the story of mankind-第54部分

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the　prisoners。　The　government　did　not　interfere。　The　Jacobins；

headed　by　Danton；　knew　that　this　crisis　meant　either　the

success　or　the　failure　of　the　revolution；　and　that　only　the　most

brutal　audacity　could　save　them。　The　Legislative　Assembly

was　closed　and　on　the　21st　of　September　of　the　year　1792；　a

new　National　Convention　came　together。　It　was　a　body　composed

almost　entirely　of　extreme　revolutionists。　The　king　was

formally　accused　of　high　treason　and　was　brought　before　the

Convention。　He　was　found　guilty　and　by　a　vote　of　361　to　360

（the　extra　vote　being　that　of　his　cousin　the　Duke　of　Orleans）

he　was　condemned　to　death。　On　the　21st　of　January　of　the

year　1793；　he　quietly　and　with　much　dignity　suffered　himself

to　be　taken　to　the　scaffold。　He　had　never　understood　what　all

the　shooting　and　the　fuss　had　been　about。　And　he　had　been　too

proud　to　ask　questions。



Then　the　Jacobins　turned　against　the　more　moderate　element

in　the　convention；　the　Girondists；　called　after　their　southern

district；　the　Gironde。　A　special　revolutionary　tribunal　was

instituted　and　twenty…one　of　the　leading　Girondists　were

condemned　to　death。　The　others　committed　suicide。　They　were

capable　and　honest　men　but　too　philosophical　and　too　moderate

to　survive　during　these　frightful　years。



In　October　of　the　year　1793　the　Constitution　was

suspended　by　the　Jacobins　‘‘until　peace　should　have　been

declared。''　All　power　was　placed　in　the　hands　of　a　small　committee

of　Public　Safety；　with　Danton　and　Robespierre　as　its

leaders。　The　Christian　religion　and　the　old　chronology　were

abolished。　The　‘‘Age　of　Reason''　（of　which　Thomas　Paine　had

written　so　eloquently　during　the　American　Revolution）　had

come　and　with　it　the　‘‘Terror''　which　for　more　than　a　year　killed

good　and　bad　and　indifferent　people　at　the　rate　of　seventy　or

eighty　a　day。



The　autocratic　rule　of　the　King　had　been　destroyed。　It

was　succeeded　by　the　tyranny　of　a　few　people　who　had　such　a

passionate　love　for　democratic　virtue　that　they　felt　compelled

to　kill　all　those　who　disagreed　with　them。　France　was　turned

into　a　slaughter　house。　Everybody　suspected　everybody　else。

No　one　felt　safe。　Out　of　sheer　fear；　a　few　members　of　the　old

Convention；　who　knew　that　they　were　the　next　candidates　for

the　scaffold；　finally　turned　against　Robespierre；　who　had

already　decapitated　most　of　his　former　colleagues。　Robespierre；

‘‘the　only　true　and　pure　Democrat；''　tried　to　kill　himself

but　failed　His　shattered　jaw　was　hastily　bandaged　and

he　was　dragged　to　the　guillotine。　On　the　27th　of　July；　of　the

year　1794　（the　9th　Thermidor　of　the　year　II；　according　to　the

strange　chronology　of　the　revolution）；　the　reign　of　Terror　came

to　an　end；　and　all　Paris　danced　with　joy。



The　dangerous　position　of　France；　however；　made　it　necessary

that　the　government　remain　in　the　hands　of　a　few　strong

men；　until　the　many　enemies　of　the　revolution　should　have　been

driven　from　the　soil　of　the　French　fatherland。　While　the

half…clad　and　half…starved　revolutionary　armies　fought　their

desperate　battles　of　the　Rhine　and　Italy　and　Belgium　and

Egypt；　and　defeated　every　one　of　the　enemies　of　the　Great

Revolution；　five　Directors　were　appointed；　and　they　ruled

