378 VISCOUNT FERDINAND DE LESSEPS. 



family circle, and brought the Emperor within the sphere of good in- 

 fluence. French journals were quick to discover an epigram, — the 

 expression of good omen : " The marriage of two families, and the 

 marriage of two seas." And this ran through the newspapers all 

 around the world: ''There is an Arab proverb (much affected by 

 M. de Lessens) quite apposite here: 'The dogs bark, — the caravan 

 passes.' " 



M. de Lesseps was not, by early training, an engineer, but a diplo- 

 mat. To us his real assimilated rank is that of a discoverer. Why 

 not, as well as Da Gama and Magellan ? These declared that a ship 

 could reach the Pacific Ocean by sailing around the continents, and 

 they proved it. De Lesseps declared that a ship could reach the 

 Pacific Ocean by sailing through the continents, — and he proved it. 

 " He discovers who proves," said Aristotle. None of these men 

 originated a new thought, but each of them did a new thing for the 

 relief of mankind. Vasco de Gama wa^ a prize drawn in a lottery in 

 answer to prayer. He received his instructions through a great 

 prince ; and the miracle of his selection and vicarious appointment • 

 raised him above all fear. M. de Lesseps presents the antithesis. He 

 was a volunteer who taught princes a good doctrine, and held them 

 down to it. "Hear me for my cause" was all he asked, and those 

 who paused to listen fell under the spell of his enthusiasm and received 

 his testimony. 



That was a period of great strain, when Robert Stephenson, one of 

 his own professional caste, turned upon him in Parliament and spoke 

 of his project as " one of those chimeras so often formed to induce 

 English capitalists to part with their money, the end being that these 

 schemes leave them poorer, though they make others much richer." 

 The good temper and even the good sense of M. de Lesseps gave way, 

 and he crossed the Channel to demand explanation. The explanation 

 was made, and we are constrained to say that, if M. de Lesseps had 

 not long afterwards, in his old age, published the correspondence, we 

 should have overrated these contending champions of land and sea. 



We can appreciate the causes for anxiety that afflicted intelligent 

 men of affairs in Great Britain. Any change in the course of trade 

 involves national risk. In this way the Venetian Indian trade had 

 dwindled away after the Cape route was opened ; then arose Portugal 

 and Holland, to be outdone by England only after a tremendous 

 struggle. Who could say which way the wheel might turn if the 

 Egyptian Transit Railroad came to be supplanted ? 



England hardly attempted to disguise her apprehensions of danger 



