which shall be agreed upon. This agreement bears date on board the Tigre, "8 Nivôse," or December 29, the very day on which the French commissioners repaired on board at Sir Sidney's invitation. It was natural, therefore, that Sir Sidney should feel highly mortified and indignant at the refusal of his superiors to ratify a treaty which he (it has never been contended unauthoritatively) planned and matured. His letter to M. Poussielgue, of date March 8, forcibly depictures the bitterness of his feelings on the subject.

In all the versions of this affair to which we have had access, it is stated that Lord Keith, in refusing to ratify the treaty, was merely complying with the instructions he had received from his government. Indeed, his own words to General Kléber are: " I inform you that I have received positive orders from his majesty to consent to no capitulation with the French army under your command in Egypt and Syria, unless &c." But what says Lord Keith, in a letter dated more than two months afterwards, and addressed to M. Poussielgue? " I have given no orders or authority against the observance of the convention between the grand vizier and General Kléber, having received no orders on this head from the king's ministers. Accordingly,* I was of opinion that his majesty should not take part in it; but, since the treaty has been concluded, his majesty being desirous of showing his respect for his allies, I have received instructions to allow a passage for the French troops."

Upon the whole, therefore, we are disposed to acquit the British government of the chief blame in this most discreditable business, and to transfer it to Vice-admiral Lord Keith ; who, doubtless, had a precedent to quote in the still more disgraceful breach of faith committed by Lord Nelson in Naples bay; and who might naturally feel somewhat personally affected at being, by Sir Sidney Smith's blightful interference, thus suddenly cut off from becoming a principal sharer in that golden harvest which the great expedition on foot was almost certain to reap.

Whatever, or whoever, may have been the cause of the rupture of the El-Arich treaty, that rupture stimulated the injured party, against every calculation of force and number, to wreak the most signal vengeance upon the Turks, who undoubtedly were not those by whom the breach of faith had been committed. Unluckily for them, however, they happened to be in immediate contact with the enraged French army ; the grand vizier, with his host of turbans, having possessed himself of the different strongholds, the instant the French had quitted them on their way to the coast to embark under the terms of the treaty.

The first battle was fought on the 20th of March, at the village of Matarieh (built upon the ruins of the ancient Heliopolis),

* " Although" appears to be the proper word, but thus it stands in a work (Brenton, vol. iii., p.57) now before us, and the only authority on the subject to which, at this moment, we have the means of referring.

^ back to top ^