CHAPTER XII.
1798.
Bonaparte's departure from Paris--His return--The Egyptian expedition projected--M.

de Talleyrand--General Desaix--Expedition against Malta--Money taken at Berne--Bonaparte's ideas respecting the East--Monge--Non-influence of the Directory--Marriages of Marmont and La Valette--Bonaparte's plan of colonising Egypt--His camp library--Orthographical blunders--Stock of wines--Bonaparte's arrival at Toulon--Madame Bonaparte's fall from a balcony--Execution of an old man--Simon.
Bonaparte left Paris for the north on the 10th of February 1798--but he received no order, though I have seen it everywhere so stated, to go there--"for the purpose of preparing the operations connected with the intended invasion of England." He occupied himself with no such business, for which a few days certainly would not have been sufficient.
His journey to the coast was nothing but a rapid excursion, and its sole object was to enable him to form an opinion on the main point of the question.

Neither did he remain absent several weeks, for the journey occupied only one.

There were four of us in his carriage--himself, Lannes, Sulkowsky, and I.Moustache was our courier.

Bonaparte was not a little surprised on reading, in the 'Moniteur' of the 10th February, an article giving greater importance to his little excursion than it deserved.
"General Bonaparte," said the 'Moniteur', "has departed for Dunkirk with some naval and engineer officers.