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the origins of contemporary france-5-第18章

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is the only capable one。



 〃My Italian people'52' must know me well enough not to forget that

there is more in my little finger than in all their brains put

together。〃



Alongside of him; they are children; 〃minors;〃 the French also; and

likewise the rest of mankind。  A diplomat; who often saw him and

studied him under all as aspects; sums up his character in one

conclusive phrase:



〃He considered himself an isolated being in this world; made to govern

and direct all minds as he pleased。〃'53'



Hence; whoever has anything to do with him; must abandon his

independence and become his tool of government。



〃That terrible man;〃 often exclaimed Decrés'54' 〃has subjugated us

all! He holds all our imaginations in his hands; now of steel and now

of velvet; but whether one or the other during the day nobody knows;

and there is no way to escape from them whatever they seize on they

never let go!〃



Independence of any kind; even eventual and merely possible; puts him


in a bad mood; intellectual or moral superiority is of this order; and

he gradually gets rid of it;'55' toward the end he no longer tolerates

alongside of him any but subject or captive spirits。  His principal

servants are machines or fanatics; a devout worshipper; like Maret; a

gendarme; like Savary;'56' ready to do his bidding。  From the outset;

he has reduced his ministers to the condition of clerks; for he is

administrator as well as ruler; and in each department he watches

details as closely as the entire mass。  Accordingly; he requires

simply for head of departments active pen pushers; mute executors;

docile and special hands; no need for honest and independent advisers。



 〃I should not know what to do with them;〃 he said; 〃if they were not

to a certain extent mediocre in mind and character。〃



As to his generals; he admits himself that 〃he likes to award fame

only to those who cannot stand it。〃 In any event; 〃he must be sole

master in making or unmaking reputations;〃 according to his personal

requirements。  Too brilliant a soldier would become too important; a

subordinate should never be tempted to be less submissive。  To this

end he studies what he will omit in his bulletins; what alterations

and what changes shall be made in them。



〃It is convenient to keep silent about certain victories; or to

convert the defeat of this or that marshal into a success。  Sometimes

a general learns by a bulletin of an action that he was never in and

of a speech that he never made。〃



If he complains; he is notified to keep still; or by way of recompense

he is allowed to pillage; levy contributions; and enrich himself。  On

becoming duke or hereditary prince; with half a million or a million

of revenue from his estate; he is not less held in subjection; for the

creator has taken precautions against his own creations。



〃There are men;〃'57' he said; 〃who I have made independent; but I know

well where to find them and keep them from being ungrateful。〃



In effect; if he has endowed them magnificently it is with domains

assigned to them in conquered countries; which insures their fortune

being his fortune。  Besides; in order that they may not enjoy any

pecuniary stability; he expressly encourages them and all his grand

dignitaries to make extravagant outlays; thus; through their financial

embarrassments be holds them in a leash。  〃We have seen most of his

marshals; constantly pressed by their creditors; come to him for

assistance; which he has given as he fancied; or as he found it for

his interest to attach some one to him。〃'58'



Thus; beyond the universal ascendancy which his power and genius have

conferred on him; he craves a personal; supplementary; and

irresistible hold on everybody。  Consequently;'59'〃he carefully

cultivates all the bad passions 。 。 。 。 he is glad to find the bad

side in a man; so as to get him in his power〃; the thirst for money in

Savary; the Jacobin defects of Fouché; the vanity and sensuality of

Cambacérès; the careless cynicism and 〃the easy immorality〃 of

Talleyrand; the 〃dry bluntness 〃 of Duroc; the courtier…like

insipidity of Maret; 〃the silliness〃 of Berthier; he brings this out;

diverts himself with it; and profits by it。  〃Where he sees no vice;

