condemn. But it is time we introduce to cavalry, recovered the British guns then our reader the writer of a military hiftory, in their poffeffion. When Sir Ralph throughout whose whole work, the pro- Abercrombie was preparing, in the Menoun of the first perfon fingular is never diterranean, the expedition which afteronce feen: nothing of egotifin, It is left wards went againft Egypt, our hero was to his fellow foldiers to bear teftimony of appointed to the majority of Hompefch's the useful part he acted in the great, the regiment, in order to take the command profperous campaign in Egypt; and while of the detachment ordered for that fer we fee him decking the brows of his com- vice; but as he went by land, and was manders with the graceful, the well-earn- detained at the Austrian army fome time, ed laurel, we never obferve his own hand he did not join Sir Ralph Abercrombie eager to poffefs a single leaf. until after the arrival of the British fleet at the bay of Marmorice. He brought with him an urgent request from General Bellegarde for the English army to be employed in Italy, but the general could not deviate from his inftructions. Egypt he was the officer who arranged the capitulation with the commander of the convoy in the defert. Living intimately with and being confidentially employed by Lord Hutchinfon and the Captain Pacha, he was enabled to obtain all that information which afterwards appeared in his Hiftory of the Expedition to Egypt. In Sir Robert Wilfon was born in London in the year 1778. He is a fon of the celebrated Benjamin Wilfon, who was a member of every learned academy in Europe, and who held the controverfy with Dr. Franklin refpecting the fuperiority of pointed over blunted conductors. He was educated at the public fchools of Winchester and Weftminster, At the age of fifteen, being folicitous to join the army abroad, he went to the Duke of York on the continent, who, out of respect to his brother-in-law, Col. Boiville, of the guards, who was killed On the furrender of Alexandria, he emat Lincelles, placed him immediately in barked with General Craddock for a new the 15th Light Dragoons. In that corps fervice; but the preliminaries of peace he ferved during the whole of the war on preventing that enterprize, he went to the continent, and was one of those of- Toulon, where, in the Lazaretto, he obficers to whom the emperor gave a gold tained indifputable proofs, in addition to medal, and fubfequently the cross of the thofe he had already acquired in Egypt, order of Maria Therefa, with the dignity of the crimes with which he charged Geof Baron of the German Empire, for their neral Bonaparte, and which proofs he conduct at the affair of Villars en Couchie, has promifed, on a fuitable occafion, to where, with about three hundred men, give the world. Soon after his arrival in they defeated the left wing of the French England through France, he determined army, with great flaughter, and faved the on writing the hiftory of the expedition; emperor from being taken prifoner. Co- copies of which, when published, he delonel Wilfon had, alfo, the command of livered to the King, the Emperors of the advanced guard of that patrole which Germany and Ruffia; enforcing, in appaffed through the columns of a French propriate letters, the charges which he army then in march, and penetrated to the head quarters of General Pichegru, from whofe house the aid-de-camp and English interpreter of General Vandamme, and two gens d'armes, were taken, and whom they brought fafely to the Duke of York, notwithstanding they were pursued by three regiments of Huffars for above Eight miles. In the year 1797 he returned to England with the British cavalry, and in the year following married Jemima, the daughter of Colonel Belford, a niece of the late Sir Adam Williamfon. had made again the First Conful, and declaring it his wifh to prove them before a public tribunal. On his return from Egypt, he purchased the lieutenantcolonelcy of his regiment, which, foon after the peace, was reduced. Until the beginning of the prefent year he remained on half-pay, when he was appointed infpecting field officer of volunteer and yeomanry corps in the weitern diftrict; but, when the Act of Parliament paffed which precluded him from having any command of the volunteers or yeomaury, even in In 1799, during the disturbances in cafe of invafion, he refigned that appointIreland, he went as aid-de-camp to Ge- ment, and foon afterwards wrote his neral St. John. On the expedition going pamphlet, entitled, " An Enquiry," &e. to Holland, he accompanied a detach- He has fince been placed on fuli pay, in ment of his regiment to that country, the 19th Light Dragoons, the Gazette of and which, on the 2d of October, by the 1st of December announcing his procharging a body of five hundred of French motion as lieutenant-colonel. rit. In fpeaking of Sir Robert as an author, his Hiftory of the British Expedition into Egypt contributes, in an cipecial mauner, to bring the writer into immediate and general notice, and has been the fubject of much difcuffion in Trance, as well as in other parts of the continent. When it is confidered at how early an and fpreading luxury. The writings of age this afpiring officer has been thought Malthus, Lawrence, and feveral others, on worthy to be placed the fecond in com- the fame fubject, though they differ in mand of a regiment of horfe, his friends opinion, have excited a great deal of cu cannot but look forward with a confident riofity in the public mind, as to the befe prefage of his arriving, in due time, at means of obviating the inconveniences of the highest rank in his profeffion, and at- a vaftly increasing population: above all, taining that pre-eminence of diftinction, the