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unchangeable worth and of an inexhaustible mine; since it lies in
French honor; a currency which can solely reward actions regarded as
above any recompense。〃
'44' Thibaudeau; ibid。; 83。 (Address by the First Consul to the
council of State; Floréal 14; year X。) … Also 〃Mémorial〃: 〃Old and
corrupt nations are not governed the same as young and virtuous ones;
sacrifices have to be made to interest; to enjoyments; to vanity。 This
is the secret of the return to monarchical forms; to titles。 crosses;
ribbons; harmless baubles suited to exciting the respect of the
multitude while at the same time enforcing self…respect。〃
'45' 〃La Légion d'honneur;〃 by M。 Mazas; passim。 Details on the
nomination ceremonials。 〃The veritable date was July 15th; as the 14th
was Sunday。 Augereau and about sixty officers; 〃bad fellows〃 who
disliked the mass; refused to go into the chapel and remained outside
in the court。
'46' Several generals; Lecourbe; Souham ; etc。; were excluded as being
too republican or suspect and hostile。 Lemercier; Ducis; Delille; and
Lafayette refused。 Admiral Truguet; through pique and discontent; had
at first declined the grade of grand…officer; but finally changed his
mind and became at first commander and then grand…officer。
'47' 〃Les Cahiers du capitaine Coignet;〃 passim and pp。 95; 145。 〃When
the ceremony was over; handsome women who could get at me to examine
my cross; asked me if they might give me a kiss。〃 … At the Palais
Royal the proprietor of a café says to him: 〃Order whatever you want;
the Legion of Honor is welcome to anything。〃
'48' Mazas; ibid。; p。 413。 … Edmond Blanc; 〃Napoléon; ses institutions
civiles et administratives;〃 p。 279。 … The number of decorated; at
first; was to be 6;000。 In 1806; the emperor had nominated 14;500; and
taking his entire reign; until his fall; about 48;000。 The real force
of legionaries; however; then living does not surpass at this time
30;000; of which only 1;200 are in civil careers。 At the présent time;
December 1; 1888 (documents furnished by the records of the Légion
d'honneur); there are 52。915 decorated persons; of which 31;757 are
soldiers and 21;158 civilians。 Under the empire there was in all 1
cross to every 750 Frenchmen; at that time; out of 50 crosses there
were 2 for civil services; while in our day there are nearly 20。 (QUID
informs us that on 30…11…1994 the strength amounted to 207;390
persons。 SR。)
'49' Edmond Blanc; ibid。; 276…299; 325 and 326。 (List of titles of
prince and duke conferred by the emperor; and of gifts of 100;000
francs rental or of above that sum。)
'50' Mathieu Dumas; 〃Mémoires;〃 III。; 363。
'51' Napoleon; 〃Mémoires。〃
'52' Compare with the Brothers Grimm's fairytale: 〃The Fisherman and
his Wife。〃
'53' Thiers; 〃Histoire du Consulat et de l'Empire;〃 V。 III。; p。 210。
'54' Thiers; ibid。; p。195 (October 1806)。 Napoleon; in one of his
bulletins; had mentioned Murat's cavalry alone; omitting to mention
the infantry of Lannes; which behaved as well。 Lannes; disappointed;
did not dare read this bulletin to his men; and spoke to the emperor
about it。 'What reward can they look for if they don't find their
names published by the hundred…tongued voice of Fame which is under
your control!〃 Napoleon replies: 〃You and your men are children …
glory enough for all! 。 。 。 One of these days your turn will come in
the bulletins of the grand army。〃 Lannes reads this to his troops on
the great square of Stettin and it is received with outbursts of
enthusiasm。
'55' Madame de Rémusat。 III。; 129。
'56' The Revolution;〃 pp。 356…358。 (Laff。 I。 pp。 825…826。) … Marmont;
〃Mémoires;〃 I。 122。 (Letter to his mother; January 12; 1795。) 〃Behold
your son zealously fulfilling his duties; deserving of his country and
serving the republic。 。 。 。 We should not be worthy of liberty if we
did nothing to obtain it。〃
'57' Compare the 〃Journal du sergent Fricasse;〃 and 〃les Cahiers du
capitaine Coignet。〃 Fricasse is a volunteer who enlists in the defence
of the country; Coignet is a conscript ambitious of distinguishing
himself; and he says to his masters: 〃I promise to come back with the
fusil d'honneur or I shall be dead。〃
'58' Marmont; I。; 186; 282; 296。 (In Italy; 1796。) 〃At this epoch; our
ambition was quite secondary; we were solely concerned about our
duties and amusements。 The frankest and most cordial union existed
amongst us all。 。 。 。 No sentiment of envy; no low passion found room
in our breasts。 (Then) what excitement; what grandeur; what hopes and
what gayety! 。 。 。 Each had a presentiment of an illimitable future
and yet entertained no idea of personal ambition or calculation。〃 …
George Sand; 〃Histoire de ma vie。〃 (Correspondence of her father;
Commander Dupin。) … Stendhal; 〃Vie de Napoléon。〃 〃At this epoch
(1796); nobody in the army had any ambition。 I have known officers to
refuse promotion so as not to quit their regiment or their mistress。
'59' Roederer; III。; 556。 (Burgos; April 9; 1809; conversation with
General Lasalle written down the same evening。) 〃 You pass through
Paris?〃 〃Yes; it's the shortest way。 I shall get there at five in the
morning; I shall order a pair of boots; get my wife with child and
then leave for Germany。〃 … Roederer remarks to him that one risks
one's life and fights for the sake of promotion and to profit by
rising in the world。 〃No; not at all。 One takes pleasure in it。 One
enjoys fighting; it is pleasure enough in itself to fight! You are in
the midst of the uproar; of the action; of the smoke。 And then; on
acquiring reputation you have had the fun of making it。 When you have
got your fortune you know that your wife and children won't suffer。
That is enough。 As for myself; I could die to…morrow。〃 (The details of
this conversation are admirable; no document gives a better idea of
the officer of the epoch。)
'60' Compare with the idea of an ideal Chaver (kibbutznik)。: Melford
E。 Spiro; wrote 〃Kibbutz。 Venture in Utopia。〃 60 and described how
the Israeli kibbutzim as early as 1917 wanted the ideal kibbutzim to
be:
Loyal to his people
A brother to his fellows
A man of truth
A helpful and dependable brother
A lover of nature
Obedient to the orders of his leaders
Joyful and gay
Economical and generous
A man of courage
Pure in thoughts; words; and deeds (opposition to drinking; smoking
and sexual relationships)。
'61' Balzac has closely studied and admirably portrayed this type in a
〃Ménage de Gar?on。〃 … See other similar characters in Mérimée (〃Les
Mécontens;〃 and 〃les Espagnols en Danemark〃); in Stendhal (〃le
Chasseur vert〃)。 I knew five or six of them in my youth。
'62' Words of Marshal Marmont: 〃So long as he declared 'Everything for
France;' I served him enthusiastically; when he said; 'France and
myself' I served him zealously; when he said; 'myself and France;' I
served him with devotion。 It is only when he said; 'My