talents, he raised him rapidly to the different employments of his household. He foon attained the poft of Selictar Aga, fwordbearer, and of Kafnadar, treafurer. The intelligence he difplayed in thefe employments gained him more and more the good graces of his patron, who created him a Cachef at the age of two and twenty.

"Become a governor of towns, he manifested his natural equity in the administration of juice, and his difcernment in the acquifition of the Mamalukes, to whom he endeavoured to communicate his genius. It was here he laid fecretTy the foundation of his future greatnefs. Not only had he gained the affection of Ibrahim, but judging that the favour of the Pacha might be made fubfervient to his ambitious views, he made a point of pleasing him. This viceroy was called Rahiph; he was a man of real merit, difcovering in the young Cachef an upright and elevated mind, he granted him his friendship, and declared himself his protector.

"He remained feveral years a Cachef. His patron, Ibrahim, being elected Emir Haji, or prince of the caravan, which is the fecond dignity in Egypt, he took him with him to efcort the pilgrims. In their march they were attacked by the Arabs. Ali fell upon them at the head of the Mamalukes he commanded, and behaved with fo much valour, that he repulfed the enemy, and killed a great number on the fpot. On his return, feveral tribes being collected, were determined to avenge their defeat. The young Cachef gave them battle. He precipitated himself like light ning amidst their fquadrons, and, overturning every thing that oppofed his paffage, he obtained a ignal victory. The Arabs appear

ed no more. Ibrahim did juftice to the fervices of his lieutenant in full council, and propofed to create him a Sangiak. ibrahim, the Circallian, an enemy to the former, oppofed it with all his might, and employed all bis eloquence to prevent a nomination which difple.fed him. The Emir Haji prevailed. Ali was nominated by the Divan; Eddin Mohamed, the Pacha, confirmed this choice, clothed him with a caftan, and gave him, agreeable to cuftom, the Firman of Bey.

"Become now one of the 24 members of the republic, he never forgot his obligations to his patron, and defended his interests with an admirable conftancy. In 1758 the Emir Haji was murdered by the party of Ibrahim, the Circaffian. From this moment Ali meditated ven, geance. For three years he concealed in his heart his refentment for this murder, and employed all the refources of his mind to arrive at the poft of Scheik Elbalad, the first dignity of the republic. in 1763 he attained that dangerous title, the fummit of his ambition. Soon after, he revenged the blood of his protector, by facrificing Ibrahim, the Circaffian, with his own hand. In committing this defperate action he followed the impule of hatred rather than of prudence; for it raifcd up numerous enemies against him. All the Sangiaks, attached to the party of the Circafiian, confpired against him. Expofed to their intrigues, and on the point of being murdered, he faved himself by flight. After rapidly croffing the defacts of the ifthmus of Suez, he repaired to Jerufalem. Having gained the good graces of the governor of that city, he thought himfelf in fafety. But friendship has no facred afylum amongst the Turks, when opposed to the commands of the defpot. His enemies were afraid of him, eC 2

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ven in his exile. They wrote to the Porte to demand his death, and orders were immediately fent to the governor to ftrike off his head. Fortunately, Rahiph, his old friend, now one of the members of the Divan, gave him timely warning, and ad vifed him to fly from Jerufalem. Ali therefore anticipated the arrival of the Capigi Bachi, and took refuge with Scheik Daher, prince of St. John of Acre. This refpect able old man, who for fifty years had defended his little principality against the whole forces of the Ottoman empire, received with open arms the unfortunate Scheik Elbalad, and afforded him hofpitality, that faered pledge of the fatety of mankind, whofe holy ties are never violated by the Arabs. He was not long in difcovering the merit of his gueft, and from that moment load ed him with careffes, and called him his fon. He exhorted him to fupport advertity with courage, flattered his hopes, foothed his forrows, and made him tafte of pleafures in the bofom ever of his difgrace. Ali Bey might have paffed his days happily with Scheik Daher, but ambition, that preyed upon him, would not fuffer him to remain inactive. He carried on a fecret correfpondence with fome of the San giaks attached to his interefl. He inflamed their zeal by the tempta tion of better government. The prince of Acre, on his part, wrote to his friends at Grand Cairo, and urged them to hasten the recall of the Scheik Elbalad. While this was going on, Rahiph, now grand vifier, openly efpoufed the intereft of his old friend, and employed all his credit to obtain his re-establishment. Thefe different means fucceeded to the wishes of Ali. The beys in vited him to return to Grand Cairo, and to refume his dignity. He fet

