emulation of Frenchmen, would be recalled to their minds at every frep. At the fame time, orders were iffued that every individual of the army who fhould pillage or fteal fhould be hot; that the punishment of death fhould alfo be inflicted on every individual of the army who fhould impofe contributions on towns, villages, or individuals, or fhould commit extortions of any kind; and that, when any individuals of a divifion fhould have committed any diforders in a country, the whole divifion, if the offender fhould not be discovered, should be refponfible, and pay the fum neceffary to indemnify the inhabitants for the lofs fuftained.

Nothing but neceflaries for the foldiers, hofpitals, tranfports, and artillery, was to be put in requifition; and, when once the requifitions were made, the objects required were to be put into the hands of the different adminiftrations, who fhould give receipts for them, and receive others from thofe to whom they should diftribute them, and be accountable for every thing. Thus, in no cafe, could officers or foldiers receive directly the objects required. While Buonaparte was anxious to reftrain his officers and foldiers from giving any offence to the people of Egypt, he was farther folicitous to gain their forbearance and good will by the ftrongeft profeffions of regard for both their religious fentiments and civil interefts, endeavouring to perfuade them that they and the Great Nation could have no other than the fame objects in view, the fame friends, and the fame enemies. In a letter to the bafhaw of Egypt, June 30, he fays, "The executive direétory of the French republic have

5

frequently applied to the Sublime Porte to demand the punishment of the beys of Egypt, who oppressed, with their vexations, the merchants of France; but the Sublime Porte declared that the beys, an avaricious and fickle race, refused to liften to the principles of juftice; and, not only, that the Porte did not authorize thefe infults, but withdrew their protection from the perfons by whom they were committed; the French republic has refolved to fend a powerful army to put an end to the exactions of the beys of Egypt, in the fame manner as it has been feveral times compelled, during the prefent century, to take thefe meafures against the beys of Tunis and Algiers. You, who ought to be the mafters of the beys, and yet are kept at Cairo, without power or authority. You ought to regard my arrival with pleafure; you are, doubtlefs, already apprifed that I come not to attempt any thing against the alcoran or the fultan. You know that the French nation is the only ally which the fultan has in Europe. Come, then, and meet me, and curfe along with me the impious race of the beys."

On the fame day, the general-inchief, affuming the air and character of a true Mufelman, addressed a proclamation to the people of Egypt. As it ferves to display the character of the Egyptians, as well as that of Buonaparte, it may be acceptable to the reader that it fhould be inferted here, at full length, rather than receive a tincture of any other mind, even by abridgement. It is a curious fpecimen of that moral artillery with which Buonaparte, "becoming all things to all men," propofed to fpread the power of the French republic over the world. "In the

gracious:

name of God, moft merciful and gracious: there is no god, but only one God: he has not any fon or affociate in his kingdom, The moment deftined for chaftifing the beys, long impatiently expected,

has now come.

"For a long time, the beys who govern Egypt have infulted the French nation, and oppreffed their merchants with exactions.

"For a long time, this heap of flaves, purchased in the mountains of Caucafus and Georgia, have tyrannized over the fairest part of the world.

"But God, upon whom all depends, has directed that their empire fhould ceafe.

"Inhabitants of Egypt, when the beys tell you I come to deftroy your religion, believe them not: anfwer them, that I come to refcue the rights of the poor from the hands of their tyrants; and that the French refpect, more than the Mammalukes, God, his prophet, and the Koran.

Tell them that all men are equal in the eyes of God. Underfanding, ingenuity, and fcience alone, make a difference between them; and what wifdom, what talents, what virtues, diftinguifh the Mammalukes, that they thould have exclufively all that renders life sweet and pleasant?

"Is there a beautiful woman? the belongs to the Mammalukes. Is there a handfome flave, a fine bore, a fine houfe? they belong to the Mammalukes.

"Is Egypt their farm? let them fhew the leafe which God has given them. But God is juft and merciful to all his people. All the Egyptians are entitled to the poffeflion of all places. The wifeft, moft enlightened, and most virtuous, will

govern, and the people will be hap py.

You had once great cities, large canals, much trade: who has deftroyed them, but the avarice, injuftice, and tyranny, of the Mammalukes?

