EGYPT, AND SYRIA. 369 
three days to abandon their refpedive habitations, under pain of 
death. 
Faffing over the common, but juft rule of fuppofmg, that in 
a quarrel of this magnitude neither party was perfectly free 
from error, it may be fit to inquire what motives induced this 
ignominious expulfion, when a fimple difmiffion, to be fignified 
by various other means, would have anfwered the fame 
jpurpofe. 
To this it can only be anfwered, that the charader of Jezzar 
is impetuous, and even capricious, on all occafions. Sometimes 
a warm friend, and then fuddenly a bitter enemy, equally, to all 
appearance, without any adequate reafon. As to the condu<3: 
of the French, themfelves and the other nations in the Levant 
accord fo ill, that I have never obtained a very accurate ftate- 
ment of it. It feems to have originated in the behaviour of a 
drogueman of the nation, who having in fome way offended 
the Pafha, was by his order fummarily ftrangled or hanged. 
The French remonftrated, and threatened him with an applica- 
tion to the Porte, which he did not greatly fear, and he puniflied, 
as he termed it, their infolence, (in afferting their undoubted right, 
according to the capitulations between them and the Porte,) in 
this concife manner. Many complaints were made, fubfequent 
to this period, by the minifters of the Republic at the Porte, but 
to no purpofe : that court in fad was otherwife engaged, and it 
may be doubted whether it could have punifhed the Palha. 
The events that followed fufpended the profecution of thofe 
claims, which, as the merchants thus fuddenly banifhed had loft 
3 B much, 
