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　and　becomes　twice　as　fat　as　the　rest；　must　seem　to　be　a　genius。　And　the　circumstance　that　every　evening　that　sheep　does　not　come　into　the　common　fold；　but　into　a　special　pen　full　of　oats；　and　that　that　same　sheep　grows　fat　and　is　killed　for　mutton；　must　present　itself　to　the　minds　of　the　other　sheep　as　a　singular　conjunction　of　genius　with　a　whole　series　of　exceptional　chances。
But　the　sheep　need　only　cease　to　assume　that　all　that　is　done　to　them　is　with　a　view　to　the　attainment　of　their　sheepish　ends；　they　need　only　admit　that　the　events　that　occur　to　them　may　have　ends　beyond　their　ken；　and　they　will　at　once　see　a　unity　and　a　coherence　in　what　happens　with　the　fatted　sheep。　Even　though　they　will　not　know　for　what　end　he　is　fattened；　at　least　they　will　know　that　all　what　happens　to　him　does　not　happen　by　chance；　and　they　will　have　no　need　to　resort　to　the　conception　of　chance；　nor　to　the　conception　of　genius。
It　is　only　by　renouncing　all　claims　to　knowledge　of　an　immediate　comprehensible　aim；　and　acknowledging　the　final　aim　to　be　beyond　our　ken；　that　we　see　a　consistent　whole　in　the　life　of　historical　persons。　The　cause　is　then　revealed　to　us　of　that　effect　produced　by　them　out　of　proportion　with　the　common　powers　of　humanity；　and　we　have　no　need　of　the　words　chance　and　genius。
We　have　only　to　admit　that　the　object　of　the　convulsions　of　the　European　nations　is　beyond　our　knowledge；　and　that　we　know　only　the　facts；　consisting　mainly　of　murders　committed　at　first　in　France；　then　in　Italy；　then　in　Africa；　in　Prussia；　in　Austria；　in　Spain；　and　in　Russia；　and　that　the　movements　from　west　to　east　and　from　east　to　west　constitute　the　essence　and　end　of　those　events；　and　we　shall　not　need　to　see　something　exceptional—genius—in　the　characters　of　Napoleon　and　of　Alexander；　and　shall　indeed　be　unable　to　conceive　of　those　persons　as　being　in　any　way　different　from　everybody　else。　And　far　from　having　to　explain　as　chance　those　petty　events；　which　made　those　men　what　they　were；　it　will　be　clear　to　us　that　all　those　petty　details　were　inevitable。
When　we　give　up　all　claim　to　a　knowledge　of　the　final　end；　we　shall　clearly　perceive　that　just　as　we　cannot　invent　any　flower　or　seed　more　truly　appropriate　to　a　plant　than　those　it　produces；　so　we　cannot　imagine　any　two　persons；　with　all　their　past　in　such　complete　congruity　down　to　the　smallest　details；　with　the　part　they　were　destined　to　play。


Chapter　3
THE　UNDERLYING　ESSENTIALLY　SIGNIFICANT　FEATURE　of　the　European　events　at　the　beginning　of　the　present　century　is　the　military　movement　of　masses　of　European　peoples　from　west　to　east；　and　again　from　east　to　west。　The　original　movement　was　that　from　west　to　east。　That　the　peoples　of　the　west　might　be　able　to　accomplish　the　military　march　upon　Moscow；　which　they　did　accomplish；　it　was　essential　（1）　that　they　should　be　combined　in　a　military　group　of　such　a　magnitude　as　to　be　able　to　withstand　the　resistance　of　the　military　group　of　the　east；　（2）　that　they　should　have　renounced　all　their　established　traditions　and　habits；　and　（3）　that　they　should　have　at　their　head　a　man　able　to　justify　in　his　own　name　and　theirs　the　perpetration　of　all　the　deception；　robbery；　and　murder　that　accompany　that　movement。
And　to　start　from　the　French　Revolution；　that　old　group　of　insufficient　magnitude　is　broken　up；　the　old　habits　and　traditions　are　destroyed；　step　by　step　a　group　is　elaborated　of　new　dimensions；　new　habits；　and　new　traditions；　and　the　man　is　prepared；　who　is　to　stand　at　the　head　of　the　coming　movement；　and　to　take　upon　himself　the　whole　responsibility　of　what　has　to　be　done。
A　man　of　no　convictions；　no　habits；　no　traditions；　no　name；　not　even　a　Frenchman；　by　the　strangest　freaks　of　chance；　as　it　seems；　rises　above　the　seething　parties　of　France；　and　without　attaching　himself　to　any　one　of　them；　advances　to　a　prominent　position。
The　incompetence　of　his　colleagues；　the　weakness　and　insignificance　of　his　opponents；　the　frankness　of　the　deception；　and　the　dazzling　and　self…confident　limitation　of　the　man　raise　him　to　the　head　of　the　army。　The　brilliant　personal　qualities　of　the　soldiers　of　the　Italian　army；　the　disinclination　to　fight　of　his　opponents；　and　his　childish　insolence　and　conceit　gain　him　military　glory。　Innumerable　so…called　chance　circumstances　attend　him　everywhere。　The　disfavour　into　which　he　falls　with　the　French　Directorate　turns　to　his　advantage。　His　efforts　to　avoid　the　path　ordained　for　him　are　unsuccessful；　he　is　not　received　into　the　Russia　army；　and　his　projects　in　Turkey　come　to　nothing。
