compared his profeffions with that fpirit of domination, and worldly intereft 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 Muffelmen, 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 respect 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 moft 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 fireets. This act of feverity was fitted indeed to infpire terror: but the perfidy of Koraim would eafily be forgiven 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 fpirit 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 strangers, 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

the next morning, by three difcharges from the whole of the artillery; that of all the different divifions of the army; that of the park ; and that of the marine, or flotilla, on the Nile. Immediately the generate was beaten through the whole city, and all the troops, in the highest order, appeared under arms, in the place of Elbecquier. In this place a circle had been traced of two hundred fathoms diameter, of which the circumference was formed by one hundred and five columns, decorated with three-coloured flags, bearing the names of all the departments. Thefe pillars were united by a double row of garlands, emblematical of the unity and indivifibility of all the parts of the French republic.

One of the entries into the circle was decorated by a triumphal arch, on which was pourtrayed the battle of the Pyramids: the other by a portico, above which were placed feveral Arabic infcriptions. Of these there was one as follows: "There is no God but one God, and Mahomet is his prophet.”

In the middle of the circle, there was raised an obelifk of granite, of the height of feventy feet. On one of its faces was engraven, in letters of gold, To the French republic, ann.7: on that oppofite to it, To the expulhon of the Mammalukes, ann. 6. On the collaterial fides, thefe two inscriptions were tranflated into Arabic. The pedestal of the obelisk was embellished with bas reliefs; on the adjoining ground, seven altars in the ancient ftyle, intermixed with candlesticks, fupported trophies of arms, furmounted with three-coloured flags, and civic crowns. In the centre of each of these trophies, there was a lift of those brave men,

of each divifion, who fell in the act of delivering Egypt from the yoke of the Mammalukes.

As foon as all the troops had affembled, and were drawn up on the place of Elbecquier, the commander-in-chief, accompanied by his staff officers, the generals of divifions, the commiffary-general, the commiffaries of war, and of civil admi nistrations, artifts and men of science, the kiaya, or Turkith officer, next in authority to the bafhaw, the emir Hadji, and the members of the divan, (of which we fhall prefently give fome account) both of Cairo and the provinces. The commander-in-chief, with his fuite, feated themfelves on the platform that ran round the obelifk. Superb carpets 'covered the mount on which it ftood. The mufic of the different demigrades ftruck up warlike marches, and patriotic airs, and fongs of victory.

The troops, after going through their exercifes with great readiness and precifion, came and arranged themselves around the obelifk: when a proclamation, by the commander-in-chief, for the difcipline of the army, and the good govern ment and well being of Egypt was read aloud, by the adjutant-general. It was liftened to with the most profound filence, and followed by repeated cries of vive la republique. A hymn was performed at the or= cheftra, and the troops filed off, in perfect order, before the general-inchief, who returned with his com pany to his quarters. The whole of this company, with feveral Turkish officers and Arabian chiefs, who had come up during the exhi, bition, were invited to dinner at the general's houfe; where a fumptuous table was provided, of one

hundred

hundred and fifty covers. The French colours were united with the Turkish, the cap of liberty was placed by the fide of the crefcent, and the rights of man by the Koran. The gaiety of the French was tempered with the gravity of the Turks. The Muffelmen were left to their own choice of meats and drinks, and expreffed great fatisfaction with the attentions that were fhewn them. After dinner, feveral toafts were drank. The commander-in-chief gave, for a toast, To the three hundredth year of the French republic. One of his aides-de-camp, To the legislative bodies, and the executive directory. Mongé, prefident of the Egyptian inftitute, To the perfection of the human understanding, and the advancement of knowledge. Generai Berthier, To the expulfion of the Mammalukes, and the profperity of the people of Egypt. Other toafts were given, but these were the chief. Each toast was received with unanimous plaudits, and fuitable airs of mufic. Patriotic couplets, fung by the foldiery, concluded this civic feaft.

At four o'clock, foot and horfe races began, and the prizes were adjudged to the victors, who were horne in triumph around the circus. At the close of the day, the whole of the circumference of this was illuminated in the most brilliant manber. The pillars, the intermediate garlands, and the triumphal arches were hung with chryftal lamps, which produced the happieft effect. At eight o'clock, there was a beautiful difplay of fire-works, accompanied, at different intervals, by difcharges of mufquetry and artillery. A confiderable number of Turkifh Jadies enjoyed the fpectacle from the windows and tops of the houses that

furrounded the place of Elbecquier. The intent of this entertainment, it will readily be perceived, was, to imprefs the minds of the Egyptians withra fenfe of the power, art, and magnificence of the French nation, and of their respect for Muffelmen, and good-will towards all the Egyptians. Nor was it by profeffions alone, that Buonaparte ftudied to gain the attachment and confidence of the people among whom, according to his own phrafe, the French had come to dwell, but by actions. In order to please the people, and difpel their apprehenfions of fome unknown impending calamities; the opening of the canal of Cairo, was this year accompanied by even greater ceremony and pomp than ufual. On this occafion the general diftributed confiderable fums, in alms, among the poor, and gave an entertainment to the notables of Cairo. In like manner he gave a confiderable fum for defraying the expenfe of a magnificent feaft, in honour of the birth-day of the prophet. Having, on that occafion, declared himfelt the protector of all religions, he received, from the Muffelmen, the name of Ali Buonaparte. But the overt-act, by which he moft fignally difplayed regard to the grand feignior, the head of Muffelmen on earth, was his permitting all the Turkish veffels in Alexandria, as well as all neutral veffels, either to remain or fet fail for their refpective deftinations, at their pleafure, and fetting free and fending to Conftantinople, on board thofe veffels, with a letter to the grand vizier, fraught with many profeffions of regard and even fubordination to the Parte, the Turkifo flaves, in number of three hundred, whom he had found at

Malta:

Maita. He made prefents to Turks, Greeks, and Arabs. He patronized ftri& juftice between man and man: he gave free paf fage and protection to the pilgrims. going to and from Mecca, and encouraged all kinds of commerce. On the fifth of Auguft, when in purfuit of Ibrahim Bey, he had the good fortune to fall in with different parties of Arabs, who had taken a great part of a caravan, on its return from Mecca. He fent the pilgrims and merchants, under a proper escort, to Cairo.

