You have pretended, it is said, that you returned to France because our armies were destroyed, because France was threatened, the Republic at bay.

You may have left Egypt with that fear; but once in France, all such fears must have given way to a totally different belief." "I ask no better than to believe as you do," replied Bonaparte, with sovereign dignity; "and the more grand and powerful you prove France to be, the more grateful am I to those who have secured her grandeur and her power." "Oh, the result is plain, general! Three armies defeated; the Russians exterminated, the Austrians defeated and forced to fly, twenty thousand prisoners, a hundred pieces of cannon, fifteen flags, all the baggage of the enemy in our possession, nine generals taken or killed, Switzerland free, our frontiers safe, the Rhine our limit--so much for Massena's contingent and the situation of Helvetia.

The Anglo-Russian army twice defeated, utterly discouraged, abandoning its artillery, baggage, munitions of war and commissariat, even to the women and children who came with the British; eight thousand French prisoners; effective men, returned to France; Holland completely evacuated--so much for Brune's contingent and the situation in Holland.

The rearguard of General Klenau forced to lay down its arms at Villanova; a thousand prisoners and three pieces of cannon fallen into our hands, and the Austrians driven back beyond Bormida; in all, counting the combats at la Stura and Pignerol, four thousand prisoners, sixteen cannon, Mondovi, and the occupation of the whole region between la Stura and Tanaro--so much for Championnet's contingent and the situation in Italy.

Two hundred thousand men under arms, forty thousand mounted cavalry; that is my contingent, mine, and the situation in France." "But," asked Bonaparte satirically, "if you have, as you say, two hundred thousand soldiers under arms, why do you want me to bring back the fifteen or twenty thousand men I have in Egypt, who are useful there as colonizers ?" "If I ask you for them, general, it is not for any need we may have of them, but in the fear of some disaster over taking them." "What disaster do you expect to befall them, commanded by Kleber ?" "Kleber may be killed, general; and who is there behind Kleber?
Menou.
Kleber and your twenty thousand men are doomed, general!" "How doomed ?" "Yes, the Sultan will send troops; he controls by land.