the origins of contemporary france-4-第40节

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Charles。＇8＇　He　is　not　even　qualified　to　comprehend　the　great

discoverers　of　his　age；　Laplace；　Monge；　Lavoisier；　or　Fourcroy；　on　the

contrary；　he　libels　them　in　the　style　of　a　low　rebellious　subordinate；

who；　without　the　shadow　of　a　claim；　aims　to　take　the　place　of

legitimate　authorities。　　In　Politics；　he　adopts　every　absurd　idea　in

vogue　growing　out　of　the　〃Contrat…Social〃　based　on　natural　right；　and

which　he　renders　still　more　absurd　by　repeating　as　his　own　the

arguments　advanced　by　those　bungling　socialists；　who；　physiologists

astray　in　the　moral　world；　derive　all　rights　from　physical

necessities。



　〃All　human　rights　issue　from　physical　wants＇9＇。。。　　　If　a　man　has

nothing；　he　has　a　right　to　any　surplus　with　which　another　gorges

himself。　　What　do　I　say？　He　has　a　right　to　seize　the　indispensable；

and；　rather　than　die　of　hunger；　he　may　cut　another's　throat　and　eat

his　throbbing　flesh。　　。　　。　　。　　Man　has　a　right　to　self…preservation；

to　the　property；　the　liberty　and　even　the　lives　of　his　fellow

creatures。　　To　escape　oppression　he　has　a　right　to　repress；　to　bind

and　to　massacre。　　He　is　free　to　do　what　he　pleases　to　ensure　his　own

happiness。〃



It　is　plain　enough　what　this　leads　to。　　…　But；　let　the　consequences　be

what　they　may；　whatever　he　writes　or　does；　it　is　always　in　self…

admiration　and　always　in　a　counter　sense；　being　as　vain…glorious　of

his　encyclopedic　impotence　as　he　is　of　his　social　mischievousness。

Taking　his　word　for　it；　his　discoveries　in　Physics　will　render　him

immortal＇10＇：



　〃They　will　at　least　effect　a　complete　transformation　in　Optics。　　。　　。

。　　The　true　primitive　colors　were　unknown　before　me。〃



He　is　a　Newton；　and　still　better。　　Previous　to　his　appearance　〃the

place　occupied　by　the　electrical　fluid　in　nature；　considered　as　an

universal　agent；　was　completely　ignored。　　　。　　。　　I　have　made　it　known

in　such　a　way　as　to　leave　no　further　doubt　about　it。〃＇11＇　　As　to　the

heat…engendering　fluid；　〃that　substance　unknown　until　my　discovery；　I

have　freed　the　theory　from　every　hypothesis　and　conjecture；　from　every

alembic　argument；　I　have　purged　it　of　error；　I　have　rendered　it

intuitive；　I　have　written　this　out　in　a　small　volume　which　consigns　to

oblivion　all　that　scientific　bodies　have　hitherto　published　on　that

subject。〃＇12＇　　Anterior　to　his　treatise　on　〃Man；〃　the　relationships

between　moral　and　physics　were　incomprehensible。　　〃Descartes；

Helvetius；　Hailer；　Lecat；　Hume；　Voltaire；　Bonnet；　held　this　to　be　an

impenetrable　secret；　'an　enigma。'〃　　He　has　solved　the　problem；　he　has

fixed　the　seat　of　the　soul；　he　has　determined　the　medium　through　which

the　soul　communicates　with　the　body。＇13＇　…　In　the　higher　sciences；

those　treating　of　nature　generally；　or　of　human　society；　he　reaches

the　climax。　　〃I　believe　that　I　have　exhausted　every　combination　of　the

human　intellect　in　relation　to　morals；　philosophy　and　political

science。〃＇14＇　　Not　only　has　he　discovered　the　true　theory　of

government；　but　he　is　a　statesman；　a　practical　expert；　able　to

forecast　the　future　and　shape　events。　　He　makes　predictions；　on　the

average；　twice　a　week；　which　always　turn　out　right；　he　already　claims；

during　the　early　sessions　of　the　Convention；　to　have　made　〃three

hundred　predictions　on　the　leading　points　of　the　Revolution；　all

justified　by　the　event。〃＇15＇　　In　the　face　of　the　Constituents　who

demolish　and　reconstruct　so　slowly；　he　is　sufficiently　strong　to　take

down；　put　up　and　complete　at　a　moment's　notice。



〃If　I　were　one　of　the　people's　tribunes＇16＇　and　were　supported　by　a

few　thousand　determined　men；　I　answer　for　it　that；　in　six　weeks；　the

Constitution　would　be　perfected；　the　political　machine　well　agoing；

and　the　nation　free　and　happy。　　In　less　than　a　year　there　would　be　a

flourishing；　formidable　government　which　would　remain　so　as　long　as　I

lived。〃…　If　necessary；　he　could　act　as　commander…in…chief　of　the　army

and　always　be　victorious：　having　twice　seen　the　Vendeans　carry　on　a

fight　he　would　end　the　war　〃at　the　first　encounter。〃＇17＇　　〃If　I

could　stand　the　march；　I　would　go　in　person　and　carry　out　my　views。

At　the　head　of　a　small　party　of　trusty　troops　the　rebels　could　be

easily　put　down　to　the　last　man；　and　in　one　day。　　I　know　something　of

military　art；　and；　without　boasting；　I　can　answer　for　success。〃　　On

any　difficulty　occurring；　it　is　owing　to　his　advice　not　having　been

taken；　he　is　the　great　political　physician：　his　diagnosis　from　the

