202^ 
TRAVELS IN 
doubt, for a moment, what the fate of Egypt would be if Eng- 
land fiiould relinquifh the pofleffion of Malta. The Firft Conful, 
indeed, in an unguarded moment of frenzy, has mpft unequi- 
vocally avowed it. The deftrudion of the Ottoman Govern- 
ment is another objed of French ambition. One of the moft 
intelligent of the French officers, in his correfpondence with the 
Executive Directory, obferves, The Ottoman Empire is ge- 
" nerally regarded as an old edifice, tottering to its fall. The 
*' European powers have long been preparing to divide its fcat- 
" tered fragments, and many politicians conceive that the cataf- 
" trophe is clofe at hand. In this fuppofition, they think it but 
" right that France fliould have her (hare of the fpoils ; and the- 
** part allotted to her is Egypt 
But let thofe profefled Cofmopolites, who, from principles of 
pretended humanity, declare themfelves friends to the difmem- 
berment of the Turkifli Empire, refled ferioufly on the confe- 
quences that would inevitably enfue were France concerned in 
the diffolution and partition of this government. However de- 
firable it may feem to free the Greeks from the miferable yoke 
under which they long have groaned, yet a fudden tranfition 
from flavery to freedom would fcarcely be borne with more 
moderation by the Greeks, than by the French at home or the 
negroes in the Weft India iflands. Nor would the horrors of a 
revolution be confined to the Turkifh provinces. The licen- 
tious army who might efFed it, trained and accuftomed to rapine 
and plunder, led on by needy or ambitious officers, who, on 
their part, are fpurred by the aggrandizing views of their go- 
vernment, would not be content to fit down with Egypt as their 
fhare 
