condemn. But it is time we introduce to cavalry, recovered the British guns then

our reader the writer of a military history, throughout whose whole work, the pronoun of the first perfon fingular is never once feen: nothing of egotifin. It is left to his fellow foldiers to bear teftimony of the ufeful part he acted in the great, the profperous campaign in Egypt; and while we fee him decking the brows of his commanders with the graceful, the well-carned laurel, we never obferve his own hand eager to poffefs a single leaf.

in their poffeflion. When Sir Ralph Abercrombie was preparing, in the Mediterranean, the expedition which afterwards went againit Egypt, our hero was appointed to the majority of Hompefch's regiment, in order to take the command of the detachment ordered for that fervice; but as he went by land, and was detained at the Austrian army fome time, he did not join Sir Ralph Abercrombie 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. In 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 Hittory of the Expedition to Egypt.

On the furrender of Alexandria, he embarked with General Craddock for a new fervice; but the preliminaries of peace preventing that enterprize, he went to Toulon, where, in the Lazaretto, he obtained indifputable proofs, in addition to thofe he had already acquired in Egypt, of the crimes with which he charged General Bonaparte, and which proofs he has promifed, on a fuitable occafion, to give the world. Soon after his arrival in England through France, he determined on writing the hiftory of the expedition; copies of which, when published, he delivered to the King, the Emperors of

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 schools of Winchester and Westminster. 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 refpect to his brother-in-law, Col. Bofville, of the guards, who was killed at Lincelles, placed him immediately in the 15th Light Drageons. In that corps be ferved during the whole of the war on the continent, and was one of thofe officers to whom the emperor gave a gold medal, and fubfequently the crofs of the order of Maria Therefa, with the dignity of Baron of the German Empire, for their conduct at the affair of Villars en Couchie, where, with about three hundred men, they defeated the left wing of the French army, with great laughter, and faved the emperor from being taken prifoner. Colonel Wilfon had, alto, the command of the advanced guard of that patrole which Germany and Ruffia; enforcing, in appaled through the columns of a French propriate letters, the charges which he army then in march, and penetrated to had made against the First Conful, and the head quarters of General Pi hegru, declaring it his with to prove them from whefe house the aid-de-camp and before a public tribunal. On his return English interpreter of General Vandamme, from Egypt, he purchafed the lieutenantand two gens d'armes, were taken, and colonelcy of his regiment, which, foon whom they brought fafely to the Duke of after the peace, was reduced. Until the York, notwithstanding they were purfued beginning of the prefent year he remainby three regiments of Hullars for above ed on half-pay, when he was appointed eight miles. In the year 1797 he return- infpecting field officer of volunteer and yeoed to England with the British cavalry, manry corps in the wettern diftrict; but, and in the year following married Jemi- when the Act of Parliament paßied which ma, the daughter of Colonel Belford, a precluded him from having any command niece of the late Sir Adam Williamfon. of the volunteers or yeomaury, even in In 1799, during the disturbances in cafe of invation, he reigned that appointIreland, he went as aid-de-camp to Ge- thent, and foon afterwards wrote his neral St. John. On the expedition going pamphlet, entitled, " An Enquiry," &c. to Holland, he, accompanied a detach- He has fince been placed on full 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 1ft of December announcing his procharging a body of five hundred of French motion as lieutenant-colonel.

When it is confidered at how early an and fpreading luxury. The writings of

age this afpiring officer has been thought worthy to be placed the fecond in command of a regiment of horse, his friends cannot but look forward with a confident prefage of his arriving, in due time, at the highest rank in his profeflion, and attaining that pre-eminence of diftinction, which is the just and beft reward of me

rit.

In fpeaking of Sir Robert as an author, his Hutory of the British Expedition into Egypt contributes, in an efpecial manner, to bring the writer into immediate and general notice, and has been the fubject of much difcuffion in France, as well as in other parts of the continent.

