The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

246 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
nental neighhoulr, that the two Houses of Parliament their eyes fixed on the fleets and armies destined
never thought of giving a dinner to Marlborough, against the latter country, the Directory and their
nor did the Royal Society chuse his successor in the general had no intention of using these preparations,
path of victory a member by acclamation; although except as a blind to cover their real object, which
the British nation in either case acquitted themselves was the celebrated expedition to Egypt.
of the debt of gratitude which they owed their illus- While yet in Italy, Bonaparte had suggested to
trious generals, in the humbler and more vulgar the Directory (13th September, 1797) the advantage
mode of conferring on both large and princely do- which might be derived from seizing upon Malta,
mains. which he represented as an easy prize. The knights,
Meantime the threat of invasion was maintained he said, were odious to the Maltese inhabitants, and
with unabated earnestness. But it made no impres- were almost starving; to augment which state of dission on the British, or rather it stimulated men of all tress, and increase that incapacity of defence, he
ranks to bury temporary and party dissensions about had already confiscated their Italian property. He
politics, and bend themselves, with the whole then proceeded to intimate, that being possessed of
energy of their national character, to confront and Corfui and Malta, it was natural to take possession
resist the preparations made against them. Their of Egypt. Twenty-five thousand men, with eight or
determination was animated by recollections of their ten ships of the line, would be sufficient for the exown traditional gallantry, which had so often inflict- pedition, which lie suggested might depart from the
ed the deepest wounds upon France, and was not coasts of Italy.
now likely to give up to anything short of the most Talleyrand, then minister for foreign affairs (in his
dire necessity. The benefits were then seen of a answer of 23d September), saw the utmost advernfree constitution, which permits the venom of party tage in the design upon Egypt, which, as a colony,
spirit to evaporate in open debate. Those who had would attract the commerce of India to Europe, in
differed on the question of peace or war were una- preference to the circuitous route by the Cape of
nimous in that of national defence; and resistance to Good Hope. This correspondence proves that, even
the common enemy, and those who appeared in the before Bonaparte left Italy, he had conceived the
vulgar eye engaged in unappeasable contention, idea of the Egyptian expedition, though probably
were the most eager to unite themselves together for only as one of the vast and vague schemes of ambithese purposes, as men employed in fencing would tion which success in so many perilous enterprises
throw down the foils and draw their united swords, had tended to foster. There was something of' wild
if disturbed by the approach of robbers. grandeur in the idea, calculated to please an ambiBonaparte in the meanwhile made a complete tious imagination. He was to be placed far beyond
survey of the coast of' the British Channel, pausing at the reach of any command superior to his own, and
each remarkable point, and making those remarks left at his own discretion to the extending conquests,
and calculations which induced him to adopt at an and perhaps founding an empire, in a country long
after period the renewal of the project for a descent considered as the cradle of knowledge, and celeupon England. The result of his observations de- brated in sacred and profane history as having been
cided his opinion, that in the present case the under- the scene of ancient events and distant revolutions,
taking ought to be abandoned. The immense prepa- which, through the remoteness of ages, possess a
rations and violent threats of invasion were carried gloomy and mysterious effect on the fancy. The
illto no more serious effect than the landing of about first specimens of early art also were to be found
twelve or fourteen hundred Frenchmen, under a among the gigantic ruins of Egypt, and its tinieGeneral Tate, at Fishguard, in South Wales. They defying monuments of antiquity.'This had its effect
were without artillery, and behaved rather like men upon Bonaparte, who affected so particularly the
whom a shipwreck had cast on a hostile shore, than species of fame which attaches to the protector and
like an invading enemy, as they gave themselves up extender of scieno e, philosophy, and the fine arts.
as prisoners, without even a show of defence, to On this subject lie had a ready and willing counLord Cawdor, who had marched against them at the sellor at hand. AIonge, the artist and virtuoso, was
head of a body of tile W;Telch militia, hastily drawn Bonaparte's confidant on this occasion, and, there is
together on the alarm. The measure was probably no doubt, encouraged him to an undertaking which
only to be considered as experimental, and as such promised a ric!h harvest to the antiqua-ian, amonlg
must have been regarded as an entire failure.* the ruins of temples and palaces, hitherto imperfectly
The demonstrations of invasion, however, were examined.
ostensibly continued, and everything seemed ar- But although the subject was mentioned betwixt
ranged on either side for a desperate collision be- the Directory and their mninisters and Bonaparte,
twixt the two most powerful nations in Europe. yet, before adopting the course which the project
But the proceedings of politicians resemble those opened, the general was probably determined to see
of the Indian traders called Banians, who seem the issue of the revolution of the 18th Fructidor;
engaged in talking about ordinary and trifling affairs, doubting, not unreasonably, whether the conquerors
while, with their hands concealed beneath a shawl in that strugg'le could so ahr avail themselves of the
that is. spread between them, they are secretly de- victory which they had obtained over the majority of
bating and adjusting. by signs, bargains of the. utmost the national representatives, as to consolidate and
importance. While all France and Eiglanld had establish on a fimin foundation their own authority.
He knew the Directory themselves were popular
* See Appendix, No. 2 — Descent of the French in South with none. Tile numerous party, who were now
Wales, under General Tate." inclined to a monarchical goverument, regarded