_View of the respective Situations of Great Britain and France, at the Period of Napoleon's return from Italy--Negotiations at Lisle--Broken off--Army of England decreed, and Buonaparte named to the Command--He takes up his Residence in Paris--Public Honours--The real Views of the Directory discovered to be the Expedition to Egypt--Armies of Italy and the Rhine, compared and contrasted--Napoleon's Objects and Motives in heading the Egyptian Expedition--those of the Directory regarding it--Its actual Impolicy--Curious Statement by Miot--The Armament sails from Toulon, on 19th May 1798--Napoleon arrives before Malta on 10th June--Proceeds on his course, and, escaping the British Squadron, lands at Alexandria on the 1st July--Description of the various Classes who inhabit Egypt:--1. The Fellahs and Bedouins--2. The Cophts--3. The Mamelukes--Napoleon issues a Proclamation against the Mamelukes--Marches against them on the 7th July--Discontent of the French Troops--Battle of the Pyramids on 21st of July--Cairo surrenders._ It might have been thought, such was the success of the French arms on the land, and of the British upon the sea, that the war must now be near its natural and unavoidable termination, like a fire when there no longer remain any combustibles to be devoured. Wherever water could bear them, the British vessels of war had swept the seas of the enemy. The greater part of the foreign colonies belonging to France and her allies, among whom she now numbered Holland and Spain, were in the possession of the English, nor had France a chance of recovering them. On the contrary, not a musket was seen pointed against France on the continent; so that it seemed as if the great rival nations, fighting with different weapons, and on different elements, must at length give up a contest, in which it was almost impossible to come to a decisive struggle. [Sidenote: NEGOTIATIONS AT LISLE.]