very high price of corn, or, in other which is the just and beft reward of me- words, the fcarcity of it in England, under the universally acknowledged improvements in agriculture, fills the mind of every benevolent aan, and fets it az work to deviie means how to place us above the uncertainty and casualty of cach year's crop. From thefe curiory remarks, our readers may difcern the great probability of a renewed combat in the Delta, and on the grounds of Upper Egypt, and that the blood of man may, ere long, fructify an arena for the support of man. Let it not be thought, however, for a moment, that we deem it neceffary that one part of mankind must be deftroyed to obtain fubfiftence for the other! If the human heart were as well difpofed as the human head is well inftructed, more peaceable means would be reforted to for obtaining that which we stand in need of. But the policy of courts is not fquared by the philanthropy of indivi duals, and, as it was faid by the Americans, in the unnatural conflict between the parent ftate and her offspring colonies, "If we don't kill them, they will kill us," fo it will be faid, in a coming conteft between rival belligerent nations, "If we don't take forcible poffeffion of Egypt, they will." Egypt, in whatever point of view it is feen, must be contidered as an effential figure in the fum of European politics, and cannot fail, in every future war, to become an object of great intereft and folicitude to thofe powers which are likely to take the lead in hoftilities. It is by nature fo fertile a country, fo fufceptible of improvement, that to colonize it could not but gratify the wishes of whichever power fhould fortunately prevail in the conteft. The total difimemberment of it from the Ottoman empire is an event which cannot be regarded as far diftant. The conqueft of it will not be viewed in the fame light as that of Mexico by the Spaniards. The invaders will annex humane confiderations to the other motives for taking poffeffion of it, Moft of thofe miferies the wretched natives fo often experience, and which have been afcribed to the climate, or termed endemial, are now known to arife from ignorance, indolence, and fuperftition: the conqueror will therefore fay to the almoft paffive inhabitants, "I come to force you to be happy, to diminish your fufferings under plague and peftilence, and leffen your apprehenfions of famine, by diffufing a knowledge of the arts, by exciting induf- Our author makes a very bandsome try, and by teaching you to multiply and appeal to the good nature of the learned, economise those bounties heaven thowers and deprecates the feverity of criticism, upon your portion of the globe." The by obferving, that, in a great measure, French and British have, as yet, only the task was forced upon him; for fince walked over the ground, and, as it were, neither of the universities provides an ofmeafured foils with each other; they have ficial hittoriographer (which he with others deferred the serious ufe of their deadly laments)," the details of a campaign can weapons till another opportunity. Ci- only be communicated to the public by vilifation in our wefterly part of Europe perfons attached to the army." He is feems to have been stretched to lengths not unapprifed that there are many, of temporary inconvenience. The arts which have polifhed, have also been found to multiply mankind in an equal degree. New or neglected foils feem neceffary for the fupply of an increafed confumption Thus much we have thought necessary to offer as a reafon for our entering rather particularly into a work, which, though duly noticed by the different Reviews at the time, has never had its tendency, and, confequently, its importance and value, held up to the eye of a vigilant and enlightened nation. who, from prudential motives and diftant calculations, which never enter into the arithmetic of a foldier, would rather have bad the ferious allegations against Bonaparte fuppreffed. "Such a principle of motto which he has adopted from Horace is rendered particularly appropriate to his work: forbearance," he says, "would tend to our hero is the first to record them, the produce more wickedness in the world than has ever been yet committed." And with propriety he aíks, "What is there to intimidate ambition, in full poffetfion of power, but the pen of the hiftorian?" The opinions of mankind on that celebrated man, however, are greatly matured and fet right fince the eye and understanding are no longer dazzled by his good fortune and uninterrupted career of victory. If Bonaparte does not exonerate his character in this inftance, and thew the charges to be unfounded, our hiftorian truly fays," he will fink into the grave with the heavy weight of his offences, and pofterity will infcribe on his cenotaph Ille venená Colchicé et quicquid ufquàm concipitur nefas tructuvit?” . To the above reasoning, all who love the liberty of tpeaking truth muft heartily join. In the courie of this work, and through the pages of another he has fince written, we have frequently noticed a refpect for thofe venerable fentiments of truth and liberty, which the fword, when defending, is honourably and humanely employed in; as it is oppofitely, when wielded purpofely, to carry the will of a defpot into effect, against the intereft and happiness of the people. From the almost total filence our author has obferved of what concerned himfelf in the brilliant Egyptian fcene, we are only enabled to fpeak of him as the narrator, not as an actor in it. With this part we are perfectly fatisfied; and though the vanity difplayed by those who have gone before him in this walk may have given offence to readers of delicacy, we hope his own modeft example will encourage other officers