memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v7-第3部分

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The　decrees　of　the　Government；　which　Cambaceres　signed　during　the
campaign　of　Marengo；　were　now　issued　from　all　the　towns　of　France　and
Belgium　which　the　First　Consul　visited　during　his　six　weeks'　journey。
Having　thus　centred　the　sole　authority　of　the　Republic　in　himself；　the
performers　of　the　theatre　of　the　Republic　became；　by　a　natural
consequence；　his；　and　it　was　quite　natural　that　they　should　travel　in　his
suite；　to　entertain　the　inhabitants　of　the　towns　in　which　he　stopped　by
their　performances。　　But　this　was　not　all。　　He　encouraged　the　renewal　of
a　host　of　ancient　customs。　　He　sanctioned　the　revival　of　the　festival　of
Joan　of　Arc　at　Orleans；　and　he　divided　the　Institute　into　four　classes；
with　the　intention　of　recalling　the　recollection　of　the　old　academies；
the　names　of　which；　however；　he　rejected；　in　spite　of　the　wishes　and
intrigues　of　Suard　and　the　Abby　Morellet；　who　had　gained　over　Lucien　upon
this　point。

However；　the　First　Consul　did　not　give　to　the　classes　of　the　Institute
the　rank　which　they　formerly　possessed　as　academies。　　He　placed　the　class
of　sciences　in　the　first　rank；　and　the　old　French　Academy　in　the　second
rank。　　It　must　be　acknowledged　that；　considering　the　state　of　literature
and　science　at　that　period；　the　First　Consul　did　not　make　a　wrong
estimate　of　their　importance。

Although　the　literature　of　France　could　boast　of　many　men　of　great
talent；　such　as　La　Harpe；　who　died　during　the　Consulate；　Ducis；　Bernardin
de　Saint…Pierre；　Chenier；　and　Lemercier；　yet　they　could　not　be　compared
with　Lagrange；　Laplace；　Monge；　Fourcroy；　Berthollet；　and　Cuvier；　whose
labours　have　so　prodigiously　extended　the　limits　of　human　knowledge。　　No
one；　therefore；　could　murmur　at　seeing　the　class　of　sciences　in　the
Institute　take　precedence　of　its　elder　sister。　　Besides；　the　First　Consul
was　not　sorry　to　show；　by　this　arrangement；　the　slight　estimation　in
which　he　held　literary　men。　　When　he　spoke　to　me　respecting　them　he
called　them　mere　manufacturers　of　phrases。　　He　could　not　pardon　them　for
excelling　him　in　a　pursuit　in　which　he　had　no　claim　to　distinction。
I　never　knew　a　man　more　insensible　than　Bonaparte　to　the　beauties　of
poetry　or　prose。　　A　certain　degree　of　vagueness；　which　was　combined　with
his　energy　of　mind；　led　him　to　admire　the　dreams　of　Ossian；　and　his
decided　character　found　itself；　as　it　were；　represented　in　the　elevated
thoughts　of　Corneille。　　Hence　his　almost　exclusive　predilection　for　these
two　authors　With　this　exception；　the　finest　works　in　our　literature　were
in　his　opinion　merely　arrangements　of　sonorous　words；　void　of　sense；　and
calculated　only　for　the　ear。

Bonaparte's　contempt；　or；　more　properly　speaking；　his　dislike　of
literature；　displayed　itself　particularly　in　the　feeling　he　cherished
towards　some　men　of　distinguished　literary　talent。　　He　hated　Chenier；　and
Ducis　still　more。　　He　could　not　forgive　Chenier　for　the　Republican
principles　which　pervaded　his　tragedies；　and　Ducis　excited　in　him；　as　if
instinctively；　an　involuntary　hatred。　　Ducis；　on　his　part；　was　not
backward　in　returning　the　Consul's　animosity；　and　I　remember　his　writing
some　verses　which　were　inexcusably　violent；　and　overstepped　all　the
bounds　of　truth。　　Bonaparte　was　so　singular　a　composition　of　good　and　bad
that　to　describe　him　as　he　was　under　one　or　other　of　these　aspects　would
serve　for　panegyric　or　satire　without　any　departure　from　truth。
Bonaparte　was　very　fond　of　Bernardin　Saint…Pierre's　romance　of　'Paul　and
Virginia'；　which　he　had　read　in　his　boyhood。　　I　remember　that　he　one　day
tried　to　read　'Les　etudes　de　la　Nature'；　but　at　the　expiration　of　a
quarter　of　an　hour　he　threw　down　the　book；　exclaiming；　〃How　can　any　one
read　such　silly　stuffy。　　It　is　insipid　and　vapid；　there　is　nothing　in　it。
These　are　the　dreams　of　a　visionary！　　What　is　nature？　　The　thing　is　vague
and　unmeaning。　　Men　and　passions　are　the　subjects　to　write　aboutthere
is　something　there　for　study。　　These　fellows　are　good　for　nothing　under
any　government。　　I　will；　however；　give　them　pensions；　because　I　ought　to
do　so；　as　Head　of　the　State。　　They　occupy　and　amuse　the　idle。　　I　will
make　Lagrange　a　Senatorhe　has　a　head。〃

