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 



