the story of mankind-第58部分

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the　sudden　death　of　a　friend。　Thereafter　she　despised　all

gaiety。　She　confessed　her　former　sins　to　her　shoemaker；　a

pious　Moravian　brother；　a　follower　of　the　old　reformer　John

Huss；　who　had　been　burned　for　his　heresies　by　the　Council　of

Constance　in　the　year　1415。



The　next　ten　years　the　Baroness　spent　in　Germany　making

a　specialty　of　the　‘‘conversion''　of　kings　and　princes。　To　convince

Alexander；　the　Saviour　of　Europe；　of　the　error　of　his

ways　was　the　greatest　ambition　of　her　life。　And　as　Alexander；

in　his　misery；　was　willing　to　listen　to　anybody　who　brought　him

a　ray　of　hope；　the　interview　was　easily　arranged。　On　the　evening

of　the　fourth　of　June　of　the　year　1815；　she　was　admitted

to　the　tent　of　the　Emperor。　She　found　him　reading　his　Bible。

We　do　not　know　what　she　said　to　Alexander；　but　when　she

left　him　three　hours　later；　he　was　bathed　in　tears；　and　vowed

that　‘‘at　last　his　soul　had　found　peace。''　From　that　day　on　the

Baroness　was　his　faithful　companion　and　his　spiritual　adviser。

She　followed　him　to　Paris　and　then　to　Vienna　and　the　time

which　Alexander　did　not　spend　dancing　he　spent　at　the

Krudener　prayer…meetings。



You　may　ask　why　I　tell　you　this　story　in　such　great　detail？

Are　not　the　social　changes　of　the　nineteenth　century　of　greater

importance　than　the　career　of　an　ill…balanced　woman　who　had

better　be　forgotten？　Of　course　they　are；　but　there　exist　any

number　of　books　which　will　tell　you　of　these　other　things　with

great　accuracy　and　in　great　detail。　I　want　you　to　learn　something

more　from　this　history　than　a　mere　succession　of　facts。

I　want　you　to　approach　all　historical　events　in　a　frame　of　mind

that　will　take　nothing　for　granted。　Don't　be　satisfied　with

the　mere　statement　that　‘‘such　and　such　a　thing　happened　then

and　there。''　Try　to　discover　the　hidden　motives　behind　every

action　and　then　you　will　understand　the　world　around　you

much　better　and　you　will　have　a　greater　chance　to　help　others；

which　（when　all　is　said　and　done）　is　the　only　truly　satisfactory

way　of　living。



I　do　not　want　you　to　think　of　the　Holy　Alliance　as　a　piece

of　paper　which　was　signed　in　the　year　1815　and　lies　dead　and

forgotten　somewhere　in　the　archives　of　state。　It　may　be　forgotten

but　it　is　by　no　means　dead。　The　Holy　Alliance　was

directly　responsible　for　the　promulgation　of　the　Monroe

Doctrine；　and　the　Monroe　Doctrine　of　America　for　the　Americans

has　a　very　distinct　bearing　upon　your　own　life。　That　is

the　reason　why　I　want　you　to　know　exactly　how　this　document

happened　to　come　into　existence　and　what　the　real　motives　were

underlying　this　outward　manifestation　of　piety　and　Christian

devotion　to　duty。



The　Holy　Alliance　was　the　joint　labour　of　an　unfortunate

man　who　had　suffered　a　terrible　mental　shock　and　who　was

trying　to　pacify　his　much…disturbed　soul；　and　of　an　ambitious

woman　who　after　a　wasted　life　had　lost　her　beauty　and　her

attraction　and　who　satisfied　her　vanity　and　her　desire　for

notoriety　by　assuming　the　role　of　self…appointed　Messiah　of　a

new　and　strange　creed。　I　am　not　giving　away　any　secrets

when　I　tell　you　these　details。　Such　sober　minded　people　as

Castlereagh；　Metternich　and　Talleyrand　fully　understood

the　limited　abilities　of　the　sentimental　Baroness。　It　would　have

