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！
interior； also by feeling his way with the foreign sovereigns while
the latter； in the absence of Napoleon； by 〃singular efforts〃 and
〃assiduities〃 beforehand with Marie Louise thinks of taking the place
of the falling emperor。＇67＇ Prince Eugene alone； or almost alone；
among the great personalities of the reign； is really loyal； his
loyalty remaining always intact exempt from concealed motives and
above suspicion。 Everywhere else； the coming crash or sinister rumors
are heard or anticipated； alarm descends from high places； spreads
through the army and echoes along the lines of the lowest ranks。 In
1815； the soldier has full confidence in himself and in Napoleon； 〃but
he is moody； distrustful of his other leaders。 。 。 。 Every march
incomprehensible to him makes him uneasy and he thinks himself
betrayed。〃＇68＇ At Waterloo； dragoons that pass him with their swords
drawn and old corporals shout to the Emperor that Soult and Vandamme；
who are at this moment about going into battle； are haranguing their
troops against him or deserting him； that General Dhénin； who has
repulsed a charge of the enemy and whose thigh is fractured by a
cannon…ball； has just passed over to the enemy。 The mechanism which；
for fifteen years； has worked so well； breaks down of itself through
its own action； its cog…wheels have got out of gear； cracks show
themselves in the metal which seemed so sound； the divinations of
popular instinct verify this； the exaggerations of the popular
imagination expand it and suddenly the whole machine rattles down to
the ground。
All this is due to Napoleon having introduced into it the craving for
success as central motor； as the universal main…spring； unscrupulous
ambition； in short； a crude egoism； and in the first place his own
egoism； ＇69＇ and this incentive； strained to excess；＇70＇ puts the
machine out of order and then ruins it。 After him； under his
successors； the same machinery is to work in the same manner； and
break down in the same way； at the expiration of a more or less
extensive period。 Thus far； the longest of these periods has lasted
less than twenty years。
_____________________________________________________________________
Notes：
＇1＇ Most of the French provinces down to the time of Richelieu still
possessed a special representative body which consented to and levied
the taxes； most of these bodies were supported by the all…powerful
minister and replaced by intendants who； from that time on；
administered； or rather exhausted； the country； divided into thirty…
two generalities。 A few provinces； however； Brittany； Burgundy；
Languedoc； a part of Provence； Flanders； Artois； and some small
districts in the Pyrenees kept their old representative body and were
called pays d'état； whilst other provinces were designated； by a
strange abuse of language； under the name of pays d'élection。〃
（Translated from〃 Madame de Sta？l et son Temps；〃 vol。 I。； p。 38。） TR。
＇2＇ Cf。 on the antiquity of this sort of mind； evident from the
beginning of society and of French literature； my 〃History of English
Literature；〃 vol。 I。； and 〃La Fontaine et ses fables；〃 pp。10 to 13。
＇3＇ In relation to this sentiment； read La Fontaine's fable of 〃The
Rat and the Elephant。〃 La Fontaine fully comprehended its social and
psychological bearing。 〃To believe one's self an important personage
is very common in France。 。 。 。 A childish vanity is peculiar to us。
The Spaniards are vain； but in another way。 It is specially a French
weakness。〃
＇4＇ Beugnot； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。； 317。 〃This equality which is now our
dominant passion is not the noble kindly sentiment that affords
delight by honoring one's self in honoring one's fellow； and in
feeling at ease in all social relationships； no； it is an aversion to
every kind of superiority； a fear lest a prominent position may be
lost； this equality tends in no way to raise up what is kept down； but
to prevent any elevation whatever。〃
＇5＇ D'Haussonville； 〃l'église romaine et le Premier Empire；〃 I。； chs
X。 and XI。
＇6＇ Decree of March 17； 1808； on the organization of the Israelite
cult。 The members of the Israelite consistories and the rabbis must
be accepted by the government the same as the ministers of the other
cults； but their salary； which is fixed； must be provided by the
Israelites of the conscription； the State does not pay this； the same
