the story of mankind-第71章

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single　official　act。



Europe　had　peace；　but　it　was　the　peace　of　the　cemetery。



The　three　most　important　men　at　Vienna　were　the　Emperor

Alexander　of　Russia；　Metternich；　who　represented　the

interests　of　the　Austrian　house　of　Habsburg；　and　Talleyrand；

the　erstwhile　bishop　of　Autun；　who　had　managed　to　live

through　the　different　changes　in　the　French　government　by

the　sheer　force　of　his　cunning　and　his　intelligence　and　who

now　travelled　to　the　Austrian　capital　to　save　for　his　country

whatever　could　be　saved　from　the　Napoleonic　ruin。　Like　the

gay　young　man　of　the　limerick；　who　never　knew　when　he　was

slighted；　this　unbidden　guest　came　to　the　party　and　ate　just　as

heartily　as　if　he　had　been　really　invited。　Indeed；　before　long；

he　was　sitting　at　the　head　of　the　table　entertaining　everybody

with　his　amusing　stories　and　gaining　the　company's　good　will

by　the　charm　of　his　manner。



Before　he　had　been　in　Vienna　twenty…four　hours　he　knew

that　the　allies　were　divided　into　two　hostile　camps。　On　the

one　side　were　Russia；　who　wanted　to　take　Poland；　and　Prussia；

who　wanted　to　annex　Saxony；　and　on　the　other　side　were

Austria　and　England；　who　were　trying　to　prevent　this　grab

because　it　was　against　their　own　interest　that　either　Prussia　or

Russia　should　be　able　to　dominate　Europe。　Talleyrand　played

the　two　sides　against　each　other　with　great　skill　and　it　was　due

to　his　efforts　that　the　French　people　were　not　made　to　suffer

for　the　ten　years　of　oppression　which　Europe　had　endured　at

the　hands　of　the　Imperial　officials。　He　argued　that　the　French

people　had　been　given　no　choice　in　the　matter。　Napoleon　had

forced　them　to　act　at　his　bidding。　But　Napoleon　was　gone　and

Louis　XVIII　was　on　the　throne。　‘‘Give　him　a　chance；''　Talleyrand

pleaded。　And　the　Allies；　glad　to　see　a　legitimate　king

upon　the　throne　of　a　revolutionary　country；　obligingly　yielded

and　the　Bourbons　were　given　their　chance；　of　which　they

made　such　use　that　they　were　driven　out　after　fifteen　years。



The　second　man　of　the　triumvirate　of　Vienna　was　Metternich；

the　Austrian　prime　minister；　the　leader　of　the　foreign

policy　of　the　house　of　Habsburg。　Wenzel　Lothar；　Prince　of

Metternich…Winneburg；　was　exactly　what　the　name　suggests。

He　was　a　Grand　Seigneur；　a　very　handsome　gentleman　with

very　fine　manners；　immensely　rich；　and　very　able；　but　the

product　of　a　society　which　lived　a　thousand　miles　away　from

the　sweating　multitudes　who　worked　and　slaved　in　the　cities

and　on　the　farms。　As　a　young　man；　Metternich　had　been

studying　at　the　University　of　Strassburg　when　the　French

Revolution　broke　out。　Strassburg；　the　city　which　gave　birth

to　the　Marseillaise；　had　been　a　centre　of　Jacobin　activities。

Metternich　remembered　that　his　pleasant　social　life　had　been

sadly　interrupted；　that　a　lot　of　incompetent　citizens　had　suddenly

been　called　forth　to　perform　tasks　for　which　they　were

not　fit；　that　the　mob　had　celebrated　the　dawn　of　the　new　liberty

by　the　murder　of　perfectly　innocent　persons。　He　had　failed　to

see　the　honest　enthusiasm　of　the　masses；　the　ray　of　hope　in　the

eyes　of　women　and　children　who　carried　bread　and　water　to

the　ragged　troops　of　the　Convention；　marching　through　the

city　on　their　way　to　the　front　and　a　glorious　death　for　the

French　Fatherland。



The　whole　thing　had　filled　the　young　Austrian　with　disgust。

It　was　uncivilised。　If　there　were　any　fighting　to　be　done　it

must　be　done　by　dashing　young　men　in　lovely　uniforms；　charging

across　the　green　fields　on　well…groomed　horses。　But　to

turn　an　entire　country　into　an　evil…smelling　armed　camp　where

tramps　were　overnight　promoted　to　be　generals；　that　was　both

wicked　and　senseless。　‘‘See　what　came　of　all　your　fine　ideas；''

