the origins of contemporary france-5-第7部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



outside　of　councils　and　private　conversations；　he　abstains　from　them；

employing　them　only　in　the　service　of　thought；　at　other　times　he

subordinates　them　to　the　end　he　has　in　view；　which　is　always　their

practical　effect。　　Ordinarily；　he　writes　and　speaks　in　a　different

language；　in　a　language　suited　to　his　audience；　he　dispenses　with　the

oddities；　the　irregular　improvisations　and　imagination；　the　outbursts

of　genius　and　inspiration。　　He　retains　and　uses　merely　those　which　are

intended　to　impress　the　personage　whom　he　wishes　to　dazzle　with　a

great　idea　of　himself；　such　as　Pius　VII。；　or　the　Emperor　Alexander。

In　this　case；　his　conversational　tone　is　that　of　a　caressing；

expansive；　amiable　familiarity；　he　is　then　before　the　footlights；　and

when　he　acts　he　can　play　all　parts；　tragedy　or　comedy；　with　the　same

life　and　spirit　whether　he　fulminates；　insinuates；　or　even　affects

simplicity。　　When　he　is　with　his　generals；　ministers；　and　principal

performers；　he　falls　back　on　the　concise；　positive；　technical　business

style；　any　other　would　be　harmful。　　The　keen　mind　only　reveals　itself

through　the　brevity　and　imperious　strength　and　rudeness　of　the　accent。

For　his　armies　and　the　common　run　of　men；　he　has　his　proclamations　and

bulletins；　that　is　to　say；　sonorous　phrases　composed　for　effect；　a

statement　of　facts　purposely　simplified　and　falsified；＇65＇　in　short；

an　excellent　effervescent　wine；　good　for　exciting　enthusiasm；　and　an

equally　excellent　narcotic　for　maintaining　credulity；＇66＇　a　sort　of

popular　mixture　to　be　distributed　just　at　the　proper　time；　and　whose

ingredients　are　so　well　proportioned　that　the　public　drinks　it　with

delight；　and　becomes　at　once　intoxicated。　　…　His　style　on　every

occasion；　whether　affected　or　spontaneous；　shows　his　wonderful

knowledge　of　the　masses　and　of　individuals；　except　in　two　or　three

cases；　on　one　exalted　domain；　of　which　he　always　remains　ignorant；　he

has　ever　hit　the　mark；　applying　the　appropriate　lever；　giving　just　the

push；　weight；　and　degree　of　impulsion　which　best　accomplishes　his

purpose。　　A　series　of　brief；　accurate　memoranda；　corrected　daily；

enables　him　to　frame　for　himself　a　sort　of　psychological　tablet

whereon　he　notes　down　and　sums　up；　in　almost　numerical　valuation；　the

mental　and　moral　dispositions；　characters；　faculties；　passions；　and

aptitudes；　the　strong　or　weak　points；　of　the　innumerable　human　beings；

near　or　remote；　on　whom　he　operates。





IV。　　His　Wonderful　Memory。



His　Three　Atlases。　　…　Their　scale　and　completeness。



Let　us　try　for　a　moment　to　show　the　range　and　contents　of　this

intellect；　we　may　have　to　go　back　to　Caesar　to　his　equal；　but；　for

lack　of　documents；　we　have　nothing　of　Caesar　but　general　features　…　a

summary　outline。　　Of　Napoleon　we　have；　besides　the　perfect　outline；

the　features　in　detail。　　Read　his　correspondence；　day　by　day；　then

chapter　by　chapter；＇67＇　for　example；　in　1806；　after　the　battle　of

Austerlitz；　or；　still　better；　in　1809；　after　his　return　from　Spain；　up

to　the　peace　of　Vienna；　whatever　our　technical　shortcomings　may　be；　we

shall　find　that　his　mind；　in　its　comprehensiveness　and　amplitude；

largely　surpasses　all　known　or　even　credible　proportions。



He　has　mentally　within　him　three　principal　atlases；　always　at　hand；

each　composed　of　〃about　twenty　note…books；〃　each　distinct　and　each

regularly　posted　up。　　…



1。　　The　first　one　is　military；　forming　a　vast　collection　of

topographical　charts　as　minute　as　those　of　an　general　staff；　with

detailed　plans　of　every　stronghold；　also　specific　indications　and　the

local　distribution　of　all　forces　on　sea　and　on　land　…　crews；

regiments；　batteries；　arsenals；　storehouses；　present　and　future

resources　in　supplies　of　men；　horses；　vehicles；　arms；　munitions；　food；

and　clothing。



2。　　The　second；　which　is　civil；　resembles　the　heavy；　thick　volumes

published　every　year；　in　which　we　now　read　the　state　of　the　budget；

and　comprehend；　first；　the　innumerable　items　of　ordinary　and

extraordinary　receipt　and　expenditure；　internal　taxes；　foreign

contributions；　the　products　of　the　domains　in　France　and　out　of

France；　the　fiscal　services；　pensions；　public　works；　and　the　rest；

next；　all　administrative　statistics；　the　hierarchy　of　functions　and　of

functionaries；　senators；　deputies；　ministers；　prefects；　bishops；

professors；　judges；　and　those　under　their　orders；　each　where　he

resides；　with　his　rank；　jurisdiction；　and　salary。



