Giacque dal lido, al lido or si congiunge. Tasso, can. 15, v. 16.

HAPPILY impreffed with early fentiments of religion, Sir Horatio Nelson did not, in the moment of victory, forget to whom that victory was first to be attributed. The finger of Providence had been vifible from the entrance of the British fleet into the Mediterranean to the conclufion of the important action in the Bay of Aboukir. For though we ought not perhaps on every trivial occurrence of life to look for a particular mark of Divine fuperintendency, yet both scripture and history give us authority to attribute those great events of life, by which kingdoms and nations to future generations are affected, to the particular and immediate ordinance of the Almighty, acting upon apparently natural causes, but fo combined as to produce effects most beneficial to the general welfare of mankind. The French nation, collectively and individually, had thrown off all religion, and had openly declared to the world, that man

was free to think and act for himself; that God, if God there was, could not, or would not, controul him. In their public affembly of the representatives of the people, it had been deliberately argued, and at length decreed, that the existence of a Deity was unfounded, and confequently that all worship towards him was abfurd; and, what was hardly less impious, it was afterwards decreed by a fresh law, that a God did exist, and that homage might be paid to him. Christianity, that mild fyftem of true and disinterested philanthropy, was however entirely laid aside, or made a butt for impious witlings to fcoff at. Death was declared to be nothing more than eternal fleep. This doctrine, fubverfive of all social order, and destroying all the well regulated systems of long established principles, was the favourite topic of every Frenchman, and to diffeminate it was his prime object. And as in former times fire and fword were employed to propagate particular dogmas of religion, now the fame means are exercised to root out all religions from the face of the globe. Wherever the French ar mies came, religion felt the blow; being firft degraded in the perfons of its ministers, it was afterwards, by every means, rendered odious or contemptible to the people. On fome occafions, indeed, policy dictated another mode of action, and a seeming respect was at first paid to the established religion of the place; but this feldom lafted long, or was rendered nugatory by the general avowed disbelief in all religion, openly expreffed by the French armies.

Many heretofore powerful governments had been overturned by these destroyers, who, flushed with repeated conquests, looked forward to the entire fubjection of the world to their arms. The British nation had hitherto proved the foreft hindrance to all their prospects: to destroy that power was the principal object of their wishes. Great Britain had long been unrivalled in its commercial engagements; whatever therefore would destroy the principal fource of its commerce muft ultimately involve the nation itself in deftruction.

India had for fome time presented itself to the French nation as the defired object through which the British commerce might receive the deepeft wound; and the well known hatred which Tippoo Sultaun bore to this nation, afforded to the French the most flattering prospects of fuccefs, could they but convey a well disciplined army of their own to aid their fanguinary ally. It appears from various fubfequent events, that Egypt was the road through which they proposed to march to India. And Buonapartè feems to have entered into all the schemes of the French government on this head, with his usual activity and enterprize.

When, therefore, he found himself perfectly master of that rich country, and no obstacle of importance intervening; when a junction with the firm ally of France in the Myfore seemed certain; the object of his ambition appeared almost within his grafp. He now only waited for a further reinforcement from France, which was to be fent to him as foon

as the government was affured that he had established himself in Egypt. Admiral Brueys, it appears from various documents, was anxious to return to France with his fleet, that he might be ready to revisit the shores of Egypt with the promised reinforcement. But Buonapartè did not choose to be left without a means of retreat, and therefore he infifted upon his remaining on the coaft till farther orders.

The Admiral's fhip, l'Orient, being too large to cross the bar of the old harbour of Alexandria, it was found neceffary to anchor his fleet in the Bay of Aboukir; where, protected by every precaution of art, and aided by the nature of the place, flanked by batteries, fand-banks, rocks, and fhoals, he appeared to bid defiance to every hoftile attack.

The victory obtained over this fleet at once destroyed all the pleasing dreams of future conquests in the East, which Buonapartè had hitherto indulged. Cut off from a poffibility of receiving the promised reinforcements from France, by the annihilation of its fleet, he forefaw that the utmost he could now hope for, was to fecure a safe fituation for his army in the country where he was. The great change of opinion among his newly acquired fubjects, occafioned by the event of this battle, which convinced them that their invaders were not invincible, made his fituation fufficiently uneafy, without any other circumstances to render it more fo; but of them too he had a fufficient share.

Had the ftorm which damaged Rear-Admiral Nelfon's fhip, when first he came into the Mediterranean, continued longer than it did, he would in all probability have been disabled from further exertions at that time; by this gale the Toulon fleet was detained longer in port, which gave an opportunity to Commodore Troubridge to form a junction with the Admiral. At length the French fleet failed from Toulon, and proceeded by Sardinia to Malta; but we made our courfe for Naples, and miffed them. Had our fquadron fallen in with the enemy previous to the capture of Malta, and had a battle been fought, though it had terminated in our favour, as, in all humility, we may suppose, the utmost that we could have done would have been to have captured several of their men of war, and dispersed the reft; but as we well know, in such an event, our own ships must have suffered much, the rest of the convoy with troops might have escaped, and proceeding to its destination, would have effected its purpose; in which case the natives of Egypt would have been ignorant of the naval defeat of their invaders, and would have had no hopes of future fuccour from us; and from the crippled ftate of our ships, without a port to go to for repairs, the French would have been enabled to pour in fresh supplies of men and ammunition, and the fertile banks of the Nile would, without opposition, have been completely fubjugated by the power of the invader. The fame may be said had the two fleets met, as was expected, on the 22d of June, when they croffed each other in the night.

K

But now their