the story of mankind-第68章

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for　a　prize　offered　by　the　Academy　of　Lyons；　his　essay

was　found　to　be　next　to　the　last　and　he　was　number　15　out　of

16　candidates。　But　he　overcame　all　these　difficulties　through

his　absolute　and　unshakable　belief　in　his　own　destiny；　and　in

his　own　glorious　future。　Ambition　was　the　main…spring　of　his

life。　The　thought　of　self；　the　worship　of　that　capital　letter

‘‘N''　with　which　he　signed　all　his　letters；　and　which　recurred

forever　in　the　ornaments　of　his　hastily　constructed　palaces；　the

absolute　will　to　make　the　name　Napoleon　the　most　important

thing　in　the　world　next　to　the　name　of　God；　these　desires　carried

Napoleon　to　a　pinnacle　of　fame　which　no　other　man　has

ever　reached。



When　he　was　a　half…pay　lieutenant；　young　Bonaparte　was

very　fond　of　the　‘‘Lives　of　Famous　Men''　which　Plutarch；　the

Roman　historian；　had　written。　But　he　never　tried　to　live　up

to　the　high　standard　of　character　set　by　these　heroes　of　the

older　days。　Napoleon　seems　to　have　been　devoid　of　all　those

considerate　and　thoughtful　sentiments　which　make　men

different　from　the　animals。　It　will　be　very　difficult　to　decide

with　any　degree　of　accuracy　whether　he　ever　loved　anyone

besides　himself。　He　kept　a　civil　tongue　to　his　mother；　but

Letizia　had　the　air　and　manners　of　a　great　lady　and　after　the

fashion　of　Italian　mothers；　she　knew　how　to　rule　her　brood　of

children　and　command　their　respect。　For　a　few　years　he　was

fond　of　Josephine；　his　pretty　Creole　wife；　who　was　the　daughter

of　a　French　officer　of　Martinique　and　the　widow　of　the

Vicomte　de　Beauharnais；　who　had　been　executed　by　Robespierre

when　he　lost　a　battle　against　the　Prussians。　But

the　Emperor　divorced　her　when　she　failed　to　give　him　a　son

and　heir　and　married　the　daughter　of　the　Austrian　Emperor；

because　it　seemed　good　policy。



During　the　siege　of　Toulon；　where　he　gained　great　fame

as　commander　of　a　battery；　Napoleon　studied　Macchiavelli

with　industrious　care。　He　followed　the　advice　of　the　Florentine

statesman　and　never　kept　his　word　when　it　was　to　his

advantage　to　break　it。　The　word　‘‘gratitude''　did　not　occur　in

his　personal　dictionary。　Neither；　to　be　quite　fair；　did　he　expect

it　from　others。　He　was　totally　indifferent　to　human　suffering。

He　executed　prisoners　of　war　（in　Egypt　in　1798）　who　had

been　promised　their　lives；　and　he　quietly　allowed　his　wounded

in　Syria　to　be　chloroformed　when　he　found　it　impossible　to

transport　them　to　his　ships。　He　ordered　the　Duke　of　Enghien

to　be　condemned　to　death　by　a　prejudiced　court…martial　and　to

be　shot　contrary　to　all　law　on　the　sole　ground　that　the

‘‘Bourbons　needed　a　warning。''　He　decreed　that　those　German

officers　who　were　made　prisoner　while　fighting　for　their

country's　independence　should　be　shot　against　the　nearest　wall；

and　when　Andreas　Hofer；　the　Tyrolese　hero；　fell　into　his　hands

after　a　most　heroic　resistance；　he　was　executed　like　a　common

traitor。



In　short；　when　we　study　the　character　of　the　Emperor；　we

begin　to　understand　those　anxious　British　mothers　who　used

to　drive　their　children　to　bed　with　the　threat　that　‘‘Bonaparte；

who　ate　little　boys　and　girls　for　breakfast；　would　come　and　get

them　if　they　were　not　very　good。''　And　yet；　having　said　these

many　unpleasant　things　about　this　strange　tyrant；　who　looked

after　every　other　department　of　his　army　with　the　utmost　care；

but　neglected　the　medical　service；　and　who　ruined　his　uniforms

with　Eau　de　Cologne　because　he　could　not　stand　the　smell　of

his　poor　sweating　soldiers；　having　said　all　these　unpleasant

things　and　being　fully　prepared　to　add　many　more；　I　must

confess　to　a　certain　lurking　feeling　of　doubt。



Here　I　am　sitting　at　a　comfortable　table　loaded　heavily

with　books；　with　one　eye　on　my　typewriter　and　the　other　on

Licorice　the　cat；　who　has　a　great　fondness　for　carbon　paper；

and　I　am　telling　you　that　the　Emperor　Napoleon　was　a　most

contemptible　person。　But　should　I　happen　to　look　out　of

