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

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. z5
had invaded the dominions of the most ancient ally a deserter from the standard of his country; and
of France, at a time when there was the most pro- though the services of either may be accepted and
found peace between the countries. Yet in deliver- used, they remain objects of disregard and contempt,
ing Egypt from the tyrannical sway of the Mame- as well with those to whose service they have delukes, and administering the government of the serted, as with the party whom they have abandoned.
country with wisdom and comparative humanity, The Turks and Arabs of Cairo soon afterwards
the mode in which he used the power which he had showed Bonaparte, by a general and unexpected
acquired might be admitted in some measure to insurrection in which many Frenchmen were slain,
atone for his usurpation. Not contented with direct- how little they were moved by his pretended attaching his soldiers to hold in respect the religious ob- ment to their faith, and how cordially they consiservances of the country, he showed equal justice dered him as their enemy. Yet, when the instrand policy in collecting and protecting the scattered gents had been quelled by force, and the blood of
remains of the great caravan of the Mecca pilgrim- five thousand moslems had atoned for that of three
age, which had been plundered by the Mamelukes hundred Frenchmen, Napoleon, in an address to
on their retreat. So satisfactory was his conduct to the inhabitants of Cairo, new-modeling the general
the moslem divines, that he contrived to obtain council, or divan, held still the same language as befrom the clergy of the Mosque an opinion, declaring fore of himself and his destinies. " Scherifs,' he said,
that it was lawful to pay tribute to the French, " ulemats, orators of the mosque, teach the people
though such a doctrine is diametrically inconsistent that those who become my enemies shall have no
with the Koran. Thus far Napoleon's measures had refuge either in this world or the next. Is there any
proved rational and successful. But with this laud- one blind enough not to see that I am the agent of
able course of conduct was mixed a species of Destiny, or incredulous enough to call in question the
artifice, which, twhile we are compelled to term it power of Destiny over human affairs? Make the
impious, has in it, at the samle time, something ludi- people understand that, since the world was a world,
crous and almost childish. it was ordained, that having destroyed the enemies
Bonaparte entertained the strange idea of per- of islamism, and broken down the cross,* I should
suading the moslems that he himself' pertained in come from the distant parts of the West to accomsome sort to their religion, being an envoy of the plish the task designed for me-show them, that in
Deity, sent on earth, not to take away, but to con- more than twenty passages of the Koran my coming
firm and complete, the doctrines of the Koran, and is foretold. I could demand a reckoning from each
the mission of Mahommed. He used, in executing of you for the most secret thoughts of his soul,
this purpose, the inflated language of the East, the since to me everything is known; but the day will
molre easily that it corresponded, in its allegorical come when all shall know from whom I have my
and amplified style, with his own natural tone of commission, and that human efforts cannot prevail
composition; and lie hesitated not to join in the against me."
external ceremonial of the mahommedan religion, It is plain from this strange proclamation, that
that his actions might seem to confirm his words. Bonaparte was willing to be worshiped as a suphet as it recurred, with some sheik of eminence, worshipers collected together. But the Turks and
and joined in the litanies and worship enjoined by Arabs were wiser than the Persians in the case of
the Koran. He affected, too, the language of an young Ammon. The Sheik of Alexandria, wsho
inspired follower of the faith of Mecca, of which the affected much devotion to Bonaparte's person, came
following is a curious example. roundly to the point with him. He remarked the
On entering the sepulchral chamber in the pyra- French observed no religions worship. " Why not,
mid of Cheops, " Glory be to Allah," said Bonaparte, therefore," he said, " declare yourself moslem at
"' there is no God but God, and Mahomnled is his once, and remove the only obstacle betwixt you
prophet." A confession of faith which is in itself and the throne of the East?" Bonaparte objected
a declaration of islamism. the prohibition of wine, and the external rite whiclh
"Thou hast spoken like the most learned of the Mahommed adopted from tile Jewish religion. The
prophets," said the mufti, who accompanied him. officious sheik proposed to call a council of the
"I can command a car of fire to descend from moslem sages, and procure for the new proselytes
heaven," continued the French general, " and I can some relaxation of these fundamental laws of thle
guide and direct its course upon earth." Prophet's faith. According to this hopeful plan,
"Thou art tile great chief to whom Mahommed the moslems must have ceased to be such in two
gives power and victory," said the mufti. principal articles of their ritual, in order to induce
Napoleon closed the conversation with this not the French to become a kind of imperfect renevery pertinent oriental proverb, "The bread which gades, rejecting, in tile prohibition of wine, tilhe
the wicked seizes upon by force shall be turned to only peculiar guard which Mahommed assigned to
dust in his mouth." the moral virtue of his followers, while they erThough tile mufti played his part in the above braced the degrading doctrine of fatality, the limcene with becoming gravity, Bonaparte over-es- centious practice of polygamy, and the absurd chitimated his own theatrical powers, and did too little meras of the Koran.
justice to the shrewdness of the Turks, if he sup- Napoleon appears to have believed the sheik
posed them really edified by his pretended prose- * Alluding to the capture of the island of Malta, and sub
lytism. With them as with us, a renegade from the jection of thie pope, on which he was wont to found as serreligious faith in which he was brought up, is like vices rendered to the religion of Mahomlimed.