书城公版The Origins of Contemporary France
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第1020章

[30] Roederer, "Mémoires, "III., 281. "Men, under his government, who had hitherto been considered incapable are made useful; men hitherto considered distinguished found themselves mixed in with the crowd; men hitherto regarded as the pillars of the State found themselves useless . . . An ass or a knave need never be ambitious to approach Bonaparte, they will make nothing out of him."[31] Fiévée, "Correspondance," III., 33. - Roederer, III., 381.

[32] Beugnot, "Mémoires," II., 372.

[33] Lefebvre, a former sergeant in the French guards, who became marshal of the empire and Duc de Dantzig, with 150,000 francs a year, received the visit of a comrade who, instead of having mounted the ladder as he had done, had remained at the bottom of it. The marshal, a fine fellow, welcomed his comrade heartily, and showed him over his hotel. The visitor's face gradually grew somber, and bitter words escaped from his lips; he often murmured, "Ah, how lucky you are!" -At last, the marshal, impatient, said to him, "Well, I will make all this over to you on one condition." - "What is it?" - "You must go down into the court. I will post two grenadiers at the window with their guns, and they shall fire at you. If they miss, you shall have the hotel and everything in it." - "Ah, no, thanks!" - "My friend, more shots than these have been fired at me and nearer by!"[34] Roederer, III., 332 (Aug. 2, 1800).

[35] Papers of Maine de Biran. (Note communicated by M. Naville.)Letter of Baron Maurice, prefect of Dordogne, to M. Maine de Biran, sub-prefect of Bergerac, transmitting to him by order of the minister of the interior a blank form to be filled up by him presenting the "Statistics of young ladies belonging to the most notable families of the arrondissement." The form annexed contained several columns, one for names and given names, others for the future inheritance of real and personal estate, etc. A clever or energetic prefect, provided with this list, was able and was expected to take an active part in marriages and see that all the large dowries were appropriated on the right side. - "Memoires de Madame de -------," part 3rd, ch. VIII., p.

154. (These very instructive memoirs by a very sincere and judicious person are still unpublished. I am not authorized to give the name of the author.) "It was at this time that the emperor took it into his head to marry as he saw fit the young girls who had more than 50,000livres rental." A rich heiress of Lyons, intended for M. Jules de Polignac, is thus wedded to M. de Marb?uf. M. d'Aligre, by dint of address and celerity, evades for his daughter first M. de Caulaincourt and then M. de Faudoas, brother-in-law to Savary, and in stead weds her to M. de Pommereu. - Baron de Vitrolles, Mémoires, I. 19. (His daughter was designated by the prefect of the Basses-Alpes.) - Comte Joseph d'Estourmel, "Souvenirs de France et d'Italie," 239. (Details of this description of the young ladies to be married and the circular from the duke de Rovigo, minister of police.) the eight column of the form was "reserved to describe the physical charms and deformities, the talents, the conduct and the religious principles of each of the young ladies."[36] "Statistiques des Préfets." (Doubs, by Debry, p. 60; Meurthe, by Marquis, p. 115, Ain, by Bossi, p.240.)[37] "Statistique de l'Ain," by Bossi, p. 1808. From 1140 in 1801, the number of employees and others under state pay amounts to 1771 in 1806. This increase is attributed by the prefect to causes just stated.

[38] Napoleon, "Correspondance." (Note of April 11, 1811.) "There will always be at Hamburg, Bremen and Lubeck from 8,000 to 10,000 French, either employees or gendarmes, in the customs and depots."[39] One officer may be counted to every 50 men in the infantry; in the cavalry 1 officer to every 25 or 30 men, - This ratio of one officer to every fifty men indicates that, among the 1,700,000 men who perished between 1804 and 1815, there were 24,000 officers, which gives about 3,000 vacancies per annum, to which must be added the vacancies due to the wounded, disabled and and retired. It must be noted, moreover, that the death or retirement of an officer above the grade of second-lieutenant makes several vacancies, vacancies which are more numerous the higher the rank. When a captain is killed there are three promotions and so on.

[40] "The Revolution" III., 335. (Laff. II. p. 250) - Already, in 1795, the need of competent and specialized men was so great that the government sought, even among royalists, for financial and diplomatic heads of these services; it made offers to M. Dufresne and to M. de Rayneval. -Ib. 406. - (Cf. "Mémoires" by Gaudin, Miot de Melito and Mollien.)[41] Words of Bouquier, reporter of the law on education (session of the Convention, Frimaire 22, year II).

[42] The reader is recommended to do as I have done and consult biographies on point, also the souvenirs of his grandparents.

(H.A.Taine.)