France　for　four　years。　Then　the　power　was　vested　in　the　hands

of　a　successful　general　by　the　name　of　Napoleon　Bonaparte；

who　became　‘‘First　Consul''　of　France　in　the　year　1799。　And

during　the　next　fifteen　years；　the　old　European　continent　became

the　laboratory　of　a　number　of　political　experiments；　the

like　of　which　the　world　had　never　seen　before。







NAPOLEON



NAPOLEON





NAPOLEON　was　born　in　the　year　1769；　the　third　son

of　Carlo　Maria　Buonaparte；　an　honest　notary　public　of

the　city　of　Ajaccio　in　the　island　of　Corsica；　and　his　good

wife；　Letizia　Ramolino。　He　therefore　was　not　a　Frenchman；

but　an　Italian　whose　native　island　（an　old　Greek；　Carthaginian

and　Roman　colony　in　the　Mediterranean　Sea）　had

for　years　been　struggling　to　regain　its　independence；

first　of　all　from　the　Genoese；　and　after　the　middle　of　the

eighteenth　century　from　the　French；　who　had　kindly　offered

to　help　the　Corsicans　in　their　struggle　for　freedom　and　had

then　occupied　the　island　for　their　own　benefit。



During　the　first　twenty　years　of　his　life；　young　Napoleon

was　a　professional　Corsican　patriota　Corsican　Sinn　Feiner；

who　hoped　to　deliver　his　beloved　country　from　the　yoke　of　the

bitterly　hated　French　enemy。　But　the　French　revolution　had

unexpectedly　recognised　the　claims　of　the　Corsicans　and　gradually

Napoleon；　who　had　received　a　good　training　at　the　military

school　of　Brienne；　drifted　into　the　service　of　his　adopted　country。

Although　he　never　learned　to　spell　French　correctly　or

to　speak　it　without　a　broad　Italian　accent；　he　became　a　Frenchman。

In　due　time　he　came　to　stand　as　the　highest　expression

of　all　French　virtues。　At　present　he　is　regarded　as　the　symbol

of　the　Gallic　genius。



Napoleon　was　what　is　called　a　fast　worker。　His　career

does　not　cover　more　than　twenty　years。　In　that　short　span

of　time　he　fought　more　wars　and　gained　more　victories　and

marched　more　miles　and　conquered　more　square　kilometers　and

killed　more　people　and　brought　about　more　reforms　and　generally

upset　Europe　to　a　greater　extent　than　anybody　（including

Alexander　the　Great　and　Jenghis　Khan）　had　ever　managed

to　do。



He　was　a　little　fellow　and　during　the　first　years　of　his　life

his　health　was　not　very　good。　He　never　impressed　anybody

by　his　good　looks　and　he　remained　to　the　end　of　his　days　very

clumsy　whenever　he　was　obliged　to　appear　at　a　social　function。

He　did　not　enjoy　a　single　advantage　of　breeding　or　birth　or

riches。　For　the　greater　part　of　his　youth　he　was　desperately

poor　and　often　he　had　to　go　without　a　meal　or　was　obliged

to　make　a　few　extra　pennies　in　curious　ways。



He　gave　little　promise　as　a　literary　genius。　When　he　competed

for　a　prize　offered　by　the　Academy　of　Lyons；　his　essay

was　found　to　be　next　to　the　last　and　he　was　number　15　out　of

16　candidates。　But　he　overcame　all　these　difficulties　through

his　absolute　and　unshakable　belief　in　his　own　destiny；　and　in

his　own　glorious　future。　Ambition　was　the　main…spring　of　his

life。　The　thought　of　self；　the　worship　of　that　capital　letter

‘‘N''　with　which　he　signed　all　his　letters；　and　which　recurred

forever　in　the　ornaments　of　his　hastily　constructed　palaces；　the

absolute　will　to　make　the　name　Napoleon　the　most　important

thing　in　the　world　next　to　the　name　of　God；　these　desires　carried

Napoleon　to　a　pinnacle　of　fame　which　no　other　man　has

ever　reached。



