the story of mankind-第52章

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that　the　allies　were　divided　into　two　hostile　camps。　On　the

one　side　were　Russia；　who　wanted　to　take　Poland；　and　Prussia；

who　wanted　to　annex　Saxony；　and　on　the　other　side　were

Austria　and　England；　who　were　trying　to　prevent　this　grab

because　it　was　against　their　own　interest　that　either　Prussia　or

Russia　should　be　able　to　dominate　Europe。　Talleyrand　played

the　two　sides　against　each　other　with　great　skill　and　it　was　due

to　his　efforts　that　the　French　people　were　not　made　to　suffer

for　the　ten　years　of　oppression　which　Europe　had　endured　at

the　hands　of　the　Imperial　officials。　He　argued　that　the　French

people　had　been　given　no　choice　in　the　matter。　Napoleon　had

forced　them　to　act　at　his　bidding。　But　Napoleon　was　gone　and

Louis　XVIII　was　on　the　throne。　‘‘Give　him　a　chance；''　Talleyrand

pleaded。　And　the　Allies；　glad　to　see　a　legitimate　king

upon　the　throne　of　a　revolutionary　country；　obligingly　yielded

and　the　Bourbons　were　given　their　chance；　of　which　they

made　such　use　that　they　were　driven　out　after　fifteen　years。



The　second　man　of　the　triumvirate　of　Vienna　was　Metternich；

the　Austrian　prime　minister；　the　leader　of　the　foreign

policy　of　the　house　of　Habsburg。　Wenzel　Lothar；　Prince　of

Metternich…Winneburg；　was　exactly　what　the　name　suggests。

He　was　a　Grand　Seigneur；　a　very　handsome　gentleman　with

very　fine　manners；　immensely　rich；　and　very　able；　but　the

product　of　a　society　which　lived　a　thousand　miles　away　from

the　sweating　multitudes　who　worked　and　slaved　in　the　cities

and　on　the　farms。　As　a　young　man；　Metternich　had　been

studying　at　the　University　of　Strassburg　when　the　French

Revolution　broke　out。　Strassburg；　the　city　which　gave　birth

to　the　Marseillaise；　had　been　a　centre　of　Jacobin　activities。

Metternich　remembered　that　his　pleasant　social　life　had　been

sadly　interrupted；　that　a　lot　of　incompetent　citizens　had　suddenly

been　called　forth　to　perform　tasks　for　which　they　were

not　fit；　that　the　mob　had　celebrated　the　dawn　of　the　new　liberty

by　the　murder　of　perfectly　innocent　persons。　He　had　failed　to

see　the　honest　enthusiasm　of　the　masses；　the　ray　of　hope　in　the

eyes　of　women　and　children　who　carried　bread　and　water　to

the　ragged　troops　of　the　Convention；　marching　through　the

city　on　their　way　to　the　front　and　a　glorious　death　for　the

French　Fatherland。



The　whole　thing　had　filled　the　young　Austrian　with　disgust。

It　was　uncivilised。　If　there　were　any　fighting　to　be　done　it

must　be　done　by　dashing　young　men　in　lovely　uniforms；　charging

across　the　green　fields　on　well…groomed　horses。　But　to

turn　an　entire　country　into　an　evil…smelling　armed　camp　where

tramps　were　overnight　promoted　to　be　generals；　that　was　both

wicked　and　senseless。　‘‘See　what　came　of　all　your　fine　ideas；''

