PALERMO, 1800                          185

be no difficulty in procuring a very good country house
at a small rent. All this sounds tolerably well. How¬
ever Climate, Country, Rivers & Mountains, &c. &c. do
not remove the obstacle which always presents itself to
my mind, when this subject is agitated, and till it is
plainly demonstrated to me that the French cannot again
ravage this country, I cannot in my conscience advise the
measure. As to any other part of Italy, it must not
be thought of, for I am afraid that all the rest nearly is
in a state of confusion, wretchedness and misery.

From Lord Elgin^ to the Hon. A. Paget.

[Private.]                                                        Constantinople, March 8, 1800.

Dear Paget,—Few things were so little in my mind
when we last met, as that I should have to write to you
at this time in the quality of a colleague at Naples. I
do not however congratulate you the less sincerely on
your appointment. No one knows better than I do the
luxury of escaping from German Politicks, and Berlin
Stupidity—and I shd conceive that while there is, as at
present, importance in the mission of Naples, that must
be the most desirable one in Europe.

During a week's stay at Palermo, on my passage here,
the necessity of a change in our representative, and in
our conduct there, appeared to me most urgent. You
may perhaps know from Lord Grenville, how strong my
impression on that subject was, and if so, you will have
little difficulty in believing that I rejoiced much in your
nomination, on account of business, as well as for the
sake of the intercourse that will, I hope, now be carried
on between our two stations.......

I do not waste your time and my own by useless
lamentations   on   the  pitiful   capitulation   in   Egypt.t

* Ambassador at Constantinople.

t The Convention of El Arish, signed Jan. 28, 1800, by which Kleber
agreed to evacuate Egypt on condition his troops were safely conveyed to
France. The negotiations had been carried on with Sir Sidney Smith, who
signed himself as "the Commander of H.B. Majesty's Squadron in the
Levant" and also as " Minister Plenipotentiary." As he had been ambassador
at Constantinople before Lord Elgin's coming, and so far as was knotvn in
Egypt, was not yet superseded, Kleber placed full confidence in the powers
he assumed to make terms. The English Cabinet, however, repudiated the
Convention. The order reached Sir Sidney Smith on Feb. 21. Kleber had
already carried out in the main his part of the treaty.