the crowd-第23节

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uit　of　their　reflection　ends　by　triumphing。


3。　PRESTIGE


Great　power　is　given　to　ideas　propagated　by　affirmation；　repetition；　and　contagion　by　the　circumstance　that　they　acquire　in　time　that　mysterious　force　known　as　prestige。

Whatever　has　been　a　ruling　power　in　the　world；　whether　it　be　ideas　or　men；　has　in　the　main　enforced　its　authority　by　means　of　that　irresistible　force　expressed　by　the　word　〃prestige。〃　　The　term　is　one　whose　meaning　is　grasped　by　everybody；　but　the　word　is　employed　in　ways　too　different　for　it　to　be　easy　to　define　it。　Prestige　may　involve　such　sentiments　as　admiration　or　fear。　Occasionally　even　these　sentiments　are　its　basis；　but　it　can　perfectly　well　exist　without　them。　　The　greatest　measure　of　prestige　is　possessed　by　the　dead；　by　beings；　that　is；　of　whom　we　do　not　stand　in　fearby　Alexander；　Caesar；　Mahomet；　and　Buddha；　for　example。　　On　the　other　hand；　there　are　fictive　beings　whom　we　do　not　admirethe　monstrous　divinities　of　the　subterranean　temples　of　India；　for　instancebut　who　strike　us　nevertheless　as　endowed　with　a　great　prestige。

Prestige　in　reality　is　a　sort　of　domination　exercised　on　our　mind　by　an　individual；　a　work；　or　an　idea。　　This　domination　entirely　paralyses　our　critical　faculty；　and　fills　our　soul　with　astonishment　and　respect。　　The　sentiment　provoked　is　inexplicable；　like　all　sentiments；　but　it　would　appear　to　be　of　the　same　kind　as　the　fascination　to　which　a　magnetised　person　is　subjected。　　Prestige　is　the　mainspring　of　all　authority。　　Neither　gods；　kings；　nor　women　have　ever　reigned　without　it。

The　various　kinds　of　prestige　may　be　grouped　under　two　principal　heads：　acquired　prestige　and　personal　prestige。　　Acquired　prestige　is　that　resulting　from　name；　fortune；　and　reputation。　It　may　be　independent　of　personal　prestige。　　Personal　prestige；　on　the　contrary；　is　something　essentially　peculiar　to　the　individual；　it　may　coexist　with　reputation；　glory；　and　fortune；　or　be　strengthened　by　them；　but　it　is　perfectly　capable　of　existing　in　their　absence。

Acquired　or　artificial　prestige　is　much　the　most　common。　　The　mere　fact　that　an　individual　occupies　a　certain　position；　possesses　a　certain　fortune；　or　bears　certain　titles；　endows　him　with　prestige；　however　slight　his　own　personal　worth。　　A　soldier　in　uniform；　a　judge　in　his　robes；　always　enjoys　prestige。　　Pascal　has　very　properly　noted　the　necessity　for　judges　of　robes　and　wigs。　　Without　them　they　would　be　stripped　of　half　their　authority。　　The　most　unbending　socialist　is　always　somewhat　impressed　by　the　sight　of　a　prince　or　a　marquis；　and　the　assumption　of　such　titles　makes　the　robbing　of　tradesmen　an　easy　matter。＇18＇


＇18＇　The　influence　of　titles；　decorations；　and　uniforms　on　crowds　is　to　be　traced　in　all　countries；　even　in　those　in　which　the　sentiment　of　personal　independence　is　the　most　strongly　developed。　　I　quote　in　this　connection　a　curious　passage　from　a　recent　book　of　travel；　on　the　prestige　enjoyed　in　England　by　great　persons。

〃I　had　observed；　under　various　circumstances；　the　peculiar　sort　of　intoxication　produced　in　the　most　reasonable　Englishmen　by　the　contact　or　sight　of　an　English　peer。

〃Provided　his　fortune　enables　him　to　keep　up　his　rank；　he　is　sure　of　their　affection　in　advance；　and　brought　into　contact　with　him　they　are　so　enchanted　as　to　put　up　with　anything　at　his　hands。　They　may　be　seen　to　redden　with　pleasure　at　his　approach；　and　if　he　speaks　to　them　their　suppressed　joy　increases　their　redness；　and　causes　their　eyes　to　gleam　with　unusual　brilliance。　　Respect　for　nobility　is　in　their　blood；　so　to　speak；　as　with　Spaniards　the　love　of　dancing；　with　Germans　that　of　music；　and　with　Frenchmen　the　liking　for　revolutions。　　Their　passion　for　horses　and　Shakespeare　is　less　violent；　the　satisfaction　and　pride　they　derive　from　these　sources　a　less　integral　part　of　their　being。　There　is　a　considerable　sale　for　books　dealing　with　the　peerage；　and　go　where　one　will　they　are　to　be　found；　like　the　Bible；　in　all　hands。〃




The　prestige　of　which　I　have　just　spoken　is　exercised　by　persons；　side　by　side　with　it　may　be　placed　that　exercised　by　opinions；　literary　and　artistic　works；　&c。　　Prestige　of　the　latter　kind　is　most　often　merely　the　result　of　accumulated　repetitions。　History；　literary　and　artistic　history　especially；　being　nothing　more　than　the　repetition　of　identical　judgments；　which　nobody　endeavours　to　verify；　every　one　ends　by　repeating　what　he　learnt　at　school；　till　there　come　to　be　names　and　things　which　nobody　would　venture　to　meddle　with。　　For　a　modern　reader　the　perusal　of　Homer　results　incontestably　in　immense　boredom；　but　who　would　venture　to　say　so？　　The　Parthenon；　in　its　present　state；　is　a　wretched　ruin；　utterly　destitute　of　interest；　but　it　is　endowed　with　such　prestige　that　it　does　not　appear　to　us　as　it　really　is；　but　with　all　its　accompaniment　of　historic　memories。　　The　special　characteristic　of　prestige　is　to　prevent　us　seeing　things　as　they　are　and　to　entirely　paralyse　our　judgment。　　Crowds　always；　and　individuals　as　a　rule；　stand　in　need　of　ready…made　opinions　on　all　subjects。　　The　popularity　of　these　opinions　is　independent　of　the　measure　of　truth　or　error　they　contain；　and　is　solely　regulated　by　their　prestige。

