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honour of the Rulers of France. That the most grofs and flimfy hypocrify, pretending a regard for all religions in turn, as it fuits the ambitious views of the conqueror, whilst his object is to fubvert every establishment, both civil and religious, is one of the Republican virtues, we may appeal to the Proclamation of Bonaparte to the inhabitants of Egypt.-Last year he flattered with the warmest profeffions of regard for the Catholic faith, the fovereign Pontiff, whom he immediately after drove into want and exile; and now he is profeffing an ardent zeal for the religion of the Mahometans, whilft he invades their dominions, and ravages Egypt with fire and fwordi.

While

* See Harper's Pamphlet; the "Correfpondence of the American Minifters to France, prefented to Congrefs, April 3, 1798," printed for Debrett; and Lavater's Letter to the Executive Directory,

h See his character drawn by Mallet du Pan, in his work on the Destruction of Helvetic Liberty.

The following is the tranflation of the authentic Proclamation iffued by BONAPARTE, in the Arabic Language, on his landing in Egypt.

In the name of God, gracious and merciful.-There

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is

While a direct proof of the hoftility of the ruling powers of France against Chris

tianity

is no God but God; he has no fon or affociate in his kingdom.

The present moment, which is deftined for the punishment of the Beys, has been long anxiously expected. The Beys, coming from the mountains of Georgia and Bajars, have desolated this beautiful country, long infulted and treated with contempt the French Nation, and oppreffed her merchants in various ways. Bonaparte, the General of the French Republic, according to the principles of Liberty, is now arrived; and the Almighty, the Lord of both Worlds, has fealed the deftruction of the Beys.

Inhabitants of Egypt! When the Beys tell you the French are come to destroy your religion, believe them not it is an abfolute falfehood. Anfwer thofe deceivers, that they are only come to rescue the rights of the poor from the hands of their tyrants, and that the French adore the Supreme Being, and honour the Prophet and his holy Koran.

All men are equal in the eyes of God: understanding, ingenuity, and science, alone make a difference between them as the Beys, therefore, do not poffefs any of thefe qualities, they cannot be worthy to govern the country.

Yet are they the only poffeffors of extensive tracts of land, beautiful female flaves, excellent horses, magnificent palaces! Have they then received an exclufive privilege from the Almighty? If fo, let them produce it. But the Supreme Being, who is just and merciful towards all mankind, wills that in future none of the inhabitants of Egypt fhall be prevented from attaining

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tianity is afforded by the perfecution and oppreffion exercised against its profeffors, an

indirect

to the firft employments and the highest honours.-The Adminiftration, which fhall be conducted by perfons of intelligence, talents, and forefight, will be productive of happiness and security. The tyranny and avarice of the Beys have laid wafte Egypt, which was formerly so populous and well cultivated.

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The French are true Muffulmen. Not long fince they marched to Rome, and overthrew the Throne of the Pope, who excited the Chriftians against the profeffors of Islamism (the Mahometan religion). Afterwards they directed their courfe to Malta, and drove out the unbelievers, who imagined they were appointed by God to make war on the Muffulmen. The French have at all times been the true and fincere friends of the Ottoman Emperors, and the enemies of their enemies. May the Empire of the Sultan therefore be eternal; but may the Beys of Egypt, our oppofers, whofe infatiable avarice has continually excited disobedience and infubordination, be trodden in the duft and annihilated!

Our friendship shall be extended to those of the inhabitants of Egypt who shall join us, as also to those who fhall remain in their dwellings, and observe a ftrist neutrality; and when they have seen our conduct with their own eyes, haften to submit to us; but the dreadful punishment of death awaits those who shall take up arms for the Beys, and against us. For then there fhall be no deliverance, nor fhall any trace of them re

main.

Art. I. All places which fhall be three leagues dif tant from the route of the French army, fhall fend one

of

indirect, but ample, atteftation to the fame fact is obtained, by the new and popular

fect

of their principal inhabitants to the French General, to declare that they fubmit, and will hoift the French flag, which is blue, white and red.

Art. 2. Every village which shall oppose the French army, fhall be burned to the ground.

Art. 3. Every village which fhall fubmit to the French, fhall hoift the French flag, and that of the Sublime Porte, their Ally, whofe duration be eternal.

Art. 4. The Cheiks and principal persons of each town and village fhall feal up the houses and effects of the Beys, and take care that not the fmalleft article fhall be loft.

Art. 5. The Cheiks, Cadis, and Imans, fhall continue to exercise their refpective functions; and put up their prayers, and perform the exercise of religious worship in the mosques and houses of prayer. All the inhabitants of Egypt fhall offer up thanks to the Supreme Being, and put up public prayers for the deftruction of the Beys.

May the Supreme God make the glory of the Sultan of the Ottomans eternal, pour forth his wrath on the Mameloucs, and render glorious the deftiny of the Egyptian Nation.

"If there is any thing that meets with discourage ment from government in this country, that refers to public instruction, it is the remains of the Roman Catholic Religion, which, with all the letters and laws of tolerance which have been paffed, has not been able to raise itself up from under the crush of the interdict which the combined powers of philofophy and terror have

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fect of the Theophilanthropists. Nor is this the leaft curious feature in the important afpect of the present times-While they profess to act folely upon the principles of natural, they boldly borrow the truths of revealed, Religion; while they affect to attain their knowledge by fentiment and reafon only, they unblufhingly transcribe into their code, whole pages of the inspired Volumes. This fect must therefore have taken its rife from one of these two motives -either fome perfons feeling the neceffity and importance of establishing some religious principle, as a fupport to moral vir

laid on it." Mr. Stone's intercepted letter to Dr. Priestley, printed for J. Wright, 1798. p. 25. Mr. Stone is in the fecret, and is the advocate for the measures of the prefent French Government-It is natural therefore to fuppofe, that, in his Philofophical Dictionary, transportation to Cayenne, is fynonymous with tolerance.

"You have heard, no doubt, of the new fect which now has ufurped every church in Paris, under the name of Theophilanthropifm. This fect is prohibited by the government." Ibid.

Mr. Stone incautiously tells the real truth in the first fentence. Is it poffible that, under the prefent ftrong and defpotic Government of France, a fect prohibited by it, fhould have ufurped all the churches in Paris?

See the manual of the Theophilanthropes, tranf lated by John Walker, particularly p. 14—17,

tue,

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