he encourages weaknesses; and; in default of anything better; he

provokes fear; so that he may be ever and continually the strongest。 。

。 。He dreads ties of affection; and strives to alienate people from

each other。 。 。 。 He sells his favors only by arousing anxiety; he

thinks that the best way to attach individuals to him is to compromise

them; and often; even; to ruin them in public opinion。〃 … 〃 If

Caulaincourt is compromised;〃 said he; after the murder of the Duc

d'Enghien; 〃it is no great matter; he will serve me all the better。〃



Once that the creature is in his clutches; let him not imagine that he

can escape or withhold anything of his own accord; all that he has

belongs to him。 Zeal and success in the performance of duty; punctual

obedience within limits previously designated; is not enough; behind

the functionary he claims the man。  〃All that may well be;〃 he

replies; to whatever may be said in praise of him;'60' 〃but he does

not belong to me as I would like。〃 It is devotion which he exacts;

and; by devotion; he means the irrevocable and complete surrender 〃of

the entire person; in all his sentiments and opinions。〃 According to

him; writes a witness; 〃one must abandon every old habit; even the

most trifling; and be governed by one thought alone;。  that of his

will and interests。〃'61'  For greater security; his servitors ought to

extinguish in themselves the critical sense。  〃What he fears the most

is that; close to him or far off; the faculty of judging should be

applied or even preserved。〃



〃His idea is a marble groove;〃 out of which no mind should

diverge。'62'  Especially as no two minds could think of diverging at

the same time; and on the same side; their concurrence; even when

passive; their common understanding; even if kept to themselves; their

whispers; almost inaudible; constitute a league; a faction; and; if

they are functionaries; 〃a conspiracy。〃 On his return from Spain he

declares; with a terrible explosion of wrath and threats;'63' 〃that

the ministers and high dignitaries whom he has created must stop

expressing their opinions and thoughts freely; that they cannot be

otherwise than his organs; that treason has already begun when they

begin to doubt; and that it is under full headway when; from doubt;

they proceed to dissent。〃 If; against his constant encroachments; they

strive to preserve a last refuge; if they refuse to abandon their

conscience to him; their faith as Catholics or their honor as honest

men; he is surprised and gets irritated。  In reply to the Bishop of

Ghent; who; in the most respectful manner; excuses himself for not

taking a second oath that is against his conscience; he rudely turns

his back; and says; 〃Very well; sir; your conscience is a

blockhead!〃'64'  Portalis; director of the publishing office;'65'

having received a papal brief from his cousin; the Abbé d'Astros;

respected a confidential communication; he simply recommended his

cousin to keep this document secret; and declared that; if it were

made public; he would prohibit its circulation; by way of extra

precaution he notified the prefect of police。  But he did not

specially denounce his cousin; have the man arrested and the document

seized。  On the strength of this; the Emperor; in full council of

state; apostrophizes him to his face; and; 〃with one of those looks

which go straight through one;〃'66' declares that he has committed

〃the vilest of perfidies〃; he bestows on him for half an hour a

hailstorm of reproaches and insults; and then orders him out of the

room as if a lackey who had been guilty of a theft。  Whether he keeps

within his function or not; the functionary must be content to do

whatever is demanded of him; and readily anticipate every commission。

If his scruples arrest him; if he alleges personal obligations; if he

had rather not fail in delicacy; or even in common loyalty; he incurs

the risk of offending or losing the favor of the master; which is the

case with M。 de Rémusat;'67' who is unwilling to become his spy;

reporter; and denunciator for the Faubourg Saint…Germain; who does not

offer; at Vienna; to pump out of Madame d'André the address of her

husband so that M。 d'André may be taken and immediately shot。  Savary;

who was the negotiator for his being given up; kept constantly telling

M。 de Rémusat; 〃You are going against your interest … I must say that

I do not comprehend you!〃 And yet Savary; himself minister of the

police; executor of most important services; head manager of the

murder of the Duc d'Enghien and of the ambuscade at Bayonne;

counterfeiter of Austrian bank…notes for the campaign of 1809 and of

Russian banknotes for that of 1812;'68' Sava
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