I　now　come　to　personal　prestige。　　Its　nature　is　very　different　from　that　of　artificial　or　acquired　prestige；　with　which　I　have　just　been　concerned。　　It　is　a　faculty　independent　of　all　titles；　of　all　authority；　and　possessed　by　a　small　number　of　persons　whom　it　enables　to　exercise　a　veritably　magnetic　fascination　on　those　around　them；　although　they　are　socially　their　equals；　and　lack　all　ordinary　means　of　domination。　　They　force　the　acceptance　of　their　ideas　and　sentiments　on　those　about　them；　and　they　are　obeyed　as　is　the　tamer　of　wild　beasts　by　the　animal　that　could　easily　devour　him。

The　great　leaders　of　crowds；　such　as　Buddha；　Jesus；　Mahomet；　Joan　of　Arc；　and　Napoleon；　have　possessed　this　form　of　prestige　in　a　high　degree；　and　to　this　endowment　is　more　particularly　due　the　position　they　attained。　　Gods；　heroes；　and　dogmas　win　their　way　in　the　world　of　their　own　inward　strength。　　They　are　not　to　be　discussed：　they　disappear；　indeed；　as　soon　as　discussed。

The　great　personages　I　have　just　cited　were　in　possession　of　their　power　of　fascination　long　before　they　became　illustrious；　and　would　never　have　become　so　without　it。　　It　is　evident；　for　instance；　that　Napoleon　at　the　zenith　of　his　glory　enjoyed　an　immense　prestige　by　the　mere　fact　of　his　power；　but　he　was　already　endowed　in　part　with　this　prestige　when　he　was　without　power　and　completely　unknown。　　When；　an　obscure　general；　he　was　sent；　thanks　to　influential　protection；　to　command　the　army　of　Italy；　he　found　himself　among　rough　generals　who　were　of　a　mind　to　give　a　hostile　reception　to　the　young　intruder　dispatched　them　by　the　Directory。　　From　the　very　beginning；　from　the　first　interview；　without　the　aid　of　speeches；　gestures；　or　threats；　at　the　first　sight　of　the　man　who　was　to　become　great　they　were　vanquished。　　Taine　furnishes　a　curious　account　of　this　interview　taken　from　contemporary　memoirs。


〃The　generals　of　division；　amongst　others　Augereau；　a　sort　of　swashbuckler；　uncouth　and　heroic；　proud　of　his　height　and　his　bravery；　arrive　at　the　staff　quarters　very　badly　disposed　towards　the　little　upstart　dispatched　them　from　Paris。　　On　the　strength　of　the　description　of　him　that　has　been　given　them；　Augereau　is　inclined　to　be　insolent　and　insubordinate；　a　favourite　of　Barras；　a　general　who　owes　his　rank　to　the　events　of　Vendemiaire　who　has　won　his　grade　by　street…fighting；　who　is　looked　upon　as　bearish；　because　he　is　always　thinking　in　solitude；　of　poor　aspect；　and　with　the　reputation　of　a　mathematician　and　dreamer。　　They　are　introduced；　and　Bonaparte　keeps　them　waiting。　　At　last　he　appears；　girt　with　his　sword；　he　puts　on　his　hat；　explains　the　measures　he　has　taken；　gives　his　orders；　and　dismisses　them。　Augereau　has　remained　silent；　it　is　only　when　he　is　outside　that　he　regains　his　self…possession　and　is　able　to　deliver　himself　of　his　customary　oaths。　　He　admits　with　Massena　that　this　little　devil　of　a　general　has　inspired　him　with　awe；　he　cannot　understand　the　ascendency　by　which　from　the　very　first　he　has　felt　himself　overwhelmed。〃


Become　a　great　man；　his　prestige　increased　in　proportion　as　his　glory　grew；　and　came　to　be　at　least　equal　to　that　of　a　divinity　in　the　eyes　of　those　devoted　to　him。　　General　Vandamme；　a　rough；　typical　soldier　of　the　Revolution；　even　more　brutal　and　energetic　than　Augereau；　said　of　him　to　Marshal　d'Arnano　in　1815；　as　on　one　occasion　they　mounted　together　the　stairs　of　the　Tuileries：　〃That　devil　of　a　man　exercises　a　fascination　on　me　that　I　cannot　explain　even　to　myself；　and　in　such　a　degree　that；　though　I　fear　neither　God　nor　devil；　when　I　am　in　his　presence　I　am　ready　to　tremble　like　a　child；　and　he　could　make　me　go　through　the　eye　of　a　needle　to　throw　myself　into　the　fire。〃

Napoleon　exercised　a　like　fascination　on　all　who　came　into　contact　with　him。＇19＇


＇19＇　Thoroughly　conscious　of　his　prestige；　Napoleon　was　aware　that　he　added　to　it　by　treating　rather　worse　than　stable　lads　the　great　personages　around　him；　and　among　whom　figured　some　of　those　celebrated　men　of　the　Conventio