as with curés or pastors。 This is not done until under the monarchy of
July； when the assimilation of the Israelite with the other Christian
cults is effected。
＇7＇ 〃Travels in France during the years 1814 and 1815 〃（Edinburgh；
1806） I。； 176。 〃The nobility； the great landed proprietors； the
yeomanry； the lesser farmers； all of the intermediate ranks who might
oppose a check to the power of a tyrannical prince； are nearly
annihilated。〃 … Ibid。； 236。 〃Scarcely an intermediate rank was to be
found in the nation between the sovereign and the peasant。〃 … Ibid。；
II。 239。 〃The better class of the inhabitants of the cities； whether
traders and manufacturers or the bourgeoisie of France； are those who
were the most decided enemies of Bonaparte。〃
＇8＇ Napoleon； desirous of forming an opinion of him； said to Roederer；
〃Send me his books。〃 〃But；〃 said Roederer； 〃he is only a translator。〃
〃No matter；〃 replied Napoleon； 〃I will read his prefaces；〃
＇9＇ Cf。 the 〃Dictionnaire biographique；〃 published at Leipsic； 1806…
1808 （by Eymory） 4 vols。； and the 〃Almanach impérial〃 for 1807 to
1812； many other historic names are found there； and among these the
ladies of the palace。 In 1810； Comte de la Rochefoucauld is ambassador
to Holland and Comte de Mercy…Argenteau ambassador to Bavaria。
＇10＇ The Revolution；〃 II。； 323。 （Ed。 Laffont I。 773； note 1）
＇11＇ 〃The Revolution；〃 vol。 III。； PP。 318~322。 （Ed。 Laff。 II。 pp。 237…
240。）…
＇12＇ 〃The Ancient Régime；〃 pp。 116…119； 128。 （Ed。 Laff。 I。 pp。 90…92；
100…101。）
＇13＇ De Tilly； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。； 153。 〃The difference between the tone
and language of the court and that of the city was about as great as
that between Paris and the provinces。〃
＇14＇ Hence the lack of success of the Maupeou parliament。
＇15＇ See the collections of songs previous to the Revolution；
especially military songs such as 〃 Malgré la bataille；〃 … 〃Dans les
gardes fran？aises；〃 etc。 … At the time of the Restoration； the
pastoral or gallant songs of Florian； Bouffiers and Berquin were still
sung in bourgeois families； each person； young or old； man or woman；
singing one at the dessert。 This undercurrent of gayety； geniality and
amiability lasted throughout the Revolution and the Empire。 （〃Travels
through the South of France； 1807 and 1808；〃 p。132； by Lieutenant…
Colonel Pinkney； of the United States。） 〃I must once for all say that
the Memoirs of Marmontel are founded in nature。〃 He cites a great many
facts in proof of this； and testifies in all classes to a prompt and
social nature； a natural benevolence or habitual civility which leads
them instinctively； and not unfrequently impertinently； into acts of
kindness and consideration。〃 … The same impression is produced on
comparing the engravings； fashion…plates； light subjects and
caricatures of this period with those of the present epoch。 The
malicious sentiment begins only with Béranger； and yet his early
pieces （〃Le Roi d'Yvetot；〃 〃le Sénateur〃） display the light air；
accent and happy； instead of venomous； malice of the old song。 Nobody
now sings in the lower bourgeoisie or in gatherings of clerks or
students； while； along with the song； we have seen the other traits
which impressed foreigners disappear； the gallantry； the jesting
humor； the determination to regard life as so many hours （une serie de
quarts d'heures； each of which may be separated from the others； be
ample in themselves and agreeable to him who talks and to him or her
who listens。
＇16＇ Read the novels of Pigault…Lebrun： books of the epoch the best
adapted to the men of the epoch； to the military parvenus； swift；
frank； lusty and narrow…minded。
＇17＇ Candide （Récit de la Vieille）。
＇18＇ 〃Souvenirs〃； by PASQUIER （Etienne…Dennis； duc）； chancelier de
France； Librarie Plon； Paris 1893。 〃I am sure that his imagination
was more taken with Ghengis…Khan than with Caesar。〃
＇19＇ 〃The Revolution；〃 II。； 12； 22。 （Laff。 I。 pp。 574； 582。） （Articles
by Mailet…Dupan； 〃Mercure de France；〃 Dec。 30； 1791； and April 7；
1792。） … Napoleon； 〃Mémorial〃 （Sept。 3； 1816）； thinks so too and
states the essential characteristic of the Revolution。 This consisted
in 〃telling everybody who held office； every one who had a place or a
fortune： 'Get out。'〃
＇20＇ Roederer； III。； 534 （January 1809； on Normandy）； 〃Children in
every situation think of becoming soldiers to get the cross （legion of
honor）； and the cross secures the chevalier。 The desire of
distinction； of passing ahead of some one else； is a na