Bonaparte desired to bestow on French youths the organization of the "Mamelukes，" and he nearly succeeded. More exactly and in his own words， "His Majesty[76] desired to realize in a State of forty millions of inhabitants what had been done in Sparta and in Athens. -" But，" he is to say later， "I only half succeeded. That was one of my finest conceptions"；[77] M. de Fontanes and the other university men did not comprehend this or want to comprehend it. Napoleon himself could give only a moment of attention to his school work， his halting-spells between two campaigns；[78] in his absence， "they spoiled for him his best ideas"； "his executants "never perfectly carried out his intentions. "He scolded， and they bowed to the storm， but not the less continued on in the usual way." Fourcroy kept too much of the Revolution in mind， and Fontanes too much of the ancient régime； the former was too much a man of science， and the latter too much a man of letters； with such capacities they laid too great stress on intellectual culture and too little on discipline of the feelings.
In education， literature and science are "secondary " matters； the essential thing is training， an early， methodical， prolonged， irresistible training which， through the convergence of every means -lessons， examples and habits - inculcates "principles，" and lastingly impresses on young souls "the national doctrine，" a sort of social and political catechism， the first article of which commands fanatical docility， passionate devotion， and the total surrender of one's self to the Emperor.[79]
________________________________________________________________________Notes：
[1] (and obviously the aim of all other dictatorships. (SR.))[2] Pelet de la Lozère， 161. (Speech by Napoleon to the Council of State， March 11， 1806.)[3] Our last son entered the French School system at the age of 5 in 1984 and his school record followed him from school to school until he left 13 years later with his terminal exam， the Baccalaureat. (SR.)[4] What a wonderful procedure， it was to be copied and used by all the dominant rulers of the 20th century. Taine's book is， however， not to be let into immature hands， so no wonder it was hardly ever referred to by those who had profited by it. (SR.)[5] A. de Beauchamp， Recueil des lois et réglements sur l'enseignement supérior， 4 vol. ( (Rapport of Fourcroy to the Corps Législatif， May 6， 1806.) "How important it is . . . that the mode of education admitted to be the best should add to this advantage， that of being uniform for the whole Empire， teaching the same knowledge， inculcating the same principles on individuals who must live together in the same society， forming in some way but one body， possessing but one mind， and all contributing to the public good through unanimity of sentiment and action."[6] Pelet de la Lozère， 154.
[7] A. de Beauchamp， ibid. (Decree of March 7， 1808.) - Special and collateral schools which teach subjects not taught in the lycées， for example the living languages， which are confined to filling a gap， and do not compete with the lycées， are subject to previous authorization and to university pay.
[8] Pelet de la Lozère， p. 170. (Session of the Council of State， March 20， 1806).
[9] Quicherat， "Histoire de Sainte-Barbe，" III.， 125.
[10] A. de Beauchamp， ibid. (Decrees of March 17， 1808， arts 103 and 105， of Sep. 17， 1808， arts. 2 and 3 of Novem. 15， 1801， arts. 54， 55and 56.) "Should any one publicly teach and keep a school without the Grand-Master's consent， he will be officially prosecuted by our imperial judges， who will close the school. . . . He will be brought before the criminal court and condemned to a fine of from one hundred to two hundred francs， without prejudice to greater penalties， should he be found guilty of having directed instruction in a way contrary to order and to the public interest." - Ibid.， art. 57. (On the closing of schools provided with prescribed authority.)[11] A. de Beauchamp， ibid. (Decree of Sep. 17， 1808， arts. 27， 28， 29， 30， and act passed April 7， 1809.)[12] Id.， ibid. (Decrees of March 17， 1808， art. 134； of Sep. 17， 1808， arts. 25 and 26； of Nov.15， 1811， art. 63).
[13] Ambroise Rendu， "Essai sur l'instruction publique，" 4 vols.， 1819， I.， 221. (Notice to M. de Fontanes， March 24， 1808. "The university undertakes all public institutions， and must strive to have as few private institutions as possible.