During　the　wars　in　Italy　he　was　several　times　on　the　verge　of　destruction；　and　was　every　time　saved　in　an　unexpected　fashion。　The　Russian　troops—the　very　troops　which　were　able　to　demolish　his　glory—owing　to　various　diplomatic　considerations；　do　not　enter　Europe　until　he　is　there。
On　his　return　from　Italy；　he　finds　the　government　in　Paris　in　that　process　of　dissolution　in　which　all　men　who　are　in　the　government　are　inevitably　effaced　and　nullified。　And　an　escape　for　him　from　that　perilous　position　offers　itself　in　the　shape　of　an　aimless；　groundless　expedition　to　Africa。　Again　the　same　so…called　chance　circumstances　accompany　him。　Malta；　the　impregnable；　surrenders　without　a　shot　being　fired；　the　most　ill…considered　measures　are　crowned　with　success。　The　enemy’s　fleet；　which　later　on　does　not　let　one　boat　escape　it；　now　lets　a　whole　army　elude　it。　In　Africa　a　whole　series　of　outrages　is　perpetrated　on　the　almost　unarmed　inhabitants。　And　the　men　perpetrating　these　atrocities；　and　their　leader　most　of　all；　persuade　themselves　that　it　is　noble；　it　is　glory；　that　it　is　like　C？sar　and　Alexander　of　Macedon；　and　that　it　is　fine。
That　ideal　of　glory　and　of　greatness；　consisting　in　esteeming　nothing　one　does　wrong；　and　glorying　in　every　crime；　and　ascribing　to　it　an　incomprehensible；　supernatural　value—that　ideal；　destined　to　guide　this　man　and　those　connected　with　him；　is　elaborated　on　a　grand　scale　in　Africa。　Whatever　he　does　succeeds。　The　plague　does　not　touch　him。　The　cruelty　of　murdering　his　prisoners　is　not　remembered　against　him。　His　childishly　imprudent；　groundless；　and　ignoble　departure　from　Africa；　abandoning　his　comrades　in　misfortune；　does　him　good　service；　and　again　the　enemy’s　fleet　lets　him　twice　slip　through　their　hands。　At　the　moment　when；　completely　intoxicated　by　the　success　of　his　crimes　and　ready　for　the　part　he　has　to　play；　he　arrives　in　Paris　entirely　without　any　plan；　the　disintegration　of　the　Republican　government；　which　might　have　involved　him　in　its　ruin　a　year　before；　has　now　reached　its　utmost　limit；　and　his　presence；　a　man　independent　of　parties；　can　now　only　aid　his　elevation。
He　has　no　sort　of　plan；　he　is　afraid　of　everything；　but　all　parties　clutch　at　him　and　insist　on　his　support。
He　alone—with　the　ideal　of　glory　and　greatness　he　has　acquired　in　Italy　and　Egypt；　with　his　frenzy　of　self…adoration；　with　his　insolence　in　crime；　and　his　frankness　in　mendacity—he　alone　can　justify　what　has　to　be　accomplished。
He　is　needed　for　the　place　that　awaits　him；　and　so；　almost　apart　from　his　own　volition；　and　in　spite　of　his　uncertainty；　the　lack　of　plan；　and　the　blunders　he　commits；　he　is　drawn　into　a　conspiracy　that　aims　at　seizing　power；　and　that　conspiracy　is　crowned　with　success。
He　is　dragged　into　the　assembly　of　the　rulers。　In　alarm　he　tries　to　flee；　believing　himself　in　danger；　pretends　to　faint；　says　the　most　senseless　things　that　should　have　been　his　ruin。　But　the　rulers　of　France；　once　proud　and　discerning；　now　feeling　their　part　is　over；　are　even　more　panic…stricken　than　he；　and　fail　to　utter　the　words　they　should　have　pronounced　to　preserve　their　power　and　crush　him。
Chance；　millions　of　chances；　give　him　power；　and　all　men；　as　though　in　league　together；　combine　to　confirm　that　power。　Chance　circumstances　create　the　characters　of　the　rulers　of　France；　who　cringe　before　him；　chance　creates　the　character　of　Paul　I。；　who　acknowledges　his　authority；　chance　causes　the　plot　against　him　to　strengthen　his　power　instead　of　shaking　it。　Chance　throws　the　Duc　d’Enghien　into　his　hands　and　accidentally　impels　him　to　kill　him；　thereby　convincing　the　crowd　by　the　strongest　of　all　arguments　that　he　has　the　right　on　his　side　since　he　has　the　might。　Chance　brings　it　to　pass　that　though　he　strains　every　nerve　to　fit　out　an　expedition　against　England；　which　would　unmistakably　have　led　to　his　ruin；　he　never　puts　this　project　into　execution；　and　happens　to　fall　upon　Mack　with　the　Austrians；　who　surrender　without　a　battle。　Chance　and　genius　give　him　the　victory　at　Austerlitz；　and　by　chance　it　comes　to　pass　that　all　men；　not　only　the　French；　but　all　the　countries　of　Europe　except　England；　which　takes　no　part　in　the　events　that　are　to　be　accomplished；　forget　their　old　horror　and　aversion　for　his　crimes；　and　now　recognise　the　power　he　has　gained　by　them；　acknowledge　the　title　he　has　bestowed　upon　himself；　and　accept　his　ideal　of　greatness　and　glory；　which　seems　to　every　one　something　fine　and　rational。
As　though　practising　and　preparing　themselves　for　the　great　movement　before　them；　the　forces　of　the　west　made　several　dashes—in　1805；　1806；　1807　and　1809—into　the　east；　growing　stronger　and　more　numerous。　In　1811　a　group　of　men　formed