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mounted his horfe, and finding the right was seriously engaged, proceeded thither. When he came near the ruins, he dispatched his Aids-de-Camp, with fome orders to different brigades, and whilft thus alone, fome dragoons of the French cavalry penetrated to the spot, and he was thrown from his horfe. One of them, from the taffel of his fword fuppofed to be an Officer, then rode at him, and attempted to cut him down; but just as the point of the fword was falling, his natural heroifm, and the energy of the moment, fo invigorated the veteran General, that he feized the fword, and wrested it from the hand; at that inftant the Officer was bayonetted by a foldier of the 42d regiment. Sir Ralph Abercrombie did not know the moment of his receiving a wound in his thigh, but complained feverely of the contufion in his breast, fuppofed to be given by the hilt of the fword in the fcuffle. Sir Sidney Smith was the first Officer who came to Sir Ralph, and who by accident had broke his own fword; which Sir Ralph obferving, he inftantly prefented him the one he had fo gloriously acquired, and which Sir Sidney means to place on his monument.

"Sir Ralph, as the French cavalry were by this time repulfed, walked to the redoubt on the right of the guards, from which he could command a view of the whole field of battle. At length, General Menou finding that every one of his movements had failed, and that the British lines had suffered no ferious impreffion to juftify the hopes of an eventual fuccefs, determined on a retreat. About ten o'clock in the morning the action ceased; but it was not till the defeat of the French was thus abfolutely affured, that Sir Ralph Abercrombie, who had remained in the battery, where several times he had nearly been killed by cannon-fhot, could be prevailed upon to quit the field. He had continued walking about, paying no attention to his wound, only occafionally complaining of a pain in his breast from the contufion. Officers who went to him in the course of the action, returned without knowing from his manner or appearance that he had been wounded, and many only afcertained it by fecing the blood trickling down his clothes. At laft, his fpirit, when exertion was no longer neceffary, yielded to nature; he became

faint, was placed in a hammock, and borne to the depôt, cheered by the feeling expreffions and bleflings of the foldiers as he paffed: he was then put into a boat, accompanied by his Aidde-Camp and efteemed friend Sir Thomas Dyer, and carried to Lord Keith's hip. There the gallant hero fubmitted to painful operations with the greatest firmness, but the ball could not be extracted. At length, a mortification enfued, and he died in the evening of the 29th, having always expreffed the greatest folicitude for the army, and irritating his mind, from the first moment, with the anxiety to refume his command."

On the controverted subject of taking the French standard, we have the fol lowing particulars, which may ferve to throw a clearer light on the fingular conteft than has hitherto appeared in our public prints." In this battle the French ftandard was taken, Serjeant Sinclair, of the 42d regiment, and a private of the Minorca, whofe name unfortunately cannot now be acquired, claimed equally the trophy; and it appears that each merited the honour; Se jeant Sinclair first took it, but being ordered forwards by an Officer, he gave it to a private, who was killed. When the Minorca advanced, the French had recovered the colours; but the private wrefted them from the man who had poffeffion, and then bayonetted him. General Regnier ftates, that the battalion to which these colours belonged was compofed chiefly of Copts ; but how Copts came to carry a ftandard, on which Le passage de la Scrivia, le paffage du Tagliamento, le paffage de l'Ifonzo, la Prife de Graz, le Pont de Lodi, are infcribed, General Regnier can only explain.”

The obfervations on the battle, particularly with refpect to the errors of the French General Menou, can only be judged of by military men; but we may fuppofe them impartial, fince, upon other occations, Colonel Wilfon is liberal of his encomiums on the talents and general good conduct of that Officer.

But notwithstanding the importance of this victory, we are told by our historian, that it by no means decided the fate of Egypt; we are therefore to look for the entire evacuation of the country by the French, to the fubfequent fucceffes of the British army

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under the command of that diftinguithed Officer General Hutchinfon, whofe talents and exertions were equal to thofe of his renowned predeceffor. A regular feries of military operations on the part of the British forces, related with candour and precifion, conduct the reader to the final complete accomplishment of the great object of the expedition. The difficulties the General had to furmount, the hardships endured by the troops, the defcription of the country, and of the inhabitants, furnish interefting and curious materials for the remainder of the hiftory of the campaign, - which cannot be abridged, for they are brought within the narroweft poffible limits, the whole narrative being comprifed in 181 pages. The annexed Moral and Phylical State of Egypt contains a fund of new information, interfperfed with judicious remarks on its connexion with European politics; of which we can only give our readers a fufficient idea to enable them to form a judgment of the importance of the acquifition to any European Power that may be able to colonize it, the first object which the French had in view.