off immediately, and was received with the acclamations of the people,

"The Scheik Elbalad restored, was nevertheless perfectly acquainted with the precarioufnefs of his fituation. He could never reckon upon a tranquil administration. Hatreds were ftifled, but not extinguished. On all fides the ftorm was gathering around him. All thofe whom the murder of Ibrahim, the Circaffian, had offended, were conftantly fpreading fnares for him. All his penetration was neceffary to avoid them. They waited only for a favourable occation to let their refentment break out. The death of Rahiph, which happened in 1763, furnished them this opportunity. They threw off the mafk, and declared open war against him. On the point of perishing, he efcaped into Arabia Felix, visiting the coats of the Red Sea, and once more took refuge with the Scheik of Acre, who received him with the fame tenderness. This wife old man, taught by the experience of fourfcore years, had gone through every reverfe of fortune He was calculated to furnish confolation to the wretched. He charmed by the wifdom of his converfation the listleffnefs of his gueft; he revived his courage by the hope of a happier hereafter, and endeavoured to make him forget his misfortunes. Whilst he was alleviating his deftiny, the Sangiaks of the party of Ibrahim, the Circaffian, trusting in the tota! deftruction of their enemy, abandoned themselves to all forts of vex. ations, and perfecuted thofe who were devoted to the interefts of Ali. This imprudence opened the eyes of the majority. They perceived that they were the dupes of a few ambitious men, and, to ftrengthen their party, recalled the Scheik Elbalad, and promifed to fupport

with all their power, He fet off immediately, with the embraces of the Scheik Daher, who proffered the fancerett wishes for his profperity. On his return to Grand Cairo, in 1766, Ali held a council with his partizans. He reprefented to them tha moderation had only excited to revenge the friends of Ibrahim, that nothing but flight would have faved him from their plots; and that, to fecure the common fafety, thefe turbulent spirits must be facrificed. The whole affembly applauded this refolution, and the next day they took off the heads of four of them. This execution infured the tranquillity of Ali. He faw himfelf at the head of the government, and in the space of fix years he raifed fixteen of his Mamalukes to the dignity of Beys, and one of them to that of Janizary Aga. The principals were Mahomed Abou Dahab, Ifmael, Mourad, Haffan, Tentaoui, and Ibrahim. The first was his countryman. He purchafed him in 1758, and had a particular affection for him.

his authority established on a folid bafis, he turned his attention to the welfare of the people. The Arabs, difperfed over the deferts, and on the frontiers of Egypt, committed ravages not to be fuppreffed by a fluctuating government He declared war, and fent against them bodies of cavalry which beag them every where, and drove them back into the depth of their folitudes, Egypt began to refpire, and agriculture, encouraged, flourished once more in that rich country. Having rendered the chiefs of each village refponfible for the crimes of the inhabitants, he punished them until the authors of the offence were delivered into the hands of justice. In this manner, the principal citizens looked after the public fafety, and for the first time, fince the commencement of the Turkish empire, the traveller and the merchant could pafs through the whole extent of the kingdom, without the apprehenfion of an infult. Acquainted with the exceffes of mercenary foldiers, both in the capital and in the provinces, he ordered the per fns injured to address their comp'aints immediately to him, and he never failed to do them justice.

"Supreme chief of the republic, he adopted every meafure to render her power durable. Not content with increafing his Mamalukes to the number of fix thoufand, he took into pay ten thousand Mograbi. He made his troops obferve the most rigid difcipline, and, by continually exercifing them in the handling of arms, formed excellent foldiers. He attached to himfelf the young men who compofed his household, by the paternal attention he paid to their education, and above all by bestowing favours and rewards on thofe who were the moft worthy. His party became fo powerful, that fuch of his col, leagues as were not his friends, dreaded his power, and did not dare to thwart his projects. Believing

"The Scheik Elbalad, wifh ing to give a fresh proof of his friendship to Mahomed Abou Dahab, and to attach him by an indif、 foluble tie, bestowed his fifter in marriage on him. For three days their nuptials were celebrated by illuminations, by horfe races, and brilliant entertainments. But this was only accumulating favours on a traitor, who was meditating in filence, the ruin of his benefactor, Con nected fecretly with the remains of Ibrahim's family, he afpired to the fovereign power. Ambition and thirst of gold had corrupted his heart. Every method by which he

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