When　he　was　a　half…pay　lieutenant；　young　Bonaparte　was

very　fond　of　the　‘‘Lives　of　Famous　Men''　which　Plutarch；　the

Roman　historian；　had　written。　But　he　never　tried　to　live　up

to　the　high　standard　of　character　set　by　these　heroes　of　the

older　days。　Napoleon　seems　to　have　been　devoid　of　all　those

considerate　and　thoughtful　sentiments　which　make　men

different　from　the　animals。　It　will　be　very　difficult　to　decide

with　any　degree　of　accuracy　whether　he　ever　loved　anyone

besides　himself。　He　kept　a　civil　tongue　to　his　mother；　but

Letizia　had　the　air　and　manners　of　a　great　lady　and　after　the

fashion　of　Italian　mothers；　she　knew　how　to　rule　her　brood　of

children　and　command　their　respect。　For　a　few　years　he　was

fond　of　Josephine；　his　pretty　Creole　wife；　who　was　the　daughter

of　a　French　officer　of　Martinique　and　the　widow　of　the

Vicomte　de　Beauharnais；　who　had　been　executed　by　Robespierre

when　he　lost　a　battle　against　the　Prussians。　But

the　Emperor　divorced　her　when　she　failed　to　give　him　a　son

and　heir　and　married　the　daughter　of　the　Austrian　Emperor；

because　it　seemed　good　policy。



During　the　siege　of　Toulon；　where　he　gained　great　fame

as　commander　of　a　battery；　Napoleon　studied　Macchiavelli

with　industrious　care。　He　followed　the　advice　of　the　Florentine

statesman　and　never　kept　his　word　when　it　was　to　his

advantage　to　break　it。　The　word　‘‘gratitude''　did　not　occur　in

his　personal　dictionary。　Neither；　to　be　quite　fair；　did　he　expect

it　from　others。　He　was　totally　indifferent　to　human　suffering。

He　executed　prisoners　of　war　（in　Egypt　in　1798）　who　had

been　promised　their　lives；　and　he　quietly　allowed　his　wounded

in　Syria　to　be　chloroformed　when　he　found　it　impossible　to

transport　them　to　his　ships。　He　ordered　the　Duke　of　Enghien

to　be　condemned　to　death　by　a　prejudiced　court…martial　and　to

be　shot　contrary　to　all　law　on　the　sole　ground　that　the

‘‘Bourbons　needed　a　warning。''　He　decreed　that　those　German

officers　who　were　made　prisoner　while　fighting　for　their

country's　independence　should　be　shot　against　the　nearest　wall；

and　when　Andreas　Hofer；　the　Tyrolese　hero；　fell　into　his　hands

after　a　most　heroic　resistance；　he　was　executed　like　a　common

traitor。



In　short；　when　we　study　the　character　of　the　Emperor；　we

begin　to　understand　those　anxious　British　mothers　who　used

to　drive　their　children　to　bed　with　the　threat　that　‘‘Bonaparte；

who　ate　little　boys　and　girls　for　breakfast；　would　come　and　get

them　if　they　were　not　very　good。''　And　yet；　having　said　these

many　unpleasant　things　about　this　strange　tyrant；　who　looked

after　every　other　department　of　his　army　with　the　utmost　care；

but　neglected　the　medical　service；　and　who　ruined　his　uniforms

with　Eau　de　Cologne　because　he　could　not　stand　the　smell　of

his　poor　sweating　soldiers；　having　said　all　these　unpleasant

things　and　being　fully　prepared　to　add　many　more；　I　must

confess　to　a　certain　lurking　feeling　of　doubt。



Here　I　am　sitting　at　a　comfortable　table　loaded　heavily

with　books；　with　one　eye　on　my　typewriter　and　the　other　on

Licorice　the　cat；　who　has　a　great　fondness　for　carbon　paper；

and　I　am　telling　you　that　the　Emperor　Napoleon　was　a　most

contemptible　person。　But　should　I　happen　to　look　out　of

the　window；　down　upon　Seventh　Avenue；　and　should　the　endless

procession　of　trucks　and　car