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　　But　the　rams　need　only　cease　to　suppose　that　all　that　happens　to

them　happens　solely　for　the　attainment　of　their　sheepish　aims；　they

need　only　admit　that　what　happens　to　them　may　also　have　purposes

beyond　their　ken；　and　they　will　at　once　perceive　a　unity　and　coherence

in　what　happened　to　the　ram　that　was　fattened。　Even　if　they　do　not

know　for　what　purpose　they　are　fattened；　they　will　at　least　know

that　all　that　happened　to　the　ram　did　not　happen　accidentally；　and

will　no　longer　need　the　conceptions　of　chance　or　genius。

　　Only　by　renouncing　our　claim　to　discern　a　purpose　immediately

intelligible　to　us；　and　admitting　the　ultimate　purpose　to　be　beyond

our　ken；　may　we　discern　the　sequence　of　experiences　in　the　lives　of

historic　characters　and　perceive　the　cause　of　the　effect　they

produce　（incommensurable　with　ordinary　human　capabilities）；　and　then

the　words　chance　and　genius　become　superfluous。

　　We　need　only　confess　that　we　do　not　know　the　purpose　of　the　European

convulsions　and　that　we　know　only　the　facts…　that　is；　the　murders；

first　in　France；　then　in　Italy；　in　Africa；　in　Prussia；　in　Austria；

in　Spain；　and　in　Russia…　and　that　the　movements　from　the　west　to　the

east　and　from　the　east　to　the　west　form　the　essence　and　purpose　of

these　events；　and　not　only　shall　we　have　no　need　to　see　exceptional

ability　and　genius　in　Napoleon　and　Alexander；　but　we　shall　be　unable

to　consider　them　to　be　anything　but　like　other　men；　and　we　shall　not

be　obliged　to　have　recourse　to　chance　for　an　explanation　of　those

small　events　which　made　these　people　what　they　were；　but　it　will　be

clear　that　all　those　small　events　were　inevitable。

　　By　discarding　a　claim　to　knowledge　of　the　ultimate　purpose；　we　shall

clearly　perceive　that　just　as　one　cannot　imagine　a　blossom　or　seed　for

any　single　plant　better　suited　to　it　than　those　it　produces；　so　it

is　impossible　to　imagine　any　two　people　more　completely　adapted　down

to　the　smallest　detail　for　the　purpose　they　had　to　fulfill；　than

Napoleon　and　Alexander　with　all　their　antecedents。

EP1｜CH3

　　CHAPTER　III



　　The　fundamental　and　essential　significance　of　the　European　events　of

the　beginning　of　the　nineteenth　century　lies　in　the　movement　of　the

mass　of　the　European　peoples　from　west　to　east　and　afterwards　from

east　to　west。　The　commencement　of　that　movement　was　the　movement

from　west　to　east。　For　the　peoples　of　the　west　to　be　able　to　make

their　warlike　movement　to　Moscow　it　was　necessary：　（1）　that　they

should　form　themselves　into　a　military　group　of　a　size　able　to

endure　a　collision　with　the　warlike　military　group　of　the　east；　（2）

that　they　should　abandon　all　established　traditions　and　customs；　and

（3）　that　during　their　military　movement　they　should　have　at　their　head

a　man　who　could　justify　to　himself　and　to　them　the　deceptions；

robberies；　and　murders　which　would　have　to　be　committed　during　that

movement。

　　And　beginning　with　the　French　Revolution　the　old　inadequately

large　group　was　destroyed；　as　well　as　the　old　habits　and　traditions；

and　step　by　step　a　group　was　formed　of　larger　dimensions　with　new

customs　and　traditions；　and　a　man　was　produced　who　would　stand　at

the　head　of　the　coming　movement　and　bear　the　responsibility　for　all

that　had　to　be　done。

　　A　man　without　convictions；　without　habits；　without　traditions；

without　a　name；　and　not　even　a　Frenchman；　emerges…　by　what　seem　the

strangest　chances…　from　among　all　the　seething　French　parties；　and

without　joining　any　one　of　them　is　borne　forward　to　a　prominent

position。

　　The　ignorance　of　his　colleagues；　the　weakness　and　insignificance

of　his　opponents；　the　frankness　of　his　falsehoods；　and　the　dazzling

and　self…confident　limitations　of　this　man　raise　him　to　the　head　of

the　army。　The　brilliant　qualities　of　the　soldiers　of　the　army　sent

to　Italy；　his　opponents'　reluctance　to　fight；　and　his　own　childish

audacity　and　self…confidence　secure　him　military　fame。　Innumerable

so　called　chances　accompany　him　everywhere。　The　disfavor　into　which　he

falls　with　the　rulers　of　France　turns　to　his　advantage。　His　attempts

to　avoid　his　predestined　path　are　unsuccessful：　he　is　not　received

into　the　Russian　service；　and　the　appointment　he　seeks　in　Turkey　comes

to　nothing。　During　the　war　in　Italy　he　is　several　times　on　the　verge

of　destruction　and　each　time　is　saved　in　an　unexpected　manner。　Owing

to　various　diplomatic　considerations　the　Russian　armies…　just　those

which　might　have　destroyed　his　prestige…　do　not　appear　upon　the