He found a number of prædial flaves whom he encouraged, and endeavoured to raife, by hope, to industry, and the dignity of men, by giving them lands to be cultivated on their own account. He gave equal rights of inheritance to all the children of the fame parents. He improved the condition of women, by giving them a certain portion of their husband's goods, at their decease, and the right of difpofing of it. He encouraged marriages between his foldiers and the natives, and endeavoured to reftrain polygamy. He established fchools for the inftruction of the young French, Cophts, and Arabs, in French, Arabic, geography, and mathematics. He was a friend to fhews, festivities, games, and other diverfions; in all which he wished the French and the natives to mingle together. And he fubmitted, as a problem, to the inftitute by what inftruments and airs, the minds of thefe laft, might be the moft readily and effectually impreffed through

the

power of mufic.

By his orders, iflued about the middle of September, a general ailembly was to be held, on or before the twelfth of October, of all the nota

bles throughout the fourteen provinces, into which Egypt is divided. Deputations from each of thefe provinces were to form a general council, or divan, for the government of the nation at the capital, Grand Cairo. Each deputation was to confift of three nien of the law, three merchants, and three fheicks, or chiefs, of Arabs. The French generals, commanding the different provinces, had it in charge to choose the perfons who fhould form the affemblies of notables, in the particular provinces, out of those perfons who had most influence with the people, and were the moft diftinguished for their knowledge, their talents, and the manner in which they had received the French: They were charged to take special care not to name any perfons for notables, who had declared againft the French: but to take a note of their names, and tranfmit them to the general-in-chief. A regifteroffice was eftablished for titles to eftates, and other deeds that might be produced as evidence. The members of the divan allowed liberal falaries, and every measure was taken that might tend to reconcile the Egyptians to the government of their new mafters.

In purfuance of the orders of the general, deputies from all the provinces of Egypt, affembled at Cairo, on the eight of October, and held their first fitting under the title of the general divan. In this affembly Mongé and Bartholet performed the functions of commiffaries on the part of the French. The beauty of the Turkish drefs, the gravity of the perfons who wore them, and the numerous domeftics in their train, confpired to fhed on the ge. neral divan an air of majefty. The

Arabian

was chosen prefident. The only bufinefs tranfacted in the divan was the paffing into laws, or the giving confent to the decrees of the general.

But this fhew of freedom could fcarcely be expected to impofe on the weakest minds. Befides the prefence of the French commiffioners, and the manner of the appointment of the notables, there were other circumstances which brought the fubjection of the Mufielmen ftill more forcibly to their recollection. Orders had been given, that the whole of the inhabitants of Egypt fhould wear the three-coloured cockade; that all the Egyptian veffels (called germes) navigating the Nile, fhould hoift the three-coloured flag. And this flag was flying from the great pyramid, the pillar of Pompey, and the loftieft minaret of the caftle of Cairo, and the highest minaret of all the places of note in the fourteen provinces. To the members of the divan alone it was permitted to wear, by way of diftinction, if they chofe it, threecoloured fhawls on their fhoulders. A government refembling, as near as circumstances would admit, the form of the French republic, was organized throughout Egypt. A land-tax was impofed on all the villages in all the provinces. And a tax on houfes in Grand Cairo, and other cities.

Though it has been an easy matter to produce fudden effects on the minds of barbarians and femi-barbarians, it is extremely difficult, by any powers of reafoning or improvements, however beneficial, to produce any permanent change in their fyftem of thinking; which, in proportion to the paucity of their ideas,

Neither the grand divan at Cairo, nor the fubordinate councils, anfwered the fanguine expectations of Buonaparte. Murmurs of discontent were foon intermingled with the deliberations of the national affembly of Muffelmen. Every innovafion, it was generally agreed, though not at first refolutuly expreffed, was contrary to the Koran, which had forefeen and provided for all cafes, worthy of confideration. Thefe murmurs did not elcape the vigilance of the French commander, who had his fpies in every place, and was informed of every thing that paffed. He endeavoured to preferve peace and good order, by meafures of prevention. Out of the numbers of individuals who were followers, and employed in various fervices of the government and army; and all the Europeans, of whatever nation, refiding at Cairo, he formed, about the beginning of October, ten companies of national guards, not to be employed as regulars, but to occupy and maintain certain appointed pofts in the city, on any announced emergency.

It was not long before the infurrection apprehended burft forth. On the twenty-fixth of that month, immenfe crowds, armed with fpears and fharp ftones, affembled in and around the grand mofque, and every other mofque in Cairo. These were the fortrelles in which they were to make their stand, and from which to make their attacks. A fecret correfpondence was established between the Mahometan priests and the Mammalukes; fome of whom were concealed in different houses, in the garb of women. General Dupuy, at the head of a regiment of dragoons, repaired to the grand

mofque,