the　window；　down　upon　Seventh　Avenue；　and　should　the　endless

procession　of　trucks　and　carts　come　to　a　sudden　halt；　and

should　I　hear　the　sound　of　the　heavy　drums　and　see　the　little

man　on　his　white　horse　in　his　old　and　much…worn　green　uniform；

then　I　don't　know；　but　I　am　afraid　that　I　would　leave

my　books　and　the　kitten　and　my　home　and　everything　else　to

follow　him　wherever　he　cared　to　lead。　My　own　grandfather

did　this　and　Heaven　knows　he　was　not　born　to　be　a　hero。

Millions　of　other　people's　grandfathers　did　it。　They　received

no　reward；　but　they　expected　none。　They　cheerfully

gave　legs　and　arms　and　lives　to　serve　this　foreigner；　who　took

them　a　thousand　miles　away　from　their　homes　and　marched

them　into　a　barrage　of　Russian　or　English　or　Spanish　or

Italian　or　Austrian　cannon　and　stared　quietly　into　space　while

they　were　rolling　in　the　agony　of　death。



If　you　ask　me　for　an　explanation；　I　must　answer　that　I

have　none。　I　can　only　guess　at　one　of　the　reasons。　Napoleon

was　the　greatest　of　actors　and　the　whole　European　continent

was　his　stage。　At　all　times　and　under　all　circumstances

he　knew　the　precise　attitude　that　would　impress　the　spectators

most　and　he　understood　what　words　would　make　the　deepest

impression。　Whether　he　spoke　in　the　Egyptian　desert；　before

the　backdrop　of　the　Sphinx　and　the　pyramids；　or　addressed

his　shivering　men　on　the　dew…soaked　plains　of　Italy；　made　no

difference。　At　all　times　he　was　master　of　the　situation。　Even

at　the　end；　an　exile　on　a　little　rock　in　the　middle　of　the　Atlantic；

a　sick　man　at　the　mercy　of　a　dull　and　intolerable　British　governor；

he　held　the　centre　of　the　stage。



After　the　defeat　of　Waterloo；　no　one　outside　of　a　few

trusted　friends　ever　saw　the　great　Emperor。　The　people　of

Europe　knew　that　he　was　living　on　the　island　of　St。　Helena

they　knew　that　a　British　garrison　guarded　him　day　and　night

they　knew　that　the　British　fleet　guarded　the　garrison　which

guarded　the　Emperor　on　his　farm　at　Longwood。　But　he　was

never　out　of　the　mind　of　either　friend　or　enemy。　When　illness

and　despair　had　at　last　taken　him　away；　his　silent　eyes　continued

to　haunt　the　world。　Even　to…day　he　is　as　much　of　a　force

in　the　life　of　France　as　a　hundred　years　ago　when　people

fainted　at　the　mere　sight　of　this　sallow…faced　man　who　stabled

his　horses　in　the　holiest　temples　of　the　Russian　Kremlin；　and

who　treated　the　Pope　and　the　mighty　ones　of　this　earth　as　if

they　were　his　lackeys。



To　give　you　a　mere　outline　of　his　life　would　demand

couple　of　volumes。　To　tell　you　of　his　great　political　reform

of　the　French　state；　of　his　new　codes　of　laws　which　were

adopted　in　most　European　countries；　of　his　activities　in　every

field　of　public　activity；　would　take　thousands　of　pages。　But

I　can　explain　in　a　few　words　why　he　was　so　successful　during

the　first　part　of　his　career　and　why　he　failed　during　the　last

ten　years。　From　the　year　1789　until　the　year　1804；　Napoleon

was　the　great　leader　of　the　French　revolution。　He　was　not

merely　fighting　for　the　glory　of　his　own　name。　He　defeated

Austria　and　Italy　and　England　and　Russia　because　he；　himself；

and　his　soldiers　were　the　apostles　of　the　new　creed　of

‘‘Liberty；　Fraternity　and　Equality''　and　were　the　enemies　of

the　courts　while　they　were　the　friends　of　the　people。



But　in　the　year　1804；　Napoleon　made　himself　Hereditary

Emperor　of　the　French　and　sent　for　Pope　Pius　VII　to　come

and　crown　him；　even　as　Leo　III；　in　the　year　800　had　crowned

that　other　great　King　of　the　Franks；　Charlemagne；　whose　example

was　constantly　before　Napoleon's　eyes。



Once　upon　the　throne；　the　old　revolutionary　chieftain　became

an　unsuccessful　imitation　of　a　Habsburg　monarch。　He

forgot　his　spiritual　Mother；　the　Political　Club　of　the　Jacobins。

He　ceased　to　be　the　defender　of　the　oppressed。　He　became　the

chief　of　all　the　oppressors　and　kept　his　shooting　squads　ready

to　execute　those　who　dared　to　oppose　his　imperial　will。　No

one　had　shed　a　tear　when　in　the　year　1806　the　sad　remains　of

the　Holy　Roman　Empire　were　c