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'39' Larevellière…Lepaux (one of the five directors on duty);
〃Mémoires;〃 II。; 340。 〃All that is truly grand in this enterprise; as
well as all that is bold and extravagant; either in its conception or
execution; belongs wholly to Bonaparte。 The idea of it never occurred
to the Directory nor to any of its members。 。 。 。 His ambition and his
pride could not endure the alternative of no longer being prominent or
of accepting a post which; however eminent; would have always
subjected him to the orders of the Directory。〃
'40' Madame de Rémusat; I。; 142。 〃Josephine laid great stress on the
Egyptian expedition as the cause of his change of temper and of the
daily despotism which made her suffer so much。〃… 〃Mes souvenirs sur
Napoleon;〃 325 by the count Chaptal。 (Bonaparte's own words to the
poet Lemercier who might have accompanied him to the Middle East and
there would have learned many things about human nature): 〃You would
have seen a country where the sovereign takes no account of the lives
of his subjects; and where the subject himself takes no account of his
own life。 You would have got rid of your philanthropic 'notions。〃
'41' Roederer; III。; 461 (Jan。 12; 1803)
'42' Cf。 〃The Revolution;〃 Vol。 p。 773。 (Note I。; on the situation; in
1806; of the Conventionalists who had survived the revolution。) For
instance; Fouché is minister; Jeanbon…Saint…André; prefect; Drouet (de
Varennes); sub…prefect; Chépy (of Grenoble); commissary…general of the
police at Brest; 131 regicides are functionaries; among whom we find
twenty one prefects and forty…two magistrates。 … Occasionally; a
chance document that has been preserved allows one to catch 〃the man
in the act。〃 (〃Bulletins hebdomadaires de la censure; 1810 and 1814;〃
published by M。 Thurot; in the Revue Critique; 1871): 〃Seizure of 240
copies of an indecent work printed for account of M。 Palloy; the
author。 This Palloy enjoyed some celebrity during the Revolution;
being one of the famous patriots of the Faubourg Saint…Antoine。 The
constituent Assembly had conceded to him the ownership of the site of
the Bastille; of which he distributed its stones among all the
communes。 He is a bon vivant; who took it into his head to write out
in a very bad style the filthy story of his amours with a prostitute
of the Palais…Royal。 He was quite willing that the book should be
seized on condition that he might retain a few copies of his jovial
production。 He professes high admiration for; and strong attachment
to His Majesty's person; and expresses his sentiments piquantly; in
the style of 1789。〃
'43' Mémorial;〃 June 12; 1816。
'44' Mathieu Dumas; III。; 363 (July 4; 1809; a few days before
Wagram)。 … Madame de Rémusat;〃 I。; 105: 〃I have never heard him
express any admiration or comprehension of a noble action。〃 … I。; 179:
On Augustus's clemency and his saying; 〃Let us be friends; Cinna;〃 the
following is his interpretation of it: 〃I understand this action
simply as the feint of a tyrant; and approve as calculation what I
find puerile as sentiment。〃… 〃Notes par le Comte Chaptal〃: 〃He
believed neither in virtue nor in probity; often calling these two
words nothing but abstractions; this is what rendered him so
distrustful and so immoral。 。 。 。 He never experienced a generous
sentiment; this is why he was so cold in company; and why he never had
a friend。 He regarded men as so much counterfeit coin or as mere
instruments。〃
'45' M。 de Metternich; 〃Mémoires;〃 I。; 241。 … 〃Madame de Rémusat;〃 I。;
93: 〃That man has been so harmful (si assommateur de toute vertu。。。)
to all virtue。〃 … Madame de Sta?l; 〃Considerations sur la Revolution
Fran?aise; 〃 4th part; ch。 18。 (Napoleon's conduct with M。 de Melzi;
to destroy him in public opinion in Milan; in 1805。)
'46' Madame de Rémusat; I。; 106; II。; 247; 336: 〃His means for
governing man were all derived from those which tend to debase him。 。
。 。 He tolerated virtue only when he could cover it with ridicule。〃
'47' Nearly all his false calculations are due to this defect;
combined with an excess of constructive imagination。 … Cf。 De Pradt;
p。94: 〃The Emperor is all system; all illusion; as one cannot fail to
be when one is all imagination。 Whoever has watched his course has
noticed his creating for himself an imaginary Spain; an imaginary
Catholicism; an imaginary England; an imaginary financial state; an