he　would　say　to　the　French　diplomats　whom　he　met　at　a　quiet

little　dinner　given　by　one　of　the　innumerable　Austrian　grand…

dukes。　‘‘You　wanted　liberty；　equality　and　fraternity　and　you

got　Napoleon。　How　much　better　it　would　have　been　if　you

had　been　contented　with　the　existing　order　of　things。''　And

he　would　explain　his　system　of　‘‘stability。''　He　would　advocate

a　return　to　the　normalcy　of　the　good　old　days　before　the

war；　when　everybody　was　happy　and　nobody　talked　nonsense

about　‘‘everybody　being　as　good　as　everybody　else。''　In　this

attitude　he　was　entirely　sincere　and　as　he　was　an　able　man　of

great　strength　of　will　and　a　tremendous　power　of　persuasion；

he　was　one　of　the　most　dangerous　enemies　of　the　Revolutionary

ideas。　He　did　not　die　until　the　year　1859；　and　he　therefore

lived　long　enough　to　see　the　complete　failure　of　all　his　policies

when　they　were　swept　aside　by　the　revolution　of　the　year　1848。

He　then　found　himself　the　most　hated　man　of　Europe　and

more　than　once　ran　the　risk　of　being　lynched　by　angry　crowds

of　outraged　citizens。　But　until　the　very　last；　he　remained　steadfast

in　his　belief　that　he　had　done　the　right　thing。



He　had　always　been　convinced　that　people　preferred　peace

to　liberty　and　he　had　tried　to　give　them　what　was　best　for　them。

And　in　all　fairness；　it　ought　to　be　said　that　his　efforts　to

establish　universal　peace　were　fairly　successful。　The　great　powers

did　not　fly　at　each　other's　throat　for　almost　forty　years；　indeed

not　until　the　Crimean　war　between　Russia　and　England；

France　and　Italy　and　Turkey；　in　the　year　1854。　That　means

a　record　for　the　European　continent。



The　third　hero　of　this　waltzing　congress　was　the　Emperor

Alexander。　He　had　been　brought　up　at　the　court　of　his　grand…

mother；　the　famous　Catherine　the　Great。　Between　the　lessons

of　this　shrewd　old　woman；　who　taught　him　to　regard　the　glory

of　Russia　as　the　most　important　thing　in　life；　and　those　of　his

private　tutor；　a　Swiss　admirer　of　Voltaire　and　Rousseau；　who

filled　his　mind　with　a　general　love　of　humanity；　the　boy　grew

up　to　be　a　strange　mixture　of　a　selfish　tyrant　and　a　sentimental

revolutionist。　He　had　suffered　great　indignities　during　the

life　of　his　crazy　father；　Paul　I。　He　had　been　obliged　to　wit…

ness　the　wholesale　slaughter　of　the　Napoleonic　battle…fields。

Then　the　tide　had　turned。　His　armies　had　won　the　day　for　the

Allies。　Russia　had　become　the　saviour　of　Europe　and　the　Tsar

of　this　mighty　people　was　acclaimed　as　a　half…god　who　would

cure　the　world　of　its　many　ills。



But　Alexander　was　not　very　clever。　He　did　not　know

men　and　women　as　Talleyrand　and　Metternich　knew　them。

He　did　not　understand　the　strange　game　of　diplomacy。　He

was　vain　（who　would　not　be　under　the　circumstances？）　and

loved　to　hear　the　applause　of　the　multitude　and　soon　he　had

become　the　main　‘‘attraction''　of　the　Congress　while　Metternich

and　Talleyrand　and　Castlereagh　（the　very　able　British

representative）　sat　around　a　table　and　drank　a　bottle　of　Tokay

and　decided　what　was　actually　going　to　be　done。　They　needed

Russia　and　therefore　they　were　very　polite　to　Alexander；　but

the　less　he　had　personally　to　do　with　the　actual　work　of　the

Congress；　the　better　they　were　pleased。　They　even　encouraged

his　plans　for　a　Holy　Alliance　that　he　might　be　fully　occupied

while　they　were　engaged　upon　the　work　at　hand。



Alexander　was　a　sociable　person　who　liked　to　go　to　parties

and　meet　people。　Upon　such　occasions　he　was　happy　and　gay

but　there　was　a　very　different　element　in　his　character。　He

tried　to　forget　something　which　he　could　not　forget。　On　the

night　of　the　23rd　of　March　of　the　year　1801　he　had　been　sitting

in　a　room　of　the　St。　Michael　Palace　in　Petersburg；　waiting　for

the　news　of　his　father's　abdication。　But　Paul　had　refused　to

sign　the　document　which　the　drunken　officers　had　placed　before

him　on　the　table；　and　in　their　rage　they　had　put　a　scarf

around　his　neck　and　had　strangled　him　to　death。　Then　they

had　gone　downstairs　to　tell　Alexander　that　he　was　Emperor　of

all　the　Russian　lands。



