1 idlands; for, in thofe pofts, the French bad many facilities for diffeminating their doctrines throughout Epinus, Theffaly, and Macedonia, and exciting à general infurrection among the Greeks, for the revival, as they faid, of the Greek republic, and for combining with the formidable and fortunate bafhaw of Widdin, Paflowan Oglou, who had penetrated into Wallachia and Bulgaria, and threatened ftill farther and rapid progrefs. That chief, being informed of the treaty and junction of the Turks with the Ruffians, and that, while the power of thefe allies prevailed on the Albanian coaft, a body of Ruffian troops had begun to march againft him towards Moldavia and Wallachia, was alarmed. He had, for fome time, been held in balance, between the offers of grace from the Porte, and the charms of independent power. He now deemed it prudent, not, indeed, entirely to give up the latter, which fo few have been inclined or dared to relinquish, but to come to a compromife with the grand feignior. Paffowan Oglou ceased all inroads and hoftilities against any of the Turkifh provinces, on the condition of his being continued in his government, and an exemption from certain tribute, which he claimed according to a written deed of the Sublime Porte, in confequence of the diftinguifhed merit of his ancef tors. It was the exaction of this tribute, from the lands belonging to Paflowan Oglou, as well as from others, that was the original caufe, or, at leaft, the original pretext, for his taking up arms against the ful taun, of Conflantinople, whom he boldly accused, as well as his agents and moft of his Turkith fubjects, of repeated violations of the laws of Ifmaulifm. When the islands of Cerigo, Zante, Cephalonia, and St. Mauro, were taken by the combined fleet, a part of the French, who had garrifoned them, were fent prifoners of war to Albania; and other French prifoners were made, at the pofts they held on the coaft of that province. The fate of those unfortunate men was very different from that of fuch of their countrymen who fell into the hands of the allies, at Corfu.* The French officers, above mentioned, were fent by Ali, bafhaw of Janina, to Conftantinople, where they arrived on the eleventh of January, and were fent to the prifon of the Seven Towers. From four to five other prifoners, of inferior rank, including fixteen women, arrived on the twelfth; with fixty heads, of their unhappy companions, who had perished from 'fatigue, cold, and, perhaps, from the brutal treatment of the Turkifh foldiers. The men were fent to the Bagnio, the women to the quarters of the French ambaffador. By this time, another party of French prifoners, to the number of fortyfix, had alfo arrived at Conftantinople, and had been alfo lodged in the fame prifon. They were on their voyage from Alexandria to Corfu, when they fell into the hands of the English fleet, under *It is to be obferved, that, before the conteft in the gean Sea was decided, by the reduction of Corfu, which food a fiege of three months, force could be spared, for fending them to France, no part of the combined naval admiral 1 admiral Nelfon. Being driven, by ftrefs of weather, into the port of Syphanto, they were taken hold on by the natives of that ifle, and fent to Conftantinople. It was in behalf of thefe unfortunate men, that fir Sidney Smith made that generous and humane interceffion, which has been already alluded to in our fecond chapter. A Turkifh fhip of war, of eighty guns, was launched at Conftantinople, on the fourteenth of January. At this operation, performed with much ceremony, the fultaun, Selim himself, on board a veffel of one hundred and twenty guns, was prefent. Sir Sidney, after the launching of the new fhip, with fome of his officers, was admitted to a direct audience of the fultaun. After prefenting to his highnefs divers objects of equal curiofity and utility, fuch as a model of the Royal George, he was honoured with a' long and familiar conference on the fubject of his miffion to the fublime Porte. On this occafion, he reprefented to the grand feignior, that the captives from Syphanto had been taken by admiral Nelson, and the claims which they made, of being confidered as his prifoners. He interceded in their behalf with all the zeal compatible with the respect due to the fultaun, and implored fome mitigation of their fate, as a favour done to himself and his nation. The fultaun granted his petition: the forty-fix French prifoners, under an escort of marines from fir Sidney's own fhip, the Tigre, were fent from the Bagnio, a very rigorous prifon, to the old palace of the French ambafladors, where they were allowed the fame rations, for their fubfiftence, as the English foldiers, until they fhould be fent home to France, on their parole of honour. The grand, feignior, it may well be fuppofed, was happy in this opportunity of teftifying his gratitude and refpect for the British government and nation. Of these he had already given teftimonies, in the prefents of a rich aigrette of diamonds (called, in Turkish, chelengk, or a feather of triumph), and a fuperb peliffe, to admiral Nelfon and ftill more, in the gracious expreffions by which thofe marks of esteem were accompanied. The following note was tranfmitted from the feraglio to fir Sidney Smith, on the fecond of September: "The fublime Porte has already, in a note written fome days ago, expreffed its fatisfaction at the first intelligence of the defeat of the French, by an English fquadron in the White Sea, on the coast of Egypt. As this happy event impofes on this empire an indifpenfable duty of acknowledgement, and as the fervice performed on this occafion, by our esteemed friend, admiral Nelfon, is of a nature that demands a public mark of gratitude, his imperial majefty, the most powerful, formidable, and magnificent grand feignior, in his imperial name, has deftined, as a prefent, to the faid admiral, an aigrette of diamonds, and a pelifle with large fleeves; and alfo two thousand lequins, to be diftributed among the wounded feamen. And as the English minifter difplays the moft uniform zeal, for cementing and ftrengthening the friendship between the two courts, it is hoped that he will not fail to make known this circumftance to his court, and [G2] to to folicit the permiffion, of the moft auguft and powerful king of England, for the faid admiral to wear the aigrette and peliffe." On the part of his Britannic majesty, a number of common fieldpieces were prefented by fir Sidney Smith. The English, Ruffian, and Neapolitan, ambassadors were admitted to the most important councils of the Turkish minifters: and the most perfect unanimity and concord prevailed among all thofe allies. But the fatisfaction of the Turks, at this harmonious combination, at the prefent moment, in the intervals of profound reflection on the paft, and anticipation of what was likely to come, muft, no doubt, have been painfully interrupted by the confideration, that Turkey ftood now in the fame relation to Ruffia, that Spain did to France. 