The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-27

IIR W Bonopartc at Alexandria constituted
the first of a serics Of events that by the
introduction and gradual development OF
European influence haYo brought about
the now existing social and political oon-
dition Of the country. Ia this period Egypt
hns ceased 10 BE- "A province Of the Turkish
Empire. and having acquired the semi
independent position Of n tributary State
has boon lifted from an appalling condition
" social and commercial restitution, pro-
duced by the ruinous misgovernmcnt and
reckless tyranny Of "A dominant class. TO
one OF u~nexampled prosperity and Of social
and political freedom.
h three periods into which our author
divides Egyptian history arc thus dis
tinguished by differences 30 deep and so
far reaching that almost tho only link
by which they a be bound into one
consistent whole 10 the persistence Of the
native Egyptian stock and the preservation
OF the that testify to the former
greatness Of the people. IL 10. indeed, be-
yond a doubt that the Egyptians Of to-day
are the ineal descendants OF those who in
habited tho Nile Valley some seven thousand
years ago Those who hav visited modern
Egypt will remember hat wherever they
20 along the Nile or in the Delta they meet
with men n women whose faces and
features are living reproductions Of the
portraits Of the kings and people Of the
most ancient times. as sculptured on the
rock walls Of tombs by the artists Of their
day. In their habits. manner and Gus
toms also may be found to-day striking
traces OF those that seemed to a pre-
vailed when. four thousand years before
the Christian era. P~tah-hotep wrote his
book OF Instructions" now believed to
DO the oldest book In the world. From
the date Of their erection In those far on
ages down 70 the present hour the pyramids.
temples and tombs nave also stood forth.
surviving witnesses Of the early grandeur.
Closely united. however. a. the living
Egyptian 10 with his earliest ancestors.
our authors observation has convinced
him that all the men and almost all the
events that preceded the French invasion
In 1898 are as nothing to the Egypt Of to-day.
Mr.. Browne AYERS that not a single ruler,
patriot. statesman. demagogue. artist or
author. in short. no man or woman that
lived before the dawn Of the modern period.
has been instrumental In the making Of
Egypt or the Egyptians what they now
are. Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs,
Turks. all these have held the people Of
the Nile land in bondage. but their infu-
ence never reached below the surface Of
the life of the country and has vanished
completely with the men upon whom IL
depended. As IT, has been with the men
so almost has it been with events also. for
according to our author there are but two
OF these that previously TO the French
invasion have exercised an influence OF
such vitality as to survive the great change
in the condition of the country that has
since been wrought. In his judgment
these two events. with four that belong
to the modern period. are all that the
whole history of Egypt presents to US
As still clearly and prominently exerting
an important and permanent effect upon
both the character of the people and the
existing circumstances and conditions OF
their country. or these six events the
two hat belong TO the second nsriod Of
Egyptian history are the conquest of the
and by the Arabs and its subsequent
seizure by the Turks. The four others.
which belong 10 the third or present period,
are the French invasion under Bonaparte,
the rise Of Mehemet Ali. the English occu-
patton. and the evacuation Of Fsshoda by
Ju5 TEtUCb. compared VIII LlcUt all
the other incidents in the story Of seventy
centuries are but shadows that have come
and gone.
Egypt. Of course. like most civilized
countries. has had in reality two stories;
one the history of the nation. viewed a. q
political body; the other. the story Of tho
people themselves. Of the development Of
their social and moral surroundings. Il
q. -IsA H. INSx- mNN~., .LzA A. -.L--
Of the book before us has 10 deal, but he re-
minds us that in the history Of some coun-
tries the two stories are 60 interviewer that
they become as one. whereas in the fret
and second periods Of Egyptian history
they had scarcely anything in c,mmon. Sc
long N the people Of the Nile land remained
under the rule OF the Pharaohs or Of the
foreigners who succeeded them, they were
little more than passive victims Of the vary
ing fortunes that affected their rulers. and
almost the only fluctuations in their State
during the seventy centuries stretching
from the time Of Menes TO the French in
vasion were those occasioned by the vary
ing degrees OF the tyrannies 70 which they
were subjected. Hence such as the fella-
heen or peasantry were. when Cheops was
building his pyramid they remained. In
almost all respects. down to the arrival Of
the French. The history OF Egypt. there
fore. In the first two periods has little 10 say
Of the people. In tho third or modern period
the two stories touch each other more CLOSELY,
for IN IL the people have begun to nave a
political existence. They have not indeed
a representative government and so have
no direct power. but they have q press the
freedom OF which il absolutely Unrestricted.
andtbey havea Legislative Council'or body
Of elected Representatives. through whom,
though they cannot control the action OF
the Government. they arc at least able TO
make their voices heard and their wishes
known. More important still. they have
begun TO comprehend the RICH. Of a people
to he governed not only Justly but with a
regard to their interests as we'll as TO those
Of their rulers.
Mr.. Browne considers the arrival OF the
French in Egypt as "the dawn Of the new
period but he Uses the word dawn" as
the only word the English language gives
him. though it does not rightly express the
meaning he Wishes TO convey, for this dawn