been　easy　for　Metternich　to　send　her　back　to　her　German

estates。　A　few　lines　to　the　almighty　commander　of　the　imperial

police　and　the　thing　was　done。



But　France　and　England　and　Austria　depended　upon　the

good…will　of　Russia。　They　could　not　afford　to　offend　Alexander。

And　they　tolerated　the　silly　old　Baroness　because　they

had　to。　And　while　they　regarded　the　Holy　Alliance　as　utter

rubbish　and　not　worth　the　paper　upon　which　it　was　written；

they　listened　patiently　to　the　Tsar　when　he　read　them　the　first

rough　draft　of　this　attempt　to　create　the　Brotherhood　of　Men

upon　a　basis　of　the　Holy　Scriptures。　For　this　is　what　the

Holy　Alliance　tried　to　do；　and　the　signers　of　the　document

solemnly　declared　that　they　would　‘‘in　the　administration　of

their　respective　states　and　in　their　political　relations　with　every

other　government　take　for　their　sole　guide　the　precepts　of　that

Holy　Religion；　namely　the　precepts　of　Justice；　Christian

Charity　and　Peace；　which　far　from　being　applicable　only　to

private　concerns　must　have　an　immediate　influence　on　the

councils　of　princes；　and　must　guide　all　their　steps　as　being　the

only　means　of　consolidating　human　institutions　and　remedying

their　imperfections。''　They　then　proceeded　to　promise　each

other　that　they　would　remain　united　‘‘by　the　bonds　of　a　true

and　indissoluble　fraternity；　and　considering　each　other　as

fellow…countrymen；　they　would　on　all　occasions　and　in　all　places

lend　each　other　aid　and　assistance。''　And　more　words　to　the

same　effect。



Eventually　the　Holy　Alliance　was　signed　by　the　Emperor

of　Austria；　who　did　not　understand　a　word　of　it。　It　was　signed

by　the　Bourbons　who　needed　the　friendship　of　Napoleon's　old

enemies。　It　was　signed　by　the　King　of　Prussia；　who　hoped　to

gain　Alexander　for　his　plans　for　a　‘‘greater　Prussia；''　and　by

all　the　little　nations　of　Europe　who　were　at　the　mercy　of　Russia。

England　never　signed；　because　Castlereagh　thought　the

whole　thing　buncombe。　The　Pope　did　not　sign　because　he

resented　this　interference　in　his　business　by　a　Greek…Orthodox

and　a　Protestant。　And　the　Sultan　did　not　sign　because　he

never　heard　of　it。



The　general　mass　of　the　European　people；　however；　soon

were　forced　to　take　notice。　Behind　the　hollow　phrases　of　the

Holy　Alliance　stood　the　armies　of　the　Quintuple　Alliance

which　Metternich　had　created　among　the　great　powers。　These

armies　meant　business。　They　let　it　be　known　that　the　peace

of　Europe　must　not　be　disturbed　by　the　so…called　liberals　who

were　in　reality　nothing　but　disguised　Jacobins；　and　hoped　for

a　return　of　the　revolutionary　days。　The　enthusiasm　for　the

great　wars　of　liberation　of　the　years　1812；　1818；　1814　and

1815　had　begun　to　wear　off。　It　had　been　followed　by　a　sincere

belief　in　the　coming　of　a　happier　day。　The　soldiers　who　had

borne　the　brunt　of　the　battle　wanted　peace　and　they　said　so。



But　they　did　not　want　the　sort　of　peace　which　the　Holy

Alliance　and　the　Council　of　the　European　powers　had　now

bestowed　upon　them。　They　cried　that　they　had　been　betrayed。

But　they　were　careful　lest　they　be　heard　by　a　secret…police　spy。

The　reaction　was　victorious。　It　was　a　reaction　caused　by　men

who　sincerely　believed　that　their　methods　were　necessary　for

the　good　of　humanity。　But　it　was　just　as　hard　to　bear　as　if

