the origins of contemporary france-5-第20部分

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contrary；　encouraging　them　to　express　opinions；　and　even　to　converse；

tolerating　in　conversation　a　semblance　of　equality；　smiling　at　a

repartee；　playfully　telling　a　story　…　such　was　his　drawing…room

constitution。　　The　drawing…room　as　well　as　every　human　society　needs

one；　and　a　liberal　one；　otherwise　life　dies　out。　　Accordingly；　the

observance　of　this　constitution　in　by…gone　society　is　known　by　the

phrase　savoir…vivre；　and；　more　rigidly　than　anybody　else；　Louis　XIV。

submitted　himself　to　this　code　of　proprieties。　　Traditionally；　and

through　education；　he　had　consideration　for　others；　at　least　for　the

people　around　him；　his　courtiers　becoming　his　guests　without　ceasing

to　be　his　subjects。



There　is　nothing　of　this　sort　with　Napoleon。　　He　preserves　nothing　of

the　etiquette　he　borrows　from　the　old　court　but　its　rigid　discipline

and　its　pompous　parade。　　〃The　ceremonial　system；〃　says　an　eyewitness；

〃was　carried　out　as　if　it　had　been　regulated　by　the　tap　of　a　drum；

everything　was　done；　in　a　certain　sense；　'double…quick。'＇87＇　。　。　。

This　air　of　precipitation；　this　constant　anxiety　which　it　inspires；〃

puts　an　end　to　all　comfort；　all　ease；　all　entertainment；　all　agreeable

intercourse；　there　is　no　common　bond　but　that　of　command　and

obedience。　　〃　The　few　individuals　he　singles　out；　Savary；　Duroc；

Maret；　keep　silent　and　simply　transmit　orders。　。　。　。　We　did　not　appear

to　them；　in　doing　what　we　were　ordered　to　do；　and　we　did　not　appear　to

ourselves；　other　than　veritable　machines；　all　resembling；　or　but

little　short　of　it；　the　elegant　gilded　arm…chairs　with　which　the

palaces　of　Saint…Cloud　and　the　Tuileries　had　just　been　embellished。〃



For　a　machine　to　work　well　it　is　important　that　the　machinist　should

overhaul　it　frequently；　which　this　one　never　fails　to　do；　especially

after　a　long　absence。　　Whilst　he　is　on　his　way　from　Tilsit；　〃everybody

anxiously　examines　his　conscience　to　ascertain　what　he　has　done　that

this　rigid　master　will　find　fault　with　on　his　return。　　Whether　spouse；

family；　or　grand　dignitary；　each　is　more　or　less　disturbed；　while　the

Empress；　who　knows　him　better　than　any　one；　naively　says；　'As　the

Emperor　is　so　happy　it　is　certain　that　he　will　do　a　deal　of

scolding！'〃＇88＇　Actually；　he　has　scarcely　arrived　when　he　gives　a　rude

and　vigorous　wrench　of　the　bolt；　and　then；　〃satisfied　at　having

excited　terror　all　around；　he　appears　to　have　forgotten　what　has

passed　and　resumes　the　usual　tenor　of　his　life。〃　〃Through　calculation

as　well　as　from　taste；＇89＇　he　never　ceases　to　be　a　monarch〃；　hence；　〃a

mute；　frigid　court　。　。　。　。　more　dismal　than　dignified；　every　face

wears　an　expression　of　uneasiness　。　。　。　a　silence　both　dull　and

constrained。〃　At　Fontainebleau；　〃amidst　splendors　and　pleasures；〃

there　is　no　real　enjoyment　nor　anything　agreeable；　not　even　for

himself。　　〃I　pity　you；〃　said　M。　de　Talleyrand　to　M。　de　Rémusat；　〃you

have　to　amuse　the　unamusable。〃　At　the　theatre　he　is　abstracted　or

yawns。　　Applause　is　prohibited；　the　court；　sitting　out　〃the　file　of

eternal　tragedies；　is　mortally　bored　。　。　。　。　the　young　ladies　fall

asleep；　people　leave　the　theatre；　gloomy　and　discontented。〃　…　There　is

the　same　constraint　in　the　drawing…room。　〃He　did　not　know　how　to

appear　at　ease；　and　I　believe　that　he　never　wanted　anybody　else　to　be

so；　afraid　of　the　slightest　approach　to　familiarity；　and　inspiring

each　with　a　fear　of　saying　something　offensive　to　his　neighbor　before

witnesses。　。　。　。　During　the　quadrille；　he　moves　around　amongst　the

rows　of　ladies；　addressing　them　with　some　trifling　or　disagreeable

remark；〃　and　never　does　he　accost　them　otherwise　than　〃awkwardly　and

ill　at　his　ease。〃　At　bottom；　he　distrusts　them　and　is　ill…disposed

toward　them。＇90＇　　It　is　because　〃the　power　they　have　acquired　in

society　seems　to　him　an　intolerable　usurpation。　…　〃Never　did　he　utter

to　a　woman　a　graceful　or　even　a　well…turned　compliment；　although　the

effort　to　find　one　was　often　apparent　on　his　face　and　in　the　tone　of

his　voice。　。　。　。　He　talks　to　them　only　of　their　toilet；　of　which　he

declares　himself　a　severe　and　minute　judge；　and　on　which　he　indulges

in　not　very　delicate　jests；　or　again；　on　the　number　of　their　children；

demanding　of　them　in　rude　language　whether　they　nurse　them　themselves；

or　again；　lecturing　them　on　their　social　relations。〃＇91＇　Hence；　〃there

is　not　one　who　does　not　rejoice　when　he　moves　off。〃＇92＇　He　would　often

amuse　himself　by　putting　them　out　of　countenance；　scandalizing　and

bantering　them　to　their　faces；　driving　them　into　a　corner　the　same　as

a　colonel　worries　his　canteen　women。　　〃Yes；　ladies；　you　furnish　the

good　people　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　with　something　to　talk