The　memory　of　this　terrible　night　stayed　with　the　Tsar

who　was　a　very　sensitive　person。　He　had　been　educated　in

the　school　of　the　great　French　philosophers　who　did　not　believe

in　God　but　in　Human　Reason。　But　Reason　alone　could

not　satisfy　the　Emperor　in　his　predicament。　He　began　to

hear　voices　and　see　things。　He　tried　to　find　a　way　by　which

he　could　square　himself　with　his　conscience。　He　became　very

pious　and　began　to　take　an　interest　in　mysticism；　that　strange

love　of　the　mysterious　and　the　unknown　which　is　as　old　as　the

temples　of　Thebes　and　Babylon。



The　tremendous　emotion　of　the　great　revolutionary　era

had　influenced　the　character　of　the　people　of　that　day　in　a

strange　way。　Men　and　women　who　had　lived　through　twenty

years　of　anxiety　and　fear　were　no　longer　quite　normal。　They

jumped　whenever　the　door…bell　rang。　It　might　mean　the　news

of　the　‘‘death　on　the　field　of　honour''　of　an　only　son。　The

phrases　about　‘‘brotherly　love''　and　‘‘liberty''　of　the　Revolution

were　hollow　words　in　the　ears　of　sorely　stricken　peasants。

They　clung　to　anything　that　might　give　them　a　new　hold　on

the　terrible　problems　of　life。　In　their　grief　and　misery　they

were　easily　imposed　upon　by　a　large　number　of　imposters

who　posed　as　prophets　and　preached　a　strange　new　doctrine

which　they　dug　out　of　the　more　obscure　passages　of　the　Book

of　Revelations。



In　the　year　1814；　Alexander；　who　had　already　consulted　a

large　number　of　wonder…doctors；　heard　of　a　new　seeress　who

was　foretelling　the　coming　doom　of　the　world　and　was　exhorting

people　to　repent　ere　it　be　too　late。　The　Baroness　von

Krudener；　the　lady　in　question；　was　a　Russian　woman　of　uncertain

age　and　similar　reputation　who　had　been　the　wife　of　a

Russian　diplomat　in　the　days　of　the　Emperor　Paul。　She　had

squandered　her　husband's　money　and　had　disgraced　him　by

her　strange　love　affairs。　She　had　lived　a　very　dissolute　life

until　her　nerves　had　given　way　and　for　a　while　she　was　not　in

her　right　mind。　Then　she　had　been　converted　by　the　sight　of

the　sudden　death　of　a　friend。　Thereafter　she　despised　all

gaiety。　She　confessed　her　former　sins　to　her　shoemaker；　a

pious　Moravian　brother；　a　follower　of　the　old　reformer　John

Huss；　who　had　been　burned　for　his　heresies　by　the　Council　of

Constance　in　the　year　1415。



The　next　ten　years　the　Baroness　spent　in　Germany　making

a　specialty　of　the　‘‘conversion''　of　kings　and　princes。　To　convince

Alexander；　the　Saviour　of　Europe；　of　the　error　of　his

ways　was　the　greatest　ambition　of　her　life。　And　as　Alexander；

in　his　misery；　was　willing　to　listen　to　anybody　who　brought　him

a　ray　of　hope；　the　interview　was　easily　arranged。　On　the　evening

of　the　fourth　of　June　of　the　year　1815；　she　was　admitted

to　the　tent　of　the　Emperor。　She　found　him　reading　his　Bible。

We　do　not　know　what　she　said　to　Alexander；　but　when　she

left　him　three　hours　later；　he　was　bathed　in　tears；　and　vowed

that　‘‘at　last　his　soul　had　found　peace。''　From　that　day　on　the

Baroness　was　his　faithful　companion　and　his　spiritual　adviser。

She　followed　him　to　Paris　and　then　to　Vienna　and　the　time

which　Alexander　did　not　spend　dancing　he　spent　at　the

Krudener　prayer…meetings。



You　may　ask　why　I　tell　you　this　story　in　such　great　detail？

Are　not　the　social　changes　of　the　nineteenth　century　of　greater

importance　than　the　career　of　an　ill…balanced　woman　who　had

better　be　forgotten？　Of　course　they　are；　but　there　exist　any

number　of　books　which　will　tell　you　of　these　other　things　with

great　accuracy　and　in　great　detail。　I　want　you　to　learn　something

more　from　this　history　than　a　mere　succession　of　facts。

I　want　you　to　approach　all　historical　events　in　a　frame　of　mind

that　will　take　nothing　for　granted。　Don't　be　satisfied　with

the　mere　statement　that　‘‘such　and　such　a　thing　happened　then

and　there。''　Try　to　discover　the　hidden　motives　behind　every

action　and　then　you　will　understand　the　world　around　you

much　better　and　you　will　have　a　greater　chance　to　help　others；

which　（when　all　is　said　and　done）　is　the　only　truly　satisfactory

way　of　living。



I　do　not　want　you　to　think　of　the