Although　Bonaparte　spoke　so　disdainfully　of　literary　men　it　must　not　be
taken　for　granted　that　he　treated　them　ill。　　On　the　contrary；　all　those
who　visited　at　Malmaison　were　the　objects　of　his　attention；　and　even
flattery。　　M。　Lemercier　was　one　of　those　who　came　most　frequently；　and
whom　Bonaparte　received　with　the　greatest　pleasure。　　Bonaparte　treated
M。　Lemercier　with　great　kindness；　but　he　did　not　like　him。　　His　character
as　a　literary　man　and　poet；　joined　to　a　polished　frankness；　and　a　mild
but　inflexible　spirit　of　republicanism；　amply　sufficed　to　explain
Bonaparte's　dislike。　　He　feared　M。　Lemercier　and　his　pen；　and；　as
happened　more　than　once；　he　played　the　part　of　a　parasite　by　flattering
the　writer。　　M。　Lemercier　was　the　only　man　I　knew　who　refused　the　cross
of　the　Legion　of　Honour。

Bonaparte's　general　dislike　of　literary　men　was　less　the　result　of
prejudice　than　circumstances。　　In　order　to　appreciate　or　even　to　read
literary　works　time　is　requsite；　and　time　was　so　precious　to　him　that　he
would　have　wished；　as　one　may　say；　to　shorten　a　straight　line。　　He　liked
only　those　writers　who　directed　their　attention　to　positive　and　precise
things；　which　excluded　all　thoughts　of　government　and　censures　on
administration。　　He　looked　with　a　jealous　eye　on　political　economists　and
lawyers；　in　short；　as　all　persons　who　in　any　way　whatever　meddled　with
legislation　and　moral　improvements。　　His　hatred　of　discussions　on　those
subjects　was　strongly　displayed　on　the　occasion　of　the　classification　of
the　Institute。　　Whilst　he　permitted　the　reassembling　of　a　literary　class；
to　the　number　of　forty；　as　formerly；　he　suppressed　the　class　of　moral　and
political　science。　　Such　was　his　predilection　for　things　of　immediate　and
certain　utility　that　even　in　the　sciences　he　favoured　only　such　as
applied　to　terrestrial　objects。　　He　never　treated　Lalande　with　so　much
distinction　as　Monge　and　Lagrange。　　Astronomical　discoveries　could　not
add　directly　to　his　own　greatness；　and；　besides；　he　could　never　forgive
Lalande　for　having　wished　to　include　him　in　a　dictionary　of　atheists
precisely　at　the　moment　when　he　was　opening　negotiations　with　the　court
of　Rome。

