The peasants carry guns even when at the plow. One cannot take a step without an escort； a detachment of five or six men is often sent to carry a letter from one post-office to another."Interpret this general statement by the thousands of facts of which it is the summary； imagine these little daily occurrences narrated with all their material accompaniments， and with sympathetic or angry comments by interested neighbors， and we have the moral lessons taught to young Bonaparte.[30] At table， the child has listened to the conversation of his elders， and at a word uttered， for instance， by his uncle， or at a physiognomic expression， a sign of approbation， a shrug of the shoulders， he has divined that the ordinary march of society is not that of peace but of war； he sees by what ruses one maintains one's-self， by what acts of violence one makes ones way， by what sort of help one mounts upward. Left to himself the rest of the day， to the nurse Ilaria， or to Saveria the housekeeper， or to the common people amongst whom he strays at will， he listens to the conversation of sailors or of shepherds assembled on the public square， and their simple exclamations， their frank admiration of well-planned ambuscades and lucky surprises， impress more profoundly on him， often repeated with so much energy， the lessons which he has already learned at home. These are the lessons taught by things. At this tender age they sink deep， especially when the disposition is favorable， and in this case the heart sanctions them beforehand， because education finds its confederate in instinct. Accordingly， at the outbreak of the Revolution， on revisiting Corsica， he takes life at once as he finds it there， a combat with any sort of weapon， and， on this small arena， he acts unscrupulously， going farther than anybody.[31] If he respects justice and law， it is only in words， and even here ironically； in his eyes， law is a term of the code， justice a book term， while might makes right.
A second blow of the coining-press gives another impression of the same stamp on this character already so decided， while French anarchy forces maxims into the mind of the young man， already traced in the child's mind by Corsican anarchy； the lessons of things provided by a society going to pieces are the same as those of a society which is not yet formed. - His sharp eyes， at a very early period， see through the flourish of theory and the parade of phrases； they detect the real foundation of the Revolution， namely， the sovereignty of unbridled passions and the conquest of the majority by the minority； conquering or conquered， a choice must be made between these two extreme conditions； there is no middle course. After the 9th of Thermidor， the last veils are torn away， and the instincts of license and domination， the ambitions of individuals， fully display themselves.
There is no concern for public interests or for the rights of the people； it is clear that the rulers form a band， that France is their prey， and that they intend to hold on to it for and against everybody， by every possible means， including bayonets. Under this civil régime， a clean sweep of the broom at the center makes it necessary to be on the side of numbers. - In the armies， especially in the army of Italy， republican faith and patriotic abnegation， since the territory became free， have given way to natural appetites and military passions.[32]
Barefoot， in rags， with four ounces of bread a day， paid in assignats which are not accepted in the markets， both officers and men desire above all things to be relieved of their misery； "the poor fellows， after three years of longing on the summits of the Alps， reach the promised land， and want to enjoy it."[33] Another spur consists in the pride which is stimulated by the imagination and by success； add to this the necessity for finding an outlet for their energy， the steam and high pressure of youth ； nearly all are very young men， who regard life， in Gallic or French fashion， as a party of pleasure and as a duel. But to feel brave and to prove that one is so， to face bullets for amusement and defiantly， to abandon a successful adventure for a battle and a battle for a ball， to enjoy ones-self and take risks to excess， without dissimulating， and with no other object than the sensation of the moment，[34] to revel in excitement through emulation and danger， is no longer self-devotion， but giving one's-self up to one's fancies ； and， for all who are not harebrained， to give one's-self up to one's fancies means to make one's way， obtain promotion， pillage so as to become rich， like Massena， and conquer so as to become powerful， like Bonaparte. - All this is understood between the general and his army from the very first，[35] and， after one year's experience， the understanding is perfect. One moral is derived from their common acts， vague in the army， precise in the general； what the army only half sees， he sees clearly； if he urges his comrades on， it is because they follow their own inclination. He simply has a start on them， and is quicker to make up his mind that the world is a grand banquet， free to the first-comer， but at which， to be well served， one must have long arms， be the first to get helped， and let the rest take what is left.
So natural does this seem to him， he says so openly and to men who are not his intimates； to Miot， a diplomat， and to Melzi a foreigner：
"Do you suppose， says he to them，[36] after the preliminaries of Leoben， "that to make great men out of Directory lawyers， the Carnots'