beginning　of　the　Revolution　is　always　correct；　his　prognosis

infallible；　his　therapeutics　efficacious；　humane　and　salutary。　　He

provides　the　panacea　and　he　should　be　allowed　to　prescribe　it；　only；

to　ensure　a　satisfactory　operation；　he　should　himself　administer　the

dose。　　Let　the　public　lancet；　therefore；　be　put　in　his　hands　that　he

may　perform　the　humanitarian　operation　of　bloodletting。　　〃Such　are　my

opinions。　　I　have　published　them　in　my　works。　　I　have　signed　them　with

my　name　and　I　am　not　ashamed　of　it。　　。　　。　　。　　If　you　are　not　equal　to

me　and　able　to　comprehend　me　so　much　the　worse　for　you。〃＇18＇　In　other

words；　in　his　own　eyes；　Marat　is　in　advance　of　everybody　else　and；

through　his　superior　genius　and　character；　he　is　the　veritable　savior。



Such　are　the　symptoms　by　which　medical　men　recognize　immediately　one

of　those　partial　lunatics　who　may　not　be　put　in　confinement；　but　who

are　all　the　more　dangerous；＇19＇　the　malady；　as　they　would　express　it

in　technical　terms；　may　be　called　the　ambitious　delirium；　well　known

in　lunatic　asylums。　　　　Two　predispositions；　one　an　habitually

perverted　judgment；　and　the　other　a　colossal　excess　of　self…

esteem；＇20＇　constitute　its　sources；　and　nowhere　are　both　more　prolific

than　in　Marat。　　Never　did　a　man　with　such　diversified　culture；　possess

such　an　incurably　perverted　intellect。　　Never　did　a　man；　after　so　many

abortive　speculations　and　such　repeated　malpractices；　conceive　and

maintain　so　high　an　opinion　of　himself。　　Each　of　these　two　sources　in

him　augments　the　other：　through　his　faculty　of　not　seeing　things　as

they　are；　he　attributes　to　himself　virtue　and　genius；　satisfied　that

he　possesses　genius　and　virtue；　he　regards　his　misdeeds　as　merits　and

his　whims　as　truths。　　…　Thenceforth；　and　spontaneously；　his　malady

runs　its　own　course　and　becomes　complex；　to　the　ambitious　delirium

comes　the　persecution　mania。　　In　effect；　the　evident　or　demonstrated

truths　which　he　advances　should　strike　the　public　at　once；　if　they

burn　slowly　or　miss　fire；　it　is　owing　to　their　being　stamped　out　by

enemies　or　the　envious；　manifestly；　they　have　conspired　against　him；

and　against　him　plots　have　never　ceased。　　First　came　the　philosophers'

plot：　when　his　treatise　on　〃Man〃　was　sent　to　Paris　from　Amsterdam；

〃they　felt　the　blow　I　struck　at　their　principles　and　had　the　book

stopped　at　the　custom…house。〃＇21＇　Next　came　the　plot　of　the　doctors：

〃they　ruefully　estimated　my　enormous　gains。　　Were　it　necessary；　I

could　prove　that　they　often　met　together　to　consider　the　best　way　to

destroy　my　reputation。〃　Finally；　came　the　plot　of　the　Academicians；

〃the　disgraceful　persecution　I　had　to　undergo　from　the　Academy　of

Sciences　for　two　years；　after　being　satisfied　that　my　discoveries　on

Light　upset　all　that　it　had　done　for　a　century；　and　that　I　was　quite

indifferent　about　becoming　a　member　of　its　body　。　　。　　。　　。　　Would　it

be　believed　that　these　scientific　charlatans　succeeded　in　underrating

my　discoveries　throughout　Europe；　in　exciting　every　society　of　savants

against　me；　and　in　closing　against　me　all　the　newspapers？〃＇22＇　…

Naturally；　the　would…be…persecuted　man　defends　himself；　that　is　to

say；　he　attacks。　　Naturally；　as　he　is　the　aggressor；　he　is　repulsed

and　put　down；　and；　after　creating　imaginary　enemies；　he　creates　real

ones；　especially　in　politics　where；　on　principle；　he　daily　preaches

insurrection　and　murder。　　And　finally；　he　is　of　course　prosecuted；

convicted　at　the　Chatelet　court；　tracked　by　the　police；　obliged　to　fly

and　wander　from　one　hiding…place　to　another；　to　live　like　a　bat　〃in　a

cellar；　underground；　in　a　dark　dungeon；〃＇23＇　once；　says　his　friend

Panis；　he　passed　〃six　weeks　sitting　on　his　behind〃　like　a　madman　in

his　cell；　face　to　face　with　his　reveries。　　…　It　is　not　surprising

that；　with　such　a　system；　the　reverie　should　become　more　intense；　more

and　more　gloomy；　and；　at　last　settle　down　into　a　confirmed　nightmare；

that；　in　his　distorted　brain；　objects　should　appear　distorted；　that；

even　in　full　daylight　men　and　things　should　seem　awry；　as　in　a

magnifying；　dislocating　mirror；　that；　frequently；　on　the　numbers　（of

his　journal）　appearing　too　blood…thirsty；　and　his　chronic　disease　too

acute；　his　physician　should　bleed　him　to　arrest　these　attacks　and

prevent　their　return。＇24＇



But　it　has　become　a　habit：　henceforth；　falsehood　grow　in　his　brain　as

if　it　was　their　native　soil；　planting　himself　on　the　irrational　he

cultivates　the　absurd；　even　physical　and　mathematical。　　〃If　we　include

everyone；〃＇25＇　he　says；　〃the　pa