"Egypt, from its fertility, is a moft valuable colony to any Power, more particularly fince the means of fubfiftence have not increased in Europe in proportion to its population. At present, the ground yields three crops; with care, thefe crops might be made at lealt one third more than their prefent quantity: even now, after affording fubfiftence to three millions of inhabitants, vaft fupplies are fent to Arabia and Turkey. Barley, wheat, and rice, grow almost fpontaneoufly; the feed of the former is generally only scattered on the earth, or rather mud, and ripens in four months. Flax, trefoil, the cotton tree, &c. Hourish throughout Egypt. The fugar. cane grows luxuriantly, and excellent fugar is manufactured-in fhort, every thing which the wants and luxuries of Europe demand might here be cultivated; and Egypt, from her locality, would foon again recover, by commerce, confiderable fplendour, if a good government did but direct its refources. Even under the Beys, the annual revenue amounted to 1,500,cool.

fterling; and the French derived, in addition, fufficient fupplies in kind for their armies."

"In a military point of view, Egypt is of valt importance. The Ottoman Empire totters, and India must be terror-truck, if France should ever be allowed the poffeffion."

The policy of France is too deep, her enmity too rooted, not to devife means, in procefs of time, for the deftruction of the English power in India; and Egypt approaches too near to this valuable colony.

Our Author here introduces an anecdote, communicated to him by a Britifh Nobleman, moft juftly celebrated for the extent of his political knowledge and diftinguifhed capacity, poffelling alfo the belt fources of informa tion, who had been fhown the copy of a plan given in by a Frenchman to the great Catharine of Ruffia, for the conqueft of India, which appeared to his Lord fhip to be fo gigantic an idea, that he did not then, enter into the details; but fome years afterwards, when Suwarrow, the Ruffian General, entered Ifpahan," he lamented his inattention, for he thought he heard his cannon re-echoing in Hindoftan." And it is added, that Paul the First drew from the Archives of Ruffia this important project, and attempted, in concert with France, the realization; when, fortunately for humanity and his country, death defeated his schemes of ambition and of unnatural enmity to Great Britain. "One divifion was already on its march, which was to have been followed by another, when a corps of 50,000 men would have affembled, in the autumn of 1801, on the borders of the Cafpian Sea."

On this ground, Colonel Wilfon contends, that Egypt is neceffary to England, not as an acquifition of wealth or aggrandizement, but for fecurity; for the theatre of her wars with France will ever hereafter be extended to those plains, and fuch an extenfion of the field of battle must be highly prejudicial to the interests of Great Britain-therefore," the main tenance of Alexandria or Malta was abfolutely neceffary (in this Gentleman's opinion) to remove these apprehenfions." He concludes these politi

Not mentioned; but we conje&ure it must be either the Marquis of Lansdown or Lord Macartney.

VOL. XLIII. JAN. 1203.

G

cal

cal reflections with the following advice to our Statesmen.

"The hoftility of the Turks to France offers a favourable moment for the completion of defigns neceffary to the interests of England and Turkey, who ought to form an inseparable alliance nor could fuch meafures be deemed otherwife than precautions of felf defence, even by thofe whofe views were impeded by them. The friend fhip of Turkey is of fuch importance to England, that every exertion should be made, and fome facrifices even not refitted, if they tend to prevent France refuming her influence in the Divan.”

The differtations on the difeafes of Egypt we pafs over, for the fame reafon that we leave it to the reader to judge for himself, by comparifon, of the defcriptions of Alexandria, Rofetta, and Cairo, and of their inhabitants, as given by this Author, and by Sonini (to whofe work he afcribes great merit). Denon, and other writers on the fame fubject, and fhall close our review with an article more novel, and of immediate utility, viz..

An Account of Pieces of ancient Sculpture, taken by the British Forces from the French Army in Alexandria; fent to England in the charge of Colonel Turner in the month of September 1802; and now exposed to public view in the Great Court of the British Mufeum, in Great Ruffel ftreet, Bloomf bury; over which fheds have been erected for their prefervation from the weather. This catalogue will ferve as a guide to the curious vifitors; and the writer can affure his countrymen, that they are well deferving of their attention.

1. An Egyptian Sarcophagus, with Hieroglyphics, of a stone called by the French breche vorte, from the mofque of St. Athanafius, in Alexandria.

2. Ditto, and ditto, of black granite, from Cairo.

3. Ditto, and ditto, of baffaltes, from Menouf.

4. The Fift of a Coloffean Statue, fuppofed to be Vulcan, found in the ruins of Memphis.

5. Five Fraginents of Statues, with

Lions' Heads, black granite, brought from the ruins of Thebes. 6. A mutilated Figure kneeling, black granite.