"Cadis, cheiks, imans, tcherbadjies, tell the people that we are the friends of true Muffelmen. Did we not deftroy the pope, who faw that it was neceflary to make war against the Muflelmen? Did we not deftroy the knights of Malta, because thofe foolish men thought that God wifhed war to be carried on against the Muffelmen? Have we not been, at all times, the friends of the grand feignior, (may God accomplish his wifhes!) and the foe of his foes? The Mammalukes, on the contrary, are not they ever revolting against the authority of the grand feignior, whom they ftill refule to acknowledge? Thrice happy thofe who are with us! they fhall profper in their fortune and rank; happy thofe who are neuter! they will have time to learn, to know us, and will be with us. But miferable, thrice miferable thofe who fhall arm for the Mammalukes, and fight against us; there fhall be no hope for them, they fhali perifh!

Article I. All places which fhall be three leagues diftant from the route of the French army fhall fend one of their principal inhabitants to the general, to declare that they fubmit, and will hoift the French flag, which is blue, white, and red.

II. Every village which fhall arm againft the French army fhall be burned to the ground.

III. Every village which fhall fubmit to the French fhall hoift the French flag, and that of the Sublime Porte, their ally.

IV. The

IV. The chieks, cadis, and imans, fhall continue to exercife their refpective functions: each inhabitant hall remain in his houfe; and pray ers fhall continue as ufual: every one fhall return thanks to God for the deftruction of the Mainmálukes. Glory to the fultan; glory to the French army, his friend! curfes to the Mammalukes; and happiness to the people of Egypt!"

To the fame effect, but with the brevity of a conqueror, Buonaparte, after he was mafter of Cairo, addreffed the bathaw and the people of Cairo. He confirmed, when mafter of Egypt, by means of the fignal victory which his army had gained, his former declaration, to preferve to the bafhaw of the grand feignior his revenues and appointment; and begged of him to affure the Porte that it would fuffer no kind of lofs, and that he would take care that it should continue to receive the tribute heretofore paid to

it.

Buonaparte not only declared himfelf a difciple and friend to Mahomet, but, by means of his emiffaries, as well as no obfcure hints in meffages and letters to different parties of Muflelmen, infinuated, that he was acquainted with their inward thoughts and defigns, and endeavoured to propagate a perfuafion that he had been actually and expreffly commiffioned, by the prophet, to refift, repel, and overthrow, the tyranny of the beys, to reform certain errors and abutes, and to promote juftice, mercy, and piety; the great ends of the Mahometan and only religion.

He was careful to pay homage, on every occafion, to the prophet. By his defire, and according to his

example, the French officers and foldiers were in the habit of affifting at the great feftivals and ceremonies in honour of the prophet. The whole army took the tone of outward refpect for Ifmaulifm.

In a few days after the reduction of Cairo, accompanied by feveral of his principal officers and fevera! members of the Egyptian institute, he went to fee the grand pyramid, called Cheops; in the interior of which he was attended by feveral muftis and imans. In a curious and interefting converfation, which took place between himself and thofe religious characters, on this occafion, Buonaparte fuftained his part fo well as to imprefs on their minds, at once, a refpect for his own understanding and knowledge, and an idea, at least for a time, that he entertained a refpect for the faith of Muffelmen. Having faluted the ftrangers and fat down with them, in their manner, on the ground, he faid, "God is great, and his works are marvellous. Here is a great work accomplished by the hands of man. What end had he in view who conftructed this pyramid?” One of the priefts anfwered, "It is the work of a great king of Egypt, called Cheops, who wished that his afbes might not be disturbed by facrilegious intrufions." "Cyrus, the Great," replied Buonaparte, "gave orders, that his inanimate body fhould be expofed to the open air, on purpofe that it might be the more eafily and completely diffolved, and be re-united to the natural elements. Dont you think that he did much better? What think you? one of the muftis bowing his head faid, "Glory to God to whom all glory is due." Buonaparte added, Honour to Allah," (who was the

"

caliph that gave orders for the opening of this pyramid, and difturbing the afhes of the dead.* The mufti and imans made anfwer, "According to fome, Mahomet, the commander of the faithful, who reigned, many centuries ago, at Bagdad; but, according to others, Haroun al Refchid, who fancied, that he fhould find treasures in it; but when thole whom he had fent had enter ed this apartment, as the tradition is, they found nothing but mummies, with the following infeription on the wall, written in letters of gold, "The impious commit iniquity without fear, but not withcat remorfe." Buonaparte applied a proverb, well known to the perfons with whom he now converfed, "The bread that is taken by violence fills the mouth of the robber with gravel."