1 CHAP. CHAP. VI. Viciffitudes of Colonization, Commerce, and Aris.-Re-action of the Expe dition to Egypt, on the Affairs of Europe. -Internal Policy of France. -Violation of the Freedom of Elections.-Civil Diffentions.-Finances. -Suppreffion of Newspapers.-Execution of the Laws against Ecclefiaftics and Emigrants.-Efcape and Return of banished Deputies, from Guiana to Europe.-Law for confifcating the Property of Exiles, in cafe of their avoiding or quitting the Place of their Banishment. Debates in both Councils on this Subject.-Military Commiffions, Trials, and Executions. —Law for inquiring into all the Attacks that had been made on Perfons and Property, from Motives of Enmity to the Public and its Friends.Dreadful Effects of this Law.-Plunder, Profufion, Venality, and Corruption, A RTS and fciences, colonization and commerce, had proceeded from east to weft, for fix thousand years: but they now seemed to take an oppofite courfe, and to give a degree of probability to the theory of monfieur Baillie, concerning their progrefs from weft to eaft. It would feem, that when civilization and refinement have dwelt for a certain period in one quarter of the globe, they leave it as exhaufted land, in purfuit of fresh foil, but return to it again, after it has refted for a certain time, and recovered its original wildness, and capability of new cultivation. It was among the avowed objects of the French expedition to Egypt, to carry back the arts and fciences to Africa and Afia, their native countries. Ha ving already noticed the confequences of that expedition, in the east, and in the European countries nearest to these, Naples,* Turkey, and Ruffia, we now proceed to give fome account of its re-action on France, in which it originated. But, in order to do this, it will be neceffary to take a view of the state of politics and parties in the French nation, from the middle of April, 1798. When the expedition to Egypt was finally agreed on by the directory, the mind of Buonaparte (not, perhaps, the laft object of confideration with the directory) was wholly employed in planning and preparing for the execution of that daring enterprize. Before that period, Buonaparte, who uniformly oppofed violent meafures, formed, to a certain extent, a counterpoise to the power of the directory.Though deeply connected with them, he retained, and with fpirit afferted, his independence. This was not the cafe with the two councils. The fubferviency of these to the directory and their agents had confiderably lowered them in the eftimation of the public. Many of their transactions were obviously dictated by the executive power, which, fince the affair of Fructidor, had become more formidable, than ever. The treatment of the councils, at that time, had intimidated them to fuch a degree, that they did not, in general, dare, at once, to become refractory. than an imitation of what the English government had done, a litthe time after the acceffion of the family of Hanover to the throne. Parliament, perceiving the general difaffection of the people to this family, and apprehending that a new election would fill the house with members fimilarly difpofed, took upon itfelf to prevent the revolution that muft, in fuch case, infallibly enfue, by voting its exiftance feptennial. This was a manifeft encroachment upon the rights of the nation; but, having an army to fupport it, and a powerful party loudly approving it, as neceffary for the prefervation of tranquillity and the freedom of the conftitution, it was fubmitted to, and gradually acquiefced in by thofe who felt the neceffity of abiding by the principles of the revolution in 1688. The objects of internal policy and regulation, which occupied the minds of the directory, in 1798, were principally the five following: the annual election of a third of the legiflature; the finances; the freedom affumed by the different publications iffuing from the prefs; the execution of former and contrivance of new decrees against emigrants and ecclefiaftics; and a refearch into all the attacks that had been made on perfons and property, public or private, from motives of enmity to the republic and its friends: all of which objects had a connection and reference, more or lefs remote, with the stability of their own power and of the government established by the events of Fructidor. As these were reprobated by numbers, the directory dreaded that a great part of the nation, in the next elections, which were to be held in April, would throw out the candidates, on their fide, and choose their opponents. Various expedients were propofed in order to obviate what, they afferted, would prove a fatal blow to liberty and the republic. No lefs daring an expedient was brought forward The cafe, it was maintained, was parallel between England, at that time, and France, at the prefent. Were the multitude to exercife its elective rights, during the ferment that now agitated the public, the number and activity of the emiffaries employed against the republic was fch, that it was much to be feared that the people would be feduced to vote for its enemies: the confequence of which muft prove its immediate deftruction, The prevention of fo great an evil would, therefore, authorize any measure taken against it, and filence every argument alleged in favour of the ordinary rules of proceeding; as thefe would indifputably endan ger the fafety of the nation, which was the first of all laws. The propriety of this proceeding was the more infifted on, that it had been adopted in a country then the freeft upon earth, and by a le gillature, |