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4 
‘Retrofpec? of Domeftic Literature—Voyages, Travels, Fe. 591 | 
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monuments, of decyphering its hierogly- 
phics, of recording the manners and cul- 
toms of its inhabitants, and of examining 
the natural productions of its foil. The 
fact is, that we do not make fufficient 
allowance for the circumftances of danger, 
fatigue, and interruption, with which thefe 
avans were furrounded, and by which 
their refearches were frequently fruftrated. 
The mere fcientific traveller, if in a fo- 
reign country he has mountains to tra- 
verfes and rocks to fcale, and an ungenial 
climate to contend with, may, at. leaf, 
examine at his leifure, and in fecurity, the. 
objects of his purfuit;—he may at leaf re. 
pofe in the evening, after the labours of 
the day, and rife with renovated firength 
in the morning torenew them. But, in 
the train of an invading army, whole un- 
provoked attack rendcred them a jult ob- 
ject of hatred and abtiorrence to the half- 
civilifed people, whofe hamlets they burn- 
ed, whofe fields they watted, and: whole 
wives and daughters, they unfparing- 
ly violated; in fuch a fituation, where 
the circle of fecurity was the range of the 
cannon, and where every firaggier on the 
march was vigilantly laid wait for, and 
cut off, much of that information, which 
could refult only from patient and leifurely 
refearch, ought not to have been very,con- 
fidently expected; and an attentive and 
candid confideration of the campaign in 
Egypt will rather induce us to think highly 
of the induftry and courage of thofe men 
of letters, who, in the eager and difinter- 
 efted purfuit of {cience, were content to 
endure the fatigue, and to fhare the dan- 
ger, of war, than to ridicule the infuffi- 
cienty of their acquirements, or de/pife 
the fcantineis of that information which 
they fo periloufly acquired. The prefent 
work is the produétion of a man of Jearn- 
ing, tafte, fentiment, and fcience. The 
reader will not expect a detail of military 
operations—Cit. D :non wasnota profeffion- 
al foldier, and could weep over the mife- 
ries which his coun'rymen were inflicting. 
But, altho” thefe volumes afford not a diur- 
nal detail of marches, battles, and of 
fieges ; we are not left in ignorance of the 
ftate of the army, and the projects of the 
commander, fothat a charm is thus thrown 
over the whole, by a judicious, and very 
unufual, mixture of hiftoric narrative and 
fcientific refearch. An Englifhman muft 
expect to find alfo a partiality in favour 
et the French ; a high-drawn character of 
the courage of the foldiery, and the virtue 
of their commanders. Still, however, M. 
Denon’s account of the tranfactions — in 
Egyptis quits as fair as canreafonably be 
expected. Onthe one hand, altho’ proud 
of the courage, he does not glofs over the 
vices, of the army ; he does not attempt 
to palliate their fhameful licentioufnels, 
their luft of rapine and of flaughter ; and, 
on the other hand, far from being ftudious 
to conceal, he delights te notice thofe vir- 
tues of mercy and humanity, which were 
occafionaily difplayed, almoft to an incre- 
dite extent, by the enemy: for this pur- 
pole, feveral little anecdotes are introdu- 
ced, whith, as Denon juttly obferves, give 
a better infight into the morals of nations 
than regular difcuffions. The Infitute 
had remained at Cairo about a month, 
when their houfle was pillaged in a general 
infurrestion of “the inhabitants: firing 
was heard in different places, and many 
perfons belonging to the commiffion of 
arts fell a facrifice to the fury of the po- 
pulace.. After confiderable . flaughter, 
however, it was quelled-the fecond day, 
by means of fome heavy artillery. 
** Though the populace, the devotees, 
and fome of the great people of Cairo, 
fhewed themfelves fanatical and cruel in 
this revolt, the middle clafs (which is in 
all countries the mo acceffible to reafon 
and virtue) was perfectly humane and ge~ 
nerous to us, notwithfanding the- wide 
difference of manners, religion, ‘and Jan- 
guage; whilft from the galleries.of the 
minarets murder was devoutly preached 
up, whilft the flreets were filled with death 
and carnage; all thofe in whofe houtes 
any Frenchmen were lodged were eager to 
fave them by concealment, and to fupply 
and anticipate all their wants. An elderly 
woman, in the quarterin which we lodged, 
gaveus to underftand, that, as our wall 
was but, weak, if were attacked, we had 
only to throw it down, and feek for shelter: 
in her harem: a neighbour, without being 
afked, fent us provifions at the expence of 
his own ftore; when no food was to be 
parchafed in the town, and every thing 
announced approaching famine; he even 
removed every thing from before dur houfe, 
which could render it confpicuous to the 
enemy, and went to {moak atour door, as 
if it were his own, in order to deceive any 
who might attack’! us. [wo young per-- 
fons, woo were purfued in the freets, were 
fnatchediup by fome unknown peonle, and 
carricd into. a houle, and, whilf they were 
furioufly ttrnggling for deliverance, exe 
pecting that ‘ey were deftined tor fome 
horrible crueliy,. the kind. ravifhers, not 
being able otherwife to convince them of 
the hofpuiable benevolence of their intene 
tions, delivered up to them their own chil- 
dren, as pledges Of their fincerity.’ Many 
/ other 
