BY

THE EARL OF CROMER

In his first interview with the Governor of St. Helena,
Napoleon said emphatically: "Egypt is the most important
country in the world."

ROSE, Life of Napoleon, vol. i. p. 356.

Earum proprie rerum sit historia, quibus rebus gerendis
interfuerit is qui narret.

GELLIUS, Noctes Atticae, v. 18.

τὰ δ ̓ ἔργα τῶν πραχθέντων ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ οὐκ ἐκ
τοῦ παρατυχόντος πυνθανόμενος ἠξίωσα γράφειν, οὐδ ̓
ὡς ἐμοὶ ἐδόκει, ἀλλ ̓ οἷς τε αὐτὸς παρῆν, καὶ παρὰ τῶν
ἄλλων ὅσον δυνατὸν ἀκριβείᾳ περὶ ἑκάστου ἐπεξελθών.
THUCYDIDES, i. 22.

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL. I

New York

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

1908

All rights reserved

こ

PREFACE

I AM wholly responsible for the contents of this book. It has no official character what

soever.

LONDON, December 31, 1907.

CROMER.