Bonaparte　wished　to　be　the　sole　centre　of　a　world　which　he　believed　he
was　called　to　govern。　　With　this　view　he　never　relaxed　in　his　constant
endeavour　to　concentrate　the　whole　powers　of　the　State　in　the　hands　of
its　Chief。　　His　conduct　upon　the　subject　of　the　revival　of　public
instruction　affords　evidence　of　this　fact。　　He　wished　to　establish　6000
bursaries；　to　be　paid　by　Government；　and　to　be　exclusively　at　his
disposal；　so　that　thus　possessing　the　monopoly　of　education；　he　could
have　parcelled　it　out　only　to　the　children　of　those　who　were　blindly
devoted　to　him。　　This　was　what　the　First　Consul　called　the　revival　of
public　instruction。　　During　the　period　of　my　closest　intimacy　with　him
he　often　spoke　to　me　on　this　subject；　and　listened　patiently　to　my
observations。　　I　remember　that　one　of　his　chief　arguments　was　this：
〃What　is　it　that　distinguishes　men？　　Educationis　it　not？　　Well；　if　the
children　of　nobles　be　admitted　into　the　academies；　they　will　be　as　well
educated　as　the　children　of　the　revolution；　who　compose　the　strength　of
my　government。　　Ultimately　they　will　enter　into　my　regiments　as　officers；
and　will　naturally　come　in　competition　with　those　whom　they　regard　as　the
plunderers　of　their　families。　　I　do　not　wish　that！〃

My　recollections　have　caused　me　to　wander　from　the　journey　of　the　First
Consul　and　Madame　Bonaparte　to　the　seabord　departments　and　Belgium。
I　have；　however；　little　to　add　to　what　I　have　already　stated　on　the
subject。　　I　merely　remember　that　Bonaparte's　military　suite；　and
Lauriston　and　Rapp　in　particular；　when　speaking　to　me　about　the　journey；
could　not　conceal　some　marks　of　discontent　on　account　of　the　great
respect　which　Bonaparte　had　shown　the　clergy；　and　particularly　to　M。　de
Roquelaure；　the　Archbishop　of　Malines　（or　Mechlin）。　　That　prelate；　who
was　a　shrewd　man；　and　had　the　reputation　of　having　been　in　his　youth　more
addicted　to　the　habits　of　the　world　than　to　those　of　the　cloister；　had
become　an　ecclesiastical　courtier。　　He　went　to　Antwerp　to　pay　his　homage
to　the　First　Consul；　upon　whom　he　heaped　the　most　extravagant　praises。
Afterwards；　addressing　Madame　Bonaparte；　he　told　her　that　she　was　united
to　the　First　Consul　by　the　sacred　bonds　of　a　holy　alliance。　　In　this
harangue；　in　which　unction　was　singularly　blended　with　gallantry；　surely
it　was　a　departure　from　ecclesiastical　propriety　to　speak　of　sacred　bonds
and　holy　alliance　when　every　one　knew　that　those　bonds　and　that　alliance
existed　only　by　a　civil　contract。　　Perhaps　M。　de　Roquelaure　merely　had
recourse　to　what　casuists　call　a　pious　fraud　in　order　to　engage　the
married　couple　to　do　that　which　he　congratulated　them　on　having　already
done。　　Be　this　as　it　may；　it　is　certain　that　this　honeyed　language　gained
M。　de　Roquelaure　the　Consul's　favour；　and　in　a　short　time　after　he　was
appointed　to　the　second　class　of　the　Institute。




CHAPTER　XXI。

1804。

　　　　　The　TempleThe　intrigues　of　EuropePrelude　to　the　Continental
　　　　　systemBombardment　of　GranvilleMy　conversation　with　the　First
　　　　　Consul　on　the　projected　invasion　of　EnglandFauche　BorelMoreau
　　　　　and　PichegruFouche's　manoeuvresThe　Abbe　David　and　Lajolais
　　　　　Fouche's　visit　to　St。　CloudRegnier　outwitted　by　Fouche
　　　　　My　interview　with　the　First　ConsulHis　indignation　at　the　reports
　　　　　respecting　HortenseContradiction　of　these　calumniesThe　brothers
　　　　　FaucherTheir　executionThe　First　Consul's　leveeMy　conversation
　　　　　with　DurocConspiracy　of　Georges；　Moreau；　and　PichegruMoreau
　　　　　averse　to　the　restoration　of　the　BourbonsBouvet　de　Lozier's
　　　　　attempted　suicideArrest　of　MoreauDeclaration　of　MM。　de　Polignac
　　　　　and　de　RiviereConnivance　of　the　policeArrest　of　M。　Carbonnet　and
　　　　　his　nephew。

The　time　was　passed　when　Bonaparte；　just　raised　to　the　Consulate；　only
proceeded　to　the　Temple　to　release　the　victims　of　the　〃Loi　des　suspects〃
by　his　sole