imaginary noblesse; and still more an imaginary France; and; in late
times; an imaginary congress。〃
'48' Roederer; III。; 495。 (March 8; 1804。)
'49' Ibid。; III。; 537 (February 11; 1809。)
'50' Roederer; III。; 514。 (November 4; 1804。)
'51' Marmont; II。; 242。
'52' Correspondance de Napoléon;〃 I。 (Letter to Prince Eugéne; April
14; 1806。)
'53' M。 de Metternich; I。; 284。
'54' Mollien; III。; 427。
'55' 〃Notes par le Comte Chaptal〃: During the Consulate; 〃his opinion
not being yet formed on many points; he allowed discussion and it was
then possible to enlighten him and enforce an opinion once expressed
in his presence。 But; from the moment that he possessed ideas of his
own; either true or false; on administrative subjects; he consulted no
one; 。 。 。 he treated everybody who differed from him in opinion
contemptuously; tried to make them appear ridiculous; and often
exclaimed; giving his forehead a slap; that here was an instrument far
more useful than the counsels of men who were commonly supposed to be
instructed and experienced。 。 。 For four years; he sought to gather
around him the able men of both parties。 After this; the choice of
his agents began to be indifferent to him。 Regarding himself as strong
enough to rule and carry on the administration himself; the talents
and character of those who stood in his way were discarded。 What he
wanted was valets and not councillors。 。 。 The ministers were simply
head…clerks of the bureaus。 The Council of State served only to give
form to the decrees emanating from him; he ruled even in petty
details。 Everybody around him was timid and passive; his will was
regarded as that of an oracle and executed without reflection。 。 。 。
Self…isolated from other men; having concentrated in his own hands all
powers and all action; thoroughly convinced that another's light and
experience could be of no use to him; he thought that arms and hands
were all that he required。〃
'56' 〃Souvenirs〃; by Pasquier (Etienne…Dennis; duc); chancelier de
France。 In VI volumes; Librarie Plon; Paris 1893。 Vol I。 chap。 IX。
and X。 pp。 225…268。 (Admirable portraiture of his principal agents;
Cambacérès; Talleyrand; Maret; Cretet; Real; etc。) Lacuée; director of
the conscription; is a perfect type of the imperial functionary。
Having received the broad ribbon of the Legion d'Honneur; he
exclaimed; at the height of his enthusiasm: 〃what will not France
become under such a man? To what degree of happiness and glory will it
not ascend; always provided the conscription furnishes him with
200;000 men a year! And; indeed; that will not be difficult;
considering the extent of the empire。〃 … And likewise with Merlin de
Douai: 〃I never knew a man less endowed with the sentiment of the just
and the unjust; everything seems to him right and good; as the
consequences of a legal text。 He was even endowed with a kind of
satanic smile which involuntarily rose to his lips 。 。 。 every time
the opportunity occurred; when; in applying his odious science; he
reached the conclusion that severity is necessary or some
condemnation。〃 The same with Defermon; in fiscal matters
'57' Madame de Rémusat; II。; 278; II。; 175。
'58' Ibid。; III。; 275; II。; 45。 (Apropos of Savary; his most intimate
agent。): 〃He is a man who must be constantly corrupted。〃
'59' Ibid。; I。; 109; II。; 247; III。; 366。
'60' 〃Madame de Rémusat;〃 II。; 142; 167; 245。 (Napoleon's own words。)
〃If I ordered Savary to rid himself of his wife and children; I am
sure he would not hesitate。〃 … Marmont; II。; 194: 〃We were at Vienna
in 1809。 Davoust said; speaking of his own and Maret's devotion: 〃If
the Emperor should say to us both; 'My political interests require the
destruction of Paris without any one escaping;' Maret would keep the
secret; I am sure; but nevertheless he could not help letting it be
known by getting his own family out。 I; rather than reveal it1 would
leave my wife and children there。〃 (These are bravado expressions;
wordy exaggerations; but significant。)
'61' Madame de Rémusat; II。; 379。
'62' Souvenirs du feu duc de Broglie;〃 I。; 230。 (Words of Maret; at
Dresden; in 1813; he probably repeats one of Napoleon's figures。)
'63' Mollien; II。; 9。
'64' D'Haussonville; 〃L'église Romaine et le premier Empire;〃VI。; 190;
and passim。
'65' Ibid。; III。; 460…473。 … Cf。 on the same scene; 〃Souvenirs〃; by
Pasquier (Etienne…Dennis; duc); Chancelier de France。 (He was both
witness