7. Two Statues, white marble, fuppofed to be Septimius Severus and Marcus Aurelius, found in the refearches made in Alexandria.

8. A Stone of Black Granite, with three Infcriptions, Hieroglyphic, Coptic, and Greek, found near Rofetta.

9. A Statue of a woman fitting with a Lion's Head, black granite, from Upper Egypt.

10. Two Fragments of Lions' Heads, black granite, from Upper Egypt.

Hieroglyphics, black granite, from 11. A fmall Figure kneeling, with Upper Egypt.

Lions' Heads, black granite, from 12. Five Fragments of Statues with Upper Egypt.

13. A Fragment of a Sarcophagus, black granite, from Upper Egypt.

14. Two fmall Obelisks, remarkably fine, with Hieroglyphics, bassaites, from femblance to the engraved plates in Upper Egypt: these bear a strong reSonini of Cleopatra's Needles at Alexandría, in miniature: they have been much broken in tranfporting them; but are now properly fecured in cafes, open at the top and fides.

15. A Coloffean Ram's Head, of a ftone called by the French rouge grais, from Upper Egypt.

16. A Statue of a Woman fitting on the ground, of black granite; between the feet is a Model of a Capital of a Column of the Temple of Ifis at Den. dera.

Lion's Head, black granite, from Upper 17. A Fragment of a Statue with a Egypt.

And within the Museum. A Chelt of Oriental Manufcripts, in number fixty-two, Coptic, Arabic, and Turkish, from the Library of the French Inftitute at Cairo.

The Strength of the British Army in Egypt, Returns of Killed and Wounded, Inftructions, Difpatches, Copies of Gazettes, and other Official Papers, fill up and clofe the volume.

M.

The

The Beauties of Wiltshire difplayed in Statiftical, Hiftorical, and Defcriptive Sketches interfperfed with Anecdotes of the Arts. 8vo. Two Volumes.

:

Hallow'd memento of the Druid age!

Whofe mystic plains a Briton's awe engage,

Whole bleating flocks the ample downs o'erfpread,
Where structures rude entomb the mighty dead!
Where bounteous Ceres hails the fummer's morn,
And pours exhauftlefs treafures from her horn;
Where princely domes, uprear'd by mimic art,
Enchant the eye, and gratify the heart!
Faintly, O WILTS! my hand essays to trace
The magic fplendors of thy varied face,
To fnatch from Lethe's ftream thy honor'd name,
And fketch thy BEAUTIES on the fcroll of fame.

WITH thefe elegant lines the Author,

Mr. John Britton, ufhers in his equally elegant work to his readers : for they form a part of the title-pages of both volumes; and exhibit a pleaf. ing fpecimen of his poetical talent. With refpect to his profaic merit, we fhall leave it to the judgment of others to decide, fubmitting only, with great deference, our opinion, that the ftyle is chafte and claffical throughout the whole performance; and in the defcriptive parts truly fublime.

The patronage, advice, and affiftance given to the Author, by fome Noblemen diftinguished for their knowledge and liberal encouragement of literature and the fine arts, and by a great number of other very refpectable and wellknown characters, conftitute a powerful recommendation, which the execution of the work demonftrates to have been well beftowed; and in the handsome acknowledgments he has made of the obligations conferred on him, he has modeftly paid the debt of gratitude, concluding his Preface with declaring his thankfulness to those who have difplayed a friendly difinterested difpofition to him or his work. The first volume, the fubject of the prefent Review, is dedicated, with strict propriety, To the Right Honourable the Earl of Radnor, Recorder of the City of Salisbury, &c. &c. &c. His Lord. hip's attention to the general interests of literature, the important services he has individually rendered to the capital of Wiltshire, and the feveral improvements which his Lordship's patriotic exertions have been inftrumental in promoting, naturally induced the Author to folicit fuch diftinguished patronage; which was granted in the moft polite and liberal manner.

To the Marquis of Lanfdown, likewife, Mr. Britton was indebted for much ingenuous advice, which is thus forcibly impreffed upon the minds of his readers. "Should it be discovered that my efforts are entitled to commendation, the greatest merit will attach to the Marquis: but for his affability of manners and kind encouragement, this work had never appeared; for I am not ashamed to confefs, that my attainments, at the period of its commencement, were unequal to its completion. The judicious obfervations of this liberal Nobleman confirmed my wavering purpofe-I was induced to perfevere, and now flatter myfelf that I have contributed towards the illuftration of my native county (imperfect as my attempts confeffedly are) more than any perfon whofe labours have yet been published."