It was not only in Epypt that Buonaparte laboured to propagate à belief of his attachment to Muffelmen and the Sublime Porte. He fent letters, to this end, to different agents of France, in different parts of the Turkish empire, and one written, in Arabic, to the thereef of Mecca, to whom he entrusted another to their friend, Tippo Sultan. This letter was received at Judda, early, first of July, 1799, and thence forwarded to the Holy City. But Buonaparte, who por felled much difcernment, was at great pains to ftudy characters, and who varied his tone according to that of the perfons whom he addreffed, feemed to confider the hierophant of Mecca rather as a political prince, concerned for the profperity of his place and people,

than as a devotee to the religion of Mahomet; he told him, that every thing was quiet at Cairo and Suez, and between thote places, and peace eftablifhed among the inhabitants; not a fingle Mammaluke oppreffor, he faid, remained in the country, and the inhabitants, without dread or fear, employed the felves in weaving, cultivating the ground, and other trades, as formerly. The duties on merchandize were now the fame as they were prior to their being raifed by the Mammalukes; the merchants had every ailiftance granted them; and the road between Suez and Cairo was open and fafe. He therefore requested of the thereef to affure the merchants of his country, that they might bring their goods to Suez and fell them without dread or apprehenfion, and might purchafe, in exchange for them, fuch articles as they might wish.

The

It is impoffible to ascertain the degrees of faith that was repofed in different places, and by different perfons, in the religious profeffions of Buonaparte. Perhaps they were wavering, and different at different times in the fame perfons. prefence and authority of Buonaparte, and his literary ftaff, if we may borrow a metaphor from arms to arts, as well as military, no doubt, detracted fomewhat from the compliments which were paid to him, and them, by the mufti and imans with whom they met and conversed, as he had done before, with the pricfts at Rome, on fundry occafions: yet they might probably be impreffed with a temporary convićtion of his fincerity, until they

compared

compared his profeffions with that fpirit of domination, and worldly interest and advantage, which appeared in the tenor of his conduct. A like obfervation may be made on certain teftimonials which were given in favour of the French general, by Mufielmen, and others, particularly a letter from the notables of Cairo, on the arrival of Buonaparte, to the fhereef of Mecca, giving an account of his refpect for the law of the prophet. There was more fincerity probably in a hymn, compofed by the mufti of the Cophts, and chaunted in the grand mofque of Cairo, on the twenty third of July, in celebration of the arrival of Buonaparte in that city; who, at the command and under the protection of Allah, had come at the head of the brave warriors of the weft, to fuccour the oppreffed, and drive out the beys with their Mammalukes. It is conceived in the most beautiful ftyle of eaftern fimplicity, and gives no mean idea of either the fentiments of the mufti of the Cophts, or his tafte in compofition.

That the expreffions of refpect for the French general-in-chief were not always voluntary and fincere, were it a matter that needed any proof, would be placed, beyond doubt, by the conduct and fate of Koraim, thereef of Alexandria, who, after fwearing fidelity, with the -mufti and principal fheicks of the city of Alexandria, to the French republic, was convicted of treafon

able correfpondence with the Mammalukes, and, on the fixth of September, condemned and executed. His head, with a label of his crime, was carried through the freets. This act of feverity was fitted indeed to infpire terror: but the perfidy of Koraim would eafily be for given by Muffelmen, while his death might be followed by the ufual confequences of martyrdom.

The talk undertaken by Buonaparte, to amalgamate the prejudices of the Mahometans with the pretenfions of the French, was difficult almoft beyond example, and even more arduous than that of Mahomet. The plan purfued by Mahomet was great, but fimple. The spirit of it was terror: the inftruments or means of executing it, great and fimple alfo; God, war, and fate. It was a more complicated, and a nicer undertaking to mingle terror with reafoning, the rights of man with the privileges or rather prerogatives of Muffelmen, and the fubmiffion of the followers, to ftrangers, at beft only dubious friends to the prophet. Of the manner in which Buonaparte fet about to accomplish that defign, fome idea may be formed, from a view of a French feaft at Cairo, on the twenty-third of September, the anniversary of the French republic.

On the fetting of the fun, September twenty-fecond, the feaft was announced by three falutes of artillery. The commencement of the feaft was proclaimed at fun rifing

&c.

the