wer. It was the business of the latter to fight; he excelled
in it, and he possessed the affection of the Mam-luks, who were all
eager to follow him.

Bonaparte immediately perceived the line of policy which he had to
pursue in Egypt. He must, in the first place, wrest that country from
its real masters, the Mam-luks; it was necessary for him to fight them,
and to destroy them by arms and by policy. He had, moreover, strong
reasons to urge against them; for they had never ceased to ill-treat the
French. As for the Porte, it was requisite that he should not appear to
attack its sovereignty, but affect, on the contrary, to respect it.
In the state to which it was reduced, that sovereignty was not to be
dreaded, and he could treat with the Porte, either for the cession of
Egypt, by granting certain advantages elsewhere, or for a partition of
authority, in which there would be nothing detrimental; for the French,
in leaving the pasha at Cairo, and transferring to themselves the power
of the Mamluks, would not occasion much regret. As for the inhabitants,
in order to make sure of their attachment, it would be requisite to win
over the Arab population. By respecting the sheikhs, by flattering their
old pride, by increasing their power, by encouraging their secret desire
for the re-establishment of their ancient glories, Bonaparte reckoned
upon ruling the land, and attaching it entirely to him. By afterwards
sparing persons and property, among a people accustomed to consider
conquest as conferring a right to murder, pillage, and devastate, he
would create a sentiment that would be most advantageous to the French
army. If, furthermore, the French were to respect women and the Prophet,
the conquest of hearts would be as firmly secured as that of the soil.

Napoleon conducted himself agreeably to these conclusions, which
were equally just and profound. He immediately made his plans for
establishing the French authority at Alexandria, and for quitting the
Delta and gaining possession of Cairo, the capital of Egypt. It was
the month of July; the Nile was about to inundate the country. He was
anxious to reach Cairo before the inundation, and to employ the time
during which it should last in establishing himself there. He ordered
everything at Alexandria to be left in the same state as formerly; that
the religious exercises should be continued; and that justice should be
administered as before by the cadis. His intention was merely t