in future to take up the pen in thofe moments when they could fafely lay down the fword, Xenophon was no lefs diftinguifhed as an hiftorian and philofopher than as a general. Now, though the iffue of the battle of Alexandria was very different from that of Cunaxa, yet do the particulars of it, and especially the circumftances connected with and following it, leave the fame opportunity for the pen of the hiftorian to acquire its portion of celebrity. In both expeditions the chief was flain; but in that to Affyria the army was at a lofs for a commander to connect victory with valour. The British expedition to Egypt forms an epocha in the military annals of our country. Its details strike the reader not lefs from their recent date than from their magnitude, whether viewed in a reofpective or profpective light; and as -Ingens, infigne, recens, adhuc, In the different periods of a nation, its growth may be foltered, its dominion extended, and its prefervation effected, by very diffimilar means. The private virtues and military accomplishments of its general faved Thebes in the hour of great danger: let us hope that, fhould we ever be expoted to the like peril, we shall not want for an Epaminondas. To obtain this fecurity for his country, we believe, is the patriotic view of Colonel Wilfon; and though the perfonage he has diftinguished among his adverfaries for inhumanity and crime may not allow his accufer an equal claim for proverbial probity with the above noble Grecian, yet, as the facts imputed to Bonaparte stand undifproved by that General, that Conful, now Emperor, the bittorian will have credit for the juftnefs of the imputations. Our author does not pretend to difcuts the queftion, whether, at the time this expedition failed in its object on Cadiz, Egypt was its wifeft deftination: but he makes no hesitation in faying, that it was no advantage to wait and rendezvous in Afia Minor, under the expectation of obtaining fuccours from the Porte; for he obferves, that, had the fleet failed directly for the feat of war, lefs oppofition would have been made to their efforts, as the reinforcements and ammunition carried thither in the Egyptienne, Regenerée, Lodi, and other thips from Toulon, would have been anticipated. Sir R. W. is not a mere narrator of facts and events: every important circumftance of his hiftory is accompanied with interefting reflections: the wretched ftate of the Grand Vizir's army, as defcribed by General Moore, who had been fent from Marmorice to Joppa for intelligence, is affectingly spoken of by our author; as is alfo the fate of the weather, which prevented the debarkat or the troops for many days after they were in fight of Alexandria. The landing of the forces, however, and the hard-fou tle which followed, are defcribed in a manner which does honour to the pen of the writer. The ftill more bloody conteft on the 21st of March, when the brave Abercrombie fell, is reprefented in fo lively a colouring, that the reader almost fancies himself prefent at it. He speaks with gentlemanly refpect of the masterly orders given out by the enemy's com- remote to enter into the calculations or mander, General Menou, and of the ex- contemplations of fhort-fighted diplomacellent difpofition of his army; but the tits. The timely death of the czar laid abilities that French officer poffeffed were afleep, perhaps, but did not bury, this not correctly applied to the British pofi- gigantic project, which was firit commution. He thought it incumbent on his nicated by a Frenchman to the great Cahonour to attack, and perhaps to this na- tharine. tional etiquette he loft the battle, and ultimately the country, in which it was fought. It would give us pleasure to follow the author through every march, to accompany him into every engagement, fo minute, and yet fo little tedious is he in his defcriptions of each occurrence; but the fubject is fully before the public, and it is not our intention to perform the part of reviewers. Every where he is correct; no where is he obicure; and from the affair on the first landing the British troops in the bay, to the laft before the walls of Alexandria, which ended in a capitulation for the return of the enemy's troops to France, is the attention of the reader conftantly and fatisfactorily engaged. The moral and phyfical ftate of Egypt, as he lays it down, proves that he is not incapable of the higher and more effential parts of hiftory. The government and the nation owe this writer much for the manner in which he has perpetuated the knowledge of the events of the expedition to Egypt. Such an hiftorian was wanted to do juftice to the British military, confidering the gaiconading character of the French and their hiftoriaus. We with we had room to enter more profoundly into the fentiments and opinions of this able and spirited writer, becaufe no other work has fully appreciated them, and becaufe every day that is unfolded in the roll of time exhibits them in a more forcible point of view. One important object in the zig-zag politics of Europe has, we believe, never been committed to the prefs but by this author; and that is, the fcheme which the Emperor Paul the First had joined the French in, of affailing, by land, the British power in India. It is true that the ephemeral prints of 1800 did fpeak of fifty or fixty thoufand Ruffians which were to be affembled the next year on the banks of the Cafpian Sea; but the writers did not venture to deftine this force to the real and ultimate object. The French revo‐ lution, however, has proved an enlarged telescope to the mind's eye, and threwd politicians can, through it, difcover objects and defigns which before were too Sir Robert Wilfon bas made fome judicious and ighly important remarks