the origins of contemporary france-5-第93章

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so　as　to　mount　up　to　them。　But；　however　high　he　mounts；　he　still　sees

higher　yet　others　who　were　formerly　his　equals；　consequently；　no　rank

obtained　by　them　seems　to　him　above　his　deserts；　and　no　rank　that　he

obtains　suffices　for　his　pretensions。



　〃See　that　Masséna；〃　exclaimed　Napoleon；＇50＇　a　few　days　before　the

battle　of　Wagram；　〃he　has　honors　and　fame　enough；　but　he　is　not

satisfied　；　he　wants　be　a　prince　like　Murat　and　Bernadotte：　he　will

risk　getting　shot　to…morrow　simply　to　be　a　prince。〃　…



Above　these　princes　who　have　only　the　rank；　the　title　and　the　money；

come　the　grand…dukes　and　reigning　viceroys　like　Murat；　grand…duke　of

Berg；　and　Eugene；　viceroy　of　Italy。　Above　Eugene　and　Murat　are　the

vassal…kings；　Louis；　Joseph；　Jerome；　then　Murat　himself；　who；　among

these；　is　in　a　better　place；　and　Bernadotte；　the　only　sovereign　that

is　independent；　all　more　or　less　envied　by　the　marshals；　all　more　or

less　rivals　of　each　other；　the　inferior　aspiring　to　the　superior

throne；　Murat　inconsolable　at　being　sent　to　Naples　and　not　to　Spain；

and　at　having　only　five　millions　of　subjects　instead　of　thirteen

millions。　From　top　to　bottom　of　the　hierarchy　and　even　to　the　loftiest

places；　comprising　thrones；　the　steps　rise　regularly　above　each　other

in　continuous　file；　so　that　each　leads　to　the　following　one；　with

nothing　to　hinder　the　first…comer；　provided　he　is　lucky；　has　good　legs

and　does　not　fall　on　the　way；　from　reaching　the　top　of　the　staircase

in　twenty　or　thirty　years。　〃It　was　commonly　reported　in　the　army　…　he

has　been　promoted　king　of　Naples；　of　Holland；　of　Spain；　of　Sweden；　as

formerly　was　said　of　the　same　sort　of　man；　who　had　been　promoted

sergeant　in　this　or　that　company。〃　…　Such　is　the　total　and　final

impression　which　lingers　on　in　all　imaginations；　it　is　in　this　sense

that　the　people　interpret　the　new　Régime；　and　Napoleon　devotes　himself

to　confirming　the　popular　interpretation。　Accordingly；　the　first　duchy

he　creates　is　for　Marshal　Lefebvre



〃purposely；〃　as　he　says；＇51＇　because　〃this　marshal　had　been　a　private

and　everybody　in　Paris　had　known　him　as　a　sergeant　in　the　French

guards。〃



…　With　such　an　example　before　them；　and　so　many　others　like　it；　not

less　striking；　there　is　no　ambition　that　does　not　become　exalted；　and

often　to　delirium。



〃At　this　time；〃　says　Stendhal；　who　seized　the　master…idea　of　the

reign；　〃there　was　no　apothecary's　apprentice　in　his　back　shop；

surrounded　by　his　drugs　and　bottles；　filtering　and　pounding　away　in

his　mortar；　who　did　not　say　to　himself　that；　if　he　chanced　to　make

some　great　discovery；　he　would　be　made　a　count　with　fifty　thousand

francs　a　year。〃



In　those　days　there　was　no　under…clerk　who；　in　his　labored　penmanship；

inscribed　names　on　a　piece　of　parchment；　that　did　not　imagine　his　own

name　appearing　some　day　on　a　senatorial　or　ministerial　diploma。　At

this　time　the　youthful　corporal　who　dons　his　first　stripes　of　gold

braid　already　fancies　that　he　hears　the　beating　of　the　drums；　the

blast　of　the　trumpet；　and　the　salvos　of　artillery　which　proclaim　him

marshal　of　the　Empire。＇52＇





V。　Self…esteem　and　a　good　Reputation。



The　inward　spring　from　1789　to　1815。　…　Its　force。　…　Its　decline。　…　How

it　ends　in　breaking　the　machine　down。



A　new　force；　extraordinary；　is　just　apparent　in　history；　a　spiritual

force　analogous　to　that　which　formerly　stimulated　souls　in　Spain　in

the　sixteenth　century；　in　European　the　time　of　the　crusades；　and　in

Arabia　in　the　time　of　Mahomet。　It　stimulates　the　faculties　to　excess；

increases　energy　tenfold；　transports　man　beyond　or　above　himself；

creates　enthusiasts　and　heroes；　blinding　or　rendering　men　crazy；　and

hence　the　irresistible　conquerors　and　rulers。　It　stamps　its　imprint

and　leaves　its　memorials　in　ineffaceable　characters　on　men　and　things

from　Cadiz　to　Moscow。　It　overrides　all　natural　barriers　and　transcends

all　ordinary　limits。　〃The　French　soldier；〃　writes　a　Prussian　officer

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；　nobl