HIS HISTORY OF THE CAMPAIGN. 403 
Athens and the wisdom of Egypt united together. What 
could I add to such an eulogium? I shall say only that 
there are to be found there, in a few pages, the principal 
features of the government of the Pharaohs, and the re- 
sults of the subjection of ancient Egypt by the kings of 
Persia, the Ptolemies, the successors of Augustus, the 
emperors of Byzantium, the first Caliphs, the celebrated 
Saladin, the Mamelukes and the Ottoman princes. The 
different phases of our adventurous expedition are there 
characterized with the greatest care. Fourier carries 
his scruples to so great a length as to attempt to prove 
that it was just. I have said only so far as to attempt, 
for in that case there might have been something to de- 
duct from the second part of the eulogium of Fontanes. 
If, in 1797, our countryman experienced at Cairo, or at 
Alexandria, outrages and extortions which the Grand 
Seignior either would not or could not repress, one may 
in all rigour admit that France ought to have exacted 
justice to herself; that she had the right to send a pow- 
erful army to bring the Turkish Custom-house officers to 
reason. But this is far from maintaining that the divan 
of Constantinople ought to have favoured the French ex- 
pedition ; that our conquest was about to restore to him, 
in some sort, Egypt and Syria; that the capture of 
Alexandria and the battle of the Pyramids would en- 
hance the lustre of the Ottoman name! However, the 
pnblic hastened to acquit Fourier of what appears haz- 
arded in this small part of his beautiful work. The 
origin of it has been sought for in political exigencies. 
Let us be brief; behind certain sophisms the hand of the 
original Commander-in-Chief of the army of the East 
was suspected to be seen! 
Napoleon, then, would appear to have participated by 