about。　　It　is　said；　Madame　A。。。；　that　you　are　intimate　with　Monsieur

B。。。；　and　you　Madame　C。。。。；　with　Monsieur　D　　。〃　On　any　intrigue

chancing　to　appear　in　the　police　reports；　〃he　loses　no　time　in

informing　the　husband　of　what　is　going　on。〃　…　He　is　no　less　indiscreet

in　relation　to　his　own　affairs；＇93＇　when　it　is　over　he　divulges　the

fact　and　gives　the　name；　furthermore；　he　informs　Josephine　in　detail

and　will　not　listen　to　any　reproach：　〃I　have　a　right　to　answer　all

your　objections　with　an　eternal　I！〃



This　term；　indeed；　answers　to　everything；　and　he　explains　it　by

adding：　〃I　stand　apart　from　other　men。　　I　accept　nobody's　conditions；〃

nor　any　species　of　obligation；　no　code　whatever；　not　even　the　common

code　of　outward　civility；　which；　diminishing　or　dissimulating

primitive　brutality；　allows　men　to　associate　together　without

clashing。　　He　does　not　comprehend　it；　and　he　repudiates　it。　　〃I　have

little　liking；〃＇94＇　he　says；　〃for　that　vague；　leveling　word　propriety

（convenances）；　which　you　people　fling　out　every　chance　you　get。　　It　is

an　invention　of　fools　who　want　to　pass　for　clever　men；　a　kind　of

social　muzzle　which　annoys　the　strong　and　is　useful　only　to　the

mediocre。　　。　。　Ah；　good　taste　！　Another　classic　expression　which　I　do

not　accept。〃　〃It　is　your　personal　enemy〃；　says　Talleyrand　to　him；　one

day；　〃if　you　could　have　shot　it　away　with　bullets；　it　would　have

disappeared　long　ago！〃　…　It　is　because　good　taste　is　the　highest

attainment　of　civilization；　the　innermost　vestment　which　drapes　human

nudity；　which　best　fits　the　person；　the　last　garment　retained　after

the　others　have　been　cast　off；　and　which　delicate　tissue　continues　to

hamper　Napoleon；　he　throws　it　off　instinctively；　because　it　interferes

with　his　natural　behavior；　with　the　uncurbed；　dominating；　savage　ways

of　the　vanquisher　who　knocks　down　his　adversary　and　treats　him　as　he

pleases。



V。　His　Policy。



His　tone　and　bearing　towards　Sovereigns。　…　His　Policy。　…　His　means　and

ends。…　After　Sovereigns　he　sets　populations　against　him。　…　Final

opinion　of　Europe。



Such　behavior　render　social　intercourse　impossible；　especially　among

the　independent　and　armed　personages　known　as　nations　or　States。　This

is　why　they　are　outlawed　in　politics　and　in　diplomacy　and　every　head

of　a　State　or　representative　of　a　country；　carefully　and　on　principle；

abstains　from　them；　at　least　with　those　on　his　own　level。　　He　is　bound

to　treat　these　as　his　equals；　humor　them；　and；　accordingly；　not　to

give　way　to　the　irritation　of　the　moment　or　to　personal　feeling；　in

short；　to　exercise　self…control　and　measure　his　words。　　To　this　is　due

the　tone　of　manifestos；　protocols；　dispatches；　and　other　public

documents　the　formal　language　of　legations；　so　cold；　dry；　and

elaborated；　those　expressions　purposely　attenuated　and　smoothed　down；

those　long　phrases　apparently　spun　out　mechanically　and　always　after

the　same　pattern；　a　sort　of　soft　wadding　or　international　buffer

interposed　between　contestants　to　lessen　the　shocks　of　collision。　　The

reciprocal　irritations　between　States　are　already　too　great；　there　are

ever　too　many　unavoidable　and　regrettable　encounters；　too　many　causes

of　conflict；　the　consequences　of　which　are　too　serious；　it　is

unnecessary　to　add　to　the　wounds　of　interest　the　wounds　of　imagination

and　of　pride；　and　above　all；　it　is　unnecessary　to　amplify　these

without　reason；　at　the　risk　of　increasing　the　obstacles　of　to…day　and

the　resentments　of　to…morrow。　…　With　Napoleon　it　is　just　the　opposite：

his　attitude；　even　at　peaceful　interviews；　remains　aggressive　and

militant；　purposely　or　in…voluntarily；　he　raises　his　hand　and　the　blow

is　felt　to　be　coming；　while；　in　the　meantime；　he　insults。　　In　his

correspondence　with　sovereigns；　in　his　official　proclamations；　in　his

deliberations　with　ambassadors；　and　even　at　public　audiences；＇95＇　he

provokes；　threatens；　and　defies。＇96＇　　He　treats　his　adversary　with　a

lofty　air；　insults　him　often　to　his　face；　and　charges　him　with　the

most　disgraceful　imputations。＇97＇　　He　divulges　the　secrets　of　his

private　life；　of　his　closet；　and　of　his　bed；　he　defames　or　calumniates

his　ministers；　his　court；　and　his　wife；＇98＇　he　purposely　stabs　him　in

the　most　sensitive　part。　　He　tells　one　that　he　is　a　dupe；　a　betrayed

husband；　another