essful, their General had the
gratitude due for the benefit; were they overlooked, thanks equally
belonged to him for his good wishes, and the resentment for the slight
attached itself to the Government who did not give effect to them.

OVERTHROW OF THE MAMELUKES

THE BATTLE OF THE NILE

A.D. 1798

CHARLES KNIGHT

Napoleon's Italian victories forced even Austria to seek
peace and acquiesce in the extension of the French Republic
to the Rhine and over a considerable part of Italy. The
Continent was for a moment at peace, only England remaining
in open hostility to France. A great invasion was planned to
subdue the island kingdom, but Britain felt secure in the
power of her ships which had repeatedly defeated those of
France, Spain, and Holland.

The French Government, which had gradually gathered a strong
fleet on the Mediterranean, now at Bonaparte's urgency
undertook what has often been regarded as the rather
visionary attempt of conquering Egypt, perhaps expecting to
extend French power over all Asia and so destroy British
trade, the source of Britain's wealth. Egypt was nominally
subject to Turkey, but was really ruled by the Mamelukes, an
aristocracy of soldiers who had held the land for centuries.

Nelson, the English admiral, despatched to discover and
defeat the French fleet, is England's greatest naval hero.
He had already won renown as second in command in an
important victory over the Spaniards off Cape St. Vincent.
The Battle of the Nile was the first of his three most
celebrated achievements, the others being the defeat of the
Danes at Copenhagen[46] and then the final destruction of
the French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar.

Bonaparte with great difficulty persuaded the Directory to postpone
their scheme for the invasion of the British Islands, and to permit him
to embark an army for Egypt, the possession of which country, he
maintained, would open to France the commerce of the East, and prepare
the way for the conquest of India. Having subdued Egypt, he would return
before another winter to plant the tricolor on the Tower of London. In
April, Bonaparte was appointed general-in-chief of the Army of the East.
The secret had been well kept.

The French fleet under Admiral Brueys was in the harbor of Toulon,
ready to sail upon its secret destination. Something different