in　the　same　manner；　and

break　down　in　the　same　way；　at　the　expiration　of　a　more　or　less

extensive　period。　Thus　far；　the　longest　of　these　periods　has　lasted

less　than　twenty　years。



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Notes：





＇1＇　Most　of　the　French　provinces　down　to　the　time　of　Richelieu　still

possessed　a　special　representative　body　which　consented　to　and　levied

the　taxes；　most　of　these　bodies　were　supported　by　the　all…powerful

minister　and　replaced　by　intendants　who；　from　that　time　on；

administered；　or　rather　exhausted；　the　country；　divided　into　thirty…

two　generalities。　A　few　provinces；　however；　Brittany；　Burgundy；

Languedoc；　a　part　of　Provence；　Flanders；　Artois；　and　some　small

districts　in　the　Pyrenees　kept　their　old　representative　body　and　were

called　pays　d'état；　whilst　other　provinces　were　designated；　by　a

strange　abuse　of　language；　under　the　name　of　pays　d'élection。〃

（Translated　from〃　Madame　de　Sta？l　et　son　Temps；〃　vol。　I。；　p。　38。）　TR。



＇2＇　Cf。　on　the　antiquity　of　this　sort　of　mind；　evident　from　the

beginning　of　society　and　of　French　literature；　my　〃History　of　Englis