Malthus, Lawrence, and feveral others, on the fame fubject, though they differ in opinion, have excited a great deal of curiofity in the public mind, as to the best means of obviating the inconveniences of a vaftly increafing population: above all, the very high price of corn, or, in other words, the fcarcity of it in England, under the universally acknowledged improvements in agriculture, fills the mind of every benevolent man, and fets it at work to devife means how to place us above the uncertainty and cafualty of each year's crop. From thefe curfory 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

peaceable means would be reforted to for obtaining that which we ftand in need of. But the policy of courts is not fquared by the philanthropy of individuals, and, as it was faid by the Americans, in the unnatural conflict between the parent flate 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 confidered 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 thole 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 as the human head is well inftructed, more not but gratify the withes of whichever power fhould fortunately prevail in the conteft. The total difmemberment 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 diffuting a knowledge of the arts, by exciting induf- Our author makes a very handfome try, and by teaching you to multiply and appeal to the good nature of the learned, economife thofe bounties heaven thowers and deprecates the ieverity 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 univerfitics provides an of meatured foils with each other; they have ficial hiftoriographer (which he with others deferred the ferious ufe of their deadly laments)," the details of a campaion 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 ftretched to lengths not unapprifed that there are many, of temporary inconvenience. The arts which have polished, have alfo been found to multiply mankind in an equal degree. New or neglected foils feem neceffary for the fupply of an increased coufumption

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 had the ferious allegations against Bonaparte fuppreffed. "Such a principle of

forbearance," he fays, "would tend to our hero is the first to record them, the motto which he has adopted from Horace is rendered particularly appropriate to his work:

produce more wickednefs in the world than has ever been yet committed." And with propriety he aiks, "What is there to intimidate ambition, in full poffeffion 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 eareer of victory.

If Bonaparte does not exonerate his character in this inftance, and thew the charges to be unfounded, our historian truly fays," he will fink into the grave with the heavy weight of his offences, and pofterity will inferibe on his cenotaph Ille venená Colchica et quicquid ujquum concipitur nefus tractavit.”

-Ingens, infigne, recens, adhuc, Indictum ore alio.

In the different periods of a nation, its growth may be fottered, its dominion extended, and its prefervation effected, by very diflimilar 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 exposed 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 inTo the above reafoning, all who love humanity and crime may not allow his the liberty of fpeaking truth muft heartily accufer an equal claim for proverbial projoin. In the courie of this work, and bity with the above noble Grecian, yet, through the pages of another he has fince as the facts imputed to Bonaparte fland 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 almoft total filence our author has obferved of what concerned himfelf in the brilliant Egyptian fcene, we are only enabled to speak 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 modcft example will encourage other officers in future to take up the pen in thote moments when they could fafely lay down the fword. Xenophon was no lefs diftinguithed 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 efpecially 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 Dain; but in that to Allyria the army was at a lofs for a commander to connect vićtory with valour. The British expedition to Egypt forms an epocha in the military annals of our country. Its details ftrike the reader not let's from their recent date than from their magnitude, whether viewed in a retrofpective or profpective light; and as

undifproved by that General, that Conful, now Emperor, the hiftorian 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 defination: but he makes no hesitation in laying, 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 fats and events: every important circumitance of his hiftory is accompanied with interefting reflections: the wretched ftate of the Grand Vizir's army, as described by General Moore, who had been fent from Marmorice to Joppa for intelligence, is affectingly fpoken of by our author; as is alfo the fate of the weather, which prevented the debarkation of the troops for many days after they were in fight of Alexandria. The landing of the forces, however, and the hard-fought battle which followed, are defcribed in a manner which does honour to the pen of the writer. The ftill more bloody conteft on the 21ft 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 respect of the maiterly

orders given out by the enemy's com- remote to enter into the calculations or mander, General Menou, and of the excellent difpofition of his army; but the abilities that French officer poffeffed were not correctly applied to the Britifh pofition. He thought it incumbent on his honour to attack, and perhaps to this national etiquette he lot the battle, and ultimately the country, in which it was fought.

To the Editor of the Univerfal Mag. as it is deftructive of the dignity of this moft ufeful clafs of writing, is demands reprehenfion.

SIR,

YOUR

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, feems defirous of apologizing for of the rural poet Bloomfield, I thall 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 efteem in which it is held by numimportant. The fmaller 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 circumftance he could colours. Henry the Eighth, we are difcover, but a judicious felection from told, perpetually ufed the exclama- thefe. 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 muft derive monarch. Every perfonal peculia- a fund of inftructive pleasure from rity, however trivial, attains, no hearing, with fuch exactnefs, 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, fome pleafing would be the knowledge of a may compare thefe particulars to Shakespeare's domeftic 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 fanction for the fcrupulous exactnefs with which certain modern writers afcertain the "birth and parentage," as well as "education," of the perfon whose fame it is their taik 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, o ferious fault in the narrator; but,

but, among a multitude, there will always be found a faftidious few.

Nor does this appear to be a fingle error in Mr. Lofft's editorfhip. "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 intrinfic 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..