as to the policy of retaining Egypt as a colony of jecurity to Great Britain, not as an object of dominion and revenue. Conformably with the rules of good faith to the Turks, we relinquithed Egypt; but he wifles the interefts of the Ottoman government might have been reconciled to the meature of keeping poffeffion of it, because he fears (and we believe with too much reafon), that on its plains the battles between France and England will chiefly be fought hereafter: a field of combat fo extended, and fo remote as to be highly prejudicial to the interefts of this country. On this and other grounds of confideration, he holds it to be highly neceffary that we poffefs either Malta or Alexandria, and, after fatisfying Turkey in respect to the revenue he draws from that country, and confirming the Mamelukes in the integrity of the power they have in it, he is of the belief that the latter place would be most defirable, as to it might be attracted the productions of the foil, and the merchandizes of Cairo. In preferring the commercial station of Alexandria to the more military one of Malta, Sir Robert is not fingular: but this defideratum could not be brought about without at once conciliating the Grand Turk and the tributary Mamelukes. To effect this Horace would fay, "Hic labor, hoc opus." Betides, have not fome of the too well grounded fears and diftrufts of the more eafteru princes infected the rulers of this part of the world? Would they not fay, "A company of Alexandrian merchants will come, under the plea of making a commercial fettlement on our fhores, and then, following the example of the East India Company in Hindoftan, fatally prove to us that nothing but abfolute dominion over our foil and our lives will fatisfy them?" Sir Robert W, has lately written "An Enquiry into the prefent State of the Military Force of the British Empire;" a work which we reviewed in our Number for November laft, and one which cannot be read by the friends of their country without great fatisfaction. 7 ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. To the Editor of the Univerfal Mag. YOUR as it is deftructive of the dignity of this most useful clafs of writing, it demands reprehenfion. OUR correfpondent A. O.*, in your entertaining Number for I truft, Mr. Editor, that when I October laft, while he points out fe- adduce, as an inftance of this barren veral errors in the biographers of the minutenefs, Mr. Capel Lofft's account age, seems defirous of apologizing for of the rural poet Bloomfield, I shall that minuter fpecies of detail adopted not be fufpected of an attempt to by Bofwell and his imitators. The touch on the refpectability or merit fpontaneous actions of unguarded re- of the amiable author of the Farmer's tirement, though trifling, may cer- Boy. I may with truth affirm, that tainly afford traits of character more the cafual mention I make of his name prompt and unequivocal than any has cordially in view the promotion of tranfactions of public life, however that esteem in which it is held by numimportant. The smaller manners, bers. too, though at first fight the defcrip Mr. Lofft feems to have fo far loft tion of them may poffibly ftrike the the hiftorian in the panegyrift, as to mind as inconfequential, frequently forget that it was not his duty to comdifplay the fubject in very interefting municate every circumstance he could colours. Henry the Eighth, we are difcover, but a judicious felection from told, perpetually ufed the exclama- these. If his memoirs had contained tion Eh, Eh? in the breaks of his fuch alone, would the public have difcourfe. This anecdote at once been informed, with fo much care, of conveys to us an idea of the turbu- the maiden name of Mr. Bloomfield's lent, impatient, and commanding mother-for which very material piece manner that fo perfectly accords of knowledge, he tells us, he had exwith the diforderly actions of that prefsly written? Who but must derive monarch. Every perfonal peculia- a fund of inftructive pleasure from rity, however trivial, attains, no hearing, with fuch exactness, the doubt, a high degree of intereft, when chriftian names of Mr. Bloomfield's it is the peculiarity of a man of fingu- four children, and the days on which lar eminence or diffufive genius. How they were born? To be fure, some pleafing would be the knowledge of a may compare thefe particulars toShakespeare's domestic habits, even if "The grandam's prattle by a winter's fire ;” not of fuch a nature as to communicate any hint of his fentiments or difpofition! But the granting of fuch limits to what your correfpondent terms the trivial in biography, will not furnish a fauction for the fcrupulous exacnefs with which certain modern writers afcertain the "birth and parentage," as well as "education," of the perfon whofe fame it is their tak to celebrate. Of what avail, in the name of wonder, is it to the world whether a poet's great grandmother's name, before marriage, was Jones or Jervis? An attention to fuch uninterefting trifles is, it must be allowed, no ferious fault in the narrator; but, but, among a multitude, there will always be found a faftidious few. 66 Nor does this appear to be a fingle error in Mr. Lofft's editorship. My part," he fays, "has been this: to revife the MS, making, occafionally, corrections with refpect to orthography, and fometimes in the grammatical conftruction. The corrections, in point of grammar, reduce themselves almoft wholly to a circumftance of provincial ufage," &c. But as this poem lays a claim to popular admiration, not only on account of its intrinsic merits, but the fingular circumftances in which it was compofed, the literal copy, in every instance Vide Effay on Biography, page 317, Univ. Mag. for October 1804, N. S, |