their　intentions　had　been　less　kind。　And　it　caused　a　great　deal

of　unnecessary　suffering　and　greatly　retarded　the　orderly

progress　of　political　development。







THE　GREAT　REACTION



THEY　TRIED　TO　ASSURE　THE　WORLD　AN　ERA

OF　UNDISTURBED　PEACE　BY　SUPPRESSING

ALL　NEW　IDEAS。　THEY　MADE　THE

POLICE…SPY　THE　HIGHEST　FUNCTIONARY

IN　THE　STATE　AND　SOON　THE　PRISONS

OF　ALL　COUNTRIES　WERE　FILLED　WITH

THOSE　WHO　CLAIMED　THAT　PEOPLE

HAVE　THE　RIGHT　TO　GOVERN　THEMSELVES

AS　THEY　SEE　FIT





To　undo　the　damage　done　by　the　great　Napoleonic　flood

was　almost　impossible。　Age…old　fences　had　been　washed　away。

The　palaces　of　two　score　dynasties　had　been　damaged　to　such

an　extent　that　they　had　to　be　condemned　as　uninhabitable。

Other　royal　residences　had　been　greatly　enlarged　at　the　expense

of　less　fortunate　neighbours。　Strange　odds　and　ends

of　revolutionary　doctrine　had　been　left　behind　by　the　receding

waters　and　could　not　be　dislodged　without　danger　to　the　entire

community。　But　the　political　engineers　of　the　Congress　did

the　best　they　could　and　this　is　what　they　accomplished。



France　had　disturbed　the　peace　of　the　world　for　so　many

years　that　people　had　come　to　fear　that　country　almost

instinctively。　The　Bourbons；　through　the　mouth　of　Talleyrand；

had　promised　to　be　good；　but　the　Hundred　Days　had　taught

Europe　what　to　expect　should　Napoleon　manage　to　escape　for

a　second　time。　The　Dutch　Republic；　therefore；　was　changed

into　a　Kingdom；　and　Belgium　（which　had　not　joined　the　Dutch

struggle　for　independence　in　the　sixteenth　century　and　since

then　had　been　part　of　the　Habsburg　domains；　firs　t　under　Spanish

rule　and　thereafter　under　Austrian　rule）　was　made　part

of　this　new　kingdom　of　the　Netherlands。　Nobody　wanted　this

union　either　in　the　Protestant　North　or　in　the　Catholic　South；

but　no　questions　were　asked。　It　seemed　good　for　the　peace

of　Europe　and　that　was　the　main　consideration。



Poland　had　hoped　for　great　things　because　a　Pole；　Prince

Adam　Czartoryski；　was　one　of　the　most　intimate　friends　of

Tsar　Alexander　and　had　been　his　constant　advisor　during　the

war　and　at　the　Congress　of　Vienna。　But　Poland　was　made　a

semi…independent　part　of　Russia　with　Alexander　as　her　king。

This　solution　pleased　no　one　and　caused　much　bitter　feeling

and　three　revolutions。



Denmark；　which　had　remained　a　faithful　ally　of　Napoleon

until　the　end；　was　severely　punished。　Seven　years　before；　an

English　fleet　had　sailed　down　the　Kattegat　and　without　a

declaration　of　war　or　any　warning　had　bombarded　Copenhagen

and　had　taken　away　the　Danish　fleet；　lest　it　be　of　value　to

Napoleon。　The　Congress　of　Vienna　went　one　step　further。

It　took　Norway　（which　since　the　union　of　Calmar　of　the　year

1397　had　been　united　with　Denmark）　away　from　Denmark

and　gave　it　to　Charles　XIV　of　Sweden　as　a　reward　for　his　betrayal

of　Napoleon；　who　had　set　him　up　in　the　king　business。

This　Swedish　king；　curiously　enough；　was　a　former　French　general

by　the　name　of　Bernadotte；　who　had　come　to　Sweden　as　one

of　Napolean's｛sic｝　adjutants；　and　had　been　invited　to　the　throne　of

that　good　country　when　the　last　of　the　rulers　of　the　house　of

Hollstein…Gottorp　had　died　without　leaving　either　son　or

daughter。　From　1815　until　1844　he　ruled　his　adopted　country

（the　language　of　which　he　never　learned）　width　great　ability。　He

was　a　clever　man　and　enjoyed　the　res