3。　　The　third　is　a　vast　biographical　and　moral　dictionary；　in　which；

as　in　the　pigeon…holes　of　the　Chief　of　Police；　each　notable　personage

and　local　group；　each　professional　or　social　body；　and　even　each

population；　has　its　label；　along　with　a　brief　note　on　its　situation；

needs；　and　antecedents；　and；　therefore；　its　demonstrated　character；

eventual　disposition；　and　probable　conduct。　　Each　label；　card；　or

strip　of　paper　has　its　summary；　all　these　partial　summaries；

methodically　classified；　terminate　in　totals；　and　the　totals　of　the

three　atlases；　combined　together；　thus　furnish　their　possessor　with　an

estimate　of　his　disposable　forces。



Now；　in　1809；　however　full　these　atlases；　they　are　clearly　imprinted

on　Napoleon's　mind　he　knows　not　only　the　total　and　the　partial

summaries；　but　also　the　slightest　details；　he　reads　them　readily　and

at　every　hour；　he　comprehends　in　a　mass；　and　in　all　particulars；　the

various　nations　he　governs　directly；　or　through　some　one　else；　that　is

to　say；　60；000；000　men；　the　different　countries　he　has　conquered　or

overrun；　consisting　of　70；000　square　leagues＇68＇。　　At　first；　France

increased　by　the　addition　of　Belgium　and　Piedmont；　next　Spain；　from

which　he　is　just　returned；　and　where　he　has　placed　his　brother　Joseph；

southern　Italy；　where；　after　Joseph；　he　has　placed　Murat；　central

Italy；　where　he　occupies　Rome；　northern　Italy；　where　Eugène　is　his

delegate；　Dalmatia　and　Istria；　which　he　has　joined　to　his　empire；

Austria；　which　he　invades　for　the　second　time；　the　Confederation　of

the　Rhine；　which　he　has　made　and　which　he　directs；　Westphalia　and

Holland；　where　his　brothers　are　only　his　lieutenants；　Prussia；　which

he　has　subdued　and　mutilated　and　which　he　oppresses；　and　the

strongholds　of　which　he　still　retains；　and；　add　a　last　mental　tableau；

that　which　represents　the　northern　seas；　the　Atlantic　and　the

Mediterranean；　all　the　fleets　of　the　continent　at　sea　and　in　port　from

Dantzic　to　Flessingen　and　Bayonne；　from　Cadiz　to　Toulon　and　Ga？ta；

from　Tarentum　to　Venice；　Corfu；　and　Constantinople。＇69＇　…　On　the

psychological　and　moral　atlas；　besides　a　primitive　gap　which　he　will

never　fill　up；　because　this　is　a　characteristic　trait；　there　are　some

estimates　which　are　wrong；　especially　with　regard　to　the　Pope　and　to

Catholic　conscience。　　In　like　manner　he　rates　the　energy　of　national

sentiment　in　Spain　and　Germany　too　low。　　He　rates　too　high　his　own

prestige　in　France　and　in　the　countries　annexed　to　her；　the　balance　of

confidence　and　zeal　on　which　he　may　rely。　　But　these　errors　are　rather

the　product　of　his　will　than　of　his　intelligence；　he　recognizes　them

at　intervals；　if　he　has　illusions　it　is　because　he　fabricates　them；

left　to　himself　his　good　sense　would　rest　infallible；　it　is　only　his

passions　which　blurred　the　lucidity　of　his　intellect。　　…　As　to　the

other　two　atlases；　the　topographical　and　the　military；　they　are　as

complete　and　as　exact　as　ever；　No　matter　how　much　the　realities　they

contain　will　swell　and　daily　become　ever　more　complex；　they　continue

to　correspond　to　it　in　their　fullness　and　precision；　trait　for　trait。



V。　　His　Imagination　and　its　Excesses。



His　constructive　imagination。　　…　His　projects　and　dreams。　　…

Manifestation　of　the　master　faculty　and　its　excesses。



But　this　multitude　of　information　and　observations　form　only　the

smallest　portion　of　the　mental　population　swarming　in　this　immense

brain；　for；　on　his　idea　of　the　real；　germinate　and　swarm　his　concepts

of　the　possible；　without　these　concepts　there　would　be　no　way　to

handle　and　transform　things；　and　that　he　did　handle　and　transform　them

we　all　know。　　Before　acting；　he　has　decided　on　his　plan；　and　if　this

plan　is　adopted；　it　is　one　among　several　others；＇70＇　after　examining；

comparing；　and　giving　it　the　preference；　he　has　accordingly　thought

over　all　the　others。　　Behind　each　combination　adopted　by　him　we　detect

those　he　has　rejected；　there　are　dozens　of　them　behind　each　of　his

decisions；　each　maneuver　effected；　each　treaty　signed；　each　decree

promulgated；　each　order　issued；　and　I　venture　to　say；　behind　almost

every　improvised　action　or　word　spoken。　　For　calculation　enters　into

everything　he　does；　even　into　his　apparent　expansiveness；　also　into

his　outbursts　when　in　earnest；　if　he　gives　way　to　these；　it　is　on

purpose；　foreseeing　the　effect；　with　a　view　to　intimidate　or　to

dazzle。　　He　turns　everything　in　others　as　well　as　in　himself　to

account　…　his　passion；　his　vehemence；　his　weaknesses；　his

talkativeness；　he　exploits　it　all　for