he　would　say　to　the　French　diplomats　whom　he　met　at　a　quiet

little　dinner　given　by　one　of　the　innumerable　Austrian　grand…

dukes。　‘‘You　wanted　liberty；　equality　and　fraternity　and　you

got　Napoleon。　How　much　better　it　would　have　been　if　you

had　been　contented　with　the　existing　order　of　things。''　And

he　would　explain　his　system　of　‘‘stability。''　He　would　advocate

a　return　to　the　normalcy　of　the　good　old　days　before　the

war；　when　everybody　was　happy　and　nobody　talked　nonsense

about　‘‘everybody　being　as　good　as　everybody　else。''　In　this

attitude　he　was　entirely　sincere　and　as　he　was　an　able　man　of

great　strength　of　will　and　a　tremendous　power　of　persuasion；

he　was　one　of　the　most　dangerous　enemies　of　the　Revolutionary

ideas。　He　did　not　die　until　the　year　1859；　and　he　therefore

lived　long　enough　to　see　the　complete　failure　of　all　his　policies

when　they　were　swept　aside　by　the　revolution　of　the　year　1848。

He　then　found　himself　the　most　hated　man　of　Europe　and

more　than　once　ran　the　risk　of　being　lynched　by　angry　crowds

of　outraged　citizens。　But　until　the　very　last；　he　remained　steadfast

in　his　belief　that　he　had　done　the　right　thing。



He　had　always　been　convinced　that　people　preferred　peace

to　liberty　and　he　had　tried　to　give　them　what　was　best　for　them。

And　in　all　fairness；　it　ought　to　be　said　that　his　efforts　to

establish　universal　peace　were　fairly　successful。　The　great　powers

did　not　fly　at　each　other's　throat　for　almost　forty　years；　indeed

not　until　the　Crimean　war　between　Russia　and　England；

France　and　Italy　and　Turkey；　in　the　year　1854。　That　means

a　record　for　the　European　continent。



The　third　hero　of　this　waltzing　congress　was　the　Emperor

Alexander。　He　had　been　brought　up　at　the　court　of　his　grand…

mother；　the　famous　Catherine　the　Great。　Between　the　lessons

of　this　shrewd　old　woman；　who　taught　him　to　regard　the　glory

of　Russia　as　the　most　important　thing　in　life；　and　those　of　his

private　tutor；　a　Swiss　admirer　of　Voltaire　and　Rousseau；　who

filled　his　mind　with　a　general　love　of　humanity；　the　boy　grew

up　to　be　a　strange　mixture　of　a　selfish　tyrant　and　a　sentimental

revolutionist。　He　had　suffered　great　indignities　during　the

life　of　his　crazy　father；　Paul　I。　He　had　been　obliged　to　wit…

ness　the　wholesale　slaughter　of　the　Napoleonic　battle…fields。

Then　the　tide　had　turned。　His　armies　had　won　the　day　for　the

Allies。　Russia　had　become　the　saviour　of　Europe　and　the　Tsar

of　this　mighty　people　was　acclaimed　as　a　half…god　who　would

cure　the　world　of　its　many　ills。



But　Alexander　was　not　very　clever。　He　did　not　know

men　and　women　as　Talleyrand　and　Metternich　knew　them。

He　did　not　understand　the　strange　game　of　diplomacy。　He

was　vain　（who　would　not　be　under　the　circumstances？）　and

loved　to　hear　the　applause　of　the　multitude　and　soon　he　had

become　the　main　‘‘attraction''　of　the　Congress　while　Metternich

and　Talleyrand　and　Castlereagh　（the　very　able　British

representative）　sat　around　a　table　and　drank　a　bottle　of　Tokay

and　decided　what　was　actually　going　to　be　done。　They　needed

Russia　and　therefore　they　were　very　polite　to　Alexander；　but

the　less　he　had　personally　to　do　with　the　actual　work　of　the

Congress；　the　better　they　were　pleased。　They　even　encouraged

his　plans　for　a　Holy　Alliance　that　he　might　be　fully　occupied

while　they　were　engaged　upon　the　work　at　hand。



Alexander　was　a　sociable　person　who　liked　to　go　to　parties

and　meet　people。　Upon　such　occasions　he　was　happy　and　gay

but　there　was　a　very　different　element　in　his　character。　He

tried　to　forget　something　which　he　could　not　forget。　On　the

night　of　the　23rd　of　March　of　the　year　1801　he　had　been　sitting

in　a　room　of　the　St。　Michael　Palace　in　Petersburg；　waiting　for

the　news　of　his　father's　abdication。　But　Paul　had　refused　to

sign　the　document　which　the　drunken　officers　had　placed　before

him　on　the　table；　and　in　their　rage　they　had　put　a　scarf

around　his　neck　and　had　strangled　him　to　death。　Then　they

had　gone　downstairs　to　tell　Alexander　that　he　was　Emperor　of

all　the　Russian　lands。



The　memory　of　this　terrible　night　stayed　with　the　Tsar

who　was　a　very　sensitive　person。　He　had　been　educated　in

the　school　of　the　great　French　philosophers　who　did　not　believe

in　God　but　in　Hu