disorder. Yet fewer instances of robbery, theft, and murder, are heard of here than in the great cities of Europe-The magistrates contribute to the public security by very prompt administration of justice-All the streets of Cairo have gates, which are shut at night; but a porter waits to open to those, who can allege satisfactory reason for passing from one street to another, and approach with a light in their hands. The man, for a small acknowledgment, opens the gate, but stops every suspected person. This regulation prevents nocturnal assemblies and tumults among the people. It at the same time so entirely separates the several quarters of the city, that the Beys often contend with open violence, while the other inhabitants know nothing of the matter* -The Bedouins, or wandering Arabs, being free, almost independent, and rather tributary allies than subjects of the Egyptian government, are the most remarkable branch of the nation. They are divided into tribes, governed by hereditary chiefs called Schiechs, and these subordinate to a great Schiech, who has authority over several tribes. Upon paying a certain tribute to government, the Bedouins are permitted to feed their flocks through the rich pasturage grounds of Egypt. But they frequently abuse this permission, and pillage without distinction as well the husbandmen in the districts in which they encamp, as those travellers who have the misfortune to fall into their hands. They are ready too to take part in the dissentions, which frequently arise in this military republic. When government attempts to punish them or to constrain them to their duty, they either defend themselves by force, or retire into the deserts till their misdemeanours be forgotten †. Such is the government of Egypt; a government, which evidently is impregnated, by the very nature of its constitution, with the seeds of eternal discord. Such were the effects, which naturally resulted from it in the year 1761, when Mr. Niebuhr had an opportunity of observing them. Such likewise were its effects at a yet later period, as manifested since the year 1798 in similar *Travels, Vol. 1. p. 83-86. † Ibid. p. 108. violent contentions among the rival Beys. And such, though in a much more violent degree, will, I doubt not, be its effects immediately before the final conquest of Egypt by the fierce king of Isaiah, or the wilful king of Daniel. It is highly worthy of notice, that, as we draw near to the time of the end and the accomplishment of those prophecies which relate to the restoration of the Jews, the attention of the great political world has been in a remakable manner turned towards Palestine and Egypt. An attempt has been already made by Antichrist to establish himself in those regions: and it failed of success only, I believe, because it was prematurely undertaken. The following extract from an intercepted letter, written by an Etat Major in Buonaparte's army, and dated Grand Cairo, July 28, 1798, sufficiently proves, that an establishment in Egypt and Syria was the object of this marauding expedition, with an ultimate view to the English settlements in India. "The government have turned their eyes towards Egypt and Syria; countries, which, by their climate, goodness, and fertility of soil, may become the granaries of the French commerce, her magazine of abundance, and in course of time the depository of the riches of India. It is most indubitable, that, when possessed of, and regularly organized in, these countries, we may throw our views still farther; and, in the end, destroy the English commerce in the Indies, turn it to our own profit, and render ourselves the sovereigns also of that of Africa and Asia. All these considerations united have induced our government to attempt the expedition to Egypt. That part of the Roman power has been governed, for many ages, by a species of men called Mamalucs, who have Beys at the head of each district. These deny the authority of the Grand Signior, governing themselves tyrannically and despotically a people and a country, which, in the hands of a polished nation, would become a source of wealth and profit*." The manner, in which this scheme was conducted, was by an attempt to sow discord between the Beys and the Egyptians; the very * Cited by Kett, Hist. the Interp. Vol. 11, p. 268. manner, in short, in which, we have reason to believe from prophecy, the yet future project of Antichrist will be conducted. The apostate miscreant, who then commanded the French army, and who now disgraces the imperial title, thus addressed by proclamation the natives of Egypt. "In the name of God, gracious and merciful. There is no God, but God; he has no Son or associate in his kingdom. The present moment, which is destined for the punishment of the Beys, has been long anxiously expected. The Beys, coming from the mountains of Georgia and Bajars, have desolated this beautiful country. Buonaparte, the general of the French republic, according to the principles of liberty, is now arrived; and the Almighty, the Lord of both worlds, has sealed the destruction of the Beys. Inhabitants of Egypt! when the Beys tell you the French are come to destroy your religion, believe them not: it is an absolute falshood. Answer those deceivers, that they are only come to rescue the rights of the poor from the hands of their tyrants, and that the French adore the Supreme Being, and honour the Prophet and his holy Koran. All men are equal in the eyes of God: understanding, ingenuity, and science, alone make a difference between them: as the Beys therefore do