The work is divided into fections; and the first confifts of introductory obfervations, the Author having deemed it neceffary to precede thefe defcriptive sketches of the county of Wilts with fome general information respecting its history, extent, appearance, population, and produce, that the publick may be the better enabled to form an accurate opinion on the importance of a county whofe ftatistical history no Author has yet completed.

Purfuing this plan, a brief hiftory of the County is sketched from its earliest authentic records, commencing about the year of our Lord 519, when the fhires of Wilts, Devon, Somerset, Hants, Dorfet, and Berks, became the property of Cerdic, a Saxon Prince, whofe dominions were united by the general name of Wessex, or the kingdom of the Weft Saxons. The fcheme

of generating concord, by cantoning out the kingdom into parcels, proved fatal to the Saxon heptarchy. The ambition or jealoufies of the feveral monarchs continually involved the fubjects of the different ftates in dire ful warfare. The miferies the Saxons had inflicted on the Britons, were repaid on each other; nor was it till the union of the feven kingdoms under Egbert, that this unfortunate country had any repofe from calamity. So far the outline of the ancient history is traced in the introduction: the moft material events that were tranfacted in Wilts, during this and the fubfequent periods of the hiftory of England, are related from authentic or probable documents, when defcribing the places where they occurred. The ufual geographical pofition of the County follows next; the errors of fome former geographers, who affigned too narrow limits to this county, are rectified, the statement of Mr. T. Davis, in his very ingenious view of the agriculture of Wilts, who makes the dimenfions 54 miles long, and 34 broad, comes as near the truth as can be ascertained, by an acquaintance with the best furveys, and the most direct roads. The topographical defcription feems to be drawn with the nicest accuracy, and without omitting any circumitance with which the reader, or traveller ought to be well acquainted, amongst which we particularly notice the account of its clothing trade, and manufactures of linen, cotton, gloves, cutlery, &c. encouraging a valt and increating population. The information concerning the great number of theep and cattle bred in this county, appears to be both new and highly interesting. "It is affirmed, that 50,000 lambs at leaft, are produced and fed yearly, in South Wiltshire only, and the fummer flock of theep in that diffrict, is little, if any, short of 500,000.

"In fine (fays our author), the myte rious and aftonithing relicks of Druidifm, which more eminently appertain to this County; the many elegant fuctures of ancient and modern architecture; the beauties of nature in her genuine fimplicity--or taftefully displayed in the prefent modern fyftem of gardening, the ruined caftle, and mouldering Abbey are fubjects that particularly attract attention; and when I defcribe the places near which they

are refpectively fituated, I will relate the most material circumstances connected with their history, in the mode mot agreeable to truth and my own inquiries, however I may deviate in certain refpects, from received opinion."

Such is the rich mental feat this ingenious gentleman promises to his readers; and, after a careful and candid perufal of the whole performance, we venture to pronounce that it is executed with combined talte and judgment.

Section II. contains the early history and a fatisfactory defcription of Old Sarum." It is fituated about one mile north of Salisbury, and though difmantled of its frowning buildings and architectural confequence, it prefents a fcene awfully grand! The military antiquary will find much to admire in its deep ditches, high ramparts, and great extent; and the man addicted to reflection, and poffelling fenfibility, will feel interested in reverting to the tales of other times, and derive pleafurable confolation from comparing them with the tranfactions of the prefent moment. What a scene does this place, and indeed all Salisburyplain, prefent for meditation-when we contraft the warlike days of yore, with the prefent days of domestic peace.

"Now, the humble folitary fhepherd, and the whiftling ploughman, may purfue their respective avocations, fearless of the blood-stained foldier; now, the poor cottager retires to the ftraw bed of content, undisturbed by the marauding warrior; now, the peafant and the farmer are alike fecured by the laws of the land, from the plundering tyrant; and now, the curious antiquary may measure Stonehenge without the fear of having his own meafure curtailed, by the headdiflevering fword. What an inettimable bleffing is peace!-What a deplorable calamity is war! Only fancy these boundless plains covered with hundreds of camps, and thousands of foldiers, and even then the ima gination will not exceed the reality,and that every day, the cries of the innocent, the fhrieks of the widowed mother, and the bewailings of the orphan, pierced the wide concave of heaven with unavailing lamentations." Moral reflections fuch as these certainly enhance the value of defcriptive scenery, and they are introduced in all parts of the work, where the objects delineated afford a proper opening.

The

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