scene　till　he　is　no　longer　there。

　　On　his　return　from　Italy　he　finds　the　government　in　Paris　in　a

process　of　dissolution　in　which　all　those　who　are　in　it　are　inevitably

wiped　out　and　destroyed。　And　by　chance　an　escape　from　this　dangerous

position　presents　itself　in　the　form　of　an　aimless　and　senseless

expedition　to　Africa。　Again　so…called　chance　accompanies　him。

Impregnable　Malta　surrenders　without　a　shot；　his　most　reckless　schemes

are　crowned　with　success。　The　enemy's　fleet；　which　subsequently　did

not　let　a　single　boat　pass；　allows　his　entire　army　to　elude　it。　In

Africa　a　whole　series　of　outrages　are　committed　against　the　almost

unarmed　inhabitants。　And　the　men　who　commit　these　crimes；　especially

their　leader；　assure　themselves　that　this　is　admirable；　this　is　glory…

it　resembles　Caesar　and　Alexander　the　Great　and　is　therefore　good。

　　This　ideal　of　glory　and　grandeur…　which　consists　not　merely　in

considering　nothing　wrong　that　one　does　but　in　priding　oneself　on

every　crime　one　commits；　ascribing　to　it　an　incomprehensible

supernatural　significance…　that　ideal；　destined　to　guide　this　man

and　his　associates；　had　scope　for　its　development　in　Africa。

Whatever　he　does　succeeds。　The　plague　does　not　touch　him。　The

cruelty　of　murdering　prisoners　is　not　imputed　to　him　as　a　fault。　His

childishly　rash；　uncalled…for；　and　ignoble　departure　from　Africa；

leaving　his　comrades　in　distress；　is　set　down　to　his　credit；　and　again

the　enemy's　fleet　twice　lets　him　slip　past。　When；　intoxicated　by　the

crimes　he　has　committed　so　successfully；　he　reaches　Paris；　the

dissolution　of　the　republican　government；　which　a　year　earlier　might

have　ruined　him；　has　reached　its　extreme　limit；　and　his　presence　there

now　as　a　newcomer　free　from　party　entanglements　can　only　serve　to

exalt　him…　and　though　he　himself　has　no　plan；　he　is　quite　ready　for

his　new　role。

　　He　had　no　plan；　he　was　afraid　of　everything；　but　the　parties

snatched　at　him　and　demanded　his　participation。

　　He　alone…　with　his　ideal　of　glory　and　grandeur　developed　in　Italy

and　Egypt；　his　insane　self…adulation；　his　boldness　in　crime　and

frankness　in　lying…　he　alone　could　justify　what　had　to　be　done。

　　He　is　needed　for　the　place　that　awaits　him；　and　so　almost　apart　from

his　will　and　despite　his　indecision；　his　lack　of　a　plan；　and　all　his

mistakes；　he　is　drawn　into　a　conspiracy　that　aims　at　seizing　power　and

the　conspiracy　is　crowned　with　success。

　　He　is　pushed　into　a　meeting　of　the　legislature。　In　alarm　he　wishes

to　flee；　considering　himself　lost。　He　pretends　to　fall　into　a　swoon

and　says　senseless　things　that　should　have　ruined　him。　But　the　once

proud　and　shrewd　rulers　of　France；　feeling　that　their　part　is　played

out；　are　even　more　bewildered　than　he；　and　do　not　say　the　words　they

should　have　said　to　destroy　him　and　retain　their　power。

　　Chance；　millions　of　chances；　give　him　power；　and　all　men　as　if　by

agreement　co…operate　to　confirm　that　power。　Chance　forms　the

characters　of　the　rulers　of　France；　who　submit　to　him；　chance　forms

the　character　of　Paul　I　of　Russia　who　recognizes　his　government；

chance　contrives　a　plot　against　him　which　not　only　fails　to　harm　him

but　confirms　his　power。　Chance　puts　the　Duc　d'Enghien　in　his　hands　and

unexpectedly　causes　him　to　kill　him…　thereby　convincing　the　mob　more

forcibly　than　in　any　other　way　that　he　had　the　right；　since　he　had　the

might。　Chance　contrives　that　though　he　directs　all　his　efforts　to

prepare　an　expedition　against　England　（which　would　inevitably　have

ruined　him）　he　never　carries　out　that　intention；　but　unexpectedly

falls　upon　Mack　and　the　Austrians；　who　surrender　without　a　battle。

Chance　and　genius　give　him　the　victory　at　Austerlitz；　and　by　chance

all　men；　not　only　the　French　but　all　Europe…　except　England　which　does

not　take　part　in　the　events　about　to　happen…　despite　their　former

horror　and　detestation　of　his　crimes；　now　recognize　his　authority；　the

title　he　has　given　himself；　and　his　ideal　of　grandeur　and　glory；　which

seems　excellent　and　reasonable　to　them　all。

　　As　if　measuring　themselves　and　preparing　for　the　coming　movement；

the　western　forces　push　toward　the　east　several　times　in　1805；　1806；

1807；　and　1809；　gaining　strength　and　growing。　In　1811　the　group　of

people　that　had　formed　in　France　unites　into　one　group　with　the

peoples　of　Central　Europe。　The　strength　of　the　justification　of　the

man　who　stands　at　the　head　of　the　movement　grows　with　the　increased

size　of　the　group。　During　the　te