not possess any of these qualities, they cannot be worthy to govern the country-The Supreme Being, who is just and merciful towards all mankind, wills, that in future none of the inhabitants of Egypt shall be prevented from attaining to the first employments and the highest honours. The administration, which shall be conducted by persons of intelligence, talents, and foresight, will be productive of happiness and security. The tyranny and avarice of the Beys have laid waste Egypt, which was formerly so populous and well cultivated. The French are true Mussulmans-They have at all times been the true and sincere friends of the Ottoman Emperors, and the enemies of their enemies. May the empire of the Sultan therefore be eternal; but may the Beys of Egypt, our opposers, whose insatiable avarice has continually excited disobedience and insubordination, be trodden in the dust and annihilated! Our friendship shall be extended to those of the inhabitants of Egypt who shall join us, as also to those who shall remain in their dwellings and observe a strict neutrality, and when they have seen our conduct with their own eyes hasten to submit to us; but the dreadful punishment of death awaits those, who shall take up arms for the Beys and against us. For them there shall be no deliverance, nor shall any trace of them remain-All the inhabitants of Egypt shall offer up thanks to the Supreme Being, and put up public prayers for the destruction of the Beys. May the Supreme God make the glory of the Sultan of the Ottomans eternal, pour forth his wrath on the Mamalucs, and render glorious the destiny of the Egyptian nation*." This man, this tender respecter of the rights of nations and individuals, has since become Emperor of the French; and, yet more recently, like Charlemagne, the uncontrolled Emperor of the West. There is no reason to suppose, that success will render him less ambitious; or that his conquests in Europe will induce him to give his schemes against Palestine and Egypt. We up We may frequently observe a sort of undecided coincidence in the inspired writers, and in no instance perhaps more than in the present. It is predicted, that, at the time of the end, Antichrist and his vassals shall invade the East, and oppose the return of the converted Jews; but that some mighty maritime nation, evidently hostile to Antichrist, shall be the carriers of God's message to them, and the appointed instruments of bringing them as a present to the Lord of hosts. Now Joel styles the army of Antichrist the northern army†; by which, I think, we can only understand, that to a person in the holy land it should pear as coming from the north. Such being the case, the route of Antichrist will be through Greece and Asia Minor; unless indeed, what is not very probable, we suppose him to circuit the Euxine. Accordingly Daniel represents his progress as being by land, and not by sea; as being an expedition, in which he should enter into the countries and overflow and pass over, previous to his entering also into the glorious land, and previous to the land of Egypt not escaping him. But why should this expe *Cited by Kett, Hist. the Interp. Vol. 11. p. 258–261. ap dition be undertaken by land, rather than by sea? The answer is afforded us by Isaiah, in the course of the prophecy now under consideration: a mighty maritime power shall be friendly to the converted Jews, and therefore hostile to Antichrist; consequently the same fleets, which will assist in the restoration of the former, will be an effectual obstacle to any maritime expedition upon a large scale undertaken by the latter. It is worthy of notice, that, as the prophets exactly coincide with each other respecting the route of Antichrist being by land and not by sea, so the existing posture of affairs exactly coincides with the declarations of the prophets. In the first edition of my Dissertation on the 1260 days, I had not an opportunity of noticing the direful conclusion of the war between France and Austria; a war undertaken with every reasonable human prospect of success, yet a war which has given to a foreign usurper the sceptre of Charlemagne : I could only then observe in general terms, that, without presuming to foretell its issue, the Christian could not reasonably doubt that the hand of God is now stretched forth over the earth in a peculiar and remarkable manner; and that all things would assuredly work together to fulfil those prophecies which yet remain unaccomplished, and to prepare a way for the last tremendous manifestations of God's wrath*. The battle of Austerlitz has since decided the fate of the Roman Emperort, and has opened to Buonaparte a free passage into the very heart of the Turkish dominions: nor can he surely be deemed guilty of any very great presumption, who is inclined to believe, that the late signal humiliation of Austria, and her constrained cession to France of Istria, Friuli, and Dalmatia, serve only to pave the way for the last tremendous enterprize of the infidel king. The downfal of the Ottomah empire, predicted under the sixth vial, is placed by St. John previous to the expedition of the beast and the false prophet into Palestine, and is apparently represented by him as being preparatory to it. What length of time indeed may be occupied in the preparations for this expe Postscript to Preface, 1st Edit. Subsequent to my writing this, the chief of the house of Austria has formally abdicated the title of Emperor of the Romans, and has been constrained to dissolve officially the Germanic constitution. August 1806. |